A/N: For today's prompt: Kensi or Deeks gets a relatively minor injury, but the other doesn't realize it and freaks out.

"You got eyes on him, Kens?" Callen asked as he walked towards the meetup point, Deeks and Sam on either side of him. Perched on the roof of a warehouse, Kensi peered through the scope of her rifle to double check.

"Yup," she confirmed. "And he's got two bodyguards with him, both heavily armed."

"Ok, the second you-" stopped talking abruptly. In a series of events almost too fast to follow, Deeks jerked twice and fell to the ground, Callen spun around with a shocked expression and Sam started firing.

"Deeks," Kensi shouted, fighting the urge to run to him. As Sam covered them, Callen crouched down and started to drag Deeks behind the SUV.

Heart racing and mouth dry, Kensi took out one of the bodyguards. In the back of her mind, she realized Deeks wasn't talking, he wasn't making any sound.

She refocused her scope in the direction the first shot had come from. After a few moments, she spotted the sniper through a third story window of a building across from where she was hidden. Her bullet pierced the glass, creating a spider web of cracks before it hit the man in the center of his head. Kensi waited just long enough to watch him disappear from view and then she checked her scope again.

The other gunmen had retreated and from this angle she couldn't see them. Grabbing an automatic rifle and her gun, she headed for the stairs. Sam and Callen were still exchanging gunfire, but Deeks hadn't made a sound. If he wasn't seriously hurt, she knew he would be saying something, if not actually assisting Sam and Callen. The thought terrified her.

"The sniper's down. I'm on my way," she told them.

"Copy that," Sam answered tightly. "We've got one more holed up behind some cars."

By the time she made it down the many flights of stairs, her breath was coming in harsh pants, but she didn't slow down as she slammed through the exit door.

As she neared the SUV, Callen popped up, firing without pause while Sam ran towards the cars. He fired off three shots and then shouted,

"Clear!" Sam caught her eye, his expression grim and she felt her stomach drop.

"Kensi, he's-" Callen started to say, but she numbly passed by him. There were drops of blood where Deeks had fallen. Not a lot, but enough. She rounded the front of the SUV frantically. Deeks was limply propped against the side, his head leaning on a bumper.

"Deeks," she said, falling to her knees beside him. He lifted his head slowly, groaning as he turned towards her. "No, don't move, baby. We're gonna get you an ambulance. Just stay still."

"I'm ok, Kensi," he insisted, wincing. Kensi ignored him, gently tipping his head upward. His temple was bleeding from a small cut and she instantly began running her fingers through his hair as she scanned his body for bullet wounds.

"I saw you go down, Deeks."

"The bullet hit my vest," he told her, clumsily pointing to a spot in the middle of his chest. Kensi shuddered as she brushed the flattened metal, now firmly embedded in the Kevlar.

"Why didn't you say anything?" she asked, feeling tears prick at the back of her eyes. "I thought you were-I thought you'd been hit."

"Oh, yeah, I think my comm got knocked out when I fell." Kensi just shook her head at him and then grasped the sides of his head, kissing him desperately.

"Oh my god, don't scare me like that again. I can't take it," she said, wrapping her arms tightly around him. He groaned again and tugged at her right arm.

"Baby, don't kill me, but I might have gotten a little hit by another bullet," he told her reluctantly.

"You what?!"

"It's just a graze." Kensi stared at him in disbelief for a moment.

"It's just a-why are you such an idiot sometimes?" she asked, easing back as he lifted the bottom of his black t-shirt.

"Ugh, it's part of my charm," he muttered and then hissed out in pain when she prodded his lower side, just above his hip. It really was a small wound, but it was bloody and no doubt painful.

"Sure it is," she said wryly. "But you're right, it doesn't look too bad. I think you're still going to need stitches." Some of her anger had dissipated, replaced by gratitude that it wasn't worse. She flipped his t-shirt down and pressed her palm over the wound. Deeks didn't groan this time, but she saw his nostrils flare and heard him inhale sharply.

"You hear that, Eric? We're gonna need an ambulance," Callen said over comms, coming up behind Kensi. "How bad is it?"

"Just a graze," Deeks answered before Kensi could.

"But you still need to go to the hospital," she said firmly, giving him a warning look.

"I hate hospitals." Sam joined them in time to hear Deeks' comment and snorted.

"Everybody hates hospital, Deeks," he said, then added with a smirk. "Don't worry though, I'm sure Kensi will help you out with one of those sponge baths you love so much."

"You know, that sounds really creepy, right?" Callen asked, making a face.

"Well, I'm not sure about the sponge baths," Kensi said, brushing Deeks hair back from his slightly sweaty skin, "but I might be able to slip you some jello."

"Make sure it's lime," Deeks requested as she rested her forehead against his.