"Daniel, can you zip me up?" Talia called, her voice coming through loud and clear over the surveillance equipment. There was the faint sound of feet on carpet, followed by Deeks' familiar drawl,
"You know, this is supposed to be a dinner party, not a formal gala."
"I know, but I always like to make an unforgettable first impression. And, I figure it won't hurt if I turn a few eyes. I am the eye candy after all," Talia continued. She made an appreciative noise. "Although, you do clean up extremely well, Deeks. Very sexy."
"Jen…"
"Sorry, Daniel."
Kensi rolled her eyes, turning the volume down a notch as Talia and Deeks continued to banter while they finished getting ready. She wondered if this was how they sounded to other people. If it was, she understood why Sam got so annoyed sometimes.
The past few days had been a lesson in patience for Kensi as she forced herself to ignore Talia's special brand of goading. They'd pulled the operation together pretty quickly, with a lot of help from Eric and Nell. Going in under the names Jenny and Daniel Kern, Talia and Deeks quickly inserted themselves into Carson Desforges' world. Within a few days, they'd garnered an invitation to a small dinner party at Desforges' home.
To reinforce the illusion that they were wealthy and influential, Talia and Deeks were staying in a luxury hotel. While Kensi spent most of her day camped out in the surveillance truck, they got to eat five-star meals every night. Normally, she wouldn't care that much, but the whole situation was tugging at her last nerve.
Despite her annoyance, Kensi had to admit that both Deeks and Talia were good. They played off of each other well, reading cues with ease, and falling into their roles as well as if they'd been working together for years.
Which might go a long way to explain her general irritation: She was supposed to be in there with Deeks. He was her partner, not Talia's. Talia hadn't earned it. It all seemed distinctly unfair.
It's, just part of the job. Kensi had told herself that more than once in the last week, but it was absolutely useless in quelling her jealously. Deeks was hers.
"Alright, how do I look?" Talia asked, pausing for Deeks' response.
"You look…good," Deeks replied, clearing his throat. "Beautiful."
"Aw, you're too sweet. Even after three years of marriage, you still think I'm pretty." There was a smacking sound that Kensi instantly recognized as kissing. She leaned forward in her chair, waiting for Deeks to immediately push her away. Instead, he inhaled deeply, a little raggedly.
Even if she could only hear them, her mind more than filled in the imagery. She pictured Talia with both arms wrapped around Deeks' neck—no, she was the type to grab him by the face—his hands framing her bare back. His lips firm, yet gentle as he cradled Talia in his arms.
Anger spiked through Kensi; at Talia for taking advantage of the situation, and Deeks for not doing anything to stop her.
After far too long, Deeks made a sound that Kensi interpreted as regret and when he spoke again, it was farther away.
"This isn't a game, we can't lose focus Jen," he said quietly.
"Oh, I know. Just getting into character," Talia replied lightly. "Come on, darling, we have people to charm."
As they left the room, Kensi pushed her jealously aside. Oh, they were still there, festering in the back of her mind, but she wouldn't allow her personal feelings compromise the mission. More importantly, she wouldn't let Talia know how much she hated her right now.
A/N: And I've once again set myself up for a third part.
Just as a reminder, this takes place early season 6, before Kensi and Deeks were dating and when they were still firmly denying their feelings. Pair that with a married couple gig that Kensi is not a part of, and there's bound to be trouble.