••••

OUTSIDE OF THE STATION, Victoria was holding Buck's hand as they walked together down the street. She knew they'd have to let go before they turned the corner because she knew someone would see them, but she wanted to have a few more moments with him. And it seemed now was a good time to talk more about where they were going with this. She pulls at his hand, bringing him to a halt. Buck glances at her curiously, moving to stand in front of her, their fingers still intertwined.

"Hey, um.... is it okay if we don't tell anybody? I mean we've only gone on like four dates now and although we decided to make things... you know, exclusive, I'm just not ready to take that step." Victoria tells him. She saw the way his eyes widened slightly, his lips parted and he looked a bit guilty with a knowing look in his eye.

Buck just clears his throat as he nods. "Uh, yeah, that's fine." He responds, going to turn but Victoria pulls him back, narrowing her eyes.

"What was that face?" She asks him in an accusatory manner.

"What face? I didn't make a face." Buck denies, stuttering a bit as he shakes his head. Victoria clenches her jaw as she was a bit annoyed.

"You did."

"No, like, I'm totally okay with us not saying anything. You want to wait until we're more serious even though I'm like dead set on marrying you now. Like you're not escaping me in anyway." Buck explains to her and she raises an eyebrows, slightly amused by his little rant.

"That sounds like a threat." She teases back. Buck blushes, barely even processing what he had said, he was just nervous.

"But um.... someone may already know." Buck admits. Victoria looks at him shocked. How could somebody know?

"Why? Did you tell someone?" Victoria asks, a bit frustrated because he knew she wanted to take things slow. Buck shakes his head though which confuses her.

"Not like... it was before you even suggested a date." Buck tells her and she just stares at him.

"I don't understand."

"Eddie figured out I liked you and like... knows everything. Well, I told him everything but still, he still found out on his own." Buck explains to her. Sure, Eddie was the one he now went to for advice but he never technically told Eddie himself. Victoria sighs as she brings her hand up to her face.

"Buck--"

"I promise you he won't say anything. His lips are sealed. He's not much of a gossip anyways." Buck promises her, squeezing her hand. Victoria bites her bottom lip, meeting his gaze again. She knew that was true. Eddie wouldn't say anything. If it was Chimney, she would be worried.

"Fine. We won't tell anyone besides Eddie." Victoria changes her original proposition. Buck nods his head with a smile.

"Sounds like a plan." He responds and she shakes her head, laughing a bit before her eyes move to their hands.

"You gotta let go of my hand before we start walking." Victoria points out. She couldn't have anyone catching them since they were very close to the station. Buck let's out a long sigh as he steps closer to her a bit.

"Fine. One kiss." Buck tells her. Victoria raises an eyebrow, a laugh leaving her lips as she tilts her head.

"Are you negotiating?" She asks him curiously. Buck only shrugs his shoulders as he tightens his grip on her hand so she couldn't just pull it away.

"I'm a business man." Buck corrects her. Victoria just smiles but leans up and presses a kiss to his cheek, knowing that wasn't what he was looking for. The disappointment made his hand loosen and Victoria brings hers back to her side.

"Now walk." She tells him, seeing the annoyance on Buck's face.

"That wasn't a kiss."

"You never specified what kind." She retorts with a smirk lingering on her lips. Buck pouts as she starts to head toward the station. He begrudgingly follows, keeping his distance as they get closer and start to see the others within there eye sight.

••••

VICTORIA WAS WATCHING A SHOW ON THE TV AT THE STATION, trying to kill time in between calls. It had been a slow day, not that shed say it out loud because that would just jinx it. But she felt her body become tired as she tried to stay away. Rosie had stopped by the station on her way home from school and had been hovering around her. Victoria knew she wanted to ask something but was reluctant. "So, there's this thing this weekend and I was wondering if I could go because like, everyone is going so it would be kind of weird if I didn't." Rosie explains to her.

Bringing her eyes to her sister, Victoria looks at her suspiciously as her gaze narrows. "What kind of thing?" She asks, wondering why she was being a bit scarce with the details.

"Just a get together sort of thing." Rosie responds, twirling her hair around her finger. Victoria rolls her eyes as she already knew what that was code for.

"You mean a party?" Victoria corrects her. Rosie clears her throat, trying to think of something on the spot.

"It's not a party per say--"

"No." She states firmly. Rosie groans as she knew Victoria hadn't even thought about it for a second.

"But everyone is going!" Rosie points out. She was going to be the loser who had to stay in while everyone else was having fun.

"Not everyone. Because you won't." Victoria retorts, giving her sister a smile. Rosie frowns as she moves closer to the couch.

"Vic, please."

"You do remember the last time you went to a party right?" Victoria asks her curiously.

"I called Buck." She says, gesturing toward the man who stops mid way biting an apple at the mention of his name. "Thanks again for ratting me out." Rosie says, giving him the stink eye and he just gives her a thumbs up.

"That's not the point, Rosie." Victoria denies with a small sigh.

"It is. I'll be super responsible, I promise." Rosie says but Victoria didnt look too moved by her assurances. "You went to a ton of parties when you were my age." She points out. Victoria rolls her eyes. She wouldn't say a ton.

"Yeah, and you wanna know what dad did when he found out? He grounded my ass." Victoria points out. Their parents weren't strict per say but they had rules and one of them was no parties, one that Victoria often broke.

"You know, I thought having my sister as my parent would be cooler when I got to this age." Rosie admits as she crosses her arms against her chest.

"Life is full of disappointments." Victoria says with a smile on her face and Rosie rolls her eyes. "Is May going?" She asks curiously. Rosie stays silent for a moment.

"No."

"Because...?"

"Athena won't let her." She grumbles. Victoria placed her hands in her lap, feeling satisfied with herself.

"There's your answer." Victoria states and Rosie crosses her arms against her chest, annoyed.

"Come on, Vic. Let the kid go to one party." Chimney pipes into the conversation. Victoria glances at him, raising her eyebrows.

"Says the guy who has no kids." She retorts and Chimney shrugs.

"I'm fifteen. I'm not a kid anymore." Rosie denies with a groan. Victoria tilts her head as she looks back at her sister.

"Spoken like a kid." Victoria says back and Rosie tilts her head back.

"Come on, please." Rosie begs as she clasps her hands together tightly.

"I'm not about to respond to a call of you in a car accident because you were stupid and got drunk and got into some idiots car." Victoria denies. She was not about to let her sister get hurt because of something she willingly allowed her to go to.

"I won't." Rosie assures her but Victoria was still hesitant. "Look, sure I snuck out last time but I was responsible. I called for help. I didn't get myself into trouble or get behind the wheel with a drunk person." She points out. Victoria couldn't argue with that, she was responsible in a way.

"Curfew is ten." Victoria says after a moment.

"Eleven?"

"Ten."

"Fine." Rosie says with a sigh but honestly she was just glad Victoria had said yes. Victoria glances in Hen's direction as the woman was laughing underneath her breath.

"You're laughing now, wait until denny reaches this age." She points out and Hen raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, I'm gonna raise an angel, he won't be wanting to go to parties." Hen denies as she placed her chin in the palm of her hand. Victoria snorts.

"Sure. Whatever let's you sleep at night." She responds with a smirk. Hen narrows her eyes.

"You're annoying." Hen mumbles and Victoria just blows a kiss in her direction.

"You love me." She responds. Buck leans against the back of the couch, gazing down at Victoria. She meets his eyes, smiling gently.

"I'll be her sober driver again if she needs me." Buck assures her. Victoria was sure she was going to be the one that picked Rosie up though. But she appreciated the thought.

"Thanks."

"Hey, who's to say she won't call me this time?" Hen points out as she crosses her arms against her chest.

"Because she called me last time." Buck says with a shrug.

"Because you were the irresponsible one and she made a reckless decision." Chimney states, rolling his eyes.

"You guys are just jealous." Buck tells them with a smirk on his face. They just hated that he was the chosen one.

"Hell yeah, I was around way before you." Hen retorts.

"Technically we both met her at the same time." Chimney points out and Hen rubs her forehead as she looks at the man.

"We're fighting Buck, Chim. Not each other." She states with a shake of her head, feeling annoyed.

"At this point, I might just call Eddie to piss you all off." Rosie says with a laugh, crossing her arms against her chest.

"Eddie isn't an option." Victoria denies. Everyone looks at her confused, especially Eddie. He thought maybe she was mad at him for ignoring her but she just rolls her eyes. "Well, he can't just leave Christopher in the middle of the night." She points out, being the only one with common sense. Everyone nods, agreeing. Eddie felt a sigh leave his lips in slight relief.

"Right. So it's back to me." Hen says with a smile. Buck scoffs, shaking his head.

"No, I'm the best one here." Chimney raises his eyebrows at Buck.

"Yeah, best at being an idiot."

"I don't see you offering much."

"See what you caused?" Victoria asks her and Rosie only smirks as she sits down on the couch next to her, just letting the others argue between each other.

••••

EDDIE WALKED OVER TO THE TABLE, his eyes lingering on Victoria for a moment. He saw Buck glancing between them curiously. Eddie clears his throat making Victoria look up at him. She raises an eyebrow expectantly. "Can we talk?" Eddie asks her. Buck gets a knowing look on his face. He didn't realize Eddie was going to do it right now, especially at the station. Buck wasn't sure this was the right move.

"Oh, you finally wanna finish our conversation?" Victoria asks, raising an eyebrow. She was honestly glad he decided to talk to her again but she was a bit annoyed that he had only just now come to her.

"Dude, you've left her hanging for weeks." Chimney adds, chuckling a bit. Hen had kept him up to speed during his recovery and honestly, he didn't get why this was becoming a trend.

"You've literally healed from your wounds in the time it took him." Hen points out as she looks at the man. Victoria laughs as she glances at them. Eddie didn't seem in the mood to joke though.

"Vic." He says, a bit sterner. Victoria looks back at him, furrowing her eyebrows but she nods. She stands up before following him down the stairs and into the locker room so they could have privacy, given everyone was mainly upstairs.

"So...?" She says as she turns to him, placing her hands on her hips. Eddie didn't know how to start, he didn't know how to explain it or what to say. So, he had brought a photo instead. A photo that would explain everything and honestly, skip a bunch of his stuttering words.

He just takes it out from his pocket, holding it out to her. Victoria cautiously takes it from him. "What's this?" But as she opens it, she felt her heart stop as she saw Anthony in the photo. At first, it made her smile, having seen a photo of him that she hasn't before. But it drops when she notices Eddie beside him, an arm wrapped around Anthony's shoulders, both men smiling brightly.

Confusion forms within her mixed with something she couldnt really recognize. "Eddie, what the hell is this?" Victoria asks him, staring at the photo, as if analyzing it.

"It's Anthony." Eddie responds. He saw the way her face changed, how the betrayed seeped into her eyes.

"And you." Victoria says, the words foreign on her tongue. "Y-you...I don't understand." She shakes her head.

"We served together, for a brief moment back uh... when he died." Eddie tells her. Victoria could barely bring her eyes off of the picture to look at him.

"No." She denies, shaking her head as she felt herself becoming filled with hurt. "You didn't-- you acted like you didn't know him." Victoria says as she finally meets his gaze and that's when she sees the guilt in his eyes.

"I know." Eddie responds. Victoria stumbles back a bit, trying to come up with any words right now but nothing felt right. Nothing could encompass how she was feeling.

"So you were lying to me? This whole time?" Victoria asks him.

"I wasn't lying--"

"Then what the fuck do you call it?" Her voice came out angry as she glared at him. Her hurt eyes turned to rage as she realized he had been playing her this whole entire time she'd known him.

"Witholding information?" Eddie says with a confused tone and she just stares ar him with daggers in her eyes. "Look, I've been meaning to tell you I just didn't know how." He tells her.

"Oh, thanks for the clarification."  She mutters with a scoff as she turns and exits the room. Eddie follows after her, trying to stop her but she kept walking.

"Vic, can we just have a conversation about this?" He asks her, gaining the attention of the people around. Chimney, Hen, Bobby and Buck made their way to the balcony just in time to see Victoria shove Eddie away from her.

"About what? Eddie, there really isn't much about it. You lied to me about knowing my fiance, end of discussion." She shouts toward him. Eddie sighs as he glances around, seeing the looks everyone was now giving him.

"It's not like that." He denies and Victoria glares at him. "I-i didn't know what to say because how he died was on us too, not just our Sergeant and I just... I didn't want to make you angry." Eddie tells her and Victoria just shakes her head.

"Oh, well, you got that anyways." Victoria admits, her head turning toward the group who had just come down the stairs.  But she didnt care right now who was listening, especially because it was Eddie was the dick in this situation. "God, did you know who I was this whole time?" She asks him, wondering if this whole thing has just been a ploy. God, did he sleep with her, knowing that he was friends with her fiance?

"No! No, I swear I didn't until you showed me that picture and it clicked in my mind afterwards." Eddie says frantically. He had no idea who she was until he realized that Anthony was the Anthony that he knew. And then all of the conversations, the name Vic, it all came together.

"But you let me talk about him, cry about him to you and you didn't have the decency to say anything." She points out. Okay, he didn't know who she was, that's fine. But after she talked about Anthony, he did know. And he kept his mouth shut for months.

"Because I blame myself for what happened and i-i thought you would too." Eddie admits, his voice cracking. He didn't want to be vulnerable, especially in front of the whole team, it didn't make him feel good but Victoria just didn't want to listen to him.

Victoria could only stare back at him, her eyes confused as she furrowed her eyebrows. The anger disappeared for a split second as she just processed what he said. "Eddie, why on earth would you think I would blame you? No matter what you may have did or said, Anthony made his own decision, your sergeant was the one in charge. I would never blame you for that. Do you really think that little of me?" She asks him.

She wasn't a monster. She would never blame Eddie for something he couldn't control. Victoria didn't care if he had said something that he regretted to Anthony, nothing could change that. But Anthony decided on his own to get on that helicopter because he knew it was his only choice. Even if Eddie hadn't said whatever he did, she was sure it still would've gone the same way.

Victoria would never, ever, place the blame on anyone other than the person in charge. Who knew what the outcome of getting on that helicopter would be. Eddie was just a witness to it all. And the fact he thought she would blame him made her feel so defeated. Did he seriously think that she was that kind of person? That she would hate him as opposed to be there for him?

"No, of course not." Eddie denies. It was just a fear that he had because he never knew. He didn't really know her when he first found out and growing into their friendship, he didn't want to mess anything up by just suddenly bringing it up. Like that worked out in his favour.

"I'm not angry with you for knowing him or anything that may have happened over there." She denies, a scoff leaving her lips. "You didn't tell me, Eddie. You've known about this for months and kept it to yourself. How the hell do you expect me to trust you now?" They were supposed to trust each other with their lives. And with the way he's been keeping something this big from her, how was she expected to do that now?

"I promise you, I never meant to hurt you or to keep it from you for this long." He denies. Eddie was stupid and had kept it from her but that was just to protect himself and he knew that was selfish. "I mean, Buck kept telling me to say something I just--" Bucks eyes widen at the mention of his name and he moves his gaze toward Victoria who looked betrayed now.

"Wait, Buck?" She asks him, her voice cracking. Everyone looks toward Buck now who looked guilty as Victorias saddened eyes met his. "You knew about this?" Victoria questions. She didn't realize that not only was Eddie keeping this from her, but Buck was literally dating her and still didn't say anything.

Buck seemed to be trying to think of what to say, his lips parting as he felt overwhelmed with all the eyes on him.
"

Well, technically yes but it was--"

"This is just perfect." She groans as she covers her face. Victoria couldn't believe it. So, he just thought that he could take her on dates and have a great time with her and just completely forget to mention that he knew something about her past?

"I swear to you, i wasn't trying to hide-- I kept telling Eddie to tell you." Buck says in a frustrated voice, gesturing toward the man. He knew he was throwing Eddie under the bus more but he was pissed he would even mention him.

"How long have you known?" Victoria asks, her voice more sharp now as she crosses her arms against her chest. Buck was silent. He didn't want to say it because he knew it would only increase her anger but if he didn't say anything, that would also make her angry.

"Since Shannon came to the station at Christmas." He mumbles, looking down at the ground. Victoria laughs, placing her arms on top of her head as she smiles. But everyone knew it was just a stress reaction, that she was way past the point of being angry right now.

"Wow. You told your wife who literally abandoned you but not me?" She snaps at him. Eddie clenches his jaw as he sends a glare to Buck before letting out a sigh.

"Okay, she just caught me at a bad time. And it's not like I meant to tell her."

"But you still did." She points out, bringing her hands into her hair. "God, I-- you hugged me, you comforted me and all this time you were just deceiving me." Victoria states, shaking her head. Eddie frowns as he takes a step toward her but she just backs up, turning away from him.

"Vic, honestly I am so sorry. From the bottom of my heart I didn't mean to hurt you or keep this from you I was just scared." Eddie apologizes but she doesn't listen. He heard the soft cries coming from her as she now had her hands covering her face as she faced away from them.

Bobby notices this and his eyes move to the group that had formed. "Okay, everyone back upstairs." He tells them. Hen hesitates not wanting to leave Victoria alone. "Now. This isn't a show." Bobby demands in a stern voice. Everyone listens this time, heading toward the stairs. Bobby moves his eyes to Buck who started to instead walk toward Victoria. "Buck." He says, stopping the man before he can get close.

"But can't I just--"

"She doesn't want to talk to you right now and frankly I don't blame her." Bobby tells him and Buck frowns, his eyes dropping to the ground. Letting out a sigh, Bobby places his hand on Buck's shoulder. "Just wait until she calms down." He suggests. Hesitantly, Buck nods before making his way toward the stairs.

Bobby turns his head back to Victoria, seeing her leant against the truck, her hands still covering her face. He gently rests his hand on her back. "Come on, we can sit in my office." He tells her and she sniffles but nods her head. They both walk toward the room, Bobby closing the door behind them. Victoria sits down on the chair, finally feeling herself break down fully.

As she cries to herself, Bobby lingers near the door. He wasn't sure if she wanted someone with her to comfort her. He wasn't going to talk, but sometimes you just wanted someone near when you felt like the whole world was caving in. So, he just walks over to her, bending down in front of her. He doesn't make the first move, allowing her to decide what she wants.

But as he settles in front of her, Victoria instantly wraps her arms around him, resting against the man and burying her face into his shoulder. Bobby hears the girls sniffles, her cries as the tears soak through his shirt. He just holds her close, rubbing his hand up and down her back, going into her hair lightly as he allows her to just take the moment to let everything out.

••••

BUCK FOUND HIMSELF WALKING ACROSS THE BEACH, the sky having already passed sunset as he heads toward Victoria. She was sitting alone, just staring into the ocean as her feet dug into the sand. As he stops beside her, he knew that she noticed him but she doesnt glance up, only keeping her gaze forward. "Hen told me you usually come here to unwind." Buck admits, putting his hands into his pockets awkwardly.

She had ignored him the rest of their shifts and he had tried to catch her afterwards but she was already gone. Buck called her a few times and got no response. Luckily, Hen told him about the place where both of them would go to clear their head. And he was grateful she was here because it gave them time to talk in private and not with the prying eyes within the station.

"Can I sit with you?" Buck asks her. Victoria doesn't say anything but she just brings her knees to her chest. Buck settles down beside her on the sand, glancing around for a moment. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything." He apologizes. Buck wanted to tell her but it wasn't about him. If he would've said something, he wouldn't even know what to say because it wasn't his experience. "I promise you I was trying to get Eddie to tell you--"

"Since Christmas?" Victoria stops him, her gaze finally moving to him. Buck winces a bit. She was still angry but her tone didn't show it. It was more sad than anything else.

"He's very stubborn." Buck tries to joke but she only looks back at the ocean. "Look, I didn't think it was my place to say anything. Eddie told me what happened and it was a lot to process. But the moment he did, I told him he had to tell you. God, even Shannon told him that." He explains to her. He had been trying to get Eddie to fess up to it but the man seriously wouldn't budge. "And I think he was gonna tell you the night Chimney and Maddie were attacked but you know, I texted you." He points out.

"Not that it makes up for the months he didn't tell you but, he's been beating himself up over it, Vic." Buck tells her. Eddie had practically went silent ever since the talk, no matter how much people tried to talk to him. Even Christopher couldn't put a smile on his face when he showed up after school with Carla. "I know you're mad at me and you should be. I'm mad at myself honestly." He mutters. He hated how this was how they were going. Everything was great, they were finally starting to connect and then this happened.

"Evan, I'm not mad at you." Victoria denies as she meets his gaze. She didn't notice the way he tensed, his expression turning a bit surprised and vulnerable. But she didnt notice because she didnt even pick up on what she had said. "Disappointed? A bit. But--" She stops herself, covering her face for a moment. "God, I just felt so defeated when I found out you knew because we started to see each other and I thought that it meant you just didn't care for me like you said you did. And I know it's crazy to think like that, I'm very aware of how delusional I can be sometimes." She explains to him with a groan.

Buck was nodding his head but he was still processing the way she had said his name. At first he felt a pang at his heart in a hurt way, but as she explained how she felt, it turned to something more cherishing and warm. "But I'm not mad. I get why you didn't say anything to me." She shouldn't have felt angry with Buck. He didn't feel like it was his place and it wasn't. He didn't know Anthony and he didn't really understand the bond either of them had.

As silence consumes them, Victoria furrows her eyebrows, wondering if she had said something that just made him think for a moment of if it was something wrong. Because by the look on his face, it seemed he was thinking. "Buck?" She asks curiously. Victoria saw the way his eyes shifted to hers almost hesitantly and she could see disappointment?

Why was he feeling that way? She would get if he was sad or like any other emotion other than feeling disappointed. But thats when she runs her mind through everything she had just said and her eyes widen. She had called him Evan. Thats why he was silently freaking out. He was probably disappointed because she shouldve known not to call him that and she did. It had just slipped and now she was the one feeling terrible.

But that wasnt why he was disappointed when she continued to talk. Its because she called him Buck afterwards. Almost like an afterthought. "Shit. I didn't mean to call you by your first name, I know you don't like when people do that." Victoria apologizes with a frown on her face.

"No it's um... it's okay." Buck speaks up, shaking his head.

"It's not. I crossed a boundary, I'm sorry." Victoria didn't want him to just forgive her because of what was going on or he felt like he had to. She knew he was a people pleaser and sometimes she hated it because she knew she was in the wrong and deserved for him to be a bit mad with her and yet he said everything was okay.

"Seriously, Vic. I'm fine with it." Buck says, fiddling with his fingers. It was a nervous antic he did which did not make her feel better. "I mean, only my parents and Maddie call me that and honestly my parents only say it when they're disappointed or angry with me which is like constantly." He explains to her and this causes her to frown more which he didn't mean to do.

"That wasn't what I was doing, I swear. It just came out and I didn't even realize and I was just saying it in like an endearing way? Like saying I wasn't mad at you and that was truthful. I wasn't saying it in like a--"

"Vic." Buck says with a small laugh, cutting off her rambles. Victoria stares back at him, her gaze slightly doe-eyed. "I swear, it's fine. I kind of like when you say it." He admits. Sure, it was weird hearing someone call him Evan. But after a moment, it kind of felt right coming from her.

"You do?" Victoria asks, a bit hesitantly.

"Yeah. I mean, it's a bit weird since no one calls me it but I wouldn't mind if you did."

"Are you sure? Buck, I don't want to make you uncomfortable." Victoria never even meant to say and she understands that he connects it with a time that wasn't so great in his life. She didn't want to ever make him feel down or like his opinions didn't matter.

"You won't." Buck assures her with a smile as he takes her hand, squeezing it. "I would very much like for you to call me by my name." He tells her and she relaxes a bit. "Victoria." This earns no response. All victoria could do was wince as she stared back at him. Buck noticed the reaction. "No? Sorry, I was just trying it out." Buck admits.

"I've never really liked my name and my dad made a whole point to always call me by it because he was the one who named me. And when he died it just felt wrong to be called it." Victoria explains to him with a small sigh. "Well, I mean, Athena says it occasionally but that's when she's scolding me and I don't think she does it intentionally." She tells him with a shrug. She didn't mind if someone called her it without meaning to or without thinking, she just didn't like intentionally being called Victoria.

"Vic it is." Buck says with a firm nod. "Unless you want me to give you a pet name?" He suggests, wiggling his eyebrows. Victoria scrunches her nose up as she shakes her head.

"Buck, you really don't have to." But he had already started to brainstorm.

"Hm, baby?" Buck tries out and she just raises an eyebrow. "Sweetheart, babe, love, angel, princess?" He says them all within one word which causes her to laugh, covering her face with her hands.

"Please stop." She pleads, although she didn't really want him to stop as she found this cute.

"Ooh, wait, sugar." Buck says with an award winning smile. Victoria meets his gaze again, not impressed that he landed on that one.

"You are not calling me an ingredient used in baking." Victoria denies and Buck suddenly gasps, holding up his finger.

"I got it! Pumpkin." He states cheekily. Victoria stares at him with a shake of her head.

"Nor a vegetable."

"You're no fun." Buck whined as he crosses his arms against his chest. Victoria smiles as she brings her hand to his jaw.

"And you're very adorable. Dumb. But adorable." Victoria admits as she gazes at the man.

"Hey, you can't mask an insult with a compliment." Buck complains as he scrunches his nose up and Victoria rolls her eyes playfully.

"Just did." She responds and as she looks at him, she notices the pout that had formed on his face. "Does the pouting thing normally work?" Victoria asks, raising an eyebrow. Buck narrows his eyes in the slightest.

"Yes." He responds bluntly but it came out more as a whine. Victoria smiles as she shakes her head, a laugh leaving her lips.

"You're an idiot." She tells him, kissing him deeply, her fingers running through his hair. Buck melts into it, his hand cupping her cheek as his eyebrows furrow ever so slightly. He pulls back for a moment and she gazes back at him with a curious expression.

"I may be kissing you back but that doesn't mean I didn't hear you call me an idiot." Buck tells her and Victoria just continues to run her fingers through his hair.

"It was a term of endearment." Victoria admits with a small shrug, her eyes sparkling back at him. Buck makes a small humming noise as his hands settle on her hips.

"And yet I can't call you pumpkin." Buck retorts.

"Funny how the world works." She responds causing Buck to roll his eyes playfully. He just leans back towards her, pressing another soft kiss on her lips. Victoria wraps her arms around his neck, bringing him closer as the night sky looms down on them and the crash of the waves flood their ears.

••••

Authors note;

No but Buck is so cute, I don't even realize I'm writing him like this until I read it back and I'm like, holy shit he's such a golden retriever. Buck is my favourite character. Probably ever.