OPS Shenanigans

Lil' Red

"Lil Red can you hand me the stapler." Eric asks not looking up from his paperwork he was sorting on his desk. He doesn't realise her mistake until Deeks calls him out on it.

"Excuse me, Eric Beale did you just call Nell 'Lil Red'?" Deeks is already laughing anticipating Nell's inevitable freak out. Eric and Nell had agreed since the beginning to keep things professional at work and that meant nicknames were out of the question apart from the obvious 'Rockstar', which Eric had been calling her long before they got together.

Except Eric let that one slip.

"Oh shit." Eric mumbles his eyes growing wide.

'Lil red' she called him 'lil red'. At work. With Hetty only a few feet away talking to Granger. She always expected that Nell would be the one to trip up and call him "Bealsey' or 'honey' or worse 'handsome' in front of everyone and the guys would make fun of her.

Which they are totally doing now by the way.

Then have Granger say in a paternal tone "that it is not appropriate at work"

But no he was the one who did it. And it had to be 'lil red' of all the nicknames ....'lil red is their secret r-word nickname, reserved for moments of pure relaxed bliss on lazy Saturday afternoons.

It could have been worse. He could of call her something more revealing about their personal lives and called her 'bunny'.

He only uses 'bunny' for her when they are flirting. The usual scenario is both of them are hold up on the couch playing an easy video game. Nell would beat him and he whispers in her ear. "You are my favourite person in the whole world you know that right, Bunny.".

Eric trying not to make a big deal out of the situation turned to Nell. "I ask again can I please have the stapler." he asked holding out his hand.

But Deeks wasn't having any of it. Watching Nell awkwardly give Eric the stapler without making too much physical contact between their hands. "Wait so this is the end of the conversation." he asked bemused.

"Yes Deeks." Nell muttered slightly annoyed.

"You call Kensi all kinds of kooky nicknames why am I made fun of if I do the same." Eric asked genuinely intrigued to hear the answer.

"Um, fine. That's not fair I called Kensi by nicknames before we started going out." Deeks whined.

"Just drop it Deeks." Nell snapped agitated.

"Fine but this isn't over." he yelled playfully stalking out of the room.