No Ordinary Love - G.Callen NCIS L.A

Chapter 13

"How about this one?" Deja patted the seat next to her. They had been going in and out of furniture shops for a morning, without him giving her anything to go by, but she didn't seem to mind. When he didn't really react, she got up again and went to take his hand. "Baby, I know it's not the easiest or most fun thing to do, but if you don't try stuff, we're never going to know what you like."

Callen let himself be guided. He'd never even bothered to look at furniture, let alone that he'd know what to look for. He fell down in the seat next to her on the couch, wiggling around a bit. "It's okay." '

Deja shook her head at him. "Okay is a broad term. What do you like, specifically? And what not?"

"I don't know... The fabric is nice, it feels sort of soft." He looked at it. "Maybe not in a L-shape? The living room is not that big."

At least he was making progress. "How about the color?"

"Grey is pretty neutral, right?"

"Yeah, but do you like it?"

He shrugged. "It's grey. Maybe sand, or a bit more brown?"

This, she could work with. "Alright. Grey is not your color, and you need something not as big. Next, then." She rose.

Callen dutifully followed her as they trailed through the shop. While Deja was talking about lighting, he stopped next to a big, dark brown leather couch. Deja didn't notice she'd lost him until she was at the end of the aisle. She found him a few yards back, sitting on a couch. Momentarily, she watched him. His posture was relaxed, his face content. He might have actually found the perfect thing for him, on his own.

She quietly approached him. "This one better?"

He looked up at her. "I think so." He bounced. "It's soft, and comfortable. And I like the color."

She sank down next to him. "Oh, this is nice."

"Right?" He was getting excited. "And this is probably the perfect size to go in front of the fireplace."

He'd given it more thought than she would've thought. She grinned. "Ah, so this goes in front of the fireplace. What about your chair? Are you going to keep it?"

"Maybe," he answered non-committedly. "What do you think?"

She looked at him. "Pros and cons?"

"Pros: it's big enough for both of us, it's cozy, I like it. You need more?"

"Cons?" She wasn't deterred.

"Can't think of any."

Laughing, she nudged his shoulder. "You'll need to treat it with something, to keep the leather soft and as gorgeous as it is now. No sticky hands near it. And are you willing to spend an insane amount of money on a couch?"

"We'll still have it in fifteen years."

Her heart jumped at his 'we'. As if he was already sure they would still be together. "Have you even looked at the price tag?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"Aren't you going to?"

Callen looked from her to the couch and back. "You wanted me to go shopping for furniture. I'm picking furniture. You not happy about that?"

Deja rolled her eyes. "I'm happy about that, babe. And if you want to splurge on one thing, this would be it. Just trying to make sure this is really what you want."

"Don't you like it?"

"I love it," she assured him. She did. The leather looked a bit beaten, but she liked that about leather. It aged well. Like wine. And men. The seat was just right for his taller frame, and she loved that you could cocoon in it. It was perfect for reading a book and snuggling.

"Good." He was pleased, she could tell. Like a kid in a candy store. Happy.

"You found what you were looking for?"

The both of them looked up at the sales person. Callen answered. "We want this one."

"Excellent choice."

Of course it was. Deja shook her head, still in slight disbelief that he was going to spend all that money on a couch. He was probably right, investment wise. If they took care of it, they were going to lounge on it in thirty years. It was a classic, timeless piece. She let him deal with the actual buying; wondering of to another part of the store.

He found her in a rocking chair a few minutes later. She radiated contentment, softly humming a song that he didn't know. He knew she had a rocking chair in her apartment; one that reminded her of the one Nanna had when she was little. Suddenly, he could picture her sitting in a chair like this, belly swollen with someone they had created, and humming that same song. Swallowing hard, he blinked twice. Was that what he wanted? He'd never thought about it that much; having a family had never really been a possibility in his line of work. But hadn't he secretly prayed, hoped? Maybe now, with her, it was a possibility. Maybe, somewhere in the future, he was going to have that with her.

Deja opened her eyes and smiled at him. "All set?"

"All set." He took her hand and helped her up. "You and rocking chairs, huh?"

She pulled her shoulders up. "They calm me. I like the one in my apartment better, though."

"It has cushions."

"That might be it." Her eyes wondered around. "How about we take a break, and then try and find a dining table? Or were you going to fill the dining room with something else?"

He frowned. "Can I fill the dining room with something else? Where else do you want to eat?"

Yeah, he was sure this was what he wanted. He was including her, talking about the house, about things to get. He'd die before he'd give her up.

She chuckled. "Okay, a break and then a dining table set."

After lunch, Deja took him to a vintage shop she knew. They didn't even have to look far, the first table they saw, they fell in love with. Deja gaped at it, then turned to him. "Please tell me you love this as much as I do?"

He could do little else than agree. It was perfect. The wrought iron base complimented the wooden top perfectly, making the table look rustic and homely. It was big enough to seat at least six people, something Callen knew Deja wanted. There were going to be dinner parties.

The owner of the shop came over when he saw them. "It's a pretty little thing, isn't it?" he drawled. "It came in the other day, and I was pretty sure it wasn't going to be here long. Do you want me to deliver it?"

"You have any chairs to go with it?"

Half an hour later they were standing outside the shop, in the sun, grinning at each other like a couple of idiots. "We haven't even painted the dining room yet," Deja commented. "Where are we going to leave it until then?"

Callen didn't care. "There's always temporary storage in the living room or something. The chairs can go upstairs for the time being. I can't wait to see what it looks like."

Deja knew he meant it. "Good." Looking at her watch, she tugged at his hand. "Come on. We can pick up some color swatches, and get a head start on that now that we still have daylight."

And so he steered the car in the right direction.