"So I have a question."

"Mmmmm?" Ned asked, rolling onto his side. Nancy sounded way too damn awake for—twelve-thirty in the morning. Ned rested the phone against the side of his face so he could get comfortable in his bed again.

"Remember when we had those plans for Saturday morning and I was called out of town?"

"Yes," Ned said. "Vividly."

"Was that—what you wanted to happen tonight?"

She sounded adorably worried over it, and like she had just downed three cups of coffee. But she had just been in a damn gun battle. "Well, it was similar," he mused aloud. "In that it was going to take a few hours, and be at least moderately exciting. But no."

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

"So tell me more about this Mrs. Claus costume."

Nancy chuckled, and he heard a soft creak. "Tell me what you wanted us to do tonight."

"Fine, fine. I guess I'll just have to imagine it all to myself," Ned said, with a mock mournful sigh. "Well, first—you were asking about what I had planned for while you were out of town, and can I just say that it's definitely a challenge to plan exciting dates when I'm dating someone like you."

"I'm the easiest date in the world," Nancy replied, putting a haughty tone in her voice. "All I want is you, probably some food, and... well, not dangling off a ledge listening to people scream through an earpiece is probably my only requirement."

"Dammit. Kevin told me that was the one thing you definitely wanted in a date."

Nancy made a soft tsk-ing noise. "Maybe that's what he wants."

Ned chuckled. "I thought... maybe we could go skydiving. In a non-life-threatening-situation kind of way."

"Ooooooh!" Nancy squealed, then shushed herself. "Sorry, Bess was feeling really exhausted when she got home."

"How is she?"

"She'll be all right. She was more freaked out than anything."

"I keep thinking that eventually it must get easier, to be around you—but it really doesn't, does it."

"How do you mean?" she asked quietly.

Ned raised his eyebrows. "Well... you are the single most fascinating and adventurous girl I've ever met, and when I think about a quiet night at home in front of the TV, I always think, 'No, she wants more than that—'"

"Sometimes," she admitted. "But most of the time I just want to relax with you."

He paused for a moment. "That's—that's actually what I wanted to do tonight."

"Well, if I hadn't had to talk to the cops for an hour, we could've hung out some more. Dammit." She sounded genuinely disappointed.

"True," he said. "But... I was kind of hoping that while we were at the bar you'd drink enough to let me bring you back here. For the night."

"And you thought it would take getting me drunk to make that happen?"

"I didn't think it would hurt."

She was quiet for a moment. "And what, exactly, did you think would happen once we got back to your place?"

"Well, the realistic version involved you wearing one of my t-shirts to bed and sleeping with you in my arms and waking up beside you when my alarm went off. And maybe... maybe just a little making out."

"That does sound—" Nancy cut herself off.

"Great? Amazing? Worst idea ever?" Ned prompted.

"I guess I'm just wondering... joining a group that Belinda Morrison is also a member of. Or—is she one of the three?"

Ned rolled onto his back, catching his phone before it fell. "She and I did sleep together," he admitted, his voice low. "But she's... not one of the three."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." Ned winced. "I've been in serious—well, long-term—relationships with three women. Belinda's... on a different list."

"The girls you weren't serious about."

It was both harder and easier to talk about it, not being able to see her face. "Yeah," he said quietly. "There were a lot of parties at the frat, a lot of... well, a lot of nights I'm kind of glad I don't really remember."

She was quiet even longer this time, and Ned fought the urge to ask if she was still on the line. The one slug of vodka she'd had earlier definitely wasn't enough to take the edge off any of it, and he couldn't even blame it for talking to her about this. Although the first time she was around Mike and the guys, Ned knew it would all have come out anyway. Exploits at the Omega Chi house had practically been legendary.

"So which list am I on?"

"You're on a list all by yourself, Nan."

"The only girl who wouldn't put out on the first three dates."

"No," Ned sighed. "If that was all I was interested in, with you... God, I wish..."

"What?"

"I wish I could see your face right now," he admitted. "See how far I've stuck my foot in my mouth."

She chuckled softly. "I'm sorry," she said. "You're right. This would probably be a lot easier in person."

"Well, you could come over."

"It's a school night," she said. "Plus, you dangle the prospect of skydiving in front of me and then offer a nice sedate evening in your arms."

"Hey. I think if we do go skydiving, it will be so terribly exhausting that we will have to do that after."

"If?"

"You want me to dare you, Drew?"

"Have you ever been skydiving, Nickerson?"

"No," he admitted. "And the thought is kind of terrifying, but I'm really trying to expand my skill set. Like I said, you're a lot to keep up with."

"What list am I on, Ned?"

How do you not know, he thought. "The list of girls I've never felt this way about in my life."

"You're sweet," she murmured. "I've never felt this way about any other guy, either. You are a damn fine kisser."

"Oh, I see how it is," Ned said with mock outrage, relaxing. "And which of your lists am I on, Drew? The better of the two men you've kissed?"

"Hey, I just said he was my only boyfriend before you. Let me tell you that I've made out with a lot of guys."

"Oh, have you? On missions?"

"On missions, on cases... because they were cute? Because I'd had a little too much to drink... because they kissed me. I don't know." She sighed. "Sometimes I think I knew something was missing and I was looking for it... and then I found you."

"So you've stopped making out with random guys, is what you're trying to say."

"Except when the mission calls for it," she said, with a wicked giggle.

Ned groaned. "If you were here right now I'd tackle you," he told her. "Make you promise to stop that. I don't want to think about any other guys' lips on my girl."

"Mmm," she said, and he could hear a smile in her voice. "Well, I don't want to think about any other girls' lips on my guy."

"Well, there is a good way to fix that."

"Oh?"

"Get over here and put your lips on me."

"Maybe I will," she said.

Ned froze for a second. "Really?"

"Not—not right now. I have a lot to think about."

Ned sighed. "Baby... I'm sorry I wasn't totally honest about it."

"Well, I kind of mentioned it to Bess—that you were in a frat, and she said you were probably surrounded by slutty girls every weekend, and... I don't know. I mean, it's kind of a turn-on, actually."

"It is?" Ned said, surprised.

"In that... well, you know how I always said it would happen with Frank—with him eventually?"

"Yeah," Ned replied, trying to keep the tightening in his jaw from showing in his voice.

"Well, he and I were both virgins, and... at least you'll know what you're doing."

Ned chuckled, then. "Is that a 'when we have sex' thing? Or an 'if we have sex' thing?"

"Uh... both?" she admitted. "I don't know. I mean, I hate that you're gonna be thinking of every other girl you've ever seen—that you already do, when you see me..."

"Nan, I'm with you," he pointed out. "Not any of them, not for a long time. And I love that when—if, whatever, but it's gonna be a when—we get that far, that you might let me be your first."

"Yeah, every guy dreams of deflowering a twenty-five-year-old virgin," she said softly, scoffing at herself.

"I don't compare you to other girls, but... yeah, part of me does think it's a turn-on that you'd trust me that much. If we get there."

"When we get there," she teased him.

Ned was quiet for a second. His exhaustion, the comedown from the adrenaline, had left him in a state that felt not entirely unlike a strong buzz. "There are so many walls around you," he murmured. "I want to see behind them all."

"Maybe you will," she said softly. "Maybe. Take me dancing, Ned. Please."

"Right now?"

"Well, if we were in New York," she said longingly. "No, this weekend. I want to get dressed up for you and I want to feel your arms around me."

"And after?"

"We'll see," she replied. "Look, thanks for coming along tonight. You did a great job."

"Yeah, I'm a pro at just holding a gun and looking mildly threatening," he joked.

"No, really. You were great. Although a bulletproof vest isn't such a bad idea..."

"If I'm wearing a bulletproof vest, could you be in full body armor?" he said, and he was only half-teasing. "Damn, when all those bullets were flying... you have no idea how much I wanted to just tackle you and keep you safe until the cops got there."

"Thanks for mastering the impulse," she said lightly. "You are sweet, though. It's sweet that you worry about me."

"How can I not worry about you?"

"I don't know, you could remember that I'm a highly-trained and highly qualified government agent, and I'm fully able to take care of myself?"

"You could be made of steel and I'd still be worried about you. It's terrifying, to see someone I care about so much in danger."

"I care about you too," she whispered. "Dancing should be pretty safe, though."

Ned chuckled. "Okay, we'll go dancing," he told her. "Although the sexier you look, the more dangerous my arms are gonna be, because it's all I can do to let you go now."

"Was that supposed to be a threat?" she chuckled.

"More like a promise."

"Good," she murmured. "Good night, Ned."

"Good night."