This story is nothing but sweet, happy fluffiness.

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to justareader07. This is for you... I couldn't get you anything, so I wrote you something instead. It isn't much, but I hope you like it. You're a great person and an amazing friend, and I'm surprised you've put up with my for this long. :)

Kensi had been pacing the floor of her apartment all day. UPS tracking showed that her delivery was scheduled to arrive today, and she was nervous as hell that it wouldn't show up in time. She had been very careful this year to remember: marking it on her calendar, making sure the alarm went off on her phone every two hours, hell she had even written it in lipstick on her mirror in the bathroom. There was no way she was going to mix it up this time.

Deeks' birthday.

It wasn't that she had forgotten two years ago, she had just mixed up the date. They were busy at work, she's human… shit happens. She hadn't even blinked an eye at the incredulous tone in his voice when he had realized it wasn't him she was taking to dinner, but that was only because it wasn't the first time Deeks thought the world revolved around him. But when Hetty had brought out the big guns with the scotch and announced a toast to her partner's birthday, well, the hurt look on his face suddenly made sense.

But she couldn't just brush off the dinner (it was not a date) with Jaime - plus his mom - and she knew Deeks had understood that. She had even tried showing up afterwards with a cake, but it wasn't the same. He had smiled and thanked her and they had sat on his couch and watched TV, but the sparkle wasn't in his eyes and his teasing was non-existent.

So then and there, on the way home after a shitty day, she vowed never again would she forget.

And she hadn't forgotten last year, but when you're in Afghanistan on a secret mission, it's kind of hard to plan anything. She had called him, and she could tell by the sound of his voice that even though she hadn't been there in person, the fact that he could at least talk to her on his special day meant something. Especially after everything that had happened beforehand.

This year, though, this year come hell or high water he was getting the birthday he deserved.

Things might have been a little tense when she had gotten back, and there were still some road blocks in their way they needed to navigate, but she had learned a few things from him in the past year or so.

His communication skills were getting better, and hers sucked.

Kensi jumped when the knock on the door came, her mind on other things, and she almost ran to the door to open it.

"Package for Ms. Blye?" The younger man stood there, trying to be polite with the box in one hand and a clipboard in the other, but Kensi had already ripped the clipboard away, signing her name.

"That's me." She finally glanced up when she handed the board back and saw his amused expression. "Sorry, just really excited for the box." She shook her head a little at the words, knowing her partner would have seen the humor, and irony, in that statement.

The man just stared at her for a minute. If she hadn't been so focused on the box, the contents, and who it was for, she might have noticed the almost hopeful expression on his face, the sly glance to her left hand to see if there was a ring, but Kensi was oblivious. Her mind was on one thing, one person, and nothing and no one was going to change that.

Kensi glanced from the box in the man's arm to his eyes and back again, he finally got the message. The beautiful woman was already taken, ring or no ring. He didn't have to be a mind reader to figure that out. He had been in this business long enough to know when there was someone special somewhere else.

"Here you go, ma'am. Have a wonderful day." He handed the box over and Kensi's face lit up with a smile.

"Thank you so much. You, too." She glanced at him one more time, and did a happy dance into the house, closing the door behind her.

"Oh, Deeks. You are in for a surprise. This is one box you will definitely open."

The beeping of his phone roused Deeks from his slumber, which he wasn't pleased with right now. He had been dreaming of a vision in white walking towards him, brown hair falling in waves past her shoulders and a small gathering of friends and family to watch as the two finally made things official. Deeks had just said 'I Do' and was going to lift the veil when the phone went off, the smirk on Kensi's face before she vanished making him furrow his brows. Weird, it's like she knew this was going to happen. But that was impossible, because even bad-ass Blye couldn't do dream control.

Picking up the phone, he pursed his lips together. Well, maybe she can control dreams. There on the screen was a selfie of his partner with the ocean behind her, looking like she was going to take a bite out of a… oh no she didn't. He quickly jumped out of bed as he read the words beneath the picture.

You have fifteen minutes or it's mine.

He knew she wasn't kidding. When it came to food, the woman didn't care. He threw on some pants, a blue v-neck t-shirt and his brown shoes, barely remembering to grab his badge, gun and keys off the table before shooting off a reply.

Don't you dare, Kens.

11 minutes and counting…

Deeks knew on a good day it would take ten minutes to get to the beach, and he hoped the Gods were with him today. He drove at lightening speed, running the yellow lights and yelling apologies as he did it. He pulled in next to her Cadillac and parked, jumped out and almost ran to where his partner was sitting.

"Two minutes to spare." Without looking, Kensi held up his prize and he plucked the pastry baby out of her hand and sat down next to her.

"Well done, Deeks. I thought for sure I would get to eat this one." Deeks chuckled as he took a bite before looking at her.

"Vis-one?" Kensi just raised her eyebrows at him. "Really Deeks? Don't talk with your mouth full of food. Only I can get away with that." She heard him make a snort noise at her comment, but she ignored him and reached for the bag, placing it in front of him.

"What's this?" He looked at Kensi who just shrugged her shoulders at him. "Open it and find out."

He narrowed his eyes a little and tilted his head at her, but she just smiled at him. Very slowly, Deeks put his hand into the bag and pulled out a box.

"Kens. Really?"

"Just open it. There's nothing metaphorical about this, so just… please." Deeks sighed, but hearing Kensi say 'please' was his undoing.

Kensi brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, laying her head down and watched him. The breeze from the ocean was ruffling his hair, his eyes sparkling as he opened the box, a dozen cronuts staring up at him.

"These… this… a whole box to myself?" The look of pure joy on his face was worth the exuberant cost of shipping them overnight, and Kensi smiled at him.

"Yep." She grabbed the bag next to her and pulled out a cronut for herself. "Your own box you don't have to share."

Deeks smiled at her before his mind started registering. "Wait whoa, did you share one of your cronuts with me? Because I'm counting twelve undisturbed pastry babies in the box, and that only means one thing…" Deeks tilted his head at her, throwing her his signature smirk.

"Your detective abilities are astounding, you know that?"

"I am one of LAPD's finest."

"That's not really saying a lot."

"Mmmm touche." Deeks winked at her and took another bite, watching Kensi inhale hers. She was beautiful, no matter the situation, day or night, stressed or letting him see the relaxed side of herself she rarely let loose. But here, like this… she was breathtaking.

Deeks knew they were at an impasse, at his request, but every day that went by and he saw another new side of his partner he hadn't seen before… it was making him rethink things. And maybe that was a good thing. They had both been to hell and back, each one learning how to overcome their nightmares and move forward with life, the reminders of love, loss and learning to forgive etched into both of their hearts. Each of them had learned valuable lessons on how far they would go to get the truth about something, and neither had walked away unscathed. But even after everything, they had found their way back to each other.

And that was the kicker of it all. No matter what had happened - the half truths and partial explanations and unwavering support - they had each other. Deeks knew Kensi wouldn't look at him any different if he told her not only what had happened with Siderov, but also in Afghanistan. It wasn't so much as her reaction that held him back from talking to her, but his own need for acceptance of it first.

Deeks also knew that when Kensi was ready to talk to him about what had happened to her - both with the events leading up to and the actual torture - he would be there to wipe her tears and calm her fears and make sure that she knew there was nothing to be ashamed of.

As he stared at the ocean, the waves crashing against the shore and the sun warming his skin, he knew that Kensi held a lot of guilt inside over her actions and the repercussions of it. He knew Kensi well enough to have an idea of what happened and her reasons behind it. It hadn't taken long to come to grips with it, if in fact she had been captured on purpose, because he knew he probably would have done the same thing if the roles had been reversed.

"A penny for your thoughts." Kensi's voice was quiet as she watched him. She could see the wheels turning in his head, his facial expressions open for once instead of closed off from the world. She loved being at the beach with him - no matter how much she complained - because it was one of the few times she could get a glimpse of her partner without any kind of shield around him, when the real Marty Deeks came out. And it made her heart beat a little faster every time.

"Not sure they are worth even that, Kens." He glanced over at her, giving her a small smile. She nodded her head in understanding, knowing he wouldn't open up until he was ready. They both had secrets, each of them learning how to communicate better and let the other one in. And she had to admit, they both had come a long way since... she shuddered, not letting herself finish the thought.

Glancing down at her watch, she hmmph'd and got up, wiping the sand off and putting a hand out to Deeks.

Deeks looked at the offered hand and hopeful look on Kensi's face and took it, letting her help him up. He grabbed his box of cronuts and looked at her.

"Should I assume that you have something planned?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, wondering what else his partner had conspired.

"Assume all you want, as long as you get your ass in the passenger seat of my car. We will come back later and pick yours up."

"Yes ma'am." He grinned at her, up for whatever she had planned. She hadn't said the actual words to him, but he knew that she felt she had some making up to do in the birthday department, and he wasn't going to tell her she didn't have to. He knew the words would be futile. Once Kensi Marie Blye had her mind set on something, nothing was going to change it.

If he was honest with himself, this was all he had really hoped for. Just simply being with Kensi was enough. Their banter and playfulness and the way they knew how to push each other's buttons and bring out the best (and worst… and childish) parts in each other was something he wouldn't trade for all the money in the world.

As he closed the door, he looked at Kensi and put his seatbelt on. "You know, you're the one making assumptions."

As her seatbelt clicked and she started the Caddy, she glanced over at him. "What do you mean?"

"That my day would be free and clear." Kensi had the grace the blush a little.

"You uh… you never said anything about plans this weekend, and so I had hoped that meant you were free. Do you have plans? Damn it, I knew this was going to be a bad idea. I should have -"

Deeks put his pointer finger up to Kensi's mouth, silencing her and hoping she didn't break his arm for this move.

"Kens, I don't have plans this weekend." He brought his hand back down from her face and watched as she slowly nodded and exhaled.

"Okay, well, hope you're ready because you're all mine." Deeks raised his eyebrows at her wordage and the look in Kensi's eyes was almost challenging him to deny it, even if that's not how she had meant the statement. Instead, his eyes bore into hers, his face matching the seriousness of his voice.

"Yes I am."

They stared at each other for a moment before Kensi cleared her throat, nodding at him and giving him a small smile before putting her attention to driving Mr. Daisy around for his birthday.

"Kensi Blye, that may have been the greatest day ever." Deeks carried the six pack of beer inside, Kensi following him with the burgers.

She had taken him to the local skatepark, where Deeks had taught her the basics and she had bumped along steadily while she watched her partner take on the ramps, rails and the skate bowl. She had to admit, he was damn good at it. Just like surfing, he was a natural on the board.

An hour and a half later and after her third attempt to not fall on the baby ramp (which she had failed, much to Deeks' pleasure), she had taken him to Chuck E. Cheese for lunch, where they had spent a good two hours playing games and winning tickets, each one trying to outdo the other.

When Kensi was finally able to pull her partner away from the skeeball machine and the tickets had been cashed in for a plethora of cheap prizes, she drove them to their final destination of the day - Hollywood Sports for an afternoon of paintball.

Kensi had been smart enough to make sure there was appropriate clothes in their go bags and they had played four rounds - two as partners and two as enemies. The other teams had no idea what hit them when they were partnered together, easily winning those rounds. It was the two rounds when they were hunting each other rather than the enemy that were tricky.

They had both been of the same mindset to take out all other players first until it was just the two of them left. As they each stalked their prey, it had been Deeks who had outsmarted Kensi, hiding in a tree until she had passed. She had almost hit him when he had let out a whistle, but he had anticipated that move and rolled, hitting her with the paint before she could fire off another shot.

It was the second round of them going head to head that led to his injuries and he winced as he sat down.

"Paintballs don't hurt that bad, Deeks." Kensi set their food on the coffee table, grabbing a beer and opening it before passing it to him and getting one for herself.

"The actual paintball, no. You kicking my legs out from under me and my ass landing on a good size rock, yeah that'll hurt. I think you need to rub it."

Kensi snorted. "You wish." But she got up, went to the freezer and grabbed an ice pack and wrapped it up in a towel and brought it back to him. "But you can sit on this."

Kensi had done a lot of things for him in the past, usually making him do his own first aid but always there with quips and beer, but this was a first. And one he could definitely get used to.

"If my ass freezes off, I'm blaming you."

"A little frostbite never hurt anyone. Besides, you already said it was the greatest day ever - no take backs." She smirked at him and started eating while Deeks got situated and turned the TV on.

"That frostbite would be awful close to a sensitive area that does not need frostbite. That's all I'm sayin."

Kensi just shook her head and kept eating, Deeks following suit. It had been a hell of a day, and they had both enjoyed every second of it. It had been great to get out and do something and not worry about bad guys and saving the world, just enjoying each other's company.

"Uh, Kens?" Deeks pursed his lips together and looked at her. "We forgot my car."

"No we didn't. Callen brought it over earlier. That way we wouldn't have to worry about it."

Suddenly overwhelmed with everything Kensi had done for him, specifically to make his birthday actually mean something, he turned and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him.

Kensi sank into the hug, laying her head on his shoulder with her arms around him.

"Thank you, Kens. I uh… I don't have great memories of birthdays. But this one… this surpasses any good birthday I've ever had." He pulled back and looked at her, his eyes telling her what his words couldn't and he took her hand, stroking her skin with his thumb.

Kensi saw the love reflecting in his eyes, and instead of scaring her like it once had, it gave her the courage to lean forward and gently press her lips to his. It wasn't like the heated kisses they had shared in the past, but it held just as much love and longing.

When she pulled back, she smiled at him, knowing that this was the time they could both be on the same page, at the same time, and maybe the book of their love story could now be written without interruption. When he smiled at her, pecking her lips once more in confirmation that this was, in fact, happening for real now, she brought her free hand up to cup his cheek.

"Happy Birthday, Deeks."

AN: If it's not too much to ask, leave a review and wish justareader07 a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope you guys liked this. The next chapter to Paths We Follow will be up soon.