A/N: Wow! Thanks so much for the positive feedback, I'm so glad you enjoyed reading my little drabble as much as I enjoyed writing it :) I have a few ideas in my head yet, so I'll continue. I don't think it's going to be terribly, terribly long, but it'll be something. Hope you enjoy.
Somewhere between an episode of Community and an episode of Parks and Recreation, Deeks made popcorn. After rooting around in her kitchen like a raccoon for a good ten minutes, with Kensi calling from the living room as to "Just what the hell" he was doing in there, he emerged victorious, bowl of freshly salted and over-buttered popcorn in hand. Kensi eyed him before reaching for the bowl.
Later, somewhere between the end of an episode of 30 Rock and the start of an episode of The Big Bang Theory, he made her laugh. The kind of laugh that drove rail road spikes into her chest and, just for a moment, left her gasping for air. Deeks lurched forward, gripping her left knee as she straightened tentatively, a soft, agonizing moan escaping her lips.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he said quickly, "I'm not used to being unfunny; it's hard to remember to dial it down..."
Kensi nodded, too much in pain to take advantage of the obvious opening he'd provided.
"Oh... that's got to stop" she griped after a moment, slumping awkwardly against a cushion.
"Can I do anything?" Deeks asked. "Painkiller? Whiskey? Sensual massage?"
Kensi shot him a look and slowly pushed herself upward, "No thanks. Actually, I think I'm going to take a bath. Hot water."
Deeks arched a brow, "Really? Well, I'll get the water going, shall I?" he teased. "Tell me, do you prefer lavender or citrus?"
Kensi chuckled, half annoyed yet secretly pleased that he refused to baby her when so many others would have. Nothing had changed.
"If you don't mind, I'll handle this one solo, thanks" she said as she rose carefully off the sofa.
Deeks gave a defeated shrug, "Alright, but don't come crawling to me when your water polo team doesn't make the championship because you only have one member..."
Kensi stretched gingerly, taking the five or so steps to the bathroom door. "Don't eat all the popcorn."
Through the closed door, Deeks heard the telltale squeak of a rusted faucet followed by the rush of running water. He called into the bathroom, "Hey, how many beers have you had?"
"What?" Kensi called back.
"Beers" he said again, "How many beers have you had?"
"Just the one" she responded, "Why?"
"And painkillers? How many painkillers?"
"One a few hours ago? What's going on?" Kensi called from the bathroom.
"Just checking!" Deeks hollered. "Y'know – booze, prescription painkillers, hot water..." he smirked.
The thrum of running water continued and Deeks shifted his focus to the television, turning the volume up slightly. He tried to focus on the cartoonish sitcom scenario, not the imminent nudity of his partner in the next room.
"Stop it" he told himself in a ragged whisper. "Just stop it."
"Um... Deeks?" Kensi called again. A strained note in her voice gave him a sudden flutter of panic. He muted the television.
"Yeah?"
"I need to ask you something" she said slowly.
Brow furrowed, Deeks cleared his throat and tried to affect a casual tone, "If it involves a loofa, I'm in."
"God. Never mind..." she said, clearly frustrated.
"I'm sorry" he chuckled, standing and approaching the door to hear her better over the running water, "what is it?"
"Really, it's nothing" she answered, turning off the faucet.
Deeks closed his eyes a moment, angry at himself for perhaps taking the joke a tad too far. "I'm being serious, what do you want to ask?"
"Now he's being serious..." he heard her mutter from behind the closed door and a smile crossed his lips.
"I can't..." she began, an irritated grunt followed. "I need to ask you to do something for me, but it means you have to pretend to be a grownup for just a few minutes. Think you can do that?"
"Sure thing" he called through the door.
Silence. Deeks inched closer, all but pressing his ear against the white-washed wood.
"Kens?" he called.
"Come in" she said at last.
Deeks straightened abruptly, "Okay, this is how the dream sequence starts..." he said quietly.
"What?" Kensi called?
Deeks cleared his throat, "I said, 'excuse me?'"
"Come in" Kensi ordered with greater force.
"Um... okay" Deeks called, turning the knob slowly and inching the door open, "I'm coming in!"
"I know that..." she said, exasperated.
Deeks entered, eyes closed, his hand outstretched to block any potential view.
"Are you decent?" he asked, arm flailing dramatically.
Kensi reached out to swat at him as he drew nearer. "Stop that. I'm decent, that's the problem."
Deeks opened his eyes, confused. "Um..."
She was indeed decent. Fully-dressed in fact. The white claw-foot tub beside her was filled, nearly to the brim, with steaming water.
"I... don't understand" he said slowly.
Kensi exhaled heavily, "I can't... I can't get my arm up above my head" she said, embarrassment creeping into her voice.
"The bruise wasn't so bad yesterday and I can't get my top off..."
If Deeks hadn't known his partner better, he would have sworn he saw the slightest flush of pink spread across her cheeks and bleed into her ears. He softened. "No problem."
"I'm asking you as my partner to be serious here" Kensi said quickly. "Just help me get my arm out and unhook my bra and get the hell out."
"Done."
She inhaled and exhaled deeply, nodding at him once before turning her back to him. Deeks took a step toward her as she raised her right arm as high as she could, biting her bottom lip with the movement.
"That's it?" he asked, her elbow lifting no higher than her shoulder.
Kensi nodded, "Afraid so."
"No problem." Deeks lifted the edge of her top to expose her back, "I'm gonna do this slow-like so I don't hurt you, ready?"
She nodded again. Deeks manoeuvred the loose-fitting top over her left shoulder so Kensi could slip her arm through before he pulled the top over her head and down her right arm.
"There. Easy enough" he said, tossing the shirt in a nearby hamper.
Kensi rolled her eyes, glancing at him in the mirror. As he reached for the clasp on her bra, Kensi stopped him.
"Wait, wait!"
Deeks raised his hands in surrender. "What?"
"Um..." she looked around the room, "ah, hand me that towel, would ya?"
Deeks took a step to the left where a white bath sheet sat folded on a nearby stand. He handed it to her.
"Towel."
"Thanks." Taking it from him, Kensi shook the towel loose and held it in front of her body, blocking her reflection in the mirror. Deeks understood immediately and arched a brow from over her shoulder. Kensi cocked her head to the left, meeting his gaze in the mirror.
"Sorry partner, this show ain't free."
Deeks nodded, a smirk playing at the edges of his mouth, "I didn't think so for a minute."
He reached forward, his fingertips brushing her bare skin as he unhooked her bra. The garment fell open, slipping off her left shoulder. He looked up to see her watching him in the mirror. He smiled, "Need me for anything else?"
Kensi smiled deviously and wrapped the towel around her back with her good arm, "That'll do it."
Deeks nodded slowly, his eyes drooping closed in acquiescence. "You say that now..."
"And the adult portion of the evening has come to an abrupt end..." Kensi declared sarcastically. She turned to face him and raised her right arm slowly, pointing at the door, "Out."
Deeks lifted his hands, backing slowly toward the exit. As he turned to pull the door shut behind him, Kensi called to him from the pale-lit room. He looked up at her, dark hair strewn across her bare shoulders, nothing but two feet and a while cotton towel separating them, and swallowed.
"Thank you" she said with a shy smile.
Deeks nodded, "Anytime."
He woke at what appeared to be midway through an episode of Family Guy, sitting up suddenly and, for just a moment, wondering where he was. Not his apartment. No, too messy. Then it hit him – Kensi.
He looked at the clock above the television which was blinking 4:52. He shook his head and leaned forward with a groan, reaching for her mobile phone on the coffee table. 1:12 in the morning. Damn. Had she gotten out of the tub and just, what, left him there? Strange that she hadn't turned off the television. Or the lights. He dragged a hand over his face and downed the last sip of his beer.
"Kens?" he called.
Nothing.
Deeks stood, turning off the television and approaching the bathroom door, the floor board squawking under his feet. "Kens?" he called again, a bit louder. Still nothing.
Deeks rapped gently on the bathroom door, "Kensi? Everything okay?"
Silence.
His heart rate picked up suddenly. Deeks grasped the door knob, opening the door a crack. Soft white light streamed through.
"Kens? You still in there?" he called.
The quiet of the room beat in his ears. He pushed the door open further, his eyes closed.
"Kensi, I'm coming in."
More ear shattering silence. Deeks stepped into the bathroom and opened his eyes slowly to Kensi's dark hair draped like a curtain over the edge of the tub. He took a step closer, calling to her softly. Her lashes fluttered and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Beer, T4 and a hot bath makes quite a cocktail after all" he quipped.
The white bath sheet was draped over a nearby towel rack. He reached for it, tossing it over the tub to conceal her. After rolling up his sleeve, Deeks dipped a hand into the bath water, now cool. Reaching deeper, he found the chain connected to the stopper and pulled it, nudging her foot and eliciting no response.
"Damn woman, you're out cold."
After the water had drained, Deeks slipped a hand under his partner's neck and pulled her up into a semi-seated position. Tucking the bath sheet around her body, Deeks lifted Kensi out of the tub, her head coming to rest on his chest. She smelled of rose water, soft and subtle, and he realized she must add it to her bath.
"That's the smell" he breathed in a hushed tone. "I've been wondering..."
Turning toward the door, Deeks caught their reflection in the bathroom mirror. He stopped, watching himself, tracing the outline of her body with his piercing blue eyes, feeling the weight of her in his arms. Suddenly she seemed smaller, more fragile than the tough-as-nails woman he knew. The woman who, on any given day, could probably kick his ass. The woman who didn't let him get away with anything. The woman who was ferociously protective of her friends and coworkers. A woman who was his partner in more than one sense of the word.
Kensi stirred, a shiver running through her body. Careful of furniture, walls, doors and other obstacles strewn throughout the cluttered apartment, Deeks made his way to the bedroom. Shoving the door open with his hip, he set Kensi gently down on the bed.
A quick rummage through her dresser draw revealed an oversized, faded white Hawaii Five-O t-shirt. Deeks stifled a silent chuckle and then gingerly lifted his partner's head, sitting her up to lean against his shoulder. After a few clumsy minutes he managed to work Kensi into the shirt, pull back the sheets and deposit her safely in her bed.
Exhausted – from lack of sleep, from heaving her around, from the events of the past few days – Deeks dropped down into a nearby armchair, yawning deeply. He looked up, amazed that he hadn't woken her. "I've got to get me some of those painkillers..." he muttered softly, his eyelids heavy.
Kensi's dark hair was splayed across the pillow. Her chest rose and fell gently with each breath. Deeks yawned, aware that he had just stealthily dressed his unconscious partner, put her to bed, and was now sitting in her bedroom, in the dark, watching her sleep. He realized that, to untrained eyes, this would look rather suspect. Some might say creepy. Kensi would kill him. That made him smile. His eyes drooped closed.