It was late, the kind of quiet, uneventful night that made Sam appreciate the more action-packed parts of the job. He was perched by the window in a dimly lit apartment, watching the warehouse across the street. The whole setup was dull—silent shadows, a dead street, and not a single sign of movement inside the building they were supposed to be monitoring.
The only real entertainment was Callen, who was sprawled out on the couch, pretending to be comfortable, but Sam knew better. His partner had been on edge all evening, shifting every so often, fidgeting with his phone, clearly itching for something to break the monotony.
Then there was a knock at the door.
Sam watched as Callen instinctively straightened up, instantly more alert.
"Who is it?" Sam called out, but before Callen could check, a familiar voice filtered through the door.
"It's just me," Nell said.
Sam didn't miss the way Callen's entire demeanor changed. The tension in his shoulders eased, and the slightest smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. It was subtle, but Sam had spent enough time with the man to notice the shift.
Callen opened the door, and there stood Nell, arms full with a small bag.
"Eric said you needed new batteries for the camera," she said, holding them up. Then, with an easy smile, she lifted another bag. "And I thought you boys might be hungry."
Callen's grin was immediate, and Sam could practically hear the unspoken of course you did in his expression.
"You're a life-saver," Callen said, stepping aside to let her in.
Sam smirked from his spot near the window, watching the exchange with amusement.
Nell, though, hesitated for a second near the door, as if debating whether she should drop everything off and leave.
"You should stay," Callen said casually, the invitation coming so naturally it was almost instinctual. "It's been a long day. Might as well eat with us."
Sam, thoroughly enjoying the show, chimed in from his chair. "Yeah, I'm with him. No point in you running off now."
Nell gave them both a look, as if debating her options, then shrugged. "Alright, if you insist."
Before she settled in, though, she walked straight over to Sam and handed him a container.
"Figured you'd be glued to that window," she teased. "Thought I'd save you a trip to the table."
Sam accepted the food with a grin, appreciating the gesture more than he let on. "Good thinking, Nell, thanks."
She turned back toward the couch, where Callen was already making room for her, stretching out comfortably. Nell sat cross-legged next to him, opening the takeout containers and passing things between them.
From his seat by the window, Sam watched as the familiar rhythm between them unfolded. Callen reached over to snag a dumpling from Nell's container, only for her to swat his hand away with a firm don't even think about it look. Callen chuckled, not the least bit deterred, before exacting his revenge by stealing a few of her noodles. Nell shot him a mock glare, but he just smirked, chewing victoriously.
Sam shook his head. It was ridiculous how obvious it was.
Then came the fortune cookies.
Nell broke hers open first, reading her fortune with an exaggerated air of importance. She showed it to Callen, making some teasing remark that made him roll his eyes. He cracked open his own, barely glancing at the slip of paper before tossing it aside. Nell, unimpressed, grabbed it and read it for him, laughing at whatever it said. Callen gave her a yeah, yeah, very funny look but didn't actually seem to mind.
Sam just sat back and let it all unfold.
The way they interacted—how comfortable they were, how easily they fell into playful banter—Sam had seen it before. It reminded him of Kensi and Deeks back when they were still in denial about their feelings. He had to wonder if Callen and Nell even realized what was happening between them.
He wasn't going to call it out. Not yet.
For now, he just shook his head with a knowing smirk and turned back to his surveillance, leaving the two of them to whatever this thing was.
He'd let them figure it out on their own.