Callen had found it quite easy to rub shoulders with Deeks. Deeks was quite an easy-going kind of guy after all. Perhaps too easy-going but only Sam seemed to have an issue with that. He didn't get in Callen's way or slow down their operations so he was okay with it. That and he knew a mask when he saw one. It was cleverly done but Callen was better. More experienced.

Oh, Deeks wasn't pretending to be something he wasn't. It was much more subtle than that. The younger man was exaggerating certain aspects of his personality so people didn't get too close. Because, if you were loud and obnoxious people didn't want to pry too much, did they? And Callen didn't want to pry. Deeks could keep his secrets. Callen was really the last one who could talk about sharing after all.

Either way, he was something to have around. Made life a bit more interesting. Even if interesting wasn't what they always needed. What they did need was the balance he brought to the team, no matter how out of sync he seemed to be with them at times. But that changed the longer he stayed. The more they all wanted him to stay. And Callen got used to him; his loud voice, his sometimes strange opinions and his more often than not inappropriate ways.

Then again, he wasn't the one who was partnered with him. Just had to work with him as a part of the team, not necessarily and individual. But he found himself liking Deeks, wanting to engage with him (well, as much as he engaged with people). Callen genuinely came to like the guy. The fact that he drove Sam around the bend was just a bonus. Albeit an incredibly amusing one. But Kensi seemed to get on with him and (as much as she denied it in the beginning) liked him. Deeks was pretty likeable.

Callen liked him. He brought something new to the team. A good sort of new. Another way of thinking (a strange way of thinking). And it worked. He worked. He was trustworthy. Reliable. Did his job and more.

It was still alarming how fast Callen found himself trusting Deeks. Sure, he saved their asses pretty early on in a very cliche new teammate move but still. Callen's whole personality was basically based around being mistrustful of people. But he wasn't mistrustful of Deeks.

Maybe it was because he saw some of himself in Deeks. In ways they were quite alike. Kind of outcasts. Kept themselves to themselves. Had trust issues (so many trust issues between them - enough to make Nate drool). Masters of deflection. Bit of a lone wolf. Really, the only major difference was that Deeks wore his heart on his sleeve. Something that Callen could never, ever do. But he couldn't fault Deeks for it. Actually, it made him trust him all the more. There was no true deception about Deeks. And that's what this team needed. What he needed in a teammate. For Kensi. For Sam. Everyone.

Of course, that's why Hetty chose the guy. She wouldn't dream of putting someone with them that wouldn't work. Maybe that was why Callen trusted him so easily. Deeks was Hetty chosen. But so were all of them. They wouldn't be anywhere near this building after all if they weren't. But Deeks was the first true outsider Hetty chose. He was LAPD. Not NCIS.

And it showed. Sure, he was a good shot and even better at going undercover (if a bit... much at times but hey, it worked for him) but his tradecraft was lacking compared to the rest of them. Again, not his fault. He was LAPD not a Special Operations Agent. Nothing that Sam couldn't fix.

And be wanted Sam to fix it because even Callen could see that Deeks had potential. Lots of it. And the guy genuinely wanted to improve. Though, how much of that was done to wanting Kensi's favour, Callen would really not look into.

But yes, he knew quite early on that Deeks was going to work. And that he was capable enough that Callen didn't have to be too hands on, which was what he preferred. Let him watch. Let him listen. What he was best at. Sam and Kensi could do all the training. Callen would do the figuring out.

And, over time, he did less of that and more working as a team. It took an alarmingly short time for them to find their balance as a team of four. Which was good. Very good.

Balance, however didn't always mean that it was easy. Deeks was abrasive, particularly to Sam. The two men just were too different in some aspects. Which left Kensi and Callen to try to sooth it. Callen knew that Sam just needed time. For all of Sam's training and heart that he was the one that found it the most difficult to warm up to someone. But Callen wasn't too worried. He knew Deeks would be one to stick around, Kensi wasn't going to let him leave and neither was he. Just like they told Nate.

Was that weird? That they only worked with Deeks once and he was "their cop"? Hetty didn't seem to think so. And it felt right to Callen. Like Kensi and Sam felt right. Which, to Callen, meant that he was theirs. Sort of. Enough to help him anyway.

And then Hetty put him on their team. And they worked. It was good. Callen was, well not happy at first but satisfied. Deeks balanced out Kensi, which was no easy task, and did the job well enough that Callen didn't have a problem with him.

He watched carefully as Kensi worked with him, came to trust him and then he relaxed somewhat. This was going to work. And then the guy went and got shot. And saved Kensi. All in one day. Impressive. That completely settled if for Callen. He saw how Kensi reacted. Knew how he felt.

Yep. Deeks was theirs.