A/N: Merp! I totally forgot to mention this story takes place after 3x21- Touch of Death! Apologies, dear readers, and muchas gracias to a reviewer for pointing it out to me. I will say this- the ending goes a bit out of canon, so to speak. Not saying how . . . you'll find out soon enough. ;)

As always, your reviews mean the world to me! I'm glad to have you all intrigued! This chapter refused to write itself, so I hope I didn't completely flub this one up haha. One more chapter after this!

"I think this shade of orange suits me. What about you?" Deeks turns to face Kensi, eyes teasing as the ship rocks again, sending the unlucky passengers not hiding in a secluded corner sliding into a wall. Kensi turns to look up at her partner, whose arms are wrapped securely around her. For safety purposes only. Obviously.

"I think it adds a few pounds," she hisses as the ship rocks them back into their corner and a group of twenty-somethings into a grouchy elderly couple. "Still have a visual on the Scotts?"

The Scotts had the same idea as them and are huddled in the opposite corner in a very different position. Fiona sits in her husband's lap and her arms are snaked around his neck. They've been kissing nonstop for the ten minutes they've been in this ballroom.

"They're making due," Deeks replies, chuckling. "Want to follow their lead? Or have you lost that lovin' feeling?"

"Stop talking? Please?" Kensi hisses as the ship tilts to the right and she and Deeks slide away from their corner before steadying. She doesn't know why he keeps having to bringing the almost-kiss or whatever it was and never will be up again, but he's damn persistent. Typical Deeks, and it's bugging the hell out of her. She has enough on her mind.

"They're at it again," Deeks snickers, tightening his grip on her. She pinches him in the side in retaliation and he only snickers more. "You sure you-"

"Yes, I'm very, very sure!" Kensi snaps. He's unfazed, still laughing. Is he feeling at least a little nervous? Because Kensi's feeling borderline freaked out right now, and a little seasick. She certainly won't tell Deeks though, else she have to put up with his jokes about her working for the Navy and not being able to handle a few rough waves.

These aren't a few rough waves. A few rough waves wouldn't force the crew to collect the passengers together with bulky orange life jackets. So he has no right to tease her.

He will anyways, so she keeps her mouth shut.

The ship rocks violently, knocking Kensi and Deeks hard to the right, and Kensi lets out a yelp as her head slams into the unforgiving wall.

"Dammit," she mutters, an arm coming up to rub where she hit her head. Deeks shifts her in his arms until she's facing him.

"You okay, Kens?" he asks seriously.

"Just peachy," she responds sharply, rubbing her head. Deeks moves closer, trying to get a better look and she swats him away. "Seriously, Deeks, I'm fine."

"At least let me see it," he implores, looking into her eyes. She sighs, but acquiesces his request, angling her head so Deeks can examine it. She thinks she feels a bump forming.

"Will I live?" she quips. Deeks doesn't reply, and for a short moment a flash of panic goes through her in the form of a shiver, which doesn't escape his notice.

"I'll make sure you live either way," he murmurs softly, brushing a strand of hair back behind her ear. It's oddly intimate, and Kensi can't help but feel very warm. Which is not good, because it only sends another shiver coursing through her.

"You cold?" Deeks asks as the ship rocks to the left, sending them sliding into open ground. Kensi grips his arms in a deathly tight manner, her eyes fluttering closed, wanting to block everything out.

"Look at all of the happy couples," Deeks murmurs in Kensi's ear, his arm snaking around her waist. She shoves him away, rolling her eyes. He is so not getting away with that trick. No freaking way.

"I know, bro. It's positively sickening," she hisses pointedly.

"Going with that one again, babe?" he snorts, his arm finding its way back to her waist. She pinches it, but to no avail. He's grown resilient. He's used to her pinches by now.

"Incest is illegal in the United States," Kensi snaps, removing his arm again.

"We're not brother and sister, Kens."

"Yes we-"

"But seriously," Deeks interrupts, glancing around. "Why go on a cruise for a vacation when you could just go to some seaside resort?" Kensi laughs.

"Does it personally offend you that some people don't want to deal with surfer types like you?" she quips. "Because unlike you, some of us have this thing called personal space."

"Says the woman who presses against me before every gunfight and tackles me on a weekly basis," Deeks snorts. "Riiiight."

"I tackle you to save your ass," Kensi retorts, "So don't tempt me to not do it again."

"What, you don't like hospital jello?" Deeks jokes. Kensi's humor falls away slightly and her eyes darken. She doesn't like thinking about Deeks in the hospital much. It doesn't feel right, him without a joke and a smile and in pain. Complimenting her. When it was her fault in the first place. "Kens? I was joking-"

"I know," she interjects. "But as for going on a cruise . . . I agree. If I were on a honeymoon, I know where I would want to go."

"Where?" Deeks asks curiously. She winks at him.

"Alaska."

"Alaska?" he repeats incredulously, "As in Alaska, Alaska?"

"No, Deeks, the Alaska in Africa," Kensi deadpans.

"There's an Alaska in-"

"Sarcasm!" She rolls her eyes. "How are you a detective again?"

"My gorgeous locks and sharp wit," he replies effortlessly. "But why Alaska?"

Kensi smirks. "Think about it, Deeks. It's cold. It's snowing out. We're-"

"We?"

"My hypothetical husband and I," she corrects, narrowing her eyes at Deeks. "Don't get happy on me."

"Just making sure," he chuckles, "Go on."

"We-my husband and I-" Kensi's smile falters slightly as a name-Jack-flashes through her mind, but she sighs and goes on. "We're sitting by the fireplace, roasting marshmallows together. We're wrapped in a single blanket-"

"I'm really liking this fantasy of yours," Deeks says with a rolls her eyes.

"Don't, 'cause it's not you in that blanket," she says before continuing. "-and we watch Top Model until we fall asleep in each others' arms." Deeks grins.

"So you're a sucker for cuddlers, huh? You know Kens, I've been told that I'm a very good cuddler."

"And they say nothing about the events that precede the cuddling?" Kensi quips. "Typical. Don't see how they could compliment you on-"

"I'll have you know they compliment me on every aspect of our . . . time together."

"Wouldn't expect more from yoga bunnies," Kensi snorts. "They don't exactly have the highest of standards."

"I might have found a few exceptions to your little stereotype if you hadn't made them think I was cheating on you with your brother," he pouts. Kensi just winks at him, not regretting that genius move at all and knowing she never will. Well, until he gets his revenge, that is. She looks back over at him and sees that he's a little pale.

"Are you-are you seasick, Deeks?" she asks jovially, highly amused. He gives her a scathing look.

"I'm not seasick, I just like the beach better."

"Shouldn't you be used to the waves?" She hesitates, and then decides to milk this new weakness she's found for all it's worth. "Waves . . . going up and down, rocking and rocking and rocking-"

"Okay, fine, I'm seasick!" Deeks interjects, eyes wide. "So please for the love of God, don't make me sick!" Kensi smirks.

"I don't plan to. God forbid I have to cuddle you in your misery."

She should have knocked on wood, Kensi thinks as she huddles in Deeks' arms in their dark little corner of the ballroom. The Scotts have a similar idea that involves a lot more lip action, but Kensi isn't quite so desperate to shut out the violent rocking of the ship or the flashes of lightning and crackles of thunder.

The waves are beginning to lessen up, she and Deeks are managing to keep a somewhat stable perch.

Deeks' arms are surprisingly strong. They don't bulge with muscle like Sam's, but Kensi's surprised by how firmly they are holding her to him. She doesn't mind being pressed into his side right now- he's the only steady thing on this stupid boat.

Quite frankly, he's one of the only steady things in her life. Cases come and go, and up until now so have her partners, but ever since Deeks came into the picture she's had something that resembles permanence. He's very steady, always there with a joke when she needs one, always knowing what she's thinking. It bothers her most of the time, having him know her so well, but right now she couldn't be more grateful for his initiative.

"We'll be okay, Kens," he murmurs, "It's just some rain. And some wind. At sea."

"Not helping," she snaps, groaning and burying her head, still a bit sore from an earlier wave, in his muscular shoulder. "You're not gonna go seasick on me again, are you?"

"Nah," he mutters weakly, "I'm more dizzy than nauseous."

"That supposed to comfort me?" she murmurs, not quite in the mood for rolling her eyes at the moment.

"Does it?"

"Not really."

"Then no," he says with a teasing grin.

It's funny how in a split second before disaster, everything stills. Seconds drag on and your mind and body steels itself for whatever is going to happen. Things that were previously a blur are suddenly crystal clear, and after, you swear you felt it coming.

The next violent shake is of a completely different sort. It's as if the ship skids and then lurches, a large-scale equivalent of scraping your nails on a chalkboard. Kensi latches herself onto Deeks as screams erupt throughout the ballroom.

"Do we have an update from Kensi and Deeks?" Sam asks back in Los Angeles. "That's a pretty nasty storm at sea." Eric types away at the keyboard as Nell walks in holding a stack of weather reports.

"Haven't been able to get a decent signal," Eric replies, "I've tried boosting it twice, but that storm's really strong and I can't get through to them. Not unless they turn their coms on, that might be enough to contact them."

"Keep trying," Callen commands, "I want an update within the hour." He turns to Sam. "We should go. We still have paperwork to finish and Hetty will have our heads if it isn't done by today." He turns to Nell and Eric and fixes them with a searing gaze. "Don't stop trying to contact them. Get us right away when you do."

With that, he and Sam exit Ops, and Nell sits down next to Eric, who has gone back to his furious typing.

"Waves are estimated to be from thirty to even sixty feet," Nell says seriously, "Eric, what if-"

"They can handle themselves," Eric says quickly. An alert pops up on his screen and Nell leans in closer. "The storm is almost past them," he says, breathing a sigh of relief. "They should be in the clear in five minutes." Nell turns back to her computer and then pales.

"I wouldn't worry about the storm, Eric."

"Well yeah, like I said, it's-"

"No, Eric," Nell interrupts, pulling him over. "The Captain has just sent out an SOS. The ship has grounded."

"What does that mean?" Eric asks in a hushed whisper.

Nell frowns. "It means, with the wind and waves . . . the ship could capsize at any moment."

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. The ship has grounded, and is now deemed unsafe. We ask that you all report to your muster stations and follow the lifeboat procedures practiced earlier today. If you have any worries or questions, please ask a crew member. We repeat, please report to your muster stations immediately. This is not a drill."

For a moment, the ballroom is in complete silence. Kensi's face grows white and Deeks pulls her closer to him, as if to shield her from their now unsafe ship. She can't even bring herself to mind. Screw boundaries, they will not do shit for her in this situation. All she has is Deeks.

"Silver lining would be nice right about now," she hisses to Deeks.

"We've finally leaped into each others' arms?" he offers cheekily. She snorts, but smiles nonetheless. "I know it's not as profound as 'Everything's gonna be fine', but it's pretty good, huh?" She smiles.

"Sure, Deeks, sure." They stand up and decide to wait until most of the crowds have squeezed through the ballroom doors. Waiting is better than being trampled, they conclude. Deeks keeps his eyes on the Scotts, who have not let go of each other this entire time. They seem to have the same idea as them, and remain in their corner as the families and couples rush to exit first.

"Have you tried contacting Eric and Nell?" Kensi asks. Deeks' eyes widen. "I'll take that as a no."

"The storm's weakening," Deeks observes, "Want to try?" Kensi nods and they both reach to their earpieces, pressing them on. For a moment, they only receive static, but then-

"K-kens-Deeks-you-there?" Kensi can barely make out Eric's voice as it comes through, mingled with static.

"We're on. Eric, tell us what's going on?"

"S-storm . . . grounded-ship-could capsize-abandon-mission-off NOW." Kensi turns to Deeks with wide eyes.

"We'll contact you later, Eric," Deeks says quickly before disconnecting. "We've got to get going." Kensi turns off her earpiece and grabs his arm.

"Deeks," she whispers, "The Scotts are heading out. We need to get going now." Deeks nods and together, the two set off swiftly after the Scotts, towards their muster stations.

Their station is on the fifth deck, and is mainly occupied by couples. Families have their own station and singles have their own. Kensi and Deeks take their place in line behind the other frightened couples.

"There's a dance going on at the top deck," Deeks says, popping his head into their bedroom from the bathroom, "Want to go?" Kensi glances up from the magazine she'd decided to flip through and her eyes almost pop out of her head. Deeks emerges fully into their bedroom, clad only in a pair of loose jogging shorts. His skin looks very soft and is still slightly moist from-

"You're staring," he says with a smug and playful grin, "I don't really blame you, I'm as good as they come." Kensi realizes her mouth has fallen open and shuts it defiantly.

"I'm going to regret asking this-"

"I'm more muscled than you though, aren't I?"

"-but why the hell are you standing in front of me without a shirt?" she finishes, willing her eyes to remain on his face and not give him the satisfaction of seeing her eyes drift . . . down . . . to his chest . . . his muscular chest . . .

"I forgot to bring one into the shower," he replies, smirking. "Want to pick one out for me?"

"Ever heard of boundaries, Deeks?" she asks.

"Yeah, doesn't mean I pay any attention to them."

"I can see that."

"Would be hard for you not to, huh?" Kensi rolls her eyes and nods.

"Considering you never heed them? Yeah, it would certainly be hard for me not to notice." Deeks wags his eyebrows at her.

"Not to notice . . . what exactly?" he asks.

She sends him a warning glance. "Don't push it."

"I would never," he says, eyes widening innocently. She snorts.

"And yet you always do."

He grins. "What can I say? I walk to the beat of my own drum."

"Well, your drum is broken. Go fix it." She realizes too late that she's left herself wide open for one of Deeks' stupid-

"You want to help with that, Kens?"

"In your dreams," she replies.

He doesn't miss a beat. "You think about my dreams?"

"All the time," she replies with a smirk, throwing him off guard. "I'm always hoping they're not about me."

"Lying doesn't suit you, you know."

"Neither does being an immature idiot, and yet you do it anyways."

"Aw, don't be like that. You love the way I look," he says with a confident smile. "You like my hair, you like my eyes, you like my muscles, you like my arms-"

"Are you just using this an excuse to let out your inner vanity?" Kensi asks, exasperated.

Deeks winks. "Nothing wrong with a little confidence. So, do you wanna go?" Kensi coughs.

"Go?"

"To the dance," Deeks clarifies, laughing. "And you say my mind is in the gutter."

"Shut up," Kensi mutters. "And yeah, I'll go dancing. But since you're my brother, don't do anything gross."

"You're not letting that go, are you?"

"Never."

It's only drizzling now, and Kensi supposes the waters would be fairly calm if their ship was still relying on them. Beside her, Deeks holds her hand and traces random shapes on her palm with his thumb, humming aimlessly and constantly glancing back over at her, as if to check to see if she is alright.

She shivers, not knowing whether the sudden chill is from their close proximity or the fact that she's drenched and in the wind, which is chilled without the warmth of daylight to counteract it.

"You okay?" Deeks asks, feeling her shiver. His hand lets hers go and his arm moves to wrap around her shoulder. "Your hand is freezing, you know."

"So is yours," she retorts before sneezing.

"Bless you," says a woman in front of them, her soft gray eyes puffy from crying and her thin blonde hair framing her thin and wet face.

"Thank you," Kensi murmurs, leaning into Deeks as he pulls her closer, pressing a daring kiss on her hair. She can't bring herself to berate him or suppress another shudder that she knows has nothing to do with her current state.

"You two on your honeymoon?" the blonde asks, blinking rapidly.

Kensi turns to glance at Deeks. "Um-"

"We're not engaged," Deeks replies with a small smile. "Yet."

He's saying it for cover, he's saying it for cover, Kensi tells herself, hoping the blonde woman doesn't catch the flash of panic that tears into her expression.

The woman blushes. "Oh. Well, I'm here with my fiancé- Rick." She nudges a slim man next to her, who turns around and gives her a kiss on the cheek before extending a hand to Deeks in greeting. He does the same for Kensi after Deeks shakes the offered hand.

There's really nothing left to talk about- the line is moving quickly so the blonde and her fiancé turn back and Kensi and Deeks are left in silence.

The rain picks up again and Kensi hears a few panicked shrieks from the lifeboats that haven't reached the visible shore yet. She can feel the ice cold rain hitting her skin like needles, and she's grateful when Deeks wraps his other arm around her and pulls her into an embrace.

"This better just be because of our c-c-cover," Kensi mumbles into his chest, "Or I'll toss you out of the lifeboat."

"Don't pretend like you don't enjoy it," he replies in a whisper at her ear.

"Do you?"

"Yeah." She moves her head from his chest and looks at him in surprise. Feeling it is one thing. Admitting it is a whole other ballgame. "What? You're warm."

"I don't feel warm," she mutters, flopping her head back onto his muscled chest. "You're not very cuddly right now."

"So you are a cuddler, then?"

"It's none of your business," Deeks says, but before he can say anything else the ship rocks, as if crashing downwards, and then silts to the right. It's not enough for Kensi and Deeks to slip, although a few others lose their balance.

It gives the crew a greater sense of urgency and the line begins moving at a far quicker pace.

"Kens," Deeks murmurs, "Five o'clock. Mason Scott." Kensi angles her head and sees Mason Scott leaving his wife's side and slipping into a small hallway. "I should go after him." Kensi's eyes widen and she moves her arms from his chest to wrap around his waist. Silent communication- she's not letting him leave.

"Deeks, this ship could capsize-" she's interrupted by a loud clap of thunder, "-at any moment. What if you get lost?"

"I don't get lost," he breathes.

"What if he's armed?"

"I am too." She's running out of arguments.

"We were told to abort the mission, Deeks. We're done." He sighs.

"That was when they hadn't done anything suspicious yet. Kens, what if they have sensitive information? What if he's going to grab the target?" His intense eyes bore into hers and she blinks rapidly to get rid of the rain. "Kens, you stay here and keep an eye on his wife. I'll go. Simple as that."

"Deeks, the ship!" As if to prove her point, the ship lurches and a large wave slams into the ship's hull, making it shake. "You might go down with it, Deeks. These waves are going to topple it over."

"Maybe it's safer than a lifeboat."

"And you're gonna toss me on one alone? Nice to know."

"That-that came out wrong. Let me start over-"

"Deeks, just stay with me." She tightens her grip. "Don't do this. Don't go down with this ship."

"I can't risk an innocent person's life or national security," he murmurs.

"Look at you, thinking like an agent," she whispers, her words almost getting drowned out by the rain now pouring down.

"I learned from the best," he replies softly, pressing his hand on her cheek. She can't help it, she leans into the touch, praying anything she'll do will convince him not to be so damn stupid.

"Don't go," she whispers, begging now, and unable to bring herself to feel any shame.

"I'm sorry." With those words, Deeks pulls her face to his and their lips meet for a brief moment, a firm yet brief touch.

She's unprepared for the wave of desperation and emotion the simple contact brings into the forefront of her thoughts. She's been pushing them back ever since he first joined the team, has been denying the fact that their teasing goes beyond what's normal, the fact that the butterflies shouldn't be there.

She wouldn't have noticed if the ship went down at that moment. There's no more rain, no more cold, no more ocean- there's only this kiss, this moment, this frustrating man who wants to risk everything for his job.

Her hands tangle in his hair and she uses this kiss as her last resort, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. He responds with as much overwhelming eagerness and desire as she pours into the kiss, a hand moving to the nape of her neck and the other resting on her waist. He's done it way too many times in the past few days but this-this is oh so very different.

He pulls back enough to rest his forehead against hers, and neither one of them can bring themselves to say anything for a moment.

"Don't go," she repeats softly. He shakes his head sadly.

"Don't worry Fern," he whispers, his lips brushing against hers. "I'll be back."

Ah, but will he? Will this story end like Titanic? Reviews do make me write faster, you know ;)

-Gab