A/N: I know I haven't added anything to the Callen/Emily verse in a while, been really busy, but here's another one shot. Enjoy.
Summary: It started with winter. A stand alone piece in my Callen/Emily (OFC) universe. A continuation of 'It started with coffee'
It started with Winter
Callen watched as Emily laughed at something Deeks had said, sending them both into a spiral of laughter. The LAPD Detective said something and she batted at his arm with a smirking glare. Callen couldn't help the smile that started to grow.
When Christmas had started to get closer he'd been worried about what she'd ask him to do. A few days into December he'd been caught in a down pour and he'd forgotten any kind of jacket that morning. When he pulled up to his and Emily's apartment he spent a few minutes just staring up at the window. Lights, twinkling blue, green and red stared back at him. He frowned. "What the?" He hadn't put any decorations up.
With a sigh he braced the rain once more, jumped up to the second floor and pulled his key out of his pocket. He opened the door to a wall of warmth and slammed the wooden door on the cold that was settling in outside.
And he stopped.
There was a Christmas tree in the living room.
The smell of hot food hit him next and he dropped his bag by the door, eyes still fixed on the tree. "How was work? You catch the bad guy?" They had become the standard words Emily asked him as he came back and as repetitive as they sounded he didn't want them to change. He found the source of her voice coming from the direction of the bedroom. Blonde hair had been left to hang around her face in wet tendrils that were still drying. She wore a too large navy sweater with a pair of grey woollen leggings tucked into thick woollen socks. "You get caught in the rain too?"
He grinned with her as he kicked his shoes off. "Yeah, how's the job?"
She shrugged as she stepped into the kitchen area of the apartment. Her new job was bartending part time at night, during the day she'd managed to get her old barista job back. "It's fine. Nobody puked so that's a bonus."
He laughed and started into the bedroom for a change of clothes.
"Callen?"
"Yeah?" he called back.
He could hear the hesitance and kicked his jeans off and pulled his shirt over his head. A drawer was opened and he pulled out a pair of black jogging pants and a fresh shirt. The silence had him frowning and he reached the door before she spoke again, "You don't mind that I got a tree do you?"
Blue eyes found the green item in question and he shrugged. "I'm not bothered."
"Really?"
When he turned to look at her she was biting her bottom lip with a look of worry. He just perked his brows and nodded. "Yeah." He looked at the tree again and shrugged. He wasn't bothered by it, it was just that his Christmases had been spent with Sam the past few years. Before that it was just him or the family he was with or the home he was in. And he realised then that this year was going to be different.
"Callen?"
He finally turned his eyes back onto her. "Yeah?"
She was looking at him with a curious expression and he wanted to settle any doubt she had circling her mind. Over the past year she'd had to put up with him and as Sam liked to point out to him that wasn't an easy task. "You okay?"
"Yeah," he answered automatically and moved to the kettle. "I'm good."
"Okay," and she followed him with her eyes, her back against the kitchen counter. "well," he settled himself with getting two cups down for coffee. He knew what was going to be next and the unspoken words were beginning to unsettle him. "I was wondering what you erm, what your plans were. I mean, what do you usually do around this time?"
A slight difference to the words he'd been expecting but the question was waiting, the fuse lit. He turned and put on a soft expression. "I usually go to Sam's for the holidays. Are you at your parents?"
"Yeah." She closed her mouth and he let his eyes narrow ever so slightly with a small hook to the corner of his mouth. He waited. She nodded. "Okay." And a smile lit her face up.
He frowned. "That's it?"
She shrugged and turned to the oven. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't going to be hanging about here on your own." A pair of oven mitts adorned her hands.
It took him a few seconds to reply, "Right."
She pulled out a small oven dish filled with pasta and cooked cheese. "What?"
"Nothing," he shook his head as he started the kettle.
He could feel her frowning at his back and tried to keep himself busy. The fridge was opened and he turned to see another small dish of pasta covered with uncooked cheese be pushed into the oven. It had become normal for Emily to cook two separate dishes. With their difference in finishing times it was hard to co-ordinate meals. "Nothing?"
"Nothing." He made the drinks and held a cup out to her.
She took it with a frown and let herself lean against the counter, her steaming food left to stand on the side. A smirk started to light her face and he waited. "You thought I was going to ask you to come to mine right?"
He pursed his lips, hesitated and nodded. He had been expecting those words. "That's what people do right?"
A chuckle escaped her and she set her cup down to step up to him and kiss his cheek. "You're adorable."
"Adorable?" He raised his brows. "Adorable?" the light smile couldn't be helped.
A smile took a hold of her and she pulled at a drawer to grab a fork, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I don't want to push you to do anything you don't want to. If you'd prefer to go to Sam's then fine, go to Sam's." She grabbed a plate and set that down, turning herself to face him. "But I want you to be comfortable. I don't want to push you. I know that this is completely new to you okay?" He couldn't help the grin that started to form, his eyes fixed on hers. The silence and lack of movement had her narrowing her eyes at him, shaking her head. "What? Callen, speak. Callen?"
He shook his head, let his own cup sit on the side abandoned and stepped across the kitchen to wrap his arms around her waist. His mouth settled itself on her cheek as she pressed her hands over his. "Thank you," he whispered.
Another chuckle let itself loose from her mouth and she twisted her head the best she could to look up at him. "I just want you to be happy." He kissed her then.
She had stayed Christmas Eve and he dropped her off at her parents before he drove up to Sam's. Then the days had passed, she came back and New Year's Eve started to get closer. His team had been suggesting plans, that maybe they should spend it together this year. Hetty had agreed to the idea. Sam had backed out with previous plans and when they decided on a place to just drink, get merry and have fun, a bar had been suggested. Everybody agreed and everybody was thankful when no bodies dropped on the day. Callen had asked Emily what she was doing for the day and when she'd returned him with a smirk he frowned with curiosity. "Kensi invited me out already."
He rolled his eyes. "You got the night off then?"
She shrugged, "Not quite. I'm working until ten, then I can come and join you guys."
By the time she arrived at the party everybody had already had a few. Kensi had thrown an arm around her shoulders, shoved a beer into her hands and drug her over to the group. There was a space next to Nell and Emily nodded her head. Hetty had joined them shortly later and introduced herself to Emily herself. "Miss Weston, Henrietta Lange," the smaller woman had said, "it is a pleasure to finally meet the woman that has turned Callen around."
She had laughed. "Thanks and it's great to meet you Miss Lange. I've heard that you're a fantastic boss."
Hetty's mouth quirked into a smile, "He says that does he?"
"Sometimes."
The smaller woman turned her head to face Callen with a blank expression. Emily eyed him too with a shrug. "Well, as long as there's somebody to keep an eye on him."
"I try my best to."
Music had started then and people had gotten up to dance, buy more drinks, visit the bathroom and dance. The bar was almost full and there were a lot of people dancing. In the end Kensi had dragged Nell up to dance, who dragged Eric up, whilst Hetty pulled at Callen. Deeks had invited Emily to the dance floor and Callen had watched out of the corner of his eye as they talked and danced.
"I like Miss Emily," Hetty had said.
Callen smiled down at her. "Thank you Hetty."
"How on Earth you managed it I have no idea."
"And now I'm insulted."
"She is a nice young girl."
He had smiled as they continued to dance for a little longer before Hetty disappeared out of the club into a taxi, bidding everybody a good evening. There was somebody else she needed to see. Callen stood off to the side and watched as Deeks and Emily shuffled off to another side to talk. Kensi and Nell pulled him back up and he sighed as the girls forced him and Eric to dance. "Relax," Kensi said. "Deeks is not going to run off with her."
"I just want to make sure."
The music stopped and somebody's voice boomed through a series of speakers, "Ladies and Gentlemen, there is a minute to go until the New Year. Now, let's all grab a drink and a friend and wait."
People bustled to the bar for drinks and the group of work colleagues gathered back around their table with their unfinished glasses. Light conversation filled the table and Callen turned his eyes down to Emily. "You okay?"
"Yes," she nodded and took a sip of her drink. "I'm glad I could spend tonight with everyone here."
He grinned, "Me too," and placed a gentle kiss to her temple. The voice returned to the speakers and a ten second count down started. When everybody's voice hit zero cheers surrounded the room and the team raised their glasses and drunk. "Happy New Year," Callen said as he watched his team finish their drinks with nothing but smiles and grins. e haH