A/N: A random, and maybe odd, little drabble where Deeks runs into an old acquaintance.
Kensi and Deeks strolled down an aisle lined with canned soups and vegetables, walking side-by-side since they were the only two around at the moment.
"What else do we need?"
"Just the arugula and Reese's," Deeks answered slowly, scrolling through the list on his phone. He caught Kensi's eye. "All part of a balanced diet."
"Ok, I'll go to the candy aisle," Kensi offered.
"Naturally," Deeks teased. "Hey, should I grab an extra bag of—"
"Marty? Marty Deeks?"
They both turned at his name, Deeks' hand going towards his waistband, the instinct ingrained even two years removed from the job. He raised an eyebrow at the redhead who'd aligned her cart with theirs.
She smiled expectantly, clearly thinking he'd remember her. Obviously she wasn't a former suspect or convict based on her response.
"Hi. Uh, do I know you?" he asked, smiling to offset any possible hurt feelings. He hadn't dated her, he knew that for sure.
"Yes. At first I wasn't sure it was you, with the beard and all, but I'd recognize your voice anywhere," she said. "I'm Katie Lomberger. From high school orchestra."
"Right, Katie." Deeks nodded. They'd bonded over their mutual love for John Denver, but never had all that much in common. He turned to include Kensi. "Katie played first chair violin."
"And you played second. You were always so serious when we practiced. Only time someone could get you to stop talking."
"Somethings never change," he joked, gesturing to Kensi. "This is Kensi, my wife."
"It's nice to meet you," Kensi said as Katie gasped.
"You're married? I never expected that," Katie blurted out. She immediately covered her mouth, looking mortified. "Oh my god, that's not what I meant."
"Hey, you wouldn't be the first to make similar comments," Deeks assured her, though he would have preferred a different response.
"You once told me you never intended to get married."
"Yeah, well, I said a lot of things when I was younger that turned out to be inaccurate." He shrugged and Katie gave him a look that somehow transversed the close to thirty years between them.
"A lot of people worried about you back then. It's nice to see the great debater actually settled down," she commented. It shouldn't have affected him, but he felt oddly embarrassed by her fond regard.
"I'm pretty glad too," he settled on. "Not too sure about Kensi, though."
"Stop it," Kensi chastised him softly, and Katie smiled knowingly.
"Same old Deeks." She touched his arm. "It was good seeing you again, Marty. Kensi."
As she walked away, Deeks blew out an extended breath. "Well, that wasn't awkward or anything.
"Maybe, but I like learning new things about you. And seeing you prove people wrong," she told him, reaching up to stroke the back of his neck. "Speaking of, how is it that I didn't know you were in orchestra?"
"I don't know. Maybe I'll pull out my violin and see what I remember," he said. At Kensi's surprised look, he explained, "Maybe visiting the past isn't always such a bad thing. Makes you appreciate the present even more."