Life For Rent

Chapter 23 : Whimsy

Author's Notes :
- Zakhar_koda over at LJ asked for some Jared at work time and it was seconded by Paineverlasting on ffnet, so…
- Don't own Williams-Sonoma, Neosporin, Wüsthof, PacSun, Rip Curl, American Apparel, Blue Moon, Coors.
- For the international readers, Williams-Sonoma is a high-end cooking store, PacSun is a surf clothing store.
- Thanks to all my wonderful readers and reviewers. 300 reviews! Wow! Thank you!

"Let's go shopping."

Callen blinked and looked up from the report that he was reading. It was something Hetty had handed him before he'd left last night on some arms dealing activity. "Shopping. You want to go shopping?"

"I need a new hoodie," Jared answered easily from the kitchen. "And you need more socks."

"How could you possible know that?"

"Because the amount of socks I have has been steadily decreasing in the past month."

"Oh." Callen paused. "Oops?"

Jared laughed, "I don't mind. We just need to get more."

"Take Sam," Callen suggested, going back to his reading. "He's much more of the shopping type."

"I doubt that."

"Take Lindsey?"

"Busy. I want to take you."

Callen closed the report and looked over his shoulder at Jared. "I'm probably the worst person for you to go shopping with."

"I've been shopping with you before, G."

"Oh. Yeah." Christmas. "Why don't you just order off the internet?"

Jared put away some dishes before turning around to grin at Callen. "Because I, like pretty much every other gay man on the planet, enjoy shopping."

"But there's all those people… screaming kids… pushy salespeople…"

"… Dressing rooms for discrete blow jobs…"

Pause. "You really don't play fair, you know that, right?" Callen asked, standing up.

"I also need to go to Williams-Sonoma," Jared added.

"More cooking stuff?"

"I dropped my ceramic knife," Jared admitted sheepishly. "It shattered into about a hundred little pieces."

"You didn't cut yourself, did you?" Callen asked, walking over towards the other man.

Jared held up his hands. There were tiny red scratches all over that Callen hadn't noticed the pervious night. "Nothing major, I've had worse."

Callen took the younger man's hands in his and examined them. It looked pretty painful and one or two looked deep and raw. "Did you put something on them? Neosporin?"

"Uh… I meant to and then just sorta… forgot. It's nothing, G." Jared moved to pull his hands away but Callen kept a firm grip on them.

"Do they hurt?"

"A little," Jared admitted. "But I've had worse. It sorta comes with the job."

Callen traced an old scar on Jared's thumb. "Like this one."

"Yeah, like that one," The younger man agreed. "Granted, your job is much more dangerous so my scars don't even really compare."

"I think your scars are sexy."

Jared laughed. "You would. So are you going to come with me?"

Callen sighed dramatically. "Fine, but I want pizza for dinner."

"Deal."

The Santa Monica promenade was always busy. No matter when Jared went, there were tons of people everywhere. Some were tourists, but some were locals like himself. But Jared liked the promenade. He liked that there were tons of stores there, he liked that it was by the beach, and he liked that it was outside. LA was different from San Diego in that most San Diego malls were outdoor malls while LA malls were housed in walls with high ceilings.

They stopped at Williams-Sonoma first since it was technically not part of the promenade and a little further up the street. G wandered off to look at the cook's tools while Jared found a sales associate to track down a ceramic knife for him. While he waited he studied the knives up on display.

"Are you looking for any knife in particular?" Someone asked behind him.

Jared turned to see a college aged girl with two braids and a green apron behind him. She smiled easily and Jared returned it. "I'm actually here for a ceramic knife, someone went to go get me one, I think."

"I dropped one once," She whispered with a grin. "I was finding pieces of it all over my apartment for days."

"I know what you mean," Jared said with a nod. "I think I vacuumed everything three times, just in case."

"Yeah, they're a bit sharp to take you by surprise."

"Definitely."

She smiled again. "Well, if you need any help while you're here, just ask. I'm glad to be of assistance."

"Thanks."

The girl wandered off to help someone else and two warm arms snaked around his waist. "A little young for you, don't you think?" G asked.

Jared laughed, "And a little too feminine for me as well."

"She was totally flirting with you."

"She asked if I needed help with the knives, G. I hardly think that counts."

G moved to Jared's side, keeping one arm around his waist as he looked at the knives in front of them. "You have those ones, right?" He asked, pointing to a set of Wüsthof knives.

"Yeah."

"Wow, I didn't realize they were so expensive," He remarked, peering at the price.

"Yeah. They're great though, I've had them for years. My parents bought them for me when I graduated from culinary school."

"That's some graduation gift."

Jared kissed G's cheek. "Yeah. They bought me the fifteen piece set and I've added to it over the years."

"Sir?" Jared turned. "I've brought your knife up to the register, so whenever you're ready just tell them it's for you."

"Sure, thanks."

"No problem. Is there anything else I can help you with today?" The associate asked with a smile.

"Nope, I'm good."

"Well, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." There was another smile and then Jared was left with G.

"Now those look like some manly knives," G remarked pointing to the Shun knives. "Look at the size of that cleaver."

"I've got that."

"You do?"

"Yeah. They don't have one in the Wüsthof set I have, the Classic has it, but I figured if it wasn't going to match why not go all out? So I went for the Shun."

"You could probably take someone's head off with that in three whacks or so."

"I'll leave the beheading to you," Jared said with a laugh. "Mine's for things already dead."

"It's not as easy as it looks."

"I'll take your word for it."

G grinned. "So anything else you need?"

"Candy thermometer," Jared answered.

"There's a thermometer just for candy?" G asked as they left the knives behind.

"Yup." They stopped in front of a display and Jared plucked one from the wall. "Do you need anything?"

G laughed. "What would I do with any of this stuff? I don't even have a kitchen."

"Hmm, I guess that's true. Wow. I can't imagine not having a kitchen. I have two and I still want more."

They queued up and waited patiently for their turn. While Jared paid for the knife and thermometer, G flipped through the catalogue at the till. He shoved it back into the display as Jared grabbed his small bag. They left the store and headed up towards the Third Street Promenade.

"So American Apparel has socks and PacSun should have some hoodies. Hmm, there's a Rip Curl here too… maybe I'll get some new boardshorts," Jared mused.

"You buy your socks at American Apparel?" G asked skeptically.

Jared shrugged, "At least that way they're made in American sweatshops and not Asian ones. All their clothes are so plain, otherwise I would get some other stuff there too."

"So which one has the best dressing rooms?"

Jared grinned, "I'm not sure. I think we'll have to try them all."

G blinked. "You know, I think that sounds like a plan."

Callen watched, entranced, as Jared tossed some pizza dough into the air, caught it and then tossed it again. It spun around and Callen could see the dough getting thinner as Jared caught it again.

"I thought they only did that in movies."

"Nope," Jared answered easily, catching the dough again on the back of his hand. "It actually makes the crust taste much better. It makes it softer but still crispy."

"You'll have to do this for Eric sometime, he swears by frozen pizza."

Jared laughed, "He kinda looks like he would, no offense to your friend."

"Nah, if there were anyone who looks like they would--it would be him."

Finally Jared stopped tossing the dough and he gently worked it into a pizza screen. The whole process fascinated Callen and he sat there watching Jared spread sauce and then a few different cheeses and then some meat and vegetables. Jared had been working on the pizza for almost two hours now. Callen had forgotten that the dough had to rise, but Jared just used that time to prepare their toppings and mix together an ice cream that was churning in the ice cream maker.

"Don't you ever get tired of cooking?"

Jared looked up from where he was arranging some cheese over various toppings. "Not really."

"Never?"

"Each thing I make is different. It might be the same ingredients, but I have the option of mixing it up a little, making it new. And then I wait and see how it turns out. I get to create something new everyday, that's fun for me. And then just trying to guess how all the ingredients are going to interact…" He shrugged. "I love cooking."

Jared carried the pizza over to the oven and slid it in carefully. Callen watched as he set the timer and then began to clean up. Callen left the chair he'd been sitting in and went into the kitchen to help Jared put away things. Between the two of them they finished pretty quickly and Callen wiped down the counters while Jared washed some things, putting others in the dishwasher. Jared finished first and Callen felt two warm arms wrap around him from behind and Jared's lips settled onto his neck.

He smiled and finished wiping up the last of the counter, tossing the rag over his shoulder towards the sink. He ground his hips backwards into Jared's and grinned when the younger man groaned.

"Don't start what we can't finish, G. Pizza first," Jared mumbled into his ear.

"Pizza, ice cream, and then bed."

"Sounds like a plan."

Callen turned his head to the side and Jared's lips grazed his. He reached up and used his hand to keep Jared's head in place as he opened his mouth slightly, pulling in Jared's upper lip. The younger man responded by sucking in Callen's bottom lip.

They kissed lazily and Callen wondered if this was how things were supposed to be. He felt content here in Jared's kitchen with the other man working his hands into the front pockets of Callen's jeans. He felt comfortable and safe and a small part of him was scared of how quickly he had gotten used to Jared.

Eventually Callen turned around and Jared pressed him against the counter, holding him loosely as they continued to casually make-out. It felt nice to just be there with Jared and not worry about anything.

They finally broke apart when the timer went off in the background. Jared reluctantly pulled away to check on the pizza and Callen straightened his shirt and started pulling out some dishes for them to eat off of.

Ten minutes later they were eating on the couch and Callen was in pizza heaven. "This is incredible."

Jared smiled, "Thanks."

"Like… it's really, really good."

"Never had homemade pizza before?"

"Nope," Callen answered. He'd rarely had homemade anything. "How have I lived without this?"

Jared laughed, "I'll put this on the list of things to make again."

"That's okay," Callen said, swallowing. "I know it takes a long time."

The other man gave him a weird look that Callen couldn't read. "I don't mind, G."

"Really, Jared. It took two hours to make this, I don't want you to go through all that trouble when I like everything else you cook too."

Jared shook his head lightly and smiled at Callen. His smile looked sad and a little strained. "G… two hours is nothing compared to how happy you look right now. If pizza can do that, then I don't mind making more."

A lump formed in his throat and Callen tried to convince himself that some food had just gotten stuck there. But he knew better. Jared was willing to spend two hours making pizza because it made Callen happy. The idea was so foreign that Callen wasn't even sure how to respond to that. "I… thank you."

"No thanks necessary," Jared said warmly. "But you're welcome. Just tell me whenever you want it, or maybe I'll surprise you one of these days." He paused. "Oh, hey. Maybe you could invite your team over or something and I can wow them with my pizza making skills."

"Nate's already in love with your pastry making skills, I think if he ate your pizza too I'd have to use force to keep him away from you."

Jared laughed, "He does have those great puppy dog eyes…"

Callen threw a napkin at Jared. "I do not want to hear about Nate's puppy dog eyes. I have to work with him, you know."

"Oh I know," Jared grinned.

Callen rolled his eyes. "Shouldn't you be checking on the ice cream or something?"

Jared laughed again but obediently got up to check on dessert.

"Hey, wanna come over for a beer after work?" Jared asked, carefully plating a slice of chocolate cake. He drizzled some raspberry sauce over the top and grabbed a bar of chocolate to shave some curls.

Brandon looked over his shoulder and blindly flipped some vegetables in the pan. "What've you got?"

Jared laughed, "You're going to accept or decline based on what beer I've got?"

"Well if it's Blue Moon, I'm there… if you're drinking Coors, I might as well dip my cup in the toilet."

"Coors isn't that bad," Jared said with a chuckle. "But I think I have some Blue Moon left from the last time you were over."

"You should invite Linds too, see if she's free."

"You think she's going to come over for a beer at one on a Thursday night?"

"She might."

"Uh-huh."

Jared pushed the now finished plate of dessert over to a clear part of the counter and started on plating some crème brûlée. He saw a flash of white and called out, "Mark!"

Mark stopped immediately. "Yeah, boss?"

Jared gestured with his elbow at the cake, "Table twelve."

The young waiter carefully grabbed the plate, "You got it, sir."

"Thanks."

Jared sprinkled some sugar over the top of the crème brûlée and then carefully torched the top; the sugar turned a golden brown. He dropped three raspberries and a blackberry on the top in the middle of the dessert.

"Ben!" Jared called, over to the garde manger of the kitchen. "Can you come finish this please?" Ben quickly finished the salads he was working on and took over for Jared. "Brandon is the food for table four finished?"

"The last plate needs to be jazzed up, but everything else is ready."

"Get it jazzed," Jared ordered and Brandon handed his vegetables off to a line cook to finish up the plate. He clapped his hands twice. "C'mon people, let's get it moving!"

Sam watched as G's phone buzzed its way across his desk. G was in the bathroom and someone was calling. Or texting. Sam wasn't quite sure. When it buzzed again, the fourth time in two minutes, Sam rolled his eyes, stood up and went to answer it. Jared's name flashed across the screen and Sam thumbed the accept. "He's in the bathroom."

"Sam?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. I'm, uh… I'm sorta waiting outside."

"You're waiting outside? Outside here? NCIS?"

"Yeah."

"G told you where we are?"

"He got permission from Hetty."

"Oh. Are you guys going to lunch or something?" Sam asked.

"I brought lunch."

"You need help getting in?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'll come let you in."

"Thanks."

Sam hung up and set G's phone back down. He walked to the door and found Jared bouncing nervously with a few large bags in his hand. "Hey, need help?"

Jared proffered one of the bags towards Sam and Sam took it while Jared quickly stepped inside. "I, uh, think the security cam was watching me."

"Probably." Sam glanced sideways at the blond surfer. "Does it make you nervous?"

"Just a bit."

Sam laughed, "Just remember that we've probably got a file on you with more stuff than you'd want anyone to know."

"That is not reassuring," Jared muttered. They stepped out of the hallway and into the main room and Sam watched as Jared looked around. "Am I supposed to like, sign in or something?"

Sam shrugged, "No idea."

"Hey." Sam looked to his left and saw G approaching. There was a smile on his partner's face as he took in Jared's form. "You found it okay?" He asked, taking a bag from Jared's hand. They walked together over to the large table near their desks.

"Yeah."

"So how do you like it?"

They set the food on the table and Sam was surprised to see several different Tupperware dishes pulled out with more than enough food for two people. There was probably enough food for about ten people.

"It's certainly incognito," Jared remarked with a smile.

"We try." G went to get a stack of plates and gestured Sam towards the silverware. G set the plates down next to Jared and then gave the younger man a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to go round up the gang."

"There's 7 of us?"

G paused a moment to think. "Yeah, seven."

"Okay."

G left and Jared started opening containers so Sam spread the plates out and set silverware down next to it. "G said you guys had stuff to drink here…?"

Sam nodded, "Yeah. I'll go them. What do you want?"

"Water would be great."

"Sure."

When Sam came back, with two cans of soda, four bottles of water and a bottle of juice, G had returned and Kensi, Nate and Eric were there as well. They were chatting and piling food onto their plates. G was off to the side a little, head bent towards Jared and Sam smiled just a little at them.

No one missed the small kiss that G gave Jared or the way Jared's hand casually rested on G's hip. But they weren't really trying to hide it.

Hetty came up behind everyone and maneuvered her way to the food. "Ah, Mr. Dassagne, do we have you to thank for this fine meal?"

There were baked chicken breasts, two different salads, some cold vegetables, small baked red potatoes and Sam thought he spied some kind of sweet for afterwards.

"Well, when G told me he was probably going to order out for lunch, again…" Jared said with a disapproving look towards the man in question. "I knew I had to do something. Don't want him getting too soft around the middle." He said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Me? Soft? Try Sam," G protested. "He ate like three donuts this morning."

"Yes, but I don't have a vested interest in Sam's stomach," Jared grinned.

"How much of an interest do you have in Callen's?" Kensi asked coyly, taking a seat.

"Plenty," Jared responded easily.

Sam passed out the beverages and started loading up his own plate. G and Jared joined him as soon as everyone else began finding a chair. Soon they were all situated at the table, enjoying a homemade lunch. Sam was pretty sure that G had scored with Jared. The food was killer. Not to mention Jared was obviously good for G. Sam wasn't sure he'd ever seen his friend smile as much as he'd done since meeting the other man.

"Whatever your motivation, Mr. Dassagne--it is very good."

"Thank you, Hetty." Jared responded warmly. "But please, it's Jared."

She nodded in acknowledgement.

"I second that," Nate put in. "Very good."

"Thank you."

Eric was too busy eating to say anything but Kensi nodded in her agreement while she chewed.

Sam was sitting next to G who was sitting next to Jared who was at the end of the table. Therefore he was pretty sure he was the only one who heard what G said when he leaned over to Jared.

"I'll thank you later."

He tried not to choke on his chicken.