A/N: Written for the first day of Densimber 2024, which has become Decoration Day for Densi.
Sunday evening found the entire Deeks-Blye family busily decorating. Rosa had even blocked out the entire afternoon and evening to help, eager to participate in the tradition.
They'd collected significantly more decor and Christmas paraphernalia since Deeks and Kensi's first Christmas together as a couple, when all they had were a few strands of lights and Christmas ornaments handed down by Roberta. Now, the entire front room was thoroughly covered in plastic bins, cardboard boxes, and their contents.
"You know what, I think we might have more than we can use," Kensi observed, surveying the spread.
"Give it a few years, and I bet that won't be a problem," Deeks said, intercepting Sophia as she made a beeline for the undecorated tree. He lifted her up, blowing a raspberry on her arm too much giggling before setting her back on the ground at a safe distance.
"Good point."
"Ok, so does that mean we're putting up the creepy cloth elves?" Rosa asked, holding up a pair of felt elves with odd smiles.
"Definitely not," Kensi and Deeks responded immediately.
Laughing, Rosa tossed them back into a bin, and rummaged around until she found a more suitable sleeve of blue and silver teardrop shaped ornaments and unpacked them while Kensi and Deeks finished winding lights around the tree.
On his way to grab another strand, he saw Sophia and Caleb making a quick—well, for one-year olds—escape away from one of the buckets.
"Caleb and Sophia, do we have to go over this again? The decorations are not for eating," he joked.
"In their defense, the candy canes do look very delicious," Rosa said, gently removing a soggy sparkly candy cane from Caleb's firm grip, and replacing it with a cheese stick. She handed one to Sophia too, who regarded it with less enthusiasm than the glass and porcelain decorations. "¿si, cariño?"
"Si," Sophia answered agreeably. She cuddled into Rosa's shoulder for a second, handing back a now half-chewed piece of cheese.
"Oh,gracias.Se ve delicioso."
"Nad," Sophia answered happily. She gave Rosa a pat on the cheek, moving on to examine the tree.
"You want to help put one on? Here." Deeks offered Sophia a plastic snowflake shaped ornament. She studied it for a few moments before taking it in both hands and confidently toddling towards the tree. She mimicked the general movement of placing the ornament on the tree, letting go once it touched a branch.
"Oh, dis-so sasasa," Sophia lamented, clapping her tiny hands on her cheeks. Deeks laughed at her expression, nodding as if he understood every word perfectly.
"Oh no, it fell? Go pick it up and daddy'll help you," he said, waiting for her to carefully bend over, grab the snowflake, and then stand again. He held up the wire hook, helping Sophia wrap her fingers around it and then place it over a branch.
Sophia clapped her hands in approval, bouncing slightly.
"Dada, my! Sasu my!" Caleb called out, patting his chest imperatively.
"Of course you can have a turn," Kensi told him, letting him choose between a Santa and round blue ornament.
Between Kensi, Deeks, and Rosa, they took turns helping the twins hand the less fragile ornaments. It took quite a bit longer this way, but eventually the tree sparkled and shone with an impressive number of decorations, lights, and garland.
"Not bad," Deeks decided, stepping back to observe the tree from a few feet back. He welcomed Kensi and Rosa in for a one-armed hug.
"It's beautiful. I love Decoration Day," Rosa said.
"My!" Sophia called out, hugging the tree forcefully.
"But we may need to put up a fence," Kensi observed.
"Yeah, no, that might be a good idea."
"And buy some more ornaments," Rosa added as a few near the bottom fell off with a graceful tinkle of broken glass.