This fic (don't think I can call it a drabble) was prompted by hermionesmydawg on tumblr for the hugs/cuddles meme. The prompt was 'for warmth'. I think I may have strayed from the prompt a little.
Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA or any of the characters. I just like borrowing them and playing with them.
The Frozen Lake
"Button up, Mr. Deeks. It's cold out there."
Deeks stands alone atop the frozen lake. The vast, icy body of water seems to stretch out for miles. He turns to the south and can faintly see the shore, marked by a gathering of snow covered trees in the distance. He slowly spins around, taking in the sight of his surroundings. Off to the north, in the centre of the lake, he sees a distant golden, pulsating light. This is his destination.
A shiver runs down his spine as he realises just how could it is. He pulls his jacket around tightly around him, buttoning it up and shoving his hands in his pockets. It's of little use. The ice wind cuts straight through it, but it's a small comfort.
He begins to walk, trudging across the ice towards the golden light. He keeps his head down, soldiering on against the cold, trying to ignore the icy chill that runs right down to his bones. He continues walking towards the light, its radiance a shiny beacon of hope on the horizon. The light's growing, increasing as he grows nearer. There's no denying its existence now. And there's no turning back.
This spurs him on. He picks up his pace, concentrating on the rhythmical crunching sound of his feet hitting the ice. He dares to turn back to look at the path he has travelled. He's come a long way, the fir trees at the shore look no larger than matchsticks, he's well into his journey, but there's still a long way to go.
He's not discouraged though, not in the slightest. He begins to walk again, focusing on the light in the distance. The sky above him darkens, a sure sign of a setting sun, but he continues to look towards the faraway glow. It is his destination, his motivation and his everything.
It's pitch black around him, but still he walks on, his eyes never wavering from the light that marks his journey's end. Eventually the sun begins to rise, bathing the frozen lake in a soft glaucous aura.
This continues, the rising and setting of the sun of the sun the only thing marking the passing of time. He couldn't say how much time had passed. Hours? Days? Years? Time seems to move in a strange fashion, slowly and then quickly, as if it controls itself, determining its own path, independent of everything else, answering to no one and nothing. But Deeks doesn't falter. His pace doesn't waver, even when everything else does.
He thinks he sees a figure off to the right in the distance, but he can't be sure. He knows the cruel chill of the ice will do anything to see him fail: freeze him to the bone, wrap him up in its icy grip, strangling him as it tries to distract him from his mission. He knows the ice wants to claim another victim, but he won't let it.
He sees the figure again, on his left this time. It disappears, reappearing off to the right again later. It seems to pop up everywhere, sometimes in front of him, sometimes behind him and sometimes off to the side. It's inconsistent and every changing, he can never be certain of its position, but he can't help searching for it. It intoxicates him, grabbing his attention and mixing up his emotions. His eyes dart, searching, seeking, but never finding. He pauses, turning around slowly, giving the area a full 360 degree sweep. He sees nothing, nothing but the light ahead. He pushes on.
When the figure reappears again, it's behind him and to the right. He hears the sound of jogging footsteps growing closer. He stops. He knows who it is without even looking, but when the footsteps stop next to him, he turns anyway.
It's Kensi. Suddenly he isn't alone out on this colossal lake anymore. He could kiss her. He does. For a brief moment he's in heaven. As their lips meet, a sudden wind starts up, ferociously swirling around them: whipping, biting, tearing, taking.
Just like that, she's gone, swept up out of his grip.
He slips, falling in slow motion but still unable to stop himself. He hits the ground hard. He's in agony, as if he's being torn apart piece by piece. Falling shouldn't hurt this much, the ice shouldn't bring this much pain. It's worse than anything else he's ever felt before, this is no simple fall: it's hell. The pain won't stop and he wants to scream. His mouth is open, as if he is, but no sound comes out. He can feel blood seeping out of his body, staining the ice. His fingers scrape at the ice; the freezing water below is sure to provide relief. It will numb the pain, but it will surely lead to death. He can't. He's come too far to succumb now.
He sees her off to the left, alone and lost. She whips her head around, searching, reaching out as if trying to find purchase on something that can show her the way. He sees her calling, but can't hear what she says. Then she sees it: the golden light ahead. With her newfound focus, she takes a step forwards. She smiles, and it's almost as radiant as the glow behind her. She's found what she's looking for. A laugh falls from her lips and he can hear it even across the distance. She's running now, heading towards her goal. She's certain and focused; he knows he can't leave her now.
Using all of his remaining strength, he pulls himself up onto his feet, feeling his resolve and energy return. He begins to walk again. They're far away, separated by miles and miles of ice, but he knows that if they keep on their individual paths they will meet up again. He breaks into a run, matching her pace.
He doesn't hear the soft cracking sound below him as he runs across the lake. All he knows is that she's there and they're finally about to find everything they've ever wanted.
He doesn't feel the ice break away underneath his feet. He's fast, fast enough to move his foot just as the ice begins to move. But ultimately not fast enough. Each running step leads to another crack in the ice. It ripples out behind him, fragmenting the entire lake. But still he remains oblivious.
Just as their paths are about to intersect, he grabs Kensi's hand and they run together. They run faster than they've ever run before, both focused completely on their destination ahead. They don't stop until they're only a few feet away. They pause, completely fixated by the light in front of them. Now that they're closer, the light illuminates the sky around them. Then there, right in the centre of the frozen lake, is a small golden orb, pulsating: the source of the light. It emanates warmth which spreads through his entire body, and from the looks of things Kensi can feel it too.
It's so close, all they have to do is take a few steps and reach out. That's when they hear the cracking sound. Almost simultaneously they look down to see they're standing on a thin piece of ice that's broken away from the rest. The sound of cracking resonates throughout the lake. They look up to see that everything is falling apart around them. It's all coming crashing down.
They feel it before they hear it. They feel the ice beneath them shift, followed by a loud cracking sound as the ice between them breaks. The two pieces begin to drift away from each other. He's powerless as their hands are pulled apart. Then the ice beneath his feet begins to crack, and then he's plunging into the icy cold water.
The cold threatens to suffocate him, chilling him to the bone. He sinks into the abyss before he's swept up in a ferocious whirlpool. It tosses him around, tearing at him with its watery limbs. It pulls him this way and that. He's lost sight of which way is up and all he knows is that he's drowning. He's dying. If the icy chill of the water isn't enough to kill him, the knowledge that the one thing he wants more than anything was just torn from his outstretched hand will do it.
As he's flailing around in the water, his hand comes in contact with skin, a warmth in the icy depths of the water. He reaches out, knowing that there's only one person it could be. As he grabs her hand, he kicks with all his might. He can see the golden glow above and he can feel Kensi by his side.
His free hand reaches up, searching for anything to hold onto. Finally he feels solid ground and manages to pull them up. As they climb out of the icy lake up onto the snow covered shore, they see it's completely dark around them. Completely dark apart from the glow that still shines from the middle of the lake. It's smaller now and far, far away, but it's still there. It hasn't been extinguished.
As they pull themselves up further away from the water, they subconsciously move closer to each other. They find themselves huddled together up against the trunk of a fir tree. The last thing he feels before he falls unconscious is the feeling of warmth spreading through his veins. He smiles. He knows it's coming from her.
...
She notices him lying asleep on the couch just as she's about to go home for the evening. He looks so innocent in sleep, untouched by the troubles of the world, but she can still detect faint signs of worry on his face. She reaches out to pick up the blanket lying over the back of the couch and shakes it to unfold it before gently laying it on top of him. She sees him shiver in his sleep before he curls up tighter, welcoming the warmth of the blanket.
"Sleep well, Mr Deeks," Hetty says softly before walking out of the building.
...
When he returns to consciousness, the first thing he notices is that he's alone. There's a chill in his bones and the previous warmth he felt is gone. He stands up, noticing that it's snowing now. He walks over to the edge of the water and looks towards the centre. The light is much closer than it was when he started out. He glances over towards the other side of the lake and sees Kensi standing there. She's so far away. It literally pains him to think of how she was torn from his arms.
She takes a step forwards onto the ice. It's slow and deliberate, and the ice holds. She pauses, taking her time before she moves again.
He copies her movements, gingerly testing the ice. As he steps onto the frozen lake, he looks around. The sky seems lighter now, the air not so agonisingly cold. He looks across to the light again and takes a step towards it. He glances to the east to see Kensi is doing the same. They're moving slowly, but he knows this is how it's meant to be. Although they are apart now, he knows they'll meet up along the way. This time the ice will hold. Though the distance between them is vast, they'll find their way to each other. And then, together, taking their time, they'll reach the centre of their frozen lake.