Season 5 Episode 6: Big Brother

'I heard you went undercover as a teacher today.' Nora's voice sounded as she drifted towards his desk.

'Yes. As Mr. Bellridge.' Callen paused and looked at Nora. 'Mr. Valerie Bellridge. I have faced down terrorists armed with nuclear bombs and they – that bunch of high-schoolers – have to be the most ruthless individuals I have ever met.'

Nora snorted shortly before quickly trying to cover it. Her cheeks reddening when she caught Callen's smirk. The smirk that he usually gives in the privacy of the bedroom only. 'How is the case going? Any leads?'

Callen's smirk dropped and the ever-vigilant agent mask returned to his face, furrowed brows and mouth set. 'It's not looking great. The hacker, whoever they are, has access to sensitive information that could cost lives. It already has.'

Callen shifted his chair back from the desk and let out a sigh. Nora took the opportunity presented and slipped beside him, leaning her ass against the table.

'Your team is the best of the best. The Gold Team as Deeks likes to say. You will get this guy because it's what you do.' Nora poured every ounce of conviction into her statement, truly believing what she was saying. Hearing him whisper about them 'not being HIS team.', brought a bemused smile to her face. Her smile took on a feral touch as she leaned closer so to whisper in his ear. 'And when you do, we will celebrate. Some beers, a movie and a little dessert. All day I have been fantasying about you as a teacher…Mr. Callen.'

Nora felt Callen tense and a low puff of air escaped from his mouth. 'Is that so?'

Despite the bravado behind the words, Nora still felt the tingle of pride in her gut at the breathless quality of his question. 'So…So, so many inappropriate thoughts.'

Callen's hand shot out to her thigh closest to him, a slight moment of thoughtless intimacy. Sometimes the lack of control he had when it came to her scared him. He was someone who kept his emotions in check, hardly ever allowing his body to complete actions on a whim. All of this meant nothing, though, when it came to Nora Lancaster. He didn't know how it was possible for someone like her to go relatively unnoticed around their office, that was until he accidentally bumped into her at Morgan's retirement party. Her eyes both captivated and perturbed him from the first look. His job required him to be observant and detail oriented, yet he still couldn't pinpoint the exact colour of her eyes. Many late nights and stressful missions led to a deep need to let of steam. Nora was more than willing to accommodate. For someone who managed to allude his notice for almost 7 months working in the HQ, she was now always on his mind. It could be dangerous in his line of work and he knew this, but his eyes would follow her unwillingly when she glided around the office.

The sound of Kensi and Deeks' bickering brought him back to the moment as he withdrew his hand rapidly. Nora stood from his desk just in time for Sam to round the corner into their workspace. Nora retreated casually with a sly wink in his direction behind the teams' back. Too distracted by the beautiful redhead that plagued his dreams and filled his bed, Callen missed Sam's knowing look. They weren't fooling anyone in his opinion.

Before fully dedicating himself to the brainstorming for the best course of action, Callen spared a quick thought to the cheerful agent that, though he couldn't yet admit to himself, was deftly nudging her way into his heart.

~O~

A knocking on the door brought Callen to a standstill. Only a select few knew his address. With a quick thought to grabbing his gun, he remembered the seductively whispered promise from Nora for when he closed the case.

He walked to the door, caution still present until he could confirm the identity of his visitor. Callen looked through the peephole and smiled at the irritated looking redhead outside. Opening the door, he only got it a quarter of the way before she was pushing her way inside. 'Well, hello to you too.'

Nora turned and kept her brown scrunched for a second longer before letting out an exasperated sigh, 'Sorry. Your lovesick lacky was growling at me as I made my way up. Can't wait to see what she puts on her blog about me tomorrow.'

'Uh come on.' Callen through his head back and rolled his eyes. 'Have you been talking to Sam again?' He questioned, knowing his partner would have relished in the opportunity to embarrass him. This is why he didn't go broadcasting his relationship with Nora, despite there not being a set label. Yet.

'No,' Nora said with a knowing glint in her eye. 'Deeks told me.'

'Wait…Deeks knows. How does Deeks know?' Callen paled. Great this was exactly what he needed, Deeks thinking he had ammo to tease him with.

'He heard from Kensi.' Nora giggled at his expense. 'I think she heard it from Sam, who heard it from Nell and Eric. Pretty sure they got it from Hetty.'

Callen groaned, so everyone knew. Perfect. 'How did Hetty find out?'

'How does Hetty find out anything she knows. She's magical. Scary but magical.' Nora shifted closer and wrapped her arms around his neck. Callen's hand instantly went to her waste. Another reflex that had began the first night they shared together and now was something he did without much thought. 'To be honest…I think she has a notification to inform her every time Miss Mysterious Man Crusher posts to her blog.'

Feeling a flare of possessiveness, she hadn't expected, Nora shifts closer to Callen and lets their lips meet, retreating just far enough to look at his eyes. His neighbour may be an obsessive nutcase, but she was definitely right about his baby blues. Nora knew she was in deep, a little too deep actually, for something that began as stress relief but with each new encounter they had Nora felt herself falling for G Callen. The feeling, she believes, is mutual. At least she hopes.

Nora moved in for one more kiss before releasing her grip on Callen's neck. Letting her hair down from the bun it had been in, she lets herself slip into character and turns sensually. 'I believe I gave you a promise before.'

She dropped her coat off her shoulders and shimmed out of her dress. He watched as it slipped from her body leaving her in her underwear. She walked slowly further into the house, never breaking eye contact with him.

He didn't have much in his house, but it never seemed to bother Nora. She was always more interested in the man himself than what he possessed. Something which never failed to warm Callen's stomach when he thought about it. That he was enough for her just as he was.

'Nora?' Callen stopped and looked at her questioningly. 'Is – is that. Are you wearing plaid underwear?'

'Why yes Mr. G.' Nora answered, her hands behind her back as she tried to act demure. 'It was the closest thing I had to a school-girl uniform. I also felt weird about wearing the whole outfit, thing, get-up, costume.'

Callen couldn't help but smile as she broke character at the end. She had a way of always making him feel better, even when she wasn't trying. He was used to being a tribe of one, but with every day he spent near her infectious smile and incandescent personality that shone light everywhere, the more he felt himself accepting the family he did have. The team and Hetty, Eric and Nell, and hopefully with a little more time, Nora too.

Refocusing of the scene in front of him, Callen saw the worry in Nora's eyes. He had obviously been silent for too long and caused her to think he didn't like her display. 'G…I – I can take it off if you're not feeli-'.

Nora didn't have the chance to finish her sentence as Callen had made her way over to her and scooped her off her feet. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he walked back towards his bed.

Smiling into the kiss as she giggled at his hands sliding past a ticklish point on her thigh, he thought that 'Yes. She was definitely making her way into his miss-matched family circle,' and he definitely didn't mind.