Aces & Eights: A NCISLA FanFic Relay Chapter Two

Deeks and Kensi join Nell and Eric on a trip to Las Vegas. They go for fun and gaming, but all does not turn out as planned and unexpected danger lurks under the bright lights of the Luxor.  A wikiDeeks Exclusive: A Fan Fic Relay in 12 Chapters by seven of your favorite fanfic writers: SweetLu, Jericho Steele, peanutbutterer, Kadiedid, imahistorian, Tess DiCorsi, and phillydi.

 

Chapter 2

by peanutbutterer 

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“Me, you, Vegas.” Deeks stopped in his tracks, inhaling long and deep, arms outstretched. He exhaled loudly. “It’s happening.”

Kensi’s eyes swept across the foyer of the Luxor. It was all bright lights and gold statues and people and excitement and yeah, it was definitely happening.

“And, you know, Nell and Eric too,” Deeks amended as the pair came up behind them, Nell guiding a whimpering Eric through the doors.

“I just don’t…”

“Eric,” Kensi interrupted, “if you say another word about your facial hair I’m going to rip it off.”

He continued to scratch at it, his face scrunched in discomfort. “But it itches.”

“Come on,” Nell said, hiking her bag up higher on her shoulder. “Why don’t you help me check in?”

The whimpering grew quieter as Nell dragged him toward the front desk.

Kensi shook her head and looked over at Deeks. He was grinning at her, eyes dancing with excitement. He looked like a puppy. She couldn’t suppress a grin of her own.

“Well?” he asked. “Is it everything you imagined? How’s your first Vegas experience so far?”

Kensi laughed. “We are literally still in the lobby.”

He grabbed her hand and tugged her forward. “Just wait ‘til you see the rooms.”

…

“So, um,” Eric shifted his weight, bag clutched tightly in his hands. He nodded toward the beds. “Which one would you like?”

“I’ll take this one.” Nell tossed her stuff onto the one closest to the window totally unfazed by what Eric was sure was an incredibly awkward situation.

Maybe that meant it wasn’t actually awkward? Maybe it was completely normal? Just two co-workers of the opposite sex sharing a room at a hotel. No big deal. That was totally normal. Of course it was. He was just being silly.

“I’m going to change before dinner,” Nell said, unzipping her bag and starting to dig around in it. She tossed a few articles of clothing onto the bed as she did. Shirt, shirt, skirt, bra.

Eric jerked his head to the side and snapped his eyes shut.

Oh no, this was not at all normal.

“Are you going to come all the way in or were you expecting me to carry you across the threshold?”

“Oh, uh, right.” Eric opened his eyes, cleared his throat and turned back toward the center of the room. He kept his gaze focused on the giant window at the far side, but it didn’t keep him from noticing a splash of bright pink in his peripheral vision.

Eyes up, Beale. Eyes up. 

“Eric?”

This was going to be a very long weekend.

…

Kensi’s head thumped against the slanted wall. “Ouch!”

“Sorry,” Deeks said, lips not leaving her neck as he turned them around and backed her toward the bed. “Wasn’t accounting for the angle.”

When the back of her legs hit the mattress she tumbled onto the bed with a yelp.

He yanked off his shirt before following her down, bracing his hands on either side of her and propping himself up. “The ancient Egyptians probably had this making-out-in-pyramids thing all figured out.”

“The pyramids were royal tombs, Deeks. There is no way…”

He pressed his lips to hers. So, not the time for Wikipedia.

They continued to kiss, her hands finding exposed skin at his hips and wow, he was definitely going to enjoy Vegas.

He tilted his head to get a better angle and his hair moved, strands brushing her skin as it fell into her face. She scrunched up her nose, taking her lips from his and turning her head to the side.

She brought a hand up to scratch her cheek. “You know who could use a disguise?”

Deeks turned his attention to her exposed neck, pressing soft kisses into her skin as he breathed. “Not happening, Kens.”

“I’m not saying you have to get a buzz cut. Just a little…” her breath hitched when he hit just the right spot. “…trim.”

He hummed in response, lips vibrating against her collarbone as he worked his way down, slipping the fabric of her shirt to the side.

The vibrating continued.

“Don’t get it,” he mumbled against her skin, but she was already pushing herself up.

She snagged her phone and read the display. “It’s Nell.”

Deeks sighed, running a hand through his hair as he sat upright. Of course it was Nell.

“Yeah,” Kensi said into the phone. “Sounds good. We’ll be right there.” She clicked it off and slipped it into her pocket. “Buffet time!”

“But I had some other ideas about how to keep my mouth occupied,” he said in his most seductive voice, his hand sliding slowly up her thigh.

Kensi leaned over, giving him a quick peck before practically bouncing off the bed and up to her feet, knocking his hand right out of her lap. “Let’s go, let’s go!”

Unlimited food: 1, Deeks: 0.

He sighed and followed her out the door. Clearly, the honeymoon phase was over.

…

Nell sucked the last of her Mai Tai through her straw and another appeared beside her. This place was like a never-ending stream of alcohol.

It was awesome.

“You look like a pirate,” she decided aloud, lifting her hand to cover Eric’s eye. “Say ‘argh!’”

“Argh!”

“Say ‘ahoy, matey!’”

“Ahoy, matey!”

She laughed and transferred her straw to the new drink. “We should get you a pirate costume. That would be totally awesome.”

“And totally conspicuous,” Deeks said around a mouthful of chicken wing. “Isn’t the goal to keep him from being noticed?”

“It’s impossible to be conspicuous here,” Kensi argued, pointing to the pair of showgirls a few yards away. They twinkled like stars. If it wasn’t for the smell of booze and the sound of slot machines, Nell would have thought she was outside looking up at the sky. “As long as he avoids sequins and feathers I think he’ll be fine.”

“Oo, a sequined pirate.” Nell’s eyes widened. She could totally picture it: Eric with the dark hair and the goatee and a vest of brilliant silver to match his diamond earring. He’d be standing at the helm, wind blowing the feather in his worn leather hat. “How cool would that be?”

“How about we take a walk?” Deeks suggested, sliding out of the booth. “I think it’s time for a little fresh air.”

Nell frowned. At least, she thought she was frowning. She felt her face to make sure. Yup, she was frowning. “But I just got another drink.”

“No problem,” Kensi said, snatching up Nell’s Mai Tai and her own mojito as she got to her feet. “We can take it with us.”

Nell slipped out of the booth and joined her three friends, retrieving her drink from Kensi with a giggle. “This place is awesome.”

…

“It seems irresponsible to use this much water for something purely aesthetic when this region is prone to severe and catastrophic droughts,” Eric said, resting his palms on the railing. The water spurted up with a flash of light as “Viva Las Vegas” reached its climax.

“Actually,” Nell said, her head swiveling as her eyes followed the display. “Las Vegas is one of the country’s most progressive cities for water conservation. It’s unlikely they’d let it continue if it was in any way contributing to their water shortage.”

“I hear they use greywater from the hotel,” Deeks supplied, leaning forward on the railing, his fingers woven through Kensi’s. It was weird seeing them so openly affectionate– but at the same time not weird at all.

Kensi shook her head. “That’s not true. The Bellagio draws water from its own well– a well that was constructed for a golf course that was here previously. The water show actually requires less water than that course did.”

Deeks blew air out of his mouth. “I’ve got to stop hanging out with nerds.”

“We prefer ‘intellectual superiors,’” Nell said, grinning.

Eric grinned too. He couldn’t help it. It was impossible to see her smile and not be infected.

“Anyone want to take a stroll through Paris?”

Nell hooked her arm through his. “I’d love to.”

…

Deeks sat on the bed, legs crossed at his ankles and arms folded over his chest.

He gestured at the screen. “This is ridiculous. They would need a search warrant for that.”

“You really have to stop expecting realism from scripted shows,” Kensi called from the bathroom. “I keep telling you that.”

“Oh yeah,” he said, flicking the channel away from TBS. “Like your unscripted reality stuff is more true-to-life.”

“Just because it’s not true to your life doesn’t mean it’s not reality,” she countered, stepping into the bedroom.

Anything Deeks might have responded died on his lips, his mouth falling open slightly as he took in the sight before him.

“I am so glad I packed that.”

She smiled, walking toward him in a move she totally learned from America’s Next Top Model. He had a new appreciation for that show.

“What happens in Vegas…”

“Will live on in instant replays for the rest of the foreseeable future.”

She grinned as she straddled his legs. “Totally acceptable.”

…

“So,” Nell said, pushing her empty breakfast plate away. “The show starts at 6:30 and we should be there about thirty minutes early. That means we need to start dinner no later than five o’clock. It’s,” she looked at her watch. “9:27 now.”

“I don’t know if we’ll make it,” Deeks said, stabbing a potato with his fork and popping it in his mouth.

Kensi picked up a grape and threw it at him.

“There’s a spa appointment at 10,” Nell said, confirming the reservation on her tablet. “For Kensi, Deeks, and I.”

Kensi snorted.

“I’ll take a massage from you instead, if you’re offering,” Deeks said, eyebrows wiggling.

Kensi threw another grape.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. Eric,” Nell continued. “The magic show you wanted to see at Planet Hollywood starts at 10:30. We should be able to meet for lunch at 12:30. After that…”

“We should go on the roller coaster,” Kensi said around a mouthful of bacon. “The one in New York.”

“Okay,” Nell typed into her tablet. “New York at 1:30.”

“Shark reef?” Deeks suggested, pushing his plate toward his partner, who’d been picking at it since she finished most of her own. Kensi smiled and stuck another piece of bacon in her mouth, chewing happily.

“Got it.”

“And since we’re already at the beach, we should spend some time poolside. We wouldn’t want Kensi to have packed six different bikinis for nothing.”

Kensi glared. “I don’t own six bikinis.”

“Huh,” Deeks said, scratching the back of his neck. “It’s possible some of those were underwear.”

“Deeks!”

“What? They’re basically the same thing!”

“Okay, pool time.” Nell noted the addition to their itinerary. “Anything else?”

“Casino?” Eric suggested.

Nell nodded. “Sure. That sounds perfect. We’ll go from there to the buffet.”

“But no part of our day includes strippers,” Deeks pointed out. “Maybe we should skip dinner?”

Kensi shook her head and sighed. “You’re lucky I’m out of grapes.”

…

“That was terrible.”

“-Ly amazing, you mean. Terribly amazing.”

Kensi added her playbill to the stack by the door for reuse. “There is no way you actually thought that.”

“Come on,” Deeks said as they made their way to the elevators. “It had everything. Romance, comedy, intrigue, death, togas. Right, guys? Back me up here.”

Nell pressed the up button. “It did have togas.”

“See,” Deeks said, gesturing to Nell.

There were three collective eye rolls as the elevator doors pinged open.

“Okay, fine. It could have been better.” They stepped in the elevator and selected their floor. “But it was an experience.”

“Just not a good one,” Eric said.

Kensi and Nell laughed.

“So, wait,” Nell asked, “I was confused. That scene in the middle with the Jazz song – was that a dream sequence?”

“No,” Eric answered, “I think it was some sort of collective hallucination. Remember the guy with the bald head and all the potions…”

Kensi linked her arm with Deeks’ and dropped her head on his shoulder, tuning out as Nell and Eric continued to discuss the finer points of the worst show in theater history. She breathed in Deeks’ scent mixed with a hint of cologne or aftershave – or maybe some oils from their appointment at the spa.

It was the first time since Mammoth that they’d been away and it felt good, felt comfortable. It’d been a long time since she had allowed herself to imagine being in this place with someone.

She never imagined it would be this good.

“I love you,” she whispered in his ear as the elevator doors slid open.

He squeezed her hand four times.

I love you, too.

…

To Be Continued…

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Edit by Sweet Lu

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