. I have an owie in my lip. Will you kiss it better?

Kensi walks in the hospital with an awful feeling on her stomach. This is not exactly the first time something like this happens to her but somehow this time seems to be a whole lot different. Maybe it's because her connection with Deeks is something she has never had before or maybe it's because he's the one who usually needs to come in her rescue, not that she would ever admit that out loud.

When Hetty tells her he's been shot, Kensi feels panic coursing through her body like a fire. She can't lose another man that has such an important role in her life (one that she's not quite ready to admit just how important it is). She can't lose another partner (seeing as it took everything she had in her to show up at work the day after Dom's death). But the bottom line is that she can't lose him.

Kensi can't lose Deeks; it's as simple as that. Well, it's not that simple but she doesn't find it in her to duel on that fact for now. She has a more important task at hand. She needs to see him, needs to make sure he's still alive and breathing. When she finally finds his room, after he's out of surgery, she breathes for the first time in what feels like hours. He's still under the effects of anesthesia but he is going to be just fine.

Kensi sits by his side, on a chair, and waits. He's going to wake up soon and Hetty told her to keep an eye on her partner. She knows Hetty understands that this need to be close to him right now goes way beyond the lame excuse of the 'already lost a partner before' but she doesn't say a word about it. She knows Callen probably understands this better than anyone else. In fact, she's pretty sure he figured it out way before she did. Well, there was the 'stuck, smitten, whatever' comment all those months ago when he was still Jason Wyler.

When Deeks finally opens his eyes, Kensi turns to him immediately and scoots her chair closer to his bed. He smiles when he sees her and closes his eyes again but remains awake. She knows what he's going through. She's been shot before, not surprises there. He has a bonus, though. When she woke up after being shot she was all alone because her team wasn't even allowed to be in the room. Her condition was too bad to allow visitors. Then he opens his eyes again and starts talking to her about details of his shooting. She answers all his questions because the truth is that he has the right to know, even though she has some problems with the victim investigating his own shooting just like Callen loves to do and that always manages to piss her off. After he's satisfied with her answers, Deeks closes his eyes again and Kensi understands he needs to rest.

She makes a move to get up but Deeks grabs her hand immediately and opens his eyes to meet hers.

"Please, stay!" Kensi nods and smiles before sitting back down on the chair. She knows just how lonely a hospital room can be. She's spent way too long in one to know what it feels like. She doesn't want her partner to be alone and the truth is that she wouldn't have left the hospital. She would have probably stayed outside his bedroom until he woke up. Then he smirks and Kensi feels like smiling again. She does that a lot when she's around him, she notices. She's not about to stop it. It feels too good.

"How's Fern?" Kensi laughs this time.

"You've only been gone for a few hours. She probably thinks you're still at work. I'll tell Callen or Sam to stop by later tonight and make sure she's okay." His smirk gets bigger and Kensi wonders what's about to come out of his mouth. It looks like being tired means nothing to Marty Deeks.

"Does that mean you're staying here with me tonight?" She feels his hand squeezing hers and sees the small smile on his lips.

"I know how awful it is to be completely alone in here. I'll stay if you want me to." Deeks nods and Kensi is suddenly aware that he makes no move to let go off her hand. She doesn't mind, and that's probably what surprises her the most. A few months ago she would have been scared with this kind of contact and with any other person (except for Callen and Sam) she would have been equally uncomfortable. Now, here and with him, it's comfortable.

"Are you okay?" She asks him because, even though she's sure no one is okay after getting shot, the way he keeps closing his eyes is scaring her. It's probably because this is not the Deeks she's used to see. He nods once again but she doesn't let that convince her. She needs to make sure he doesn't have a fever because that would mean something's wrong. He still refuses to let go off her hand so she touches his forehead with her lips to check his temperature. He's not too warm and she feels herself relax.

When she looks at him again she's sure he's going to be just fine. Deeks has a smirk on his face, no doubt because of the sort-of kiss she just gave him.

"You know, I have an owie in my lip…will you kiss it better?" Kensi doesn't have the courage to say no to this request. She tells herself that that's because he's in a hospital bed with two bullet holes in him. However, she knows it's a lot more than that.

Kensi leans in and kisses him. It's just a small peck but he seems satisfied enough. Kensi smiles and sits back on the chair. Deeks falls asleep a few minutes later, still holding onto her hand.