A few weeks had passed since the night at the sports bar, and things at NCIS had settled back into their usual routine. Callen sat at his desk, half-buried in paperwork, his coffee cooling beside him. The memory of that night—Nell's confident smirks, her unwavering belief in the Jets, the way she had challenged him at every turn—had been pushed to the back of his mind.

At least, until he heard the familiar sound of heels approaching. He knew that cadence anywhere.

"Morning, Callen," Nell's voice carried that usual mix of warmth and amusement.

"Morning," he responded without looking up, still skimming over a report. But he could feel her standing there, lingering just a little longer than usual. When he finally glanced up, he found her watching him, arms crossed, an unreadable expression on her face.

Callen frowned slightly, setting the papers down. "Everything okay?"

Nell took a slow step closer, her gaze locked onto his. For a second, Callen felt something shift in the air between them—something unspoken.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice quieter now, more serious.

Callen blinked, caught completely off guard. "Uh… yeah? Why wouldn't I be?"

Nell held the serious act for another heartbeat before her lips twitched. Then, just as quickly as the tension had arrived, it melted away into something far more familiar—mischief.

"Just thought you might be hurt after that Patriots loss last night," she said, her voice dripping with mock concern. "Heartbreak like that can take a toll."

A slow grin spread across Callen's face as he exhaled a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "Unbelievable."

Nell's smirk deepened. "You had that coming."

"I really didn't."

"Oh, you absolutely did."

Callen leaned back in his chair, arms folding over his chest as he studied her. "So, you waited all morning just to drop that bomb on me?"

Nell shrugged, feigning innocence. "What can I say? I wanted to make sure you were holding up. You know, emotionally."

Callen let out a scoff, shaking his head. "You live for this, don't you?"

Nell grinned, stepping back toward her desk. "I enjoy a good strategic takedown, yeah."

She turned to go, but not before tossing one final parting shot over her shoulder. "If you need a support group, I'm sure there are plenty of heartbroken Patriots fans out there willing to talk it out with you."

Callen chuckled, watching her retreat. "You're ridiculous."

"And you love it," Nell called back without missing a beat.

Callen didn't answer. He just smiled, shaking his head as he picked up his coffee. Damn. She was getting way too good at this.