As soon as Kensi called out, "Ready… set… go!" the four men took off across the ice.
Sam and Callen immediately surged ahead, their movements strong and controlled, while Deeks pushed hard to keep up. Eric, on the other hand, wobbled slightly but stayed determined, keeping pace just behind them.
Nell and Kensi watched from the side, grinning as the race unfolded.
"Come on, Deeks!" Kensi cheered, laughing.
"I thought you said they were trying to impress us?" Nell teased, eyes darting between the racers.
Kensi smirked. "They are. But Deeks would never admit it."
As they rounded the final turn, Deeks somehow managed to close the gap on Callen, pushing himself harder than expected.
"Oh my God, he might actually—" Kensi started, but before she could finish, Callen dug in at the last second, using a powerful stride to propel himself just ahead of Deeks in the final stretch.
He crossed the imaginary finish line first, gliding smoothly past Nell and Kensi with an unmistakable look of triumph.
Nell's breath hitched as Callen skated right by her, catching her gaze with a victorious smirk.
"Too easy," he murmured just for her, his voice low and teasing.
A wave of heat rushed to Nell's cheeks before she could stop it. She looked down quickly, but not before Kensi caught it.
Kensi chuckled knowingly, leaning closer to whisper, "Yeah, he's definitely trying to impress you."
Nell shook her head, trying to brush it off, but the blush lingered as she stole another glance at Callen. He was still watching her, amusement dancing in his eyes.
And suddenly, ice skating didn't seem like such a bad idea after all.