#Hot Chemistry: ‘NCIS’s Ellie & Nick Make Sparring Sexy

“I don’t care who you date, just like you don’t care who I date. Right?” cocky Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) once asked his fellow NCIS agent, the dogged Ellie Bishop (Emily Wickersham). She tersely agreed with him: “Right.” 

That tense exchange is typical of the will-they-or-won’t-they vibe that has had fans rooting for the pair to couple up — or, at the very least, hook up — for years. Like their legendary former coworkers Ziva (Cote de Pablo) and Tony (Michael Weatherly), who also fell in love while chasing terrorists and murders, Nick and Ellie seem meant for each other, but in an “opposites attract” way, says executive producer Steve Binder. He adds that this (potential) romantic pair are not the type to finish each other’s sentences: “They’re going to the gym to be sparring partners.”  

But who would be the one to make the first move should things get romantic? Binder bets on Bishop. “For all his talk and swagger, when push comes to shove, I think Torres might be covering up an inner nerd that is terrified,” he says. “I’m also not sure his ego could stand being wrong.” Hey, as long as someone takes the initiative, we’re good!

NCIS, Tuesdays, 8/7c, CBS