A/N: Densimber Day 23.
"Hmm, what do you think? Should we get the Gala or Pink Ladies?" Deeks asks, looking down into the small nest of dark blonde curls atop Caleb's head, and then turns his head enough to check in with Sophia, currently attached to his back.
"Glhh," Sophia responds, one her little hands glancing off his neck. Caleb grabs Deeks' chin, his eyes narrowing as his skin comes in contact with Deeks' beard.
"Yeah, definitely the Gala." He puts a few in their cart, next to a box of fish crackers and a jar of spaghetti sauce. "Ok, we just need some bananas, avocado, cucumbers, and cheese. Then we can go find—"
"Oh, they are so sweet!" a high-pitched voice interrupts him. Deeks turns, finding a tall dark-haired woman standing just a little bit closer than what's appropriate for the produce section of a grocery store.
"Hey. Thanks. I like them too," Deeks says, placing a protective hand over Caleb's head. The woman reaches out to touch Sophia's foot, who makes a squawking sound Deeks recognizes as one of displeasure.
"I just love twins," the woman continues, leaning closer like she's confiding something personal. "My cousins are twins."
"Imagine that." He chuckles a couple times, hoping he's imagining the flirtatious edge to everything she says.
"I'm Angela." She holds out her hand, and Deeks shakes it, releasing quickly.
"Deeks."
"Oh, what an unusual name," she comments. "I like it." Her pitch drops a few tones and Deeks sighs internally. Turns out he wasn't wrong after all.
"Thanks. Well, it was nice meeting you, but these kiddos won't hold out much longer and I've got avocados to squeeze," Deeks says in an attempt to excuse himself.
Angela laughs far more loudly than the joke deserves, tilting her head back, and when she comes back up for air, her hand somehow finds its way to his bicep. He edges back a couple steps, peering over Angela's head in search of Kensi. Of all times for Kensi to get held up at the pharmacy.
"How'd you like to get some coffee?" she asks. "I bet you're tired after carrying these two all around."
"I appreciate the offer, but I'm actually married," Deeks informs her, holding up his left hand and wiggling his ring finger.
"I won't tell if you don't," Angela murmurs, moving even closer.
"I'd love a coffee," Kensi says brightly, appearing from behind Angela with a small white paper bag. Angela turns at her voice, giving her an annoyed glance, her hand falling from his arm.
"Ah, this is the love of my life, mother of the darling twins." Deeks takes the opportunity to slip around to the other side of the shopping cart. Kensi lowers her eyebrows in a silent question, quirking her head on Angela's direction. "And this is Angela, who very kindly offered to buy me coffee. Isn't that nice, Kensi?"
"Oh, yes," Kensi agrees dryly, addressing Angela directly for the first time. "We've been wanting to make new friends." She rests her hands on his forearm in a subtle possessive gesture that Deeks appreciates deeply.
"Actually, I just remembered I have an appointment I'm going to be late for," Angela says, offering Kensi an icy smile. "It was a pleasure to meet you." Then, as she passes by, she leans into his ear, and adds, "I work at the realtor's office across the street if you ever need to get out."
"I leave you alone for 10 minutes," Kensi comments once Angela has beat a hasty retreat. Shaking her head, she takes a moment to kiss each of the babies.
"Hey, I was putting up all kinds of stop signs, she just didn't listen," Deeks defends himself.
"They never do." Kensi loops her arm through his as Deeks starts to push the cart towards the display with avocados. "Not at the beach, or the library, or that one time at my mom's church. Your Deeksness is in overdrive."
"Ok, I get the point. I really thought that presence of two babies under the age of one and the ever-increasing gray hair would be a deterrent."
"Oh, believe me, it's not," Kensi tells him, pausing to brush a curl off his temple. "Maybe next time mention that I'm fully versed in martial arts and knife throwing."