twenty two
"good night"

—

—

   "I CAN'T BELIEVE BUCK ACTUALLY convinced you out of the apartment."

   Lynn rolled her eyes as she let a scoff, and she folded her arms over her chest. She was currently wearing a shortsleeved, dark navy blue dress that wrapped tightly around her hips and dips. It ended roughly a few inches above the knee, and had a deeper v-neck than anticipated but still looked stunning.

   Lizzy rose a teasing eyebrow towards her sister as she popped open the door to the bar everyone was meeting at shortly. The two woman started searching the area, which was bubbling with people due to it being a busy weekend. Lynn's eyes landed on Buck sitting at a high rise wooden table, and it looked like everyone was already with him; Bobby, Hen, and Chimney.

The boy was wearing a blue long-sleeve button up that had white dots splattered among it. Paired with it, were dark blue jeans and his infamous perfectly white sneakers. He looked good, as per usual, and Lynn's stomach seemed to flutter with butterflies.

"God, why can't one of you just make a move by now?" Lizzy rolled her eyes, letting out a soft chuckle as she wrapped her fingers around Lynn's hand, dragging her to the table where her friends were sitting. "Hey!"

Everyone removed their eyes from either looking at a food menu or the drunk couple singing a karaoke song on the stage, and glanced up to see the two Kennedy sisters.

"Hey, guys!" Chimney spoke up excitedly, getting up from his seat to drop both of his strong arms over Lynn and Lizzy's shoulders. They both let out amused laughs, turning towards Buck and Bobby.

"Is he drunk already?" Lynn giggled, gently placing her palm on Chimney's back to give a pat.

"Yep," Buck replied with a goofy smile, and he signaled towards the empty bar stool that was next to him. "Now it's your turn! First rounds on me."

Lynn shook her head laughing while taking the available seat, where her exposed skin brushed up against Buck's soft jeans. Even though she wasn't even touching Buck's skin herself, just the contact of the two seemed to have an entire zoo explode in her stomach.

"Fine, only because you're paying," Lynn teased, shoving her index finger into Buck's chest playfully.

Buck raised his hand, signaling the waitress that had already first helped them earlier, and she came beckoning to the table of firefighters, plus actress. Buck ordered the next round of vodka shots, and Lynn could already feel herself regretting saying yes to the alcohol. She rarely ever drank after college, waking up to a pounding headache and barely being able to remember the events of the previous night just wasn't something she enjoys.

"Just one round."

•••

"It's the fifth round, baby!"

Lynn excitedly clapped her hands together as happiness mixed with alcohol was bubbling through her veins. She slammed down the empty shot glass she had just downed, then threw her arms up in the arm in victory.

Everyone around the silly woman let out laughs, either because she was so unlike her somewhat broody self and much more lighthearted, or because she seemed to be so easily swallowing each shot.

Currently, it was later in the night, but the bar was still bouncing heavily with people and music. Everyone seemed to be having plenty of fun, but Lynn was having way more. She forgot how nice it was to just ignore some problems that haunted the back of her mind, to just let a little bit of weight off her shoulder.

Buck and Chimney were sitting next to each other on one side of the table, where Hen and Lizzy were sitting directly opposite of them. Lynn was standing up between the two different groups, since she felt too much energy in her bones to just relax in a seat.

"Damn, Lynn, I totally thought you would be a light weight," Hen exclaimed, chuckling beside the girl as she seemingly jumped on her feet.

"I'm full of surprises," Lynn giggled, letting a marvelous smirk cross her face as she sent a wink towards the woman.

"You guys should've seen her at a college party, damn girl could drink an entire fifth by herself if she wanted," Lizzy grinned, shaking her head jokingly at her the memories of her younger sister.

"I mean, I don't like to brag," Lynn rolled her eyes playfully, her same smirk only growing.

Before anyone could say anything else, the waitress, who was probably way too annoyed with the drunk group of friends, came around the table; dropping a glass of what looked like whiskey with one ice cube swimming in it. Everyone seemingly glanced down, confused, at the drink and back up to the waitress.

"Oh, uh, no one ordered this," Buck spoke up, shoving the drink almost back towards waitress.

"It's for her, from that man over there," the waitress explained, moving the drink so it would be in front of Lynn instead of on the corner of the table.

The woman's finger extended towards a younger black-haired man who was sitting at the bar, his eyes steadily watching the tv hanging in the corner. Everyone almost gasped, specifically Lynn, as they switched from the good looking man sitting in the bar stool to stare at Lynn.

"Okay, girl!" Lizzy squealed in excitement, grinning towards her sister and down at the free drink she got. "You totally have to talk to him."

"Or not, he could be a serial killer," Buck interrupted, and his tone of voice seemed to be laced with almost worry. After seeing the confusing or questioning glances he earned from the others, he continued. "Or something, you never know."

"Alright, but her friends are right over here at this table if the guy tries something?" Hen questioned, more amused since she could quite easily, just like everyone else, hear the jealousy in his voice. "He's cute, I think it's worth a shot."

"Exactly!" Lizzy pointed out, raising her palm towards Hen, who quickly gave her a high five as the two smirked.

Even drunk Lynn still seemed hesitant to talk to the man, but some type of newfound confidence was bubbling under her skin. She was tempted, to say the least.

So, why did she suddenly start feeling slight guilt when she glanced over to see Buck's annoyed expression glaring daggers towards the man at the bar?

"Okay, you know what," Lynn rose her arms up, throwing both her palms in the air. "If the good-looking man wants to talk to me, he can come over here. Until then, karaoke."

"Not it," Lizzy shook her head, pointing her index finger towards a grinning Lynn. "Singing is so not my strong suit."

"No karaoke for me tonight, I don't think I can stand straight right now," Chimney stated, his eyes going wide as he seemingly stared down the wooden table; probably focusing so he wouldn't throw up his alcohol.

"Evan," Lynn whined while dragging out the boys name, and she grabbed ahold of his arm resting on the table in hopes of being able to snatch him away to the stage. "Pretty please!"

"You want me to go up there and sing with you?" Buck chuckled, raising an eyebrow shyly. "I'm not very good."

Lynn sent the boy an adorable puppy dog face, with soft, sad eyes and pouted pink lips. Buck couldn't help but let a genuine smile cover his face, because the girl looked so dang cute.

"Fine, fine, but don't get mad when people start booing me down," Buck rose his arms in defense, getting up from his comfortable seat on the bar stool.

Lynn giggled as she took the whiskey drink offered to her by the cute man, downing it quickly and throwing it back on the table in victory.

"Yes!"

Lynn exclaimed happily as she wrapped her frail fingers around Buck's hand while dragging him dramatically over to the side of the stage, where there was an older man in charge.

"What song?" The white haired man asked with absolutely no enthusiasm, raising a dry eyebrow towards the two firefighters.

Lynn glanced over to Buck for his opinion, a broad smile covering her face as she waited for an answer. He then turned to her as well, and then back up to the man.

"How about a surprise?"

a/n: sorry if it's awkward it's continued in the next chap!!!