Prompt: Can you do a Drabble where Deeks at long last decides to become NCIS Special Agent.

A/N: Not so sure about this one, but hopefully you all still enjoy.

"I thought you finished your paperwork before we left," Kensi commented as she came up behind Deeks in the study, resting her chin on his shoulder. He had a stack of stapled papers in front of him, several pages flipped over and a couple partially filled in. She automatically began rubbing his shoulders which were hunched and tense.

He scratched at his jaw, blowing out an unsteady breath.

"Yeah, um, I did," he said. "This is–" he paused and blew out another bread before he took the plunge. "This is an application to become an NCIS Agent."

He heard Kensi's breath catch and he glanced up at her. She looked a little stunned.

"Are you serious?" He nodded in response. He couldn't tell what Kensi was thinking as she pressed her hand over her mouth and took a couple steps away. It wasn't a particularly encouraging reaction.

"Say something," he begged. She turned back to him slowly, now looking a little confused.

"You've always said you didn't want to be an agent, that being a cop was an essential part of who you are," she said finally.

"Things change."

"Yeah, but that's a pretty big change."

"I'm not the same person I was 10 or however many years ago when I thought being an undercover detective was what defined me," he explained simply. Kensi still looked shocked.

"How long have you been thinking about this?" she asked. "I mean, you don't just wake up one day and think 'oh, I'll apply for that job I've been avoiding for a decade.'"

"A couple years, I guess." He couldn't exactly pinpoint the moment when being attached to LAPD had started to lose some of its luster. "Maybe when I realized that I only go there for training or when Whiting wants something. Or maybe when I realized that I consider NCIS, our team, home."

"But something else must have changed," Kensi prompted, drawing closer again. Deeks took her hand, debating his next words. He led her back to the chair and tugged on her hand until she sat down with him.

"Whiting closed my case," he said quietly. Kensi straightened so quickly she nearly slammed her face into his.

"She what?!"

"She closed my case."

"Why? Why after all these years of blackmail and hounding you?" Kensi demanded, looking like she was afraid to hope. Like it might be some elaborate trick on Whiting's part. He'd thought the same at first. Deeks sighed, allowing a shaky smile.

"Yesterday she called me into her office and said she needed to talk. I expected it to be another off the books thing, but she just gave me this massive file and said good luck. When I asked her what was going on, she told me that some big changes are coming to LAPD and she didn't want me to get caught up in it," he explained. "Any possibly incriminating documentation has either been destroyed or is in that file over there." He nodded towards a thick manila folder."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" She didn't exactly sound hurt, but definitely confused. He gave her a sheepish look.

"I think I was a little bit afraid if I mentioned it to anybody that I'd come up with a bunch of reasons why it was a bad idea and manage to talk myself out of it."

"This is unbelievable." Kensi shook her head, mirroring his own feelings.

"Whiting, uh, she also told me that I was a good cop and she wished more were like me." It felt strange saying the words out loud. Kensi pushed a curl of hair behind his ear as he avoided her gaze.

"Well, she was certainly right about that." When he just shrugged, she gave him a little shake and tipped his chin up. "You are a good man. Maybe someone day you actually believe it."

"All I know is that I feel this weird relief. It's like this weight I didn't even realize was hanging over me is gone," he told Kensi with another shrug.

"Special Agent Deeks," Kensi said, making a face as she tested the name out. "That sounds so weird." They both laughed, resting their heads against each other.

"It feels even weirder."

"Imagine Sam's face when he finds out we could both be Agent Deeks." Deeks grinned at that.

"Ok, you definitely need to change your name now just so we can drive him crazy," he said and she laughed again. Smiling at him, she dipped her head, kissing him gently.

"I'll be right back," she told him, patting his chest.

"Where are you going?"

"This is a moment that deserves celebration; I'm getting out the wedding champagne." He watched her run down the stairs and turned back to the application. It wasn't what he expected, but he felt a strange excitement at the sudden change in his life.

Special Agent Deeks. Maybe it didn't sound so bad after all.