Drabble of the Week: Murky Waters

“Are you ready?” Kensi leaned forward, a hand curling over the curve of the glove box, watching as her fiancé slipped into the driver’s seat of his truck, coiling Monty’s leash in his hand as he moved, tossing it on the center console of the vehicle, the old dog stretched over the backseat behind them.

“Ready for what? Not sure Monty can handle much more today, baby.”

“Ready to talk,” tilting her head back against the headrest, her eyes found his, almost surprised when he continued to steadily meet her gaze. “Seeing Kirkin just now, seeing he’s alive-“

“That just means it’s over, means that when we get home I’m texting Callen to see if he’s hanging in there, that he’s the priority now.”

“Deeks.” Leaning towards him, she wrapped a hand over his wrist, tugging it slightly in her direction. “I know something is up with you, I know- I just figured that now…”

“It doesn’t really matter, Kens,” he shrugged, eyes almost defeated. “Callen made the call, I said what my conscience told me, that’s it.”

“Callen is family, what he’s feeling this minute, that isn’t fair.”

“Neither was the other option.”

“And he just got his father, Deeks.” His eyes penetrating hers, she forced her tone to remain even, pressing down anger that seemed desperate to bubble up. “We have to protect our team, how many times have you blurred lines for someone?”

“Enough to know that making excuses to help someone you care for can lead to some real murky waters.” His eyes dropped quickly, landing on her lap and staying even after she squeezed his arm in response, the heavy nature behind his words deflating her building anger immediately. “And I’m damn tired of being pulled into them.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he shook his head and lifted it, blue meeting brown again. “I’d jump in head first for you, every time.”

“Maybe that isn’t such a good thing,” she murmured, pressing down her natural answer, that she’d be diving in those waters alongside him.

“It’s truth, reality.” Lifting her hand from his arm, he gave it a quick squeeze before starting the truck, Monty whimpering in surprise to the sound of the engine, roused from his sleep. “It’s why I can’t fault Callen, screwed up as it is, I know how you don’t see right and wrong when someone you love is on the line.”

“And what it’s like to cross those lines and have to see what’s left behind you,” she finished for him, understanding exactly why he’d continued pressing Callen the day before.

Nodding, he allowed a few minutes of silence to hit them as he pulled out of the parking lot, moved towards her favorite drive through and near home.

“We’d gone a little while without an argument.”

“Yeah,” she shrugged. “It’s us, it was bound to happen eventually.”

Snorting a laugh, he took advantage of a red light to grab her hand again. “Let’s go home and fight about wedding cakes and venues.”

“Sounds perfect.”