Around four o'clock the next afternoon, Kensi managed to drag herself out of bed and risked taking a brief shower, careful not to slip and fall. The last thing she needed was her partner finding her passed out naked and half-drowned!
The hot shower didn't do a thing to make her feel better, but at least she wouldn't be embarrassed again about her crummy appearance when Deeks came back later to torment her some more.
She let her hair air-dry a bit before raking it into a lumpy ponytail to get it out of the way. She struggled into a sports bra for decency's sake, and finished with a t-shirt and comfortable pajama pants.
Then she pulled the top blanket off her bed and dragged it into the livingroom, where she dropped to the couch and turned on the television.
But there was nothing on that she really cared to sit through, so she turned the TV back off and laid down on the couch with her blanket covering her.
She woke to a hand touching her forehead. Deeks must've let himself in again with his trusty lock pick.
Kensi opened drowsy eyes to look up at him. "My partner, the cat burglar."
He grinned back. "That's Doctor Cat Burglar, to you."
"That's a mouthful," she responded sleepily. "How about I just call you Deeks?"
He smiled in agreement. "Works for me." He crouched near her head to get a better look at her face. "How ya feeling?"
"Kinda thirsty," she answered simply.
"Hungry?"
"Not really."
"You probably should try to eat something anyway," Deeks advised, standing upright again. "But first I'll bring you some water."
He found a clean glass in her messy kitchen and filled it with cold water.
"Thank you," Kensi accepted it, sitting up and scooting over to give him room to sit on the couch. She hadn't realized just how thirsty she was until that first refreshing swallow hit her parched throat.
"More?" she requested, holding the empty glass toward the man sitting next to her.
But Deeks only looked at the glass. "More what?" he asked impishly.
"More please…kind, caring Doctor Cat Burglar?" Kensi pleaded, a playful smile quirking at her lips.
Deeks smiled back. "Well, since you put it that way…" He took the glass and returned to the kitchen for more water.
Leaving Kensi to sip her water, Deeks went back to the kitchen yet again. This time, he opened a can of chicken noodle soup and heated it over the stove.
He hoped to get her to eat at least some of it. He knew a sick body would get only weaker if it wasn't nourished every day.
He needed his partner and he wanted his friend, and if he had to bully her into eating something to get her strength back, then so be it.
Filling a bowl with most of the noodles and a little bit of the watery juice, he added a spoon and set it down on the coffee table in front of Kensi.
"I want you to try to eat that," he voiced seriously. "If you can't, it's okay. But you should at least try."
It was so sweet, the way he was looking after her. "I'll try," Kensi assured.
And she did. Just to please him, she forced herself to eat the entire serving of chicken noodle soup.
She took her time doing so, and the last bite was almost cold when she swallowed it, but she was proud of herself for getting it all down.
Kensi leaned back into the couch to let the food settle. She sighed, rubbing at her neck.
"What's wrong?" Deeks questioned.
Her hand dropped into her lap. "Oh, just the usual. Aches, pains…stiff neck from holding up the elephant that's sitting on my head."
"Do you need to lay down?" he asked, preparing to stand up and give her the couch.
"No, if I lay down, I won't be able to breathe," she answered logically. "I can just prop myself up with a pillow or something."
"Or something," Deeks echoed in agreement. But instead of getting her a pillow, he shifted position slightly and drew her gently backward toward him.
"Deeks — what are you — "
"Just lean against me."
His voice was soft in her ear, soothing. And she was too weak to protest. She relaxed with her back against half of his chest, accepting the strong, solid wall of muscle he was offering to support her with.
Deeks tugged the blanket up around her shoulders, making sure she was covered. One of his hands rested lightly at her upper arm — partly to keep the blanket in place, but mostly because it just felt comfortable to leave it idle there.
Kensi had to admit it was a pretty good angle to lay at — enough of an incline to take the pressure off her muscles and yet still sitting up enough that she could breathe okay.
She let her head fall back against his collarbone, her thick ponytail cushioning it.
She wished her nose wasn't so stuffed up, preventing her from inhaling his unique, natural scent. She also wished she wasn't too sick to really enjoy this rather nice sensation of being held in her partner's protective embrace.
Then again, if she wasn't sick, he probably wouldn't have been there in the first place taking care of her. She chuckled, thinking to herself that there was at least something good about getting the flu.
Deeks had felt her laugh more than he'd heard it. "What's funny?"
"Nothing," she murmured. "Not important."
Her hair was still slightly damp, and a few loose tendrils at her crown tickled the stubble on Deeks' jawline.
"I'm glad you showered," he couldn't help but tease her, trying to get a glimpse of the spirited woman that he knew was still hidden in there somewhere. "You were starting to get a little ripe."
Her elbow gave his stomach a weak jab through the blanket she was cocooned in.
"What was that?" he laughed, goading her on. "That was like a girl hit, and I know Kensi Blye doesn't hit like a girl."
"She does when she's sick," Kensi grumbled miserably.
"See? Yet another reason for you to get better soon," he replied easily.
She yawned, settling further against him and closing her eyes. "Deeks?" her muffled voice reached his ears.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. For being here."
He smiled to himself at how young and child-like her voice sounded. "You're welcome," he answered, giving one of her blanket-covered shoulders a gentle rub.
Warm and content, Kensi drifted off to sleep with Deeks not far behind in joining the slumber.
And then dinner decided to make a reappearance.
With a surprising burst of strength, she ripped the blanket away, jumped off the couch and flew to the bathroom just in time.
She heaved until there was nothing left to come up, then flushed it away and rinsed her mouth with a handful of water from the sink.
Kensi sat on the floor, trying to collect her bearings. But the vomiting had left her shaky and she didn't trust her legs to pick her back up yet.
She should've known not to eat all those noodles. What a waste.
Feeling like she was in a bubble with gravity both pushing and pulling at the same time, she simply laid down flat on her back on the bathroom floor with one arm flung behind her head.
Somehow her sinus congestion shifted a little, probably from the hurling. At least now she could breathe again while laying down.
But she should get up. Having an up-close view of the bathroom floor made her realize she'd kind of neglected it.
Dirty bathroom floor germs — she really needed those on top of her already flu-riddled body. She closed her eyes and pretended the germs didn't exist.
"Kensi?" Deeks tapped a knuckle twice on the bathroom door.
"Mnnnh," she whimpered to herself, wanting to get up off the germy floor but still not really having the strength to.
"Kens?" The door opened tentatively at first, then was jerked wider.
"Kensi!" Deeks dropped to his knees at her side, checking her pulse and her feverish face.
"I'm alright," she answered in a dull voice, forcing her eyelids open. "Just let me lay here and die."
"Don't scare me like that," he admonished, his blue eyes genuinely concerned. "I thought you'd passed out or something."
"Sorry..."
He sighed, wiping a hand across his jaw. "You know what? I think I might need to take you to the hospital."
"No — I don't need a hospital," she resisted, gingerly sitting up. "Just need my partner."
Her words warmed him, and he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. He grabbed a clean wash cloth, soaked it with cool water from the bathroom sink, then wrung it out and folded it in half. "Lay back down."
She gladly did as told. "That feels good," she murmured as the cool wet cloth was laid across her forehead.
"Being sick really wipes you out, huh?" he commented sympathetically, settling beside her on the floor once again.
"It always does," Kensi confirmed. "Fortunately, I don't get sick very often."
"Can I ask you something?" Deeks requested casually.
She inhaled deeply, staring at the ceiling. Despite having just thrown up a few minutes ago, she was actually starting to feel a little bit better. "Sure."
He made a show of wiping his palms against his jeans. "When was the last time you cleaned this floor?"
She chuckled, raising a hand to slap whatever she could reach. "Shut up."
"Oh — there it is!" Deeks grinned, rubbing his chest where she'd struck him. "The real Kensi is still in there somewhere."
He got to his feet again, opening the linen cupboard and poking around inside.
"What are you doing?" Kensi questioned, peering up at him upside down.
He found what he was looking for. "I'm going to put clean sheets on your bed…and then you are going to get in it."
Kensi carefully sat up once more, keeping the damp cloth pressed to her forehead. "Trying to get me into bed, Deeks?"
Her partner turned in the doorway, pinning her with a look of surprised amusement. Usually it was he who threw out the flirtatious comments, but once in a while Kensi tossed one of her own his way.
"Yeah," he answered easily. "And if you weren't Little Miss Runny-Nose, I might be tempted to join you."
She glared at him, wiping her nose with the damp wash cloth.
It was a strangely intimate thing, watching Deeks strip the sheets off her bed and replace them with a clean set. He even changed her pillowcase.
Somehow she couldn't picture Callen or Sam or anyone else taking that kind of care for their partner or friend.
Deeks smoothed the top sheet and pulled the blankets up over it. Then he peeled back a corner so Kensi could get in.
But she was still sitting on the bathroom floor, watching him.
"Are you bonding with the dust bunnies?" he quipped, standing in the doorway.
"Actually, I was looking for a dirty Kleenex to throw at you."
He grinned down at her, adopting a casual stance. "I think you're feeling better."
Kensi raised both hands in the air. "Help me up."
He grasped her hands and pulled her to her feet. But the movement made her stomach lurch again and she stumbled in his grip.
"Or maybe not feeling better?" Deeks ventured with a furrowed eyebrow.
Kensi kept a tight, steadying hand on his wrist and took in a tentative breath.
"Good?" Deeks questioned.
She let the breath out slowly. "I think I'm good," she confirmed, letting go of his arm.
She shuffled into the bedroom with Deeks watchfully on her heels.
He was disappointed that she hadn't kept the food down very long, and he felt bad for making her eat it in the first place. No more noodles, he decided.
"Get comfortable, but don't go to sleep yet," Deeks told her, sliding the blankets over Kensi's legs.
"Why not?"
"Because…purely as a bonus for being such a good patient," he continued with a cute but menacing grin. "You get to enjoy some more of Doctor Deeks' wonderful garlic broth."
"Ugh…really?" Kensi wrinkled her nose. "And what if I just throw it right back up?"
He shrugged a shoulder. "You kept it down yesterday. So far, it was only the noodley soup you ate tonight that your stomach rejected. So I'd say the broth is pretty safe."
"I don't want it."
"You need the vitamins," Deeks insisted in a no-nonsense tone.
She huffed out a breath. "Fine. Get me a barf bucket too, just in case."
Deeks set the small trash can from the bathroom in easy reach next to the bed, and left her in peace for a while as he prepared a new batch of garlic-infused chicken broth.
He came back after a few minutes with the mug of steaming liquid in his hand. "It tends to go down easier if you sit up to drink it."
Kensi sighed, forcing herself into a sitting position.
Deeks perched beside her with one arm behind her back to keep her sitting up. He handed her the mug in silent expectation.
"It's salty," Kensi grimaced after the first sip.
"Yeah, broth usually is," Deeks agreed.
She took another swallow. "I think I'm starting to taste the garlic."
"That's good. Means your sinuses are probably clearing up."
As if to punctuate her partner's statement, Kensi felt a tickle in her nose and grabbed a tissue to stop the sudden flow of liquid.
"Do not throw that at me," Deeks warned her sternly.
"Oh, relax. I wasn't going to." She dropped the tissue into the trash can.
"Just making sure. Finish your broth."
"Bossy," Kensi mumbled, returning the mug to her lips.
"You know you love it," he countered easily. He took the empty mug and got up from the bed, allowing Kensi to lay back down. "I'll bring you some water."
But Kensi pushed the blankets off herself and moved to get up. "I need the bathroom." At his look of concern, she added, "Not to puke. Just…full bladder."
"Say no more." Deeks got out of her way, taking the opportunity to shoo a few of her used tissues into the trash can with a cautious tip of his finger.
He left the mug in the kitchen and brought a fresh glass of water to Kensi's nightstand. Then he waited until she crawled back into the bed before he left her for the rest of the evening.
"I'll see you tomorrow night," he said gently, guiding the blanket up to cover most of her body. "Call me if you need anything."
"Okay," she nodded. "Goodnight, Deeks." Kensi offered him a soft little smile, her gaze lingering on his eyes.
He returned the smile, looking back at her a little longer than necessary. "Goodnight, Kensi." He flipped the light switch and vanished through the dark doorway.
Moments later, she heard the front door open and click shut, indicating that he was gone.