Two
Chapter four
Kensi paced around her apartment. She had already cleaned the kitchen countertops twice, swept the floors and if she watered the plants again they would definitely die.
She groaned out load and just wished he'd get there.
This time was different and it made her more nervous than she would ever admit. It was four o'clock in the afternoon. She was going to end up wearing a bathing suit and the weirdest thing of all; Deeks was coming to pick her up.
When she heard him honking outside her apartment she relaxed a little. It was, after all, still Deeks. She grabbed her bag of stuff and floppy sun hat and headed out the door.
When he had told her he'd come pick her up she'd questioned him about it.
"I thought you didn't have a car."
"I don't have a car," he replied and then sang, "I'm sorry – can't afford a Ferrari – but that doesn't mean I can't get you there. Don't worry," he added quickly, "I won't sing the chorus." He grinned at her. "This is the G version by the way. G like in Glee – get it?"
"Deeks," she scoffed, "you just admitted you watch Glee – you are such a Nancy!" Her insult didn't carry a lot of weight after he glanced up and caught the look of relaxed, was that- fondness? on her face. "Well, Gwyneth Paltrow is totally hot."
She had laughed then, clearly intrigued. Seeing him sitting in the parking lot now, she laughed again – hard. He was leaning out the window of what must be a 1970's Datsun truck. It was mud brown with patches of rust and lots of dents. The small truck bed was piled high. Kensi could pick out two surfboards and a huge cooler, along with a variety of smaller things. And the sound! The engine sounded like a lawn mower that was just about to explode.
Marty hopped out of the cab and crossed over to Kensi's door. It made a terrible grating sound as he swung it open.
He bowed deeply before her, trying hard to keep a straight face and said, "Princess, your carriage awaits." With that, all Kensi's nervousness flew away. She was, once again, really looking forward to this day – and spending it with this slightly crazy man.
They tried to talk several times as they drove through the residential areas but it was difficult to hear over the engine's whine. When they finally got to the highway and gained speed the noise was less and they could finally talk.
Marty broke the ice. "Well. Do you like it?" It was a piece of junk truck but Kensi could tell her answer was important, so for once she went easy on him.
"Yeah Deeks." She was trying to keep from laughing. "It's great. Suits you perfectly. How long have you had it?"
"I bought it when I was seventeen. I used it for dump runs when I worked at Leo's. I even lived in it a few times- but they were not good times! " As they laughed, Marty remembered that part of the plan had been that he and Kensi would each use an alias during their dates.
"Hey, Fern," he teased. "Do you want me to call you Tracy today? I will if it helps you with this whole thing. But it might be easier to learn to surf if you don't have to try to remember my name all the time. Your call."
"It's okay Deeks. It was a good idea but I don't think it'll change the outcome if I use your real name." There was a slightly uncomfortable pause and he knew she was thinking again that this whole idea was hopeless. Then she pulled her shoulders back, threw him a smile and warned, "Don't call me Fern."
As Deeks maneuvered off the street onto the long, downward winding driveway, Kensi caught a glimpse of the house they were approaching. It was magnificent and made even more so by the view of the warm colored sand and bright blue water that stretched out behind it. They pulled up in front of the large and very serious looking gates. Sticking his head out the window, Deeks greeted whoever was now watching them.
"Hey Calvin. What's up man?"
"Marty! Hey, I thought you weren't gonna make it. You're starting kinda late today."
"Yeah, but the real waves aren't for a couple more hours. We're golden." When he said it Marty looked carefully at Kensi. She recognized the saying he had used when he introduced her to this plan, and responded with a grin.
"Hey Marty. Who's that with you? Are you telling me that beautiful woman is here with you?"
Both Kensi and Marty recalled the very similar words Leo had spoken on their first date, and exchanged knowing glances. This time the words didn't seem to carry the same sting. Deeks just shrugged his shoulders with a goofy grin on his face. "I'm a lucky man Calvin. A lucky, lucky man."
Deeks parked the truck near a small guesthouse located right on the beach. "We can use the main house but I never do. This place has everything."
While Kensi changed into her bathing suit and put on the short wet suit he provided, Marty unloaded the truck and carried the boards down near the water's edge. Kensi's mind was racing when she approached a few minutes later. He had pulled on his own wetsuit but hadn't bothered to zip it closed. It fit him well in all the right places. She was once again startled at the tone of his muscles and just how good he looked. The casual, baggy clothes he often wore made it easy to forget the body that was hidden beneath. She was certainly thinking about it now and when he looked up, he totally caught her checking him out.
He smirked at her briefly, but instead of his usual teasing remark he only tilted his head to one side and gave her an appreciative look in return.
"You ready?"
"As I'll ever be I guess."
Hearing the slightest hesitation in her voice he laughed and said, "Just try not to be better than I am on your first day, Okay?"
Relaxing, she laughed and promised to do her best.
The lesson started off with standing on the board in the sand. They talked about the balance point of the board, where to stand and how to place her feet. They practiced moving from lying down to a standing position. The natural athlete in Kensi made most of what he was saying second nature.
The waves were starting to get a little better as they paddled out on their boards. Lying on their bellies, Deeks held Kensi's board to keep them together as they talked about direction and approach and correct angles.
When it was time for her to actually try to choose a wave and stand up, Kensi's heart was beating hard enough that she had to work to hear Marty's voice above it. Just before she dug her arms into the water to begin paddling, Kensi glanced up at Deeks. The expression on his face was a look of total – what? – devotion? awe? affection? Thinking about him for that split second, was enough to throw off her timing. She made it to her knees and was actually moving with the wave but immediately lost her balance and tumbled ungracefully into the water.
While she was under the water she thought ruefully about what had just happened. She would normally spent the next few minutes mentally beating herself up. She hated failure and had little patience with her own mistakes. This time however, she gave a mental shrug as she broke the surface. The first thing she saw was Marty's face. He broke into a wide grin and paddled toward her.
"Thanks for that," he chuckled. "I'll pull that picture out of my head the next hundred times you destroy me in some competition. You ready to try again?"
Instead of feeling anger or irritation, Kensi accepted Marty's words as the compliments they were and grinned at him before heading out to try again.
Two hours later Deeks insisted that they needed to stop and rest. They were starting to get cold and it was clear Kensi was working harder to hop up onto the board. She had managed to ride several waves all the way to the beach and on the last trip she was comfortable enough to enjoy herself. And, as he told her, she looked good doing it.
"Hey," she said, turning her head toward him." You haven't had a chance to really surf. I'd be happy to watch if you want to catch few."
"Nope. I'm good. I can surf by myself anytime." He hesitated and then added, "It's more fun to hang out with you."
As the words slipped out Marty wondered what her response would be to his admission. His words had been genuine- not their usual teasing. In the past, she would have sniped at him, but she said nothing. As they pulled their boards from the water he caught her eyes and noticed the tiny frown that settled right between her eyebrows. When he shot her one of his easy smiles and shrugged, she just smiled back.
The boards were awkward and heavy but Kensi insisted on carrying her own – of course. Because her muscles were tired from the unusual activity, Kensi found herself having to work at walking across the sand. When they neared the guesthouse, they both stuck their boards in the sand and flopped happily onto lounge chairs.
Resting his head against the chair Marty relaxed. He was pleasantly tired and totally satisfied. He felt the day was going really well and thought that Kensi was feeling the same but as always, he needed confirmation.
"So… What did you think?" he questioned, drawing out the syllables. He felt himself tense as he waited for her reply and realized how much he wanted her to have enjoyed the day.
There was a long pause and he felt himself go from expectation to concern to near panic before she spoke.
Without really understanding why, Kensi needed to be serious about her answer. Her thoughts were flitting from place to place and she was considering so much more than just the great time she had on the surfboard. Always reluctant to share her feelings, she hesitated, but felt like it was time to open up to this quirky man she worked with every day and had just spent an amazing afternoon with. She knew he had put a lot of thought and effort into this date and into the whole "project'. She suddenly wanted him to know… what?
"Thank you," she said quietly when she finally spoke. It was the cut-to-the-chase bottom line of what she was feeling. "Sometimes I don't understand your need to protect me one minute and make my life miserable the next. I'm not sure I understand why you've invested so much of yourself into this date thing. But I do know that today has been awesome and I wouldn't have wanted to spend it with anyone but you." Kensi paused again and looked down at her toes that were digging into the sand.
Marty watched her as she spoke. He knew that it was difficult for her to be open with people and appreciated that she was trying.
"You're welcome Kensi," he said in an unusually serious voice. Then, regaining his teasing tone, he added, "Do you think maybe we know each other well enough now for you to use my first name?"
"Don't press your luck Deeks," she fired back with a chuckle.
Kensi's head fell back against her chair and she smiled. It felt wonderful to just rest in the sun. It was getting on into evening and was no longer hot, just warm enough, and the chair was soft and her muscles were very tired.
When she woke a few minutes later she pulled herself to a sitting position and feeling a little stiff, knew she'd be sore in the morning. Looking around she saw Marty near the guesthouse. He had built a small fire in a brick enclosure and was pulling containers from the cooler that she had seen in the back of the truck. He had stacked paper plates and napkins on the table under an umbrella. She could also see a bucket with ice, soda and beer.
"Morning Sleeping Beauty, " he called out when he noticed that she was awake. "Did you enjoy your nap?"
"I did," she answered with a yawn. "There is not much in life better than a nap."
Deeks shot her an amused glance but chose not to touch her comment with the proverbial ten-foot pole. Instead he asked, "You hungry?"
Kensi's stomach tightened at his question. She hadn't eaten much for breakfast and it was well past dinnertime.
"I'm starving, unless you cooked," her attempt at humor not very successful. "No. Let me change that. Yes, I'm starving. What did you cook Deeks," she teased.
"Oh, it's just a little something I whipped up in my spare time this morning. " Then after a pause he laughed and said, "Not really. I asked Stella to fix us a picnic. I think she put at least one of everything in this basket. Check it out."
The food was good and the company was better. That's how Marty decided he'd remember the meal. Kensi was hungry, tired and relaxed. She couldn't remember when she had felt more content.
"What?" Marty sputtered in disbelief. "You are seriously trying to tell me that you have never made s'mores? I think growing up without them might constitute child abuse."
"Well, if they're so important are you going to tell me how to make one?"
"No. I'm going to make one for you. Do you want chocolate chip cookies or chocolate covered graham crackers? Plain chocolate, chocolate with toffee bits or a peanut butter cup? One marshmallow or two?"
After she answered each question Deeks gathered the ingredients and moved closer to the fire. He toasted the marshmallows carefully and then slid them into place between the cookies and the chocolate. As he handed it to her he said. "Hold it together for a minute or two so the chocolate melts."
When Kensi took her first bite of the all American campfire dessert she was an instant fan. Instead of speaking, she just kept eating around the edges of the gooey treat and at the end, popped the remainder into her mouth and chewed with total satisfaction.
"Really good, but really messy," she groaned with a laugh as she looked down at her marshmallow-covered fingers. She started to reach in front of Marty to get a towel but stopped quickly when he grasped her wrist. Before she had time to think, he pulled her hand toward him and sucked her fingers into his mouth. Kensi froze in place with her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open. She felt a moment of near panic and then heard a noise escape from the back of her throat that was neither a laugh nor a moan. She could feel his tongue as he worked the sweet stickiness off her fingers. Closing her eyes briefly, she struggled to retain her dignity. When she opened them again she was looking straight into the icy blue of his eyes. She didn't want to move, never wanted to look away or blink. Her heart was beating at a totally inappropriate rate as she took shallow breaths through her slightly open mouth. Her mind flew through all the ways and reasons this was a dangerous mistake. This was her partner and no matter how he made her feel – she wouldn't let herself finish the thought. Their eyes were still locked together, and she felt, more than saw him smile against her hand. So, that's what it means in the movies when they say time stood still, Kensi thought. Somehow, that random thought struck her as funny and as her panic melted away like the sugar off her fingers, she relaxed into his hands.
When he finally let her pull her fingers from his mouth, he didn't let go of her wrist. Giving her an open smile he asked, "Better?" She nodded silently, feeling strangely at ease.
"You're weird Deeks," she said quietly. "Kinda cute, but very weird."
The rest of the evening flew by. They spent most of it just talking. They both shared things about their past, some good, and some bad. An outsider might have believed that they were just friends from work getting to know each other better. What they were actually doing felt like something much, much more.
At ten o'clock they pulled into the parking lot outside Kensi's apartment. Deeks shut the truck off quickly. They were both glad for a respite from its noise.
Kensi was really too exhausted from the work of surfing and the warm day in the sun to be anything but comfortable. Deeks swung open her door and helped her out of the truck. As they walked toward the apartment he swung his arm across her shoulders and pulled her up against his side. They didn't speak. This just felt right and words were unnecessary.
After Kensi unlocked and opened the door she turned to face him. There was a long pause that might have been awkward but wasn't.
"Deeks, thank you for today. I'm not sure I can make you understand how much I appreciate this. You. But I do and I hope you get that. Whether or not this idea of yours works, I had a great time. And we tried right?"
He watched her face and both saw and heard the deep feelings behind her words. There were a million things he wanted to say to her. Things he desperately wanted her to know. But his desire to keep his promises and respect their partnership won out and he said only, "Yep, I really do. And you know we can go surfing again anytime. Plus now you know about the best little restaurant in LA. Leo and Stella expect you to stop by now and then." After a pause he finished, "I'll see you at work on Monday."
He hated the way it sounded final – like this was the end of something. But if he were honest, it was the end. Things would go back to normal at work. The "project" was over. He shook his head ruefully but knew this was better than nothing.
With a smile that was just a little sad, Marty kissed her cheek and headed back to the truck.
Wednesday night Deeks was in a very bad mood. He knew that tonight Kensi would look at the contact list on her phone and choose one of her many first dates to call and set up a second (successful) date. Thinking about it now, he could not imagine how he could have ever thought this was a good idea. Dropping his face into his hands he wondered why he'd ever wanted her to have a good second date with some other guy.
After long minutes of kicking himself, he admitted that he had done it all for Kensi and that more than anything else he wanted her to be happy. He wanted her to find someone who could bring her the happiness she deserved.
With a great sigh he got up off the couch and headed for the shower. At least he had something to do to distract himself. Stella had called and invited him to join them for dinner after closing. She was making one of his favorites, a recipe that used a fish that was in season for only a short time each year. Often when he had worked there, Stella would fix dinner for the three of them after everyone else had gone home. It was always good to sit down to a great meal after a hard day. Tonight, the food and the company sounded perfect.
It was nine o'clock when Deeks pushed open the door to Leo's. He stopped to take in a deep breath. The restaurant always smelled like wonderful food, but it also smelled like home. A little of his tension faded away as he headed toward the table where he knew he would find them, but it returned when he saw that it had been set for four
The door to the kitchen swung open as if on cue and Stella swept through carrying a bottle of wine and a basket of rolls.
"Hello dear, it's good to see you," she said genuinely. She gave him his usual kiss on the cheek before unloading her hands. "How are you?"
He shrugged and took the bottle to open it. "About as good as can be expected." After a moment he added, "Who's joining us?"
Deeks noticed Stella hesitate before she answered. "Marty, I hope it's okay but she called and was kind of upset, so I invited her."
He set the bottle on the table and shot her a frown. "Who was upset?"
Stella's voice was quiet and concerned when she answered. "Kensi."
It took all the control Marty could muster to not stand up and walk away. He had a short but intense battle with himself as he struggled with his feelings. Kensi was still his partner and the whole date thing had been his idea. Now he was going to have to deal with the aftermath and he might as well start now as later. Trying to sound casual he looked into Stella's eyes and heard himself say, in a nearly normal voice, "That will be nice."
When Kensi walked in a few minutes later there were greetings all around. Deeks seemed to have his feelings under complete control but Kensi looked a little pale and fidgeted nervously. As Stella started to put plates around the table and Leo filled the wine glasses, Kensi suddenly looked at her watch, stood up and excused herself.
"This will just take a minute," she said and blushed. "I need to make a quick call." As she moved away she met Marty's gaze. He couldn't read her expression before she dropped her eyes and disappeared around the corner.
It was really all too much. Deeks grabbed his wine glass, deciding that at least he could get really good and drunk tonight. But before he had time to take a sip his phone rang.
"Damn," he thought, knowing that if they got called in to work, he'd not only miss getting drunk and a having good dinner, he'd also have to spend who knows how long with Kensi…
With his eyes firmly closed in frustration, he took a deep breath, flipped open the phone and snapped, "Marty Deeks."
"Hey… Marty. It's Kensi. I was wondering if you have any plans Saturday night…"
Marty's eyes flew open and he could see her standing in the doorway. She met his eyes with a small, crooked smile and shrugged her shoulders. Closing her phone she said, "There was really no other choice."
The end.
Hope you enjoyed reading this. I had a great time writing it. Thank you for all the kind words.