Author's note: This fic has been brewing and stewing around in my head now. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed thinking about it. :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing, and I promise to put Kensi and Deeks and the whole team back as soon as I'm done playing with them.

Kensi Blye turned over with a stifled moan, reaching out blindly to try and shut off the infernal noise that had jolted her awake. It took three tries before she was able to find her alarm, and by then she was too far awake to turn back over and ignore it. Just as well. Carpooling with Deeks even if just occasionally meant an attendance record that was hardly spotless. He swore morning waves were the best and she had no knowledge base with which to argue, so she usually just went along with him. If nothing else, watching Deeks surf in the gentle sunshine of a California morning was a sight to behold indeed.

Thinking of Deeks reminded her of the night before, and she pulled herself out of bed and padded her way into the living room. Blearily she peered into the still-dim living room, curtains pulled against the sunlight. Yep, there he was, one arm hanging over the end of the couch and the other buried somewhere in the cushions, and a ragged mop of blonde hair dispersed crazily all over one of her best pillows. And was that…yes, if she wasn't mistaken there was pair of panties laying on the floor, a tiny bundle of black lace laying perilously close to Deeks' outstretched fingers. She silently cursed her lack of discipline when it came to handling her laundry, and then hurried to retrieve the panties before Deeks woke up. She wasn't sure if they were clean or dirty, so just to be on the safe side she tossed them into her hamper before bustling to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee.

Once the smell of brewing coffee began to waft through the air, she took a deep breath then made her way back to the living room. "Deeks", she said, voice low. "C'mon, wake up." But he didn't, so she repeated his name twice more with no success.

"Oh, for the love of…" she muttered, finally reaching out to shake his shoulder. But before she had done much more than touch him, he'd somehow grabbed her wrist and spun himself around on the sofa, her legs tangled and tripping her up so that she ended up on top of him. Pushing herself up on her elbows, she looked down at him with her heart pounding, surprised to find herself panting a bit. It had all been so fast, and she'd been startled. That was surely the only reason to find her herself reacting so strongly. It couldn't be the way she was draped across him. Couldn't be. His eyes were still closed, and she wondered if he was in the middle of a nightmare.

"Deeks?" she asked, trying to retrieve the wrist he still grasped. "Are you… wake up!"

His mouth opened a bit, and then he snored so loudly his entire body vibrated. She realized he was faking it and wriggled vigorously, trying to free herself from the couch. "You lowlife, perverted, scum-sucking jackass."

He laughed then, blue eyes opening with far too much awareness for someone who'd just been awaked.

"How long have you been awake?" she questioned him, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Long enough," he answered, grinning wickedly at her. "What exactly was it you came in here on stealth mode to retrieve?"

"None of your business."

"C'mon, Princess. It had to be something good." He moved slightly to a more comfortable position, the very picture of affability. "Could it be your journal? I'm sure you had a few interesting observations about last night's karaoke event to record. Maybe it was my manly singing or the daring way I rescued you from that Marine at the club.."

"Rescued?" Kensi scoffed. "Whatever. That was just a sweet kid who'd had a few drinks too many, and if he was in the mood to serenade me then that was perfectly…"

"Abysmal. The word you're looking for is 'abysmal'." If anything, his smile grew broader. "Kid couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. But he had definitely had a few too many."

"You've got no room to be talking there, Deeks." She tried to push herself away but found that with the way she was sprawled across him, she had little room to maneuver. "We all had a few too many, including you. Which is why you spent the night on my couch. And which explains our present situation."

"I thought our present situation was just because you can't keep your hands off me." His eyes grew smug. "But back to the issue at hand. If it isn't your journal, then it must be something else you didn't want me to see. Something you don't want to mention. Perhaps one of your…unmentionables?"

Her expression changed slightly, lips tightening just a fraction, but it was enough. One brow rose, his expression just as victorious as his voice. "A-ha! That's it!" He pulled slightly and she found her face drawing closer to his, breaths apart as he stared into her eyes. "Spill it, Fern. Was it lacy or tiny? Or…and please God let this be it…lacy AND tiny?"

His expression changed suddenly as she managed to move a knee into place, threatening to hurt him. Really really hurt him. She used the distraction to push herself up, his grasp loosening. "How about we discontinue this discussion, or you start reconsidering any future romantic plans? At least, any plans within the next two weeks."

"Done," he said cautiously. She got up, then allowed herself a tiny bit of a smirk.

"Get up and get a move on. We've got to be at work in half an hour."

The coffee in Kensi's kitchen hadn't helped much. Both partners were still feeling the aftereffects of a night spent 'bonding' with the team, and the decision to make a stop on the way was both mutual and swift. The only discussion was in regards to where to find the best donuts in town versus the best cup of coffee. Deeks finally gave in to Kensi's sweet tooth, and she compromised by allowing him to choose the donut shop. They pulled up in front of the type of mom-and-pop shop that Deeks favored, but Kensi sat in her seat for a moment, looking around cautiously.

"What?" Deeks asked defensively. "I respect my trade craft. I haven't been here in a while."

"How long is a while?"

"A month or so. At least. Maybe more. Or maybe slightly less. I know it's been a couple of weeks since…lessee, I was surfing that one day, and the waves were spec-tac-u-lar, and I wanted to celebrate the moment by…"

With a frustrated sigh, Kensi opened the door and got out. Facing armed gunman couldn't be any worse than listening to an extended Deeks-style spiel, at least not until she had a cup of coffee and a donut in her hands.

Ten minutes later, paper sack in hand, Kensi took a deep blissful breath before getting back in the car. Mood already improved before she'd taken a bite, she looked at Deeks curiously. "Not hungry?"

He shook his head, amused at his partner's never-ending love for all things sugar. "Not all of us need sweetening in the morning, sweet cheeks. Some of us are already sweet enough."

Kensi snorted inelegantly, then sank her teeth into the first donut. She moaned aloud, a prolonged sound of pleasure and satisfaction, never noticing her partner's brief wince or deep breath. "Now I'm ready to start the day."

But the feeling of well being inspired by not one but two freshly made donuts didn't last long. Instead, Kensi found herself holding on to her stomach as the day progressed, wondering if she was still a bit hung over or if she'd caught some sort of stomach bug.

"Something wrong, partner?" Deeks asked, smirking a bit. "Guess even donuts aren't enough to cure that kind of hangover."

"I'm fine," Kensi said automatically, trying to ignore the growing discomfort and pain. A slight frown passed over her face, one a less observant partner than Deeks might not have noticed.

"I don't think you are." He got up, concerned now, and approached her desk. "We've got crackers in the lounge, or maybe some Sprite…"

She shook her head, grimacing. Even the thought of food was enough to make her wish she was home in bed.

"Okay," he said, dissatisfied. He couldn't just let her sit there, face paling slowly as the color leached out of even her lips. "Why don't we get you up and over to the couch, and you can lay down for a bit and.."

"I'm fine," she said, teeth gritted. "I don't need any help."

Shaking his head, he squatted down so he could look her in the eye. "Kensi, you're clearly not fine. C'mon."

She swatted weakly at him, but she couldn't quite disengage herself completely and was too weak to fight him off. Somehow she found herself up on her feet before she knew exactly what was happening. Suddenly dizzy, she stumbled a bit.

"Whoa," he said, putting one arm around her waist. "Let's just do this together." Taking most of her weight, he half-pulled, half-carried her over to the sofa set in one of the mission's alcoves. Depositing her carefully on it, he sat back on his heels in front of her, looking her over critically.

"Kens, I don't think this is just a hangover. I think you may be really sick."

I'm fine or I'm okay or maybe even I think you might be right is what she meant to reply, but before the words could escape her eyes rolled back in her head and she slid down off the sofa and right into Deeks' arms.