Its 9PM on a Friday night when Nell walks out of OPS, finally finished for the day. As she walks down the stairs she notices a bedroll set out on the floor near the couch in the bullpen, she approaches it and asks "Callen, What are you doing, if Hetty sees that in here she will set it alight no matter if you're in it or not."
"The last place was too bright, I couldn't sleep."
"I know I might regret this, but would you like to stay at my place tonight."
"I would like that very much." he answers quickly then realising what she said asks "Hey, what do you mean regret it."
"I mean, I get the feeling that when I wake up my toaster will no longer be intact."
"I promise not to kill your toaster."
'Ok, in that case come on then, let's go."
After Callen grabs his stuff and throws his bedroll in the furnace in the burn room at Nell's insistence, they walk out to the car park and get into their respective cars. Callen following Nell as she leads the way back to her place.
When they arrive they run into an older woman whom immediately questions "Nell my dear, how are you and who is this young man?"
"Oh hello Mrs. Mason, this is Callen, he needed a place to stay tonight."
"That's nice, well make sure he doesn't keep you up all night."
"It's not like that." Nell starts to protest but Mrs. Mason has walked back into her apartment
"Come on Callen, let's go inside before people start to talk." Nell says quite flustered
"Yes dear." Callen answers with a jovial lilt in his voice
"Oh don't start that or, you, can go back to OSP" Nell says
"Yes dear." Callen replies looking rather amused
The look of amusement lasts for about 3 seconds until Nell gives him a stare that she learnt from Hetty
"I'm sorry Nell, please not the Hetty stare" Callen says
Nell turns and walks into her apartment and waits until Callen steps inside before closing the door, as she turns to go back into the apartment she runs straight into Callen's back.
"Callen, everything ok." Nell asks
"It's amazing." he mutters
"It's an apartment."
"It's a home." Callen says turning to face Nell
"Come on, you say that like you expected something different."
'I've seen Sam's house but, it's not like this, it's so, cosy."
"It's my escape, when I get home from work I come in here and let everything just drift away."
Callen just stands there for a minute until he says "So, what do you want for tea?"
"Sorry, what" Nell asks not quite sure where Callen is going with this, she would never admit it, but it wasn't just charity that spurned her to invite Callen to stay tonight.
"Dinner, I thought since you were letting me stay then the least I could do, would be to buy you dinner"
"There's a nice Thai place around the corner" Nell says still not sure exactly where this is going
"Ok, that sounds amazing" Callen says whilst silently thinking but anything involving Nell does
"Ok, give me a few minutes to go change quickly and we can go" Nell says walking into her bedroom to change
About 5 min later Nell emerges from her bedroom. Gone is the dress and cardigan she wore to work that day, now she is wearing a pair of jeans and an emerald green blouse, to say that G is stunned is an understatement, his mouth literally hangs open at the sight of the beauty in front of him.
Nell knows how she looks, she wanted to see what G's reaction would be she had suspected that he may like her for the last few weeks since the time she caught him watching her silently during a briefing. She is pretty sure that she was right he is so cute at the moment with his mouth literally hanging open at the sight of her.
She walks over and reaches up to close his mouth and says "So, ready to go then?"
"Y, yes" Callen stammers still trying to get over the vision in front of him "Let's go"