The silence stretched between them, thick with all the things they hadn't said.
Callen could still feel the warmth of Nell's hands in his, her fingers small but strong as she held on, her breath shallow as she waited.
He could see the emotions flickering in her hazel eyes—hope, fear, maybe even a bit of frustration. Because she knew what was happening here. They both did.
And after all this time, after everything, Callen finally let himself admit it.
He loved her.
It wasn't some sudden realization—it was something that had been building for years. The way she challenged him, made him think, made him feel. The way she always had his back, always cared, always saw him in a way no one else ever had.
He'd spent so long pretending it was just friendship, just Nell, just another part of his life that he could keep compartmentalized.
But that went out the window when Jake stepped on the scene and he saw her drifting away from him. And suddenly, there was no denying it. He couldn't lose her. And he sure as hell wasn't letting her go without finally doing something about it.
So he moved.
One hand lifted, fingers sliding into her soft auburn hair, tilting her face just enough—and then he kissed her.
The second their lips met, it was like something inside him broke open. Years of restraint, of denial, of pushing this thing between them aside—it all came rushing to the surface, and Callen sank into it.
Nell gasped softly against his mouth, but then she kissed him back, her hands tightening on his shirt, pulling him in.
It was everything.
She tasted like coffee and something sweet, like all the warmth and fire he'd been craving but had been too damn stubborn to reach for.
Callen slid an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him, feeling the way she fit so perfectly against his body. Nell let out a small, breathless sound, her fingers finding the back of his neck to pull him closer, and it sent a shiver down his spine.
This wasn't a mistake. This wasn't something he could ever take back. This was right.
When they finally pulled apart, foreheads pressed together, breaths mingling, Callen let out a quiet, breathless laugh.
Nell was still gripping his shirt, her lips kiss-swollen, her cheeks flushed. And then she laughed, shaking her head slightly.
Callen studied her, his thumb brushing against her cheek, needing her to really hear what he was about to say.
"I love you."
Her eyes widened, lips parting slightly, and for a second, his heart stalled.
But then she smiled—soft and radiant and so completely Nell—and he felt like he could breathe again.
"I love you too."
A slow grin spread across his face. And then, without hesitation, he kissed her again.
Because finally, after all this time, she was his.