A/N: So this idea came to me the other day, but in order for it to work you have to suspend a certain amount of disbelief.
"Hey, nice to see you," Sabatino greeted Kensi, gesturing for her to sit down. She let him kiss her on the cheek and gave him a brief hug.
The cafe they'd met at was small and intimate with round tables and curved bench seats. When they both sat down, there were only a few inches between them.
"Thanks for agreeing to meet me here," she responded with a nervous smile.
"Yeah, uh, I honestly was a little surprised that you called." He fiddled with his watch for a moment, seeming uncomfortable and then asked, "Does Deeks know you're here?"
Kensi glanced down, feeling equally uncomfortable, but for different reasons than Sabatino might expect. Their success hinged on the quality of her performance now. Pulling in a slow breath, she glanced up, not really meeting Sabatino's eyes and allowed a shaky smile.
"We're, um, kind of on a…break right now," she murmured, keeping her voice hushed.
"Wow, that's awful, Kensi," he said, seeming to actually mean the words. It caused a twinge of regret, but Kensi pushed that away. She could apologize for her deceit later. "What happened?"
She sighed again, remembering the script she'd practiced with Deeks. The various scenarios he'd suggested to keep it natural and believable.
"Deeks wants kids. I mean, I do too, but it's, um, it's not really working. And we've been having some disagreement about what to do next and…" she looked down at the ring of moisture her glass of water had left behind. She ran her finger over the damp spot. "You know, I don't really want to get into it right now."
"I understand." He took her hand, squeezing it briefly. His fingers were strong, a little calloused, and so much different than Deeks'. Kensi made herself not pull back. "I always thought you two would be together forever after everything you've been through."
Kensi shrugged sadly.
"I guess we're made of flesh and blood just like everyone else," she said.
The waitress came then to take their orders and they talked about work for a while. Sabatino was pretty closed mouthed about any specifics. Hopefully, if he bought her act, he would be in a more sharing mood later on.
"So what made you decide to call me?" Sabatino asked after they were finished eating. "One of your friends or someone from your team seems like a more likely confidant than me."
It was a good question and one that she and Deeks had discussed at length. She felt a faint moment of pride at how thorough Deeks was while helping craft her story, not forgetting a single detail.
She laughed bitterly, playing with the silverware and then the edge of her paper place mat. Sabatino caught her hand again, stilling it.
"I did. I talked to my mom and my friends and Nell. I even went to Sam and Callen, but they all had the same answer. 'You didn't try hard enough.' Or 'These things happen in marriage. Just let things calm down at you'll be ok.' The thing is that none of them realized that this has been going on for a while and it's not getting better." Her voice was shaking now, without her even trying. It felt awful to say such things, to imagine them being true.
"I'm sorry." Kensi swiped under her eyes, again wishing he didn't sound so sincere.
"I need to talk to someone who understands, but won't be biased. I knew if I called you, you wouldn't try to convince me to go back or anything. You'd just be a friend," Kensi explained. She held her breath, hoping she hadn't laid it on too thick. Deeks had insisted it would be the push he needed.
There was a tense moment of silence and then he tugged on her hand.
"C'mon, let's get out of here," he suggested. He slid out of the seat first, tossing some money on the table. Kensi lingered by the table for a moment to take a calming breath.
"Nice job, Kensi," Deeks said in her ear. "You sold it."
She had. But what else would she need to do to continue the charade and get the information they needed?
A/N: For anyone who really loves Sabatino, I promise I didn't turn him into a terrible person.