rated T for some 'adult situations' it's not that bad, I promise.
Nell/Callen
Call Me G.
Pale light streams in through the square window of Nell Jones' tiny apartment. She doesn't live there because she can't afford better. She lives there because she likes it like this. And Callen likes it like this. He's sitting on the edge of the bed as she wakes, his back to her. Except for his steady breathing, he looks like he's not moving.
Nell rolls over and sits up on her knees. She wraps her arms around his neck. He still doesn't move, like she's just another piece of him. She likes to think of it that way. She feels him breathing and the raised bumps on his chest, the scars of the time he was shot, like knots of unease she can never work out.
Not that she doesn't try. Nell tries to make Callen feel at home with her, to feel like he belongs. Sometimes, she thinks she's succeeded, and other times, she's sure she never will. She wonders if he'll ever really feel at home with her, or anywhere. She'd like to ask Sam, but they haven't exactly told anyone they're seeing each other.
Well, Hetty knows, of course. Hetty knows all. She hasn't said anything yet. She hasn't even given them funny looks or made veiled comments. It's almost like she doesn't think about it, doesn't care. They both know she does.
Nell puts her hands on Callen's shoulders and pulls herself up to kiss his cheek. He moves his head to give her better access. She finds his mouth, always ready for her.
"We have an hour," she whispers at an interval.
He doesn't say anything. He never does. But he turns his body toward hers and wraps his arms around her waist. He kisses her more firmly, pushing her mouth open further with his tongue. He's on top of her now, and he pulls the covers back over them.
"I love you," she says as their bodies intertwine. She's been saying it for a while now. He doesn't say it back, but she's okay with that. She's never asked him to.
"Callen?" she says. She's knows he's listening, though he doesn't reply. "Can I call you G.?"
He still doesn't reply. He doesn't meet her eyes. He changes the subject by pulling her closer to him, silencing any further questions.
LA : LA : LA
The funny thing is that when Callen wears the same clothes to work that he wore the day before, no one thinks twice. Nell couldn't get away with that, which is why they always go to her house. At least, that's what Callen tells himself. He tells himself he wouldn't mind having her over, except that he doesn't have a bed. She probably wouldn't mind, now that he thinks of it.
They make sure to get to work separately, with different coffee, and a convincing story of what they did all weekend.
It's not hard to convince Kensi and Deeks of anything because the two of them are preoccupied with whether they love or hate each other today. Callen remembers Nell's words that morning. She said she loved him and asked if she could call him G. The two kind of go hand in hand for him. Sam calls him G. because he can't stop him. Because they're brothers in a sense, and that's the only family, the only love Callen has ever known.
Now there's Nell. Nell loves him. Nell wants to call him G. Is he ready for that? He's not sure.
Surprisingly, Hetty calls them into her office. She makes it look like some official business, they stand on opposite ends of the desk, but they both know what it's about.
"How's it going?" Hetty begins. She doesn't sound upset or concerned. She sounds normal.
"Fine," Nell says, eyes shifting from Callen to Hetty.
"And you, Mr. Callen?" Hetty asks. Even she never calls him G.
"I'm fine, Hetty," he says.
"I did not ask if you were fine. I said how is it going."
"It's going great," Callen says, surprising Nell. "Is that all?"
"Just one more question: have you told your partners?"
They've spent hours together debating it. Sam and Eric deserve to know. But it works so well as their little secret, their private life.
"No," Nell says, shaking her head.
"I suggest you get to that," Hetty says and dismisses them.
As Callen walks back to his desk, Sam is sitting across from him, while Kensi and Deeks are in the break room, fighting over something.
"What was that about?" Sam asks, eyebrows raised.
"Hetty was just saying we should tell our partners we're seeing each other," Callen gets right to the point.
Sam doesn't look surprised. He doesn't even look hurt that Callen didn't tell him. He looks a little amused.
"Is there some reason you decided to tell me now?" Sam says.
"Hetty told me to," Callen is joking in some ways, but he does listen to Hetty more than anyone else, "and I guess I should have told you sooner."
Sam shakes his head. "I knew the first time you went out with her," he says.
Callen smiles, "Why didn't you say anything?"
Sam shrugs, "I knew you'd tell me when you were good and ready. So does she call you G. yet?"
Callen gives Sam a hard stare, "Why do you ask?"
Sam makes a noncommittal gesture. "You get that close to someone and you get tired of calling them by their last name. I know you don't exactly like it, but for the rest of us, it's the closest we can get to familiarity with you."
Callen shakes his head. "No she doesn't." He doesn't tell Sam that she asked if she could.
LA : LA : LA
Eric doesn't take it quite as well. He suspected, sure, but he didn't want it to be true. Not because he was jealous, well, maybe a little. But he was more concerned with how healthy that relationship could be. And that Nell didn't tell him sooner.
"So how long has it been?" he asks, staring at his computer screen.
"Six months," Nell replies.
That's a long time to not tell your partner you're seeing someone, but Eric doesn't say that. He doesn't say anything. Nell can make her how choices, and he'll be her friend no matter what. He'll be her partner because they work so well together and he doesn't want that to change.
And he's not jealous of Callen that he's dating Nell. He's only jealous of the closeness of their relationship. He wishes he could be closer to Nell because he cares about her like a sister or a best friend. He knows she doesn't really see him like that. She sees him as her coworker, whom she admires for his talents, but not much else.
Maybe she treats him that way because she doesn't want their relationship to get weird. He understands that, and he thinks that it might be weird for them if they were all the sudden BFFs. Nell is too secretive.
If it's Callen she's chosen to allow in her secret life, Eric hopes he treats her well, he hopes he deserves her.
LA : LA : LA
After a long day working, Nell and Callen meet at their favorite place. They're still treating their relationship as a secret, though now, three other people know. Deeks and Kensi probably won't figure it out, they'll tell them eventually, but not now.
As they eat, Nell talks about her day. She tells Callen how Eric reacted. Callen doesn't bring up his conversation with Sam, but only says that he knew all along. They enjoy their dinner, and as they're leaving, Callen poses a question.
"Do you want to come to my place?" he says.
Nell recognizes the meaning of the offer. "Sure," she says, "I'll meet you there."
Maybe it would be nice if everyone knew, so they wouldn't have to drive two cars everywhere. Soon enough.
They get to Callen's house. He only has one chair and the bedroll, but they sit on the living room floor with a couple of beers and talk about whatever. Callen is the one who finally brings up what's been bothering him all day.
"You know how you asked if you could call me G.?" he says.
Nell nods, waiting for him to continue.
"Sam asked me if you called me that yet, and it made me wonder why I don't usually let people." He pauses, as if discovering something about himself in that moment. "I asked Hetty to once," he says. "But she said it's not a name, it's a letter. That's when I started to notice that ever time Sam called me G. it reminded me that I don't have a name. But when Sam says it, I know it doesn't matter because I'm part of his family whether I like it or not."
He laughs, and Nell laughs with him. She wants to say that he's part of her family too, but she waits. He keeps talking.
"In some ways I like hearing it, and in others, I hate it. I mean, my name could be George," he laughs again. "That's the first time I've said that out loud—but I want to be sure, you know? So, I guess you can call me G. because I'm sure of that, anyway."
Nell leans forward and kisses Callen. He threads his fingers through her hair. Then he stands up and carries her to the bedroom. He lays her on the bedroll and lays down with her.
She rolls over and puts her leg over him. She kisses him again, savoring the taste of his tongue. She runs her hands down his chest, pulling at his shirt.
"I love you G.," She whispers.
And for the first time in an intimate moment, he speaks. "I love you too, Nell."
LA : LA : LA
hope you liked it, please review!