A/N: I had the most random idea when I was about to go to bed a few nights ago . . . and it refused to get out of my head. So I did some research, found some old news articles . . . and here goes! I'll warn you guys- it gets very angsty after this chapter so enjoy the fluff while you still can. No guarantees.
Kensi remembers making a comment long ago about for once being able to get dressed up and go out without getting shot at. Well, the same could apply to this, because right now all that she wants is to close her eyes and relax. Alas, she cannot, because she isn't on this cruise ship for fun.
If she was, she would be alone. She thinks.
She feels like a cliche, sitting next to the pool wearing one of those abnormally large sunhats, sunglasses, and a bejeweled turquoise bikini. Her hair is pulled back in a loose fishtail braid and she still has her makeup on.
She might as well have stepped out of some Hollywood movie.
"I'll Rock, Paper, Scissors you for it," pipes up her scruffy blonde partner next to her, grinning. Kensi peeks over at him from under her sunglasses, willing her eyes not to drift down to his very exposed chest.
"Deeks, I've settled this. We're brother and sister," she says.
"Kens, we look nothing alike!" he points out, and although he has a very good point she refuses to back down.
"Yeah, good thing!" Kensi tosses back.
Kensi sighs and pushes her sunglasses back up on her nose, looking out to the sea. This is her first time on a cruise ship. Not much of a surprise, when your favorite movie is Titanic, you don't go sailing often. Not that this is sailing. According to Hetty, it costs a hell of a lot more than sailing.
"Okay you two," Callen says with a chuckle through an earpiece in her ear. "That's enough."
"This isn't over," Kensi mouths to Deeks. He feigns a hurt face.
"Hey Callen," Deeks says with a smirk, "How about you decide what we'll be?"
"How about your aliases?" Callen suggests with a chuckle, "Clara Stevens and Warren Holmes." Kensi sighs.
"Well then can you just clarify to Deeks that we're just two friends on a fun cruise?" There's a long pause, and she and Deeks stare each other down, each expecting a victory come Callen's answer.
"You're a couple," Callen says, and Deeks grins widely as Kensi deflates with a groan. "Sorry Kens, but as much as you may hate it, you play the part well." Her eyes widen and she feels her cheeks growing red.
"Does she now?" Deeks asks with a grin. "Cause she is too my type, right?"
"Shut up!" Kensi hisses venomously, "Don't push it."
"Domestic violence alert, Callen."
"Oh, I'm not surprised," he replies through the earpiece. "Just don't forget why you're here, Deeks."
"To liase?"
"On the cruise ship," Kensi clarifies with an eye roll that he doesn't see because of her sunglasses. Deeks just grins.
"Right. Assassins or cat burglars. Happy couple. Armed and dangerous. Try and catch them and then apprehend them when we reach port," he says.
"Oh look how smart you are," Kensi says, voice dripping with sarcasm. He takes it all in stride, laughing at her and his smile reaching his eyes.
"So, back to Fiona and Mason Scott," Sam's voice comes in. "Any visuals yet?"
"Not while boarding or during the lifeboat drill," Deeks responds, "They're laying low."
"For now," Kensi adds. "We're about to go scouting, see if we can find any other locations for them to hide out."
"Okay well, get on that then," Sam says, "Eric will be here if you need him."
"Roger that," Kensi says, "Talk to you later boys." Once they're offline, Kensi turns to Deeks. "Where do you want to go, honey?" she asks, sickeningly sweet. Deeks isn't fazed (he never is), he just reaches over and takes her hand in his, his thumb tracing circles on her palm.
Oh my God, did she just shiver? No, no she did not. She most certainly did NOT shiver. Marty Deeks does not, no, cannot make her shiver. She almost pulls her hand away to punch him, but she can't. Damn Deeks for taking advantage of their cover. Damn herself for actually enjoying it.
Damn it all, in fact. Yeah, that pretty much works.
"So where to, sugarbear?" he asks, his voice low and intimate and-no, no, no! She twists her hand in his and digs her nails into his palm. He just keeps smiling at her, although she can see he gets the picture. He moves his hand.
"Let's try the uh," Kensi chews on her lip, getting a little kick out of the way Deeks' eyes widen, "Adults only deck?"
"Good idea, babe," he replies in a whisper, "Want to go get changed?"
"Yeah," she says, standing up. She grabs her purse and takes (with a sigh) the arm her partner offers to her with a grin. "Don't do something you'll regret," she says through her teeth.
"Never," he whispers back with a wink. "You, however-" She shuts him up with a little pinch to his bicep.
They walk through the hallway in relative silence, Kensi doesn't even bother letting go of his arm the entire way to their stateroom. Every time she thinks about putting a comfortable distance between herself and her all too eager partner, someone appears, and she has to plaster on that stupid lovesick smile.
Back at their (slightly cramped) stateroom, Kensi digs through her drawer, trying to find something nice. Deeks has already finished changing, and is dressed in a light blue plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up and some khaki shorts.
"Are those linen?" she asks with a snicker.
"Yeah, why?" Deeks responds.
"I just didn't know that, uh," Kensi bites her bottom lip to hold back another chuckle. "-that men wear linen."
"Egyptian men did."
"You're not Egyptian," Kensi retorts, grinning openly now.
"There's nothing wrong with linen!"
"No, nothing!" Kensi agrees with a smirk, "You know, if you like wearing bedsheets."
Deeks changes the subject, his own form of surrender. "You gonna change? Or will you stay in that, ah, lovely scrap of fabric?"
"I don't think it's the fabric that you're staring at," Kensi quips as she finally finds a nice sundress, a short black strapless dress peppered with tiny bright orange and golden wildflowers. She has a nice pair of black sandals that will go nicely with it.
Once in the bathroom, she takes her hair out of the braid and fluffs it out. Her sunglasses have long been discarded back on the bed she and Deeks are going to have to discuss later. She slips out of the bathing suit, into some underwear, and into, finally, the sundress. She gives herself a quick once-over in the mirror and smirks. Deeks will have his no doubt embarrassing reaction coming.
"You know, Kens, that pool girl? The redhead? If we weren't supposed to be in love, I think I might have a shot . . . with her-" he trails off, his mouth hanging open as Kensi emerges, eyebrows arched.
"You were saying?"
"I-uh . . ." His mouth appears to have gone dry. Kensi doesn't even try and hide her self-satisfied smirk as she puts up her swimsuit and grabs a straw fedora with a black ribbon and places it on her head.
"That what I thought," she says, walking to the door. "You coming?" Wordlessly, he rises and takes her arm in hiss, not even asking for permission.
She really shouldn't be enjoying this so much. She's practically encouraging it. Not even practically, she's picking her dresses just to drive him crazy. And she really shouldn't. Partners just don't do that. Granted, lots of people have middle-aged bald men as their partners, but even so . . . Deeks is Deeks, and she can't tease him. She can't have fun teasing him. She shouldn't even be considering teasing him.
The adults-only deck is very quiet. Kensi almost doesn't recognize a couple she spots without the five small children she's seen hustling around them. Deeks leads her to the balcony and the two look out over the sea. The waves seem so small from the height they're at, and Kensi finds it humbling to see how vast the ocean really is compared to she and Deeks.
"Big waves," Deeks remarks, "The waters are usually calmer."
"What's the forecast?" Kensi asks. Deeks pulls out his phone and checks some weather app he bragged about buying two weeks ago.
"Thirty percent chance of thunderstorms, isolated at most," he reads, looking up at the sky, which is covered by a thin veil of gray, wispy clouds.
Kensi stares at the sky, eyes narrowed. Odd how the sky can still be so bright when it's covered by clouds. She feels Deeks looking at her and she turns to face him. He opted against sunglasses so his gentle blue gaze is clear as day and unabashedly appreciating the easy smile that has appeared on her face. Moments like this, without any sexual tension, without physical closeness, these moments are the most dangerous. Moments where it's just them enjoying each other, even without the excuse of their banter.
"Like what you see?" she quips gently, nudging him.
"You should wear your hair down more often," Deeks murmurs, "Brings out your eyes."
"You my personal stylist now?" she teases. He winks at her.
"If I was, you'd be wearing much-" he gives her a quick once-over and she pokes him in the chest scathingly. "-much less." He chuckles and suddenly his eyes focus in on something beyond her.
"What is it?" Kens asks in a hushed whisper. Deeks reaches his hand up to his ear, activating his earpiece. A few moments later, Kensi reaches up and does the same, frowning. "Deeks, seriously, what-"
"Eric, you on?" Deeks asks, leaning against the railing. His eyes remain fixed on something past Kensi.
"Yeah, what's up?" comes Eric's voice.
"I think I have a visual. I'm going to get a photo and text it to you, got it?"
"Got it."
"A visual on our couple?" Kensi whispers. Deeks nods, pulling out his phone. "How far are they?"
"About fifteen feet," Deeks says. "Smile, honeybabe." Kensi pulls out the cutest smile she can muster as Deeks snaps his picture and then sends it over to Eric. "Want to see?" he asks her. God, he's so good at undercover work. She skips over to him happily, glancing at the phone screen.
"Got it, running through facial rec now," Eric's voice comes through. Kensi peers at the phone screen.
"That's definitely the Scotts," she says. Fiona Scott, born in Romania, is a born and raised gymnast who failed to qualify for the Olympics years ago and found solace in her husband- a seasoned burglar with an unforgiving tendency to fire his weapon at anyone he doesn't like. Kensi can tell it's Fiona by her flowing dark brown hair, long and straight and her piercing gray eyes.
"Kens," Deeks murmurs, and Kensi inclines her head to look up at him. Mistake. She's forgotten how close they're standing, and her lips just barely miss brushing against his.
"Hm?" she murmurs, not looking into his eyes.
"They're looking over at us."
"Cover kiss?" she murmurs, her hands trembling slightly. He chuckles. How in the world can he be so blase about this? She doesn't exactly offer up cover kisses for fun. His arm wraps around her shoulder and her eyes close as he leans in.
He surprises (he does not disappoint her, she's not some kind of child) her by pressing the kiss to her cheek, taking his sweet time with slowly pressing his lips into her skin before pulling back slowly.
"I think that will cover it," he murmurs, and she flashes a radiant smile at him in an attempt to mask how rattled she really is.
"Did you kiss her?" Eric asks, voice crackling with amusement and something akin to hope. She'll have to glare at him for that when she returns.
"No," Kensi clarifies, "No he did not."
"So are you going to stay with the suspects then?"
"As long as we can, I guess," Deeks answers, eyes scouting out a place for them to sit. He gestures over to a long reclining chair in the shade, near to the Scotts. Kensi goes over to it and lays down, lifting her legs up. Deeks takes the hint with a grin and sits down. She lets her legs rest on his lap and closes her eyes.
"Okay, contact me if you have anything new. Callen and Sam are busy on this new case and have got Nell and I busy."
"We won't keep you," Kensi says before turning off her earpiece. Deeks does the same before leaning back against the wall the chair is adjacent to.
"Well . . ."
She narrows her eyes, suspicious of the glint in his blue orbs. "Well?"
"This is cozy," he comments snidely, wagging his eyebrows at her playfully. She snorts at him, eyes rolling.
"I'm sure it is, honey."
"Your nicknames could use some work though," Deeks quips, "I mean, honey is overused enough."
"What would you rather I call you?" Kensi asks, smirking. "Barbie? D-bag?"
"Oh, back to that, are we?" He rests a hand on her knee and traces the bone with his thumb, making Kensi's eyes go wide.
"Yo-your idea," she stammers, "I can go on, if you w-want." That's pretty much a lie, considering the way his stroking thumb on her leg is slowly turning her thoughts to little more than mush. Deeks smirks at her, seeing right through the brave face she tries putting on.
"Okay. Hit me with your best shot, Princess."
"Delinquent-"
"That the best you got?" he asks, laughing
"De-sgusting-"
"Ouch," he chuckles.
"De-manding-"
"That's kinds dirty, actually," he says, wagging his eyebrows at her.
She arches an eyebrow at him. "De-lerious." He grins, she's got him there, and they both know it. "Now get your hand off my leg."
"Don't want to," he deadpans, his face innocent, eyes sparkling with humor.
"Too bad," Kensi responds, shaking her leg and swatting his hand off. "Because if you would have kept that hand there any longer-"
"You would have burst with desire?" Deeks finishes. Kensi almost punches him, but remembers at the last minute that she has to retain her cover. She just smiles sweetly at him.
"You'll pay for that one back in our room," she murmurs, chewing her bottom lip and batting her eyelashes at Deeks, who suddenly seems to have forgotten what air is. "You okay, baby? Cat got your tongue?"
This whole seduction thing is a hell of a lot of fun, but she has this lingering feeling that it will bite her in the ass sooner or later.
"I-uh-it's windy out," Deeks finally stammers, "We should go inside." Kensi allows a slow smile to spread across her face, gingerly lifting her legs off of Deeks' lap and standing up. Deeks stands up as well, and Kensi notices the still slightly awed expression he's wearing.
Yeah, this is not partner-friendly behavior. But it's far too fun to put an end to.
"You clean up nice, you know," Deeks says before taking a bite of his chicken breast. Kensi raises her eyebrows at him.
"And?"
"And that's it. Just a compliment, Kens." Kensi still doesn't believe he wasn't going to punctuate the comment with a quip, and she sees he can tell. "Seriously. Can't I compliment you without an ulterior motive?"
"You never compliment a woman without an ulterior motive," Kensi points out.
"Yeah, well I can compliment you because you're not my type," Deeks says, "So you have absolutely nothing to worry about." Kensi narrows her eyes at him, not liking the pang in her stomach at her partner's teasing words.
"Judging from the way you can't keep your hands to yourself today, I'd say that is an outright lie," she responds, "And the way your eyes drift downwards and to the left when you say I'm not your type."
"Stop showing off, Wikipedia," Deeks mutters, taking another bite of chicken. Kensi grins. A slight rumbling sound echoes through the dining hall.
"So I'm right, then?" she asks, grinning.
"Never said that," he replies quickly, his eyes drifting downward.
"You inferred it." And to the left they go.
"I'm a direct guy, Kens."
"And you're not a good liar, either."
"I'm a better liar than you are," he points out, smirking.
"Keep telling yourself that," Kensi mutters begrudgingly.
"I will, thank you very much," Deeks says victoriously, "Because it's true." Kensi huffs and reaches for a roll, chomping off a piece under her partner's amused gaze. She stares him down with challenging eyes.
"If you don't mind," she says, defiantly grabbing her fork, "I'd like to eat in peace and quiet." She narrows her eyes at her bemused partner. "Can you manage that?" Deeks pretends to seriously contemplate her question, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Yeah, think so," he answers finally, "Anything for my awesomely hot girlfriend."
"You're such a poet," Kensi mutters, rolling her eyes. They eat in a comfortable silence, which is weird. Kensi had figured telling Deeks to keep quiet would only make hi, talk more. Not that she wanted him to. No, she doesn't enjoy his teasing, because that would be-
Her thoughts disappear completely when she suddenly feels something brush against her ankle. She freezes mid-bite and looks up at her partner, who is looking back at her innocently.
"Deeks?" she hisses. He raises his eyebrows.
"Yup?"
"Stop," she says slowly, eyes shooting daggers. His foot leaves her ankle and trails up her calf. Her eyes widen and she kicks him
"I'm keeping quiet!" he says defensively, a smile teasing at his lips.
"You're keeping quiet very loudly."
She's surprised when the ground suddenly lurches to the side, knocking her wine glass into her lap. If she wasn't so unnerved by the slight rumble of thunder she hears after it, she would have cursed under her breath.
"What the hell-" she hisses, picking up her spilled wine glass and setting it back on the table. "Deeks, pass me a napkin?".
"Use your own!"
"Already have!" Deeks chuckles at the pout present in her voice and hands her his napkin, grinning. "Thank you," she says begrudgingly. The ship lurches again, this time a little more violently, knocking a few plates to the ground. She hears a few frightened screams from some of the more . . . delicate passengers.
Kensi grips the table tightly to keep from lurching over, feeling a little disoriented.
"Thirty percent huh?" she huffs, glaring at Deeks.
"Never said I was the weatherman!" he tosses back. She's about to snap back at him when the ship tilts again, sending her skidding into the table.
"We should get to our room," she says, "Get our stuff and all."
"Kens, our room looks like a hurricane blew through it without the help of this storm," Deeks says, chuckling, as he stands up. The floor rocks slightly, making him stumble.
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Kensi snaps, standing as well and making her way over to him. They begin exiting the dining hall and speed walk towards the elevator, hoping the beat the crowd of complaining rich passengers. Deeks presses the "up" button and the ship seems to steady for a moment.
"Check your phone for the weather!" Kensi says. "Now!"
"So impatient," Deeks chuckles, pulling out his phone as the elevator doors open with a ding. Kensi stalks into the elevator, not even looking at Deeks.
She hopes he can't sense her unease. Despite being a member of a naval service, she's never been fond of boats. She thought a cruise ship would be steady enough, but of course she gets on the one stupid enough to sail into a storm.
The shop rocks again as the elevator door closes, knocking Kensi against the wall and Deeks off of his feet.
"How is it we got on this boat?" Kensi huffs, "This isn't normal, right?" The ship then veers in the opposite direction, sending Kensi to the ground, rolling to the other end. Deeks grabs her arm before she can tumble into the wall.
"I thought you liked thrills," Deeks says breathlessly, pulling her over to him as the ship slowly tilts again, sending them both sliding in a heap to the other side of the elevator.
The door opens and Kensi stumbles up, pulling her partner up after her. They rush out of the elevator, making it to the other side of the hallway when the ship lurches again, sending Kensi tumbling into the wall and Deeks right after her.
She knows the second after she turns her body to rest her back against the wall that she's made a mistake. Deeks' arms are resting on the wall on either side of her, and his face only inches away. She knows he went to the wall for balance, but right now she couldn't be farther from it. Forget a rocky ship, her mind is in chaos now, thrown off completely by his proximity and the storminess in his eyes that match the weather outside. His eyes flit down to her lips and then back to meet her own eyes, dark with conflicted desires.
She shouldn't want to kiss him right now. She shouldn't be having trouble finding air to breathe and she certainly shouldn't be so dazed by the ways their breaths are mingling.
The ship rocks again, sending her falling into his chest and knocking them to the floor, catching her off guard. She lays on top of him, and briefly flashes back to a similar position they were in a little over a year ago, after blowing up a room full of lasers.
"I could get used to this," Deeks jokes, breaking the tense silence between them.
"Oh yeah?" she breathes, "I have a feeling I don't want to know what's running through your head right now."
"In my head, we're not exactly running . . ." She doesn't get the chance to punch him because the ship tilts again, this time knocking Kensi off of her likely bruised partner. She lands in a somewhat sitting position.
"Help me up," she grunts to Deeks, who has managed to regain his footing. He smirks at her.
"I don't know, you sitting like Cleopatra is actually kind of hot-" the ship interrupts him yet again sending him into the wall. Kensi scrambles up and looks down at Deeks victoriously.
"You were saying?" she asks, grinning and holding an arm out to him. He takes it and allows her to pull him up right as the ship lurches again, knocking them both against the wall, their noses bumping.
Again? Really?
"I think you're planning this," she whispers, attempting to use Deeks' trick of using humor to break the tension that has once again erupted between them like a flame. Deeks grins and nuzzles her playfully.
"That so?" he murmurs, "Because if I remember correctly, you're the one who pulled me over."
"I was trying to pull you up," she snaps, finally meeting his gaze with a challenge in her eyes. Her nose brushes his, and any other witty remark she might have made is lost in a wave of . . . something. She wonders if he's doing this on purpose- trying to throw her off her game, or if he just can't help himself.
"Keep telling yourself that," he whispers, taking the words from their earlier argument and turning them against her. "But I think you just want to kiss me."
She desperately hopes he's just joking or teasing her. Because if he really thinks that, if he really can read her so well . . . she's in trouble.
She opens her mouth to reply but is interrupted by a voice coming from the ceiling.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Due to inclement weather, we ask that you all make your way to the ship's ballroom immediately. Thank you."
Yes, the rocking cruise ship can actually happen! I was watching "Weather Caught on Camera" on the Weather Channel and wow, what a scary thing! Poor Kensi and Deeks . . .
Anyways, review review review! Expect more in the coming days, and I hope you've enjoyed this so far! Check out my Tumblr for sneak peeks! Love always,
-Gab