*Just a quick drabble, nothing too deep or involved. Based on speculation from a smattering of spoilers about the remainder of season 5, but that's not really the focus. This interstitial would fall between 6x1 where any cliffhanger is resolved and 6x2 where the team returns from their yearly break. Also, in case it wasn't obvious, I don't own anything related to NCIS: LA.*
Unceremoniously he sat down on the couch, handing a beer and a pair of chopsticks over to his dining companion.
"Dig in." He said, giving her the unnecessary go ahead to start eating, as she already had the first healing bite half way to her mouth. Smiling, he took a swig of his beer, silently taking in the mountains of boxes that were taking over his, no, their living room. Taking a deep breath, turning to face his partner and new roommate, he began a conversation he knew was going to change nothing and everything at the same time.
"I'm cashing in."
"Excuse me?" She stopped inhaling her dinner, looking at him, a confused expression on her face.
"Cashing in on that debt you owe me, a beer every night for the rest of our lives. I'd like that in writing, a signed contract even."
"Deeks." She began cautiously, thinking she understood what he was getting at, but her fear of getting hurt, even with all the evidence to the contrary, forced her to make sure.
"Let me finish Kens. It's just that after the last six months with the dissolution of the liaison position, becoming an agent to make sure I was part of the retrieval team in Afghanistan, to Mexico and almost losing Hetty and now with Hetty retiring for real, Callen in the wind again, and Granger in charge, I don't want our thing to get lost in the chaos." Finally he took a breath, stopping to gauge her reaction. The last thing he wanted to do was rush her, even with their improved communication skills this was a dangerous topic.
"On the payment of this debt," she said slowly, going back to the original premise. He nodded, allowing himself to smile a bit, but not to speak again. "I have two conditions. First, we do this quietly, confidential license, courthouse on Monday."
"I can handle that, I'll call up a judge I know so we won't have to wait in line." He couldn't help the grin that was spreading across his face.
"Second, you actually ask me." The smile she reserved solely for him matching his own.
"You drive a hard bargain Agent Blye, but I think I can manage that." In this same position as nearly a year ago, she had made the simple request that he watch a horror movie with her. The request to spend the rest of their lives together, turns out, is just as simple.
"Marry me? Marry me? Marry me?"
And when they walked into the Mission weeks later, where everything familiar had changed, subtle thin gold bands adorned each of their left ring fingers. Everything around them might be shifting, but in those simple circles was the assurance that for each other, the essential things remained the same.