A/N: So here we are, as promised, another Neric fic. Thought of this as I was rewatching 5x02 and saw that cute little interaction between Nell and Eric as he was interrogating her about the 'not a date'.
Disclaimer: Still don't own it, why are we still doing this?
"I do."
At almost one in the morning it was easy to see how Nell was confused at the sight of her partner at her doorstep with almost no provocation proclaiming that 'he does'. Or 'did'. Nell wasn't quite sure but knew that if she could work out what Eric was referring to then the whole conversation would run a lot smoother.
Realising that she'd zoned out on her partner Nell shook her head, trying to chase away the last remnants of sleep and focus on the task at hand.
"Eric, stop," She cried out, reaching and holding on to both arms, forcing the man to stop his wild gesticulating and face the petite red-head.
Finally pausing and taking a breath, the taller man stopped and closed his eyes momentarily, opening them with his exhale.
"Sorry Nell, I just had to come here and talk to you and I was worried you'd be asleep, but you're here so I guess not but... Uh... Are they ducks?" The technical operator asked, tilting his head and gesturing to the pyjama pants Nell had quickly thrown on to accompany the thin white camisole she'd been using as sleepwear.
"...Yeah, why? Is that a problem?" She called out, walking towards the small couch waiting for Eric to follow her.
"No, it's just they look a little big."
"Well you try finding clothes to fit you when you're my height. Anyway, it's not like I really sleep in them, I just put them on to answer the door."
"You... You just, uh. What?"
Taking pity on her partner at his stammering Nell was about to explain herself before noticing the faint blush rising across Eric's neck and ears. Finding the sight of a grown-man blushing in her apartment at one in the morning highly amusing, Nell could see no reason why she couldn't explain herself and still have a little fun at said grown-man's expense.
"I don't like wearing pants to bed, they always end up tangled around my legs," Feeling bold Nell shifted slightly, moving her legs out from beneath her and stretched out, throwing them across Eric's lap, "I'm more of a T-shirt and panties kinda girl for bed."
Smirking at the way Eric's blush seemed to increase ten-fold at her admission Nell took pity on him, letting the whispered 'Oh God' slip by unnoticed and instead chose to focus on the warmth of Eric's hand brushing up and down her ankle lightly, an action that Eric himself seemed unaware of.
The two sat there, neither noticing how long had passed as Eric continued trailing his hand across the lower part of Nell's leg, not tracing invisible patterns on her skin where the pant legs had ridden up. Once or twice Eric's hand strayed slightly too close to the Intelligence Analysts foot but he pulled back each time when his partner flinched, smiling at him and simply offering that she was ticklish there as an explanation.
Eventually, Eric managed to tear his eyes away from the sight of his partner, half asleep and half sat in his lap smiling at him even with her eyes closed, for long enough to renew his determination.
"You're braver than me."
Shocked at the sudden statement Nell opened her eyes to see Eric staring intently at his now still hand resting on her calf.
"Why do I feel like I've come in mid-way through this conversation?"
"Because I'm not good at this," He whispered, almost too low for Nell to hear.
Removing her legs from their current position on her partners lap she sat up moving closer to Eric before placing her hand on his shoulder, a safe move, prompting him to look at her.
"Not good at what?"
"Us."
Whatever Nell had been expecting, this had not been it.
"I'm not good at... Emotions. Especially around you." He paused, tentatively reaching out to hold the hand that wasn't currently playing with the fabric of his shirt. "I always screw it up. I try and act cool or I try too hard but you've never had that problem."
"What problem?"
"I don't know-"
"Eric-"
"But I can explain-"
"Listen, I don't know what you're talking about-"
"You were talking about those guys and I was angry and confused and-"
"I thought I told you-"
"And I think I was jealous but-"
"Well I could have told you that."
"Nell!" Moving his hand away from its place on the back of the couch to instead cover the young analysts mouth Eric finally managed to silence the red-head. "I'm trying to explain, can you stop interrupting me and just listen for a minute?"
Taking the slow nod as a yes Eric slowly removed his hand from covering Nell's face, instead moving the hand to rest along her jaw, his thumb ghosting along her cheekbone while Nell's hair fluttered around his hand.
"I was jealous. I thought you'd gone out with those guys but I thought we were getting... Closer. But then you made that date comment and I don't care what I said or what you said because I do. I do want to go on a date with you Nell. And a hundred more, if you'd let me. I want to be the only guy you go on dates with."
Finally managing to get what he wanted to say out in the open Eric let go of the breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. However, watching his best friend and potential flight risk when it came to R-words, Eric knew that if he didn't get everything out in the open now then he probably never would.
"I like you, Nell. Like, I really like you."
After what felt like an eternity to the pair Eric saw the corner of Nell's mouth pull up into that 'secret smile' he loved.
"You like me?"
Freeing his hand from where it rested, tangled with her in his lap Eric rubbed at the back of his neck, a nervous habit he'd picked up over the years.
"Yeah, I do. Is that okay?"
"That you like me?"
"Uh-huh."
"Eric, are you seriously asking if it's okay that you like me?" Nell asked, disbelief and amusement warring within her as the most dominant emotion.
"Yeah, I mean yes. I am."
"Okay, just checking."
"Wait, what?" Almost before Eric had finished his sentence he found his lips otherwise occupied by his fiery partner.
In that moment, Eric swore he could gladly die happy after having finally getting the chance to kiss Nell Jones once more. That is until he felt her tongue brushing against his bottom lip, seeking entrance.
It was at that point that Eric Beale ceased thinking entirely.
Eventually the two pulled apart, just far enough to draw breath. At some point during the impromptu make-out session Nell had moved completely into Eric's lap and was straddling him while the hand that wasn't tangled in Nell's hair was holding on firmly to her hip, fingers perilously closed to grabbing her ass. Both panting and stealing kisses through bruised lips neither one could what had just happened.
It was Eric who moved first, wrapping his arm around Nell and almost throwing her on to the couch before following her down, pressing one last lingering kiss before pulling away.
"I have to go," He whispered in between kisses pressed to his partners neck.
"Why?" She asked, unable to hide to pout in her tone or the moan when Eric found a particularly sensitive spot on her neck.
"Because if I don't go now I don't think I ever will."
"I don't see why that's a problem," Nell smirked as she dragged her nails across his back, feeling him shiver.
"I want to this right, I want to take you out to dinner before anything else happens. Hell, I'd take you out to breakfast right now if it counted but-"
"You want to do this properly," she finished for him.
"Yeah. The R-word, can we do that?"
"I guess we can try."
Watching the smile break out across his face Nell as sure that never would such a beautiful sight exist again; Eric Beale, lips flushed and bruise, hair mussed from running her fingers through it and smiling at her like a blind man seeing the sun and the sky for the first time.
Unable to resist Eric leaned down once more to kiss her before pulling away and standing, giving Nell no time to react.
Reaching the door before looking back Eric almost crashed into the analyst of his dreams as he spun around.
"What are you doing tonight?" He asked as he managed to keep both himself and his partner upright.
"Tonight? I'm busy."
"Oh," Unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice Eric let go of Nell.
Nell, however, wasn't done yet. Reaching for her partners hands, lacing their fingers together, she stood as tall as she could manage on her tip-toes to kiss the technical operator.
"I'm busy tonight because I have a date, should be picking me up at about 7..."
Catching on to what she was doing Eric's eyes once again lit up, meeting hers, before playing along, "I don't know. 7 sounds like a long time to wait, he could just pick you up from work."
"But waiting's half the fun, the butterflies in your stomach, never being ready no matter how long you have to get ready-"
"I think I've had enough 'butterflies' for one day but I guess I could make an exception for you."
"Okay then, I'll see you at work, right?" Unwilling to let him go, Nell wound her arms around her partners neck and felt the weight of his resting on her waist.
"'Course you will, but I really should go so if you could stop that..." He trailed off, instead tilting his neck to indicate the way her fingers had been playing with the small strands of hair at the back of his neck.
"Fine, but no kissing at work."
"What!"
"We keep it professional at work but at home-"
"-I get you all to myself?" He finished, hopefully.
"Maybe, if tonight goes well," She smirked watching him as he pulled back, reaching blindly for the door without taking his eyes off of her.
Finally managing to open the door and after several failed goodbyes and a copious amount of time spent kissing Eric found himself halfway down the path and was about to open the door to his car when he heard his partner call out his name.
"For the record, Wolfram, I really like you too."
A/N2: So there you have it. Thoughts? Comments? Anything and everything is greatly appreciated. May add an epilogue, may not, that's up to you guys to review and let me know.