HEARTS FOR KENSI

Thursday, February 13 - 2:35 a.m.

Kensi stared at the time on her cell phone. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she laid it down on the bedside table. Her last contact with Deeks was a brief text 2 days ago. She grabbed the phone again and scrolled through the messages to read it once more.

Deeks – Checking in. U good?

Kensi – I'm bored. U?

Deeks – Tired.

Kensi – When r u coming home?

Deeks – Soon. Save me a donut.

Kensi – I ate them all.

Deeks – What? Fern, you'll get fat and can't wear your size 2 jeans!

That brought a tiny smile to her face. But it was not the same as having him beside her complaining, mainly in jest, that her starfish sleeping pattern was pushing him off the bed.

Fern. She used to hate the silly nickname. Now she'd give anything, even 2 dozen donuts, to hear Deeks utter it.

And what did he mean by soon? Tomorrow was Valentine's Day. Did he realize that? They didn't have to go out or do anything extravagant. To have him safe at home with her would be the best Valentine present ever.

For the last 3 weeks, he'd been working an undercover assignment for LAPD. Would these ever end? He couldn't reveal any details and she understood and respected that. However, it didn't mean she had to like it.

No sir, she hated it every time they pulled him back in. He was good at the undercover stuff, but it reminded her that he'd led a different sort of life before she met him. And that she was not the only woman to pass through his life.

I don't want to pass through; I want to be forever.

"Ugh."

She pummeled Deeks' pillow and hugged it to her chest. Until she could wrap her arms around the real deal, this would have to suffice. But it was a poor substitute. She huffed and squirmed around trying to get comfortable. Then her brain began replaying the conversation they had the afternoon he left:

"You know I'm still tied to LAPD."

Kensi glared at him with her hands on her hips. "Yes, and I don't like it. When are you going to cut those ties and become a real NCIS agent? Don't you want to be my permanent partner?"

"I've been thinking about it. About a lot of things actually."

"What things?" demanded Kensi. "Are you going back to them?" Her stomach began flip-flopping.

"You make LAPD sound like an ex-wife."

Before he could continue, his phone chirped with a text. He quickly read it and slipped the phone back into his pocket.

"Kens, can we not get into this right now? I have to be at the precinct in forty-five minutes."

Her shoulders slumped. "Fine."

He stepped closer and lightly gripped her upper arms. "I promise we'll talk, really talk, when I get back. Okay? Don't count me out." His eyes went from ocean-blue to cobalt as his tone grew serious.

"Okay, sure. But. . ." She wanted to say more. Why couldn't she get the words out?

"What? Say it."

"Stay safe . . . for me."

"For you?" Deeks smiled.

"Yeah, if something happens to you, I'll have to break in a new partner. Not sure my sanity is up for that challenge. It took months to get you trained." Kensi rolled her eyes.

"Is that all? Why can't you just admit you're crazy about me and that I'm the only partner you'll ever need?"

Kensi was taken aback by the question. The bullpen didn't seem like the right place to acknowledge her rather complicated feelings for the man in front of her. Anyone might overhear and it could cause, well, awkwardness for the rest of the team.

She poked his ribs. "Go on. The sooner you go, the sooner you can get back."

Deeks ached to kiss her, but he heard Sam and Callen returning from the gym. Best not to start something they couldn't finish. He squeezed her arms gently and left. He had to escape before he did something rash, like shove her against that column and kiss the living daylights out of her. Eric once mentioned there was a surveillance blind spot along one side of the column.

There was nothing more to say. Kensi stared after him, already missing his touch as the pall of loneliness descended on her.

11:40 A.M. – LAPD Safe House

It was finally over. The bad guys had been taken down and were being fingerprinted and processed into the county jail. Deeks had given his statement and finished his paperwork.

He'd been awake for more hours than he cared to think about and he smelled like it, too. If Kensi was here, she'd be standing ten feet away with her nose wrinkled in disgust.

Kensi. He couldn't wait to see her. He'd had a lot of time to think about her, about them, about NCIS, about life in general. It was time to get some things sorted out.

Technically, he was free to return to his apartment. But that was fifteen miles away and he desperately needed sleep.

The term "safe house" must be the fugitive squad's idea of a joke. This was a not-so-clean apartment in a sketchy neighborhood with a not-so-secure lock on the door.

Whatever. At least it wasn't the dumpster behind the Ethiopian restaurant. He'd spent several uncomfortable nights there in his homeless persona. He pushed the ragged sofa in front of the door. It was too short for him to sleep on so he pulled the lumpy cushions to the floor and collapsed there.

He laid his main weapon by his head. His backup piece was strapped to his ankle. He set the alarm on his watch and closed his eyes, hoping to dream of Kensi. He was sound asleep in thirty seconds.

Tonight was crunch time. In more ways than one.

The Muse dropped the idea for this little number on me and I had to obey! Next week you'll get more. Stay tuned and please review!