Callen skated past the others, turning effortlessly before circling back toward Nell. He slowed as he reached her, one brow quirked in challenge, his breath coming out in soft puffs in the cold air.
"Come on," he said, extending a hand. "Skate with me."
Nell hesitated, glancing at Kensi, whose smirk was nothing short of smug.
"Go enjoy yourself," Kensi whispered with a wink before giving Nell a small nudge forward.
Nell shot her a look but took Callen's hand anyway, letting him pull her onto the ice. The moment she left the safety of the rink's edge, her balance wobbled, and she gripped his hand tighter.
"I won't let you fall," Callen assured her, sliding his other hand to her waist to steady her.
She swallowed, glancing up at him. "I'm going to hold you to that."
His lips twitched. "Wouldn't expect anything less."
They skated together, their movements slow at first. Nell tried to focus on her footing, but it was impossible to ignore how close Callen was—his hands guiding her, the warmth of his touch even through their gloves.
"You're getting better," he commented as they found a rhythm.
"I think you're just distracting me from how bad I actually am," she shot back, eyes narrowing playfully.
Callen chuckled. "Maybe. But it's working, isn't it?"
Before she could respond, he suddenly spun them both in a gentle circle. Nell yelped, grabbing onto him tightly.
"Callen!"
His laugh was full and unrestrained as he steadied her, hands firm at her waist.
"You are so enjoying this," she accused, half laughing herself.
"Guilty," he admitted, his grin unapologetic.
Nell huffed, but there was no real heat behind it. She was also enjoying this—more than she should. More than she wanted to think about.
Callen must have caught the flicker of a smile on her lips, because suddenly, he pulled her closer and spun them again.
For a moment, everything else faded—the cold, the bustling rink, even Kensi and Deeks watching from the sidelines. It was just the two of them, skating together in a way that felt more like dancing.
As Nell caught her breath, she risked a glance at Callen.
She couldn't believe he was actually here, that he had agreed to this, that he was holding her hands like this—touching her like this. She had had a crush on him for years but knew he was out of reach, so she had stuffed her feelings away, keeping her distance because it was too hard otherwise.
But here she was, seemingly the sole focus of his attention. She tried not to think too much about why he was different tonight. Or what Kensi had said earlier.
Instead, she just let herself enjoy it.