Cuddles/Hugs Meme - Prompt from Mockingjaylane: Densi/Bear-hug. This is a sequel of sorts to "Clinging", set in between 2x17 and 2x18.

I still own nothing.

Kensi and Deeks were in her Cadillac outside of his apartment, sitting in somewhat comfortable silence. Deeks looked suspiciously at his partner. "I never told you where I lived."

Kensi shrugged and opened her door. "Didn't have to. We pulled the video footage of the area after you were shot."

"Ah," Deeks winced, climbing slowly out of the car. "That's not at all creepy. My friendly neighborhood NCIS stalkers." Kensi grabbed his personal belongings from her hatch and met him at his door to help him. She tried to wrap her arm around him to help him walk but he waved her off. Instead she pulled his keys out and walked ahead of him to unlock his apartment.

"You know you didn't have to bring me home, right? I'm not so pathetic that I don't have any friends." Deeks smiled weakly.

"It's the least I could do," Kensi said, returning his smile. She unlocked his door and peered in, looking for a light switch. Light filled the room and she took a second to survey his apartment. It was neat and sparse, with very few personal touches to it.

"Don't get used to this place. I won't be here much longer," Deeks said, grimacing as he sat on his couch. "So what did you mean by 'it's the least you could do?'"

Kensi kept standing. She couldn't figure out whether to sit by him on the couch, or sit on the floor, or pull up a chair from his table. So she just stood. "You know. I owe you."

"Yeah you do," Deeks chuckled. "Let me count the ways. Saved you from a room of laser bombs? Check. Took your drunk ass home a week ago? Check. Got shot to draw you out, then saved your life again? Double check."

"Yeah yeah yeah, I get it. There will come a day when you'll need me too, ya know." Deeks sat silently, Kensi stood awkwardly. "So," she said, breaking the silence. "What did you think about?"

He looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"When you got shot. What did you think about?"

"Oh. Well for starters I regretted not taking you up on your offer," he joked.

Kensi's face paled slightly and she tilted her head. "What offer?"

Deeks flinched slightly and lied to her. "The other night when you were drunk. I think you really enjoyed that bikini bar, cause you offered to give me a private dance. But I was a total gentlemen and told you no stripteases until our five year anniversary."

Kensi rolled her eyes. "Yeah right. You're lying."

"I am," he replied, but didn't offer anything else.

Kensi pursed her lips and looked around the room. "Can I see your comic books?"

Raising his eyebrows, Deeks pointed to a chest in the corner of his living room. "Be my guest."

She quickly walked to the corner and sat down in front of the chest. "Wow," she gasped as she opened it. He had more than just comic books; there were playing cards, action figures, an original Nintendo with Super Mario Brothers 3, and everything else any child of the 80s would have cherished. She smiled as she sorted through all of his childhood memories, flipping through his books and magazines. "Seventeen Magazine? Really Deeks?"

"What? It has Jennifer Love Hewitt on the cover. She was smoking hot."

Kensi thought he looked slightly uncomfortable and dazed, but he didn't stop her from invading his privacy. She put the magazine back in the chest and noticed a framed picture of a woman holding a little boy. Pulling it out, she glanced between her partner and the picture. "Is this you?" She asked, pointing at the little boy.

Snapping out of his daze, Deeks looked over at her. His face falls when he sees the picture. "Uh, yeah."

"And your mom?"

"Yeah," he replied, clearing his throat.

Kensi looked down at the picture and smiled. "She's very pretty."

"Yeah, she was."

She didn't want to overstep her bounds, so she placed the picture back in the chest on top of his books and magazines. "Do you want some water? Is it time to take your pain pills?"

Deeks nodded. "Yeah. I think I'm about ready for a nap."

Kensi walked into his kitchen, filling a glass with water and pulling his medicine out. He was struggling to stay upright when she walked back to him. She handed him the water and pills and he downed the whole glass in one gulp. "Are you going to be okay here by yourself?"

He nodded, smiling up at her. "I'll be fine. I'm a big boy."

Kensi took his glass from him and set it down on the table. She didn't know why, but she couldn't stop herself from leaning down and pulling him into a big hug. "I'm really glad you didn't die," she said.

Deeks relaxed in her arms and patted her on the back with one hand. "Me too."

She let him go and stood up straight, smoothing down her shirt. Deeks repositioned himself on the couch, laying flat and putting a pillow under his head. He was asleep within seconds.

Kensi walked quietly away from him and returned to his chest. She pulled the picture of his mother out, placed it on the bookcase next to the chest, and left.