He knew something was wrong the moment she knocked on the door rather than letting herself in on her own. She was there just about the time he had expected.

When he opened up, he could tell by her composure that something was a little more than just wrong.

"Kensi, come here."

She stepped inside, but kept her distance from him. He wanted to touch her, every inch of her. Her haircut was irresistible to him and though she'd changed and gotten cleaned up, he could still imagine the lines of the tattoo that had covered her back. He needed to touch her this instance. He needed to know what was wrong. His eyes begged her to explain. Ultimately, she said what plagued and haunted her.

"I, I… I slept with Callen, Deeks."

"You gotta talk to me, Kens. Talk me through this. What happened undercover?" He tried to remain calm. He knew this had to have happened for the sake of the mission.

"There were surveillance cameras in all four corners of the room," she said. She seemed lost in her own thoughts and he tried to bring her back.

"Okay, so what happened?"

"They were watching us, Deeks! He had to…"

He's seen her cry before. Afghanistan, Clairmont, that stupid DOJ interrogation. When she cries, it's real pain and fear rushing through her. He's got to stop her.

"Kensi, Kens it's okay," he tried to reach out to wrap his arms around her, but she pulled away.

"It's not okay! We faked a lot of it, but he still had to tou…"

"Hold on. You didn't actually sleep with Callen. You guys didn't have sex. Am I correct?"

"Yes, but…"

"No buts, Kensi," he refused to let her pull away, crushing her between his arms and his chest. "You did nothing wrong. You did what you had to do to come home alive at the end of the day. You came home to, not Callen. I couldn't possibly be upset with you over that."

She clutched tighter to him. "It felt so wrong. Like, like I was hurting you."

He rubbed a circle into her back, and what she said, and what she wasn't saying, hit home to him. She was upset with herself because she felt like she was cheating on him. Though her heart was in the right place the whole time, she felt her actions took away from what she had with him and she couldn't forgive herself for that. She was being vulnerable with him and at the same time he loved it, he hated it. He hated her pain. But he loves that there's a person in this world worried about his honor and it's something he's never had and it feels so damn good.

He pulls away from her and grabs her face and squishes, more like smashes, her lips against his. When he pulls away, he catches his breath and says, "I love you. I love you for worrying about me and our relationship. I love who we've become. I love you so much. But I don't want you to think anything you have to do undercover reflects on us. Any sleaze you have to seduce, anyone you have to kiss or touch, that isn't on us. I love you and I don't care about all of that. All I care about is you being okay, and coming home at the end of the day. So whatever you and Callen had to do undercover is what it is. It doesn't hurt me at all."

She nods. He gives her a little smile and it makes her laugh. She giggles as she tries to wipe her eyes with the sides of her thumb. "Why was I so upset about this? It's our freaking job. I know that, Deeks. I know that!"

He tried to keep her heart light. "You were just so worried about my fragile little heart."

Her tears gone, she spoke more confidently when she said, "I was just 'I'm so in love with him but how do I show up at his place and mention that while also saying I practically slept with some one I consider to be my brother.'"

Deeks eyes filled with all of their puppy like attributes and his smile lit up his scruff covered cheeks.

"What?" Kensi scoffed, using a tissue to clean up her smuged eye makeup.

"You love me so much," he said in a quick breath.

Her eyes rolled, but it was only a few seconds later that their lips met again. Kissing him seemed to solve all of her problems, but you'll never hear her complaining about that.