Hey guys, DanceWithMyWife here! You can find me on twitter as "nellverine" if anyone is interested (you probably aren't tho, lol)

After long thinking and feeling like my head is going to explode from all the story ideas, I finally decided to post my first ever NCIS LA story. It's a Neric one because I just love them too much and feel like there aren't many Neric stories out there. I hope you'll like this one and hopefully I'll be able to write more stories with this pairing.

I hope you enjoy. Let me know what do you think! :)


It was a normal Thursday morning in Los Angeles, the NCIS team was enjoying an early basketball match at the workplace gym. The team setting was the usual one: Kensi and Deeks vs Sam and Callen, team Densi was currently winning and team Sallen was just about to try and score the 2 needed points when a voice interrupted them.

"Morning guys, case on deck!" It was Eric Beale, NCIS's mostly awkward but finest Senior Technical Operator. He was wearing his usual shorts with a dark blue T-shirt but he was missing his usual flannel today.

"Whatcha playin?" Eric asked as he looked at the three agents and the detective.

There was a quiet 'um' said between the foursome before Deeks broke the silence and replied. "We were playing a little basketball here but we actually just finished the match so we can go check out the case," he said and moved towards the door, his three colleagues following behind him.

"Actually, I was thinking that we could play a little match too? Boys versus boys, Kensi could be the judge. Huh? What do you think?" Eric asked and picked up the ball, bouncing it on the ground a few times.

"Uh actually, we should probably go and check out the case but you know what? We can take a raincheck on that match and do it after the case? Or some other time? Sounds good?" It was Callen this time who answered the question and looked at his colleagues for support, the trio quickly nodded in agreement and quickly left the gym before Eric could ask more questions.

"Um alright then," Eric said to the now empty gym and turned towards the basketball net, he took a few steps forward and threw the ball, it landed in the metal ring perfectly and smoothly went through the net and back to the floor.

He repeated the same thing a few times and the results were always the same. He was pretty proud of himself at that moment. He recalled the times he and his best friend spent playing in his backyard and also the time he signed up for the team at his high school but got turned down and laughed at cause 'there's no way a weirdo like you can get into this team', after that he didn't even try to sign up for other teams, he also stopped playing with his friend and only occasionally played a few games out of boredom. Eric then recalled a few more childhood memories and that's how Nell found him a few moments later, still at the gym, standing in front of the net with the ball in his hand and his mind far away.

"Hey, is everything alright?" Nell asked and he jumped and spun around in surprise.

His surprised expression quickly turned into a soft smile as he looked at her. Nell Jones, another NCIS's finest, but this time a Intelligent Analyst and also Eric's partner. Partner, they were more than that, they were friends, best friends and their relationship status was recently updated to couple. Yep, that's right, they finally got their heads out of their asses and finally acted on those feelings they were hiding for so long. The relationship was still fresh, only a few weeks old, but it was by far the best thing that has ever happened to either of them.

Eric was sucked into another daydream, this time it was about them when a voice brought him back.

"Earth to Beale, seriously is everything okay? You're acting strange." Nell asked again, concern evident in her voice.

"Yeah everything is fine, actually it's more than fine now that I'm seeing you, you look really beautiful today,…not that you don't look beautiful everyday, it's just your dress is really pretty,…not that your other dresses aren't pretty, it's just that today-"

"Okay! Yes I get it. I look pretty today, I look pretty every day, my dress is nice today, all my dresses are nice, yes thank you Beale," Nell replied and laughed a little. Yep, the awkwardness was still there, even after they actually became a couple, but she found it really cute and okay maybe a little annoying at times but it was just simply him and it's okay.

"Why are you acting like you're just seeing me the first time today? We already met in OPS, remember?"

"I remember yes, but we barely said hello when we got the notification so I didn't really get a chance to look at you and so I just wanted to say that you look very good today," he said and his cheeks started to get pink. Yep, definitely cute.

"Okay Romeo, what are you still doing down here though? The guys left like 10 minutes ago, we're waiting for you in OPS."

"I was just thinking about how much I miss playing basketball, it's been years since the last time and I just got a walk down the memory lane. I actually asked the guys if they'd like to play a match but they said that we could do it after the case, but I think we both know it's not gonna happen," Eric said and a sad half smile covered his face

"Oh come on, don't say that. I'm sure if you ask them nicely they'll play with you. Besides, if you'd tell them that you actually know how to play, they'd surely be more than happy to join. Why didn't you tell anyone though?" Nell wondered, she saw him play a few times when he was alone at the gym and he was really good, the sad thing was that only she knew about his talent since he wanted to keep it a secret.

"Because they'd ask all those questions and I just don't feel like telling them the whole story. You're the only one I've ever told it to and that's enough for me," he replied and it made her smile a bit, it was another thing that was just between them and that made it special.

"You know what? Forget about the guys, why don't we play the match together after the case? Me against you? Girl vs boy? See who's better?"

"Are you serious?!" He asked and his frown was quickly replaced with an excited smile.

"Sure I am! It will be fun and I can finally see you actually play. Now come on, let's get back to OPS and quickly solve this case so I can kick your ass," Nell teased and made her way to the door, a smiling Eric following her.

"Oh we will see about that, Rockstar."


It was just after 9:00 PM that night and the case was closed. It wasn't a hard one but it was long, the agents and Hetty have already left and there was only Nell and Eric that remained in OPS.

"Ready to go home?" Eric asked as he took his bag and turned off his computer.

"What are you talking about? We have a match to play, don't you remember?"

"Oh, so you were serious? I thought you were just joking," Eric asked, clearly surprised.

"Why would I joke about something like that?"

"Look Nell, it wouldn't be the first time someone said something like that and then pretended like they didn't remember or that it was a joke."

"What? No, it wasn't a joke, I really want to play basketball with you today," Nell said and looked him in the eyes so he could see that she was serious.

"Really? Okay then, let's go!" Eric said excitedly as he practically dragged a laughing Nell to the gym.

They met at the gym after they both changed to the clothes they had in their to-go bags. Eric's outfit didn't change much, he still had shorts but they were knitted instead of his usual kargo ones, and a black shirt. Nell's outfit on the other hand…

"Holy sh- wow! You look uh, great," he said as he spotted her walking towards him.

Nell was wearing black and white Converse sneakers, black leggings that were sticking to her like a second skin and a simple white half crop top that only revealed something when she stretched really hard and her hair was in a high ponytail.

"What's with you and my clothes today? I mean okay, I admit that the dress is pretty but this? This is ridiculous even for you Eric."

"No, no! I mean yeah the dress is pretty and I know that workout clothes should be everything but sexy but I mean you, in this outfit? To me you simply look…hot, I'm sorry I just can't explain it, I guess it's a guy thing?" Eric said and shrugged.

"A guy thing. Are you sure it's not an 'Eric thing'?" She teased as she jokingly punched him in the shoulder and took the ball.

"Now come on, let's see what you've got. I was the best player in PE class, everyone wanted me on their team because I even beat the guys in the game."

"If you were also dressed like this then, I'm not surprised," Eric mumbled to himself as he tried to get his heart rate back to normal.

"What was that?" Nell asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing! Let's play!" Eric replied as he took a last deep breath and took the ball from her.

"Game on!"


They played for a few minutes and Nell was (not surprisingly) great, it wasn't a surprise that she beat everyone in high school even without the outfit. Speaking of the outfit, the hem of the shirt had ridden up a few time when she threw the ball to the net and revealed her stomach and he was really close to having a stroke. Eric has already seen her without clothes, quite a few times actually, but he was still in awe of her muscles and how toned her stomach was, he knew that she went to the gym quite a lot, she wanted to be in a shape since she was technically an agent too but wow. Luckily Eric was able to concentrate on the game even while distracted and that's why their scores were even.

"Well look at that! The great Eric Beale beat by a girl?" Nell teased with the ball in her hand, it was her turn and he knew what she was trying to do, distract him so she could win. But he was not having it.

"Excuse me Miss Jones, but if you haven't noticed, we're even so no one beat anyone, yet."

"We'll see about that…"

Nell started to move towards the net, the ball bouncing in her hand, but Eric had other ideas, as she turned her back to him so that he wouldn't get the ball, he wrapped his arms around her waist and the ball and stopped.

"Um, whatcha doing there Beale?" Nell asked as they remained standing in the middle of the gym in an embrace, both holding the ball.

"I just wanted to thank you for doing this, it really means a lot to me," he said in a soft voice and kissed her cheek.

"Listen if this is a way to distract me…" Nell warned but he cut her off. "No it isn't I promise, I'm just really happy that you're here, that we are here together, doing this."

"Oh, you're welcome, I'm really glad that we're doing this too," she said but they both knew that she didn't only mean the match, she meant them, their relationship.

Nell let go of the ball and turned around to face him, a slight blush covering her face. "You know what I just don't get? How can you be so awkward and shy but then suddenly turn into the sweetest guy that always knows what to say? And don't get me started on 'Bold Beale' cause that guy, man it's something else…"

"What? 'Bold Beale?" What's that?" Eric asked and laughed.

"Bold Beale is the guy that flirts like a womanizer and can turn a girl on just by a look, he's a guy that suddenly appears out of nowhere and almost causes his girlfriend a hear attack because she doesn't know how to act, he's a guy that will kiss a girl like there's no tomorrow and leave her wondering what did she do to deserve a boyfriend like that, he's a guy that only appears maybe twice a year but turns your world upside down, he's a guy that his girlfriend really likes and really wishes that he would appear more."

"Wow, um I didn't know that I had a 'bold' side that did all of that, do I really do all of that?"

"Mhhm you sure do and the best and simultaneously the worst thing is that you don't even realize you're doing it, you just suddenly turn from Shy Beale to Bold Beale and sometimes my heart rate just can't handle it," Nell said, she was becoming breathless just by thinking about it.

"Hmm interesting. Okay let's make a deal, if you win this match, you can get 'Bold Beale' for the entire day, it can be any day and I promise that it will be the entire day, which means I'll act bold in front of everyone."

"Okay! That sounds great I'm in!" She said excitedly, she really liked Bold Beale.

"And what happens if you win?" She asked.

"Let me think for a few moments…oh! Do you still have that green elf costume?"

"That one I wore years ago? When I kissed you under the mistletoe?"

"Mhhm that one, and that whole kissing thing? A very bold move Miss Jones, maybe you should also have a 'Bold Nell' persona," Eric teased.

"And who says I don't already have one?" She teased back.

"…but yeah I still have the costume, why?"

"Tell you what, If I win, you'll wear the costume to one of our movie date nights."

"What? That's my 'punishment' for losing the game that I'll wear a costume only you will see me in?"

"See Nell here's the thing, I've been a very bad boy this year and I need Santa's helper to punish me so I can get my presents this Christmas," he moved closer to her, it was Bold Beale talking, she knew it, he knew it and she gulped when she realized that he already somehow learned how to control it.

"Okay, deal," Nell said and took the ball. Both of them were trying their hardest because they both wanted their rewards. After two long hours of playing and always getting even scores, they decided to finish and made a compromise, she would be an elf for a night and he would be Bold Beale for a night. And it's exactly what happened on Saturday two days later, the whole team had the day of, they did normal coupley things all day and when the nighttime came, they got into their roles and as Bold Beale pushed Bold Elf Nell against his bedroom door and kissed her and she made that noise, he realized that it wouldn't be that bad if Bold Beale stayed around for a bit longer…


A/N: does anyone else feel like Eric is sometimes underrated by the team? Like they are sometimes so quick to judge and think that he won't be able to do something but then he does it and proves them wrong. Also does anyone else love bold Beale so much? Like when he just knows what to say and also the "no mistletoe needed" scene? My god

Also is it just me that thinks the "Rockstar" nickname that Eric has for Nell is adorable? Like it's the cutest shit ever…