Callen sat at his desk, brow furrowed, thumb swiping fruitlessly across the sleek screen of his new phone. The thing had been giving him trouble since he'd unboxed it—refusing to sync with any of his old data, stubbornly hiding his contacts like they were part of some op. He muttered something under his breath, pressing buttons with increasing frustration.
"You know," came a voice from behind, light and teasing, "the first step in tech CPR is always the same."
He didn't even need to turn to recognize the voice. That subtle lilt, that quiet mischief—it was Nell, of course. He glanced up to find her standing there, arms crossed, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Her eyes sparkled with amusement, but there was something softer behind it. Something... warmer.
"Let me guess," he said dryly. "Have I tried turning it off and back on again?"
She gave him a smug little nod, stepping closer. "I mean, I'd hate to be that person, but yes."
Callen chuckled despite himself and held the phone out. "You wanna take a look, smartypants?"
Nell didn't hesitate. She stepped right into his space, close enough that he could smell that subtle hint of vanilla she always carried. As she reached out and took the phone from his hand, their fingers brushed—just for a second—but it was enough to slow the moment, to make her glance up and meet his eyes.
And he held it. Just long enough for something unspoken to hang in the air between them.
Then she looked back down at the screen.
"What's the issue?" she asked, her thumbs already moving with expert precision.
"It won't sync. Everything's just... gone. Contacts, messages, the works."
"Well, that's no good," Nell said, already drifting away from his desk toward the auxiliary tech station nearby. She dropped into the chair like she belonged there—which she did—fingers flying as she connected the phone to a diagnostic port. "Give me a few minutes. I'll see if I can coax it back to life."
Callen watched her work for a moment, head tilted slightly. She made it all look easy—effortless, even—but it wasn't just the tech stuff. It was the way she carried herself. The quiet confidence. The quick wit. The way she challenged him without ever needing to raise her voice.
About ten minutes later, Nell reappeared beside him, a subtle bounce in her step and a smug, bright expression on her face. With a theatrical flourish, she presented the phone like it was a trophy.
"Ta-da."
He took it, lifting a brow, skeptical. "It works?"
"Check for yourself, Agent Callen." She smirked, turning just slightly, her hip brushing the side of his desk as she started to walk away and up the stairs.
He tapped the screen—and froze.
His contacts were back. Messages restored. But his new screensaver? A photo of Nell. Lips forming an O, eyes crossed, cheeks puffed out like a complete goofball. Clearly taken just for him.
From the top of the stairs, she glanced back over her shoulder, her voice floating down with a wicked little smirk.
"You're welcome."
Callen stared at the screen for a second longer than necessary. The corner of his mouth twitched into a grin—amused, yes, but touched in a way he didn't quite expect.
His thumb hovered over the settings.
And then… he lowered it.
He didn't change it.
He just sat there, phone in hand, watching as Nell disappeared into the ops center with that small, knowing smile still playing at her lips.
Yeah. She knew exactly what she was doing. And he wasn't even mad about it.