Thank you to bookdiva for reading it over. And also RookieBlueGirl for the idea here!
Disclaimer - not mine, I just like to play.
The weekend flew by in a blur. The spent their time getting to know each other on a more personal level, telling each other things they had never told another person.
Kensi opened up about her dad, the time she had spent on the streets after he had passed away. Deeks had alternated between holding her hand and stroking her hair, giving her quiet reaffirmation that she while she had had to go through the most painful thing anyone could go through, she had come out on the other side, never losing herself to the darkness that had threatened to take her down.
Deeks told her of his childhood, the feelings of terror that one day his dad would kill him and his mom and the fear that he would turn out just like him. Kensi had held him as tears flowed down both of their cheeks, telling him over and over what an amazing man he was, nothing like the man who had his DNA running through him.
Between the bouts of seriousness, they had played board games and gone surfing together. They walked Monty often, enjoying the sunshine and the promise of every day being like this. They had gone to Kensi's house and picked up some clothes and other necessities, neither ready to let the other go so soon.
Sunday night, they were laying on the couch, watching (yet again) Titanic. Deeks decided it was now or never.
"Hey Princess? How are we going to play this tomorrow?"
She turned her head towards him. "What do you mean?"
"Well, seeing as how we are together now, how does this play out at work?"
"We are partners, Deeks. We have each other's backs. On the job, this stays out of it. After quittin' time, well, that's really no one else's business, is it?" Was he doubting they could do this? Was she?
He watched the worry etch onto her face. Knowing what she was thinking about, he hurried to put her - and his - mind at ease.
"So I can continue ogling you and making inappropriate comments. Got it."
The smile he sent her lit up the room, and she couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry sunshine, we can do this." Hearing his reassuring words, she relaxed, knowing he was right. They could definitely do this.
As everyone arrived to work Monday, Hetty called an impromptu meeting, welcoming him back and proudly announcing he was officially one of them now, introducing Special Agent Marty Deeks.
Deeks, in all his glory, had come forward and bowed, acting like he was winning an Oscar. He bashfully said this was such an honor but he didn't know he was supposed to prepare a speech. Just as soon as he started thanking random people who had "helped him get to where he is today" he was bombarded with paper balls being thrown at him.
There were no new cases at the moment, so the morning had consisted of catching up on paperwork and general boredom. Kensi had caught Deeks staring at her a couple of times, with that look on his face, telling her silently that she was amazing and he was the luckiest man alive to have her love. She had been able to smile at him and act like nothing was out of the ordinary, when inside she couldn't stop the little-girl-like glee.
She made it half the day Monday before she realized just how screwed she was. Deeks had acted completely normal, never letting up on the ogling and innuendos. And while they still bantered and argued, she now knew how effective it was to just kiss him and make him shut up. And damn if he didn't know that and use it to his advantage.
"Hey Kensalina. Wanna go hit the gym? Get a little sweaty?" The wink he sent her way made her blush, but she was quick to answer.
"Didn't know you were so eager to get your ass kicked, Deeks."
"By you? Anytime darlin', anytime."
Callen and Sam both sat there, watching this play out. While both of them had noticed the shift in their relationship, they had agreed that they would wait a few days before saying anything to him. Their idea was to give him a false sense of security, and then pounce. So far, though, they were rather impressed by the younger agents. Nothing would seem out of the ordinary if you weren't trained to notice even the slightest change in breathing patterns. And Callen and Sam were definitely trained to notice things.
Sam noted the blush on her cheeks when Deeks talked to her. His eyes narrowed slightly in concentration, watching Kensi's reaction. She couldn't seem to look away from him, and Sam found this highly amusing.
"So Deeks, now that you're a probie, I think it's time to start the… initiation process," Sam said grinning. Callen set his pen down, thinking this was an excellent idea, and Kensi started rubbing her hands together in anticipation.
"Uh, seriously, is that necessary? I mean, I've been working with you for years now. I'm not really the new kid on the block anymore." He was starting to get worried. There was literally no telling what they had in store for him, and the way Kensi's eyes had lit up? Yeah, he was scared.
"All true, Deeks, but now you are an actual NCIS agent. And that means, being the probie, there are certain… levels of expectations you have to meet." Sam had an almost evil glint in his eyes, and Deeks audibly gulped.
Callen sat there, arms crossed over his chest. He had no idea what Sam was talking about, but hey, they were partners, and so he would do what partners do best: back him up.
"First order of business, Agent Deeks, all paperwork from here on out is yours. Mine, Sam's and Kensi's." Deeks eyes widened in horror. If there was ever anything he hated, it was paperwork.
"Whoa, hey now. I will do anything else but that. Come on guys. That's a serious waste of talent." He looked pointedly at Kensi with that last line. No one was stepping up, though, to make a different offer, so Deeks hurried on, hoping he could use his killer negotiation skills to ward off the now inevitable paperwork stack.
"Ok, let's talk about this. I am sure we can work something out. How about…" he drifted off in thought, trying desperately to come up with something. Suddenly, inspiration hit and he snapped his fingers.
"How 'bout this, I will take a person a week, and for that week I will do their paperwork. This way, I am not drowning in it and everyone will get a week off. How's that sound?" His face was hopeful.
"You know what, usually we wouldn't even consider it, but because we like you, we will go confer. Please excuse us." Deeks gave Kensi his most heart wrenching puppy dog eyes, knowing she was the one who would be able to save him if she really wanted to. She winked at him and followed the guys to the burn room.
"What's our list of demands if we take him up on the one person a week offer?" Callen had decided to just jump right in. He could agree to the weekly assignment, but something else needed to go with it.
"Coffee, doughnuts and lunch. Everyday." Kensi threw that out there, knowing one way or another he would be getting her food. Whether as the probie NCIS agent, her partner, or her boyfriend, it was happening.
Both guys raised their eyebrows at her. Callen couldn't keep his mouth shut. "Really Kens? Why not just make him open a food truck outside to only serve what you are feeling like that day." Her eyes widened happily. "Joking Kensi. Really, I think you have a problem. I am pretty sure there's like a 12 step program you can start. Food-aholics Anonymous. I'll get you the number." She started pouting at that, but couldn't contain her laughter for long.
"Okay, at the very least, coffee every day. Breakfast twice a week and lunch on Fridays. Work for you?" she asked, looking at the other men. They glanced at each other, both nodding. "Done. What else, Sam"
"I get to do his training." Sam had a dangerous glint in his eyes and a small smile playing at his words. Kensi immediately spoke up. "Don't hurt him Sam. I need my partner to be able to have my back out there."
"Oh ye of little faith. I'm not going to hurt him. Much."
Kensi just shook her head at him. She fixed her Bad-Ass Blye glare at Sam. "You hurt him too much, I will hurt you. Got it?"
Sam and Callen locked eyes for a minute, communicating silent words to one another. Sam looked back at Kensi, smirking at her. "Got it. Wouldn't want lover boy to be unable to do his after work activities now would we?"
She stood there, shocked beyond words. She decided now was not the time or place to have this talk, and she cleared her throat. She really needed to get this conversation back on track.
"Callen, what are your demands?"
Deciding to let her change the topic, and brought his hand up to his chin, rubbing it.
"I'm thinking dirty work. I have noticed an almost unhealthy amount of dirt and grime around our work station. Hetty needs to fire the cleaning crew. I don't know what exactly they clean, but it's not the bull pen. Or the gym. Or showers. And I think Deeks is just the man to make it shiny again."
All three laughed at that. They could all agree that yes, the cleaning crew hired seemed only concerned with taking out the trash and doing a quick sweeping of the floors.
"Okay, so we are all in agreement then?" At the nods, they turned and went back to their desks.
Deeks was standing there, a worried frown on his face.
"Took you guys long enough. Seriously, what were you doing in there? Planning the overthrow of the country?" He was trying to make light of the fact they were gone a good 15 minutes, and with each passing minute he became a little more worried about what they were going to do to him. Maybe he should have just stuck with the paperwork.
Callen decided to break the news.
"Okay Deeks. We will take your deal, but here's our demands to even it out. We want coffee, every day. Breakfast twice a week and lunch on Friday's."
"Let me guess, that was Kensi's idea?" If looks could kill, he would have dropped dead right then. Callen just raised his eyebrow and kept going.
"Sam is in charge of your training." At that, Deeks visibly paled. Dear God.
"And you will clean the Mission. Top to bottom. I am tired of working in filth." Okay, so filth was a strong word.
Deeks thought about it for a minute. "You know what, okay, I'll take the deal." Really, it could have been a lot worse for him.
He went to sit back down, but his partner's words halted him.
"Since you missed the coffee run today, I think you can make up for it by going to get lunch." He would have laughed if it wasn't for the serious look on her face. Resigning himself to an unplanned, midday excursion, he sighed.
"Okay. Write down what you want." The orders were made (of course they wouldn't be from the same place) and Deeks started to walk out.
"Hey, wait up for a minute." He stopped and turned around, looking at her questioningly. "What's up Kens?"
She pulled him into an alcove, having already checked to make sure there was no security cameras in the area, and pressed her lips to his. He responded immediately, pulling her as close as possible, enjoying the feel of her touch, the taste of her kiss. After a minute or so, she pulled back, putting her forehead on his.
"I thought we were keeping this out of the office."
"You complaining?"
"Nope, no, not at all. I could get used to this. Anytime you want to, um, do that, I'm totally okay with."
"Don't get too used to it. One time deal."
"Yeah, like you can keep your hands off all this," he said, gesturing up and down his body.
"You looking for another punch?" she asked, head tilted to the side. They stepped away from each other, knowing someone could walk up at any moment.
"If a punch means you love me, than yes." He smiled at her knowingly.
"I love you means I love you. Now, go get me some food." She turned to go and he just stood there laughing. As he took the first step to leave she called out to him. Before he could leave however, she turned, grabbing his hand and tapping out 143 with her fingers. He squeezed her hand, love shining in his eyes.
"You too, Princess. You too." And on that note, he strode out of the Mission to get the food.
After an afternoon of nothing but never-ending paperwork, they couldn't take it any longer. Needing something to break up the monotony, all agreed that a basketball game was in order.
Heading to the lockers to get changed and meeting on the court, it was a brutal game of HORSE, with Kensi and Deeks barely winning. The guys conceded the game and decided to call it a night.
"What do you say, Kens, one more game? Loser buys dinner?" He winked at her, knowing she wouldn't back down from a challenge.
"You were already going to buy dinner, Deeks, why embarrass yourself further?"
"I just want to see you sweat some more," he said, throwing the ball to her.
She laughed and threw the ball back to him. "You're on Shaggy."
20 minutes later, he couldn't believe what had just happened. Annihilated was not a strong enough word. Water was literally falling out his pours and his partner didn't even have the grace to break into any kind of sweat. Cruel, cruel world he thought to himself.
"Go on Deeks. Get showered and changed. It's time to go and I don't want to smell you the entire time." She looked him up and down, liking what she saw. The light in her eyes was enough for him. He ran towards her and pressed her against the wall. What she thought was going to be a passionate encounter turned into her becoming his towel. Getting out of his grasp and putting him in a headlock, she walked them towards the locker.
"You do not want to know what will happen if you do that again. Shower. Now." She let him go, and kissed him softly. She brought her hand up to his cheek.
"I love you. Now seriously. GO!"
"Yes, ma'am. Did I ever tell you I like being bossed around? It's kind of a turn on."
"Deeks…." She took a step towards him and he took off like a school kid, laughing.
"I'm going, I'm going. Shower. Got it."
Shaking her head, she headed into the locker room. She loved him, yes, but sometimes she wanted to kill him.
Going to her locker to get her things, she noticed a pale yellow piece of paper sticking out from the door. Looking around, and feeling a strange sense of deja vu, she grabbed it and sat down. Making sure the coast was clear, she opened it.
Ms. Blye,
Remember these words? Sometimes you find them. Sometimes they find you. Well, what I didn't tell you was sometimes you get lucky enough you find each other. I didn't know when I partnered you two together that such a bond was possible, but watching you two grow over the years has shown me exactly what a true partnership, a true friendship, and a true love really looks like. He's a good man Kensi. You can trust him with everything. But don't hurt him. Like you, he's had far too much pain in his life.
In saying that, please refrain from sneaking kisses like a bunch of high school kids. I see more than you think. Smile Kensi. – HL
She looked around, wondering if she was imagining this, but knowing that the feel of the paper reminded her it was real. Beautiful, wonderful Hetty was telling her to hold onto him and never let him go. And that's exactly what she was going to do.
"Thank you, Hetty, for everything," she said, more to herself since the room was empty. Smiling, Kensi walked to the showers, ready to be back in the arms of her love.
Deeks had walked into the locker room and noticed something was off. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something in the air was different. He scanned the area on his way to his locker, trying to figure out was going on. He wouldn't have been surprised to see Sam and Callen jump out from the shadows and try and give him a swirly, telling him it was 'initiation.'
He was too busy looking around to notice the pale yellow paper sticking out from his locker, so when he turned and opened the door, still wary of an attack, he nearly died of a heart attack when he felt something hit his leg. Jumping (and maybe yelping in surprise, he wasn't sure) he looked down and saw the paper. His eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out what was going on. Opening the paper, he realized it was certainly the last thing he would expect.
Calm down Mr. Deeks. I can assure you no one is going to jump out and get you. At least not right now. No, the reason for this is to tell you Ms. Blye is an amazing woman, but you already know that. She has a heart of gold and will stand by you through thick and thin. But don't forget to be patient with her, too. While she may love you, she will also have to overcome all of her doubts. She has already had an ex-fiancée who left her. She knows in her heart you won't leave her, but she must also convince her head. So, show her every day how much she means to you, how much you love her. And once you have her head convinced you will always be by her side, then you will have her forever, no matter what. And isn't that what you want more than anything?
But please, when you are at work, we all would appreciate a certain level of professionalism. Therefore, no more sneaking in alcoves and making out like teenagers. Smile Marty! - HL
He sat there for a few minutes, wondering just how lucky he really was. He had an amazing woman in his life whom he would do anything for. Three surrogate brothers and one sister. And an incredible fairy godmother. What else was there?
Putting the note in a safe place, he headed for the showers, needing to get back to Kensi as soon as possible. It was time to start convincing her head that he wasn't ever leaving. And he knew exactly where to start. It was time to put Operation Date Night into effect. She wasn't going to know what hit her.
AN - Well, here's another one. I hope you liked it. Leave and review and let me know. :)