Breakthrough // Buck X Reader // 9-1-1 [book 2 of Issues]

14. Performance Anixety

Dates, first dates at that. One thing that I hadn't worried about for years but for Eddie that was something he was having to face. He was being set up with some girl he didn't know. The firehouse gossip today was definitely good. "So, how'd you leave it?" Chim asked him as we were all sat around the table.

"You didn't freeze her out did you?" I asked him and he looked at me, you never know what could happen.

"We agreed to text each other, then meet up." Eddie said to us as we started to eat, at least that was in the books.

"Well, I mean you could always just conveniently forget to text her." Buck said as he sat down beside me. That seemed a bit unfair to her.

"He's not gonna ghost her, Buck." Chim said while looking at him.

"Exactly, he's too much of a gentleman." I said to him with a smile, I then put my head onto his shoulder.

"Yeah, and she already texted me. You guys don't understand, Vanessa's tía Cuca is in on this, too. That's the combined power of two tías. That's huge. Now I gotta figure out how to let her down easy." He said to us and I didn't even want to know what his options for doing that would be like.

"Ooh. You're not good at that." Buck said and he was right. Eddie was good at a lot of things, but letting people down easy. That certainly wasn't one of them.

"No. I'm not. This is a terrible idea. It's not going to end very well." He said to us before eating some of his spaghetti.

"Or maybe it'll go the opposite, you'll never know." I said to him and who knows maybe she was thinking the same thing.

"Who says to say? Maybe she's amazing." Chim said to us and I started to eat my food that I had.

"Well, she seems nice. And she already picked a place. I just hate being forced to a date. Feels like I have to perform." He said making Hen and I look at each other then at him.

"Maybe you're just anxious about said performance." Hen said before drinking her coffee and this was definitely what we all needed.

"Anxious? Who's anxious?" Eddie asked her and I looked at him.

"You never know, this might be something that gives you anxiety. Which I can totally understand why." I said to him and Hen looked at me. She knew exactly what I meant.

"Tía number three and four has entered the chat." Chim said while looking up and I saw a smile appear on Buck's face.

"First of all, 99% of any first date, arranged or otherwise, is a performance, so get over yourself. Second, it's okay to feel nervous. Vanessa is probably at work right now panicking, too." Hen said to him and he looked at her.

"Trust me, she's probably in the same position that you are." I said to him with a smile. She probably was.

"I do not panic." He said to us and he did at some points. We all went silent and just ate.

"Cap. For me? It's not even my birthday." Chim said as Dad placed a cake down on the table. I knew exactly what this was about.

"Uh, what is this? What's going on?" Buck asked him and I knew the excuse but I also knew what this whole thing was about. Like I said, I can read Dad completely.

"Nothing, it's cake. Nothing, nothing at all. Oh, before I forget, everyone, this week, I'll be seeing you all individually for your annual review. And remember, it's not LAFD policy, but it is my policy. The annual review is not just an opportunity for me to offer you some constructive criticism, but it's an opportunity for you to do the same for me. So, in case, tell me how I'm doing. Dig in. Chim, you're up first. See you at 2:00 p.m." Dad said to us before leaving and I knew Chim wasn't looking forward to this.