Callen was in the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of water, when he heard Nell's key in the door.
It was a sound he'd grown used to over the past week, and he realized now—maybe for the first time—just how much he'd come to expect it.
He turned as she stepped inside, setting her bag down a little too carefully, avoiding his gaze as she slipped off her coat.
Something was off.
She was fidgety. Not in the usual restless way she sometimes got when she had too much on her mind, but like she was actually nervous.
Callen set his glass down.
"You okay?"
Nell hesitated.
Then, instead of answering, she crossed the room and leaned against the counter across from him, staring at the floor for a moment before finally looking up.
"I, uh…" She blew out a breath. "I had coffee with Kensi today."
Callen raised an eyebrow. "And that made you nervous?"
Nell huffed a small laugh, shaking her head. "No. Not exactly. But… we talked."
Callen leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms. "About?"
Nell bit her lip, then finally met his gaze.
"You."
Callen blinked. "Me?"
She nodded. "And… me."
Something in Callen's chest tightened.
She was working up to something. He could see it in the way she kept shifting her weight, the way her fingers curled against the countertop.
So he waited.
Nell took a slow breath.
"I realized something today," she admitted, voice quieter now. "Something I probably should've noticed sooner, but… I guess I didn't want to notice."
Callen didn't move, but his pulse ticked up just slightly.
"I like being here," she said finally. "With you."
Callen's heart did something strange in his chest.
"That's a good thing," he said carefully.
Nell nodded. "It is. But it also kind of… isn't."
Callen frowned. "Why not?"
Nell exhaled sharply, like she was frustrated with herself. "Because it means something. And I wasn't expecting that."
A beat of silence stretched between them.
Then Callen asked the question that had been forming in his mind ever since she walked through the door.
"What do you want to do about it?"
Nell looked up at him, searching his face.
And when she spoke, her voice was almost hesitant.
"I don't know," she admitted. "But I do know that this past week has been… different. Good different. And I don't want to mess that up by overthinking everything."
Callen took a slow breath, considering her words.
Then, finally, he nodded.
"Okay."
Nell blinked. "Okay?"
"Yeah," Callen said simply. "We don't have to figure it all out right now."
Nell let out a breath she must've been holding, her shoulders relaxing just a little.
She hesitated for a moment, then took a small step closer.
"Can we just… keep doing what we've been doing?" she asked quietly. "Reading books. Spending time together. And… just see where that takes us?"
Callen looked at her, taking in the uncertainty in her eyes, the cautious hope behind it.
And something in him softened.
Because the truth was… he wasn't ready for this to end either.
So he nodded.
"Yeah, Nell," he murmured. "We can do that."
A slow smile pulled at her lips, relief clear in her expression.
Callen watched as she visibly relaxed, tension melting from her frame.
Without thinking, he reached out, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. The gesture was small, casual even, but the moment stretched between them—just long enough for Callen to feel the shift in the air.
Nell held his gaze, something unreadable in her expression.
Then she let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head. "Kensi's gonna be so smug about this."
Callen smirked. "Yeah, well, let's not give her the satisfaction just yet."
Nell grinned. "Deal."
She turned toward the living room, then glanced over her shoulder at him. "Feel like picking up where we left off in the book?"
Callen found himself smiling.
He didn't know exactly what this was between them, but whatever it was… he wanted more of it.
One night at a time.
So he followed her.
And as they settled onto the couch, book in hand, he knew—deep down—that things had already changed.
And for the first time in a long time… he wasn't afraid of that.