A/N: Written for Fourth of July, 2023.
"Alright, sunscreen, water, juice, snacks, umbrella, bags, kids," Deeks listed off, checking the back of the stroller for each item. "I think we've got everything."
"Did you grab sunglasses?" Rosa asked, hopping out of the van and bending to tweak Caleb's nose and Sophia's chin.
"Yep, I got the microscopic Ray Bans that will be torn off in roughly two seconds."
"And of course," Kensi added, "woof woofs." She tucked two stuffed red puppies, one with a considerably dulled nose and the other with worn fur on the head, into the stroller beside the twins, then kissed Deeks' cheek loudly.
"Yay us," Deeks said, peering down into the stroller where Caleb and Sophia sat, munching on goldfish crackers. They were both decked out in red and blue, chunky silver star necklaces around their necks, and dark blonde curls pulled back in tiny ponytails, ready for their first 4th of July parade. It was a particularly toasty day, so Deeks wasn't sure how long any of them would last.
"You ready to get some candy?" Rosa asked the twins.
"Bu tandy!" Caleb corrected seriously, while Sophia merely offered Rosa a soggy cracker.
"Gracias," she said graciously, and ate it.
Deeks chuckled as he checked his phone. "Ok, we have exactly 15 minutes to find a spot before the parade starts."
"Oh, that's easy," Kensi said eagerly, like she'd just been offered a challenge. She grabbed two collapsible camp chairs, setting off at a bracing pace. "Follow me."
Rosa and Deeks shared an amused glance, and he shrugged, breaking into a jog as he pushed the stroller. Ten sweaty minutes later, they'd secure a small patch of curb for themselves.
"Dada, out?" Sophia requested, holding out her arms from the back spot in the stroller. Caleb had already wriggled out and was running back and forth between Kensi and Rosa's chairs, little legs toddling along the pavement.
Deeks picked Sophia up, swinging her into the air before depositing her on the ground where she hurried to join her brother in his game.
At the first bleat of a fire truck siren, they both jumped, running straight to Kensi for protection. It took some coaxing, but between the three of them, they convinced Caleb and Sophia to join the other children.
"It kind of makes all the rushing around and craziness worth it, doesn't it?" Deeks observed as he and Kensi watched the twins dart forward to grab suckers and tootsie rolls under Rosa's guidance.
"Yeah." Kensi leaned into his side, her head pillowed on his shoulder. "It does," she agreed.
