The warm buzz of fluorescent lights hummed overhead, casting a golden hue across the gym. The massive climbing wall stretched high up the far side, its colored grips and footholds forming a chaotic mosaic that looked more like a trap than a challenge.

Nell stood at the base of it, arms folded across her chest, chin tilted up. Her brows were drawn together in something between suspicion and disbelief.

"This feels like a terrible idea," she muttered.

Beside her, Deeks was bouncing lightly on his toes, doing exaggerated stretches and cracking his knuckles like a prizefighter about to enter the ring.

"Oh come on, Nell," he said, smirking. "Climbing builds character. Confidence. Calves. I'm basically giving you a free fitness upgrade."

"You're insufferable," she replied without looking at him.

Deeks grinned. "That's the spirit."

On Nell's other side, Callen leaned casually against the wall, one ankle crossed over the other, arms folded. He wasn't dressed for a climb—just jeans and a dark tee—but he watched her with quiet focus, eyes tracing the curve of her jaw, the set of her shoulders.

"You've got this," he said, voice low and certain. "Trust me. You can absolutely take him."

Nell turned to him, her eyes locking with his. She tried to keep her expression neutral, but something flickered in her chest at the way he was looking at her—steady, unflinching. Like he believed it, not just because it was something to say, but because it was her.

"You sure?" she asked, voice softer.

Callen's mouth curved into a slow smile, something warm flickering behind his eyes. "Have I ever lied to you?"

Nell raised an eyebrow. "Only every time you come back from an op with a limp or bleeding and say, 'I'm fine.'"

That earned her a sheepish grin and a half-laugh from Callen.

"Okay, fair," he conceded.

Deeks cackled from the other side. "Ouch Nell. You don't hold back, huh?"

Nell finally cracked a smile, rolling her eyes. "I work with you people. I can't afford to."

Callen pushed off the wall and took a small step closer, just enough that she felt the warmth of him at her side. He lowered his voice, meant only for her.

"Seriously. You'll be fine. Just don't let Deeks get in your head. He falls off halfway up most of the time."

"Hey!" Deeks protested. "That's slander."

Callen didn't even turn around. "Not when it's true."

Nell laughed, but her gaze lingered on Callen's for a moment longer than necessary. His presence was calming—more than it should have been. He was close enough now that her arm brushed his as she shifted. She felt it, and so did he. Neither moved away.

"Alright," she said, drawing in a breath. "Let's do this before I lose my nerve."

"Remember," Callen said, his voice like gravel laced with something gentler, "slow and steady. Keep your center close. And when you get to the top—"

"Don't look down?" she teased, glancing at him from beneath her lashes.

Callen smiled, but it was softer now. "No. Make sure to take a second to celebrate before Deeks inevitably slips and swears the whole way down."

Nell laughed, something bright and real. "Now that's the motivation I needed."

As she turned toward the wall, Callen's hand brushed lightly against the small of her back—a subtle, almost unintentional gesture, but one that grounded her more than anything else could have. She glanced over her shoulder at him once, and he gave her the faintest nod.

And with that, she stepped up onto the wall, determination in her eyes—and Callen's quiet, constant faith in her still echoing somewhere just beneath the surface.