Callen has never had a normal life, especially not with him as an NCIS agent in the Office of Special Projects, but what happens when he meets a girl who's slowly changing all that? Who makes him feel a small amount of normalcy in his hectic life?
Normalcy:
He walked into the small coffee shop she always occupied later on in the day. He went up to the counter and ordered coffee, black, and got a newspaper. He went and sat down across the table from her, not even bothering to see if she noticed him, he knew she didn't. Her earphones were in and her eyes were focused intently on the sketchbook in front of her. Her tongue peeked out from between her lips like it always did when she was focusing hard on something. He thought it was adorable, she on the other hand, was embarrassed every time he called her out on it.
This was how it usually went. He would get off of work and meet her here. He would order a coffee, read a newspaper, and wait for her to finish whatever she was working on. Until she was satisfied with her progress on her work she wouldn't move. It didn't even bother him how long he sat there, he loved watching her.
She was beautiful, and he told her every chance he got, no matter how many times she tried to deflect the compliments. Her gray-blue eyes followed every movement she made with the pencil in her hand, her eyes focused intently on the drawing. Her shoulder length blonde and brown hair was pulled into a messy bun on top of her head. She always said her hair got in her way when she drew, and even if it was down when she began, by the end it would be up. Her leather jacket was on the back of her chair, leaving her in a tank top, oversized flannel rolled up to her elbows, and a pair of light skinny jeans. Her "work clothes" as she called them.
He pretended to read the paper, but really he was watching her. He could never take his eyes off her. He thought she was beautiful, even when she had paint streaked across her forehead and down her cheeks, and sometimes that was how he found her when he showed up at her apartment on weekdays he had off.
She pulled her earphones out, but he didn't say a word. He knew she was still in what she liked to call her "zone". He patiently took a sip of coffee and turned the page. Finally, she put the pencil down and shut her sketchbook and she looked up, a wide smile on her face when she saw him sitting there. She began to put her array of pencils in their container and then put them, her sketchbook, and her earphones in her bag. He closed his newspaper, took the last sip of his coffee, and then got up, coming around the table to grab her bag for her while she put her jacket on. Then they exited the coffee shop.
"You look tired" she said glancing at him as they walked down the sidewalk.
"It was a long day, but its better now" he said looking at her with a smile. She grinned.
"So what do you want to do tonight?" he asked as they walked towards his Jag. She shrugged.
"I'm fine with anything" she replied as he opened the door for her. She stopped before she got in.
"Do I even want to know what happened to your last car?"
"I wanted a change" he said with a shrug. She rolled her eyes and got in. There was no way he could have "wanted a change" when he only had the last car for a few months.
He rounded the car and then got in. "Your place or mine? We can get take out and some beer."
"Yours, mine is currently a chaotic mess of paint, canvas, and anything else you can imagine. I know that you're getting tired of having to dodge all my stuff when you come over no matter how many times you say its okay" she said with a giggle that made him smile.
Most nights they ended up back at her place because it was closer, but some days she got extra inspired and created a chaotic mess in her apartment to the point where no one could maneuver in it unless it was her.
"My place it is. Chinese?" he asked as he drove through LA.
"You know me so well."
After grabbing takeout they made their way to his place and settled in for the night. It always surprised him how she didn't mind his severe lack of furnishings compared to her cluttered apartment. After eating they settled on the couch with beers and watched TV until she feel asleep with her head on his chest. He looked down at her and smiled. Her hair was down now and it covered half of her face. She looked so peaceful and innocent, and that was what he loved about her. Despite all the horrors he saw throughout the day, he knew that she would remind him that there was still good out there.
It was strange how normal she made his life seem, even if she knew hardly nothing about the real him. To her, he was Gregory Callahan. A lawyer that worked crazy hours for clients that paid well. When he was really G Callen, a undercover agent working for NCIS who lied for a living.
He hated lying to her, but it was for her safety. If she really knew what he did, then she was put in danger, and if anything happened to her...he didn't know what he would do.
Even the team knew nothing about her, all with the exception of Henrietta Lange because she knew everything. Not even his partner, Sam Hanna, knew.
He knew that as long as he kept her away from his world, and his world away from her she would be safe. Which meant if he wanted this to work, which he did badly, he would have to keep living a lie. He would have to keep being Gregory Callahan, because it was all for her.
His phone rang and he quickly tried to answer it before it woke her up. "Yeah?" he said looking down at her. "There's a case, we need you to come in" said Eric over the phone.
"I'll be there in ten" he said as she began to stir. He quickly hung up the phone and watched as she sleepily opened her gray-blue eyes.
"Who was that?" she asked, yawning, and God she looked adorable when she did it.
"It was the office, I have to go in, they called an emergency meeting for this big case I'm working on" he replied easily kissing her forehead. She sighed and then sat up.
"Go, I'll be here when you get back" she said. He kissed her gently and then picked her up. She let out a laugh as he carried her down the hall towards his bedroom. He laid her on the bed and kissed her again.
"I'll be back as soon as I can" he promised. She nodded running a hand through his short hair and kissed him again. He got up and then headed for the door, locking it behind him. He went and got in his car, and looked at the window in his bedroom. The curtain was pulled back and she was standing there, watching him. She blew him a kiss and he waved before backing out of the driveway.
He hated lying to her, but it kept her safe. He loved the normalcy that she brought to his crazed life, and if he was honest with himself, he loved her too.
AN: Has it really been as long as I think it has since I've wrote something? Many apologies, but life happens. It's senior year, cue college applications, graduation, and a fun little thing that takes up all my time called AP English. Leave a comment, or whatever you want, and maybe I can get back to writing again with my crazy life. xoxo