A/N: Here is the first one-shot of a series in the Nights At Honey's timeline. This occurs post NAH and follows various moments throughout Kensi and Deeks' relationship.
Kensi checked her reflection in the tiny mirror of her visor, making sure her lipstick hadn't somehow gotten smudged in the last five minutes. She brushed at a spare fleck of eyeliner, but otherwise her makeup seemed alright. Maybe it was too much though. She didn't normally wear makeup outside of undercover roles. Kensi definitely didn't want to seem like she was trying too hard.
"Kens, you look beautiful," Deeks spoke up just as she reached into her purse for a tissue. She glanced his way and saw his eyes dart over the conservative green dress she'd settled on. "You always look beautiful."
Kensi barely held back an eye roll at his fervent tone. Barring the time she'd come home from work after being shoved into a particularly nasty dumpster, Deeks seemed to find her attractive in just about any state. Even then, he'd hung out in the bathroom while Kensi worked bits of rancid beans and rice out of her hair.
"I just want to make a good impression," she replied, flicking a glance in Deeks' direction. He sat back, one hand casually braced on the steering wheel as he drove, looking completely at ease in his jeans and dress shirt. Kensi envied his confidence.
None of her previous relationships had lasted long enough to meet parents and the thought completely terrified her now. There was so much that could go wrong. Aside from tiptoeing around her less than traditional past, Kensi didn't always make the best impression. Typically, when she sensed a date wasn't going well, she found some excuse to leave, but now that wasn't an option. She cared about Deeks more than any guy she'd ever dated and wanted to, no needed, get along with his mom.
"You will. Mom's going to love you," Deeks answered, oblivious to her inner turmoil. He paused to pull off the highway, checking behind him. "Like I told you, she's ecstatic that I finally have someone to bring home. She's not overly picky at this point. Hm, that came out wrong." Deeks pursed his lips, raising a finger as he revised and Kensi found herself almost smiling despite her nerves. "Whatever you're worried about, I promise my Mom is ten times crazier than anything you and I might have going on. She was a literal hippy."
He smiled reminiscently and Kensi wondered which of the seemingly numerous stories he was recalling. He'd shared a few, which painted Roberta Deeks as a highly eccentric woman, but loving woman. It still didn't ease Kensi's mind completely.
"Because hippies are known for their love of cops."
"Just don't mention anything about terrorists and you'll be fine," Deeks suggested, pulling onto a street with nice condos and single family homes.
"That's like the fourth time you mentioned your mom and terrorists," Kensi pointed out, raising her eyebrows. "That's kind of concerning."
"Well, like any former hippy, Mom's also a bit of a conspiracy theorist when it comes to the government. She'll probably ask some incredibly ridiculous questions, but if you tell her it's classified, she usually lets it go." Deeks gave her a reassuring smile as he slowed and pulled into the driveway of a mid-sized home with brick accents. "We're here."
He blew out a short breath, the only indication that he wasn't perfectly calm and reached for her hand.
"You ready?"
"Yeah." Kensi gripped his hand more tightly than necessary, reluctantly letting go as they both got out and met at the front of his car. Deeks held a tall gift bag between two fingers, using the other to sweep his bangs off his forehead.
"It'll be fine," Deeks repeated, taking her hand again, and leading her up a short, curving walkway to the front door. He knocked sharply on the door once and turned the doorknob, calling out, "Mama, we're here!"
Noticing that she was lingering at the threshold, Deeks gently tugged her through with a soft smile. Kensi's first impression was of a cozy den with several armchairs and a long couch and a multitude of pictures.
"I'm in the kitchen!" Deeks' mom shouted back before Kensi could get a good look at any of the photos.
Shaking his head, Deeks led Kensi through the den, down a narrow hallway, and into a bright kitchen. Kensi was instantly assaulted by the mouthwatering scent of roasting tomatoes and garlic before she focused on the woman standing with her back to them, in front of the stove.
She turned around, tossing a stained towel on the counter and rushed over to greet Deeks.
"Hey Mama," he said quietly, accepting her enthusiastic hug with a light grunt. Kensi hung back again, silently observing them.
Roberta Deeks was significantly different than Kensi had expected. She just passed Deeks' shoulder and while Kensi had imagined her in brightly flowered clothes, she wore a simple black shirt and jeans, accented with a strand of pearls.
"It's good to see you, Kiddo," Roberta said, squeezing him one more time before she released him and turned to face Kensi.
"Mom, this is Kensi, my girlfriend," Deeks gestured between them, smiling as he said "girlfriend". "Kens, this is my Mom, Roberta."
"It's really nice to meet you, Mrs. Deeks," Kensi greeted her evenly, offering her hand. She just hoped it wasn't too sweaty. Roberta scrutinized her for a second and then unexpectedly wrapped her in a massive hug.
"Roberta. And you have no idea how happy I am to see you." She pulled back, holding Kensi by the shoulders as she looked her over again. Even though she was shorter than Kensi, there was considerable strength in her smaller frame. "I've been waiting for this day for years."
"Ok, Mom, you can let Kensi go now," Deeks suggested. He touched Roberta's shoulder, his expression slightly uncomfortable.
"He hasn't brought a girl to meet me in ages," Roberta shared, ignoring Deeks as she ushered them farther into the kitchen.
"Oh. Um, well, it is really nice to meet you and the food smells delicious," Kensi said uncertainly. Apparently it was the perfect thing to say because Roberta's face lit up with a grin that reminded her irresistibly of Deeks.
"It's Marty's favorite, lasagna. Do you like to cook, Kensi?" The question threw Kensi off completely.
"Uh, Marty does most of the cooking."
"You wanna to learn?"
"No," Kensi answered the second question without thinking and then winced into the resulting silence.
"I like her," Roberta decided, nodding at Deeks in apparent approval. He rolled his eyes, but looked relieved nonetheless and tugged Kensi into his side.
"Yeah, me too," he said, voice and eyes softening.
A timer dinged and Roberta hurried over to the oven again.
"The lasagna should be just about ready if you two want to set the table."
"Sure thing, Mom. We brought some wine too." Deeks lifted the wine bottle out just enough to show the label."
"Perfect," Roberta said. "Cause all I have right now is vodka and let me tell you Honey, it makes for good sauce, but isn't the best pairing for lasagna." She gave Kensi a knowing look. "Unless you got tomato juice to go with it. I make a mean Bloody Mary."
Suppressing a smirk, Kensi followed Deeks over to the table to lay out
plates and silverware.
"She loves you already," Deeks whispered, sneaking a glance at Roberta who was busily taking foil off a square dish.
"We'll see," Kensi allowed, but inside she felt deeply relieved. Even if Roberta had thrown her off-guard a couple times, it was infinitely better than disdain or judgment.
A couple minutes later, Roberta had the center of the table covered in casserole dishes of French cut green beans, lasagna, and a sliced baguette. She insisted on serving them, brushing off Kensi's offers to help with a wave of her hand.
"So, Kensi, how did you and Marty meet?" Roberta asked a few bites into their meal. Kensi paused, reviewing the story she and Deeks had compiled for such occasions.
"Uh, well, I met Dee–I mean Marty, at work." His first name felt strange on her lips, but she figured Roberta might find it a little weird to call him by his last name.
"Marty says you're some kind of secret agent with the CIA. Is that how he got involved working undercover?"
Kensi looked to Deeks, surprised that he'd told her so much, but he raised his hands in clear denial.
"Mama, I didn't say Kensi worked for the CIA," Deeks reminded her with mild exasperation in his voice.
"Fine, it wasn't the CIA. I'm just curious to know how you managed to help root out this lady who was killing male strippers."
"I was a server." Deeks shrugged innocently. "You know most people don't pay any attention to the staff. It's easy to listen in on conversation or follow people around without being noticed."
"I guess that makes sense," Roberta said, pausing to take a bite. "But that still doesn't explain what you were doing in a strip club." She poked her empty fork at Deeks accusingly. "You told me you worked at a nice restaurant near your campus, not some seedy place with half-naked people."
"I'm sorry, but we really can't go into more detail, Roberta," Kensi spoke up as she saw Deeks starting to panic just a little. "It's still in the courts and a federal case at that."
"Likely story." Roberta shook her head, planting a hand on her hip. "This one never tells me anything 'cause he thinks I'm going to have a conniption fit or something."
"Well, what I can tell you is that your son was extremely brave and directly prevented several more people from being hurt or killed." Kensi specifically left out any reference to his own injuries, knowing from Deeks' stories that would likely only lead to more questions and a great deal of upset. She caught his eye and he nodded gratefully, taking her hand under the table.
"While we were working together, I realized that I'd be an idiot not to ask Kensi out and for some reason she agreed," Deeks added, greatly paraphrasing the tumultuous and unconventional events that led to their relationship.
"And that was the best decision I ever made," Kensi said, leaning over to kiss him. Deeks cupped the back of her head, holding her to him for a few seconds longer. When she pulled back, she was blushing a little, remembering that Roberta was right beside them.
"Sorry." She took a quick sip of wine to cover her embarrassment.
"Oh, don't apologize, Honey," Roberta insisted with another wave of her hand. "I'm just glad to see Marty finally has someone one. I can already tell how happy you two are together." She reached over and squeezed Kensi's hand between both of hers.
"Mom," Deeks protested quietly.
"We are very happy," Kensi agreed.
"So, have you two talked about children yet?" Roberta asked casually.
"Mama, boundaries!"
"Fine." She lowered her voice to a loud whisper. "We'll talk later, Kensi." She clapped her hands together. "Alright, who's ready for dessert? I made tiramisu, but I doubled the wine and rum and skipped the coffee. It's my own special recipe."
Deeks sighed, breathing slowly through his nose as Roberta left the table.
"I'm sorry about all the questions," he apologized. "I love her, but she has absolutely no filter."
"It's ok," Kensi assured him. "She kind of reminds me of Nell in a way."
She smiled, running her finger across Deeks' chin. "Thank you for letting me meet her."
"Of course. I want you be a part of everything in my life. Even the crazy and ridiculous parts."
"And that's just one of the many reasons I love you," Kensi said, pressing her lips to his again.
A/N: Naturally I had to include a little dialogue from Kensi and Roberta's canon meeting in Citadel.