The tension lasted for far longer than Deeks had anticipated. His mom didn't seem ready to let the issue go, so he didn't budge either. He tried to leave the house before his mom woke up, assuming she was back from work, and then spent the majority of the day out. It wasn't all that hard between his job, hanging out with Kensi, and surfing whenever he got the chance.
On the morning twelve days after their argument, Deeks walked into the kitchen, expecting to grab whatever was around for breakfast as he usually did. Instead, he found the table set with two plates and his mom stirring a pan of bacon and eggs.
"Mom," Deeks said, not sure how he planned to finish that statement, but Roberta saved him from the trouble with a raised hand.
"Listen, we're both pretty stubborn, but even I know when I'm beat," she told him, gesturing to the pan. "This is my attempt at calling a truce."
"So you agree with me?
"Now I didn't say that. I'm just ready to be done with tiptoeing around each other and not talking." Roberta used her spatula to point at him. "That does not mean that I approve of how you spoke to me, Martin."
"I was pretty disrespectful," Deeks allowed quietly.
"Damn right, you were," said emphatically enough that Deeks smiled a little. "Now I don't want to start this all over again, but you gotta stop taking on so many things. You think you're responsible for everything from our bills to defending the younger kids from the neighborhood bully."
"Somebody has to." It wasn't an argument, but a simple statement to him.
"It doesn't always have to be my son." Roberta shook her head. "We e been through enough that I shouldn't have to worry about you flunking math because you spend all your time at work.
"Geez mom, I'm not that bad," he joked, and she pointed at him sternly.
"Not funny, Martin."
"Sorry, mama. So, what are we gonna do?"
Roberta didn't answer immediately, turning to the stove and stirred the eggs aggressively for a few seconds. She flipped the burner off with a sigh, and leaned against the counter. "I don't know, Marty," she admitted. "We'll manage somehow. All I know is that you don't have to do it."
Deeks said nothing; he knew his mom wanted him to commit to her request, but he'd learned to be stubborn from the best. After several moments, she sighed again in exasperation, throwing her hands in the air.
"Well, can you at least promise me that you'll have some fun this summer?" she asked, and he grinned more genuinely.
"I think I can manage that," he said.
She set the spatula to the side, opening her arms wide. Deeks hesitated for a couple of seconds, then stepped into her embrace, bending to rest his chin on her shoulder.
"I love you, mama."
"Love you too, kiddo." Roberta squeezed him extra hard, then released him, her voice suspiciously wet when she told him, "Now eat your breakfast."
Deeks didn't see as much of Kensi for the next few days. Mr. Blye had finally agreed to let her take her driver's test, so she'd spent the days leading up to it practicing as much as possible. Although Kensi had begged to go to the DMV the morning she turned 16, Don had insisted she wait until the summer, and he felt completely comfortable with her driving in any road conditions.
Much to Kensi's relief, that day had finally come. When her dad got home, they'd go straight to the DMV.
Currently, Deeks stood outside the Blye home while Kensi repeatedly parallel parked between a garbage can and the neighbor's Camaro. He had the distinct feeling Mr. Blye wouldn't be too happy to find out she was operating the car, even if it was only a couple yards from the driveway, without him present.
"How did that look?" Kensi asked, craning her head out of the car window.
"As perfect as the last 10 times."
"Deeks."
"What, it's perfect. You've practiced this so much I bet you could do it in your sleep," he said, and Kensi rolled her eyes, backing the car out of the space, and pulling back into the driveway. She got back out, and together they leaned against the trunk.
"Parallel parking is one of the most difficult parts of the test. Mandy still hasn't figured it out," Kensi reminded him.
"And Kip forgot to put his seatbelt on the first time," Deeks added. "Things happen."
"Exactly. Which is why I've created a check list and practiced for every possible scenario." She lifted her chin confidently. "I'm not leaving anything to chance."
"Hey, that strategy worked when you took the SAT, why not driving as well," he said. Aside from her first few drives out with her dad before driver's ed, she was probably a better and more diligent driver than most adults he knew. It was certainly less terrifying to be a passenger with her than his mom.
"Don't jinx me," Kensi warned, her tone just stern enough to let him she was partially serious.
"I wish I could go with you for moral support, but I have to work," he apologized.
"How inconsiderate of you." She flashed him a teasing grin, poking at his shoulder.
"I know, I'm terrible. I can come over after though, assuming you're not out partying already."
"Perfect. Don't forget the celebratory ice cream," Kensi said.
"Wouldn't dream of it, Kensalina."
Deeks spent the day unloading palates and stocking shelves. By the end of his shift, a shorter one than usual, he found himself fighting to keep his eyes open. That had been happening more frequently, even though he didn't have the added work and stress of school to keep up with.
The thought of going home and crawling into bed sounded amazing, but he didn't want to let Kensi down. Besides, he couldn't wait to see her expression.
He nodded off a couple times on the bus, and nearly missed his stop, waking up just in time to get off a couple blocks from Kensi's neighborhood. He stopped off to grab ice cream from Kensi's shop. She'd probably experience him to pick up a pint from the store, and the price definitely ate into his allotted savings for the week, but he decided it was worth it on this occasion.
Mr. Blye answered the door when Deeks rang, his expression vaguely assumed when he saw him standing on the doorstep.
"I was wondering when you'd show up," he said, crossing his arms over his chest as he eyed the familiar takeout bag in Deeks' hand. Deeks hesitated, wondering if this was the day that Donald Blye finally decided that his daughter was too good for the likes of Marty Deeks.
"Uh, I hope it's not too late, Sir. I would have come sooner, but—"
"No, you're fine. I'm just messing with you." Don waved his concern off with a pass of his hand. "C'mon in. Kensi will be happy to see you. She's upstairs in her room."
"Ok, thanks. I'll try not to stay too long," Deeks promised, heading for the stairs.
"As long as your mom doesn't mind, don't worry about it," Don told him. "Did you eat dinner?"
"No, I didn't get a chance—"
"I'll make you a plate of leftovers."
Deeks nodded in thanks, hurrying up the stairs before Don could come up with any more questions. Kensi's bedroom door was wide open, so he assumed she'd heard him come in, but he still knocked on the door jamb before stepping in.
Kensi sat on her bed, back against the wall a bucket of ice cream balanced on her raised knees.
"Whoa, looks like you started the party without me," he joked. Instead of throwing back an insult, she kept her face turned away, and his stomach sank as he realized something must be wrong. "Kens?"
Swiping the back of her hand under her nose, she slowly lifted her head. Her eyes were swollen and red, cheeks damp with tears.
"Oh my god, Kensi what happened?" he gasped, crossing over to the bed, sliding one knee onto the mattress.
"It's so stupid," she spat out, angrily wiping away a tear with the side of her thumb. Avoiding his eyes, she jabbed her spoon into the ice cream. Deeks nudged her knee with his own. "I failed the test."
"How?" Deeks asked, honestly shocked, but relieved that it wasn't anything worse. His mind had instantly gone into disaster mode.
"I didn't stop on a stupid red light before I turned right," she admitted, shaking her head. "I'm such an idiot."
"Hey now, anyone can make a mistake." She'd worked so hard for this, and built up the event so much in her mind, he knew the combination of embarrassment and disappointment probably made the failure that much harder to accept.
"You didn't. Ray, and Kip didn't. Even Mandy didn't forget that part." Kensi heaved a deep sigh, and tilted her head back against the wall, her lips setting in a familiar expression. "I guess that's what I get for being so sure of myself."
"This is not the result of a tiny bit of hubris," he said. "Everyone fails something at some point. Even the great Kensi Marie Blye."
"You really felt the need to pull out the triple word scores right now?" she asked wryly. "Showoff." The last word was muttered with a good-natured jab at his ankle.
"You're just sore that I won last time."
Kensi tried to glare at him, failing miserably when he wiggled his eyebrows at her. After approximately three seconds, she broke, turning her head away again, but this time to conceal a smile.
"That's my girl," Deeks murmured. Kensi leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Thanks for talking me down," she said. "My dad just kept telling me that I could take the test again in two weeks. I know he was trying to be helpful, but it just made me angrier." She fiddled with the string of Deeks' jacket. "Think I kind of freaked him out with all the crying."
"Yeah, that would kind of explain him basically begging me to come up and see you," Deeks agreed with a chuckle. They stayed cuddled up together for a couple more minutes until he felt Kensi craning her head over his shoulder. "Can I help you with something?"
"I just though I saw you come in with a bag from the Dairy Belle."
"You did," Deeks agreed. "But I figured since you already had some you wouldn't be interested."
"It'd be a shame to waste it."
"I can just put it in the freezer–"
"Marty Deeks, do not test me."
Deeks hopped off the bed to avoid her swatting hands, laughing as he retrieved the bag. "I'm just kidding. Far be it from me to keep a grieving woman from her ice cream."
He pulled out one of the paper cups of soft serve, offering it Kensi with a flourish, who accepted it with as much excitement as if she hadn't just eaten half a pint just minutes ago. Settling in beside her against the wall, Deeks dug into his own cup.
Donald Blye waited until he heard the low murmur of voices emanating from Kensi's room to quiet some. He didn't know how he should feel about it, but if anyone could calm his daughter down, it was the Deeks boy. They had some kind of connection that he failed to fully understand.
He shook his head, popping the plate he'd promised Marty in the microwave for a couple of minutes. The kid always looked just a little too hungry for his comfort, and he could spare a few extra meals a week.
When the microwave beeped, he slid the steaming plate onto a hot pad, grabbed a couple of cans of coke for good measure, and carted it all upstairs. The hallway was oddly silent as he approached Kensi's room. Hoping he wasn't about to walk in on something that would involve a whole lot of yelling and lectures, he poked his head in.
What he saw instead made him smile. Kensi and Deeks each had a cup of ice cream cradled in their hands, heads inclined towards each other, fully asleep. Shaking his head, he set the food to the side, and carefully relieved them of the ice cream before it spilled.
They were good kids. Exhausting, but good.
A/N: Once again pulling from real life for this one. My older sister failed her first driver's exam by failing to stop before turning on a red light. She was quite upset. I think it was especially shocking because she was a pretty competent driver for a teen. I on the other hand, didn't have to parallel park during mine because the examiner decided there wasn't an adequate spot.
I hope this isn't too high on teen angst, but when you're a kid something like failing a driving test can be so devastating.