The sun had long since dipped below the horizon when Callen finally pushed himself away from his desk, rolling his shoulders to shake off the stiffness of the day. Reports, briefings, and the usual chaos of NCIS work had kept him busy, but one thing still lingered in his mind.

Nell.

She had saved him hours of effort last night, slipping into the back room of that lounge like she belonged there and extracting the files with practiced ease. She hadn't hesitated, hadn't missed a beat—and Callen still wasn't sure if he was more impressed or annoyed that she had made it look so easy.

Either way, he owed her.

Finding her in Ops was easy. She was still at her workstation, the glow from the multiple monitors casting a soft light on her face as she typed. Callen leaned casually against the doorframe, arms crossed.

"You know, most people don't work overtime after running covert ops the night before."

Nell didn't even look up. "Most people don't get dragged into covert ops last minute, either."

Callen smirked. "Fair point."

She finished typing something, then sat back, finally glancing at him. "Everything good?"

"Yeah," he said, stepping further into the room. "Actually, that's why I'm here."

She arched an eyebrow, waiting.

Callen hesitated for half a second—just long enough to make Nell's curiosity deepen—then shrugged. "You saved me a hell of a lot of time last night. Not to mention, you played along way too well, which was… impressive."

Nell's lips twitched. "That sounds dangerously close to a compliment, Callen."

He huffed a laugh. "It is a compliment. And also my way of saying—I owe you."

Her smile softened, but she rolled her eyes. "You already got me the good coffee. Consider the debt paid."

Callen shook his head. "Nah. That was just basic decency." He shoved his hands in his pockets, giving her that signature smirk. "What I really owe you is a drink."

That got her attention.

"A drink?" she repeated, tilting her head.

"A drink," Callen confirmed. "Off the clock. No secret ops involved. No fake identities. Just a proper thank-you."

Nell blinked, like she hadn't expected that. "And you're sure this isn't just an excuse to pick my brain for more hacker skills?"

Callen smirked. "I mean, if you want to talk hacking, I won't stop you. But no. Just a drink. A genuine thank-you."

She pursed her lips, clearly considering it, but Callen caught the glint of amusement in her eyes. "Well," she finally said, shutting down her workstation, "it has been a long day. And I suppose a free drink is a free drink."

"That's the spirit."

She grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder as they walked toward the exit. As they stepped into the cool night air, she glanced at him with a teasing smile.

"So, am I getting a Dexter Hughes-level expensive cocktail out of this, or are we talking beer and peanuts?"

Callen chuckled, shaking his head. "Let's start with a drink. If you play your cards right, maybe I'll throw in some overpriced bar snacks."

Nell laughed, the sound light and easy, and Callen found himself grinning.

This was nice. Easy. Comfortable.

And maybe—just maybe—a little overdue.