Prompt: Could you do a short fic like where Kensi is sick and Deeks takes care of her like "Even the Strong Fall Now and Then" but set in the present, season 13 or 14?
A/N: I'll never say no to a good sick fic. Hopefully this counts as one.
Deeks rolled over to the beeping of his phone, and jabbed at it until it stopped. The first hints of daylight were peeking through the edges of the curtains. Kensi lay face down on her pillow beside him, completely out. He dropped a kiss on her t-shirt covered shoulder, nudging her gently.
"Nng," she groaned, burrowing further under the covers.
"Babe, it's time to get up," he murmured, smiling when Kensi groaned again, and blindly pushed at his shoulder.
"You can shower first." She sounded like she was already back to sleep before she even finished speaking. Tucking the quilt around her shoulders, Deeks slid out of bed, heading for the bathroom.
Typically, Kensi showered first while he caught a little more beauty sleep, or went for an early run. But they'd had back-to-back cases the last few weeks, with both of them going undercover a few times and taking the lead while both Sam and Callen were out unexpectedly.
Deeks took a little extra time to trim his beard up, anticipating Kensi's mocking jokes when she saw him. When he walked back into the bedroom with a towel draped around his neck and boxers, Kensi was still fast asleep though.
"Hey, baby, your turn!" he called out on his way to grab clothes. By the time he'd pulled on a shirt and jeans, she'd pushed herself up on her elbows, eyes just barely open. Her hair hung around her face in an impressive mane, which she didn't brush out of her eyes. "Whoa, you got some serious bed head going on there."
Kensi gave him a baleful glare, brushing clumsily at her face.
"You're hilarious," she croaked out. Deeks crossed over to the bed, instantly concerned by the scratchiness in her voice.
"Are you feeling ok?" Without waiting for an answer, he brushed his knuckles over her cheek. "Hm, you're kind of warm."
"That's because I was under the covers," she told him, failing to conceal a weak cough.
"Uh-huh, I bet you have that cold that's been going around the office the last week," he said, which earned him another glare from Kensi.
"I am not sick." Her argument might have been a little more believable if she didn't list to the side a second later. Her arm shook with the effort of keeping herself upright.
"Right. You know, it's not the end of the world to admit that Ninja Assassin Kensi Blye occasionally gets sick." Deeks brushed her hair back lovingly despite his joking tone. "Ok, I'm going to get you some tea, medicine, and toast," he added, kissing her heated temple.
Kensi made a token noise of protest, and then flopped back down on the bed. Yeah, there was no way she was coming in today. Luckily, Callen was back, and if needed, they could pull Fatima into the field.
When he returned a few minutes later with a tray loaded up with cups and bottles, Kensi grudgingly accepted a glass of water and two ibuprofen. She washed them down without a word, hand shaking as she handed the glass of water back.
"Ugh, I hate being sick," she groaned pitifully. "It should be outlawed once you turn 21."
Deeks bit back a smile, fluffing her pillows and pulling the covers back around her. "I'll be sure to send a letter of complaint," he teased.
After seven years together, he'd learned that Kensi handled the common cold as well as any doctor. She usually avoided the yearly colds and flus, but when she did catch a bug, they hit pretty hard.
"Alright, I'm going to go to work, because I'm pretty sure Kilbride will either actually burst a blood vessel this time or abandon us and retire to Florida."
Kensi managed a weak smile, already drifting towards sleep.
"Thanks," she murmured.
"Of course." He kissed her forehead again. "Call if you need anything. Love you."
Deeks was kept busy by a combination of paperwork, and a request from LAPD to assist with a brief undercover op. It turned out to be relatively simple.
He'd texted Kensi periodically to check in, who responded with single words or the occasional rude emoji. That reassured him enough that she wasn't too sick. Still, he felt bad about leaving her to fend for herself. Whenever he was sick, he just wanted to curl up and die.
The image of Kensi's shakiness ran through his mind. He doubted she'd made it to the kitchen to get more food, probably limiting trips to the bathroom.
With that in mind, he asked to leave a bit early, and stopped off at their local deli for some fresh tomato soup and bread.
"Hey, Kens, I'm home," he announced as he kicked his shoes off, and pushed them to the side of the door. All the blinds were drawn just as when he'd left, and he didn't hear any sounds of movement. "Kensi?" he repeated more quietly, stepping into their bedroom.
In the dark, he just made out a Kensi-sized lump took a up the center of the bed. He set the food to the side, and turned on a low light, noting the empty glass on the table, and cold medicine scattered across the floor, the little white bottle wedged under the bed.
Sliding onto the bed beside her, he gently brushed her hair back from her temple. Kensi inhaled sharply, peeling on eye open to look at him. Even in the poor light, he could see her eyes were glassy and her normal coloring was off.
"Hey baby."
"Deeks," she muttered, licking her dry lips. She coughed a couple times, curling in on herself as a shiver racked her body. "What time is it? Didn't you just leave?"
Deeks winced at her strained, cracked voice.
"It's just after five. I promise I'm not playing hooky," he said. "You're looking kind of rough."
She just shrugged, sighing when he pressed his hand to her forehead. Her skin was hot. Not emergency room level hot, but definitely enough to explain her listlessness and shivering.
"Well, you definitely have a fever, so I'm going to get some more medicine that isn't covered in dust bunnies. He grabbed a couple bottles of Gatorade, water, and fever reducer from downstairs, bringing them all up to the bedroom.
Kensi had dozed off again, and seemed vaguely annoyed at being woken up, which Deeks took as a relatively good sign. She swallowed two small white pills with a couple sips of Gatorade before trying to hand it back to Deeks.
"Ah, ah, you gotta drink at least half of that," he told her, pushing the bottle back. It took considerably less effort than it normally would. "Nobody gets dehydrated on my watch."
Kensi rolled her eyes, but dutifully drank exactly half of the bottle bit by bit.
"Happy now?" she asked sarcastically, slumping back down on her bed of pillows.
"Ecstatic. I brought some tomato soup, you want some?"
Kensi grimaced, unconsciously dropping a hand to her stomach. "No." She shook her head quickly. "Not even a little bit."
"Ok, then what can I do?"
"Hold me? I'm freezing," she said, giving him a pleading look.
Yeah, he'd run into a burning building for that look. Shucking off his t-shirt while he walked around to the other side of the bed, he slipped under the covers, careful not to let too much warmth escape. Kensi flinched when his skin first made contact with hers, then relaxed as he curled around her back, enfolding her in his arms.
"Thank you," she sighed in relief, melting against his chest. She reached for his forearm, and turned her head just enough to press a clumsy kiss to his cheek. Within a few minutes, her shivers had subsided, and she fell into a deep sleep.
"Anything for my, Ladybird," he whispered, barely kissing her shoulder.
