Prompt:- Deeks is injured, Kensi helps him dress/get ready

A stab of lightening lanced into Deeks' shoulder, as the wrapping was stuck back down into place. "Owie," he said.

"What now?" demanded Kensi, from his side, kneeling with one knee on the bed.

"You could try being a bit gentler. Suited for the noble profession of nurse, you are not."

"Suck it up, Deeks," she said, almost distractedly. The bed beneath them depressed as she moved position, so that she was sat directly behind him now. With a great deal of care, she manoeuvred the open neck of the V-neck shirt she'd picked out over the top of his head. Deeks winched again, even though he hadn't even moved his arm.

"Hey," he protested. "I'll have you know, I got shot. Again."

"I know, I was there, remember?"

Deeks shook his head, ignoring the crash of pain in his arm. "A little sympathy wouldn't kill you."

"I really don't want to be the exception that proves the rule." The mattress shifted again as Kensi pushed herself up onto her feet, coming around to the face him. Deeks stood, as she took one of the sleeves of his shirt and began inserting his arm into it.

"Why is it always me that ends up getting hurt?" he said, gritting his teeth as Kensi started feeding his other, injured, arm into the material.

"I dunno," Kensi replied too sweetly for Deeks' liking. "Karma?"

Deeks glanced down, into Kensi's mismatched brown orbs. They sparkled with merriment. "Alright, I'll give you that one. Touché."

Deeks clutched his sore arm to his chest as Kensi began rolling the rest of the material down his torso. Her fingers, nails cut functionally short, scraped softly across the warm flesh down his side, making him shudder, making the muscles in his abdomen dance, and making a small snort slip through his lips.

"What now?" she sighed.

"Nothing, just…" He shrugged. "That tickled a little."

Kensi smiled, a small hint of a curve to her lips, and her head cocked to one side. Deeks knew that look; she was storing information for use at a later date. That always spelled trouble for him.

He swallowed. "Thanks for uh… thanks for helping me with this. You have no idea how difficult it is."

Kensi laughed softly. "Hey, I'm just thankful you can put your pants on unassisted."

"Well, if you wanted to help…"

"Don't finish that sentence, Deeks," she warned him. Deeks couldn't help the wide grin that split his face. Kensi scrunched her face up adorably, shaking her head, before returning the smile. After a moment, she broke eye contact, concentrating her attention on softly smoothing out the material of his shirt.

"Thank you for saving my ass out there," she murmured.

"That's what I'm here for, Fern," he told her. "The getting shot part was an unforeseen side effect. But good news; you didn't lose me."

"Yeah, I'm not that lucky."

"Oh please, you'd be inconsolable. Walking around in a funk, not sleeping, barely eating."

She shrugged. "I would agree because that means I'd need to break in a new partner, but I haven't exactly broken you in yet."

"Alright," he conceded.

Kensi leant to one side, scooping up the sling from the bed. In silence, she slipped it onto his hurt arm, taking a great deal of time and patience. Once she was sure it was in place, she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, fumbling with the latch. Deeks' body trembled, the pain in his arm all but forgotten. His nose was full of the deep scent of Kensi's strawberry shampoo, and he breathed in deeply. He recognised the smell; it was the same product he'd got for her birthday a year or so ago. Given the fact that it seemed unlikely to be the same bottle, it stood to reason that his stunning partner enjoyed it so much she'd hunted down the store Deeks purchased it from, and was now a regular customer.

There was a final click, and the sling snapped into position. Finally, Kensi looked up, catching Deeks' eye, her face mere inches from his own, her arms still slung around him. He parted his lips, almost on the verve of saying something, but his brain froze before it could get any further. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, thought for sure Kensi must be able to feel it through the infinitesimal space that separated them.

Her breath fanned his lips, and he flicked his gaze down her mouth. Kensi tugged on her plump bottom lip with her teeth, before letting it slip from her grip. He held her gaze again, seeing her eyes quiver with… with what, exactly, he didn't know. Slowly, without even realising he was doing it, Deeks began to inch forward.

The movement broke the spell.

Kensi pulled back, not far, and averted her eyes to where her fingers remained wrapped around the strap of the sling. She stroked the material gently.

"There," she began. "I think… I think that should hold."

Deeks gave her a wan smile. "Yeah," he agreed. "I feel, ya know, I feel better already. A whole new man."

She returned the weak smile, before releasing her hands and stepping back.