Greetings from 30,000 feet! I'm currently on a plane, heading back home after the holidays:) My updating schedule should be a bit more consistent now that I'm no longer away... but enough about me! I hope you all enjoy this new chapter, and please review as always! :)

-Hazel

"We have a thing."

Kensi sighs, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I like our thing."

Deeks smiles despite knowing she can't see his face, and drops a lingering kiss to the top of her head.

"So do I."

"I think we should just live here," he says after a moment of complete silence, nothing there to interrupt them but the sound of crashing waves and a couple of noisy seagulls.

Kensi chuckles sleepily, shaking her head against his chest. She can't deny that it's beautiful, because it is.

"You're ridiculous."

"Nope, just brilliant. We can hang with Bob every day, go surfing, eat tacos-"

"And never receive our high school diplomas?"

Deeks pauses, jetting out his lower lip.

"Valid point."

"Thank you." The sun is continuing to drop behind the horizon and she stares out with narrowed eyes, watching what looks like a living painting. "I don't think my father would approve either."

"Probably not."

Deeks cringes at the mere thought of angering Kensi's dad. Bad idea.

"Where is he, anyways?"

She shrugs, but Deeks can still feel her stiffen at the question.

"I have no clue."

"Do you know when he's coming home?"

"He told me that he'd be back for my birthday."

"When's that?"

"Two weeks."

His eyes widen. "Two weeks?"

"Yeah."

"You haven't even mentioned it yet!"

"I've never been a big 'birthday' person."

He just looks forward, stupefied.

"Huh. That's... huh."

"What?"

"I love birthdays."

"You do?"

"Yup. So you better not forget about mine."

"You have to tell me when it is first."

"The eighth of January."

"Okay." She pats his chest. "I won't forget."

"You better not."

"I won't."

"Promise?"

Kensi laughs. "You're crazy."

"But do you promise?"

"Sure," she mutters, smiling. "I promise."

"Good. Because if you didn't remember, I'd probably cry."

"I'm sure you would."

"It would be a huge hit to my ego."

"Then maybe I should forget- on purpose, of course. We don't want my dad to think you're cocky and rude."

"Right."

A couple seconds pass before Deeks finally understands the implication she's just made. He sits up tall, forcing her to do the same.

"Whoa there, Kens. What did you just say?"

Her expression could almost be described as sheepish, but it's strongly mixed with a sense of pride.

"Well... I thought you too could meet, and maybe-"

He holds up both hands. "Hold on. Me, meet your dad?"

"Yeah." Kensi doesn't understand why he would be at all intimidated by the possibility. "What's wrong with that? You two will get along great."

"You seem to forget that I don't have the best of luck with fathers."

"As long as you don't shoot him, we should be fine."

"Wow. That's..."

"Too soon?"

"No, no. Completely accurate. Hence my hesitation to meet him."

"Hence nothing. It's gonna be fine. He'll love you."

The tension begins to leave Kensi's frame, and she settles her head back onto his chest.

He sighs. "I don't know if I believe you."

"Name one reason why he wouldn't like you."

"Easy. I could make a spreadsheet filled with statistics. Or a bar graph... maybe even a powerpoint presentation with one of those cool laser pointer thingys-"

"Deeks."

"Mmm-hmm?"

"It'll be great. Just... be yourself."

He snorts. "That is, without a doubt, the most cliché thing you've ever said to me."

"What else am I supposed to say?"

"I don't know. You could tell me to be my usual charming, funny, witty self."

"Or not."

"You're mean."

"Only to you. It should be taken as a compliment."

He huffs, strongly resembling the proverbial petulant child.

"I'm not gonna do that."

Kensi rolls her eyes. "Your maturity will surely impress him."

"Thanks."

"That was sarcastic, Deeks."

"Ugh. Whatever."

She doesn't reply, and instead just crafts her mouth up into a smirk.

"Okay. I see your point."

"Thank you," Kensi murmurs, closing her eyelids.

She tightens the grip of both her arms around his waist, still wearing a small, sleepy smile.

"He really will love you. I promise."

"We shouldn't do that."

"Do what?"

"Make promises that we can't keep."

Kensi's tired, and doesn't find it necessary to sit up again.

"What else have I promised, exactly?"

"You said that you won't forget my birthday."

"I can keep that promise."

"What month is it in?'

"January," she says with minimal effort, not missing a beat.

"What day?"

"The eighth."

"Good," Deeks replies simply, nodding. Kensi can hear a smile in his voice. "Your memory is impressive."

She sighs. "Gimme a couple of minutes. Maybe I'll have forgotten it by then."

"What are you-"

"Kidding."

"Your sense of humor needs some work."

"Does it now?"

"This is exactly what I'm talking about. You're using reflection to try and sound smart. It's not working."

"Is that so?"

"Are you really-" He looks down to see her grinning, both rows of teeth visible. "Okay. Nicely done."

"I'm smart. Get used to it."

The comment doesn't come out sounding snappy like Kensi means for it to, but her mind is tired and as a result her voice isn't clipped.

"It's gonna be great," she adds.

Deeks doesn't even need to prompt her with a question, as he knows that she's referring to her dad.

"What if he doesn't approve?"

She shrugs. "I dunno. We'll figure it out."

"That's vague."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

"Still vague."

Kensi exhales, her eyes still shut.

"He'll like you." She pauses for emphasis. "If not... you can just shoot him."

"Is this ever gonna end?"

"No."

The answer is direct enough. No room for negotiation.

"Fine. But if you're gonna keep that up, it means I still get to call you Fern."

Kensi chuckles because she loves him, and the compromise seems small enough.

"Okay," she states with a heavy, grumbling sigh.

"Really?"

"Yeah. But I have a feeling I'm gonna regret this decision later on."

"Probably. Especially if I call you Fern in front of your dad."

She wrinkles her features up into a grimace.

"Don't."

"You know what? He'll probably just laugh along with me."

Kensi pictures the chain of events in her head, and the mental imagery it provides her with is surprisingly satisfying. The two of them together, taking great pleasure in teasing her about the unwanted nickname is somehow a strange mixture of a heartwarming moment and a simply humiliating one.

"Maybe you're right."

"I'm definitely right."

"Okay."

"No rebuttal?"

"I'm tired."

"Alright," he says quietly, stroking her curly brown locks. "That's fine."

Kensi's jaw nearly pops as she yawns widely.

"You should sleep."

Nothing sounds better, so she nods willingly.

"Okay."

Deeks checks his watch as her breathing deepens. Eight o'clock. They should probably go back.

Actually, that isn't really much of a question. They should definitely go back. But god- she's just about to fall asleep and Deeks is far too comfortable to move.

The repercussions could be hefty, as he knows that Julia will most certainly be angry at the both of them for such a flagrantly defiant act. On the other hand it's possible that she could sympathize- maybe see their point of view, and understand why they'd want to escape.

He isn't sure though, and still desires a bit of confirmation before making a decision.

"Kens?"

All he hears is some heavy breathing and a funny sounding snore. Of course she's a snorer.

In the light of the setting sun, Deeks smiles and leans his head back against the rear window. For days he's been looking for something that could make him feel good again. A sense of peace and quiet; structure and order.

Nothing has seemed to do the job, though. His mind always ends up drifting back to a dark place, the troubling thoughts completely unassailable.

But, as he looks down to see Kensi's mouth hanging slightly ajar and her eyes tightly closed, Deeks finally understands why that's been the case. He hasn't been needing something, he's been needing someone.

Deeks grins. It's her.