A/N: Here's a little season 3 Christmas party AU. Densimber Day 21.

"Ok, I found the tree and ornaments," Deeks announced, appearing from the storage area with a large trash bag and a box that jangled.

"Great, can you put them over there?" Nell directed, pointing across the room. As usual, she'd taken on the self-appointed job of turning the office of special projects into a winter wonderland.

"You got it. You want me to start putting the tree together?"

"No, Eric's going to do it. Thanks though."

"Gotcha. Let me know if you need anything else," he offered. On his way back to the bullpen, he found Kensi standing on her desk, stretching up to reach something. Deeks tilted his head, frowning.

"Are you—are you pulling down the mistletoe?" he asked in outrage. Kensi jerked, looking back at him momentarily before continuing with her task.

"Yes," she answered crisply.

"Why?"

"Because, it's a stupid, outdated tradition," she started. Getting on the very tip of her toes, she hooked a finger around the ribbon securing the mistletoe to the wall behind her desk. She tugged it free with a triumphant sound, and Deeks automatically stepped forward to brace her as she hopped down from the desk.

He felt the warmth of her skin through her shirt for the few seconds it took her to find her balance and turn to face him.

"And you're not going to trick me into kissing you," Kensi finished, shaking the offending object in his face.

"Kensi, I did not put that mistletoe up there," he insisted with a chuckle. She scoffed, folding her arms over her chest.

"Oh really? Then who else would put it directly above my desk?"

"You forget that as lovely as Eric and Nell are, they can also be extremely odd." Kensi stilled at that, something that Deeks couldn't quite read crossing her face. "Look, how about I promise that I won't try to trick you into getting under that mistletoe at all tonight?"

He held out his hand, giving his best pleading look. Kensi sighed, and slapped the mistletoe into his palm.

"Fine. But don't even think of hanging it above my desk again."

True to his word, Deeks didn't make a single attempt to get Kensi under any of the mistletoes (yes, there were multiples). He did end up under one with Nell, who dramatically leaned back in his arms for him to peck her on the cheek. When Callen had later pointed out that Deeks and Sam had fallen prey, Sam had glared at Deeks, taken a step away, and emphatically stated,

"No way in hell."

Now Kensi stood by the snack table with Nell, chatting about Eric's new business plans. Kensi nodded along when Nell paused, eyes once again gravitating towards Deeks.

He seemed to be in the middle of some story, his hands waving expansively as he spoke. She saw Sam smiling reluctantly, shaking his head at Deeks' antics. As much as Sam pretended Deeks annoyed him, even he couldn't resist his charms all the time. It seemed no one could.

"And then Eric's going to put a swimming pool in the middle so his employees can go for a swim on their lunch breaks."

"That's a good idea," Kensi murmured distractedly.

"Kensi."

"Hmm?" Kensi whipped her head around, finding Nell staring at her with a knowing smirk.

"Something grab your attention?" Nell asked innocently.

"No, uh, I was just thinking we better get started on the gift exchange before Sam gets annoyed with him," Kensi excused herself, hoping it would be enough to distract Nell from her own lapse in attention.

"Oh, they look like they're doing ok," Nell observed, peering over Kensi's shoulder. "I put a lot of brandy in the egg nog."

"Yeah, I noticed." Kensi held up her half-empty glass, then slanted a wry glance at Nell.

Nell just spread her hands wide in response. "I'm just an elf spreading good cheer. And while we're on the topic, could you go deliver this to Deeks for me?"

"What, elves don't make house calls?"

"No, you've been standing over her with me for the last hour and I'm trying to help you mingle," Nell explained bluntly. "Now go on. I need to make more egg nog."

Shaking her head, Kensi took the present Nell had retrieved from who knows where, and headed for Deeks. Callen had joined the group since she last looked, and from the sound of it, was goading Sam about something.

"Oh, and there's my lovely partner," Deeks said as she approached. Based on the extra twinkle in his eyes and empty cup in his hand, he'd enjoyed a little Christmas cheer himself.

"And she comes bearing gifts." Kensi held out the present. "It's from Nell."

Deeks took it with a grin, giving the box a little shake. "Ooh, sounds expensive," he joked.

Before he could get the lid off, Callen interrupted him with a raised finger.

"Nobody move, you're both under the mistletoe," he said, grinning when Sam made an exasperated sound.

"Kensi, I did not plan this," Deeks insisted nervously.

"No, I know you didn't." Looking over her shoulder, she glared at Nell, who raised her glass innocently, and mouthed what looked like, "it's tradition".

"Meddler," Kensi muttered.

"Well, go on," Callen encouraged her. "One of you has to make a move."

"Callen—" he protested softly.

"No, it's ok," Kensi said. And then, she didn't know what possessed her. Maybe it was the egg nog, or her competitive nature. Or the simple way Deeks stayed true to his word. Before she could think it through too thoroughly, she grabbed either side of Deeks' head, and tipped her chin up towards his. She had a split second to see his eyes widen in surprise before their lips met.

It was a brief kiss, close-mouthed, and hardly the most passionate, but Kensi's lips tingled and she was distinctly aware of how nice the softness of his lips felt on hers.

She released Deeks and dropped back down on her heels, lifting her chin defiantly. Deeks stared back at her, an unfathomable look in his eyes as his tongue flicked out to run along his bottom lip.

"All right, Kensi wins," Callen decided, breaking that silence that fallen around them. "You're gonna need to step up your game, Sam."

"For the last time, I'm not kissing any of you," Sam retorted.

"Kensi, I—" Deeks started to say, but she cut him off again.

"It's just a tradition, Deeks. Like you said."

"Right," he murmured, not stopping her when she turned away.

Yes, it was tradition. And if her lips still tingled, burned, with the pleasant memory of their kiss, no one needed to know that.