Through her mind: Chapter 3

Thanks again for the positive response, and that you guys don't harsh on the cheesiness. Coming up: Le beeg confrontation, otherwise known as what Densi fans have been anticipating every other episode since they met.

Disclaimer: Not mine

"Hey."

There was a moment of silence and Kensi outwardly cringed.

"I'm sorry." They said in perfect unison. One more beat of silence, and then laughter overtook them both. The relief of such a familiar moment – hearing his laughter instead of the pained, tension-filled nothing – seemed to make the situation seem a whole lot lighter.

"What are you sorry for?" She asked when the laughter quieted down.

That's a real good question, Deeks thought on the other side of the phone, questioning his response.

"I don't know." He decided after a beat. "I guess I'm just… I'm sorry you were upset today. I'm sorry I did something to upset you today. I just-…"

Hate this.

"You don't need to apologize. It wasn't your fault; you were doing your job. You did great today. I was just having a bad day, and I reacted like a child. I'm sorry for being a bitch in the gym."

The bad day thing was a straight-out lie and she knew he could tell. They started out the morning joking over doughnuts and coffee, after all. Thankfully he said nothing.

"You weren't a bitch. You were just… cranky. I'm used to that." He attempted humour.

"Used to it? You seemed pretty dejected when you left."

He didn't reply to that.

In what must've been a flash of insanity, Kensi filled the silence in the most dangerous way she possibly could have:

"You wanna come over?"

Deeks said nothing, and Kensi almost physically smacked her forehead. What the HELL, Blye? You obsess over your dreamy partner you can't have a relationship with, and what do you do? Invite him over. Genius.

"Will there be beer there?" Deeks asked (finally).

A smile spread over her face as she peered to the empty bottle on the coffee table. "Almost always, unfortunately."

"Pizza?"

"I can order in?"

"I'll be there in 10."

She hung up, staring at the wall. "Such a bad idea." She said to herself, and then dialled the number of a 24 hour-pizza place to order Deeks' favourite.

X

He showed up at her door sooner than she expected and before she could completely compose herself. Thankfully, not wearing that ridiculous shiny shirt he was before. Unfortunately, wearing a grey t-shirt that hugged him in extremely… flattering ways, that made for an even bigger distraction.

"Hey." Whispered, and sounding more afraid than she liked.

He held up a yellow cardboard box. Twinkies. As if she needed anything more to make her head swim. She couldn't keep the smile from bursting onto her face.

"Figured you could use a pick-me-up." He threw the box up and she caught it, before he strode into her apartment with his usual ease and comfort.

"Thanks. Beer's in the fridge, pizza's on the way. Your favourite."

He quirked an eyebrow and a crooked smile lit up his face as he opened the fridge and took out two beers. "My favourite, huh?"

"Seems peace offerings are a theme tonight."

He walked towards her and she felt her heartbeat accelerate and her pupils were no doubt dilated widely. He noticed too, his crooked smile growing wider, as he slowly, closely… handed her the cold bottle of beer. He was enjoying this. She was in agony. With him so close, and these thoughts running through her head…

And his breath fanning warm across her face, and his eyes, so extremely blue…

How easy would it be, to just shift up a few millimetres onto her toes?

Bad idea, partner, really bad idea, friendship, worst idea… So damn close…

Her thoughts were rushing.

Thankfully, Deeks seemed to be on the same page. After a few of the longest seconds the world has ever known of intent staring, magnetic energy and almost visible electric sparks between them, he blinked twice quickly and somewhat less-than-smoothly retreated to the couch. Her breath was embarrassingly quickened.

She took a long sip from her beer, before joining him on the couch – on the far side, of course.

"So…" He asked with a small cough. "Top Model or Titanic tonight?"

It earned him a chuckle, and for a while it was as if the day hadn't happened. They watched in comfortable silence, made funny comments and laughed together, teased one another… Before she knew it, it was ridiculously late.

"I should probably get going," He said, his voice husky with tiredness, and he glanced at his wristwatch. "It's… Woah, how'd it get this late?"

She leaned down and glanced at the watch as well. "It is pretty late. You can stay here if you want." She looked up and their faces were – somehow – disarmingly close once again. "I-I mean… on th-the couch. Y'know, cause you it's pretty late and you're tired. And you had a few beers… Whatever."

"No, I get it, Fern." Another playful grin, and he lazily stretched his body like a cat, across the couch and, by implication, her. "You want me."

She knew without a doubt he could see the blush creep up her neck and onto her cheeks. "You wish, Deeks."

"Don't deny it, Sugarbear, it's clear as day. You wanna kiiiiiss me, you wanna huuuug me…" He teased in a sing-song voice, no doubt making her face glow red.

But then their eyes met, and he promptly shut up. Not because of the usual threatening glare those eyes held; no, because of the telling girlish embarrassment. The stare held, her mismatched brown eyes gazing so deeply into his azure depths, and she felt it again: the electricity, the magnetic pull of before. More than a year's worth of unresolved sexual tension between the two of them, concentrated in these few millimetres between them. Her breath caught in her throat…

He didn't move away this time. Seconds dragged on for eons; eons spent getting lost in the sparkling Pacific Ocean-gaze.

She was inching closer; so was he.

The moment their lips touched seemed explosive to her. Her ears ringing, her heartbeat loud and pounding, the sensation of his lips on hers overloading every nerve-ending in her body…

She had lost all sense of time when she felt him smile against her lips. Then she was smiling, and his grin widened, and soon they were both giggling.

"This is such a bad idea." She whispered. "We're partners. Friends. This could…"

"Ruin everything." He whispered back. She saw his eyes drop, while the corners of his mouth lifted. "I'm relieved to hear I'm not the only one who's been thinking about it."

Quirking an eyebrow, she bantered along: "Flatter yourself much, Deeks?"

"I don't think so. Not after that kiss."

The heat rose to her face again, and he was smiling against her neck now, nuzzling there affectionately. His scruff scratched against the skin there, and she was surprised at chill that ran down her spine.

"I think we owe it to ourselves to try. Don't you?" His voice reverberated against her throat. She was such a goner.

"How'd you do it?" She whispered, her voice getting huskier as he kissed her warming skin.

"Do what?"

She pulled him up to look into his eyes again. "Get under my skin like this. It's like a lost my mind… I'm not making rational decisions. I'm…" She struggled for the right words, finding there were none.

Thankfully, he lifted a finger to her lips, shushing her and making her roll her eyes. "That's alright. I could tell you the same thing."

He kissed her again, effectively shutting out any coherent thought from either their minds.

Maybe they never would make completely understand it.

Maybe they never needed to.

Cheesy end to a cheesy story, but it was a thrill to write. Thanks for the support and feedback. Review, for old time's sake?

Much love,

Zanny