"I doubted you today."

He turned from his burger for a second to glance quizzically at his partner. Her eyes didn't tell him anything he didn't know.

"When Sala had the gun to my head. I thought-" she paused to collect her thoughts, focusing on her own overloaded sandwich, "It's just that- well, I guess I thought you really hadn't seen me. I know I should have known better, but-"

He grinned. "So I fooled you too, huh? I shoulda been an actor. Coulda been really rich, livin' the dream, you know?"

"Deeks."

"What? I am totes a great actor."

"Totes? Really? What are you, a sixteen year old girl?"

"You're just jealous that I can use hip lingo and you can't."

"Deeks."

He raised his eyebrows sheepishly. "Not that you're not cool. Cause you are. You're very cool. Well, maybe hot is a better adjective. Can one person be both cool and hot?"

"Deeks!"

He straightened and regained his sheepish posture. "I'm rambling, aren't I?"

She smiled an annoyed smile. "Yup. And you didn't let me finish."

"Oh. Sorry, what were we talking about?"

"I doubted you."

"Right."

A beat of silence. Another. And another. Deeks' burger disappeared before Kensi's thoughts gathered into a semi-coherent sentence.

"I know you're not stupid, Deeks. I know you're good at what you do. I just- I guess I thought I knew that, anyway. Maybe I just knew the facts. I thought I really trusted you, but maybe I just trusted the statistics- Deeks has been a good partner so far, he probably will be in the near future."

"Kens-"

"I'm sorry."

"Kens!"

"Really. I really, really am. I know I need to get my trust issues straight and that you have nothing to do with all the people who have failed me before-"

"Kensi!"

"I promise I will believe that you will come through no matter how hopeless the situation may seem, ok? I know you'll come save the day, and I promise I'll wait for you to show up and get me out of whatever situation I get myself in, ok? I promise I trust you."

Whatever he had to say died on his lips, and he swiveled his barstool to face her. "Kens, I don't want you to wait around to get rescued." Her face scrunched up, a question forming but not materializing. "Trusting me doesn't mean sitting on your very capable hands. I appreciate what you're trying to say, but you did exactly as you should have today. I'm only human, and while I do everything I can to be there for you, one day I might not make it, and you need to be prepared for that. So doubting is good. It means I can trust you to have a plan if mine falls through."

"But-"

"No buts, Kens. Plus, the look on your face when I pulled my gun on him was good enough for me," he smirked.

She huffed. "Eat your fries."

He smiled at her.

When their eyes met, she even had the decency to blush.