With Callen right behind him, Deeks carried his violin case back to the bullpen where he found Sam and Kensi chatting happily with each other. Sam was tossing and catching his Lakers foam basketball and Kensi was taking bites from a frosted brownie.
"Another treat, Kens?" Deeks called out which earned him a dark glare from his partner. She placed the brownie on a paper plate and asked angrily, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. I just," Deeks looked to Sam and Callen for support, where both in return gave him looks that screamed, Abort! Abort!
"I meant….never mind. I'm heading home." Deeks walked over to his desk, placed his violin under the table, and began to pack up his bag. It took the detective a few minutes to realize that Kensi and Sam were staring at his violin case.
"Deeks, what's with the black case?" Kensi asked. Without looking up, Deeks replied, "It's nothing."
"Is that a violin case?"
Deeks paused for a minute before he closed his bag and grabbed his case. "It is, but it's no big deal. I'll see you guys tomorrow."
"Oh no, no, no," Sam joked, "That is a violin case. I didn't think you had a musical bone in your body with your tone deaf singing and all!"
"There's also his terrible air drumming," Kensi added. Both agents expected some kind of witty remark, a fake pout, or even a whine, but heard nothing. Deeks only stared at them with an exhausted look in his eyes. Even after Callen's pep talk, he was still exhausted from his terrible day and not in any kind of mood to be teased.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Deeks repeated softly before walking towards the front door. He ignored Sam and Kensi's calls and headed to his car to go to the beach.
Lunada Bay, Rancho Palos Verdes
Deeks walked back onto the shore with his surfboard in hand. He had been in the water for an hour- he would have stayed longer, but it was beginning to get dark. The beach still had people on it, ranging from tourists not wanting to leave yet to surfers who were planning to stay out until it was too dark to surf. The detective was calling it for the night- it had been a long, brutal day.
Deeks hoisted the surfboard up under his arm so it wouldn't slide. He gave a little wave to two passing surfers and then spotted Sam standing where he had left his clothes on the beach.
"How'd you find me?" Deeks asked, sticking the surfboard into the sand.
Sam shrugged. "Kensi told me that this was your favorite spot. We need to talk."
"I'm fine."
"Not according to Callen."
Deeks narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Callen? Wait, what did Callen tell you?"
"He told me that you play when you have bad day like today and yesterday," Sam said, "I can understand that. I was only messing with you back in the bullpen, Deeks. I didn't mean to upset you."
When Deeks didn't speak, Sam continued, "Look, I played saxophone in high school- there were days where playing my instrument helped me get away from it all. There's no pain or misery when you're lost in a song, which is why you play. And from what I hear, you're really talented, Deeks."
Deeks placed an arm on his surfboard and sighed. "Look, Sam, I played today because I had a really sucky day. I'm moving on about this birthday thing- it sucked, which is normal for me, and I'm trying to move on from it. Just ignore how I've been acting, it just my stupid personal issues getting in the way-"
Sam took a step closer to Deeks. With a hint of irritability in his voice, Sam stated, "Shooting your dad on your birthday sucks beyond belief, I get that. It doesn't make the rest of your birthdays terrible ones. Don't mope around about this birthday- this team cares about you-"
"Callen said the same thing and did he tell you everything I said-"
Sam held up a hand. "I'm talking. Anyway, this team cares about you. You are the pain in the ass little brother that I unfortunately am stuck with," he paused when he saw Deeks smirk, " In healthy families, sometimes birthdays, piano recitals, and dinners are forgotten, but it doesn't mean that the people don't care about each other, ok? Plus, I didn't actually know when you're birthday was. The only reason we didn't go straight to drinks yesterday even after the fact was that Michelle has been on me for cooking dinner for weeks now and on any day, wife trumps teammate."
"I see. So next year you'll remember?" Deeks asked in hopeful tone.
Sam rolled his eyes and replied with a smile, "What do you think?"
"Yes and that you'll shower me with gifts and parade me around like a god?"
"Don't push it. Oh," Sam held out a white party bag to the detective, "I got this for you- actually, it's a quick combo gift from Eric, Nell, and I."
"And Kensi?" Deeks asked as he took the bag.
"I don't know what she has planned for you. She took off before we had planned anything," Sam said, "Now open your gift." He watched the detective stick his nose in the bag before a large grin appeared on his face.
"High Sierra? Vertigo? Call of Duty Black Ops II? Sam, these are some of my favorite old movies and games!" Deeks exclaimed, "How did you-"
"Believe it or not, I actually do listen to your excessive rambling. Last week, you kept saying the Vertigo quote you shouldn't keep souvenirs of a killing. You shouldn't have been that sentimental all day from the random movie quotes quiz that you pulled out of that goofy brain of yours. You borrowed High Sierra from Hetty three times. The game, which also has a gift card, is because Nell admitted that the three of you spent one night playing the game in OPS until midnight."
"Wow, I'm….just wow. Thanks Sam."
Sam smiled. "Like I said earlier, you're family and we do care. Your first year here we didn't know you that well to do something big and this year, things kind of got crazy for everyone. Next time, don't have your birthday so close to New Year's."
Deeks laughed. "Next time? So you were listening to my speech about scientists soon being able to change people's birthday?"
Sam rolled his eyes before both men started walking towards the parking lot. "You seriously need to stop going to that conspiracy theorist infected bar of yours….."