Hello my darlings. I would like to thank Petunia3116, Guest and elsje1967 for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.
So I have moved, yeah. And in celebration (and the fact I could now find my dvd with the episode with Kip in it) I have written this chapter. I hope you like it, and that it is character.
Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.
Callen was surprised by the fact that no one had dropped in on him and Marty since they returned from the hospital, though he had a feeling that it had something to do with Hetty. I mean the only reason he could think of that the team hadn't stopped by was that Hetty had told them not to. Just as he knew she knew Roberta was staying with them. So okay, maybe it did make sense when he looked at like that. but whatever the reason he had enjoyed the couple of days the three of them had had together, going to the market and watching Marty and his mom argue over what to buy while at the same time charming all the staff hoping they would side with them. It definitely amused him.
He also made sure he gave the two time alone, taking Monty on long runs. Of course they also helped him clear his mind and enjoy the silence. And he found that in these times when it was just him and his thoughts, he wasn't as plagued as he had been by the guilt at being responsible for Marty getting shot. It seemed them conversation he had had with Roberta had done him some good. Had helped to settle that need he had to put himself as far away from the man he loved for his own protection. He no longer wanted to run away, but to stay and be with Marty. Because he really was all he wanted in life, and he was not going to give it up, now or ever.
Of course it still hadn't settled completely in his mind that he and Marty were now living together. Maybe it was because neither of them were at work and Roberta was there. It still seemed a bit like a dream, and after a few days he was champing at the bit to return to the real world. To return to work and see how that changed his a Marty's relationship. Because so far it was the same as it had been for a while. So yeah. He was waiting for normalcy to return and the other shoe to drop. Waiting for the fact that he and Marty were living together to truly come home in his mind. For them to start to be annoyed at the little things which all couples seemed to be. Hell he had even heard Michelle and Sam argue about putting the trash out. He was waiting for that to happen between him and the man he loved. He knew it would come, and the waiting for this perfectness to fall apart was killing him. He needed a distraction.
Luckily one was coming up in the form of the barbeque.
Saturday dawned bright and sunny. The prefect day to have a party in the garden. The residents of Callen and Deeks' home were just cleaning up after breakfast when Sam arrived with his grill, determined to set it up properly and make sure everyone knew that they were not to go anywhere near it. A couple of hours later Hetty arrived, and with one simple move persuaded Roberta away from helping the boys get everything ready, and instead to join her on the decking outside with a small glass of the priceless whiskey she had brought her boys for a house warming present. She wanted to get to know the woman who had raised Marty Deeks, and she wanted them to become friends. Their boys were in love after all, it only seemed sensible. Maybe next Christmas the four of them could do something together? Not that Hetty was planning that far ahead, honestly… but, well she did have the room for Roberta Deeks to come and stay with her for the holidays.
After Hetty followed the trickle of the rest of the team, Kensi, Nell and Eric all joining them, making a beeline for Deeks mom, even if she was sitting with Hetty. They all wanted to meet the woman who had raised the unconventional detective. Wanted to meet the woman who meant so much to the man who was now part of their family. The last to arrive were Michelle, Kam and Aiden, who was home for a holiday from school.
Once everyone was there, beers, or soft drinks in respect to the children and whiskey for Hetty, in hand Callen turned to make a speech. He had decided that it was his turn, what with Marty doing it at New Year's. He wanted everyone to know this was his idea. Just in case they hadn't realised that when he had roped them all into helping him move the man he loved. But just as he opened his mouth to speak, another knock on the door came. Everyone turned to it with confusion. Well everyone but Deeks who jumped up with a smile upon his face.
"My guests have arrived." Was all he said as he rushed to answer the door, all eyes following him as he disappeared into the house. Just who the hell had Deeks invited, ran through all their minds. Even Callen didn't have a clue.
Kip Brigham pulled his Ferrari up outside the address Marty had given him. He had been surprised to here from his friend, well no, not surprised to hear from him, more surprised by what he told him. It seemed Marty had been keeping secrets again. They were gonna have to talk about that. Though he would keep that until after he met Marty's boyfriend. The boyfriend he was now living with. Oh Kip couldn't wait to meet the man. Any guy who held his friends heart, got his respect. But that wasn't going to mean he wasn't going to put the guy through his paces. That was what best friends did after all, right? Nodding to himself and already thinking of things he was going to say, he grabbed the present he had brought. He knew Marty wouldn't accept anything ostentatious, no matter how much he tried to force it on him, so he had gone for some simple-ish. He just hoped Marty's boyfriend would appreciate it.
Walking up the path he took note of the Austin, Jag and Challenger in the driveway. It looked like Marty's new boyfriend had friends with expensive tastes then. He could get down with that, at least he could talk cars to the people he was about to meet.
As he turned towards the door he noticed a couple coming up behind him. One look told him the guy was cop. He had the look. Kip couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at this though. Because he knew Marty didn't tell his colleagues about his sexual tastes. This guy had to be someone special if he had been invited to meet Marty's boyfriend. Maybe he was Marty's partner? He hoped so. He had been hoping for years Marty would be honest with those he worked with, and now he had found himself a man he was glad he wasn't keeping him hidden away at home. Therefore he waited for the other two people to join him before he knocked, not being able to hide the smirk on his face when he saw the guys jaw drop. Seemed he knew who he was then. He had to wonder how many more reactions similar to that he was about to receive, and how to play it to his best advantage for winding up Marty.
Deeks moved quickly towards the door, wondering if it was Steve and his girlfriend, or Kip who was at the door. He had decided it was time for Steve and G to meet, after all they were both a big part of Monty's life, they needed to know each other properly. Oh he knew they had talked when G had arranged for Sam to look after his dog while he was in hospital, but this was different.
Opening the door with a wide smile firmly in place he found it was not one or the other, but both of them. He greeted them all casually, smiling his most charming smile at Steve's girlfriend making her simper, even if that did gain him a black look from his dogs handler. They both knew it meant nothing, so all was fine.
Once through the door he rushed the group through the house, one because he wanted to see how everyone would react to his guests, and two because he didn't trust Kip to do something if he gave him the opportunity. He could already see his friends eyes light up at the sight of the chessboard with a game already started, and Deeks knew if he touched that G would be pissed. Therefore moving quickly, and talking a mile a minute, he led the way to the back yard where everyone was pretending to not be watching the door to see who would come through.
Callen watched as Marty walked through the back door followed by Steve and woman he didn't know but presumed was the other man's girlfriend. Okay that made sense. The guy knew about them and he and Marty were friends. He wasn't really surprised when he realised Marty had invited them. Sam for his part waved at Steve as Michelle went towards them hoping to talk to his girlfriend to relax her in the group of people she didn't know. But when they were followed by another man everyone stopped what they were doing a stared. Even Hetty paused in raising her glass to her lips in surprise. She had not seen this guest coming that was for sure. They stopped because they all knew exactly who he was, though not one of the NCIS team knew why he was there.
The silence that greeted Kip walking out into the yard, which Deeks was taking great enjoyment in, was broken by Roberta jumping up. "Kip, Brigham. Look at you." her screaked rushing over to give him a hug before pulling back and running her eyes over him as only a mother could. "I can see you're doing well. I watched your game last week, very impressive. You're almost as good as Martin now." She continued with a big smile as if she had said the highest of praise.
And while Deeks groaned a "mom" quietly behind her, Kip was more than happy to indulge his best friends mom.
"Thanks Mrs Deeks. Good to see you." He responded with a charming smile. This woman had been more of a mom to him than his own had been back in the day. When Marty had decided to befriend him, she had opened her home, and her arms to him, and he could never thank them both enough for what they had done. The Deeks family was the reason he was who he was today, and he would never forget that fact. But he also really wanted to meet G Callen. Which one was he? He turned from the woman in front of him to look over the men in the garden. He instantly dismissed the skinny guy with glasses, definitely not Marty's type. He paused on the big guy at the grill wondering, but he didn't seem right somehow. Therefore he brought his eyes to the only other man there, though he did find they got a bit distracted by the very attractive brunette. Where the hell had Marty been hiding her? But no, G Callen first, hot chick later. Finally his eyes landed on an older man. He had short hair like he was in the army, but his eyes. Oh man, he had very nice eyes. He could see why Marty liked him. It was at that point the man he had been looking at walked towards them.
"Kip, I want you to meet G. G, Kip." Deeks said when his boyfriend joined them, not being able to stop the smirk on his lips at the look G was giving him as if to say, what the hell? It took a lot to surprise G Callen after all, and he loved that he could still do it.
"So you're the man who has stolen Marty's heart. I can see why. Guess you're a good enough reason for him not to return all my calls." Kip replied running his eyes causally up and down Callen's body causing an eyebrow to raise. Was he being checked out by Kip Brigham? Well okay then.
"And you're Kip Brigham. Exactly how do you to know each other?" Callen asked smiling as he shook the basketball player's hand. He wasn't going to be phased by this latest turn of events. Even if he did have a million questions for Marty. At least Roberta's greeting told him that he was a family friend.
"Wait, are you telling me that Marty didn't tell you about me? So I'm not the only one you're keeping secrets from. Well that's nice to know. Did you not tell him because you thought he would like me more? I mean he wouldn't be the first guy who turned you down for all this." Kip responded turning to Deeks with a cheeky smile as he waved his hands up and down his toned body, though that smile became a smirk when he realised that a certain hot brunette's eyes had followed the movement as she edged her way closer to them. Score, he was so in there.
"Oh yeah? And who else ever chose you over me?" Deeks replied rolling his eyes at the theatrics. But it was good to see his friend again. It really had been too long.
"David Michaelson, senior year." Kip answered promptly looking smug at his words. And Callen listening made a mental note to remember that name.
"I'll have you know he only wanted you as way to get back with me." Deeks replied with exasperation, as if this was a conversation they had had many times before.
"Yeah, yeah, everyone wanted the great Marty Deeks in high school." Kip responded his eyes already traveling away from his friend to the woman he really wanted to be introduced to.
"And don't you forget it." Deeks agreed snaking his arm around G and pulling him close to show he didn't mean any of the conversation. He didn't want the man he loved to get jealous or anything. Not that Callen was, he was too busy being amused by the conversation to even consider being jealous of a guy Marty had dated over 20 years ago.
"Oh before I get… distracted, here's your housing warming gift." Kip said, suddenly remembering the envelope he held in his hand and therefore holding it out towards Marty.
"Kip." Deeks replied with a frown, not sure he wanted to accept whatever was inside. He didn't trust his friend not to use this as some sort of excuse to give him something crazily impractical.
"Just open it, will you? Then you can introduce me to the brunette. She's hot." Kip responded with a roll of his eyes, knowing exactly what Marty was thinking. But he had restrained himself this time. Marty had told him about G not being big on material things, he just hoped they both liked what he had gotten them.
"She also carry's a gun and could have you on your ass in five seconds flat." Deeks answered without needing to even look to see which brunette he was talking about. He had noticed his partners eyes widen when Kip had arrived, and he knew she had a fangirl crush on his friend. He had even had a chuckle to himself as he saw the way she combed her fingers through her hair before heading their way in the hopes of getting an introduction.
"She's sounding better and better." Kip replied staring right at the woman in question and sending her his most devastating smile.
"She's also my partner. If I have to put up with questions about why you haven't called, I will shoot you myself." Deeks responded evenly, making Callen chuckle quietly. Because he knew if Kip hurt Kensi in anyway his lover wouldn't hesitate to fulfil that promise, and Sam and him would be standing at his side as he did so.
"Hey you're a cop, you can't threaten me like that, in front of witnesses." Kip stated in fake affront, mainly because he knew he would never make a move on Marty's partner. She was off limits to him. But that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy a nice afternoon fliting with her now could he?
"What witnesses? G did I say anything?" Deeks asked innocently to the man he loved.
"Not that I heard, no." Callen answered in the same tone of voice, before they both turned and smiled in the exact same way to the man in front of him. They really were prefect for each other.
"I thought it was supposed to be you and me against the world." Kip grumbled good-naturedly. He was glad his friend had found some he could be with. Someone to love. Marty needed that, someone to ground him. Someone to come home to, to make sure he came home at all.
"That was before you mentioned my previous boyfriend." Deeks replied flippantly as he turned to open the envelope he had somehow wound up holding. He wasn't sure he wanted to, but he knew he needed to do it now. Kip wouldn't let up until he did. Pulling out the card inside his eyebrows rose at what it said. It wasn't what he had been expecting at all, and it was actually something he was happy to accept from his millionaire friend. "You brought us a basketball hoop."
"Well you need some practise. And now you have somewhere to put it." Kip shrugged, though he couldn't help share a smile with the man in front of him as they both remembered all the one-on-one games they had played when they were younger. Those games that Marty had mainly won until Kip had grown and started to beat him.
"Thanks man." Deeks replied sincerely.
Callen who had read the card over Deeks shoulder nodded in agreement. He could already see them having the team over for a game before having dinner on their days off. It was the perfect present in his mind, though he was pretty sure he did not want to have to take on the one giving it to them.
"You're welcome, now the girl…"
And with that Deeks rolled his eyes as he turned to introduce his partner to his best friend. If nothing else it would be interesting to watch the pair of the flirt, or more to the point watch Kensi try to flirt, as well as how entertaining it would be to watch both Sam and G go into big brother mode if it seemed to be turning into anything more serious. Though he knew it wouldn't. He knew his friend, and he knew Kip wouldn't string Kensi along.
While Deeks did those introductions, G turned to Steve and his girlfriend, meeting him face to face for the first time as Monty danced around all of their feet. Happy to see his favourite humans all in one place.
And so the barbeque went on, Callen deciding to forgo his speech in exchange for having fun with his friends and family. Deciding to spend his time with the man he loved and those that meant the most to them. And it turned into one of the best afternoons everyone there had ever had. Even if far too many of the people did fanboy/girl over the sports star in their midst. By the end of the day they had all calmed down enough just to enjoy each other's company.