Buck couldn't help but cast an appreciative eye over French's form playing around in the water. Steve had a good body too, of course. So did Angie. It's just that Buck didn't care about their bodies. Not that he had any reason to care about French's either. Oh, but who was he kidding? He definitely did. French, Steve, and Angie played around in the water, whooping and hollering as Buck and Jessie stayed on the shore.

They called out for Jessie to get in the water with them, and although he hated that he couldn't join them, knew why they weren't asking him to get in with them, appreciated it even… he couldn't help but feel a little left out.

"Jesse, come on!" Buck called, waving him over from where he sat on the sand some ways from the water. Jesse didn't respond, just ducked his head. Tired from the long trip, Buck assumed. He understood, he was exhausted too. Figured they all were. The excitement of seeing the ocean and the cold, salty breeze was enough to keep him wired for a while, though.

"How cold is it?" Buck asked, yelling over the waves.

"You wanna try?" Steve yelled back, running towards Buck, acting as if he were going to pick him up and dunk him in the water.

"No!" Buck yelled, running back to shore laughing. Steve chased him out of the water, but let up after a moment and didn't return. French and Angie followed him out shortly after, shaking and shivering, with huge grins on their faces.

French walked up to Buck and he took a wary step back, scared for a moment of French following through on Steve's threat. French put his hands up in a placating manner, and Buck let him approach. He couldn't help but let his eye's wander down from French's, lingering on the water droplets and goose bumps dripping decorating his stomach. When he dragged his eyes back up to French's face, the knowing grin he found there made him flush red. French's grin only grew, and he stepped closer, crowding into Buck's personal space. Not that he minded. He never did when it came to French. French's hand came up slowly, hovering a moment above Buck's cheek before suddenly dipping down and sliding under Buck's coat to press against his neck and shoulder.

Buck let out a yelp as the icy hand made contact and jumped away from a laughing French.

"You wanted to know how cold it was!" French defended, still laughing.

Buck couldn't keep the grin off his face as he shoved him backwards. "Oh, go get dressed you dolt." He motioned to where Steve and Angie were busy collecting their clothes. He tried not to think of how it felt to have his hands against French's hard abs a second ago, the skin still wet and cool.

"If you're so sure you want me to." French said, stepping a little closer again.

Buck's grin fell from his face and he let his eyes travel down a bit again. After all, French was basically asking him to, right? He couldn't be blamed. When he trailed his eyes back up to French's face, he was no longer smiling either. Buck's lips parted slightly, to say (or do) what, he didn't know. But whatever may have happened next was halted by a dark gray t-shirt hitting French in the face.

French jumped and pulled his shirt from his face and Buck's head snapped to the side so fast he was sure he got whiplash.

"Get a room, you two!" Steve laughed, still trying to pull his own shirt on over his wet skin.

Buck flushed again, but a quick glance at French told him he wasn't the alone, though French's darker skin hid it better than his own did. French shot him a sheepish grin before pulling his shirt over his head and turning to jog off and gather the rest of his clothes from wherever he had dropped them as he ran towards the water.

Buck shook his head in amusement, and slightly in confusion over what was happening between them and went to sit next to Jesse in the sand.

He gave Jesse a small smile. "Hey."

Jesse gave what Buck assumed was meant to be a smile back. "Hey."

"You okay?" Buck asked him. "You seem kind of…" He hesitated, "quiet."

Buck felt French sit down on the other side of him as Jesse responded.

"Just tired." He said. "I think I'm going to head inside and warm up." Then he was off, leaving Buck behind to wonder after him.

French nudged his shoulder. "What's up with him?"

Buck shrugged, staring back at the crashing waves with a furrowed brow. "Just tired, I guess."

"Aren't we all?" French said, yawning at the mere mention of being tired.

Buck leaned into him, nodding sleepily, the exhaustion hitting him all at once.

French froze as Buck leaned against him, brain going into overtime trying to calm his suddenly racing heart and figure out what to do. He must have stiffened, or stayed still a second too long, because suddenly Buck was pulling away from him, an apology on his lips.

French quickly wrapped an arm around him and pulled him closer to his side. It was Buck's turn to stiffen up, but he quickly relaxed again into French's warm embrace. There was a lot of layers between them with both of their thick coats on, but they relished in the comfort of each other's company and touch. They didn't say anything. Nothing needed said. They just watched the waves and listened to the sounds of the ocean as it crashed against the shore.

For the first time in a long time, they both felt completely at peace.