A/N: Set in the current season.

I have no idea if Deeks would be able to come home in between courses, but given the rules we've flouted to get him to FLETC, we're not going to worry about it.

Kensi was puttering around the kitchen, searching for something to eat and cleaning up a few dishes from the last couple days when she heard the front door open.

"Deeks!" she called out, quickly drying her hands before she ran into the living room. She found him standing in the doorway, his duffel bag in one hand. Dressed in a plain gray t-shirt, jeans, and with his much shorter bangs still somehow flopping into his eyes, he hardly looked like the average FLETC candidate. He did look absolutely wonderful after two weeks away at the academy.

"I'm in desperate need of a hug," he announced. Kensi immediately embraced him and he wrapped his free arm around her, burying his nose in her hair.

"Is everything ok?" Kensi asked, running her fingers through his hair. His face was a little more drawn than when he'd left and she thought she could feel the outline of his ribs through his shirt. "You said you weren't coming home until tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'm good. The instructor for today's class had a family emergency, so she said we might as well take a long weekend. They'll tack the training we missed on to the end of the course," he explained, letting his bag drop to the floor.

"Then what's with the woebegone face?"

"It was just a rough week," he told her somewhat evasively. "I really missed you. "Sighing, he rubbed his nose along her jaw inhaling deeply. "God, you smell nice. I forgot how bad a bunch of sweaty guys crammed into a single room can smell."

Kensi snorted, pulling back just enough to kiss him.

"I missed you too," she said, running her hands down his sides until she reached his hands. "C'mon, let's have some lunch." Deeks let her lead him into the kitchen and gently push him into a chair while she made them bowls of chicken and rice soup.

She was still getting used to navigating their new home, as well as cooking more of the time now that they were on a more restricted budget.

"So you said you started tactical training this week," Kensi prompted after a few minutes. "How's that going?"

"Overall pretty well. I aced the physical portion without any problem," he said with a tiny smirk. Kensi eyes his upper chest, which was even more defined than before he left, if that was possible.

"That's fantastic, but I think we all knew you were going to be fine in that area. What about the other courses?"

"They're fine." There was the hesitation again.

"But..."

"One of the the instructors seems to have just a tiny stick up his butt about me," Deeks finally admitted. At Kensi's frown, he quickly added, "It's nothing serious. He just makes pointed comments about my age, my hair-which seems a little unfair since I actually bothered to cut it for the first time in years-to the other cadets. He's also super strict about the standards. If I'm even a tiny bit off on a skill, he makes do it five more times while the rest of class watches." At Kensi's concerned look, he added, "Honestly, it's mostly just annoying."

"That's not good, Deeks. Maybe you should talk to head instructor," Kensi suggested. Deeks immediately shook his head.

"No, that'll just cause problems and I don't want to get a reputation as a whiner."

"But if he rates you too low, you could get kicked out the program."

"I know," he sighed. "I'm hoping that he'll get past his initial impression of me."

"And if he doesn't?" Deeks grinned at her question, picking up on the implied threat in her tone.

"Then I give you full permission to go full ninja assassin. He won't know what hit him."

"With pleasure," Kensi said, knowing that Deeks was mostly joking. If he wanted to, Deeks was fully capable of ingratiating himself to a biased teacher. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have Sam go observe that particular class for a day.

Deeks finished his soup and slouched in his chair, letting out a contented sigh.

"That's the best food I've had all week," he said, glancing at Kensi with a lazy smile. "I'm really glad to be home, even if it's only for a few days."

"Me too." She stood, coming around to Deeks' side, and sat down in his lap. His hands automatically found a place on the top of her hips. "And if I didn't say it already, I am so proud of you."

"Love you," he murmured, tilting her chin up to meet his lips. "I'm glad you don't smell like two week old socks."