"That was amazing," Kensi said, leaning across the table to kiss Deeks. "Thanks, baby." Her plate held only a few remnants of their dinner of pot roast and potatoes.
"You're welcome. I think I overdid the carrots just a tiny bit though," he commented, and Kensi rolled her eyes affectionately.
"Oh now you're just fishing for compliments," she teased.
"I would never."
Grinning back at her, he brushed a couple pieces of hair off her cheek. Just like their first official date, they'd eaten outside on the back patio under what turned out to be a perfect evening.
Over the course of the last six weeks, he'd debated when and how to propose to Kensi. He knew Kensi well enough by now that she wouldn't want anything too elaborate or public. Yet, he wanted it to be special.
Caleb, in all his seven-year-old wonder, had continued to sprinkle in little bits of advice every so often, which ranged from surprisingly helpful to decidedly questionable.
"Don't eat anything with garlic."
"Wear a lot of cologne."
"Tell Kensi she's really beautiful. Oh, and wear that blue shirt she likes a lot."Said while Deeks was mid-shower.
"Hide the ring in a little cake shaped like a heart."
He'd ignored the last one. Somehow performing the Heimlich maneuver right before proposing didn't seem like the best idea.
In the end, he'd ended up calling Nell Jones for advice. In the past year, they'd become pretty good friends and he both trusted her to steer him in the right direction and keep his secret.
When he told her his plan to propose, she'd wrapped him in a hug that caught him slightly off guard. After demanding to see the ring, Nell had asked for a detailed description of his proposal and immediately given her approval, offering to take Kensi on a girl's day to give him time to orchestrate his plan.
This afternoon, he'd dropped Caleb off at Roberta's with a hug and a reminder to keep their secret. Caleb had hugged him back, reminding Deeks to buy flowers. Then he'd spent the rest of the day making dinner, getting dressed—in a blue dress shirt—and prepare for the rest of the night before Nell dropped Kensi off.
It had taken a lot of coordination, but together, they'd pulled it off.
"Hey, you want to go for a walk on the beach?" Deeks asked now as he pushed his own plate to the side. He figured they had about 45 minutes before the sun set and he wanted the perfect lighting.
"Now?"
"Yeah, it's perfect out."
"What about the dishes?" Kensi said, pointing to the table.
"They'll be fine for a little bit."
"What have you done with Marty Deeks? Not washing dishes within half an hour of being used," she teased, and he stood up, holding out his hand.
"Walk with me?"
With a questioning look in her eyes, Kensi threaded her fingers through his, letting him lead her to his truck. Deeks drove down a little further than they usually went, picking a secluded spot he'd scouted out a few days ago. They walked down together, stopping at the end of the pier so Kensi could take her shoes off, then set off down the beach.
The breeze was a little stronger by the shore, lightly whipping Kensi's matching blue dress around her ankles. He had a feeling he owed Nell thanks for that.
"You were right, this is perfect," Kensi murmured after a few minutes, leaning into his side as they slowly strolled through the sand. "Thanks for all the surprises today. I don't know what the occasion is, but I appreciate it."
He stopped, drawing Kensi around to face him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek n on his chest.
"Maybe I've just been thinking about how lucky I got when I met you. You've made the last year and a half the best of my life," he replied. As he spoke, his heart started pounding and he felt suddenly dizzy. He'd done this once before, but he hadn't been anywhere this nervous with Monica.
"You have too." She lifted her head enough to catch his eye. "And I'm not just saying that because you made me dinner and regularly clean the house so I don't have to."
He snorted, his heart nearly bursting with so much love for his incredible, strong, loving, silly woman.
"I mean it. Before we met last year, I was I was so incredibly lonely and even though I didn't realize it, really bitter. Even before we started dating, you brought me back to myself. You challenged me from the first day I walked into St. Bridget's."
"Well, you were late and I was really hungry," Kensi joked, reaching up to brush his hair back.
"Which is another thing I love about you. I love your laugh, which is absolutely insane, the way you love Caleb with your whole heart, and wake up extra early so you can get a donut before work."
She laughed at his, her eyes shining in the dimming sunlight.
"Baby, don't make me cry."
"I'm just telling you the truth. You mean everything to me and Caleb."
Making a soft noise in her throat, Kensi pulled him close for a kiss, her lips wet and a little desperate on his. She pulled back, cupping his cheeks.
"You are my world too, Marty Deeks," she whispered. "Always."
Breathing unsteadily, Deeks stepped back as he pulled out the ring he'd kept hidden for the last six week. "In that case." He got down on one knee and Kensi gasped softly. "Kensi Marie Blye, will you marry me?"
"Oh my god," she murmured. Dropping to her knees in front of him, she flung her arms around his shoulders. "Yes, I will marry you."
Exhaling in a mixture of giddy delight and relief, he carefully removed the ring from its little velvet cradle and placed it on her finger. Kensi examined the simple solitaire setting with a smaller diamond on either side.
"It's beautiful." She giggled then, dropping her head to his shoulder. "I wondered why you were wearing my favorite shirt."
"That was Caleb's idea."
"I'll have to thank him," she said, sounding equally as giddy as he felt.
"He also wanted me to use the proposal from "Pride and Prejudice", but I thought that might be overkill," Deeks added, and she kissed him again.
"You're so ridiculous. And I love you."