Anonymous: "Granger asked me today if we were communicating."

Deeks leans back in his chair, allowing the words to resonate with his partner.

There's a brief silence before- "Well… what did you tell him?"

"The truth."

He can hear Kensi's breathing hitch, but continues on regardless. "I told him that you're kinda my girlfriend-"

"Wait, what?!"

"-that you tell me all the details about your case and the agents who you're working with, like how Granger snores super loudly and is even more of an asshole when you're in a cold, dusty environment-"

"Deeks!"

"-and that we mostly communicate through selfies and text messages sent over a secure SAT phone. And then he acknowledged the fact that you don't have access to my instagram, and said that someone's gotta keep you entertained over there. The assistant director seemed genuinely grateful that I'd taken up the task."

She gets super quiet. Doesn't even try to interrupt, not once, until- "Oh, so you're kidding."

He sighs. "Yes, Kensalina. I'm kidding."

She tries to ignore his first reference to the term 'girlfriend' and play along as if he'd never even said it. That's what they usually do, anyways. Why stop now, when she's halfway across the world?

"I tried to get Granger to send me to Afghanistan," Deeks adds quietly.

Her heart breaks, just a little.

"Deeks…"

"I know, I know. He's not gonna send me, anyways. He never would."

"Yeah, I figured." She starts to fidget with the tail end of the blanket she's wrapped up in. "You'd hate it here, anyways."

"Why is that?"

"Well for starters, it's absolutely freezing."

"Hmm. Yeah. I think I would hate it."

Kensi feels a strange sense of disappointment come over her. Not because of Deeks' reply, but mostly just because she now knows for certain that he's not coming. Granger would never send him.

She's alone, halfway across the world. End of story.

Deeks clears his throat. "But I'd still come if I could. You know that."

She smiles. "I know."

"Which is saying something, because I really hate cold weather."

"I know."

"And I also really hate Granger, so… yeah. That's really saying something."

"I know."

"Why do you keep saying I know?"

"Because, I mean… I know." She shrugs, suddenly feeling self-conscious about her word choice. "Or, I dunno."

"You don't know?"

"No! I know!"

"Know what?"

He's doing a really poor job of trying to pry something out of her. The words are sitting on the tip of her tongue, too.

Is this how it's going to happen? Kensi never imagined it going this way. She always felt, for some strange reason, that it would be much more melodramatic, and that they'd be between the same state lines, at least.

But they aren't. And she really wants to say it.

"I know how much you care, Deeks."

Kensi wonders why this is so hard to get off her chest- she knows it's true. He's already told her once, in his sleep, for Christ's sake.

And it's about damn time somebody acknowledged it.

"And-"

"You know that I love you."

Deeks gets around to saying it before Kensi can even attempt to properly phrase it all herself.

She swallows, hard.

"Yes. And… vice versa."

Although Deeks tries to stifle it, he can't help but snort with laughter. Their communication issues are still readily apparent, it seems.

"Seriously Kens?"

"What?"

"You can't even say it back? You just have to say vice versa?"

"I thought it sounded better than ditto."

Deeks shakes his head. "You're a lost cause, Fern."

She smiles. For the first time in weeks, all seems right with the world.

"We both are."