Life For Rent

Chapter 12 : Loquacious

Author's Notes :
- Loquacious: chatty
- Don't own Tootsie Pops

"What's that?" Sam asked, jutting his chin towards the right.

"What's what?" Sam pointed and Callen followed his finger to a giant box against the wall. "A box."

"When was it placed there?"

"This morning."

"What's it for?"

"What? You can't read now?" Callen asked and received a glare in response. "It's for toy donations."

"For what?"

"For kids."

"Did Hetty set this up?"

"I set this up."

Sam looked up from the sports section of the newspaper. "You set this up?" He asked and there was something in his voice, or maybe it was his eyes, that made Callen pause before answering.

"Yes," Callen looked around, there were a few people across the room but otherwise they were alone. "I went shopping with Jared yesterday."

"You?" Sam asked in disbelief. "You went shopping?" Callen nodded and took a sip of his coffee. "On the busiest shopping day of the year?"

"Yes."

"What'd you get?" He pushed the newspaper aside and leaned forward.

"Stuff."

"Stuff," Sam repeated. A large grin slowly stretched across his face. "You got me something."

"No I didn't," Callen answered quickly.

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

Callen sat up. "This is a stupid argument."

"Yep," Sam agreed. "Since we both know you got me something."

"You got Sam something?" Nate asked, coming up behind Callen. He took a seat next to him a the table he and Sam were sitting at.

"No," Callen denied.

Sam grinned at Nate. "Yeah, he did. He just won't admit it."

"For Christmas?" Nate asked, nabbing a bagel from the basket in the middle of the table.

"No."

"Yes."

"Will you stop that?" Callen asked.

"There's no need to be embarrassed, G." Sam said simply.

"Did you get me anything?" Nate asked, looking between the two of them.

"I didn't get anybody anything." Callen said with a glare towards Sam.

"Well I think--" Whatever the ex-Navy Seal was going to say was interrupted by a whistle from above. Callen glanced up at the balcony to see Eric leaning over the side, gesturing them with his hand. Nate made his way upstairs while Sam waited for Callen to catch up.

"So how did this start from shopping with lover-boy?" Sam asked in a low voice as they ascended the stairs.

"He buys a bunch of toys for Toys-for-tots. It's a good cause." Callen said quietly.

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "It is." Before they reached the top, Sam stopped his with a brush of his hand against Callen's arm. "I want to meet this fool."

"Fool?" Callen raised an eyebrow.

"Anyone insane enough to date you, G, is a fool." Sam said, but Callen could hear a hint of fondness and see the beginnings of a smile on his face.

"I'll ask him, but no promises."

"Whatever, G," Sam said. "Tomorrow night, after work, at Bergin's."

"Tomorrow?"

"Don't want to give you time to back out of it with some stupid reason of yours."

Callen was pretty sure that Sam knew him too well. Entirely too well. "I'll ask."

"You'll tell."

"I'll ask."

Sam glared at him for a few seconds until their staring contest was interrupted by a third person. "Are you two going to keep blocking the stairwell or can I get through some time today?"

Two heads looked down to see Hetty two steps below them with an eyebrow raised and arms crossed. "Sorry, Hetty." They said in unison.

"Don't be sorry, boys, just move."

They scrambled up the stairs followed by a more sedately paced Hetty.

"Next time," Callen got out, gulping in air. "You get to chase him." He was standing with his hands resting on his thighs, leaning over, trying to catch his breath.

Sam smirked as he cuffed the suspect that Callen had chased. "No one said to chase him down four city blocks, G."

"Yeah, well, next time I get the hooker and you get the guy on speed," Callen stated, still breathing heavily.

"We'll see."

Callen shook his head. "There's no see." He walked over and opened the back door to Sam's car. Sam frog-marched the suspect over to his car and pushed on his head until the guy bent down to get in. Callen shut the door behind him. "Or better yet, we send Dom and Kensi."

"That's more like it, G." Sam said, walking around to the driver's side.

Callen opened the passenger door and slid into the seat. Sam slid in a moment later and soon enough they were off for the boathouse. Callen pulled out his phone. "Eric, we're en route, have Nate, Kensi and Dom meet us there."

"Sure thing, Callen."

"Thanks." He closed his phone before turning to Sam. "I could really go for a burger."

"All that running work up an appetite?"

Callen frowned and thought about it. "You know, I think I was hungry before I started running."

Sam leaned over Callen and opened the glove compartment. "Have a sucker," he said, offering a Tootsie Pop to Callen.

Callen looked at his partner in surprise while accepting the lollipop. "When did you put those there." He shut the glove box back up.

Sam shrugged as he turned back to face the road. "Had them for a while."

"Oh," Callen paused to unwrap the cherry flavored sweet. "Still not as good as a hamburger."

"There's just no pleasin' you is there, G?" Sam teased.

"Nope," Called shoved the sucker into his mouth. "'eres 'ot."

"Don't talk with food in your mouth."

"…k."

"And bring lover-boy tomorrow."

Callen pulled the sucker out of his mouth. "He has a name."

"Don't care, just bring him."

"I'll see what I can do."

"So… what are you making?"

"Pear-raspberry pie," Jared answered as he kneaded a ball of dough.

G leaned over the counter to watch him more closely. "What for?" He snagged a piece of pear from a nearby bowl and Jared smiled fondly as the other man put it in his mouth.

"Lindsey has some sort of office party celebration shindig thing and as it's fall, I thought I'd make her a nice fall pie."

"There's different pie seasons?"

"Totally," Jared answered. He split the dough in two, making one lump into a ball and the other into a square. "Plus, there were some left over pears at the restaurant," he added with a grin. "So, free fruit."

"Is she coming by today?"

Jared shook his head. "I'm dropping it off at her work place in a few hours; fruit pies don't sit so well."

"You're not working tonight, right?" G asked, eyeing a raspberry.

Jared subtly pushed the bowl closer to him. "Yep, not working."

G plucked a raspberry from the bowl before glancing at Jared with a strange look. "You can totally say no, but Sam wants to meet you. We're going out to a pub tonight, if you, uh, want to come."

Jared tried not to let the shock show on his face and he felt his heart rate increase at the thought of meeting G's partner and best friend. "I'd love to."

"Okay." G said with a little bit of surprise in his voice. "I'll pick you up after work?"

"That works for me," Jared agreed.

"If I'm not caught up on a case," The older man added.

"Of course," Jared offered him a lop-sided smile. He hesitated before asking, "Do you think he'll like me?"

"Sam?" Jared nodded. "He… I'm sure he'll love you."

"… That doesn't sound very reassuring, G."

Callen popped another raspberry into his mouth. "He's a hard guy to read."

"He used to be a Navy SEAL right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay… that's one thing I know about him. Tell me more."

"You want to know more about Sam?"

"I like to be prepared," Jared answered as he pulled out his rolling pin.

"There's not much to say, really."

"You've got to give me more than that."

G shrugged. "He's a good guy."

"Well, I'd hope your partner wouldn't be a bad guy," The younger man said with a laugh.

"What if I blow you instead?"

Jared quirked an eyebrow. "You're bribing me with a blow job so you don't have to talk about your best friend?"

"Um, yes?"

"You are an odd man, G," Jared said fondly.

"So is that a yes?" Callen asked.

"Not while I'm cooking."

"Later then."

"Do you bribe everyone with blow jobs?"

G shook his head, "Nah, just those I like."

Jared laughed, "Good to know, G, that's good to know." G offered him a crooked smile. "And in the future, no bribing is required, if you don't want to talk about something that's fine with me."

Callen stole another piece of pear. "Have I ever told you how awesome you are?"

"Not lately."

"Well, I'll make sure to tell you in…" He glanced at the dough being rolled out. "Ten minutes?"

"Twenty," Jared corrected. "Sounds good."

"Good."