Author's Notes – Nope...not mine. Shocked, aren't you!?
Here we go again. A small chapter. At least it seems smaller to me. Not much action, but some much needed low key stuff. This story will likely have a lot of ups and downs in regards to the level of emotion, so I am happy to write something pretty calm.
Of course, the holiday week is here which means the time to write will dwindle significantly. My crew are officially on break from school starting this afternoon, so I am pretty sure I will not be updating this story again before next week. Hope everyone enjoys time with family and friends!
As always, please leave comments or suggestions. There is a still a ways to go with this story and I am sure more twists will happen that I don't anticipate. Your opinions are always welcome!
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The intensity of the moment drains Callen much more than he could have ever anticipated. Allowing the words to come out of his mouth in her presence meant he could no longer hold back his emotions. He would have to relinquish his control and allow himself to share his fear with her. While he knows it's what Nell needs, Callen isn't so sure it was what he needs. Still holding her in his embrace, he takes a breath as he comes to the realization this won't be the last time he puts her needs above his. He knows it's a necessary step in the process, even if it makes things harder for him.
Knowing Callen is way out of his comfort zone, Nell gives him a final squeeze before pulling back slightly in his grip. "Let's get out of here. Go do something." She gives him her best smile hoping he is willing to play along. Seeing the slight look of confusion, Nell pulls out his arms and heads back to the bedroom before he can object. "Let me just clean up a little!"
Walking into the bedroom, Nell closes the door and takes a deep breath. She is still sore from the surgery and the amount of crying she has done today hasn't exactly helped. Moving into the bathroom, Nell removes her shirt to reveal the drain that is attached to the tube coming from the site of the lumpectomy. Raising her arm, she inspects the incision to ensure there are no signs of infection. Satisfied everything looks good, she readies herself for the uncomfortable process of clearing the tubing of any discharge. Only a few more days and she is hoping to get rid of the device; she just has to make it to the appointment.
After completing the process, Nell moves back into her bedroom and finds some loose clothing that she knows will be more than comfortable for a couple hours out and about. Going into the bathroom once again, Nell attempts to get her hair to cooperate slightly before giving up and deciding it's good enough. It's not like Callen is going to care if her hair is out of place. She moves back into the living room only to see the man in question is nowhere to be seen. "Callen?"
Just as his name escapes her lips, she feels his arms wrap around her waist causing her to startle under his grip at the unexpected gesture. The motion of her jumping in response causes the tube to be pulled slightly by Callen's arm that is wrapped securely around her side. Callen freezes when he hears her take a sharp intake of air.
Releasing his hold on her, Callen turns her body so they are facing each other. "Nell?" She holds her finger up for a minute as she gets past the wave of pain. Before she can speak, Callen realizes what has happened. "Damnit, the drain! I completely forgot about that." He reaches out and places a hand on each shoulder, "Are you ok?"
She nods her head slightly as she excuses herself to check for any damage. Using the bathroom in the hallway, she closes the door behind her before lifting her shirt and inspecting the site. Nell is surprised at just how much the action hurt, especially considering everything looks fine. Hearing the soft knock on the door, she knows Callen is mentally kicking himself and she is pretty sure just telling him she is fine won't alleviate any of his worries.
In that moment, she decides it's her turn to give Callen something he asked for. He wants to be involved. Know what is happening and be a part of the process. May as well start now she figures. She opens the door to reveal a very worried looking Callen. Gesturing for him to join her in the small room, "I'm fine, Callen. It just pulled a little and I wasn't expecting it, that's all." Looking in his eyes, she sees exactly what she had expected. Disbelief.
"I didn't figure you would believe me, so I thought if you saw for yourself it would ease your mind." With that, she lifts the side of shirt until her bra is revealed slightly. Pulling the material carefully above the tubing, Nell allows Callen a full view of the couple stitches that had been placed to hold the device in place. She watches as he inspects the area. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable with being put on display, Nell tries a bit of humor to ease her discomfort. "Not exactly how I pictured the first time you would see my bra."
Callen laughs at the comment and shakes his head before catching her gaze, "Not exactly how I pictured it either Nell." He shakes his head before returning his focus to the drain, "You sure you're good?" He pulls her shirt down as he speaks. Seeing Nell nod her head, he grabs her hand and leads her out of the bathroom. "Then let's get out of here."
They end up at a street fair neither knew existed until they came across it while driving around the city. Getting out of the car after parking it along one of the many surrounding streets, Callen comes along side of her as they walk towards the entrance. As they pass through the gate, Nell feels Callen's hand slide along hers as if asking permission. Smiling up at him, she completes the action by lacing her fingers with his. They spend the next hour or so taking in the sights as they try to get a feel of the layout.
Coming across a table with various hats, Callen watches as Nell tries on several different types before deciding on one that looks suspiciously like a couple of others he has seen her wear. Smiling at him before she gives the money over to the vendor, she happily places it on her head as they move away from the table. "Having fun?" He laughs as she almost bounces in response.
"Why yes I am, Callen." She takes his hand and leads him off to the side of the crowd before turning to face him. "What about you? Having fun?" Seeing the sparkle in his eyes, Nell already knows the answer. Instead of a verbal response, she feels his arms go around her waist as he pulls her towards him as he places a gentle kiss on her lips. She makes a mental note that he is holding her so as to avoid pulling on the tubing and smiles into the kiss before pulling away. "I am going to guess that means yes."
Callen smiles down at her before taking hold of her hand once again as they disappear in the crowd of people. He is struck with just how normal the whole afternoon has been. Typically he is on alert at all times, just a force of habit if nothing else. But he is surprised to realize that hours have passed and he hasn't once thought about anything else but her. Enjoying the afternoon with her. It's a nice change of pace.
As the afternoon fades into evening, the two find themselves at a small restaurant they saw along the street fair route. They enjoy a nice dinner before heading back to Nell's apartment. Once there, they collapse on the couch and fall into a comfortable silence. After several minutes, Nell moves to get up. "I'm going to take a shower." Looking down at the man on the couch, she laughs slightly when she notices his eyes are closed and he appears to be close to falling asleep. "Did I wear you out?" He smiles in response, but doesn't make any attempt to move.
After her shower, Nell puts on a pair of old pajamas before returning to the living room. She sees Callen has repositioned his body so he is now laying down along the piece of furniture. Shaking her head at the sight, Nell retrieves a blanket from the spare bedroom and gently places it over his frame before turning off the light and padding down the hallway towards her bedroom.
The final day of the weekend is spent much the same as the afternoon before with the pair heading out to find some fun. The easy pace of the day is a welcome change from the way their lives generally progress. They both know the return of Monday will mean a week of cases and unsure hours. The only definitive is the upcoming appointments with her doctor. After returning to her apartment late in the evening, the two forego a shower as they find their way to her bed falling asleep in each other's arms.