call your therapist. // eddie diaz

iv. the fine print

i sat back in my chair, watching as buck strolled into my office, his usual grin already plastered on his face. i'd seen him in action around the firehouse - always the life of the party, always quick with a joke. it didn’t surprise me that his first therapy session was going to be anything but typical.

“therapy, huh?” buck plopped down in the chair opposite me, crossing his arms with a smirk. “you know, i’ve done this before.”

“really?” i responded, curiosity piqued. “and how did that go?”

buck leaned forward, his grin widening. “well... let's just say things got a little complicated.”

i raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to elaborate. i could already see where this was headed.

“i slept with my therapist once,” buck added casually, his tone light, though his eyes glimmered with mischief. he leaned back, clearly amused by his own boldness.

i remained composed, nodding thoughtfully. “and how did that affect your progress in therapy?”

buck chuckled, appreciating that i didn’t flinch at his comment. “oh, it affected things all right. but in hindsight, probably not in the way it should have.” he shrugged, as if to brush it off, but the underlying humor in his voice made it clear he found the situation funny. “i mean, i thought about asking if you’ve ever had that happen to you. you know, clients falling for the charm?”

i gave him a calm smile, knowing he was testing the waters. “i think you’re going to find this experience a little different.”

“oh, i don’t doubt it,” buck replied smoothly, his eyes flashing with playfulness. “but come on, you can’t tell me that’s never crossed your mind. i mean, look at me. i’m not exactly therapist-proof.”

i suppressed a laugh, keeping my tone steady. “i’m not here to be ‘won over,’ buck. i’m here to help.”

“i know, i know,” buck said, his grin widening as he raised his hands in mock surrender. “but you gotta admit, this is pretty amusing. i've got a thing for people who try to get inside my head. there’s something... intriguing about it.”

i simply nodded, acknowledging the flirtation without feeding into it. “intriguing as it might be, this space is for you to be open and honest. we can save the charm for your next call.”

buck laughed, leaning back into the chair. “fair enough. you’re good at deflecting, by the way. i like that.”

i raised an eyebrow, giving him a look. "are you going to keep deflecting, too?"

buck sighed dramatically, his expression softening just a bit. “fine. i’ll be serious... for now. but don’t say i didn’t warn you, veronica. i can be pretty irresistible.”

“i’ll take my chances,” i responded dryly, but my smile was genuine.

buck’s playful demeanor remained, but the conversation soon shifted as i subtly guided him toward the real reason for his visit. he was charming, yes, but i could see the layers underneath - the parts he wasn’t so quick to joke about. there was more going on, more than he was letting on, but getting buck to open up would take time.

still, he seemed to be enjoying the banter, testing me with flirtatious comments here and there, always with that easygoing smile that made it hard not to laugh. but i stayed focused, keeping the session on track without letting his charm throw me off.

as the session neared its end, buck gave me a lingering grin as he stood up. “so, see you next time? don’t miss me too much.”

“i think i’ll survive,” u replied, amused. “but i’ll see you next session, buck.”