Set before Praesidium 6x03. Tag to the scene in the very beginning (the one where Deeks and Kensi wake up on her couch...) Chapter titled from the very same episode, when they walk through the harbour and Deeks (sort of) casually suggests they become room mates.
2. SHIPMATES
Deeks stumbles off the couch, clutching the phone tossed at his chest, while simultaneously trying to recall where to find the rest of his belongings in the clutter that makes up his partner's apartment. He listens to the sound of Kensi slamming drawers out in the kitchen as he locates wallets, badges and keys from clutter on his partner's coffee table.
He stops in the doorway to the kitchen watches her for a moment. It's still a bit strange, seeing his usually fiercely badass partner standing barefoot in her kitchen at 6 a.m, looking all soft and sleepy in yesterday's wrinkled clothes as she sloppily measures coffee grains with a spoon.
He blinks the last remnants of sleep from his eyes and slips up beside her. The violent aspects of her first thing in the morning seem to have dissipated and she simply offers a tired but grateful smile as he puts down her badge and gun next to her wallet on the counter.
"What do you think has happened?" she murmurs, stifling a yawn against the back of her hand.
"No idea. But calls from OPS before dawn is never a good thing..."
She sighs at his reply. Not because of his unusual pessimism but because she knows he's right. Early morning calls from OPS often turn into very long days.
"I'm gonna hit the shower. Make up the coffee when it's done, will you?" she says gently, not bossy like her demands of caffeine at work, in front of the others. When there's only the two of them, either at her place or his, voices are kept soft and words gentle, sometimes even affectionate.
But most of the time, they don't even speak. Much like now. At her request, Deeks simply nods, knowing exactly where he'll find the ingredients to prepare her coffee just like she wants it.
She gives him that smile again, the one filled with gratitude, warmth and just something he's yet to figure out exactly what it means. Yeah, seeing her like this... It's still a bit strange, especially after the initial tension upon their return from Afghanistan, but now he's used to it and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
Because relaxed Kensi, he's learned recently, is also touchy, cuddly Kensi, which was something he'd never considered was a possibility especially since the boundaries of their physical contact has been somewhat of a complicated affair lately. But despite their rocky start upon her returning to the field, it took surprisingly few weeks before they fell back into old routines of tripping back and forth along the blurred lines of their partnership.
Always keeping the other at an arm's length soon turned to always touching shoulders when walking side by side. The touch of an arm or a shoulder to catch the other's attention, casual side hugs, playful slaps (mostly from her of course), all pretty innocent gestures.
Although it doesn't matter if it was a slap, a hug or the rare holding of hands; they are all loaded with a new intimacy that's both incredibly thrilling but equally frightening.
Today though seems to turn out to be an extension of the previous night (dinner and subsequently curling up together on her small couch, now more of a routine than planned out movie night).
But even if she knows any of her displays of affection are always welcome, she's always a bit careful with initiating the contact. He sees the hesitation in her eyes and knows immediately what she's thinking. Even at six in the morning when her hazel eyes are clouded with sleep, he can read her like an open book.
Wordlessly, as always, he gives her a knowing look and simply puts his hand out and as expected, she doesn't hesitate to shift closer, letting her forehead rest against his scruffy jaw.
"Good morning to you, too," he whispers against her hair, and feels her tired smile against his neck as she lets her eyes flutter shut for a moment, just breathing him in.
He loves her like this. All defenses down, face buried against his neck and her deep breaths fanning out across his skin.
The first time she had cozied up to him like this, had been another early morning, not very much unlike today. Another early morning call from OPS and he'd come to pick her up (bringing coffee and donuts of course, he still doesn't dare to turn up at her doorstep empty-handed. He knows better than that). She'd opened the door, hair mussed and with a glare that was not to be messed with. But a cream-filled donut and half a latte later, her mood had improved significantly and before she ran off towards her room to get ready, she'd moved into his personal space, one hand gripping his side and forehead pressing against his jaw and mumbling a thank you into his shoulder.
Since then, their sleepovers has increased in number, along with Kensi's newfound affection for morning hugs.
It's not awkward anymore. The silence is comfortable such domestic scenes usually are. As she pulls away, almost reluctantly, he gently smooths a hand over her messy hair.
"We should really get going..." he mumbles and reluctantly loosens his grip on her. She sighs and slowly backs away from his warm body, knowing he's right and that both of them showing up together late at the same time again will sooner rather than later arouse suspicion in their far too insightful colleagues.
Ten minutes later she's out of the shower, wrapped in a fluffy towel and digging through her drawers for a fresh t-shirt. His familiar steps come shuffling into the room. He reaches around her with one hand, placing a steaming cup of coffee in front of her while squeezing the terry cloth at her hip with his free hand.
She acknowledges his presence and the coffee by leaning back a fraction against his chest. Goose bumps rise on her arms as she realizes he's tossed his shirt and the exposed skin of her shoulders come in contact with his bare chest.
"We're gonna be late," she reminds him again but showing no intention of moving away from him as she keeps searching through her drawer.
"Eh, so what?" She feels him shrug against her back.
"Don't let Hetty catch you saying that," she says as she turns and slaps a ball of bunched up fabric against his chest. "I'm leaving in fifteen minutes, just so you know."
Deeks chuckles, clasping the clean and very familiar t-shirt she just handed him. "I'll bet you that I'll be done in ten," he challenges as he backs towards the bedroom, pointing at her with his shirt. "Loser buys the donuts."
Fishing out a clean shirt for herself and closing the drawer, Kensi just shakes her head. She doesn't need to reply to that last comment anyway.
He knows it's on.
Author's Note: I really love Praesidium. It's one of the best episodes ever and I'm surprised there haven't been more stories written about that particular episode. I'm convinced the writers were aiming for the viewers to suspect that something went on off screen between these two...
