"Before we do anything else, I should probably put on real clothes," Deeks said, ruefully attempting to flatten his bed head.
"Oh, I don't mind," Kensi assured him. True, it wasn't his neatest look ever, but there was something very appealing about his mussed appearance. It felt…intimate.
Feeling mischievous, Kensi leaned across the table and kissed Deeks quickly. It was more than worth it for the surprised "o" of Deeks' parted lips. He grinned then, a teasing little twist of his lips.
"Yeah, but if I don't get changed, we can't go for a walk on the beach," he said with a wink. "Or get fish tacos."
"Ooh, those were really good. Ok, go shower, and I'll clean this up," Kensi decided, and started pushing the wrappers and napkins from their breakfast into a pile in the middle of the table.
As she gathered it up in a ball, she realized Deeks was watching her, his expression no longer teasing.
"What?" She checked her shirt for stray bagel crumbs or toothpaste.
"This is nice." Deeks shrugged, continuing to regard her fondly. "It's been a long time since I've had a moment like this. With another person. For so long, it's just been me and Caleb. I mean, Caleb's amazing, but it's not the same as this."
"You just appreciate my cleaning services," Kensi joked. He snorted at that, downing the rest of his coffee in a single gulp.
"Right. That's what I've been looking for all this time: a housekeeper." Standing up, dropped a kiss on Kensi's temple, which somehow seemed more intimate than if he'd kissed her full on the lips. "Besides, I've seen your place."
"Hey!" Kensi protested, lightly smacking his arm.
"What I mean is, I didn't realize how much I missed this kind of companionship and conversation," Deeks explained. "I haven't felt or wanted that from anyone in a really long time."
Since Monica, Kensi filled in silently. A confession like that should scare her, but it didn't. Deeks filled a void she hadn't even realized was there. One that Jack certainly never had, if she was being completely honest with herself.
That seemed like just a little too much honesty for this early in the day. She focused on the table in front of her, methodically gathering crumbs in the center, rather than facing Deeks' affection.
"You're right, you better shower so we can get out there before all the tacos are gone."
"Ok." She heard the confusion in Deeks' voice, but thankfully he didn't press her on it. "I'll be ready in about 20 minutes," he said, slipping out of the kitchen.
Sighing, Kensi sat down at the table again, dropping her head into her hands.
"Kensi, you're such an idiot," she muttered to herself.
Deeks emerged a short time later as promised, hair damp and still clinging to his cheeks and temples, pajamas now swapped out for jeans and a black V-neck Tee.
"Alright, I no longer smell like Caleb's late-night snack and I'm not in danger of getting picked up for vagrancy," he joked, instantly putting Kensi at ease.
"You seem really concerned about that possibility. Is there something I should know about?" Kensi asked, following him out to his truck.
"Deeks rolled his eyes, leaning against the driver's door. "In law school and at my last job, it was a running joke because I didn't exactly fit the expected look for a lawyer. Some even called me "Shaggy".
"That's rude."
"Eh, it was said fondly." He cocked his head, and amended, "Mostly. I never ever really meshed with a couple guys."
"Well, they sound like jerks," Kensi decided, drawing a laugh from Deeks.
He opened the door and slid in while Kensi went around to the passenger side. As she got in, she carefully moved a stray goldfish and Junie B. Jones book off the seat. Otherwise, the interior was spotless, and she decided it was a good thing they hadn't taken her car. At least not until she got a chance to vacuum it.
"I appreciate your support, but you get pretty thick-skinned at an early age when you decide to grow your hair this length," Deeks continued once they were both buckled in. "Plus, I'm pretty good at holding my own when I feel the need."
"That explains why you walked away from your encounter with Sam Hanna alive. You never did tell me the entirety of your conversation."
"Oh, I was very impressive." Deeks pulled out of the driveway, pausing to wink at Kensi. "And I will tell you all about it, but first we have tacos."
They ended up taking a long walk along the pier again while they waited for the food truck to finish setting up. Ever the social butterfly, Deeks paused three separate times to greet passersby he apparently met during his runs. He probably had acquired more acquaintances in just a few months of living in LA full time than she had her entire time here.
It was just about noon when they made their way back around to the row of food vendors, and joined a small line in front of the taco truck.
"Do you ever regret making the move here?" Kensi asked as they leisurely walked over to a bench and sat down. Deeks contemplated her question with half a taco suspended in mid-air.
"At first I thought I'd made a huge mistake," he admitted. "Even though I spent so much time in LA as a kid, it's not the same as living and working her, and working with celebrities is almost crazier sometimes than what I did before, danger aside." He paused and scanned the horizon, settling with his gaze on the ocean. "But I needed a change, Caleb's thriving here, and," now he turned to her with one of his crooked smiles. "We never would have met you if we stayed in Iowa. So no, not a single regret so far."
Kensi ducked her head, flushing at the implied compliment. "My life hasn't been so bad since I met you either," she said. "Definitely a lot less quiet, but I suppose my life was getting kind of boring."
"You mean 20-some kindergarteners don't fill every day with unique and unexpected experiences?"
"Of for sure. Yesterday, I had to tell three different children not to like their pain daubers. They don't wreak havoc with their flirty smiles though and way too tight pants every day."
"Oh, my pants are too tight? I can go up a size—"
"No, I'm not complaining," Kensi clarified quickly. "I'm just concerned about the other teachers."
"Sure." Deeks grinned again, like it made perfect sense. "So what I'm hearing is that I'm too attractive for my own good."
"That is not what I said."
"What exactly do they say about me? The other teachers."
"Things that make me very jealous. Happy now?"
He didn't say anything his smug little smile as finished the last bite of his taco and brushed his hands off over the sand saying everything Kensi needed to know. Shaking her head, Kensi muttered under her breath, ignoring Deeks when he nudged her shoulder.
"Hey, you know I'm only joking, right? I only have eyes for one teacher."
Kensi glared at him through narrowed eyes. Standing up, Deeks held out his hand, and after a moment, let him tug her to her feet. He slipped a hand around her waist, using the other to support her back, and swung her back in a deep dip. He held her there for a moment, then kissed her soundly.
She couldn't contain a surprised laugh that bubbled up, and clasped her arms around Deeks' neck as he gently pulled her upright again.
"I guess you're off the hook this time," she decided, brushing her nose against his. "But I'm keeping my eye on you, Mr. Deeks.
A/N: Don't worry, Caleb shall return soon. Sometimes you do need a little adult time to yourself. The Kensi/Deeks day will continue in the next chapter.
As always, I can't thank everyone enough for your love and support for this story.