“So you didn’t feel safe enough coming alone?” Buffy shouted over the music, her grin playfully accusing. Veronica forced herself not to choke on her drink at this, shaking her head.
“It kind of spiraled!” she tried to explain, “The guy, the one we threw the party for? Parker stole his ID so that Mac would have an excuse to see him again…” She trailed off, sure that there was no way Buffy could hear what she was saying over the song playing – so she just sucked it up and moved to the seat next to the older woman, leaning to speak into her ear. “Her and Parker were brainstorming cover-stories for their Saturday night happenings, and since I was using their closets to accessorize anyways…”
She pulled back here to give the older girl an apologetic and slightly embarrassed smile and found that Buffy didn’t appear bothered at all. If anything, she seemed momentarily mesmerized by something on Veronica’s head. Reaching up, trying to figure out what it was broke the spell.
“You have amazing hair,” Buffy blurted, “I wish I had hair like that…” the smirk made a brief return as she reached for her tall glass of iced tea. Veronica blushed and stared down into her drink.
“I think the key is to never have enough hot water.” She put on a smile and pointed it at Buffy. “We live in this little apartment complex over on Seacrest – ”
“Really?” Buffy interrupted, “Will and I are about ten minutes from you, we’re on McAllister.” She sounded surprised. Veronica’s brow furrowed in thought. “We’re the second floor in a duplex. Willow and I wanted a bit of quiet, privacy.”
“To pretend your grown-ups?” Buffy smiled widely, nodding.
“Exactly. How’d’ya think we’re doing so far?”
Veronica nodded sagely. “You’ve got the mid-to-late-twenties lifestyle thing down flat.”
“Yeah, definitely feeling the flat - but flat works for me, I don’t need huge, mountainous teats … I mean, uh peaks, to climb… oh wow – way wrong word choice.” She said, starting to laugh at seeing the amused look on the younger girl’s face. “I think I’ve been gay-friendly-ing it too long. No wonder women in these bars keep after me, I’m just exuding subtext.” Veronica shrugged, sipping her drink through her little straw cutely.
“I can’t speak to your seducing the ladies with guttural double-speak, but I think part of it might be Willow’s dancing skills driving them away.” She nodded her chin to the redhead on the dance floor. She did indeed look a bit like a marionette in the wind, but her sweet smile softened the look.
“Maybe she could take a lesson from your friend,” she chuckled, looking at Parker not too far off – dancing it up with a guy and a girl at either hip. When Buffy glanced back at Veronica she saw that the younger woman was already looking at her, her gaze thoughtful.
“I think I get what you mean though,” she knew she must have said it too quietly, but the look on Buffy’s face let her knew the older woman hadn’t missed a word, “Like your life has been so full of stuff, you’re kind of wondering if it’d still be interesting if it just… slowed down a bit.” Buffy nodded, a wry smile breaking through, her eyes straying to the lips speaking for just the briefest moment.
“But life does have a way of keeping itself entertained,” she broke off, downing her drink. “Guess the happy just learn to laugh right along with it.” The funniest part, Veronica thought? Buffy’s grin held no hint of sarcasm or bitterness.
“How good’s your sense of humor?” Veronica asked, leaning chin on palm.
“Gettin’ better each day,” she conceded seriously, “Still a bit on the dark side – but regaining a sense of the finer points of slap-stick and stereotype… been on a Jackie Chan binge lately.” Veronica raised an eyebrow. “I said binge, didn’t I?”
“Come on! What decade are you in? Jet Li is the new Jackie! Romeo Must Die? The One? Unleashed? If it’s martial arts trash you want, these are gold.” The slightly older girl shifted in seat, eyes fixed on the table as she blushed… Veronica found her eyes wavering to the open back of the other girl’s halter-top.
“Way to make me feel like I should be collecting Medicaid… I swear, you call me Ma’am even once, I’ll never help you on another case again.” she finished with a glare. “Ooh! Owen Wilson!” she blurted suddenly, “Jet Li never did East-Meets-West with so much eye-man-candy… or jokes about Queen Victoria.”
“He also never sunk so low as to make a sequel.” Veronica pointed out.
Neither of them noticed the woman at the bar who’d been staring at them turn away at this point. Lucky for them, their amiable banter came so easily it kept them from having to enact their ‘Final Solution’: fake possessive jealousy. But, to Willow’s eye? The banter came a little too easily.
As Veronica made her way onto the sand of Dog Beach, she sighed and congratulated herself on successfully avoiding one Buffy Summers for an entire case. After the way the 28 Days Later case ended, having to return her check for the good of her conscience and knowing that a new Oscar was probably beginning the last phase of his life as a test-subject? She did not want to be bogged down in any more one step forward, two steps back situations.
The case of the Battlestar-Crossed-Lovers didn’t help either. Max the Cheat-Sheet Guru’s case of Hooker Lovin’ had… well, she didn’t know what column that conclusion fell into, to be honest. She’d gotten compensated for her work on the case, a young prostitute was liberated from the bonds of Pimpdom, and Max had gotten laid – but Max was still alone, the girl was now merely free-lance, and she’d been paid in vertically folded ones. Add in the fact that Mac and Bronson had finally gotten together, and it was becoming increasingly obvious that her good friend Piz had feelings for her? Throwing all the complicated feelings that Buffy brought into the mix was just cruelty beyond reason.
Letting Backup off his leash, she watched him run down the surf and then back again, panting happily. She took off her flip-flops and held them in her hand with the leash, the surf lapping at her toes. Backup pushed a piece of driftwood against her leg and she threw it up the beach for him, trying to keep him out of the surf. As she walked, she couldn’t help but think about Buffy and how long it’d been since she’d seen the older woman.
They’d had a lot of fun at the club. In fact, that was kind of why she’d made a point not to seek the other blonde out. Buffy wasn’t like that – she wasn’t like that, she reminded herself. But, sadly? Probably the most fun she’d had, going out dancing with someone in a long time. At this point Veronica tried to remind herself that the reason why every thing came so naturally and easily? Because there was no sexual tension. That just made things murky and awkward between people… especially two straight people.
She tossed the stick up the sand again, zoned out on automatic, until she saw that Backup had charged right past the stick she’d thrown some thirty feet ahead of her and was baring towards someone sitting in the sand. The large dog charged the teen down, knocking them over sideways and effectively pinning them down. “BACKUP!” she shouted, taking off after the dog, she held her breath and prayed that Backup’s training wasn’t kicking in on this poor girl he’d stampeded.
“I’m so sorry!” she called, approaching the girl in jeans and a hoody, “He’s not usually –” She cut herself off when she saw that Backup was licking the woman’s face mercilessly, the woman’s laughter surprised but amused none the less. No sooner than she recognized the woman’s voice than she thought Merely think of the Devil; sounding like a groan even in her own head.
“A little help here, Mars?” Buffy asked, gently trying to push the large beast off her lap. She paused as the dog submitted to having his head scratched. “So what did I ever do to warrant calling in the attack dogs?” she paused, frowning suddenly, her fingers stilling behind the dog’s ears. “Did you just call for backup?” she asked, confused. Veronica blushed, reaching down to reattach the leash. As she did, she showed the flattened girl the tag on his collar.
“His name. Backup.” She clarified, embarrassed. Buffy just laughed harder, picking herself up to standing, brushing sand off of… well, all over herself. She inverted the pockets of her sweatshirt and shook out the sand therein, still chuckling.
“He’s adorable.” She vowed. “Never could have a dog. Mom had allergies.” She reached down to keep scratching his ears as he sat restlessly. Veronica was sort of surprised.
“He likes you.” Her voice revealed her shock. Buffy shot her a look, as if to say why wouldn’t he?
“Would you prefer if he didn’t?” she asked, playfully.
“No, it’s just… well, he’s never just taken to someone like that. Even Wallace took time to adjust.” Buffy’s eyes narrowed, though she still had a bit of a smirk. “No,” Veronica cut off the thought, “My dog is not racist. He’s just very… protective.”
“Glad to know you haven’t trained your dog to maul me on sight. Though is that something I should beware of for the next time I see him?” she lightly accused. Veronica blushed again.
“Guess that depends, how often do you come to this beach?” Buffy raised an eyebrow.
“A sandy beach is nothing to be squandered, it’s precious.”
“It’s not exactly in season,” Veronica pointed out. Buffy waved this off.
“This is southern California – beaches are always in season here. They’re just not always sunny and warm.” Veronica choked up on Backup’s leash; he was fidgeting like he wanted to jump up but knew he shouldn’t.
“Well, isn’t that why people go to the beach? What makes them appealing? I mean, what else is there to do if naaaaaaaah!” Backup dove suddenly, bounding on Buffy and taking both blondes down in one leap. As Veronica landed face-first into the surf, Buffy was plowed over into the water backwards as well. As Backup scampered away whimpering a little, knowing he was in trouble now, there was a moment of silent, shocked awe at what had just happened between the two girls. Then Buffy chuckled nervously.
“Well, there’s always swimming.”