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She started running, running as fast as she could, pushing people out of the way as she tore down the stairs, careening through the ground floor of the Mission and out through the doors. Ahead of her she could see Deeks, standing perfectly still, facing a wall and with his hands balled into fists. He was safe. He had not gone rushing over to see Nicole, putting himself in danger. There was indeed a God. She slowed down and walked over towards where Deeks stood staring at the wall, wondering if he should just save everyone the bother and go hit his own head off it.

"Marty?"

"Oh, it's Marty now, is it? I thought you were too embarrassed to be caught calling me that in public? But wait a minute." He turned round and did a quick scan of the area. "There's nobody around, so that's alright. You can emerge with your reputation intact. Little Miss Perfect. Who'd never be caught with an idiot like me." He practically spat the words out and Kensi took an involuntary step backwards.

"That's not what I meant," she pleaded. "It just came out wrong."

Deeks laughed at that, but it was a sound totally without mirth. "You're right about that. But don't worry, I got the message. Even an idiot like me couldn't misunderstand. Thanks for setting me straight about how you really feel."

"We need to talk."

"No, we don't. It seems we get on a hell of a lot better when we're not talking. When we're just doing the business – that's when we get on best." Deeks glared at her.

"That's not true. Listen – I was worried about you, that's all." Because she certainly didn't feel anything else for Deeks. Even if he was incredibly hot when he was angry. All that barely suppressed rage was seriously sexy. Kensi could only begin to imagine what making love to him when he was in a tearing mood would be like. Because Jack had managed to make sex a mechanical, passionless affair. How weird that they were having an argument out in the parking lot and she was getting turned on by it all. There was something very wrong here, very wrong indeed. Why was Deeks messing with her mind like this?

"You were worried about me? Worried I'd show you up, more like."

"No, I was worried about what Nicole might do to you."

"Oh come on. Just leave Nicole out of this. It's got nothing to do with her."

"It's got everything to do with her," Kensi protested. Why do you have to wear these blinkers, Marty? Why do you have to be so blind when it comes to Nicole?

It hit Deeks with all the subtlety of a house brick slamming into his face. "You're jealous, aren't you?" Despite himself, he began to smile. She's so cute when she's mad.

"Jealous? Of Nicole? You must be joking. I'm not jealous – I'm mad." Kensi walked back towards him and stood so close that their bodies were touching and she was staring him directly in the eyes with an unflinching regard. "I'm mad with you because you can't see what Nicole's really like. And I'm mad because she's wormed her way into your heart and you feel guilty about what you did. And…" And why are we talking about Nicole?

"And what?" Deeks was beginning to calm down a bit. It had nothing to do with the fact Kensi was so close that he could feel her breath on his face and smell the scent of his shampoo in her hair, and it most definitely had nothing to with the way she nibbled at her bottom lip in a way that made him want to just pull her into his arms.

"And I'm mad about you. You jerk." Kensi turned around and started to walk away again. "Are you happy now?"

"Oh, I'm ecstatic. You've made my day. Tell me, Kensi – just out of interest -if this is how you tell someone you love them, what the hell do you say when you're dumping them?"

"I never said I loved you. I don't love you Deeks."

"Come here and tell me that." She looked at him, standing with his feet slightly apart, thumbs caught in the front pockets of his jeans and a cbig ocky grin on his face, just so fucking confident it was untrue. Who does he think he is?

"No problem." She was back in front of him, poking him in the chest to emphasise each word. "I. Don't. Love. You. Deeks." The final jabs was hard enough that he thought it would probably leave a bruise. "Is that clear enough?"

"You're talking to an idiot who thinks with his dick, remember? How about you tell me again? And call me Marty this time."

He was smirking, Kensi realised. He was actually smirking. Like he thought he knew her so well. And he didn't know the first thing about her. She could feel her blood pressure rising. Why did he have to taunt her like this? Didn't he know that was the worst possible thing he could do. "I don't love you, Marty." Her hands were firmly behind her back, so that there was no way he could see that all her fingers were crossed.

The smile on Deeks' face grew broader. "You really are a terrible liar. I knew that the first moment I saw you, remember? In the gym. You were so unconvincing it wasn't true. I could see straight though you then and I can see straight through you know."

"The other guys believed me," Kensi countered.

"That's because they were so busy looking at your breasts they didn't pay any attention to what you were saying. But I know better. I know you."

"Don't flatter yourself. You don't know a thing about me." That damned smirk was back on his face again, Kensi saw. He looked so smug that she couldn't quite make up her mind if she wanted to slap him or snog him.

Deeks continued on blithely, as if she'd not said a word. "I know that all I have to do is kiss you right here…" His lips found the exactly spot on her neck that turned Kensi's knees to water. "And you're helpless. You know it and I know it." He kissed her again, moving slightly to the left this time, so that his lips were that much closer to her own. "Tell me again how much you don't love me," he coaxed and his tongue traced a pattern of fire down to where her pulse was beating rapidly under her skin.

"Oh for the love of God, just kiss her properly and get it over," Sam called out. He was getting fed up watching this.

"Better still, go get a room."

"Not while they're still on duty," Hetty said primly. She grabbed hold of Sam and Callen and started to march them back inside. "You have ten minutes," she called back over her shoulder. "Go and get yourselves a coffee and come back ready to work." Ten minutes was a nicely judged period of time: long enough to let them clear their heads, yet too short for any real hanky-panky, she thought.

"I wonder if Deeks is wearing any underwear today?" Callen mused.

Hetty sighed deeply. "He won't be for very much longer, judging by the way Ms Blye keeps looking at him." She marched briskly inside, delighting in the fact she could still shock her agents to the core. She was still smiling when she heard the screech of brakes coming from outside, followed instantly by a loud thumping noise and then a scream. Hetty starting running, her gun unholstered and in her hand. She wasn't smiling any more.

Evil plot bunny is very happy now.