Realization: Chapter 2

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Disclaimer: Nothing is mine

"Have you noticed something - I don't know - different, about Deeks?" Nell whispered to Kensi as they walked off to the bar to buy another round.

The team was out celebrating closing a particularly important case with greasy pizza and drinks at a nearby dive, a refreshing change of pace after a very trying week.

At her words, Kensi looked over her shoulder. Deeks was sitting with the rest of the team in the booth, laughing and having a good time. Nothing was out of sorts.

"Why do you say that?" Kensi asked.

"I don't know. I guess he just seems… lighter? Happier?"

"Deeks is always happy. Annoyingly so."

As they spoke, Deeks' phone lit up in the booth. The two women watched him subtly look down at the screen, smile brightly, and type a reply.

"And that has been happening a lot." Nell said, with a smile. "He's been glued to his phone texting for how many weeks now. Do you think he's seeing someone?"

Kensi shrugged. "Probably just another blonde bimbo. I give it five minutes at the most."

She felt Nell eyeing her up and down and she tried to fight the blush from creeping up her neck. Nell was no idiot; of course she knew that Kensi had sensed the change too. And by her reaction to this conversation, she was definitely not happy about it.

It started the day after their big fight, a couple of weeks back. The one where Deeks had gotten horrendously jealous in the middle of an op, and Kensi had gotten annoyed and nearly blew her cover. After an epic screaming match in the locker room and Deeks storming out unexpectedly, Kensi had assumed they'd return the next day and follow their usual routine: Deeks would sulk and she would be evasive, and then they'd move on and forget about it. That was the way they worked. Five minutes of awkward discomfort, followed by ignoring the fact that anything ever happened. Whenever that kind of thing happened, anything discerning to their... feelings, or whatever. Their "thing".

But that wasn't how it went, when the next morning came.

When Deeks entered the bullpen, he was carrying a box of icing dusted donuts and wearing a wide smile. He had greeted the team, including her, with a cheerfulness that was strange, even considering it was Deeks. After being interrogated for a few minutes by the boys, he shrugged and called it off as just having a 'very good morning'.

She thought that would be the last of it. But since that day, Deeks had been smiley and shiny all the time. That, and the constant texting…

Honestly, if she didn't know better, she'd have thought he was…

Don't. She internally chastised herself. Don't go there. You are most definitely not jealous at your partner's newest conquest. She's probably a bleach blonde bimbo with the emotional depth of a kiddie pool anyway. In a week or so, he'll be bored, and you'll feel like an idiot for thinking like this.

The barman placed the last of the drinks on the bar, and winked flirtatiously at her.

How's that for irony, she thought as she and Nell carried the drinks to the booth and placed them on the table.

Callen was in the middle of some hilarious 'when-I-was-undercover' anecdote, when another text came.

"Who's texting you so much?" She couldn't help it. The words flew out of her mouth, and interrupted Callen, before she could stop them. Deeks' eyes shot up at her and she swore she saw him blush.

"Yeah, I was wondering the same thing." Sam added. She very nearly sighed in relief, thinking how easily he could've mocked her for her abrupt question. Instead, he teased Deeks: "You've been on that thing for the last few weeks more than a preteen girl."

Deeks scoffed, and replied – as she knew he would – humorously. "Can't help it I'm popular. People just want to talk to me. Who am I to deny them?"

"Oh, I don't think it's people." Callen smirked. "I think it's a single person. More specifically I think it's a person with long hair, smells nice... Deeks… did you get a girlfriend we don't know about?"

They were full-on mocking him now, all grins. And effectively so too. Deeks' face was almost glowing red.

"I knew it." Kensi heard Nell say under her breath. Then louder: "I knew it! How long?"

With a roll of the eyes, Deeks relented. "Couple of weeks."

"A couple of weeks and we haven't heard of her yet? Usually we have to endure to some pretty, uh… graphic descriptions of the girl pretty much the day after you met her. What gives?"

"Well, this girl's different. In fact… I want you guys to meet her."

"Y-you want us to meet her?" Once again, she seemed to have little to no control over her words. All of the gazes around the table flew to her. She had been completely silent since Deeks first mentioned his new romantic interest. "Wow. So I guess… It's pretty serious then?"

Deeks half-shrugged, and smiled his crooked smile. Her stomach did a flip. "It could be. I think… Yeah, I think it could be. She's not like anyone else I've dated before."

Kensi's ears started to ring, and she felt the air get suddenly hot, as the team started to ask Deeks about the new woman in his life, and he started telling the charming tale of how her dog tackled him down in the street, to raucous laughter. She wasn't really listening. Her brain was in overload, trying to comprehend this situation.

Why did she never anticipate this? Deeks was a hot-… handsome guy... You know, in certain circles. He was smart, funny. He had a job. He was a catch. And he was a free man, after all. No bounds, no commitments.

Only a partner with whom he had occasional late-night beer and pizza nights. And who he bantered and flirted with, almost endlessly, until the tension between them was as thick as soup...

They had a "thing". And as intense and obvious as it was, it wasn't anything more than that. It couldn't be...

She caught his bright blue gaze for a moment; it wasn't full of pity, but neither was it unaffected. She thought, as she had many times before, that if she let herself she could get lost in that gaze. How easily could she let her jealousy overtake the logical side of her brain, grab him, right here in the middle of the bar, and kiss him? She didn't though. She quickly evaded his penetratingly blue gaze, and took a long sip from her beer.

Sam would not let the subject go, though. "Does she know what you do?"

"She knows I'm a detective. But, don't worry, I checked her out. Her record is squeaky clean, nothing to worry about. She's a real girl."

Sam quirked a suspicious eyebrow. "When do you want us to meet her?"

X

"All right, guys. It's getting pretty late. I guess I should bail." Nell said, stretching her arms out at her sides. "Eric? Carpool?"

"Yes, please."

"We should probably also get going, G." Sam said.

Pair by pair, dynamic duos left, until only Deeks and Kensi were left sitting in the booth.

For a few moments, they were silent, nursing their half-empty beer bottles and listening to the soft music pouring out of the jukebox.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her finally. "You seem…"

Suddenly she felt a deep, scathing anger start up inside of her. Anger, because after years of being the one making him jealous with dates (only firsts) and flirting with suspects, she was receiving a very bitter taste of her own medicine.

"Yeah, revenge must be sweet, huh?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "I'm sorry?"

"Well, you have to admit, between the timing and wanting us to meet her..? You've never introduced us to any of your other girlfriends." A scathing remark about the quantity and quality of his previous girlfriends was on the tip of her tongue, when he interrupted her.

"Kensi." He had never spoken to her in such a voice – so firm, assertive or loud. "Kensi, I'm not having this relationship to get back at you for... whatever reason. Honestly I was hoping you knew me better than to think that I'd use someone like that." He scoffed and slowly shook his head. "I met someone, Kensi... I met someone for real, who I like a lot. And it'll mean a lot to me if you met her. Because… it's important to me." He reached over the table, and took her hand in his. She tried not to express her shock on her face when he rubbed the skin of her hand with his thumb, creating a warm, tingling spot of skin. "You're my best friend, Kensi. My best friend and partner. What you think about Alexis matters to me. That's why I want you to meet her. No other reason." Silently, she nodded, her frown still in place.

After a few awkward beats, Deeks slid out of the booth. "I'm gonna get going. I'll see you at work, okay?"

She didn't watch him go, but heard the bell at the door ring as he exited.

Sighing heavily, she threw her head back against the backrest of her seat.

Well done, Blye. Not only did you act like a complete adult… You may just have ruined the best relationship in your life.

So, the team is gonna meet Alexis (which obviously means you're gonna learn a lot more about her!) and there's some Densi tension in the air. Please let me know what you're thinking so far. Reviews are so appreciated.

Much love,

Zanny