Underhand high-five
Eric and Nell never high-five overhand. Always underhand, with the quick coordination only partners could master. It had become habit, every time they successfully hacked another system, every time they got a positive facial recognition scan, every time Kensi or Deeks or Sam or Callen handcuffed the bad guy so they could all go home at the end of the day. So cliché.
Right?
That underhand high-five meant a lot more than a quick friendly celebration. Because there was a reason they never did an overhand high-five.
Eric learned that in Nell's second week at OPS. They were just starting to become friendly, and after a successful mission, Eric decided a high-five was in order. He had turned to her and raised his hand for a high-five. Innocent move. It was her reaction that found its way into Eric's head every night for the next few weeks. She flinched. Only for half a second. Quickly pulled away from him and brought one hand near her face, almost to cover her face. But just as quick as the flinch, she smiled and high-fived him back. That was it. Barely enough for anyone to notice, half-a-second flinch, then she used that hand that went to cover her face to high-five him back. And nothing else was said. It kept him up that night, he kept thinking what it meant. Actually, he knew what it meant. A flinch reaction to a raised hand, yeah he knew what that was. He just didn't want to believe that someone had or was still hurting Nell. He didn't know her that well, and he wasn't even sure if he liked her. Still, the thought of someone hurting a member of their team was unsettling. But he let it go, it was her business, not his.
He stuck to underhand high-fives for the next few months, and nothing else happened, until one time he slipped up. After spending the weekend playing video games with his brother while he was in town, Eric became used to overhand high-fives. And that Monday he went in for a high-five from Nell, overhand. Same reaction as she had had months ago. The flinch, and the hand, then cheerfully returning the high-five. The first time, she had closed her eyes, this time, they stayed open, and all Eric saw for literally a fraction of a second, was pure fear and terror in her eyes. Then she was back to her normal self just as quickly, and she returned the high-five. Eric felt sick to his stomach, he felt so guilty. He was the one who had caused this fear and terror in her for half a second. He made her feel that she was in danger, he had frightened her for half a second. But really, he knew it wasn't him. Someone else had caused this, and he was going to do the best he could to make sure that they never hurt her again. He worked up enough courage to confront Nell. He could tell she had been expecting this conversation, although she was none too happy to have it. She calmly explained that nobody was hurting her anymore. That's exactly how she put it. She said that she was safe, and she implied that it wasn't something recent.
And Eric felt much better knowing she was okay.
And Nell was actually very glad that he cared about her.
And every time a case gets solved, or they hack a system, or they give the right instructions to get everyone safely home at the end of the day, the mutual agreement of the underhand high-five brought them together. The team never thought it was weird that Eric went for underhand high-fives, it was just a habit he picked up from spending so much time with his partner. And honestly, there was no one he would rather be spending time with.