#okay im leaving this website forever goodbye 🙃

[heterosexistly]

for @ktinaj (since you wanted a dance recital fic, I tried.)

Buddie Week Day 5: "Skipping out on work again?"

disclaimer: I've never written anything for the buddie fandom and I have not posted a work in a few months but it feels like years) Its about 1k and it's under the cut!

Buck listened to the phone ring as he waited for Bobby to pick up. Emma’s dance recital was coming up in two weeks and he wanted to make sure both he and Eddie could be there. She hadn’t expressed her nervousness exactly, but there was something about the way the seven-year-old went silent after they asked how rehearsal went. Unlike many of the other parents in Emma’s dance class, Buck and Eddie weren’t able to watch her rehearse. Occasionally she would practice for them in the living room, asking Chris to help keep count as she stumbled over her “big leap”.

(“It’s called a grand jeté, dad!” Emma corrected.)

“Buck, skipping out on work again?” Buck smiled.

“Sorry, Bobby, but Eddie and I would really like the day off for Emma’s dance recital, and the day before, too.”

Even though everything had been set in place, Buck couldn’t help but be nervous the day of. Emma had crawled into their bed and finally opened up to them about her fears.

“What if I mess up and everyone notices?” She looked up at Eddie as he combed through her hair. Buck had been half asleep when she came in and was now trying to catch up on the conversation.

“Well, the audience probably won’t notice that you mess up because they don’t know the routine. And even if you do mess up, that’s alright. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes and the point of you doing ballet is to have fun, right?” She nodded then put her head on his chest.

“What if I mess up so bad the teacher kicks me out?” When Eddie and Buck decided to have a child, they went with surrogacy and had Buck father Emma biologically. As much as Buck was excited to have a kid with his eyes and his smile-

(Eddie says sometimes he stares as Emma and all he sees is Buck, just with softer facial features. Ultimately, she had his heart and this infinite kindness and capacity to love. They were both glad she wasn’t danger prone.)

He was scared she would get his anxiety. Buck reached out to give her a hug, cradling her til she was entirely covered in him as if he could protect her from herself, as if he could absorb all her pain just through touch.

“One time, I messed up so bad that Bobby fired me,” Buck told her in a hushed voice.

Her eyes were wide as she asked, “really? What did you do?” Buck did not anticipate this question.

“Something that he shouldn’t have been doing,” Eddie answered for him with a smirk, all too familiar with the story. She pouted, knowing she wasn’t going to get a clear answer.

“The point is, even though I made a huge mistake, I got my job back because Bobby believed that I could do better. Your teacher’s job is to make sure that you learn how to dance to the best of your abilities. And just like you, she’s made mistakes before, so she’ll understand.”

Emma chewed on her bottom lip and sighed. “It’s okay to make mistakes, Emma.” She nodded her head but Buck wasn’t so sure that they had gotten through to her. In the morning, they sent her and Chris off to school and their conversation was on his mind throughout the whole ride.

It didn’t leave his mind as Chris, Eddie, and Buck had found seats close to the front of the theatre. His leg jittered and he was about to say something before Eddie beat him to it. “Buck.” His voice broke through his thoughts.

“Hmm?” He blinked slowly and turned to look at his husband. Eddie reached out to hold his hand, thumb slowly stroking.

“Do you need me to film?” Eddie questioned. Buck wasn’t sure, he didn’t want the footage to be shaky but one of the things he was looking forward to was mimicking a stage parent.

“Are you not freaking out?” Eddie shrugged.

“I am, but if dance makes Emma sad, then we find another activity for her to do. I don’t want her to feel pressure to continue if she doesn’t want to, but I also want her to see that she can conquer her fears.” Buck felt the same, so he just nodded and braced himself as the lights dimmed, indicating that the show was going to start.

He pulled out his phone and watched the side stage to see if he could see Emma peeking out from behind the curtain. The ballet teacher droned on about the students before she stepped off the stage and the music began.

The children ran out onstage and he followed Emma in her lavender tutu. He wishes they had been there to help her get dressed and make sure she was okay before she went on stage. He watched her move graciously across the stage and he knows he’s a bit biased but she seemed like one of the best dancers out there. His hand drooped a bit as he forgot he was filming.

Once the dance was done, he couldn’t help the tears that welled up in his eyes. They stood up to cheer for Emma, Chris whooping for her so loud, Emma told him to shush. Once she was all ready to leave, she ran to them.

“Dads! Chris! I didn’t mess up, not once!” Buck picked her up and squished her. Chris and Eddie complimented her on her performance.

“A great dancer like you deserves a gift!” Buck rocked her in his arms. She pulled back from the embrace.

“Like my favorite food?” The excitement in her eyes made Buck feel so warm.

“Like your favorite dessert, too.” She squealed so loud and Buck winced. She planted a wet peck on his cheek.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She chanted and wiggled for him to put her down. A part of him knows that there are going be more worries like this to come with Emma, ones that don’t end with her as ecstatic as she is now, but he can’t find it in him to care when his little girl is so happy.