Deeks laughed as he pulled out of the parking lot. It wasn't just a chuckle, but a full belly laugh. Kensi was coming over at six and in that time, he needed to make a lasagne with sides and straighten up the house.
"Dad, what's so funny?"
"Hmm." Deeks took a few deep breaths to calm himself and glanced over at Caleb, who had a confused, vaguely concerned expression. "It seems the world, and my son, are conspiring against me," he answered.
"What does that mean?" Caleb asked, sounding annoyed that he didn't understand.
"It means that you need to clean up all the toys in the living room and you're in charge of layering noodles and sauce since you decided to invite guests."
"Ok." Shrugging, Caleb accepted his fate easily. "I like cooking."
Kensi rushed home after finishing up at school to change into something that didn't have juice and play dough smeared on it. Really, it shouldn't matter. She shouldn't care what Deeks thought about her clothes (Caleb certainly wouldn't notice) but she did.
If she was smart, Kensi would have declined Deeks' offer, would have listened to the voice reminding her that going to his house was definitely crossing the line. She'd been making a lot of not-smart decision where he was concerned and with each one, she found she cared less.
Pulling up outside the address Deeks had texted her, Kensi took in the small yellow house. A few trees and small bushes decorated the lawn, and there was a small porch giving it a homey look. It was clearly older but kept up.
Kensi checked her reflection in the visor window one last time and got out, pulling in a deep breath to steady a sudden bout of nerves. She felt a little self-conscious on the relatively short walk to the front door, thinking of curious neighbors watching.
When she reached the door, she noticed a small white sign balanced in the bay window, which exclaimed "Welcome, Caleb and Marty. Based on the wobbly letters with a few extra drips of paint, she guessed Caleb had painted his name himself. The thought made her smile and she felt less uncertain as she rang the doorbell.
There was a shuffle of feet and she heard Caleb's faint voice shout something through the door, followed by a deeper answer from Deeks. The door swung open a moment later, and Caleb appeared with a giant grin.
He was barefoot now, hair escaping any semblance of control, and had a smear of something red that looked suspiciously like tomato sauce on his little button-down shirt.
"Hi Miss Blye," he greeted her with a massive smile. She wasn't sure if it was just the novelty of seeing his teacher outside of school, or if he greeted everyone with this much excitement, but it was contagious. "Come inside." He gestured her in, shutting the door with a firm shove.
"Hi again Caleb. It smells delicious in here," she said, glancing around the room as she set her purse on a little table against the outer wall.
"Yeah, dad's still cooking, so you can come in the kitchen." He started off towards a short hallway, while Kensi followed more slowly. A few cardboard boxes were pushed against the walls along with a few unhung pictures, evidence of a recent move.
Personally, Kensi was impressed; it had taken her half a year to unpack her most recent apartment. In fact, Deeks' house was probably in better shape and certainly less messy.
When she walked into the kitchen half a minute after Caleb, she found him balancing on a small stool as he watched Deeks prepare something at the island in the center of the room. Deeks glanced up, offering a short smile. He'd changed too, though into jeans and a blue t-shirt, his feet bare on the wood laminated floors.
"Hey, glad you could make," he said, pausing to spin and grab a spice bottle off the counter behind him. "Dinner's running a little behind." He pursed his lips. "And possibly a little burnt."
"Not a problem. I don't mind crispy lasagna."
"I like the edges crispy, but I don't like it when the middle's dry," Caleb spoke up. "Are you making it gooey this time, dad?"
"Uh, it's going to be…something," Deeks answered, dumping a fair amount of what looked like garlic powder into a ceramic bowl. A timer went off then and he made an exasperated sound, turning to stab at the button on the stove until it turned off.
She'd never seen this slightly harried version of him before and she found it oddly endearing. So often he seemed too perfect or at least like nothing fazed him and it was nice to see that wasn't true.
"Do you need any help?" Kensi asked, moving to lean against the counter. She really hoped he didn't ask her to take over on the actual cooking. Deeks pulled a medium baking dish from the oven, sliding it onto the stove with a slight hiss despite the oven mitts he'd slipped on.
"Nope, guests don't cook. But, uh, if you wanna help set the table, my partner in crime has been stalling."
"That's because I can't reach the plates," Caleb responded as he snatched a handful of cheese from the open bag on the counter.
"Oh, and like you haven't climbed that counter a half-dozen times to steal cookies. You little monkey." Caleb just giggled at Deeks' accusation and popped another piece of cheese in his mouth. "Hey, enough snacking," Deeks added, nudging Caleb's back. "Why don't you show Kensi where the dishes are?"
While Kensi helped Caleb set the larger table one room over, following his minute directions ("the napkin goes on the right and the fork on top"), Deeks worked his magic in the kitchen. In about 10 minutes, he brought out a foil covered dish, green beans, and a plate of garlic bread.
"That smells amazing," Kensi told him as the scent of baked cheese and sauce filled the room.
"Well, don't get your hopes up too high," Deeks warned, peeling the foil from the lasagna. It stuck slightly to the melted cheese, but Kensi thought it looked delicious even with a few holes in the top and browned edges.
"Honestly, my dinner was going to be two, no maybe three, day old takeout. This is going to be a million times better than iffy sweet and sour chicken."
"You know, I'm seriously starting to worry about your eating habits. This has to be at least the second or third time you've mentioned it." Deeks gave her a mock concerned look. "Should I start sending a second lunch with Caleb?"
"Shut up," Kensi said evenly as Caleb giggled at her expense. "And just give me the lasagna already." Valiantly hiding his own smirk, Deeks cut out a large square and placed it on her plate.
Yes, this was definitely much better than eating bad takeout all alone in her apartment, Kensi decided.
A/N: I intended to make this chapter longer, but I just haven't had the time. Don't worry though, next week, we'll continue with the domestic fun.