Since neither of them had planned on spending the whole day together, Kensi and Deeks decided to part ways for a few hours. Kensi knew she needed to finish some prep for next week, just in case they ended up spending tomorrow together too.

As she walked back into her apartment, her phone buzzed with a text from Nell.

NJ: Hey KayKay, wanna grab lunch?

KB: Sorry, I already ate.

KB: Rude.

KB: I know, I'm a terrible friend. I was with Deeks.

NJ: Oh, then say no more. Actually, say lots more!

Kensi rolled her eyes at the winking and kissing emojis Nell added to her response.

KB: Seriously, I feel bad I've barely spent any time with you recently.

NJ: Hey, a good friend never steps in the way of true love. Besides, you can pay me back by giving me all the dirty little details.

KB: You're awful.

NJ: And you love me for it. So when will my best friend be available again?

Kensi dipped ducked her head sheepishly, even though she was all alone, debating what to type back.

KB: Um, maybe tomorrow evening? Caleb's visiting with his grandma so we're probably spending most of the weekend together.

Kensi Marie Blye! Nell responded and Kensi could almost hear her delighted shock through the screen.

KB: Not like that.

NJ: Well why the hell not? Climb that gorgeous lawyer like a tree.

KB: Nell Jones! That's it. You're out of control.

NJ: You know you want toooo!

KB: Ok I'm putting you on silent.

Shaking her head, Kensi grabbed the binder of paperwork she brought home with her yesterday, and started in on the most intense grading session of her career.

While Deeks did have a few contracts to finalize, the real reason he'd suggested taking some time at home to prepare for their dinner. Given the late notice, he knew there was no way he'd get a reservation for one of the nicer restaurants.

Kensi wouldn't care where they ate, he was almost certain, but he wanted their first real dinner together, alone, to be special. He'd decided on cooking dinner, but that required a trip for supplies.

When he got back three stores later—the first two were all out of bed tips—he started prepping potatoes, carrots, and onions and seared the beef tips. He hadn't made this recipe in quite a while. Probably at least a couple years, so he had to actually pull out the stained cookbook his mom had passed down to him when he moved to college (the particular page he needed had actually fallen out years ago). He probably should have preserved all the recipes on index cards, but there was something special, almost sentimental, about squinting at the faded type and trying to interpret his mom's handwritten notes.

Singing under his breath, he peeled several cloves of garlic, imagining Caleb's reaction if he found out he'd missed out on one of his favorite meals. Of course, Grandma Deeks would almost certainly be filling him with a combination of her own home cooked delights and his favorite junk food, so he'd call it even.

He got into the flow of the things, chopping and sautéing that by the time he looked up from dumping a pot of perfectly boiled potatoes into a colander, it was almost seven, which gave him a little over an hour to finish everything up.

The beef tips were just about done, so he covered them with foil, setting them off to the side in the oven, and hurried out back to set up a table with the blue dishes head bought on a whim a few weeks ago because they reminded him of the ocean. Maybe surrounding the perimeter of the patio with lights and miniature lanterns was a tiny bit overkill, but he didn't believe in doing things by halves.

Decorations and table set, he returned to the kitchen for the finishing touches. The doorbell rang just as he was tasting the gravy he just made.

"Oh yeah, you still got it, Marty," he muttered to himself, then called over his shoulder, "Be there in a minute!"

He stashed a few dirty pans he hadn't gotten around to cleaning in the dishwasher and glanced around to make sure there weren't unsightly messes he'd missed. Though at this point, Kensi had probably seen worse and it didn't seem to faze her in the least.

Kensi was patiently waiting on the front porch when he opened the door. She wore a red sundress, this one with a halter neck that displayed the defined muscles and lines of her shoulders and collar bones to perfection. Deeks didn't know if she'd chosen it with him in mind, but the color suited her perfectly.

"Hey." He kissed her briefly as she stepped over the threshold. "You look amazing."

"Hi. And thank you." Her eyes drifted over him approvingly, though she didn't comment on his appearance. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. "What smells so delicious?"

"Dinner."

"Wait, you cooked for me? I thought we were going out," Kensi said, turning in the direction of the kitchen, though she couldn't see from here.

"Yeah. I, uh, wanted to surprise you." He shrugged, suddenly overcome with the rare bout of uncertainty that Kensi. "I hope you don't mind."

"Are you kidding? I've loved everything you've made." Kensi clapped her hands together, her enthusiasm making Deeks grin. "Ok, so I'm ready to be dazzled with your cooking expertise."

"Follow me," Deeks said, holding out his hand. She took it without question, letting him lead her out to patio.

"Oh my god, Deeks, this is beautiful!" Kensi exclaimed, turning in a circle to take in the twinkle lights strung around the patio and the table decorated with candles. "You did all this yourself?"

"Yeah, I told you my mom's a caterer. I used to help her set up when I was a kid. I can turn a napkin into a swan in 20 seconds," he responded, making Kensi giggle.

"Impressive." She spun around in a circle, bringing her within reach of Deeks. Settling her hands on his shoulders, she covered his mouth with hers for a brief but sweet kiss. "Seriously though, this is amazing. Thank you, again."

He smiled, pleased by her reaction. "Here for all your party planning needs," he joked.

Kensi tipped her head to the side, her expression shifting slightly.

"What are you thinking about?" Deeks prompted, giving her hand a shake.

"Oh, all of this. You. How much my life has changed," she said, moving her hand around to encompass Deeks and their surroundings. "I didn't realize how much I was…missing until I met you, Deeks. I mean, I was happy enough, but not like this. A few months ago, I would have never taken a day off like this. You've made everything brighter, and fun. Carefree. You and Caleb. You've changed my life without even knowing it."

"Kens—" Deeks shook his head, overwhelmed by everything Kensi had just attributed to his influence. It was heady and a little scary.

She leaned up and kissed him, lingering for several moments. When their lips parted, she brushed his hair back from his temple with her knuckles. "Thank you."

"You know you've changed my life just as much, maybe more," Deeks told her, laughing breathily. "I mean, I was kind of prepared to become a hermit and spend the rest of my life alone. Then this really hot kindergarten teacher walked into my life."

"Oh my god, you're ridiculous." Kensi rolled her eyes, but couldn't hold back a chuckle. "I meant it, you have changed my life, Marty Deeks."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this little mix of fluff, romance, and humor.

I'm sorry if it's unrealistic, but I can't bear to write in text jargon.