Sam had to hide a chuckle as Callen tried to avoid Anna's fingers. She was trying to poke at the rather impressive bruise that was still on Callen's side from his incident with the horse earlier this month. He felt no sympathy for his partner because it was his own fault. Callen had decided, in a fit of wanting to brag or wanting some sympathy- Sam didn't know, to show his "injury" to Anna.
Admittedly, it was a pretty impressive bruise and it was right at that stage where it was all colours of the rainbow. Stretching from halfway up his ribs to his bellybutton, it was like some grotesque paint splat. Well worth showing off. If your girlfriend was the type to be sympathetic. Which, Anna Kolchek was most definitely not. Not when Callen was obviously alive and well and not in the hospital. She also wasn't the type to be taken in by tales of daring-do. Especially Callen's. The man could be just as bad as Deeks when he put his mind to it.
Nope, no sympathy or impressed looks from that quarter. Instead, Callen had to dodge her unrelenting finger as she attempted to satisfy her curiosity on the sensitivity levels of certain bruise colours.
"Just hold still for a moment."
"I don't need you poking me to know that it will hurt," Callen told her.
"But how much does it hurt?"
Callen looked conflicted about trying to be blasé about his injuries (his default) and wanting his girlfriend to stop attacking him.
"Enough," he finally settled on.
She gave him an appraising look (Sam's estimation of her went up a bit further for not taking Callen's word when it came to his injuries) but nodded.
"It is for science," she informed him.
"I don't recall volunteering to be a lab specimen."
"I think you did that yourself when you lifted up your shirt," Sam offered, grinning when his partner frowned at him.
"I just need to poke you a few times," Anna tried to persuade him but Callen wasn't having it.
"No way! It hurts!"
Anna tried to go in for a quick poke but Callen was too quick for her and caught her wrist. Sam shook his head; did she really think that she was faster than Callen? No one was faster than Callen when it came to dodging hits aimed at him. Deeks came close but still wasn't as fast.
Sam wasn't sure whether Anna was doing this to annoy Callen, out of genuine concern for his well-being or honest curiosity over sensitivity of different bruise colours. Knowing her, it was possibly all three. Possibly. She could be just as hard to read as his partner sometimes.
She was currently shaking her head at his partner. Who had now pulled his shirt back down. Probably to lessen the temptation to Anna. That and Sam knew that he didn't like exposing his back for longer than necessary. Too many scars that couldn't be explained away by the job.
"How on earth did you get that from a horse?" she asked curiously. "Were you thrown off it?"
"Something like that."
That just piqued her interest more.
"I don't want to talk about it," Callen added quickly.
Of course, Sam absolutely had to fill Anna in about exactly what happened with Callen and the horse. Or horses, rather. Which Callen did not appreciate since Sam was stressing how ridiculous he looked hanging off it. Sam still wished he got pictures of the whole thing. Eric and Nell hadn't exactly been forthcoming on security cameras in the area. It looked like Callen had got to them first.
No matter, he had his memory and excellent storytelling skill if he said so himself.
"It wasn't like that," Callen insisted as Sam finished up explaining how Callen hung between two horses.
"Oh, it definitely did."
"That's definitely not how I remember it."
"I think I believe Sam," Anna said, amusement in her eyes.
"Hey!"
"It is just too ridiculous not to be true," she continued.
"It was a lot more awesome than what he's making it out to be."
Anna did not look like she believed that.
"It was." Callen whirled around to face him. "Tell her, Sam."
"I've already told her what happened."
"Tell her properly."
Honestly, sometimes his partner was like a small child - he even had a pout on his face for a brief second there.
"Oh, I could go into detail on your horse-riding skills if you want."
That earned him a glare but Sam brushed it off.
"Oh, yes, I definitely want to hear this," Anna said eagerly.
"No, you don't," Callen said hurriedly.
"Definitely something he needs more training on," Sam said.
"When am I going to ever need to ride a horse for a case?" Callen demanded.
"You evidently did," Anna pointed out.
"I wouldn't call what he did riding," Sam corrected.
"Ah, hence the training."
"I am not learning how to ride a horse," Callen objected loudly.
"Come on, it's supposed to be fun," Sam tried to coax him.
"For kids, maybe. And I don't see you looking for lessons for yourself!"
"I already know how to ride."
He'd learned at Keating's, actually. They'd had this history teacher who was really (quite rightly) into military history. He had wanted them to get a feel of what the soldiers of old had to know in battle.
"I'll believe that when I see it."
"I'll show you when the case calls for a horse."
Callen gave him a sceptical look but let the matter drop.
"What happened to the Bro Code?" He complained instead as Anna laughed.
"This is all a part of it," Sam said with a smirk.
"Making me look bad in front of my girlfriend is a part of the Bro Code? I thought you were meant to make me look good!"
"That's what a wingman is for, G. I'm not your wingman."
"Not a good one anyway," Callen taunted.
Anna rolled her eyes fondly at their antics in a manner extremely similar to Michelle. Sam made a note to never let those two get together. Neither he or G needed that. See? He was looking out for his partner. Following the Bro Code.
"I still say it's against the Bro Code," Callen grumbled.
"It's an unwritten part," Sam chuckled as his partner frowned.
"Well, maybe we need the specifics written down.