Back again, with a quick one-shot that I couldn't stop myself from writing. It's a little shabby due to lack of sleep and, of course, due to my frantic fangirling over 'Neighbourhood Watch' (OMG - feel free to discuss with me because OMG) - but it's so sweet it'll rot your teeth right off.

Quick notes that you might be keen on reading just before you start the story itself:

1) This story is set after the events of both 'Blye, K' episodes but before 'Neighbourhood Watch.'

2) The character of Gareth is an amalgamation of Detective Korsak from Rizzoli & Isles, Jack Nicholson, and my driving instructor (please don't ask why because I don't know how my brain works either)

3) The kitten Flash is loosely inspired by watching the Vanawesome channel on Youtube (if you haven't watched their videos, they're great, and also they have the cutest kittens in the world) - in particular their kitten Soy Sauce is how I sort of pictured Flash in my mind. (.com/watch?v=zNdJiW2rDXk)

Lastly, just a quick heads up that if I have time, I'll be writing a companion piece to this, from Monty's point of view. If I have the time, between real life and also writing another fic based off of Neighbourhood Watch!

Okay, that's about it! Hope you enjoy reading this, let me know what you think! Much love to you guys!

'I'm thinking about getting a pet.'

Deeks tries hard not to choke on the swig of beer he'd taken milliseconds prior to his partner's comment. They're chilling on a Friday night at his place, and he'd finally convinced her that Romancing the Stone was not acceptable viewing material. Reluctantly, she'd chucked the remote in his direction and grumbled at him to change the channel if he really wanted to, but he'd noticed her half-assed attempts to distract him long enough to retrieve the remote and regain control. This, however, seemed like a genuine admission, and he was quick to cover up any sort of shock he may have portrayed.

'What?' he doesn't miss the flash of hurt momentarily cross her face. 'I'm being totally serious, Deeks!'

Aw, shit. He'd not meant to give the impression that he thought she'd not make a good pet owner (although if one were not to know her at all and were to see the state of her few potted plants, it would be hard to argue otherwise). It's just….damn, the shrink inside him wonders why now, of all times, the beautiful woman beside him has decided she wanted an animal companion.

'It's not what you think!' he amends quickly. 'I just…is it something you've been thinking about for a long time? Or is it because you're growing attached to the ladies' man we got sat between us here?' he chuckles, reaching to scratch the dog in question between the ears. At some point during the evening, Kensi's feet had moved into his lap (he'd wisely said nothing) and Monty had taken the opportunity to take up residence on top of her legs. Optimal position to maximize the amount of attention he got, the sneaky bastard.

She grins, shaking her head. Soft curls of hair tumble in front of her shoulders as she shifts position and perhaps if he were nearer (i.e. without the lump of canine in the way) he'd dare to reach over and tuck them back behind her ear.

'Nah, it's something I've been thinking about for a while, I guess,' her fingers twine into the fur on Monty's back, and she takes a second to firmly reassure him that he's still the best dog ever. 'It'd be nice to have someone to come home to every night, that's all. You know, a friend that has a constant presence.'

'Isn't that what a boyfriend is for?' he teases.

'Monty, attack, 'she deadpans, nodding in his direction. Surprisingly, the dog jumps up at her command, tail-wagging, and proceeds to cover him in slobbery dog-kisses. Freaking traitor.

'Dude, what- bad boy-no! But in all seriousness,' he finally pries Monty from him with some effort, wiping his face as the dog leaps off the couch. 'What are you looking for?'

She shrugs at this, rubbing at the bridge of her nose, eyebrows quirking up in thought. 'I don't know, really. I guess I need to think about it before I make a definite decision. Perhaps I'm just feeling selfish,' her gaze flits to her lap, and then questioning eyes meet his. 'Is it that? Is it just selfish need? These last few weeks – I would have liked knowing that someone out their loved me unconditionally, no matter what I did -what I'd have done. '

He doesn't say what's on the tip of his tougue, but she seems to have picked up on it anyway. She curls her toes into his thigh ever so slightly, and his thumb comes to rest upon the bridge of her foot. Dark eyes meet blue and the message of 'not quite yet' sounds out loud and clear.

'I think what you're saying is that you want to be needed too,' he mumbles eventually, rubbing his thumb against her foot. 'With a pet, it's not unconditional, Kens. You come to realize that you depend on them as much as they do on you.' He grins, and the seriousness vanishes from the conversation. 'Where would I be without my man Monty!'

Claws skitter across the floorboards down the hallway and before they know it the large ball of fur in question is hurtling towards Deeks. 'Honestly, though,' he says as he rubs the dog's head affectionately, 'I think it's a great idea, Kens.'

'I need to figure out what I'm capable of looking after – I mean a dog the size of Monty would be just about right…or maybe even a-'

'It's not just that – it's what feels right.'

She scoffs. 'You're making this sound as if it's work. 'Trust your gut instinct'.'

'It's true! When you walk into a shelter, you'll be looking at hundreds of them. Twenty bucks says you'll want to take 'em all home. But there'll be one…' he pats her leg, 'that's the right one. And he or she will be very lucky,' he ends softly.

Flashing him one of those ridiculously infectious smiles that has him grinning like a fool, she stands up in one fluid motion. 'Well, I haven't decided one-hundred percent yet…but…yeah, thank you. And..' her brow furrows as she tries to find the words. 'It's nice to know I can talk about these things with you.' Her cheeks colour, and she slaps him in the arm before he can even begin to think about finding deeper meaning within her words. 'You know what I mean. It means a lot.' She bends down and presses a chaste kiss to his temple. 'I'm uh..gonna get going. I'll let myself out. See you Monday.'

One last smile and she's slipped out the door before he's up off of the sofa. He's left standing there with a slightly sore arm, rubbing at the tingling spot by his forehead and wondering why the whirlwind that is Kensi Blye always changes course of direction so violently.

The next week passes tediously slowly, no pressing cases requiring them to fabricate undercover aliases, no carefully planned take downs to participate in. Paperwork takes precedence over anything else, and though on the surface the four of them appear to be working harmoniously at their desks, by the time Friday afternoon rolls around, Deeks looks up from the overtime form he's filling in to see that Callen is nowhere to be seen.

His eyes flit over to where Kensi's sitting – by the intense way she's staring at her phone screen and flicking her index finger over it he suspects she's trying make a new high score on Fruit Ninja. She'd not mentioned anything more to him about what they'd discussed the week before, although he'd seen that she'd made the most of that buy-one-get-one-free offer on Dog Fancy and Cat Fancy, both magazines lying spread open underneath a pile of finished reports (he doesn't think he'll ever understand the logic behind her so-called 'organised chaos'.)

Twenty-three minutes later he's seeing signature lines whenever he closes his eyes and figures that being quarter past six, Hetty isn't going to miss him (he'll take his chances and hope that she doesn't suddenly appear out of thin air in his apartment, brandishing one of her treasured sharp edged relics and reminding him that paperwork is of 'absolute necessity'). With a pang, he realizes he needs to stop by the local animal shelter food store and pick up some food for Monty. Starting the weekend of with a hungry, sulking dog would not bode well.

He clicks his fingers in front of his partner's face as he's leaving, and she looks up, eyes narrowed in irritation. 'Do you know how many times I've been trying to pass this level?'

'I'm stopping past the animal shelter on my way home,' he waggles his eyebrows. 'Wanna join?'

Sam coughs, not so subtly, and the two of them turn around to face him. 'You two are gonna disappear off, too?'

'We're not all at Navy Seal level when it comes to dedication to paperwork on a Friday night, my brothah,' Deeks quips, a strange sort of pride stirring inside him when Kensi snorts with barely contained laughter.

The older man rolls his eyes, and nods at Kensi, who's hoisting her backpack over her shoulder. 'Why are you going with Deeks to an animal shelter anyway? Is that his idea of showing you a good time?'

'He's gotta introduce me to his family sometime, right?' she winks at him. Bidding him goodnight, she turns to Deeks as they're walking out of the compound.

'Listen, I…um, I'm having dinner with my mom tonight,' she twiddles a dark lock of hair between two fingers.

A smile breaks out across his face. 'Really? Wow, that's great, Kens.'

'It's not a big deal, but I sort of want to get my head around a few things before I head over there,' she shrugs, feeling herself blush. His genuine happiness has her tingling with warmth, but she's also pretty sure that he's alert to just how nervous she is about this. Whether she likes it or not, it very much is a big deal.

He stills her hand, wrapping his fingers around her slender ones. 'I get it,' he winks. 'I was half-joking anyway – though I better get going. I don't want to think about how Monty will exact his revenge if I don't bring home his all time favourite chow.'

'You better get going, indeed. Are you available tomorrow?'

'You wanna go on a date?'

She rolls her eyes, freeing her hand from his to punch him in the arm. 'Maybe when I wake up to pigs flying in the sky. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming over to talk about…pet care, a little more than last time. Funnily enough, I've been looking after you for two years and I still need some pointers.'

'Really, Fern? Is that how it is?'

'Exactly how it is. I don't know how Monty puts up with you. Y'know, maybe I should be inviting him round to talk,' giving him a small, hopeful smile, she shrugs. 'So, would you mind?'

'Nothing would give me greater pleasure.' With that, he playfully brushes his knuckles across her cheek and bids her good evening.

'Drop by whenever!' her hears her call as he gets into his car.

'Yup! Nice and early in the morning! Six o'clock, I'll be at your door!'

'Do that and you're a dead man!'

The shelter is fairly quiet for a Friday evening – there have been occasions where he's seen one or two eager families waiting to adopt a new addition to their family, the kids almost quivering with excitement at the prospect of having a furry companion. Tonight, however, it's just him – him and Gareth – the main manager that usually covers the Friday evening period. He frequented the place regularly enough to be friends with a vast majority of the staff working there.

'Marty, my man! I swear to God that dog 'o' yours is gonna eat through my monthly stock in less than two weeks!' Gareth exclaims, offering him a weathered hand to shake. Deeks grins and takes it, giving him a pat on the back. He likes Gareth, with his no-nonsense attitude, loud barking laugh, occasional grouchiness and the (probably entirely fictitious) stories of how he'd managed to find well-paid work in his youth because he was Jack Nicholson's doppelganger. Most of all, though, Deeks likes the way he is with the animals held in the shelter. If a man's true character is reflected in the way he treats animals, then he's sure Gareth has a heart of gold.

'You know how it is. Working dogs have a healthy appetite.'

'Workin' dog, my ass. What he's doin' is overindulging in retirement benefits,' Gareth grumbles. 'The usual?'

'Sure thing.'

He's not sure what triggers it, but as the older man shuffles to the back of the store to get the dog food, a little thought starts eating away at him. When Gareth turns around, Deeks has already reached the point where he's thinking so hard, the furrow in his brow is impossibly deep.

'You gonna spit it out already? Why d'you keep on staring over toward the compound door?'

He gives the thought one final run though (after all, he's positive nothing will come of it), and decides to go for it. Best case scenario is that he doesn't find anything. Worst case scenario is that Kensi will feel obliged to rip off one of his testicles.

'I have a friend – a colleague – who's looking for a pet right now. She seems to have no idea what she wants, but I figured I don't have anything to lose by having a look for her myself, right?'

Gareth gives him a strange look, glasses sliding precariously down the bridge of his nose. 'Let me get this straight. You wanna get this woman a pet?'

Deeks laughs nervously. 'I want to have a look for her and after that I'll see what happens.'

'You want to get a pet for a woman,' he repeats, eyebrows raising up towards his hairline, and Deeks comprehends why he'd be mistaken for Jack Nicholson – he's got the crazy look down to a freaking tee. 'Son, the only guys who wanna get a cute little ball 'o' fur for a girl are those who are completely whipped.'

As he feels the familiar warmth of a blush creep across his cheeks and finds himself unable to form a coherent witty response, he settles for glaring at the man.

'Don't give me that lo-what? I'm just saying! Christ, give an old man a break,' Gareth waddles over to the door and holds it open. 'Go on. Let's take a walk. Babies have just been fed so they'll be as happy as clams.'

Biting his lower lip to smother the smirk illicited by the shelter manager's affectionate term of endearment for his charges, he quickly follows him inside the compound. Fairly large enclosures lined the white walls, ten on either side. It hadn't gone completely dark outside, as evidenced by the large panes of glass making up the center part of the ceiling. The far wall of the compound had two doors – the left one leading to the large outdoor area (he'd stepped in as a volunteer more than a few times to walk and play with the dogs out there, so he knew the place pretty well), the other which lead to the feline compound.

As they step slightly further in, Deeks notices the atmosphere fill with excitement. The inhabitants of the enclosures scuttle forward, several pairs liquid-brown eyes fixed eagerly on him, tails wagging with some sort of contagious happiness. Many of the dogs brought to the shelter were retired police dogs. Four years ago he'd stood in the same building and had met Monty – from the way his head cocked to the side, how his eyes had closed contently when Deeks had patted his head – it'd been like greeting an old friend.

'Well, we've had a lot 'o' visitors here these past three weeks,' Gareth grumbles as they walk down the middle. 'But they've been mostly dog- people, so we've only got these seven at the moment. Take a look around, son. M'just gonna go and check in on the kitty cats.'

As the older man ambles away towards the door on the right, Deeks swallows back the sadness that creeps up on him as he bends down to stick his fingers through the criss-crossed wire, giving the dogs as much affection as the wiring allows for, wondering if they feel disappointment when day after day, nobody comes to offer them a warm home and a family to belong to.

Taking his time, he stops at every occupied enclosure, giving a soft 'hey buddy' and a 'how're you doing?' to each one. He reads the descriptions and backgrounds which corresponding to each animal, stuck on a plaque on the door of each enclosure, and watches each dog carefully. As obedient and cute as they are – and regardless of the fact that he thinks he should just take all of them home – he's not sure if any of them are what Kensi is looking for – and most importantly, his instinct tells him that none of them are very…well, Kensi. Most of them were elderly dogs that had permanent injuries which had to be taken into account, and a couple of them were described as 'boisterous and very energetic' and 'love chewing' was boldly highlighted and underlined. With their hectic timetable and high-risk schedules, bringing a high-maintenance dog into the mix wouldn't do – and somehow, he wasn't sure Kensi wanted a companion that would leave her apartment so messy that even she wouldn't know what to do about it.

Sighing, he gives the dogs a wave as he walks towards the cattery. He'd not really considered the fact that Kensi might be gravitating towards getting a cat, even though he'd seen both feline and canine magazines on her desk and knew his partner was, like him, both a dog and cat person. Regardless, it was getting late, and he had his own furry companion waiting for him at home, so he decides he won't stick around much longer. There were a couple of other shelters in the area that he knew were decent, so Kensi and him could check them out too.

Kensi and you, his brain repeats mockingly, and he rakes his fingers through his hair as he reprimands himself. Why is he worming his way into a situation which doesn't really even involve him? She's interested in getting a pet and suddenly he's scouring shelters to find one for her? No wonder people think he's whipped.

No wonder people think you're whipped when you're not, he mentally recites in a half-hearted attempt to keep the reality of it tucked away.

The last few months have told him the opposite. As much as tells himself that brotherly-sisterly love is the only thing between him and Kensi, and that the love he feels for her is the love anyone feels for their best friend, he's getting tired of making himself try to believe it – finding it harder not to look at her lips, finding it harder to forget the time she'd fallen asleep on him the night he'd been discharged from the hospital after being shot, how neatly she'd tucked her head into the crook of his neck, how her eyelashes had fluttered against his collarbone and soft breaths had warmed his chest. Finding it harder not to respond to her (increasingly) intimate gestures. Finding it harder to stop trying to make sure she gives him a radiant smile at least once a day.

He's slipping up – and he's not naïve enough to think that she can't tell. The only reason that she's cutting him some slack over it is because he's pretty sure she's got her own dilemma going on, something very much pertinent to their 'thing'.

'Nothin' your girl would like?'

He snaps out of his reverie as Gareth addresses him, scrambling to switch trails of thought.

'No…not really,' he shrugs apologetically. For the first time, he takes in the sounds surrounding him. Meowing everywhere. High-pitched meows. Long meows. Trilling meows. He raises his eyebrows and looks around. Cats aren't like dogs – they take their sweet time to see what the fuss is all about, lithe bodies stretching slowly. Some of them slink forward a little, tails low in anticipation.

'You have that look about you, like you ain't been around cats for a while,' Gareth gives him a wolfish grin. 'Cats are like women, Marty. However long it's been since you've spent quality time with one, you soon remember how it goes.'

Deeks chuckles, doing the rounds again on all the inhabitants. Unlike the kennels, the cattery was a full house. He quickly moves past the one empty enclosure in the compound and moves to let the next cat rub its nose against his fingers.

'You not gonna say hi to little Flash?' Gareth nods towards the pen he'd just passed. Deeks frowns. At a first glance, the area had looked empty – and there was no plastic plaque on the door with general information on who inhabited it. It's identical to the rest of the enclosures, various scratching appliances were neatly arranged on the floor, and fitted into the top half is a little house which the cat could access via a steeped wooden walkway. As he takes another look, though, he sees that there were various toys scattered across the floor, and hears scrabbling inside the wooden box. Suddenly, two orbs stare out at him from the doorway. One amber, one green. They blink owlishly.

'Hey buddy,' he bends down and wiggles his finger through the wire. 'Didn't see you in there.'

'I'd watch out-'

Gareth's warning comes too late – a small black ball of fur leaps out from the little house and lunges straight for his finger. Deeks watches with amusement as the small cat bats at the offending appendage before attempting to knaw it.

'Like I was saying,' Gareth chuckles. 'You wanna watch out for her. Got more spunk than all of her siblings put together – regardless of her size. But,' he crouches down next to Deeks, 'she's got a way about her. Knows what's what. Seems to know who's worth the time 'o' day and who isn't.' Flicking the bolt on the lock sideways, he motions for the younger man to move out of the way. 'Come in and meet her. Ain't everyday she decides to grace someone with her presence. What I want you to do, though, is stand by the door opening in case she does a runner. Slippery as a fish, she is.'

'Sounds like she's a personal favourite of yours,' Deeks grins.

'You kiddin' me? One look into those eyes and I knew I was a goner. Watch it, now. Easy does it.'

It turns out Gareth's instincts were right, as soon as he's opened the door a few inches, Flash scrambles though the gap. Luckily, years of having to prepare Monty for bath-time have left him with good reflexes, and he scoops the cat up with one hand. His captive thrashes about a little as her back legs dangle downward, tail waving wildly back and forth.

'Hey little ninja,' he coos, adjusting her so that her front paws are resting on his chest. 'Someone's got a mighty temper.' He nods towards the door to the enclosure.

'How come she hasn't got any details?'

'Ah, haven't gotten round to typin' that up. She's only been here two days – only just moved up into the big kid's section. She's on the small side for her three months of age – but she hasn't wasted time in catching up.'

'She born here?'

'Yup. The mother was bought in about four months ago. Family didn't want to deal her poppin' out a bundle of little ones,' he tutted. 'S'like people don't know what neuterin' is. Anyhow, she had six little kits, and was adopted with two of them soon after. The other ones were also taken home…but this one, she ain't charmed anyone yet. Dunno why – she's the best of 'em, in my opinion.'

Deeks watches with amusement as the older man reaches up a finger only to have it chewed, gently stroking the kitten whilst she's otherwise occupied with her second attacker.

He should have known better, because as soon as his hand comes into contact with soft black fur, two large eyes are staring at him.

The small cat is challenging him to continue. He grins.

It's such a Kensi look.

It's Kensi.

And as he comes to that realization, an idea starts to formulate. It begins to snowball, and he tries to stop it. Honest to god, he really does, but his gut has that feeling that tells him he can't just let this go. It's a dangerous feeling, purely due to the fact that the only thing that ever triggers it is something Kensi-related (he's not going to lie and deny that that's been happening much more often recently). About ninety percent of the time (with some willpower and practice), when he takes into account the upheaval it could cause, he's able to smoothly ignore his instinctive urges and settle for a safer course of action.

Ninety-percent of the time, he also regrets not having acted upon it.

Making a face at Flash, he tentatively rubs a hand down her pelt, watching with surprise as she attempts to reach around to grab his hand. She manages to succeed, claiming her prize by digging needle-like claws in, biting his knuckle softly.

Biting then turns to smelling. Smelling then turns to licking. Deeks strokes a finger under her chin, and the kitten closes her eyes in bliss.

Gareth offers Deeks a sly grin. 'I've seen that look before, son.'

'What look?' he stops stroking, and is reprimanded with a bite of disapproval. His new friend struggles in his arms, and he's caught unaware as she clambers up his chest to lie across the slope of his shoulder. He can feel the claws keeping the little body in place, and knows that his back'll be covered in scratch marks tomorrow.

'That look that says you've found something you were lookin' for.'

'Nope, I'm not looking to add to my two-man show,' he laughs.

'For your lady-friend, then?'

'That's what I was here to see.'

'You're one hundred percent sure you know this woman well enough to make her the proud owner of this precious little terror? 'Cause let me tell you, as sweet, she's a bundle of energy. Magnet for trouble.'

He knows her well enough.

The idea of getting his partner a cat is by far the simplest and most innocent urge that it hardly qualifies as one of his dangerous Kensi-related gut feelings.

He didn't want to ignore this one.

Feeling something chewing at the ends of his hair, he twists his head to get a better look. The kitten stops immediately, looking at him like she's incapable of hurting a fly. For extra confirmation, she presses her tiny wet nose to his before rubbing her head against his shoulder. His heart constricts.

Perhaps the gesture wouldn't be all about Kensi, anyway.

'Magnet for trouble, huh?' he grins. 'She's definitely gonna like my friend, then.'

'Don't stand around then, son,' the older man grunts, closing the door to the empty enclosure and offering Deeks a knowing wink, 'get your ass down to the counter so that we can go over the paper work.' With that, he shuffles off towards the front shop again. 'And hold on to her tight as you pass the dogs. Last time she escaped into there when a trainee was cleanin', a dog too stupid for his own good almost got his nose ripped off.'

'You know what,' he says softly, addressing the animal on his shoulder. 'You don't know how lucky you are. You and Kens are gonna be the hottest dynamic duo in town. The coolest cats on the scene.'

Flash mewls solemly.

'Sorry, no pun intended.'

In the end, he does get to Kensi's apartment at six in the morning. The last thing he'd done last night was sleep, in between reassuring Monty that Flash wasn't going to become a permanent new addition to avoid the dog having a nervous breakdown, going through all the forms and vaccination receipts Gareth had given him so as to put them all in a neat order for Kensi to look through, skimming through the cat and kitten care books he'd also bought and finally, setting up a little makeshift bed in his room for his temporary guest.

He'd spent the remainder of the night tossing and turning, wondering if he'd not been too impulsive – if perhaps he should have waited to take Kensi to the shelter so that she could see for herself. Flash'd conked out after a massive meal of kitty kibble, and had decided to sleep on the bed with him, emitting tiny snores, and with a pang, he hoped that he wouldn't have to return her. He'd wondered if he'd have the heart to do it. If Kensi would have the heart.

Now, standing by her door he looks around (a man's gotta check to see if there are any people around to witness what could soon turn into his murder), and presses the bell. Glancing downwards at the half open rucksack he's holding in his arms, trying to stop it from wiggling as he prays for Kensi to come quickly. He'd driven to her place with Flash in a normal cat carrier, but had decided to go subtle with the whole introducing-his-partner-to-the-idea-she's-now-a-proud-cat-owner thing, so he'd gently placed the kitten into the canvas rucksack (receiving a few well-aimed scratches to his hands, but he expected to be forgiven before long) before getting out of the car.

As he sticks his hand into the opening to make sure his charge is alright, the door opens brusquely.

'I cannot believe you.'

'Good morning to you too, Princess.'

'Five seconds into the day and you're already pushing your luck,' she grumbles as she shuffles out of the way to let him in. He can't help but take in the sight before him as he passes her – sleepy eyes, mussed curls, baggy t-shirt hanging off of her shoulders and reaching her mid thighs.

Sleepy Kensi was adorable Kensi.

A back paw kicks at his hand and he winces.

'If I wasn't so tired,' Kensi groans as she flops down onto the sofa, tucking her legs underneath her, 'I would kill you. What's in the rucksack?'

Deeks blanks. He hadn't exactly planned how to do this – sure, he'd imagined it various times, but all scenarios had ended with him in the hospital suffering from internal hemorrhaging. 'Uh…first, tell me how the dinner with your mom went last night.'

'We'll get onto that later,' she dismisses his attempt at changing the subject. 'Come on, Deeks, what's in there? Or is your hand just stuck? Just what have you been doing, exactly?'

He figures there's no point delaying the inevitable. 'Okay, um…hold on.' Turning his back to her, he sets the rucksack down on the floor. Flash scrambles out, and true to her namesake, is too fast for him – jumping clean out of her small prison before he can grab her, past his legs, leaping onto the sofa…

Leaping and skidding to a stop, almost rolling over – in front of a very shocked Kensi.

In fact, he's never seen Kensi this shocked at all.

'Surprise!' he offers weakly.

The woman in front of him is now wide awake, staring at the small creature next to her with a blank look on her face, mouth hanging slightly ajar. He's never seen her this lost for words, and his stomach starts to sink, because a speechless Kensi is an unpredictable Kensi.

'You're gonna catch flies with your mouth open like tha-'

'Is she for me?' she whispers softly. Holding out her hand, she slowly reaches towards the little kitten. Her new sofa buddy leaps up in excitement and steps forward to sniff her hand, rubbing her head against slender fingers affectionately. 'Is she?'

'If you want her to be,' Deeks gives her a bashful smile as he lowers himself down to sit on the floor Indian-style. The look she gives him in return is pleasantly familiar - eyes smouldering and heavy with something that's all too dangerous for him to even think about right now, a slow, sexy smile gradually breaking out across her face. It's an expression that says 'thank you' in the most arousing way possible –the best part (or the most pleasurably frustrating one, really) is that he still hasn't worked out if she's totally unaware that she's doing it, or if it's a special look reserved for just him.

'So…why this little thing?' The moment ends as soon as it began, as Kensi hoists Flash into her arms. The small cat doesn't offer any resistance, melting into her embrace and making happy paws on her arm, staring at him with that impassive look that meant trouble. Suddenly, even though the look his partner is shooting him contains barely reined in amusement, Deeks gets the feeling that it's now two against one. 'For all you know, I'm not interested in cats.'

'Not in front of the kitten, Kens,' he chides. 'At least cover her ears if you're going to be so insulting like that. She's just a kid, Jesus.'

She rolls her eyes, but he sees her bite back a grin.

'I'm more observant than you give me credit for. Especially when, you know, you go all misty- eyed whenever you type in 'cute kittens' or any other similar variations in to Youtube.' He dodges the kick aimed at his thigh as he maneouvers himself up onto the other side of her sofa. 'Besides, I didn't choose her. She was just…'

'What?'

'You.'

She lets out a surprised bark of laughter, and that's enough for Flash to daintily slip out of her grasp and leap onto the floor. 'Me?'

'I don't know, Kens,' embarrassment is starting to get the better of him, because if he's honest (or maybe just 'cause he's paranoid), if it were the other way around, he'd know exactly how this would sound – sappy. Romantic. The nervous ramble starts to form within his brain – now he's started, he just can't stop. 'It's like she's a pocket-sized version of you. She's got a big personality. Like a tornado. Or whatever. She's a big fan of food – practically left Monty to starve – and that's after she'd had her own kibble. First time I held her she couldn't decide whether to chew my hand of or to give it little kitten kisses – you know, with the nose, like - the kind of touchy thing with the wet nose-'

'Anyone ever tell you you're sort of cute when you're flustered?'

'…and we'll return to that comment later – but what I'm trying to say, though, is that…'he pauses as goes from looking at the beautiful woman sitting opposite him to watching Flash chewing on the corner of a stray magazine. 'Look at her. She's on the verge of being psychologically deranged, but still manages to be, uh…loveable.'

He screws his eyes shut, wincing in anticipation of the punch or the kick that's surely to follow.

'You think I'm loveable?'

When he opens his eyes to look at her, she's looking away from him, shaking her head as if that'll remove the shy smile from her face. It's that look again, even if he can't see her eyes – there goes that infectious, knowing smile – and his heart twists because every time he sees it it's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

And just this once, he wonders if instead of skirting around the boundary between him and her, he can step over it once and for all. Shifting so that his weight propels him forward, he hovers inches in front of her face. His grin widens – confidence soaring as he sees her flushed cheeks, her wide eyes challenging him.

'Loveable, you? An understatement if I ever heard one.'

She doesn't move when his lips press against hers – not the first time, anyway. He leans back to study her expression. Her eyes are closed in contentment, so he kisses her again, feeling her smile against his mouth, kissing him back. A hand comes to rest upon his shoulder, playing with the ends of his hair, and he deepens the kiss, her tongue meeting his. It's like a million sensations in one, light and heavy and vibrance and Kensi- and when they come up for air, she kisses him on the cheek, and then on the nose, before biting her lip and bringing those unique eyes to meet his.

'M' gonna want to do that again soon,' she mumbles, and he chuckles at her lack of coherence, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her collarbone.

'Well, that's good. Glad we're on the same wavelength.'

She smirks, pushing him back to his side of the sofa before adjusting herself so that she's tucked into him, their legs now intertwined on the table. Unpredictable, as always. 'Can't believe I let that 'psychologically deranged' comment slide, though.'

'What?' he grins. 'I was talking about Flash!'

'Flash? That's her name?'

'The name that the shelter gave her. I mean, you can always name her something else, but I think it suits her,' he looks down at his partner, drawing patterns on her arm with the tip of his finger.

Kensi watches the kitten continue to tear the magazine to shreds. 'It suits her. And anyway, she'd probably need a whole load of therapy for that sort of a change,' she chuckles.

'I think she's going to need that anyway – I mean, she's living with you.'

'First you kiss me senseless and then you insult me? I see how it is.'

'I'm sorry-can we just hear that again? Did you just say that I kissed you senseless?' He receives a pinch to his side. 'Did it make you swoon? Go weak at the knees?'

'Hmmph. Hardly.' She's smirking, toying with him -seeing if he's going to back down from an unspoken challenge. Quick as a flash, she's straddling him, nipping at his earlobe, hot breath tantalizingly delectable and the vibrations of her words traveling straight to his lower regions. 'That kiss was fairly average, in my opinion.'

'Maybe I need to refresh your opinion,' he growls, as he twines his hand in her hair and brings her lips down towards his.

All of a sudden, a small furry body squirms its way between theirs, tail swishing furiously back and forth.

'Hey, Flash,' Kensi coos, picking the kitten up. 'You hungry? You sleepy?'

'I vote for the latter,' Deeks offers, as he pokes the small cat gently in the belly. 'I swear to God I've never seen such a small animal ingest as much food as she did last night…and not sick it up.'

Kensi crinkles her nose, and gets off of him, sliding back next to him as he puts his arm around her. 'So, sleepy then?' she asks Flash, who's eyes are starting to close. 'Well, I'm getting a little sleepy too. What about you, Deeks?'

He smiles, pretending to stretch. 'Yup. Guess we'd better take a quick power nap here on the sofa now we're all comfortable, huh?'

'Sounds good,' she mumbles into his neck.

They're silent for a few minutes – the perceivable sound of snoring originating from the small animal nestled in the crook of Kensi's arm.

'Deeks?'

'Yeah?' he looks down, seeing dark eyes staring up at him. His heart swells when he sees an emotion there that he's pretty sure he knows how to define, even though he won't say it aloud just yet.

'Thank you. I'm glad you know me so well.'

He kisses her nose. 'I'm glad, too.'

'When I saw her, sitting here with that ridiculously curious expression on her face– it was like greeting an old friend,' she mumbles against his neck, and seconds later he feels her smile. 'I guess some things are just meant to be.'

'Yeah,' closing his eyes, he tilts his head back.

I guess they are.