A/N: The highly anticipated talk between Kensi and Deeks.

"Hey Kens, you home?" Deeks called as he walked through the front door. After talking with Callen, he'd decided he needed to talk to Kensi right away, but she'd already left.

"Deeks," Kensi said, appearing at the foot of the steps in an oversized shirt (Deeks thought it might have been his at one time) and leggings. She looked surprised to see him. "I thought you were going to the bar tonight."

"Uh, yeah, I planned to, but, uh." He paused, scratching at the back of his head. He wasn't sure how to approach the issue without implicating either Callen or Nell. "Callen mentioned that you seemed a little off today and so I wanted to make sure you were ok," he settled on.

"It's nothing."

Kensi descended the last stair, moving past him. He noticed that she seemed to avoid brushing against him. He caught at her hand, tugging her back lightly. His grip was loose enough that she could easily have pulled away if she wanted, but she didn't stop him.

"Kens, we promised to be honest with each other, right?" he reminded her, rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand. She pressed her lips together, glancing away for second, then nodded shortly. "Ok, so tell me what's going on."

She hesitated again and he gave her hand another gentle tug. Kensi allowed him to lead her into the living room where they sat down. Instantly it felt less formal and strained.

Kensi stared down at her knees, fiddling with her thumb. Deeks couldn't tell if she was reluctant to talk or was gathering her thoughts, but he didn't push her. Eventually she glanced up, her expression open and a little vulnerable.

"Are you getting…bored with us?" she asked carefully. Her eyes quickly flicked down again, missing Deeks' look of pure shock. He was sure he'd heard her wrong.

"Am I‒? Kens, why the hell would you think something like that?" he said, his voice reflecting his confusion.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you won't touch me?" she bit out. Almost instantly, she looked like she regretted her outburst. She breathed in very slowly, pressing her hand over her mouth.

"I don't know what you're talking about. We touch all the time."

Surprisingly, Kensi smiled, although it wasn't particularly happy.

"Deeks, we haven't slept together in weeks."

"We've been busy," he said reasonably.

"We've never been that busy. The only other times we've gone more than a few days is when one of us is sick or hurt," she said. "I'm lucky if we kiss before we leave for work in the morning."

"I didn't realize." He tried to think back over the past several weeks. Honestly, he'd been so occupied and tired, that he couldn't remember much of anything between days.

"It's not normal for us, Deeks. It feels like we've drifted apart this past year. We don't spend as much time together; we don't fool around the way we used to." She shrugged again, looking dispirited.

His heart had started beating more quickly than normal and he felt vaguely nauseous. This wasn't a conversation he'd expected to have. Ever.

"Why didn't you say something sooner?" he asked.

"I was scared," Kensi said quietly. "I didn't want it to be true." Taking both of her hands, he gathered them against his chest."

"You know I love you more than anything. You know that, right, Kensi?"

"I…thought so, but I couldn't be sure. I've never felt like this before."

"Oh my god, Kensi, baby," Deeks murmured. "I love you so much. That hasn't changed and I'm so sorry that I made you feel like it has." Kensi let out a shuddery sigh, falling into him, and he breathed out slowly in relief, encasing her tightly in his arms. "And I could never be bored with you."

They clung to each other for a couple minutes until Kensi leaned back just enough to see him. She ran her fingers through his hair, pushing back long the strands, her eyes still concerned.

"That still doesn't explain why you've been so distracted and distant lately," she reminded him. "You talked about being honest and it goes both ways."

He sighed deeply, still keeping an arm around her.

"I didn't realize it was so obvious, but I've been pretty worried about the bar. Even with Callen helping us out, we're not doing super well. That's why I've been spending so much time there the last couple months. We could really use another bartender or two, but we can't afford it right now."

"You told me we were doing better last quarter," Kensi said.

"We were, but I still don't know if it's enough to keep us going long term. After all we've poured into the place, not just money, I can't imagine losing it. It's become like a second home in a way," he said, sighing as he finally told someone his worries. He'd been keeping it to himself for several months. "And then I think about how we want kids and wonder if maybe we should just sell out before we lose everything."

"Deeks." Kensi shook her head. "You should have told me this when you started having concerns. You know I have a vested interest in the bar too."

"I didn't want to let you down. I was the one who pushed to buy a bar and fuel most of our savings into it and now it's failing."

"You haven't let me down, baby," Kensi assured him, cupping his jaw. She leaned in and kissed him gently. "We're in this together."

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too." She kissed him again, resting her head on his chest. "We'll be ok."