Deeks had to fight to keep the smile off his face. Because if his girlfriend (yes, Kensi was his girlfriend now), saw him smiling then it would not end well for him. He would rather not be stabbed or sliced open by an ice skating blade, thank you very much.

See, he was smiling like he was because he had been trying to teach Kensi how to ice skate. How to ice skate properly, sorry, because she already knew how to ice skate. Or, so she claimed, anyway. Deeks wasn't really convinced of that. Being able to wobble your way around the rink didn't count as skating in his book. Especially if you stopped yourself by crashing into your boyfriend. Which, he didn't really mind because that meant he got to wrap his arms around her to steady her and there was no way in hell that he was ever going to pass that up. But still. It wasn't really skating, was it?

"See?" She said triumphantly after completing a wobbly loop.

It didn't exactly come across quite so well considering she was holding onto him for dear life due to the aforementioned crashing into him in order to stop.

"Yeah, I see."

Saw her nearly lose her balance way too many times.

"You don't look too impressed."

"You did just do something that little kids can do," he pointed out just as a kid skated past a lot smoother and quicker than Kensi had been going.

That did not need to be rubbed in right now. Kensi thought so too because she frowned.

"Come on, try again," he encouraged.

"I will, I will!"

See, this is where Kensi's stubbornness and need to excel came in handy. It meant that when she didnt manage to get something right she kept going and pushed herself until she did. It was something he had always admired in her, even a way back at the start. Well, until she ignored the fact that she was human and she made mistakes. But thankfully she hadn't got to that point today and he didn't think she would. One, because he was here and Deeks was pretty confident in his ability to stop her before she got too frustrated in herself and two, she really was improving.

Not that it stopped her from looking silly when she wobbled about and her arms flailed. Which was something he was not going to tell her. Though, it turned out, he didn't need to.

"What are you laughing at?" She demanded.

And regretting it almost instantly if her sudden grab for his arm was anything to go by. Yeah, ice skating and big emotions didn't really work. Which might just work in his favour because this meant that Kensi had to concentrate on where her feet went and less on him.

"I'm not laughing at anything. Or anyone."

Curse her ability to read him far too well. Sure, he could do the same with her but him being able to read her wasn't dangerous for his health right now.

"You are laughing! Woah!"

Deeks steadied her because her clinging to his arm did not, it turned out, stop her from falling backwards. Tha kfully no injuries occurred except maybe to her pride, if her reddening cheeks were anything to go by.

"That was your fault," she sulked when she got her balance again.

"How do you figure that?" He asked indignantly. "You're the one who fell! I didn't push you."

"But you made me laugh," she pointed out in a way that implied she thought thay it was obvious. "Which made me fall. Ergo, your fault."

"Well, just hold onto me and you won't fall."

That was her problem, she kept trying run before she could walk, so to speak. She gave him a sceptical look.

"Unless I fall first and then you're screwed."

"I don't fall," he bragged.

Because he didn't. Because he was good at ice-skating. Unlike his partner here.

She got that glint in her eye thay never bored well for him.

"Oh, really?" She asked.

He gulped and stepped back from her, or was that skated? "Uh, yeah. I don't."

"Even if I push you?"

"Well, no," he frowned. "But you wouldn't do that, would you?"

"And why wouldn't I?"

He turned up the puppy dog eyes and pout, she could never resist those.

"Because it would hurt me?" She looked unconcerned by that so he tried again. Because you'd fall and hurt yourself too?"

"I've done enough of that today," she grumbled.

"Exactly," he said fondly.

Just just looked so... adorable with her hair falling out of her ponytail and flushed cheeks and the frustrated look on her face.

"What are you smirking at?" She said sharply.

"I'm not smirking."

"You are so smirking."

"I'm smiling. There's a difference."

"Whatever," she sulked, crossing her arms awkwardly so she was still leaning against the edge of the rink. "Why are you smiling then?"

"It's just that, I tried to teach you how to ice skate but you still can't go a minute without clinging to my arm..."

"So?" Kensi demanded.

"It's adorable," he finished, with a fond smile on his face.

God, he loved this woman.

She scrunched up her nose. "I am not adorable."

"Sure you are," he said, poking her nose.

She tried to bite it and he snatched it away, holding it protectively, much to her amusement.

"I am not."

"I'm allowed to think it's adorable!"

"No, you aren't."

"Am too."

"Are not."

"Am too."

"Not."

"Are."

"Not."

"Are-" Deeks began again only to be stopped by Kensi holding up her hand.

"I'm not doing this with you. And, well, you're moving too fast," she said petulantly. "I have to hold onto you or else I'd never keep up."

"You do realise you don't have to keep up, right? We aren't racing or anything."

"And you don't have to go around in circles like some sort of dog chasing its tail."

"Dog chasing its tail?" Deels asked woth a laugh. "Really? That's the best you could come up with."

She actually shoved him that time and, just like he predicted, they both fell onto the ice.