Callen let his eyes follow Nell, slumped in her chair, exhaling as she rubbed her temple before scrolling through another file. There was a cup of coffee beside her keyboard, but from the way she frowned at it after taking a sip, it was clearly cold.

That was it.

Callen pushed off his desk and made his way over, planting himself at the edge of hers, just enough in her space to force her to look up.

"Nell."

"Mm?" She barely glanced at him, still typing.

"When was the last time you ate something?"

That got her attention. Her fingers paused, and she blinked at him, caught off guard. "What?"

Callen tilted his head, amused. "You heard me."

"I—I don't know," she said, shifting slightly. "Lunch, maybe?"

Callen raised an eyebrow. "Try again."

Nell sighed, clearly trying to brush him off. "I'll grab something later."

Callen didn't say a word. Instead, he reached down, snatched her phone off the desk, and slid it into his pocket.

"Hey!" Nell sat up straighter, eyes wide. "What do you think you're doing?"

"You'll get it back after you eat," Callen said, already turning for the bullpen doors. "Let's go."

Nell groaned, throwing her head back. "You do realize this is ridiculous?"

He smirked. "What's ridiculous is you thinking you can argue with me on an empty stomach."

She narrowed her eyes but stood, giving him a look as she fell into step beside him. "Technically, this is kidnapping, you know."

Callen grinned. "Kidnapping implies I don't plan on returning you. I do. Eventually."

Nell huffed, crossing her arms as they walked out of the bullpen. "You're enjoying this way too much."

"Maybe," Callen admitted. "Or maybe I just like the idea of getting some actual food into you before you pass out at your desk."

Nell shot him a glare. "I was not going to pass out."

"Right," Callen drawled. "And I'm an FBI agent."

She made an exasperated noise but didn't argue. And that? That was how he knew she needed this.

xxxxxxxx

The diner was small, tucked into the corner of a quiet street, all warm lighting and the smell of fresh coffee. It wasn't fancy, but it was comfortable—the kind of place where you could sit for a while without being rushed.

Callen slid into a booth, watching as Nell reluctantly did the same.

"You can stop pretending you're mad," he said, smirking.

"I am mad," she countered, grabbing the menu. "You dragged me out of the office."

"I forced you to take care of yourself," Callen corrected, mirroring her posture. "Big difference."

She huffed but didn't refute it.

When the waitress came by, Callen didn't give her a chance to order. "Burger and fries for her," he said, handing the menus back before Nell could even open her mouth.

Her eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?"

"And coffee," Callen added.

The waitress smiled knowingly before walking away.

Nell stared at him. "You just ordered for me."

"Yep," Callen said easily, leaning back.

She blinked, clearly incredulous. "Are we in the 1950s?"

He smirked. "Nah. But I do know you were about to pick the smallest thing on the menu just to shut me up, and I wasn't having it."

Nell's mouth opened, then closed. Her lips pressed together in an unimpressed line. "Unbelievable."

"Yeah, yeah." Callen waved her off. "You can glare at me all you want, but you'll be thanking me after the first bite."

Nell exhaled through her nose, shaking her head, but he caught the way the corner of her mouth almost twitched.

When their food arrived, Nell picked up a fry, taking a slow, deliberate bite—like she was doing it just to prove a point.

Callen watched her, expression smug. "So?"

"So what?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"Go on. Say it."

"Say what?"

Callen smirked. "That I was right."

Nell popped another fry into her mouth, chewing deliberately before responding. "Never gonna happen."

Callen chuckled, shaking his head. "Stubborn."

"Says you," she shot back.

Callen grinned, sipping his coffee. "I just know you better than you think, Nell."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, do you?"

"Mm-hmm." He leaned forward slightly. "I know that despite all your complaints, you're already feeling better. I know you were running on fumes back at the office but wouldn't have admitted it. And I definitely know that if I hadn't dragged you out of there, you'd still be sitting at your desk, pretending you weren't hungry while snapping at Deeks for breathing too loud."

Nell scoffed. "I do not snap at Deeks."

Callen just gave her a knowing look.

She sighed dramatically. "Okay. Maybe I was overdue for a break."

Callen smirked. "You don't say."

Nell rolled her eyes, but he saw the small smile playing at her lips.

They fell into an easy silence as she ate, and Callen just watched her, satisfied.

She spent so much time making sure everyone else was okay. It was about time someone did the same for her.

Even if she'd never admit it, Callen knew she didn't mind too much.