Prompt: Can you do a fanfic where the team sees Deeks's life outside of NCIS. They get to see a whole new side to him and that makes Kensi more attracted to him, deeping her feelings and everyone else notice. Also can you include Neric. I miss them.
A/N: I think we all miss Neric a bit. I set this in seasons 3-4, the best seasons for burgeoning Densi feelings.
It was a perfect day for surfing for a charity surfing event, Kensi thought as she walked between Sam and Callen, carrying her surfboard under one arm. Nell and Eric trailed behind a bit, and when she looked over her shoulder, she saw they were deep in conversation.
Nell had elected to forego surfing in favor of helping out with the refreshment stand. She wore a long, flowy sundress with a pattern of blue flowers which just touched the sand and made Nell resemble some kind of water fairy. Eric didn't look all that different from usual, if slightly more colorful in his flamingo board shorts.
Shielding her eyes, Kensi saw Deeks several yards ahead, easily recognizable in a bright white t-shirt and light blue shorts. It looked like he was giving out instructions to several other volunteers.
Last week, he'd convinced them all to help at the bimonthly surf class for veterans he co-ran. Although there'd been a fair amount of grumbling from some of them, no one had skipped out, given the target population.
Deeks fist-bumped everyone, shouting something that drifted away with the breeze, and then jogged over to them. His hair, tousled and blonder than ever, practically gleamed in the sun. He looked as happy as Kensi had ever seen him, completely in his element. And possibly like the lead of a made-for-TV surfing movie.
"Hey, I'm glad you guys made it," he said, drawing to a stop in front of them.
"It's not exactly like we could forget," Kensi commented wryly. "You only talked about if for the last two weeks."
"Well, this is usually one of the weeks when we have the highest turnout," Deeks explained. "So I wanted to make sure we had enough volunteers to go around."
"It's amazing that you organized all this" Eric said, gesturing to the forty or so people gathered around.
"Well, I can't take full credit. That honor goes to Lesley and Anthony over there." Deeks nodded to two people in tie dye shirts under a small tent.
He looked uncharacteristically uncomfortable by the compliment, which intrigued Kensi. He nodded to Sam with a slight grin. "Are you sure you want to wear long sleeves? It's going to get awfully hot out there."
"I've been surfing before, Deeks. I'll be fine," Sam said shortly, pointing at Callen as he started to chuckle. "Not a word out of you."
"None of the rash guards he tried on fit," Callen informed them, not at all cowed by Sam's glare.
"Oh, you think that's funny? Remember who drove you here. Again. And this time I will make you fend for yourself."
"Ok, boys, how about we leave the bickering until later," Kensi interrupted. "Deeks, where do you want us?"
"Uh, go check in with guy over there with the clipboard and he'll assign you to a group," Deeks said, now pointing to a thin man with his wetsuit peeled down to his waist. "Nell, you sure you don't want to borrow a suit and board? We rented some extras.
"Definitely not," she answered firmly. "Eric took me surfing a few months ago and it did not end well."
"No, it did not," Eric agreed, earning a slight glare from Nell. "I mean it wasn't that bad at all. For a first time."
"C'mon, I'll get you set up at the snack bar." Nell and Eric followed after Deeks, leaving the rest of them on their own.
Kensi watched Deeks out of the corner of her eye, while they made their way over to the man Deeks had pointed out.
As he talked, he stripped of his shirt, and started tugging on his wetsuit. Kensi's stomach dipped a little at the wealth of golden skin displayed, shining like his hair underneath the sun.
"Careful, you're staring, Kens," Callen teased, and she immediately jerked her head around, almost stumbling over an abandoned sand pail.
"I was not. I just…wanted to make sure that Nell and Eric got set up ok," she insisted.
"It's ok," Sam said. "We know how much you love it when his hair is all fluffy like that." Kensi spun, jabbing her finger between them.
"If you even think of saying anything to–"
"Oh, don't worry. We won't tell Deeks." Sam paused a beat. "But we'll definitely tease you about it later."
"Mercilessly."
Fortunately, they'd reached their destination, so she didn't have to face anymore ribbing, at least for the moment. There were three people in front of them receiving their assignments.
The man in charge was bronzed even darker than Deeks', and he spoke in short rushes of speech, constantly flipping a pen between his fingers or tapping it against the clipboard in his hand. There was a nervous, restless kind of energy about him.
"I'm James. Are you guys Kensi, Sam, and Callen?" he asked unexpectedly after the other group had walked away.
"Yeah, how'd you know?" Callen said, eyeing him with mild suspicion.
"Deeks described you perfectly."
"I bet he did," Sam muttered under his breath. "So, what do you need us to do?"
"Uh, Kensi and Sam you're with group B, Callen you'll be with group C," he explained. He glanced up every so often, but rarely made eye contact. "There'll be a more experienced volunteer to guide you. Just remember that you're here to support the vets in your group, but you're not acting like a therapist or diagnosing them. You listen, you talk if they want, don't push if they don't. And if you have legitimate concerns about anyone, you can let me or Deeks know."
"Sounds like you know your way around," Sam commented as he accepted a tag with his name and volunteer listed on the white space.
"Been helping out for about two years," James confirmed with a jerky nod and a half-shrug. "Before that I just attended. Funny thing is, I didn't even want to at first, but Deeks wore me down."
"He's good at that," Kensi said. "It's why we're here."
James shook his head more emphatically, losing some of his agitation. "He's a good man."
"We know that," Callen assured him. James didn't look too convinced.
"When I first met Deeks, I was a mess. I didn't even realize how much help I needed, but Deeks was always there for me to talk with, he gave advice, sometimes just to make sure I didn't hurt myself. There was one week were he even let me crash in his extra room when I was homeless."
His gaze wandered across the beach where Deeks was talking with another man, hand resting on his shoulder in a way that was clearly supportive.
"He's a good man," he repeated more emphatically. The admiration in his voice was obvious.
"He is," Kensi agreed softly.
She found herself watching Deeks again as they headed back to find their groups, though this time she was focused on his behavior. Several people had stopped him to talk, and he took the time with each of them. Maybe he wasn't in charge of the event, but he certainly was popular and well-liked.
People were starting to head out into the water. She saw Deeks stop by the refreshment stand and made a snap decision.
"Hey, I have to ask Deeks something," she told Sam, touching his arm in passing. "I'll catch up with you in a minute."
"I can totally manage on my own," Nell was saying, waving Eric and Deeks towards the water. "Don't worry about me Eric."
"If you're sure," Eric said, clearly torn between his desire to stay with Nell and get out on his board.
"I will be fine." She gave Eric a fond look, taking him lightly by the shoulders, and all but pushing him towards the shore. They stumbled along, giggling when Nell nearly fell over, Eric catching her just in time.
"You should be proud," Kensi said, coming up beside him. "You're making a real change in these people's lives."
He sighed, giving Kensi a backwards glance. "You've been talking to James."
"I'm glad he told us. I didn't realize what you've been doing for these guys." She touched his shoulder, letting her fingers linger on his warm skin for a few moments. "I'm sorry I didn't take you more seriously when you asked us to come."
"It's ok," he said with a shrug. "You're here now." He dipped his head, a smile twitching at his lips.
"Yes, I am," Kensi echoed softly. He offered his hand, and she took it after a second, letting him lead her towards the water.
A/N: I don't know how realistic this scenario is, but I dislike reality increasingly.