The drive back was quiet, Deeks sinking a contemplative silence that was in stark contrast to his irreverent and dangerous demeanor earlier.

She wasn't entirely sure why Deeks' actions at the club, his overall approach to defective work, bothered her so much. If she was being honest, they'd all crossed lines on the team many times and taken on covers—Sam and Callen more so—that forced them to behave in less than honorable or legal ways.

Maybe it was in part because Kensi was used to being in control and Deeks had completely obliterated that control within seconds of meeting her. For someone who'd worked extremely hard to be independent and take charge, having it yanked away stung.

Or maybe it was that despite all of that, she found Deeks attractive. Even when he was annoying the hell out of her, there was a tiny part of her that was impressed by his quick comebacks and intelligence. Oh, who was she kidding? The way he filled out a suit and his damn blue eyes didn't hurt either.

Glancing over at him now, she saw his lips were pressed into a grim line. He didn't look happy, she realized. She'd expected more bragging about his skills as an operator, but he just seemed tired and almost dismayed. Kensi almost interrupted the silence to ask him what was on his mind but stopped herself at the last second.

She spent the rest of the 20-minute ride to his apartment, watching the dark scenery pass by and wondering about the man beside her, who seemed to be so much more than she first imagined.


"Alright, so as you can probably guess from Andre's description, Dimitri isn't the friendliest guy. I met him one other time back when I was new, and my predecessor set up a sale. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough evidence back then or the means to take him down," Deeks explained to Kensi, showing her the picture of a man with thick black hair and dark eyes.

He was attractive Kensi supposed but all she saw was the dangerous, unfeeling gleam in his eyes.

They'd spread out on the couch in Deeks'—well, Max's apartment—while he debriefed Kensi on their meeting with Dimitri.

"What makes you think he'll agree to a meeting in the first place," Kensi asked, sifting through the scant profile available. Given his vulnerable position, Deeks kept little evidence on hand.

"Because he likes me." Deeks dropped a wry smile in Kensi's direction.

"Can't imagine why," Kensi teased. "Was it your hair?"

"Actually, I think it's my eyes," Deeks returned, relaxing a little. "No, Dimitri's used to everyone doing what he wants out of fear. When I met him, I ran my mouth like I usually do. It got me a fat lip and black eye, but Dimitri laughed, and he liked me."

"I'm not sure that's a good thing." Dimitri was sounding increasingly unpredictable, and she didn't like the idea of either of them going into an unknown situation with the man.

"Mm, probably not." He sighed deeply, running his hands over his face. "I'm used to guys like Dimitri though who want a challenge after a while." He paused for a beat. "And he likes intelligent women even more than a challenge."

"So, I'm the bait?" Kensi guessed.

"No, I didn't mean it like that," Deeks insisted quickly. "You'll be a distraction for sure, but you'll still need to convince Dimitri that you are Bella Mendez and that you're worthy of his time."

"Don't worry, I can sell it."

"Good."

She paused to take a drink of the wine Deeks poured for her when they arrived. Normally she didn't drink on the job, but she'd decided that a single drink wouldn't be the end of the world. She did notice that Deeks nursed a single beer, and she hadn't seen him drink anything stronger.

A little furrow grew between his eyes as he responded to a text, fingers tapping furiously against the screen while he muttered under his breath.

"Why do you do this?" she asked, resting her cheek on her fist as she tucked her legs underneath her. Deeks shook his head slightly, so she clarified. "Why do you go undercover like this."

"I don't know, I suppose I want to serve my country and make the world a better place," he responded quickly and glibly. Kensi shook her head, fixing him with a censuring look. "Deeks, you know what I mean. "You clearly don't enjoy it. I mean, you pretend to, and I think you like the cloak and dagger aspect, but you hate what you're forced to do."

He sighed again, shifting his body to face her. For once his expression was completely open and honesty shone through.

"I'm good at it," he answered simply.

"Just because you're good at something doesn't mean it's necessarily good for you."

"That's true." Deeks nodded, rubbing his thumb just under his bottom lip. The movement drew her eyes to his full mouth, and she had to remind herself this was a serious conversation. "Not everyone has the skill to go undercover and play the bad guy though. It takes a lot out of me for sure, but it needs to be done." He shrugged. "Besides, I'm not always a criminal. I can blend in just about anywhere as a homeless guy and I play a mean janitor."

"Now that I would totally buy," Kensi teased him, sensing he was trying to lighten things again. "Just don't get too committed and forget who you are."

"I won't," he assured her softly, then quirked his upper lip, running his fingers through his hair. "And as long as we're on the topic of getting too, uh, invested, I've been meaning to apologize for my behavior on that day we met." He shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "I know it was in character for Max, but I shouldn't have kissed you like I did. I'm sorry."

"It's ok," Kensi responded, realizing that it was true. She'd furious at the time, but barely thought about you since. "I punched you after all." Deeks chuckled breathily, pursing his lips.

"Not sure that's really a comparable trade."

"Oh." Acting on impulse, she curled her hand around the back of Deeks' head, sealing her mouth over his. It took Deeks approximately two seconds to catch up and then he returned the kiss, lips soft on hers, palms cupping her jaw.

She'd intended it to be a quick kiss, a joke more than anything, but now she didn't want it to end. It felt like tiny sparks were erupting wherever he touched her, leaving behind growing desire, and she moved closer.

Deeks merely rearranged his legs to accommodate her as she straddled him, lips parting on a sigh at the change in angle. He slid his tongue along her bottom lip, hands still gently framing her face while she swayed closer, breasts just barely brushing his chest.

He groaned this time, breaking away to bury his nose in the curve of her neck. Breathing shakily, Kensi pressed her lips to his ear and whispered,

"I guess we're even now." Then urged his mouth back to hers.


A/N: Well, that was unexpected and sure to pose absolutely no problems. Hopefully it didn't come too out of left field. I decided to have them be a little more direct this time around.