Hello my lovelies. I would like to thank Guest, heyjode, ssl71, anonkp, amywegner16 and Max and Fern 4ever for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.
So sorry for the long wait, holidays and all. But I am back now.
For those of you who are asking about Kensi's reaction to all of this, she will be coming up in a couple of chapters. I promise. anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.
That evening the four men sat down to share a beer after the bar was closed. The conversation between them was the usual kind of friendly banter Callen and Deeks usually shared interspersed with gossip from Frank and Henry's day at work. Finally a lull occurred and Callen remembered something he had meant to talk about with Deeks. In fact he had planned to come up on his days off to do just that, but he might as well do it now.
"Hey, Deeks. I spoke to your landlord and arranged for you to move out in two weeks. I've organised a company to come and pack up all your stuff for you, but I was wondering if there was anything you wanted me to box up before they came?" He asked causally round his beer.
"Like what?" Deeks asked right back, with a frown on his face at what Callen was talking about. To be honest he had pretty much forgotten all about the stuff he had left in LA. It surprised him somewhat to discover that all the things he had accumulated over his lifetime so far, he really didn't need. Something he hadn't realised until he had walked away from it all.
"Your porn stash under your bed, maybe?" Callen suggested with an evil grin. Not that he knew whether the younger man had one or not, but he was pretty sure that if he did that would be where he would keep it.
Deeks couldn't help but blush slightly at Callen's words. He well remembered his childhood when that was exactly where he kept a couple of playboys in the hopes his mom would never find them, not that it worked. "I do not have a porn stash thank you very much. Unlike you, I have no need for it, I find it very easy to get the real thing." He replied sassily, a cheeky grin on his face as he turned the attention back to Callen.
"Yeah, yeah. Keep dreaming surfer-boy." Callen responded with a roll of his eyes. He did very well for company thank you very much, even if in truth he really didn't feel like it that often. There was always so much lying involved that the occasional one night stand was all he ever had where sexual partners were concerned.
"I do not need to dream. But if you could box up my comics, that would be good." Deeks replied deciding to change the conversation away from sex. He started to feel uncomfortable talking about that with Callen. Though he knew it was less the topic of conversation and more the idea of Callen with different partners, with someone who wasn't him. Not that he had any rights on the man, or felt it was the right time to even consider such a thing, but still it didn't sit right in his mind.
"Wait, I thought you said you didn't have a porn stash?" Henry interjected at Deeks' comment smirking as the younger man turned to him with an unimpressed look.
"They are comic books. Not porn." Deeks stated clearly.
That was the point Frank decided to get involved in the conversation as well. "I have seen comic books, kid. I'm pretty sure they are nothing more than an acceptable form of porn." He responded with a knowing tone, though his eyes twinkled as he said it, taking great enjoyment in helping Henry rib their son.
"They are not." Deeks replied hotly, sounding like nothing more than a teenage boy talking to his parents when they teased him. It made everyone there laugh, but his tone also caused a warm glow to flow through the married couple. This was something they had never experienced before, but they both knew in that moment that it was something they would never get tired of. This was what they had always wanted, and had somehow, completely by some act of fate, found with the broken man sat with them.
Callen watched the family dynamic. Watched and listened to the words flowing from the other three with him without thought. He had seen enough families in his life to know what they looked like. And this, this was one of the good ones. He was glad Deeks had found Frank and Henry, glad that he had these two men to watch over him and help him, though what was to come. But he also felt it was best to change the direction of the conversation. Therefore in said, "don't worry I'll make sure they are safe. Anything you want me to bring you?"
"No. I think I'm good." Deeks replied without thought. he had already realised that he had everything he needed right then, and he knew that if in the future he wanted more, Callen would have it waiting for him.
"Okay. Remind me to get your key before I leave. Save me having to pick the lock again." Callen replied smirking as his words registered with the younger man.
"Again? Seriously? You broke into my apartment?" Deeks asked in fake indignation, though he probably should have realised that Callen would have done it to gain access to his apartment. Heaven forbid the man approach his building manager before entering the apartment, right?
"How else was I to see if you were there?" Callen asked simply, though there was a chuckle in his voice. He knew there were other ways he could have gained entry, but picking the lock was the quickest and easiest of the lot in his mind.
"Only you." Deeks replied with a roll of his eyes and exasperation in his voice.
With that laughter sounded once from the four men before Henry turned his mind back onto what Callen had said.
"Where are you storing all your stuff, Deeks?" he asked seriously. He was trying to think if they had any space that would do for housing Deeks' things, or failing that, if any of the farms around about would have space in one of their barns for it all. He didn't want the kid to have to get rid of it, or pay the extortionate prices he knew storage spaces in LA charged.
"I have a garage it will fit in, no problem." Callen reposed before Deeks could even open his mouth. He could see the wheels turning in Henry's mind, and he wanted to put his worries to rest.
"Not to mention the fact you are going to use my furniture to furnish your house." Deeks interjected not wanting the other two men thinking he was imposing on Callen. He could see what Henry was thinking just as well as his former team leader, and he didn't want them to worry about the things he still wasn't sure he needed to keep in his new life.
"Call it rent for the storage space. Plus I will only be using the couch… and maybe the TV." Callen replied with a shrug, unrepentant about the idea that he would be using Deeks' furniture. He knew the other man didn't really mind after all.
"What you got yourself a bed, G?" Deeks asked in fake shock, deciding to turn the teasing onto the other man. And it didn't even cross his mind that he had called him G rather than Callen.
"I have always had a bed, Marty." Callen responded placing subtle emphasis on the name he used. Though in truth he liked the feel he got from using the other man's given name rather than Deeks.
"No, you have a bedroll. Big difference. My bed has an orthopaedic mattress, would do wonders for your back." Deeks replied completely bypassing the fact Callen had called him Marty, though he did like the sound of it coming from him. He had spent so much of his life being called Deeks, being called Marty by someone he was used to hearing the other name from sounded good. It sounded like something he would like to hear again. That he would like being called Marty rather than Deeks. In fact it might well be something that he would want in this new life he was building. In the new him he was becoming.
"My back is fine." Callen responded with a sigh. That sounded like something Sam would come out with. The big guy was always on at him about getting a proper bed.
"For now. You aren't getting any younger." Deeks replied smugly. After all he was almost a decade younger than the other man, and therefore it was perfectly within his rights to say such a thing to him.
"Thanks." Callen answered with a deadpan tone as he shook his head. He wasn't that old.
"Wait you sleep on a bedroll?" Frank asked interrupting the conversation with a frown on his face. He knew how uncomfortable those things could be, and he knew no one would willing choose to sleep on what amounted to nothing more than the floor. Not if they were sane anyway.
"You have no furniture?" Henry asked almost at the same time. He couldn't understand that, though maybe Callen had only just moved into an unfurnished place. He couldn't see any other way that someone wouldn't have anything in their house.
"Welcome to the strange wonder that is G Callen. He's had his house for pretty much as long as I've known him, and he still doesn't have any furniture in it." Deeks explained with a wave of his hand which clearly told the other two men to not even try and understand it. It would be much better for their mental health if they didn't try to figure out the mystery that was Callen. Of course that never stopped him, but still. That was different.
"I have a chair. And a lamp." Callen argued back good-naturedly. He had enough furniture for him, did he really need any more? Not in his way of thinking he didn't. Especially as it prevented people from visiting him, just the way he liked it.
"Wow, last of the big spenders there." Deeks chuckled back, making sure there was no offence in his words.
"I don't need stuff." Callen tried to explain, though he knew the younger man understood what he meant by that sentence more than anyone else ever had. Not only did he know Callen, knew his history or lack of it, and he had walked away from all his things. Yeah, he was pretty sure Deeks understood better than anyone else could right then.
And Deeks did. But he also knew Callen wouldn't want to get into a conversation about his own past right then. Therefore he replied, "Yet you are going to be using mine." In a cheeky tone.
"Only because it won't all fit in the garage." Callen responded innocently.
"So you say." Deeks answered back with a roll of his eyes, before a yawn surprised him, causing him to open his mouth wide.
"I do. Now, I think it's time for bed. I need to drive back to LA tomorrow." Callen replied, giving Deeks an excuse why he wanted to sleep, and therefore removing the chance the younger man would have to argue with him. Because he knew if he didn't, Deeks would.
Deeks thought for a second before agreeing, he too was tired. It had been an emotionally draining day. Therefore he agreed with, "Okay, yeah. We should probably go to bed." Before turning to Frank and Henry and continuing. "Please tell me you are not expecting us all to share your bed tonight? Cos, while it may be big, I'm thinking four might be pushing it." He was hoping on one hand that they would let him sleep in his own room that evening, while on the other not sure how he felt about sleeping in a room with a busted lock. He hadn't actually gone up there since that morning so he had no idea what state it was in.
"No, even I think all of us sharing would be too much. Frank has had the door fixed and a new lock put on. Here's the key, and we have the spare so Frank won't need to go all macho on it again." Henry replied pulling the new key from his pocket and pushing it over to the younger man.
"There is no need for you to come if-" Deeks started to say. Wanting them to know that they didn't need to come if he had another nightmare. He knew he would at some point, and he really didn't want to hurt anyone else. In fact he would much prefer to deal with it himself. At least then the only person who would be in pain was himself. But before he could finish his sentence, before he could think of a way to put into words what he was thinking Frank interrupted him.
"Yeah, kid. There is. Though now I know not to approach you until you wake." He said, stating clearly that there was no way they would be leaving Deeks alone, even if it was that they sat next to him and tried to talk him out of the horrors his own head produced.
"Or we have Callen on the phone." Henry tacked on at the end. He well remembered how Deeks had come out of his nightmare at the sound of the other man's voice, and he knew he wouldn't hesitate to call him again if they needed to. Just as he knew the other man would gladly take the call. In fact he was pretty sure Callen would be most unimpressed if they didn't call him.
"Guys, seriously, there is no need-" Deeks started again, trying to tell the other three that he was fine dealing on his own. But once again he was cut off.
"Zip it. This is not up for debate." Frank interrupted gruffly. This was not up for debate in his mind. They would be there for their son when he needed them, because that was what parents did.
"I suggest you give in gracefully. And I'm more than happy for you to call me, any time." Callen added smiling at the fierceness in the older men's eyes. They would make sure Deeks was okay, and he knew they would call him when it was needed. And he was fine with that.
"Don't encourage them." Deeks groaned, but he knew resistance was futile.
"Why not? I told you I am here for you, always. I meant it." Callen responded looking straight into Deeks' eyes so he would know he was completely serious. He meant every word and he wanted to make sure Deeks knew that as well as the others at the table.
"Fine. Then I guess this is goodnight. Come on Monty, bed time." Deeks replied deciding that he might as well concede defeat gracefully and all that. He knew this was something he would never win, not when it was three against one. Especially not when one of those three was Callen with that protective look on his face.
With that agreed upon, the four men shared a round of goodnights as the younger two headed towards the stairs which would lead them up to Deeks' room.