Life, Lies and Video Surveillance
By Cortexikid
Chapter 31: Basorexia (Part I)
A/N: Hey guys :D Thanks again so much for your overwhelming response to the last chapter! I am over the moon! :D And now, without further ado, here's my delving head-first into the budding Densi romance. It's a slow build up, but I hope the pay-off is worth it ;)
DEDICATED TO: My awesome friend and fellow Densi aficionado Nidster502 :) Oh! And HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all my American readers :D Everyone else, Happy Thursday! XD
Disclaimer: NCIS: Los Angeles isn't mine…if it was, I'd have Deeks and Kensi make out every episode lol :P
WARNING: Spoilers for Season 4 episodes ahead!
WOTD: BASOREXIA; bas·or·ex·ia noun. An overwhelming desire to kiss.
"Now that's what I call under-cover," Marty Deeks smirked as Kensi Blye rolled her eyes at his cheesy pun, draping her long legs with crisp bed-sheets.
"Well if it isn't Nurse Deeks," she leered, pushing away her tray and tilting her head at him as he slowly made his way over to her, a sheepish grin on his face.
"That's Doctor Deeks actually," he raised his eyebrows in dispute, "has a better ring to it."
"You and your alliteration," she shook her head, barely containing a smirk as she saw him fidget slightly, shifting his weight from foot to foot.
He was nervous…
It was funny really; she thought she'd be the one to be nervous. It had been just under three weeks since her shooting and she was due to check out of hospital today. He had visited her every day of those nineteen, spending hours and hours at her bedside, they chatting about everything and anything…except what they both ought to really speak about.
Their kiss. Or rather, kisses. Plural.
And yet, every time she saw him, nothing but warmth filled her, no anxiety, no nervousness, just a healthy dose of anticipation. It was refreshing really. After all these years of being terrified of her budding feelings, of denying herself even entertaining the idea of she and her partner engaging in something other than partner-like activities, she was finally free to roam those wonderful notions as often and as vividly as she liked…her dreams were getting downright ridiculous.
With a flush to her cheeks as she recalled a particularly vivid dream she had just a few hours ago, she cleared her throat and motioned for him to sit down. Deeks' eyes narrowed a little at her reddening face but merely shrugged it off and took a seat.
"So, you're busting out today…" he began, folding his arms and leaning back in the chair, getting comfortable.
"Yeah, 'bout time too," she nodded, shifting slightly in the bed, trying to mask her wince as a sharp pain shot through her chest.
Deeks frowned at her. He was worried that she was being discharged too early but his concerns fell on deaf ears. Kensi was determined to go home and neither he nor her doctors could deter her from that mission.
"Dammit!" she exclaimed suddenly. Glancing up at her, he watched as she attempted to lean over the side of the bed to pick up her fallen cell-phone.
"Hey, hey, I got it," he murmured, leaning down with ease and clasping it in his hand only to rise back up and find his face inches from hers.
Swallowing deeply, he silently stared into her dark eyes, cell phone slipping from his grasp onto the bed. Kensi's eyebrows rose at his agape expression, waiting for him to say something. As he continued to gaze wordlessly at her, she stared right back, biting her bottom lip to try and stop herself from leaning forward and closing the gap between them. She didn't know if her brain was strong enough to fight her heart anymore...
She would blame the copious amount of drugs in her system for her brazenness but knew that they had weaned her off them. No, it was those damn dreams, that first one in particular that struck fire in her veins, a fire that went ignored for a long time and that didn't want to be ignored any longer.
"Thanks," she forced herself to utter, to break the rising tension between them, "the sooner I get the hell outta this bed, the better," she heaved a deep breath, the dull ache in her chest ever present but a lot better than it had been the previous days.
Deeks waved off her thanks and sat back, looking a little relieved.
"So," she continued, not wanting him to be let off the hook that easily, "you wanna tell me what happened to my Jell-O or are you pleading the fifth?"
"No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury," he smirked, she chuckled.
"What?" he asked as she shook her head at him.
"Nothing just—I've never heard you so…lawyerish…" she grinned at his puzzled expression.
"Lawyerish? Is that the technical term, Ally McBeal?"
"You're the one with the law-degree, wouldn't that make you Ally?"
Deeks rolled his eyes, a faux-sigh on his lips.
"Oh trust me, if my life was anything like Ally's I would have stayed a lawyer. Multiple hallucinations a day, awesome bar, hot rendezvous in unisex bathrooms…"
She let out a snort of laughter before her hand shot to her chest, a grimace crossing her features.
"Hey, you okay?" he leaned forward, his eyebrows knitted together in concern.
"I'm fine," she grit out, irritated at herself.
He merely nodded, knowing when to keep his mouth shut. Any other time he wouldn't adhere to that voice in his head that said 'don't push her' but today was different, the last two weeks were different, and not just because she got shot. He could feel it, the change between them. The definitive shift in their dynamic, a pulsing, not unlike a sonic vibration wafting between the two of them, an undercurrent of something new, something fresh and unexplored.
He had been nervous every day when he stepped into the hospital room. Had been terrified that he'd be met with the scene, the horrendous scene that haunted his dreams, where loud ringing tones screamed like sirens and straight, flat lines prevailed. But every day he was pleasantly surprised to be met by the same Kensi Blye he'd known all these years, if not a little paler than usual, smirking at him. There was something different about her, something that no bullet hole could warrant but more an invisible lifting on a wall, a wall that had been crumbling since they met. She seemed more…open with him. More expressive, not incredibly so (this still was Kensi Badass Blye, after all) but a definite change. Subtle, but most certainly there.
He had to wonder what caused this change, but he daren't dream of the possibilities. If he was wrong, he faced an unimaginable burden, a pain that could never be lifted, so he remained silent, acted his usual goofy self. But as each hour passed by, it got harder and harder to ignore. It was subtle really, a longer than necessary glance, a brushing of fingertips, the biting of a bottom lip between a pause in the conversation…
She knew.
At least, he felt like she did. He heard many a medical professional say that people can hear everything around them whilst in a coma, so was it really out of the realm of possibility that his partner heard his bedside confession while unconscious?
He didn't think so. And that thought chilled him to the bone.
It was so…easy to tell her how he felt in the moment, emotionally charged, heightened to a painful degree. But now, now he was faced with the aftermath, the calm after the storm and he didn't know how to approach things. He didn't like feeling out of his depth, it seemed unnatural to him, especially where Kensi was concerned. He knew they had to talk about it, knew that it couldn't go ignored as it would just build and build until something had to give.
"You look constipated," she spat him out of his reverie with a smirk, her dark eyes gleaming in an almost daring manner, "something on your mind, Deeks?"
His eyes narrowed slightly, wondering just how much technology had prevailed in the mind-reading department and whether they were somehow affiliated with NCIS without his knowledge. But before he could respond, the door crept open, two laughing women stepping into the room.
"Mom?" Deeks and Kensi murmured in unison as Angela and Julia smiled at them.
"Well if it isn't the fruit of our loins," Angela remarked with a quirk of her eyebrow, "don't you look cosy…" she trailed off as Julia bit her lip, trying and failing to hide a grin.
Deeks grimaced, not able to look Kensi in the eye. He may not be one hundred per cent sure where his partner was concerned, but there was one thing for certain, his mom sure as hell knew about the shift in their relationship. The sparkle in her eye told all. She was planning Sunday dinners and engagement parties and mentally knitting baby sweaters…
Oh shit…
"Stop! S-Seriously—Alex!" Robin Hart laughed as Alex Johnson busied himself with closing the door behind them and shrouding them in darkness.
"Hey, you asked for this Hart, staring at me like that," he smirked a smirk she couldn't see and closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her waist as his lips captured hers. After a few moments, Robin broke away and rested her forehead on his shoulder.
"We can't keep doing this Al, we're gonna get caught," she sighed, "you know how much this job means to me—"
"I know, it means a lot to me too," he interrupted, sweeping a loose tendril of hair from off her face, "but you mean more."
A deeper sigh was his response.
"I never meant for this to happen, you know. I didn't wake up one morning and say, 'hey I think I'll try get into Lieutenant Hart's pants today,'" he said softly into her ear.
"Really? 'Cause I woke up the other day determined to get into your pants," she replied with a hint of her usual sass before pushing him as far away as she could in the small space.
"Well, what are you waiting for? My pants are right here."
He may not be able to see it, but he knew she was rolling her eyes.
"You're a jackass Lieutenant Johnson," she chuckled before falling silent for a moment, "I start my leave today..."
She may not be able to see him but she knew that he wasn't reacting positively.
"Rob—"
"Compassionate leave," she cut across him, her breathing hitched, "that's what they said. I—I wasn't sure how to take that really...I-I mean, compassionate leave is reserved for when a family member is incredibly sick or dying but—my dad he's...he's going to pull through so it's...it's unnecessary really..." she trailed off, her eyes closing as Alex stepped forward and pressed his palm to her cheek, his breath bouncing off her lips.
"Your father is the strongest man I've ever known. He taught me everything I know. If anyone can beat this, he can," he said, unshakeable conviction in his tone.
Robin sighed, a shiver raking her body as a solitary tear escaped her eye. Reaching up, Alex used his thumb to wipe it away.
"The ceremony in his honor will be just the kick in the pants he needs to realize that he's just too much of a BAMF to let the disease beat him," Alex continued, smiling as Robin let out a little laugh.
"BAMF? What are you, twelve?"
"You tell him Lieutenant Lazy-Ass says hey," he murmured as he enveloped the woman he loved in a strong hug.
"I thought he called you Junior Jackass?" she asked, her chuckle muffled against his shoulder.
"Yeah but I got a promotion since then," he reminded her, before stepping back and kissing her forehead.
"I'll see you when you get back," he murmured, stepping further back towards the door, "take care of yourself Robin," he finished before opening the door, glancing left to right and stepping out of the storage closet.
Robin sighed as she was once again immersed in darkness.
It was time to face the music.
It was time to go home...
The Office of Special Projects was abuzz with activity as one Henrietta Lange stepped through its doors, head held high with purpose. She nodded and smiled politely at the familiar faces, walking with intent to her desk, her fingers itching to make the phone call that she had been wanting to make all week and come hell or high water, that day was today...
"Henrietta," a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.
With pursed lips, she murmured without a backwards glance, "Owen..."
Deputy Director Owen Granger stepped around her, blocking her path to her desk.
"When were you going to tell me?" he asked, his dark eyes meeting hers, his meaning irrefutable.
"While I appreciate your position as my superior Owen, I wasn't aware that every hiring of a new agent had to be personally run by you," she snipped, stepping easily around him and depositing files on her desk.
"Leon knows," he countered, following her.
"Director Vance is your superior and I happened to be chatting with him earlier. He supports the decision," she replied, taking a seat and raising her freshly brewed tea to her lips.
"Deeks is a cop," Granger pressed, remaining standing.
"Mr. Deeks was a cop," she corrected as she placed the cup back down on the saucer, "I think you'll find that once he comes back to work, he'll be an agent."
"Do you really think that's—"
"Was there any particular reason for your visit Owen or are you just here to question my judgement of character?" Hetty cut across him, not interested in prolonging the conversation.
"Actually, I am in town for a ceremony for an old friend," he responded, taking a seat, "but don't change the subject Henrietta. I heard all about Detective Deeks' breakdown recently and—"
"Agent."
"What?"
"It's Agent Deeks, not Detective, and I too am aware of his...difficult time lately. Which is why, in light of Ms Blye's shooting, I have given him time off to spend however he pleases. But, if it would put your mind at ease Deputy Director, I would gladly set up a meeting between you and Agent Deeks when he returns so you can personally vet him yourself..."
Nobody did passive aggressive quite like Hetty Lange.
"That's unnecessary," he smirked at her ballsy tone, "I've interacted with Detect—Agent Deeks in the past. He's a good cop. I don't see why he wouldn't be a good agent," he finished, standing up and nodding at the brunette.
"Always a pleasure Hetty."
"The pleasure's mine, Owen," she responded with a nod of her own, watching intently as he turned on his heel and walked away.
Once he was out of sight, she heaved a sigh, her hand reaching out to pick up the phone to place the call she'd wanted to place before she was interrupted.
Her fingers had barely clamped around the receiver when another familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.
"So, what was that I heard about Deeks being an agent now?"
Hetty looked up and met Callen's curious eyes.
Seemed like both she and Mr. Deeks had some explaining to do...
"Home sweet home!" Julia Feldman exclaimed happily, opening the door and swinging it wide.
"Thanks mom but I'm perfectly capable of—"
"You are meant to take things as easy as possible Kensi, so no arguments," Julia cut across her daughter and stepped back to let her into the house.
Kensi shook her head and caught Deeks' eye who just shrugged and remained silent. There was no way he was taking sides here, he valued his life.
Slowly, the agent shuffled inside, one arm supporting her tense abdomen. It still hurt like a bitch but she was determined to remain as mobile as possible over the next few weeks, she wasn't going to be bed-ridden, she had enough of that in the damn hospital.
"I've your bed all set—"
"No," she shook her head, interrupting her mother once again.
Julia and Deeks exchanged a glance.
"Kens you have to—"
"I don't 'have' to do anything, Deeks," she replied as firmly as she could manage.
A tense silence met her words.
Really, Deeks should have expected this. She was Kensi Blye after all; the same Kensi Blye that abhorred help of any kind for fear it would make her appear weak.
"Kens can...can you show me where the bathroom is?" he said suddenly, not looking at Julia and instead focussing on the younger brunette.
"What? You've been here loads of times Deeks, you know where the—"
"You know, it's been so long since I was here, I forget. Show me again," he pressed, something stressed in his tone.
Kensi caught on quickly.
"Uh sure," she nodded, offering her mom a wry smile, "we'll be right back..."
Gently, she stepped down the corridor, her ex-partner leading the way (totally ruining the illusion of not knowing where he was going), his shoulders a little tense. Once they reached the bathroom, Deeks surprised her by turning around and softly taking her hand in his, leading her slowly into the bathroom, much like she had that night that seemed like an eternity ago. Wordlessly, she asked him just what the hell did he think he was doing but he merely shook his head, turning them on the spot and tenderly helping her lower herself to sit on the toilet seat. Once satisfied that she was comfortable, he turned and closed the door behind them with a quiet snap. Suddenly, Kensi was overwhelmed by déjà vu, that night replaying in her head like a film reel before her eyes. The night where he had sat, so sad, so broken as she cleaned his wounds. It broke her heart to see him like that. Her usually chipper partner so dejected. So unsure of himself. She felt she had to do something to help him, anything, even something as simple as helping him clean up and listening. It made her wonder just where he was going with this now...
"Kensi..." he turned back around to meet her gaze, lowering himself onto his hunches to be at her eye-level.
"Deeks," she acknowledged, her dark eyes trained on his.
"You got shot," he started, swallowing deeply, pausing for a moment. Those words reverberated in the small bathroom, the sound still piercing, still haunting him.
Silently, she nodded, waiting for him to continue, watching intently as a shadow past over his face, his eyes shifting to the floor.
"And...and for a while there, we all thought that you—" he broke off, shaking his head as if forcing himself to say the next words, "we all thought that you were going to die. In fact, you did...you flat-lined for twenty seconds and I—I was the only one that saw it happen. That—that scared the crap outta me Kens, even after we were told you were stable it was still so...terrifying, so I can only imagine how your mom felt..." he trailed off, still unable to look her in the eye.
Kensi frowned, watching as her ex-partner tried to compose himself. The last few weeks when he'd come to visit he'd been so upbeat, so much like his usual self. It was only now she was beginning to see how much her shooting had affected him. A strong wave of guilt washed over her.
Slowly, she reached out with the hand that wasn't firmly around her abdomen and touched his shoulder, squeezing it gently.
Gradually, he lifted his head, his eyes raising to meet hers.
It was as if all of the oxygen had evaporated from the room. All Kensi could think about was how nice it felt when his lips was on hers and how much she wanted it to happen again. But it was neither the time nor the place.
"I'm sorry I scared you," she opted to say instead of leaning forward and capturing his lips with hers.
He nodded, raising his hand to clasp hers as it sat on his shoulder.
"You're going to be fine, that's the main thing. But please, Kens, you gotta let your mom help you," he pleaded, his eyes shining brightly.
She bit her lip, her thoughts now with her mother that was probably boring a hole into her kitchen floor with worry.
"Okay," she sighed, knowing that it was the right thing to do, for everybody.
"Thank you," he replied, squeezing her hand in his one more time before standing up.
"So, I'll be back in a couple of hours, and you never know, I may stop by and pick up some Oreos. I hear Pretty In Pink is even more fun to watch with two women either side of you..."
She rolled her eyes at him as she took his hand and stood up slowly.
"Didn't realize you were a John Hughes fan," she smirked, still gripping his hand, biting her lip as she realized just how close they were standing.
"Are you kidding me? I'm a Molly Ringwald fan," he arched an eyebrow at her, his breathing a little quicker than usual.
"We've moved onto Some Kind Of Wonderful, so sorry, no Molly," she tilted her head at him.
"Huh, I'll deal. Two best friends fall in love...who doesn't like that?" he asked, his eyes gluing to hers.
Kensi didn't quite know what to say to that. Again it felt as if the oxygen had abandoned her lungs. She had to keep replaying the mantra in her head, not the time or place, not yet, not yet...
"Get outta here, I'm going to take a shower," she said, untangling herself from him with a mischievous if not a little forced smile.
"Don't forget to think about me," he murmured, arching his eyebrow, a smug smirk on his lips as he turned towards the door.
Suddenly, something occurred to Kensi, urging her to ask:
"Where do you keep disappearing to anyway?"
"Clown-college. Have to do something now that I'm unemployed."
Kensi's eyes narrowed in suspicion. That answer came far too easily, joke or not. Fine, if he didn't want to tell her then she didn't want to know...
"I always said you were a Bozo," she quipped, "now you can prove me right."
He smirked at her, apparently impressed by her comeback.
Kensi: 1, Deeks: 0.
Soft shimmers of moonlight basked a large mahogany desk as a long arm reached across to turn on the reading lamp that sat in the corner. Tiredly, a sigh was heaved as a jacket was discarded haphazardly on the back of a chair, the sleeves of a crisp, white shirt being rolled up a long arm. With aching bones, legs backed into the bed, a tall, stocky frame collapsing down onto it, another tired sigh omitting from tightly clenched lips.
It had been one hell of a day. All he wanted to do was get a few hours sleep, just close his eyes and not think about work, life, anything for a little while so—
The shrill ringing of his cell phone interrupted his inner musings. With a shake of his head, his resided himself to the fact that this was his life now. While not much different to back home work-wise, the longer hours was something he had yet to get used to.
With a frown, he glanced down at his cell phone and the oh-so-familiar number. Slowly, a small smile graced his face as he raised the phone to his ear and pressed the button.
"Hetty Lange, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Good evening Mr. Getz, or should I say night, where you are. How is Europe treating you?"
"Ah! Uncle! Uncle!" Marty Deeks cried as his arm was twisted roughly behind his back, causing his entire body to fold in on itself, his knees crashing down onto the mat.
He could feel the chuckle radiating from his opponent before he was released, collapsing down onto his stomach, his cheek resting on the floor. After a few deep breaths, he psyched himself up to try again, nodding at the man standing off to the side and standing up, his hands already raised in a defensive stance.
"Really? Again? How many times do I gotta kick your ass before you stay down, Deeks?" Zack Monroe asked with a smirk.
"You're not kicking my ass Rookie, let's get that straight first. Second, I've never done any of this specialist crap before which is why I need the training, so come on, again," he motioned to him to step closer.
"I may be a rookie, but I'm still kicking your ass," Monroe grumbled as his fist flew out at Deeks who dodged it at the last second, using a manoeuvre that Monroe showed him a few days ago.
"Nice dodge," the younger man complimented, "so how many of these things do you gotta do before you're fully instated as an Agent?"
Deeks shrugged, getting a good swing at him, "not sure, I've to clock so many hours in a few different training classes. I've done some already since joining NCIS as a liaison but Agent training is a whole different ball game," he murmured as he again dodged a move from Monroe.
He was getting better at this. Over the last few weeks, he and Monroe had been training late at night in the OSP gym, after nearly everyone had gone home. While they hadn't had the best first meeting, Monroe and Deeks had gotten to talking one night after visiting Kensi in the hospital. Deeks apologized for insinuating it was Monroe's fault that his partner was shot and soon they moved on to talking about other things. He was a good kid and he and Deeks had a lot in common. They were both born in LA, both went to Reseda High School (Monroe four years behind) and were avid surfers.
The Junior Agent had been helping out on cases while Kensi was on medical leave and sparring with the ex-detective at night and Deeks in turn was helping him negate the mind-field that was Callen and Sam. So far, it was going well.
"Kensi get home okay?" he asked as he evaded Deeks' attack.
"Yeah, she's doing good," he replied, a small smile breaking out on his face.
"That's great...so, let me ask you something..."
The upcoming-Agent took Monroe by surprise by feinting to the left, swerving right and gripping him tightly in a head lock.
"Sure Monroe, what's on your mind?" he asked as he squeezed his neck tightly.
"Wh—" Monroe choked, trying to get away from Deeks, shifting his weight against him.
"Nice form, Mr. Deeks," a voice called suddenly, distracting the blond, his grip slackening slightly.
Monroe took the opportunity to get out of the headlock and whirled around to bend back both Deeks' arms to near breaking point.
"Come on Mr. Deeks, show some of that famous tenacity of yours and break free," Hetty urged, stepping further into the gym and folding her arms, looking at the two men sparring with interest.
Deeks struggled. He was clearly stronger of the two, but Monroe was more experienced in...what was it called again? Bazooka? Bono?
"Bok Fu is difficult to master, Mr. Deeks, but the trick is to clear one's mind of all outside distractions..." Hetty murmured, walking around them.
"You mean like petite, brunette, ninja-women with a habit of sneaking up on people at night?" Deeks asked somewhat frustrated as he tried and failed to get Monroe off him.
Hetty's eagle-eyed gaze glued to him before she stepped over to them. Monroe and Deeks stared silently at her, still locked in the position as she murmured:
"You were in the middle of asking Mr. Deeks a question, Mr. Monroe?"
"Uh..." the agent murmured, looking from his boss to Deeks to Hetty again, "yeah, I—was just wondering why Deeks asked me to train with him? Instead of asking someone more experienced like Sam or Cal—ah!" he exclaimed loudly as Hetty suddenly struck, her foot colliding with his calf roughly, making him release Deeks and crumble to the floor.
Deeks didn't have a split second to react before Hetty struck again, grabbing his arm and twisting it so tightly that he too descended to the mat, hissing in pain.
"Like I said gentlemen, drown out any distractions, that includes chit-chat," she smirked as she stared down at the two men at her feet.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Agent Deeks at his finest," another voice called from above them before Sam and Callen appeared in their eye-line, smirking down at them, Sam's cell phone out, already taking pictures.
"How—how did you guys—"
"You really thought you could sign a document and begin training to be an agent without us finding out about it, Deeks?" Callen asked, folding his arms and grinning as his partner continued to take pictures.
"I—"
"Smile for the camera, Deeks," Sam smirked, eyebrows raised as he clicked the button a few more times.
"That'll do gentlemen, I will have no more hazing, not after what happened last time," Hetty murmured, stepping away from them.
"What—what happened last time?" Deeks asked, his voice cracking as thousands of possibilities began running through his mind.
"Oh, you'll see," Callen replied cryptically, his eyebrow arched.
"Yeah so hurry up and come back to work already," Sam interjected, "I mean, no offense Monroe but you're just not as fun to torture as Deeks here, even if you can pick decent food trucks," he nodded pointedly to his former colleague who had sat up on the floor and stared at him, "and if you're up for some real training, how about you come in at normal hours and I'll show you how it's done..." he laughed before taking one last picture and turning on his heel to follow his partner out.
After they'd gone, Deeks turned to Monroe who was still sitting on the floor beside him.
"You asked why I wanted you to train me and not Sam or Callen? Well, that's why..."
You are cordially invited to the ceremony in honor of Captain Patrick Hart to celebrate his years of service to the United States Navy.
Hard, dark eyes stared coldly down at the invitation, jaw aching as it clenched tightly, trying to reign in the anger that was boiling in his veins. That old bastard! After everything he did, he was getting a damn 'ceremony in his honor'?
With a clenched fist, former Lieutenant Oliver Bradley dug a sharp blade into the invitation, pinning it down onto the desk, the knife piercing the Captain's name.
Oh he'd be attending the ceremony all right; he wouldn't miss it for the world.
Finally, after all these years, he had the opportunity to give his old Captain everything he deserved. A bullet to the skull...
"When the rain is blowing in your face, and the whole world is on your case, I could offer you a warm embrace, to make you feel my love…" Kensi Blye sang softly along to the radio as she ran her fingers through the soapy water, swaying a little as she stood at the sink.
"Never would have pegged you for an Adele fan," a familiar voice came from behind her.
"And I never would have pegged you as stupid enough to break into my house again after I nearly make you a eunuch with a well-aimed kick," she replied without missing a beat, not bothering to turn to face him, instead continuing her humming and submerging another plate in the water.
"Your mom let me in, she said something about heading out for some ice-cream…" she knew by his voice that he had shrugged and stepped closer, "you know Kens…here in the 21st century, such things as dish-washers exist so you don't have to—"
"I was going stir crazy lying in bed, I had to do something…" she murmured, her jaw tightening in frustration.
"But resorting to cleaning? Ms Border-Line-Hoarder? You must have been pretty damn bored," he stated rather than asked, taking the last step towards her and taking up a towel, drying up the wet cutlery she set on the draining board and getting to work.
"I know you haven't made your mind up yet, but I will never do you wrong, I've known it from the moment that we met, no doubt in my mind where you belong…"
Deeks stilled his circular motions of the plate, the song's lyrics resonating in his ears. Could the universe be that transparent? He knew he was avoiding it, had been avoiding it since it happened but...the urge he felt whenever he was in Kensi's presence was getting ridiculous now. All he wanted to do, for the last two weeks, the last few months, hell years, who was he kidding...was take her in his arms and kiss her until they couldn't breathe. And now, Adele of all people was egging him on. Sometimes, life showed you a sign and other times, it clubbed you over the head with one.
"So, are we going to talk about the elephant in the room or are we just going to ignore it?"
Really? That's what you're going with? Practically tackling her with a defensive question the day she comes home from hospital? Great start Deeks...
"Well, that all depends. What elephant are we talking about?"
Okay, not the response I was expecting. Think Deeks, think!
"I think you know, Kens," he bit his lip, eyes focused on drying the plate. He knew he was being deliberately vague but apparently, when it came to his feelings for Kensi, he was the teeniest bit of a coward.
"Oh really? So tell me, how exactly would I know you're now apparently an Agent if you didn't tell me?"
Oh shit. He was so busted...
"Uh...how did you—"
"I got a very interesting text message from Sam about an hour ago, with a picture attached. Seems Hetty kicked your ass when you were doing your 'training,'" she replied, her body tense.
Deeks didn't like the look of discomfort on her face. He had a feeling that it wasn't just only to do with the subject of the conversation.
"Hey Kens, why don't we sit down and—"
"I'm fine," she grit, her mouth a thin line. Deeks really had to stop staring at her lips.
"Kens please, remember our conversation from earlier? Please, if not for you, or me, then come sit down for your mom's sake...so she doesn't worry," he knew it was a low blow but he was getting desperate.
Thankfully, it appeared to work. After one more stubborn moment, Kensi's shoulders sagged and she heaved a sigh, snatching the cloth from his grasp to dry her hands. Slowly, she turned and made her way into the sitting room, not looking at him as he followed. Gently, she lowered herself to the couch and didn't motion for him to sit. That was not a good sign. He remained standing.
"Uh, okay then," he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck, wondering where he should start.
"Listen I—you were the first person I was going to tell as soon as it was official, please know that. But, the ink is barely dry on my contract and—with everything that's happened lately I—I just wanted to wait until things calmed down to drop the 'oh by the way I'm your partner again and am an NCIS Agent now' bombshell..." he trailed off, the excuse now sounding pathetic to his ears.
If the expression on Kensi's face was any indication, she thought so too.
"And Sam and Callen found out by accident, it really was just between me and Hetty and I guess Director Vance but I mean it's not like I know the guy and—I'm getting off track," he waved his hands distractedly before continuing, "anyway, I wanted to try and get some training done, maybe pass a few of those classes before getting reinstated. And—I kinda wanted to wait for you to be back to work too..." he trailed off, the heat rising to his cheeks, willing the red flush that he knew was creeping up his neck, away.
Kensi merely stared silently at him, her expression hard to read. She looked like she desperately wanted to fold her arms but knew it'd cause nothing but pain and discomfort so she refrained.
"You don't need me to return to work, Deeks," she muttered, not looking him in the eye, instead picking up the remote and turning on the TV.
"Hey," he began, bravely stepping forward and sitting down on the couch beside her, but not too close, "I go back to work when you go back to work. What would be the point of going in now? I wouldn't have you to keep me in line or to criticise my clothes or—"
"Sam and Callen could do with the back up," she interjected, her eyes on the TV as she continued to flick through the channels.
"Monroe is actually doing well," Deeks admitted, knowing that it would have grieved him to say so even only three weeks ago. "For a rookie," he couldn't help but adding as an afterthought.
"A rookie who's helping you train," she smirked, a little of the bantering Kensi appearing.
Deeks saw this as a good sign.
"A rookie who got his ass kicked by a 4'9" woman..." he reminded her.
"And wasn't your ass kicked by that same woman?" Kensi asked, turning to look at him for the first time since their conversation began.
Oh yeah, this was definitely a good sign.
"Touché," he smirked. "See Kens? That's how you use it properly..."
She rolled her eyes and shook her head. They fell into a silence, one a little more comfortable than before.
"So..." she began after a moment, "Agent Deeks huh? Well, there goes your alliteration…"
He laughed, nodding.
"Yeah, guess so..." he trailed off, leaning back into the couch, his tired muscles relaxing. He wouldn't admit it, but he was still smarting a bit from where Hetty ambushed him. He eyes felt heavy, like anvils were attached to them. It had been one hell of a long day, sleep would come incredibly easy to him tonight...
"So, I guess this means we're partners again," Kensi said suddenly, picking at her sweatpants an indistinguishable expression on her face.
Deeks frowned, hearing the downward infliction in her tone. Was that...disappointment he heard?
"Uh, well, depends on how you look at it really. Neither of us are technically in work right now, we're both on leave until further notice so—"
"So I wouldn't be breaking any rules if I kissed you right now?"
A/N: Bad cliff-hanger is bad! Sorry guys! I had to leave it there! My muse just would not let me continue, it's incredibly evil. I know it's not as long as my previous chapters but I hope you guys liked it anyway. I apologize. But, on the bright side, I do plan on updating VERY soon. Like the end of the weekend/start of next week soon seen as I've got a very small window of time before college work begins to smother me again. But it is literally only four-six days so I will try to update ASAP. In the meantime, here's a teaser to tide you over:
NEXT CHAPTER TEASER:
Deeks' heart stopped. It actually stopped beating. It had to have done because he just died from shock. Never, did he ever, in the entire nearly four years he was Kensi Blye's partner did he ever believe those words would fall from her lips. Not outside his dreams anyway...
"I—what?" he gaped, struggling to wrap his mind around what she just said.
"You heard me Deeks," she murmured softly, turning slowly towards him, her eyes staring intently into his before she leaned forward ever so slightly, her lips an inch from his...
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~Cortexikid