Anonymous: Eric and Deeks go to get drinks one night, and Eric practically interrogates Deeks about his relationship with Kensi.
"You want another beer?" Eric asks Deeks as he watches the guy chug the last remaining sip out of his bottle.
"Um… sure. One more."
He nods to a waitress across the room, and she seems to catch the hint.
Yeah, he needs a drink to get through this little outing.
Sure, Deeks likes Eric. He's a nice enough guy, and they've always gotten along well.
But man, he sure is inquisitive.
It's felt like a game of twenty questions all night. Why did you become a cop? Do you miss the LAPD? Do you like NCIS better? Who do you think is funnier, Sam or Callen? Do you think Hetty is really a ninja? Do you thinks she sees everything like Callen says? Do you think she's watching us now?
Usually by that point in the game he'll take a long swig of some type of alcoholic beverage, and stare down at the table for around thirty seconds.
So it's true- the guy is a bit difficult to speak with when there's no one else around to help Deeks carry on a conversation.
Except finally, by the end of the night, Eric is ready to move onto a bit more of ameaningful subject.
"So… how are you?"
Deeks looks around, eyebrows furrowed.
"You mean me?"
"Yeah. Who else?"
He shrugs, scratching his chin. "I'm… good. Why do you ask?"
Eric opens his mouth and shuts it twice before finally finding exactly what he needs to say.
"Well… I just meant after that case."
"What case?"
"The… are you really gonna make me say it?"
Oh. That case.
"I mean, I'm fine now. Things were kinda rough for awhile, but…" Deeks trails off, shrugging.
"And Kensi?"
His eyes widen at the vague question.
"Kensi? What about her?"
"I was just wondering how things were between you guys."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Deeks doesn't tear his eyes away from Eric's as a beer is placed in front of him.
"Uh…" Eric is taken aback by his intense stare, and swallows loudly. "You guys just seem close, that's all."
"We're partners."
Eric isn't convinced. "Well… Nell and I kinda think there's more to it than that."
"You and Nell?"
He cocks his head to one side. "Plus Sam, and Callen, and we can't forget about Nate,and-"
"Whoa, wait up," Deeks says, showing his palms. "Is this something you guys… talk about?"
"You two aren't very subtle, so…"
"Is that a yes, Eric?"
He only hesitates briefly. "More or less, yeah."
Deeks inhales sharply, the air shakily exiting his lungs.
"But we're right, aren't we?"
"About what?"
"About you and Kens. About your… thing."
Deeks thinks about denying the accusations. He strongly considers it, actually.
But there is no refuting that the remarks are true. Hell, at this point they're an understatement.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. We have a thing."
"You have more than a thing, according to Nell."
Deeks takes a sip of beer, clearly puzzled.
"How the heck does Nell know anything more about our relationship than you do?
Eric knows that he's let something slip. Something that he shouldn't have.
"No reason. Just intuitive, I presume."
Deeks narrows his eyes. "Stop using big words to try and throw me off. Now spill it."
He tosses both hands up in the air, saying a non-verbal ' oh what the hell.'
"I think Kensi mentioned something to her."
Deeks comes damn close to spitting across the table. "What?!"
"Er… yeah."
"Wait- but what was it about?"
"Um… I dunno, exactly. I think there was something said regarding a kiss?"
His face turns ashen.
"So, Kensi, um…" Deeks sighs. "She told you."
"Nell. Kensi told Nell- I just heard it in passing."
He wishes it was more than that. More than a secret told in 'passing.'
"Is that why you were asking about the case? Because you know that was when I kissed her?"
"Actually… no. I had no idea that was when it happened." Eric's chin drops slightly as he leans across the table. "Dude- did you kiss her during the Siderov case?"
More top-secret information, unnecessarily divulged. Maybe the third beer wasn't a great idea.
"Yeah," Deeks mutters, wiping his face. "It was right before I got kidnapped. But… It was a spur of the moment thing. I don't know if it meant anything to her."
"Why?"
"Because we still haven't talked about it."
"But that was six months ago!"
"I know."
"How did you guys even-"
"I don't know," he states firmly. "It just hasn't been brought up yet."
Eric turns his head to one side, narrowing his eyes.
"But it meant something to you. I can tell."
Deeks knows how he feels about it. He knows that it was important, and that him and Kensi need to finally bring it up.
But whether or not Eric should be privy to that information is another question.
"I don't know, dude. We're partners. It complicates things."
"That's bullshit, and you know it just as much as I do."
Eric must be serious- Deeks has never heard him swear before.
"I don't even know how I feel about her anymore! Clearly she's not too eager to figure this out."
"Maybe she's just waiting for you to make the first move."
"I did make the first move. I kissed her, remember?"
"Yeah, but that was before things changed. Maybe she's scared you're not gonna let her in now."
Deeks sits up tall, turning his head to one side. Eric Beale is giving him relationship advice. Good relationship advice.
"Look, I don't-"
"Come on, Deeks!" He exclaims finally, tossing his hands up in the air. "Just admit it. You want her."
Deeks sighs and nods, lifting his eyes away from the table to meet Eric's inquisitive stare.
"I do. In the worst possible way."