#nanny au

[ooowyn]

this was a prompt on discord and i was like yep. i'm drawing it.

[mandareeboo]

AU where Cecil decides that Debbie isn't going to take an Actual Nanny from him so he decides to send her Rex while he heals.

Debbie: did Cecil seriously send you? Like this?

Rex, missing a hand and still very much healing from a gunshot wound: hey it's not my fault Cecil's a fucking idiot

Debbie: ....what did you say about Cecil?

Rex: he's a fucking idiot?

Debbie:....Come on in.

[theidiotwhowritesthings]

A Fresh Start [1]

Din Djarin x F!Reader

Warnings: use of fake name, reader is hiding from a shady past

Word Count: 4,506

Summary: When you made plans for your future they never involved being hired by a Mandalorian to baby-sit his adorable, green gremlin of a child. However, after your life fell apart in the span of one disastrous night, you found it to be the only feasible option you had left. Nevarro was a far cry from Coruscant, but the thriving community turned out to be exactly what you needed. Every day you spend in Nevarro you fall more and more in love with your new life, but when your past rears its ugly head you find that perhaps peace wasn't meant for everyone.

Chapter #01: TWO PORGS, ONE BLASTER

Chapter Summary: The Marshal is looking to hire a nanny, and you just so happen to be moving into the city.

“remember to live while you’re busy surviving.” -d.j.

Din Djarin was busier these days than he ever had been before. Even compared to years ago, when he was picking up dozens of bounty pucks and collecting quarries left and right, it was nothing compared to now. If he had known that being Nevarro's marshal would be so hectic, he may have never accepted it. At the thought, he sighed. That was a bold faced lie. He still would’ve taken the job in a heartbeat because the pay was better than anything he had ever made previously. Speaking strictly in terms of credits, it was significantly less than the various bounties he’d pick up, but the job brought him peace of mind. It brought safety to Grogu. More than just safety, it gave the child the opportunity to grow and learn in an environment where he wasn’t at risk. They had settled here a couple of months ago, and for most of that time Grogu had been happy and free of night terrors. It was a blessing Din couldn’t quantify. He’d work every second of every day if it meant the child grew up safe and loved.

At the thought of his son, he picked up his pace toward the repair shop run by Peli who had ventured from the sands of Tatooine to the growing and thriving Nevarro. She was usually the one who watched Grogu while he was working. When Peli couldn’t, there were a handful of others in town who were more than happy to help out. Din was eternally grateful that the community was willing to go above and beyond as a favor to him. In the beginning, he had actually brought Grogu with him on the job. It wasn’t absurd. Back in the day, when his journey with Grogu first began, he brought the child along on bounties. A day in the life of a small community Marshal was actually quite tame in comparison. Still, that wasn’t normal, and Din wanted normal. School would be starting up soon, as summer ended, and Din was excited to get Grogu enrolled.

He had a stable job and they had a home. Starting Grogu's education was the next step in establishing picture perfect normalcy.

The loud noise of Peli’s shop filled the air as he got closer. All three of the garage’s hanger doors were lifted and open, and Din could see it had been a busy day for the mechanic. Ships, speeder bikes, droids. There was a large collection of mechanical works being actively repaired.

“Peli! Marshal's here!” A mechanic barked out the moment he stepped into the garage. Din turned his way, but the employee didn’t bother looking up from the work they were occupied with.

Din pressed further into the shop. Helmet glanced around, looking for a blur of chaotic green, but his eyes didn’t land on his son. “Mando!” Din spun in place as the curly haired woman marched up to him. Peli was one of the few people in Nevarro who didn't refer to him as Marshal. She said she didn't want it to go to his head. Other mechanics dove out of the way to avoid her path. Though she was short in stature, Peli could command a room with voice alone. Her jumpsuit was covered in splotches of engine oil. “Took you long enough!”

“Peli.” Din nodded in greeting. “Where’s Grogu?”

“Your son,” Peli jabbed a finger in his direction, “ate a handful of bolts today.”

Din stiffened. “He what!? Where is he?”

“Just joking. He didn’t.”

“Peli, that isn’t funny.”

“It’s not a joke.”

Din resisted the urge to palm the front of his helmet into his hands. He let out a weathered sigh, “Did he eat metal bolts or didn’t he?”

“Not today. No telling about tomorrow.” Peli scoffed. “This shop is no place for a kid! I’ve been telling you that for weeks now!”

Din set his hands on his hips. “No, you haven't.”

“Well, I’ve been thinking it!”

The sound of familiar babbling alerted him to his son’s presence, and Din turned in time to see Grogu quickly waddling in his direction. Argument with Peli forgotten, he grinned and scooped up the child who continued to babble enthusiastically.

“Hey there, you little womp rat.” Din rubbed his belly and Grogu wrapped his arms around his hand in response. The sound of his laugh made Din chuckle himself. As important as his goal of normalcy was, Din missed the uninterrupted time he used to have with his son. There was a lot wrong with their previous adventures, a lot of danger, but nothing beat the long days in hyperspace and hiding where his only responsibility was to care for the child. “I heard you’ve been giving Peli trouble.”

Grogu laughed again⏤ not even attempting to hide his guilt. Peli wagged her finger in his direction once more. “You see? It’s only a matter of time until he swallows one of my tools. Then what would we do? I’d be a tool short!”

“I’m sorry, Peli.” Din chuckled. “School will be starting up soon. You won’t have to watch him during the day then.”

“He’ll still need watching after, won’t he? Your work day isn’t done until evening!” Peli argued. “And what about the nights when you get called into work?”

Din winced, but he kept his head still so Peli wouldn’t notice. She wasn’t wrong. There had been a handful of times when Din's presence was required at the station and he was forced to drop Grogu off with Peli in the dead of night. She lived in a small apartment beside the shop, and her shop was on the way from their home to the station. Stopping to leave Grogu with her was too easy to resist. It wasn't like he could leave the child at home alone.

Grogu began to tap on the side of Din’s helmet and he began to bounce the child in his arms to distract him. “I’m sorry, Peli. I really appreciate everything you do for us. You know that, right?” Peli waved his words away with a huff. As brash and grumpy as the woman could be, especially on a busy day, he knew Peli loved spending time with Grogu and he knew that complaints aside she’d always be willing to help out. It was why he was so grateful for her. “My hands are tied right now. I don’t know what else I can do.”

“Hire someone, you lug!” Peli scoffed. “Get a live-in nanny.”

“Live-in nanny?” Din questioned, not bothering to hide his skepticism.

“Yeah. Someone who can watch little bright eyes around the clock when you can’t. Someone who’ll be there at 3AM when you get called into the office. Why do I gotta come up with all the good ideas around here?”

Din didn’t love the idea, but he couldn’t deny the merits of it. Once upon a time, he would’ve shot it down immediately. However, he wasn’t who he once was. Din had learned that going out on a branch to trust someone didn’t always end bloody. The community was filled with people Din had taken a chance on and was rewarded in his risk. He had friends he trusted, and they never would've been in his life if he hadn't taken the risk in the first place.

“Where…” Din cleared his throat. “Where would I even find one?”

“Whoop, whoop!” Din and Peli both turned to see a mechanic a few feet away. They had been buried under a speeder bike but jumped up in excitement. Dirty goggles hung around her neck and the light pink color of her skin made the black grease stains stand out more. “Howdy, Marshal Mando.”

“Nima.” Din greeted with a nod. He didn’t know every single person who worked for Peli, but Nima was Peli’s right hand mechanic. The young Twi’lek was extraordinary with a wrench if Peli was to be believed, and Din knew it took a lot to impress the older woman. “How are you?”

“Real swell.” Nima stepped closer, rubbing her hands on a rag tucked into her overall pocket. “Not to be nosy, but I heard you got a job that needs filling and I have a cousin who needs a job.” Din tilted his head and waited for her to elaborate. “My cousin is moving here⏤ well, let me clarify, she’s not my actual cousin by blood. We’re cousins by marriage. Her mom’s sister married my mom’s brother. We⏤ wait, they actually got divorced like a year ago so I don’t know if we technically⏤”

“Nima!” Peli barked. “The point!”

“Right, right, right.” Nima shook her head. “My maybe not cousin is moving to town, and she’s looking for work.”

Din lifted a hand to lightly grasp Grogu’s hands as the kid tried to pry his helmet up. “Does she have experience with kids?”

“Oh, absolutely!” Nima nodded. “She’s a superstar with kids. Total magic.”

Peli slapped her hand against the beskar of his chest plate then pointed at him. Din sighed and gave them both a slight nod. “I’d be willing to meet her, but that’s it. No promises.”

“She’ll be in town by the end of the week!” Nima cheered. “I’ll bring her around!”

Grogu began to whine, and Din thanked both women before making his way out of the garage. It was time for dinner and the child was quick to get fussy when a meal wasn’t on its way. Plus, Grogu had gotten accustomed to nights in the privacy of their home when Din would remove his helmet. It had become a part of their routine.

“Buir, buir, buir.” Grogu chanted.

“I know, I know.” Din chuckled as he unlocked the front door. Once in, he used his free hand to pull his helmet off and tucked it under his elbow with a smile.

Grogu patted his face in excitement. “Buir!”

“Let’s get some dinner ready, ad’ika.” Din stepped further in. Hearing Grogu speak Mando’a warmed his heart. Hearing him speak at all warmed his heart, really. Din was convinced his son knew more basic and Mando’a than he’d shown. The few things he did say he only said in the safety of their home. Another reason Din was excited for school to start, he hoped it’d excite Grogu into speaking more.

Din set the boy down so he could move around the kitchen easier, and he couldn’t bite back the smile of ease on his face. He loved his life, he loved his son, and Din didn’t think things could get more perfect than what it was right now. He just hoped adding in a new face wouldn’t disrupt their routine.

You absentmindedly let your fingers trace the ugly, jagged scar along your collarbone. The wound had healed months ago, but there was something about the rough skin that haunted you. It didn’t hurt. If anything the tissue there was numb, and that bothered you more than anything else. For some reason, it felt wrong that you weren’t in pain.

The transport ship rumbled to a stop as it landed, and it snapped you back into the moment. You straightened in your seat and glanced out the window. A year and a half ago nobody ever spoke of Nevarro. It had been a blip in the Outer Rim for bounty hunters and those hiding from the New Republic. Now, it was a bustling trade post flourishing with life. From where your ship sat on the landing pad, you could see the white and gray buildings of Nevarro stretching out into the black, glassed land of the mountains that sat on the edge of the lava plains. It still wasn't a very large community. Not yet, at least. Your eyes scanned the land beside the landing pad. You had lived in the beautiful greenery of Naboo, the bustling cities of Coruscant, and the sandy dunes of Tatooine. This was vastly different in comparison.

You let a few others leave before rising yourself. As you followed the very small crowd off the ship you stretched your legs out best you could without stopping. It had been a long trip from Mos Espa to Nevarro. The second your feet stepped onto the landing pad you heard your name being screamed by a familiar voice. It was almost odd to hear it said aloud after so much time, but the voice of your old friend kept you from flinching. A broad smile crossed your features and you barely had time to turn before you were tackled in a hug.

“Oh, I missed you so much!” Nima cheered in your ear. She squeezed you tight enough that all you could manage was a small pat on her back considering she had your arms pinned to your side.

“I missed you too.” You wheezed. “And now I’m beginning to miss air.”

Nima released you, taking a step back, and you sucked in a large breath. She bounced in place, her pink lekku whipping around her, “I’m so happy you’re finally here! It’s been way, way too long!” It was true, and seeing Nima brightened your mood significantly. “How was your trip-”

The beginnings of your name began to slip from her mouth, but your hand snapped out to cover her lips. Her eyebrows rose in confusion, and you just offered her a sheepish smile. "Soran. Call me Soran. Remember?" Her eyes widened and you could see a flash of regret in her eyes. She had simply forgotten. "It's okay. No biggie. Just... Soran, okay?"

"I'm so sorry. I just got so excited." Nima apologized. "Don't worry, I didn't use your real name with anyone in town or anything." You nodded and made your way to where luggage was being placed on the landing pad from the storage bin. Nima walked a step behind you. You scooped up your bag, wrapping it around your shoulders, and Nima looped one arm through yours. "I'm so happy you're here."

The words were said with such sincerity that it warmed your heart. It made you wish you had taken her up on her offer ages ago. She began to drag you across the landing pad toward the start of the town. Her cheery attitude and happy-go-lucky demeanor was contagious. She was talking up a storm, something about work, while you gazed at the street you walked down. The path was paved and the street was filled with people milling about happily. A few vendors sold goods in the open at stalls, and you could hear the music of a band from further down the street. It was a cozy and warm atmosphere, and it wasn't the kind of place you expected Nima to settle down.

You met Nima during your teenage years when part of her family married part of yours. The two of you had grown close and without a doubt she was one of your closest friends. Family really. It was why at your absolute lowest you had caved and accepted her invitation to join her in Nevarro. Nima worked at a local mechanic shop which turned out to be her calling. She had always been good at tinkering with anything mechanical, but she was thriving under the instruction of the woman she worked for. At least, that's what she was constantly telling you. Nima had found her happy place, and you were ecstatic for her.

“⏤and Peli is still awesome.” Nima continued. “When we're not busy, she's letting me work on this old Razor Crest with her. It's some sort of secret project and the ship is in really bad shape, but I'm learning so much. It’s the best job ever.”

“That’s amazing, Nima.”

“Oh! And speaking of awesome jobs, I got you one.”

Your eyes widened. “Huh?”

“A job and a place to live. I got it covered.”

“Wow. I’m…seriously impressed, Nima. So, that means your boss is okay with me helping around the shop with inventory and stuff?”

Nima paused, then cursed in her native tongue. “I knew I was forgetting to do something. I was supposed to ask Peli about you.”

“If you didn’t ask her if I could work there, then where am I working?” You questioned in confusion.

“So, the Marshal has this super cute kid, and he needs a round the clock nanny.” Nima gave you a thumbs up. You blinked in shock, unable to find the words to voice your disbelief. She took this as a victory cheered. “I knew you’d love it.”

You shook your head. “No, no. This is a bad idea.”

“What? No way.” Nima shook her head with a pout. “You need a job and you need a place to live. I got you both in one. Two porgs, one blaster.”

“I⏤That’s⏤You said it wrong.” You said.

Nima furrowed her brow at you. “No, I think you just don’t get it. It means, like, you have two problems, the two porgs, and one solution takes care of both. One blaster.”

“It’s two porgs, one stone.”

“Why would I use a stone to hit a porg when I have a blaster?”

“You wouldn’t, but if you had a blaster you could shoot way more than just two porgs.”

“Yeah, but you only have two porgs right now.”

You waved your arms in the air as if you could swipe away the pointless argument. “This is⏤ No. We're done with that. My point is, this is not a good idea. I’ve never been a nanny before. The last time I baby-sat a kid was literally ages ago, and it was for a few evenings. I didn't live with the kid or the family.”

“You’re great with kids. I’ve seen it!” Nima argued in your favor.

“Being good with kids is not the same as helping raise one.”

Nima shrugged. “Nuance. Besides, everything else in town right now is part time work and you said you wanted a full time job.” You had said that. The more time you spent busy, the less time you had to think. That was the plan at least Bury yourself in pointless work. “I mean, you could pick up the job of local physician.”

You stiffened. “Nima⏤”

“Our main doctor sucks. Like you wouldn’t believe. Laziest asshole this side of the Outer Rim. It's the one fault of Nevarro in my opinion.” Nima scoffed. “You would do so much better⏤”

“Don’t.” You said firmly, and Nima grew quiet. “I’m not… I’m not doing that right now. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I’m not allowed to⏤ to⏤” You cleared your throat. “I’m not allowed to practice medicine until the trial is over. Officially.”

Nima squeezed your arm. “The trial will be over before the year's end, at the latest, and there is no way they aren’t throwing that kriffing asshole in jail for the rest of his miserable life.” This was the exact thing you wanted to avoid. It’s literally why you ran away in the first place. “Nothing about what happened was your fault.”

“Nima, can we not?” You blurted. “I just…” Your lungs felt heavy and even though you were more than capable of breathing none of the air you sucked in was rewarding. “Tell me more about the job. The Marshal’s kid.”

Nima shot you a concerned look before nodding. “Right.” She forced a smile onto her face. “He’s a Mandalorian and his son is a 50 year old precious, green gremlin.”

“Um, what?”

Nevarro was shockingly beautiful. You had heard it was, and that it was slowly becoming a staple of the Outer Rim, but hearing it was different than seeing it with your own eyes. The population was about four thousand and it was constantly growing. Every single person you passed took the time to greet Nima, and she took the time to introduce you. It hadn’t been an exaggeration when Nima said it was the kind of place where everyone knew everyone. The two of you emptied out at the end of a street into a large, open plaza. In it's center sat a tall bronze statue of a droid.

“That's the Magistrate's building.” Nima pointed to the tall, intricate building behind the droid statue. It was active with people going up and down the stairs that led into the building. “Magistrate Karga is super cool. He used to hand out bounties to hunters. Wild shit.”

“So, the Magistrate was an Agent of the Bounty Hunters’ Guild and your Marshal is an actual Mandalorian?”

Nima nodded. “The Marshal's Deputy used to be a Shock Trooper.”

“Wow. I’m not sure I’m qualified to even live here.” You mumbled.

“Don’t be silly. You’ll fit right in.” Nima slotted her hand into yours and began to drag you down the street. She had taken you to her small apartment first, to give you time to set down your belongings and wash up, but she was quick to pull you back out into the streets. It was cute how eager she was to show you around Nevarro, and you could tell between her and everyone you met how proud they were of their community.

Nima pointed out a few shops as you passed, but it was clear that her aim was to take you to the Marshal's station. You shot her a dry look that she only grinned at in response.

“Seriously?”

“He needs somebody super soon and you need a job. Plus, a place to live. You think I want you on my couch for the rest of your life?”

You shoved her with a laugh. “I haven’t slept on your couch a single night yet, and you’re already tired of me?”

“Just come on.” Nima dragged you building nestled amongst others. It was decorated similar as the rest of the town with white bricks and dark blue flags.

The Marhsal's station wasn’t overly large. Outside, parked to the side, were a few speeders and inside the front doors was a small lobby with a woman sitting behind a desk. Nima greeted her by name, introducing you in a rush, before pulling you through. The receptionist didn’t seem surprised by this behavior and didn’t make the moves to stop either of you. You wondered if Nima came barging in here often. Was she close to the Marshal?

The hallway from the lobby led into a clean and brightly lit room. The back wall was made of windows where the lava plains could be seen since the station was at the edge of town, and there were three desks planted in the center of the room. Off to the left side were two cells, cordoned off with silver bars, and you found yourself happy to see no one was currently being held in custody. Despite having the cells present, the entire room had a casual feel to it. A dart board was hung up on a wall, darts sticking out of it, and the desks were covered in office supplies and holopads.

“What’re you doing here, trouble maker?”

“Cara!” Nima cheered as a large woman stepped into the room from a different door. She untangled her hand from yours to rush over and greet this Cara woman with a hug. She was tall and broad, and the tattoo band around her right upper arm hinted to you that this must be the Deputy Nima mentioned earlier. The ex-shock trooper. She surely looked like someone who used to work in that line of action. “I brought my cousin by to say hello!”

Cara’s dark eyes rolled over to you in amusement. “Yeah. I see the family resemblance.”

"This is Soran." Nima introduced you with the name you had adopted months ago for the sake of anonymity. “And this is Deputy Cara Dune. Resident badass.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” You offered your hand. “Can I call you Cara or do you prefer Deputy badass or…?”

Cara chuckled. “Cara works.”

“Where is everyone?” Nima glanced around the room. “I’m looking for Marshal Mando.”

“Hey, Mando!” Cara yelled back through the door she came in from. She marched past the two of you to drop down into a chair at a desk. She rested her hands behind her head and casually kicked up her legs. “Our generator out back keeps cutting out.”

Nima's eyes widened, curious, “Oh, yeah?”

“It’s been a wreck since early this morning.”

“Cara, it’s making that noise again. Can you call Peli?” A deeper, modulated voice called out. You straightened in your posture as a Mandalorian dressed in silver beskar stepped into the room. Everything you knew about Mandalorians came from legend and stories. You had never met one before. The Marshal’s broad figure and confident, yet casual pace, screamed power. A blaster was hooked to his hip. He was the picture of intimidation, and you’d find yourself nervous if it weren’t for the baby carrier strapped around his chest⏤ the one with a large eared, small green toddler tucked safely in place. It cooed happily with his hands wrapped around the fingers of the Mandalorians gloved hand.

Nima clapped her hands. “Don’t bother Peli! I’ll fix it right now!”

“I’ll show you where it’s at.” Cara pushed up.

You opened your mouth to argue, but no words came out and you watched in shock as your friend abandoned you with the Mandalorian and child. You blinked in shock, mouth held open. Suddenly, Nima stuck her head back in the room. “Oops. Mr. Marshal Mandalorian, this is my cousin I was telling you about.” She grinned at you. “Cousin, this is the mighty Marshal Mandalorian and his adorable green bean child I told you about.”

With no further words, she left once more. You were gonna kill her. Most definitely. The sound of a throat clearing made your eyes snap back to the man standing across from you. His silver helmet had a t-shaped visor of black glass that gave you no hint at the expression he wore. The two of you just stared at one another for a long moment. Awkward silences were the bane of your existence and you tried to avoid them at all costs. To a fault, arguably. You thrust a hand out to him with a nervous smile. "Hi. You can call me Soran. I'm the cousin Nima always talks about, but I'm not her actual cousin, er..."

"Right." The Mandalorian replied. He shook your hand. "Call me Mando."

"Mando? Like, short for Mandalorian?" You chuckled, and he didn't reply. You rubbed your hands against your pants. Thank the Maker, he had been wearing gloves and couldn’t feel your clammy palms. If you hadn't already decided to murder Nima for abandoning you in this situation, you would've chosen to do it for offering your services to this man. A service you weren't even qualified for. Still, you needed work, a lot of it, and if this was your best option you'd do what you'd have to. “So, is this your son?”

At the question, the child began to babble happily. His adorable, nonsensical words were a good distraction from beating yourself up over asking such a stupid question.

“Yes. This is Grogu.” He responded. The modulator gave his voice a husky quality that was hard not to notice. Grogu was still babbling, but now he released his father’s hands to reach out to you. He opened and closed his hands in a grabbing motion and at the small child’s request you couldn’t help but lift a hand up to him. Grogu grasped at your finger and you offered him a small smile. “Nima says you’re looking for a job.”

Your eyes snapped up from the kid to Mando. “Uh, yes. I am.” It was silent between the two of you again, save for Grogu’s happy voice. “To be honest though…" Your brain screamed at you to lie. Tell him you had an extensive history of babysitting and were well suited for the job. However, lying had never come natural to you. It always left a terrible taste in your mouth. You sighed, "I’m by no means a professional nanny. I’m actually not even an amateur one.” Mando didn’t respond or move his head in any way to hint his thoughts. You cleared your throat. “What I mean is, I like kids, and I’m responsible enough to keep one alive." You winced at your wording. "I just- I’m a quick learner and I'm dedicated to the work I put my mind to.” Grogu tilted his head in the cutest manner you had ever seen, but his father stayed silent. You let out a low whistle. “I am not doing a very good job of selling myself, am I?”

As seconds passed, you were tempted to throw yourself out the back window and find the nearest river of lava to jump into. Just to hide from your embarrassment. Finally, he spoke, “Where are you from?”

Your eyes widened at the direction his question took this conversation. “Oh. Naboo. I was born there, grew up there too, but I lived in Coruscant for a long, long time. Only recently moved to Mos Espa on Tatooine. That's where I just came from.”

“What kind of work do you usually do?”

As if this casual interview couldn’t get worse. You rolled various answers around in your head before settling on the best thing you could. “I worked in a medical clinic.” He was quiet and you assumed that meant he wanted more. As much as you hated lying, as terrible as it made you feel, this was a necessity you reminded yourself. This kind of lie wouldn't hurt anyone. It would protect you, keep you safe. “Receptionist." You blurted. "I scheduled appointments, re-supplied the stock, counted out credits. That kind of stuff.”

“Work…keeps me busy.” Mando said. “I just need someone else around. Keep an eye on the kid while I’m out and sometimes at night if I get called in.” Your eyebrows rose. “I haven’t ever hired a nanny before. I’m... not sure what it’s supposed to entail or the usual pay. I just need help.”

You nodded. “I can do that. I can be helpful. I’m not sure of the pay either, but I’m also not picky. Maybe just a trial period, and see how it goes? A learning curve for both of us.”

Mando nodded in agreement and held out a hand for you to shake. A sigh of relief left you and you tried to pull your hand away from Grogu who refused to let go of your fingers. You lifted your opposite hand to awkwardly grasp his outstretched hand and shook it once. You didn't quite know how to feel about this acquisition. This wasn't where you thought your life would end up. The thought of starting this job filled your belly with nervous energy. You had to succeed at this. Honestly, you were just happy the Mandalorian was willing to give you a chance. More than anything that was what your life needed. A chance. An opportunity. A fresh start. On the plus side, learning how to do a completely new job would be a good enough distraction from your past, surely.

A/N: if you see this on AO3 and think ‘omg she stole this’, I promise I didn’t. That’s me on AO3 too. Pinky swear.

[palfriendpatine66]

Wip Wednesday

A little snippet from the nanny au

“Do you go through all of that every time you go out?” Obi-Wan asked as the father straightened up from his safety debrief with the twins to rejoin him in the slowly moving line. They were finally up next.

“Yes.” Anakin glared. “But you don’t have to worry about it; you won’t be responsible for bringing them anywhere.”

It was clear from the tight set of his jaw that Obi-Wan wasn’t to be trusted with such things alone. Obi-Wan could understand a parent feeling protective of their children but this just seemed a little more. Just like during the interview he came off a little more intense than really warranted.

“You said you work in security?” Obi-Wan wondered aloud.

“Yes.”

Obi-Wan hummed at the short response he was now coming to expect. “Doing what, if I might ask?”

“You may not.”

Anakin stepped forward without another glance in his direction, leaving Obi-Wan to wonder if it was classified or the annoyed younger man just didn’t care to share. Judging by the the general attitude on display he tended to assume the later, and only had his suspicions confirmed.

By the time the abrupt younger man had finished sending the teenaged cashier into an anxious spiral by bypassing the pricing packages all together and demanding one hour of jump time with no arcade tokens, no matter how many times he was told they were included, Obi-Wan was pretty sure he didn’t need the position that badly at all and had half a mind to write a pitch for a manners book for rude parents.

[the-badger-mole]

The Nanny AU

So, I'm thinking about this The Nanny AU, and obviously it's not going to be a 1 to 1 adaptation because Fran and Katara are two very different characters. The question is how to get Katara into a place where she needs this job. Here's what I came up with.

Katara is most of the way through med school- like she's actively interviewing for internships. She's in a relationship with either Aang or Jet (I have my reasons for choosing either that would make this a longer post than I want, but feel free to ask if you're curious). She's been in this relationship since high school, and she's fairly certain a proposal is coming soon. The day comes and Katara's going back and forth in her head if she thinks she's ready to be married, and just as she waiting for the boyfriend to pop the question...he says he thinks they should start seeing other people. And that he's interested in something else.

The break up sends Katara on a spiral. She's questioning every decision she's made over the last decade of her life, and she realizes, among other things, that she didn't actually want to be a doctor anymore. She didn't even remember when she decided she wanted to be a doctor, it had just always been the goal since she could remember, but she hasn't enjoyed any of the work getting to this point. So she walks out one day mid interview, and quits med school. She ends up moving back home with her disappointed father and grandmother (grandpa Pakku is there, but like Morty, is never actually seen or heard). The first thing she does is look for a job so she can start paying back the loans on her incomplete education. While she's looking for something permanent, her grandmother sets her up as a door-to-door salesgirl. It's...less than ideal ("Seriously, Gran-Gran? An MLM? Who goes door-to-door anymore?"), but Katara doesn't have many immediate options, and she needs to pay her car note soon. So, off she goes into the ritziest neighborhood she can find, and knocks on the door of the Kaji home.

The family is in chaos. Zuko Kaji (who is either a theater producer like Max, or is a politician) is desperate to find a nanny for his three young children, who have just run off the last one, before a benefit party he's throwing in his home that evening. Katara is assumed to be there to interview, so she shrugs and says, "why not?" and interviews for the position. Zuko is dubious, but with no other options immediately available, he throws caution to the wind and hires Katara for the party.

And that's how she became the nanny!

[dreambones]

Frebby Tumby? Somft? Soft tum?

He looks so soft!!!

Also just in case for clarification, the Nanny FNAF designs are @popfizzles and @kittyacelia , I had nothing to do with them (aside being shown some early sketches). I love em and they are by far one of my favorite fan FNAF designs Ive seen, but go give them all the asks and credit please.

I know Im usually the one making FNAF stuff but this time it's not the case adsfdg

[gemini-sensei]

The Nanny Masterlist

Eli Moskowitz has his hands full raising three children after the death of his wife, so to ease some stress and in an attempt to get his life back in order, he sets out to find the perfect nanny for his kids. He just didn't expect her to come knocking on his door.

Inspired by the TV show "The Nanny."

Part One: You're Hired

Part Two: A Big Help

Part Three: Parents Night

Part Four: Black Belt

Part Five: Coming Soon

[imaginedreamwrite]

A Permanent Claim: Part 2

The twin beds set against the wall were made in perfection, a task that you speculated was taken on by the maids Pari said Curtis had hired to look after the twin mess.

The dark grey blankets were pulled taut against the bed with lighter pillows placed at the top of the mattress with a stuffed bear on one bed and an alligator on the other.

The closet doors that were placed across from each bed were closed, the frosted glass giving you a limited view of their clothes inside, although you could depict the black and white soccer ball sitting on the floor by the door hinges.

The room was clean and well organized though it hadn’t looked like a typical little boys’ room, there was a distinctive lack of toys or games, the walls were decorated with generic canvas pictures but nothing that would have related to their personalities. It seemed as if their room was ripped from the pages of some interior design magazine, copied and pasted into the house. There was little here that was conducive to Theo and James, or it had appeared that way to you.

“I’ll show you the nanny suite.” Pari directed you out of the room, closing the door behind the two of you before she stepped further into the hall, the extension of the crisp and clean aesthetic of the boy’s rooms continuing into the hall.

The carpet beneath your feet was soft, and you found yourself curling your toes into the material briefly before you followed Pari down the hall toward the next set of doors on the right side of the long hallway.

Pari had given you the rundown on the twins’ schedule, the latest time they could stay up and when Curtis wanted them up in the morning. She had explained that they were going to be entering kindergarten after summer break and the private school Curtis was sending them to would take them out of the house three days a week until Christmas, and then after they would go four days a week.

It was a lot of information given to you within a brief time until she stepped in front of one door, opening it briefly to give you a brief look at the boys bathroom they shared. The bathtub and shower combo seemed to have more life and personality than their room, a few toys set in a faux wicker basket by the corner of the bathtub, and a set of matching towels hanging on the rack were synonymous with the double vanities.

A set of toothbrushes was hanging off two holders above the sink, one themed to a superhero and the other was designed with dinosaurs in mind, both giving you more of an idea of what the twins liked than their bedroom.

It was puzzling, a wonderment why there was nothing more for the boys in their bedroom. You put the thought in the back of your mind while you followed Pari down to the next door, a nanny suite that was going to be yours when you officially started the next day.

Tonight she was going to stay to make sure the twins had settled until they had gotten relatively used to the idea of having another new nanny around, and that would in turn give you time to pack some clothes before you would be on your own.

It was her deciding factor or something about you that she liked, to give you the job after the few short hours that you had been here talking with her and to her. The process of showing you around was one more indication that you were going to be given the job, one more step toward you being hired for the job that paid exceptionally well.

However, you were curious about the high turnaround, curious enough that you had almost asked Pari whether it was the twins that drove the nanny away in some kind of Hollywood feeling scheme or if it was the man you were working for that had done the job.

“It’s got everything you’ll need.” Pari directed you into the nanny suite and you had stepped through with speculation, your eyebrows furrowing as your lips had become pursed.

The nanny suite was larger than you expected and was rather captivating with clean crisp white walls, and an intricate chandelier hanging in the middle of the room.

The headboard was made of light grey material that was textured with cloth buttons that added extra detail. The bed itself was larger than the one you had in your apartment, and it was pushed against the feature wall with a nightstand on the right-hand side and a sitting chair on the other side. Across from the bed was an electric fireplace and mantle, the dark wood contrasting the white trim that ran throughout the room.

To the far left was a set of double doors that led to a small private balcony that was enclosed by a white railing. The room was designed with the same sleekness as the rest of the house, perfect to a near fault, and yet this nanny suite still had more character than the twins rooms. It was bothering you, it was getting under your skin like an itch that couldn’t have possibly been sated until you let the question be aired and given life.

“Pari, the twins room-“ You looked back at her, your eyes meeting hers and your mouth shutting closed when she had drawn in a breath and rubbed the bridge of her nose with annoyance.

The corner of her lips was pressed tightly together and the scowl on her face had told you everything you needed to know.

“I know.” Those two words told you enough. “Curtis hired some interior decorator because he didn’t give a shit about what the house looked like, he’s got enough to deal with. The nannies and housekeepers come and they see the state of this place and do everything they can to keep it this way.”

“High-turnaround-“

“Not just for nannies.” Pari drew her hand away from her face and down to her hip, glancing you over again with a far less stoic expression. “Housekeepers too.”

Your suspicions of the twin being hellions that sent the nannies off were partially right, and you couldn’t have blamed them. The twins were not allowed by the other nannies to have anything in their rooms because of the clutter, and it had made the boys double down on their mission to get rid of anyone ‘allergic to fun’.

They didn’t get to express themselves, they didn’t get to enjoy being messy like kids naturally were, or even have their favourite toys in their bedrooms to play with. It was almost as if they were being forced into this state of cleanliness that wasn’t achievable for them.

“They’re kids, they should be allowed to be kids.” You mumbled under your breath, taking another glance around the room before you and Pari stepped into the hallway again.

As the door clicked behind you, your hand settled on the doorknob while Pari made her way to the winding staircase, leaving you lagging for a few moments.

“Theo, James-“ A crash had come from the lower level and your feet carried you before you had time to think, following Pari toward the kitchen and the source of the sound.

“Sorry, aunty.” One of the twin’s bottom lips was trembling, his blue eyes watering and his chest heaving with the effort to hold in his tears.

Between the twins was a broken glass and orange juice, the mixture thankfully not hitting either of their feet. Theo, or so you thought, had huffed and gritted his teeth, almost as if he was trying to present himself as a stoic figure.

“James-“ you started to speak to the twins, first addressing the twin who wasn’t near tears.

“Theo.” Pari corrected you, taking a wide berth around the glass and juice, and stepping toward a small utility closet near the edge of the kitchen.

“It was an accident, it’s okay. You didn’t mean to.” You stepped the other way, slowly grabbing hold of James’ arm, and gently leading him away from the glass. “I’m going to clean it up, don’t step in the glass or you’ll cut your feet.”

“I was thirsty.” James pulled at your sleeve, his eyes brimming with tears. “I wanted a drink.”

“I know, it’s not your fault.” You lift him from the floor and set him on the table, sitting him on the edge before you lifted his left foot and then his right, looking for any cuts. “It was an accident.”

You drew your fingers along the bottom of his feet feeling for any nicks that you couldn’t see, biting down on the inside of your cheek when he laughed through some tears and jerked his foot. After checking both feet, you lifted him from the table and carried him further away from the mess and set him down where he wouldn’t be hurt or caught in the mess.

“Do you still want something to drink?” You crouched before him, watching him as he raised his arm and wiped away his tears with his sleeve, sniffling and nodding. “Orange juice?”

“We didn’t mean to,” Theo spoke with the same defiance, the same presentable little tough guy act he was trying to put on, almost as if he was afraid you or Pari would give them trouble. “It slipped-“

“It’s okay, Theo.” You were careful to step around the rest of the glass, carefully padding around the island toward the fridge as you stared at the rows of cupboards.

“To the left of the fridge,” Pari spoke without having to look up from the floor, “orange juice is on the right side of the fridge.”

You followed her instruction, first grabbing a glass and then the juice. You set both on the counter before closing the doors and unscrewing the cap, idly listening to the sound of James and Theo’s whispers behind you while you filled their glass.

Once it was halfway full, you grabbed the glass and turned. You nearly jumped out of your skin when they appeared closer than you anticipated, squeaking in surprise at their giggles and soft laughter.

“Funny.” You held the glass out to James, watching him and Theo guzzle down the sweet mixture before they handed it back to you. “Is that better?”

“Theo, James…go put your toys away. Pizza will be here soon.” Pari sent the directive and as quickly as the boys were here, they were gone.

They scattered from the kitchen with a few excited claims that they would beat each other to the playroom, leaving you and Pari alone. You set the glass in the sink and shifted your weight from one foot to the other while silence passed between you both.

“Crustaceans?” Pari drew your attention to herself as she stepped around the island and dumped the remaining glass shards into the garbage under the sink. “You’re allergic to crustaceans?”

“Oh.” You shifted your weight from one foot to the other before you cleared your throat and nodded. “Yeah, I don’t eat crustaceans but I can eat fish.”

“I don’t eat beef,” Pari relayed some personal preferences about herself just as you had, “It’s not an allergy, but a religious practice.”

“Beef?”

“I can eat chicken, lamb, and goat but not beef.” She looked you over as she spoke and then smiled, cracking a genuine and warm grin. “You’re going to do great with them. You’re exactly what they need.”

“Thank you-“

“-Curtis too.” She spoke over you while you fell silent. “He’s going to love you.”

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[highqueenofelfhame]

who am i posting two drabbles in the same week??

rowaelin // 2709 words // masterlist

It was always easy to tell if Rowan had a good or bad day at work.

When it was good, he would sweep in and drop a kiss to Roux’s chubby cheeks if she was awake. If she wasn’t, he would disappear upstairs to check in on her before coming back down and getting a rundown of the day from Aelin. Sometimes she would heat up leftovers from dinner for him to eat, others they would sit and finish whatever movie held her attention before she slipped out and retired to her home in the renovated pool house for the night.

When it was bad, the signs started as soon as he pulled into the driveway. The lights would flash through the window, the garage would open, close, and then… silence. It could be anywhere from five minutes to an hour before he would get out of his car, slowly push the door shut, and quietly trudge in through the mud room. Aelin would barely hear him put down his keys and bag by the door. His footsteps up to Roux’s room were nearly nonexistent if it weren’t for the creaking of that fourth step from the bottom.��

Sometimes he would get into the tiny twin sized bed with his daughter and fall asleep shielding her with his body. Other times he would sit with her while he decompressed before coming down to check in with Aelin on how the night went. On the bad nights, he seldom ate anything at all. He just went through the motions of getting ready for bed until he inevitably passed out from whatever hours-long surgery he’d endured that day. 

Tonight was no different. Aelin tried not to count the ticks of the clock above the fireplace while she watched tv, her stomach twisting with anxiety at the ninety-two minute mark. An hour and a half was almost the longest he had ever stayed in his car like that. She knew it was turned off, so there was no need to worry about fumes. It was just the idea of him sitting in the dark silence while trying to unravel the tragedy of the day that was eating at her. 

The last time this happened, a young girl about Roux’s age had died on his operating table. It wasn’t anything he had done wrong, no. The little girl had just been too badly injured in the car accident. Everyone knew it was a long shot to save her. She’d barely had a pulse when they wheeled her into the operating room, her heart having stopped twice in the ambulance on the way over. 

It wasn’t a story she had learned from Rowan himself, but from one of his closest friends at a barbeque for Roux’s fifth birthday a few weeks back. Aelin’s heart had broken as he quietly recounted the nightmare to Aelin where Rowan couldn’t hear, the two of them sipping their beers while keeping an eye on the father to make sure he didn’t get close enough to hear. It had ended with Aelin needing to turn away to wipe away a few stray tears before anyone noticed, and Fenrys gave her a brief hug. The pair had been busted then, Rowan’s eyes narrowing slightly at the blonde man beside her. Caught red handed learning a story he didn’t want to speak of, she had thought.

There had been a few other times since then that he’d taken his moment of silence, but nothing this long since that had happened. It had Aelin’s mind reeling with what might have gone wrong, her body itching to make her way to the garage to check on him and make sure he was okay. But there was a line there that she didn’t want to cross. She didn’t want to intrude on whatever process he underwent to come down after a hard day. 

But her eyes didn’t leave the garage door, her body turned so she could see his face when he came in. As much as he needed to be sure that Roux was okay when he had shitty days like today surely was, Aelin needed to make sure that he was okay, too. For a thousand and one different reasons, she ignored why that was. She was his nanny, he was her boss, and she was only worried because she cared for him in the way that all nannies cared about the families they worked for that treated them well. Right?

The movie she’d paused was long forgotten, the brand of the television bouncing from side to side on an idle screen.  It was another three agonizingly slow minutes before the garage door opened, the scrape of the sill against the floor as deafening as it was startling. And then there was the look on his face. 

Much like a couple months ago, his face was hewn from stone. Even from here she could see the signs that tears had slipped past the iron clad dam he usually had on his emotions. Red cheeks, slightly puffy under eyes. His nose had been kissed by grief, raw from how many times she assumed he’d blown or wiped at it with a tissue or his sleeve. The usually straight posture he had was deflated with shoulders that slumped inward. 

The one thing different about this than the others was that he had immediately zoned into where she sat on the couch, his eyes roving over her face and what he could see of her body. Almost like this time it was her that he was checking on, that he needed to know was okay. 

Aelin opened her mouth to speak, but he held up a single finger before making his way upstairs. When he was halfway up, he looked at her over his shoulder one more time before she would disappear from his view. 

The soft jiggle of Roux’s door handle being turned was her cue to rise from the couch. Her feet carried her to the kitchen where she immediately started a kettle for some tea and then began pulling the night’s dinner from the fridge to warm him a plate. If he didn’t come back down, it would be there when he did. Worst case scenario, she would just force him to eat breakfast in the morning even if it meant waking him from a dead sleep.

Fifteen minutes hadn’t passed when she heard that creaky step announce his descent. Aelin stayed quiet in the kitchen, readying two mugs on the island for tea while the microwave hummed a quiet song behind her. If she wasn’t always so acutely aware of Rowan Whitethorn, she probably wouldn’t have heard his bare feet as he made his way into the kitchen. Still, she said nothing in case he didn’t want to talk and simply proceeded to make his tea precisely how he liked it. 

As she placed the kettle down on a dishrag, Rowan’s arms braced either side of her, locking her in place where she stood. He was so close that his chest was pressed against her back. Even through their shirts she could feel the heat radiating off his body, off his biceps that rested against her shoulders. And then his forehead was gently resting against the back of her head while he took a deep breath, almost like he was… savoring the way she smelled. Like she hadn’t been wrong when he first walked in and she was the one he’d needed to know was safe. 

Instead of freezing up like her body wanted to, she kept up the task of making the tea. Or trying to, anyway. The few times she had been this close to Rowan had always resulted in her brain short circuiting, and more than anything she was trying to not make a mess of the boiling water and the glass cups she handled with shaking hands. 

“I made you tea,” she whispered, pushing the cups toward the side of the counter with the barstools.

“Thank you.” More-so than usual, Rowan’s voice was low and gravely. Another tell that at some point he had almost definitely been crying. The only other time he sounded like that was first thing in the morning or the few times she’d been around him when he was drunk and exhausted, accent heavier than usual and voice so low it gave her goosebumps.

Instead of replying she just nodded slightly so as to not disturb him. He simply kept breathing in the scent of her lavender shampoo, each exhale tickling the back of her neck and shooting small zips of electricity down her spine.  The microwave beeped three times to proudly alert that his dinner was finished, but neither of them moved to deal with it.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Moving her gaze from the tea, she looked down at his hands. His knuckles went white at the question and he inhaled deeply one more time before turning her so she was facing him. 

Their faces were so close that she could count the small smattering of freckles he had across his nose from summers spent in the sun. The rich green of his eyes were more prominent than she’d ever seen them, the color enhanced by the vessels that were bloodshot. Gold and brown and every shade of green she could name was swirled in his irises. They weren’t just green anymore than hers were just blue. 

“I lost a patient today.” His words weighed heavily between them despite being barely more than the minty breath across her face.

“I know.” Rowan nodded once, his fingers ghosting over her hip. For several heartbeats she watched his hands almost touch her, graze her skin, and pull back into fists before starting the process over again. Like he was fighting himself not to touch her even though he wanted– or needed– to. 

“It’s okay,” she murmured, looking up at him through thick lashes. “You can– it’s okay.”

Consent seemed to be the key. Rowan was tender as he gathered her up in his arms, treating her like she was one of those cups behind them that might break if handled too roughly. Knowing he needed some sort of physical affection, she melted into him easily. That thing that had been brewing between them, that she had convinced herself was all in her head, was now a wire pulled taught as she pressed her cheek against his chest. 

Rowan let out a shaky breath, his lips pressing to the top of her head in a lingering kiss. Her own arms wrapped around his sides, hands sliding over the muscles of his back before meeting in the middle. With feather light touches, she traced invisible shapes and lines with her fingernails over the fabric of his t-shirt. One of his hands cradled the back of her head with his thumb making soft soothing strokes over the side of her neck. The other was splayed across her back to keep her tightly pressed to him. 

She didn’t have any complaints. He was freshly showered– likely using the facilities at work– and smelled like pine and snow and so distinctly Rowan. Aelin wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but the way he smelled was quickly becoming one of her favorite things in the world. And even if this was all only in her head, she would take this small gift from the gods and run like hell with it. 

The cocoon of his arms shifted around her and he pulled back enough to look at her face. His fingers slipped between the silky strands of her hair until they rested in the little dip at the base of her skull with his thumb on her jaw. So much emotion swirled in his eyes as she looked up at him, not knowing what was going to come next. Her heart pounded like a timpani all the same. 

“The woman that died on my table tonight shared a birthday with you.” Aelin noticed the way his throat bobbed as his thumb brushed the corner of her mouth. His brows were furrowed, his muscles tight beneath her fingertips. “I didn’t know that until after, but… her hair was almost the same golden hue. Her eyes were blue. Not like yours, nobody has eyes like yours. But they were still blue. And in the brief second I saw her barely conscious before she was put under, from across the room they looked close enough.”

“Rowan–”

“I couldn’t save her. I tried but I couldn’t save her and all I could see was you on the table.”

“I’m right here,” was the only thing she could think to say. It seemed to be just enough because he nodded, leaning forward to rest his brow against hers. Their breath mingled between them, his eyes falling closed as he steadied his ragged breathing. Aelin was almost positive she could feel his heart thundering away in his chest– or maybe that was her own pulse she felt down to her fingers. 

Rowan’s eyes opened once more to search hers, his calloused thumb catching her full bottom lip as he said, “I think it’s about time we stop dancing around this, yeah?” 

“Not like this,” she whispered, the words falling like stones between them. His head lifted, eyebrows pinched together. “I don’t– I don’t mean no. I don’t–” Aelin let out a shaky laugh and moved her hands to his sides. Rowan didn’t move away, which was good considering the bang up job she was doing with words at the moment.

“You think this is just a grief response.”

“I think you’ve had a really long and hard day and I don’t want you to do or say something you’re going to regret tomorrow–”

“I could never regret you, Aelin.” 

And then his lips were pressing softly against hers, asking permission where she didn’t feel like she ever needed to give it in the first place. For months she had known that she was his, however he wanted to have her. That she had desperately wanted it to be this but never would have pushed without him giving in.

So she kissed him back fiercely, relishing in the way his hand tightened on her hips but softened where he held her face. She breathed every second of the moment in, the same way she had all the others.  It had been months of push and pull, of subtle touches and words with double meanings. Rowan and Roux were everything that she wanted for her future. She just couldn’t believe he wanted her to be part of theirs. 

They kissed until the tea had cooled and his dinner was cold. What he had been hungry for wasn’t food, she found out, when he carried her all the way up to his room and quietly shut the door behind him. He had been starving for her, to feel his hands over her soft skin, to feel her nails leaving marks across his back. Rowan swallowed up her moans as quickly as she released them from swollen lips and chased her own release with his own. 

They both drifted to sleep like tangled vines. When she was the first to wake just after the sun came up– her biological clock alerting her that Roux would be up and wanting breakfast soon– anxiety had begun to pool in her stomach. What if he did regret last night? If it had all been the result of grief and him needing a warm body to coax him into a dreamless sleep? He was her boss, and she loved Roux more than any of the kids she had ever nannied for. What if she had just thrown that all away on a whim? 

Her mind was reeling as she laid beside him. Back and forth she went about whether or not she should quietly leave, and just as she decided that she maybe should, Rowan began to stir from his deep slumber. His arm tightened around her waist, tugging her closer as he rubbed his nose against her shoulder. A laugh almost escaped her lips, but worry had an iron-clad grip on her nerves. 

It all vanished, though, when he opened his eyes and saw her next to him. Because the moment his sleepy eyes met hers, Rowan smiled.

[ooowyn]

i saw obi-wan's outfit and immediately made an entire AU around it. became possessed and had to draw it.

babysitter/early education au. ani is some sort of public figure (idk what) and needs to hire someone to watch his kids (he's divorced, but they're still friends) and his ex recommends obi-wan cause she also hires him to watch the kids. rom com ensues.

[lisasbasket]

Was talking to Pia recently and Hatoful Boyfriend popped up, so we had to have our boyfriends meet. Obviously Rick knows him, he knows everyone! (bet you never expected to see this crossover)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOCTOR (12/12)

[theidiotwhowritesthings]

A Fresh Start [8]

Din Djarin x F!Reader

Warnings: pining, it’s mutual, they’re both just oblivious to the other, mention of fake name use, also I didn’t proofread this as much as I should’ve probs (that’s a warning right?)

Word Count: 3,494

Summary: When  you made plans for your future they never involved being hired by a   Mandalorian to baby-sit his adorable, green gremlin of a child.   However, after your life fell apart in the span of one disastrous night,  you found it to be the only feasible option you had left. Nevarro was a  far cry from Coruscant, but the thriving community turned  out to be  exactly what you needed. Every day you spend in Nevarro you  fall more  and more in love with your new life, but when your past rears  its ugly  head you find that perhaps peace wasn’t meant for everyone.

Ch. #08: YOU’RE HIS HOME

Chapter Summary: First day of school, first day of school!

"I feel this gravitational pull towards you. Like the universe & all the galaxies had a talk and said, 'yeah, it's time'." -Gawn Birdie (On How We Find The One)  

You had a weird mix of excitement, anxiety, and trepidation swirling in your gut. It was Grogu’s first day of school. You were excited at the prospect of him having fun, learning, and making new friends, but it didn’t dull the anxiety you felt. What if the other kids were mean to him? What if he hated it? You wondered if this was how your mother felt on your first day of school. Not that you were his mother, you reminded yourself. As you cooked breakfast, you scoffed and shook your head. You were the nanny. You couldn't let that line in the sand blur.

 “Nanny.” You mumbled to yourself plating Grogu’s favorites. An omelet and fruit. You called out for the kid. “Grogu! Breakfast!”

 You set his food onto his high chair’s tray and began to move around the kitchen packing his favorite snacks to take with him. Grogu’s happy babbling made you glance over your shoulder. He bounded into the room and you picked him up to place him in his seat.

 “Are you excited for school today, Grogu?” You asked while packing.

 “ ‘lek!” He replied, voice muffled from a mouthful of food.

 You paused in your work to reach out and rub his head. “Can you say that in Basic? Can you ‘yes’?” He repeated the word though it came out sounding more like ‘ye’ then ‘yes’. You understood him though which meant his teacher would too if it came up. You lightly bopped his nose with your finger. “Good job, baby. So smart.”

 Grogu preened at your praise. You wondered if he would speak up at school. Maybe not initially, but how long would it take for him to grow comfortable enough to do so? Even if he didn’t speak, he had never had a problem conveying to others what it was he wanted, but you wanted him to practice more.

 “Morning.” Mando greeted.

 He stepped out from the back hall into the kitchen wearing his full suit of armor. You returned his greeting with a smile. “Good morning.” Mando walked around the kitchen island to sit at the bar stool next to Grogu’s high chair. Your eyebrows raised in surprise. “Shouldn’t you be heading out?”

 “I’m going in late. Wanted to be there for his first day drop off.”

 A slow smile grew on your features. You already knew Mando was an above average father, but it was little moments like this that were a reminder. It was one of the many things you found you liked about the man. You motioned to the stove. “You want me to make you breakfast?”

 “No.” Mando raised a hand to shake it. “Don’t worry about me.”

 With a nod, you set the dishes you used to make breakfast into the sink and ran some water into each item briefly. “Hey,” You turned back to Mando as you dried your hands on a dish towel, “I’m gonna run and change then grab his book bag to pack up real quick. Is that alright?”

 Mando chuckled. “I think we can survive, but I’ll call out if breakfast takes a bad turn.”

 You rolled your eyes in amusement and left the kitchen. It wouldn’t take you long to change out of your pajamas into simple day clothes. Just something that would keep you from looking like a bag lady on the streets. Once ready, you swung by Mando’s room to snag the small book bag he had bought for Grogu over the weekend. While in the room you found Grogu’s drawer and packed an extra change of clothes for the boy just in case.

 “Grogu, you’re making a mess.” Mando’s voice drifted toward you as you walked down the hall back into the kitchen. You spotted him standing in front of the high chair trying to keep Grogu from trying to swallow half his omelet whole. The innards were beginning to fall out. “Ad’ika, nayc.”

 “Did breakfast take a bad turn?” You called out.

 Mando glanced over his shoulder with a sigh. “Apparently. I spoke too soon.”

 He wrestled the omelet out of Grogu’s hands and you didn’t step in to help. Instead, you packed the snacks you made into the bag alongside the extra set of clothes. Bag ready to go, you turned and leaned on the kitchen counter to just watch Mando try and clean Grogu while he continued to stuff more omelet into his mouth. These were the kind of mornings you could get used to way too easily.

 Grogu disappeared into the building with the other students, and though he could no longer be seen, you and Mando stood there staring for a second longer. The walk to school had been a cheerful event of letting Grogu walk on his own and following behind him. The morning was calm and anyone you passed greeted the three of you happily. As you had neared the city's center, you noted parents walking their own children to the school. When Mando shifted in place, you turned your attention to him.

 “Off to the station?”

 “Yeah.” Mando nodded. “I’m going to try and get off in time to be here with you for pick up.”

 “Alright.” You motioned down the street. “Can I, uh, walk you to work?”

 Mando stayed stock still. You had gotten good at reading his body language, understanding the tilts and nods of his head, catching onto the emotions that wafted off of him, but this still left you clueless. When he stood frozen it gave you nothing to work with. Finally, he cleared his throat. “Sure.”

 The two of you walked side by side in the direction of the station. You let Mando set the pace, and he chose a slow stroll. For the first minute or so, the two of you were in a comfortable silence. You were mentally trying to puzzle out a way to ask Mando the questions bouncing around in your head. You wanted to know more about Mandalorians, but you didn’t want to overstep.

 Mando spoke before you found your words. “How have you been sleeping?”

 “Oh.” You hadn’t expected him to ask about that. “Pretty good. Dreamless sleep. The best kind.”

 Apparently all it had taken to cure you from that repetitive memory was sleeping a few hours in Mando’s bed with Mando and his son. Not the solution you thought you’d find, but you were hardly complaining. In fact, all it took was one night of passing out with Mando and Grogu within reach to make sleeping in your own bed feel lonely. You were even tempted to ask to sleep in the bed again. Tempted, but not stupid enough to actually go through with it.

 “I wanted to, um, ask you about something, Mando.” You started and were caught off guard when he stopped walking to look at you. You offered him a nervous smile. “If that’s okay?”

 “I thought we were past you being timid.” He said. “I don’t want you to be scared to ask me anything, cyar’ika.”

 His words settled your nerves. You chuckled. “I know. I’m not scared, but this…” You shrugged. “I wanted to ask you about your culture and Mandalorians in general. I just didn’t want to blind side you with it.”

 Mando nodded. “I appreciate that.” He began to walk once more and you followed. “Ask.”

 Alright. Now you had to figure out what to ask and what order would be best. You paused to think it over and Mando gave you the time without pressing further. You twisted your lips before just picking one. “You can’t take your helmet off, right? Not in front of anyone but Grogu?” Mando nodded in confirmation. “Why? Is it because he’s your son? Can Mandalorians only show their face to their family?”

 “Yes. There was a period of time where… Grogu was separated from me.” Mando said. You frowned at this. “It wasn’t sudden. I knew it would come. My entire goal was to one day return him to his own kind, but…” He tilted his head. “It was still difficult. He came back though⏤ to stay. Once I knew I wouldn’t have to lose him, we went through gai bal manda.”

 “What’s that?”

 “An adoption ceremony. At that point, he officially became my foundling.” Mando finished. There was a beat before he added a clarification. “That’s why I can show him my face. If I married, I could show my riddur my face as well.”

 You connected the dots. “Riddur.” Whenever you spoke Mando’a it sounded so awkward, but you loved when Mando spoke it. The way the words rolled off his tongue in that hoarse voice. “Wife?”

 “Yes.”

 “Okay.” You hummed. “Is it safe to assume you don’t have a riddur?”

 Mando let out a breathy laugh. “It’s safe to assume that, yes.”

 “Does that mean only Grogu has ever seen your face?”

 This time Mando didn’t reply immediately. But, in the same way that he gave you the time to think through a question, you gave him time to think about his answer. After a minute passed, you were worried you had insulted him in some way. You didn’t think that question was so bad.

 “I was a foundling.” Mando said. “A Mandalorian saved me and took me in. As a child, I took the Creed. That’s when I was given my first helmet. No living creature saw my face until recently.” You listened intently as his spoke. His voice stayed firm and strong, but there was an underlying tone that conveyed his hesitance. “I showed my face to save Grogu then again to say good-bye. I never should’ve put the helmet on again.”

 Your eyes widened and you nearly tripped over your feet. “What do you mean?”

 “In showing my face, regardless of the reason, I broke my Creed.” Mando admitted. “I…” His feet slowed to a stop again and when you paused beside him he shifted to face you a bit. “I am not Mandalorian any longer. I am an Apostate.” You weren’t sure how to respond to that. It seemed silly to you that a man so dedicated to his creed and people could be exiled simply for showing his face⏤ especially since he did so to save Grogu. However, this was not your religion. It wasn’t your place to input your opinion into the conversation. The creed, no matter how ridiculous it seemed to you, was extremely important to him. You respected that. You respected him. Mando sighed, “I have to travel to Mandalore. Bathe in the Living Waters found there in order to redeem myself.”

 “I thought…” You narrowed your eyes, “Wasn’t Mandalore glassed? I heard stories that⏤ that the world was destroyed.”

 “It was.” Mando nodded. “There are rumors that the planet has recovered enough to be visited. It’s no longer poisoned.” There was so much hope in his voice that it brought a small smile to your face. “I planned to go, but Karga offered me the role of Marshal here. As much as I wanted to go…” Mando didn’t speak for a moment, his hands drifted to his hips as he shrugged. “Grogu deserves a home. A safe place to grow.”

 You tilted your head a bit, trying to gauge how to word this, “Right, and I think it was very… honorable of you to make that decision, but you should know, Mando.” You lifted a hand to set on his arm, the beskar cool to the touch. “You’re his home.” Mando stared down at you silently. It was scary how powerful Mando’s gaze could be considering his face was hidden. Maybe that was for the sake of the universe. You weren’t sure you could withstand looking directly into his eyes. “That kid adores you. Wherever you go in the universe, home is when he’s with you.”

 Mando gave you a slight nod, appreciative, and he cleared his throat. “Thank you. For saying that. You didn’t have to.”

 “I’m just stating the obvious, silly.” You laughed. The two of you began to walk again in peace. There was a small pit in your stomach as you realized you’d never see his face. You’d never know what Mando looked like. It didn’t matter, not really, but you were much too curious to not mourn that realization. He was still Mando. The man who hired you to care for his son, your friend the Marshal and Mandalorian. Regardless of the technical definition, he’d be Mandalorian in your eyes. You had never met a man as strong, admirable, loyal, or honorable as him. So, nothing would change, but you’d always wonder.

 ‘Brown’, you thought, ‘He has to have brown eyes’. Maybe a soft brown like sunlight passing through a glass of amber whiskey. It had to be warm though. That’s what being around him felt like, that’s what you imagined his gaze to radiate. Lying in the grass letting the sun pour over your skin. A thick blanket being wrapped around you on a cold, winter night. A mug of caf held between your hands. It didn't matter that he was covered head to toe in the silver, cool to touch beskar. Mando was just warm.

 “What are you thinking about?” Mando questioned.

 Your eyes widened at being caught. You couldn’t exactly tell him you were daydreaming about the color of his eyes. Instead, you held up two fingers. “Two more questions.” He nodded. “First, that thing you do with Grogu, where you set your forehead against his, is that a Mandalorian thing or just a you thing?”

 “Mandalorian.” He answered. “Kov’nyn.” You repeated the word and Mando chuckled at the sound. “It’s…technically it means head butt. It’s a way of showing affection.”

 “Mandalorians would use a type of attack to show love.” You snickered. Mando surprised you by stepping close enough to lightly bump his shoulder into yours as you walked. Up ahead, you could see the station coming into view. “Is it just a family thing?”

 “No. Any kind of affection. Friends, family, lovers. It just depends on the context of the action.”

  “Alright,” You nodded and came to a stop outside the station’s front doors. Mando stayed beside you giving no intention of running in. “Can I ask you my second or am I out of time?”

 “Ask, cyar’ika.” Mando chuckled.

 You pointed at him. “That. What does that word mean? You never told me.” You watched his shoulders stiffen. The movement so minute you nearly missed it. You crossed your arms with a playful smirk. “Come on. It can’t be that bad. You’re not walking around calling me an idiot or something are you?”

 Mando scoffed. “Never.” You raised an eyebrow at him and he sighed. “It just means… The best translation is…” He shrugged. “Sweetheart. I suppose.” The smirk fell off your face and a warm sensation ran through your veins. This entire time, he had been calling you sweetheart? You knew that technically didn’t mean anything romantic, but the term of endearment made you soft regardless. Mando held his hands out toward you as if you were a startled animal about to run. “I can stop. I didn’t mean⏤”

 “No.” You shook your head, pasting a smile on your face. “Don’t.” He tilted his head and you cleared your throat feeling embarrassed yourself at how that sounded. “I, um, it doesn’t bother me. I like it.” To be honest, coming from Mando, you would rather him call you that than the fake name you had given. It felt right. You reached out to lightly knock your knuckles against his chest. “I guess this just means I need to find a nickname for you, huh?”

 “I guess so.” Mando chuckled. “What’re you going to do today?”

 “Huh.” Your eyebrows raised at the question. You honestly hadn’t thought about what you were going to do with all the free time you had while Grogu was at school. “I don’t know. Maybe clean up the house some. Go shopping? We need groceries. Uh…”

 Mando set a hand on your shoulder. “Do something for yourself today. Relax.”

 “I don’t know if my boss would be happy with me lounging on the job.” You joked.

 He shook his head. “I wouldn’t lose any sleep worrying about that, cyar’ika.” You bit down on your lower lip hearing his term of endearment for you come from him. Mando’s hand trailed down your arm to lightly squeeze your hand. “There isn’t much your boss wouldn’t let you get away with.”

 Mando’s hand fell away from yours and you watched him trail into the station. As you stared at the door where he disappeared you repeated the mantra in your head repeatedly. He’s your boss. Mando was off limit. He was just your boss.

 The day was non-eventful and dragged on slowly. Din had a feeling it had something to do with Grogu’s first day of school. It felt odd to send him into the building without someone by his side⏤ someone he trusted explicitly. He knew how important it was though, and Din didn’t want Grogu to feel any of the hesitation he felt. Din didn’t want it to ruin Grogu’s day.

 Though he had been so worried to drop Grogu off, he was excited to see how his son’s first day in school went. His feet carried him down the path back towards the school. Walking down the street of Nevarro, the same one he did this morning, his thoughts drifted to you. Din didn’t think he was going to end up talking to you about his Creed or his postponed future plans to travel to Mandalore to redeem himself. He surprisingly felt good about the conversation though. He liked that you knew that about him⏤ he wanted you to know that about him. It was an important part of his life, and you were slowly becoming important to him as well.

 The smile you wore when he told you what ‘cyar’ika’ meant was going to haunt his every dream for the foreseeable future.

 In the distance, he saw a small crowd standing outside the school. Parents waiting for the class to end. Din scanned the mass of people quickly and found you standing off to the side waiting patiently as the others did. Maker, you were pretty. Every single day it seemed like he noticed something new to admire. You were a kriffing work of art. Din could bask in your glow all day and never tire. As if you could feel his gaze, you turned and noticed him. Your face brightened with a grin, your hand lifting to greet him, and Din swore he felt his heart stutter. Dank farrik, you had him feeling like a teen with his first crush.

 “Hey, Mando!” You said as he grew closer. “How was work?”

 “It was fine. Non eventful. Did you spend some time relaxing today?”

 You chuckled. “I did. Spent the afternoon reading, and I got lunch with Nima.” You elbowed him in the side, a little nudge. “Plus, I even had time leftover to buy groceries.”

 The sound of laughing children had you both turning to face the school’s doors. A teacher stepped out and said good-bye as a group of older children rushed out. When they had passed, a different teacher led a line of young children out the door and toward the crowd. The kids began to disperse, eager to see their parents, and the teacher confirmed the sighting of each parent before letting them run away. Din saw Grogu bouncing in place, tugging on the edge of the teacher’s skirt, and when she glanced down at him Grogu pointed across the crowd. She nodded happily and Grogu took off away from her.  Din laughed and opened his arms in time for Grogu to leap into his chest.

 “Did you have fun, ad’ika?” Din chuckled again. It was moments like this that reassured Din of the choices he made. Grogu was happy. That was all he could ever really ask for.

 “ ‘lek! Buir,” Grogu continued to ramble on. After a few more lines of nonsensical babbling, Grogu abruptly stopped and turned his head to look around. His eyes landed on you, just a few steps away with a warm look drawn on your features, then reached a hand out to call you closer. “K’olar! K’olar!”

 Grogu was begging for you to come near, and you didn’t need to know Mando’a to understand what his son wanted from you. Din took a step closer, to meet you halfway, and he tried to hand Grogu over to you. Rather than leaping into your arms, Grogu grasped onto one of your outreached hands and just held on while staying in Din’s arms. The action made it so Grogu was nestled between the both of you. You showed no sign of discomfort from being so close. Instead, you held Grogu’s hand, resting your wrist against his arm, and used your other hand to lovingly rub his head. Content with his position, Grogu went back to babbling about his day.

 You listened intently. Nodding along and interjecting with vague questions to encourage Grogu to continue. Meanwhile, Din could only revel in the bubble of bliss that surrounded all of you. Din wanted to wrap one of his arms around your shoulder, pulling you in even closer, and that thought was dangerously tempting. You were Grogu’s nanny. You were off limits.You were not his to hold.

mando’a translations

Ad’ika: son nayc: no Gai bal Manda: adoption ceremony Riddur: spouse Kov’nyn: Headbutt Cyar’ika: Darling, sweetheart Buir: Father Ko’lar: Come

[palfriendpatine66]

WIP Wednesday - Nanny Au

Read under the cut for a snippet from the barely started Nanny Au,(second place in last week’s lesser known wips poll) as I continue to try to get back into the writing groove and eventually return to my active wips awaiting updates

“So I’m wondering if you and your husband could let me know more about what you’re looking for out of—”

“Ex-husband,” Padmé interrupted with a light smile to show there were no hard feelings. “Recently divorced.”

“Oh,” Obi-Wan outwardly cringed at his faux paux. “I’m so sorry-”

“Yeah me too,” Anakin muttered darkly.

“Ani!”

“Well I am,” Anakin shrugged and flashed a not very apologetic smile. “Things would be a lot easier if —you know what? Never mind,” he wisely cut himself off as brown eyes flashed a hard warning his way.

“Scheduling can be delicate,” Padmé offered diplomatically as she addressed Obi-Wan once more. “We both work demanding jobs with long hours.”

“Of course,” Obi-Wan agreed quickly, just as Anakin scowled and was about to interject once more. “What might that schedule look like, in terms of the position?”

Padmé clearly appreciated the redirection to the task at hand. “You will have weekends off: I will have the children from Friday to Monday mornings.”

“My hours are erratic,” Anakin added. “My commitments vary, and I do a lot of work remotely.”

“But we,” Padmé began, and it was very clear that in this instance we referred to herself only, “think it best to maintain a consistent routine regardless. We ask that you establish a consistent Monday-Thursday schedule, and keep a routine with the children whether Anakin is home or not.”

“I am not going to ignore my kids,” Anakin insisted as though defending against an accusation, leaning forward in his chair to glare at Obi-Wan while he gripped the table.

“Of course not,” Obi-Wan soothed. “Routines are important. They provide a sense of stability.” He could hardly argue otherwise, creature of habit that he was.

“Exactly,” Padmé approved. But not everyone felt the same.

“Do you think my children don’t feel safe?” The arctic tone emanating from the stone faced father sent a shiver down Obi-WAN’s spine. “You think they’re insecure because apparently wanting stability isn’t a good enough reason to stay married—"

“No, of course—”

“Anakin, this is hardly the time,” Padmé chastised firmly.

“No, actually, this is exactly the time. If he’s going to spend as much time with my children as me, their father, it seems pretty important to understand his view on this one. Wouldn’t you say?”

Obi-Wan cleared his throat before they traded any further remarks, two pairs of glinting daggers turning to meet his own steady gaze. “What I meant was that having a consistent daily routine with predictable caregivers is important at this stage in their development. If they know what to expect they can spend their energy deciphering other patterns and exploring the world around them,” he easily called to mind a conclusion from one of the texts he’d spent reading and rereading as he transformed it from a dry conglomeration of research into something more engaging. “Learning,” he clarified, ignoring Anakin’s lip as it curled into a sneer and offering the middle ground between both parents his most charming smile.

The father’s face smoothed out once more, and the mother beamed. “Fantastic. Let’s talk logistics,” Padmé continued on with unshakable determination.

[smithsnanny]

"You fucked up"

I am REALLY HAPPY with how this turned out :D

The pose idea is from the Hazbin Hotel finale > Lucifer holding Charlie. Pia mentioned it would be a great Rick and Lisa pose, so here we are :D

[lluviar0ja]

Some more sangcheng nanny au

[gemini-sensei]

Parents Night | Boss!Eli Moskowitz x Nanny!Reader Pt. 3

Chubby!Fem!Reader ○ Parts One and Two

Series Masterlist

Big thank you for @sensei-venus for the idea for this part 💖 small note, but when it comes to naming characters, I just use the first name that comes to mind sometimes, so sorry if you're name is in this.

CW: mentioned parental/spousal death, angst & fluff, nothing much else (half edited).

When the twins came running up to Reader with a flier from their school, their excitement was contagious. Phoenix shoved it as her whilst she was enjoying some down time in the living room, but she was quick to close her book and give them her undevided attention. Their grins were so big and happy as they started talking over each other, practically bouncing in place.

She took the flier and discovered it was for family night at their school, where the children could show them their classroom and where they learned. Reader had small memories of such nights when she was in grade school, how much fun it was to see her little friends and show off all the art projects she'd done.

"Oh, this is exciting," she told them, smiling wide. She flatted the slightly crumpled paper out on the table, imagining one of the twins had shoved it in their backpack and only remembered it now. "We should go give this to your dad, yeah?"

"We want you to come too," Mia giggled, barely able to keep herself on her feet as she hopped with enthusiasm. "We want you to meet Ms. Summer."

"And we want to show you our classroom!" Phoenix boasted proudly.

Reader laughed as she nodded along. "Alright, I'll come too. I think Junie will like it, don't you?"

"Yeah!" They shouted together. Then they started talking over each other again and somehow hatched a plan to go pick out their clothes for the special night - which was at the end of the week.

They ran off in a hurry and Reader softly laughed behind her hand. She stood up to take the flier to Eli's office, knocking on the door gently. When she heard him say "come in," she opened it swiftly and walked in with a smile.

"I hope your schedule isn't too busy Thursday night," she said and slipped him the paper.

He took it and smiled before looking up at her. "Not at all. I can take the kids and you can have the night off."

She grinned, flattered by his offer but ultimately more happy to join. "Actually, I've been invited."

"Phoenix and Mia want you to go?" he asked softly.

She nodded. "They're very excited for it. I think they're proud of learning, which is nice. I never wanted to sit down and do homework, but they're very receptive to it. So I don't mind joining you all if you don't."

He shook his head. "Not at all. I think it's sweet of them to want you to go. Plus, I really don't want to watch all three of them in a crowded school for two hours."

They laughed over the ordeal and set up a little game plan to have the night running smoothly. It was a short conversation, as soon Mia was yelling down for Reader's help and Eli's phone rang. They parted ways with smiles on their faces, thinking nothing more of it.

○●○

Thursday night approached a lot quicker than expected, almost surprising Reader when she realized what day it was early that morning. After the kids were dropped off, she spent the morning going over statements from her boutique when she saw the date. She had to double check everything and then plan out the rest of her day around that. She finished up her work early, saving some stuff for tomorrow, and had a pretty standard time taking care of Junie.

When it came time to go pick up the twins from school, she knew that they weren't going to have a lot of time between then and when they had to go back up to the school. So she went ahead and dressed Junie in her little dress and leggings, had her bag packed, and everything they could need in the car. Then she picked up the twins, brought them home, let them have a snack, then helped them get ready for their special night. It was hassle free, thankfully, and they didn't hit any bumps in the road.

They arrived at the school and Reader made sure to keep the twins close, even though they were practically bouncing off of the walls and trying to tug her down the halls to their classroom.

Her phone buzzed and she checked it, finding a text from Eli. Running late. Start without me. Be there ASAP.

She smiled, knowing that he was trying his best. With that being said, she let the twins walk her to their classroom while she pushed Junie in her stroller.

There was artwork all over the walls, from finger paintings to yarn projects, and more. Mia jumped up when she found hers and pointed it out to Reader, smiling wide as she told her about her finger painting and about what all there was to see on it. Phoenix was less interested in showing off his artwork and wanted her to see his writing handout, which was pinned up along with others that showed off how much they were learning.

"Look, see! See! I can spell smile!" he boasted.

Reader grinned. "That's amazing!"

They finally made it to the classroom, which was full of color and laughter. There were other kids inside, showing their parents and even some grandparents around the room. The teacher was standing near her desk, talking with a couple as she wore a bright smile.

Mia took hold of the front of the stroller and started pulling it with her in the direction of her teacher. "Come on! Come on!"

Phoenix bounded ahead, laughing as he hugged the woman around her leg. "Ms. Summer!"

The adults all laughed with him and the couple excused themselves as their own child came running over to show them something. The teacher greeted Phoenix happily, then looked up as Mia lead Reader and Junie - who was squealing with glee - over.

"Hi," Reader said with a short wave.

"Hello. I'm Summer Jensen, but everyone around here just calls me Ms. Summer," she said in return. She put her hand out and Reader took it to shake. "You must be the twins mother. They talk about you so much."

Reader was taken aback, slightly shocked. She licked her lips, quickly recovering as she held the woman's hand. "No, actually I'm their new nanny, Reader."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Ms. Summer said softly, though she looked a little confused. However, she covered it up with a smile. "They just speak so highly of the pretty dresses you wear."

Flattered, Reader couldn't help but do a little twirl. She owned a vintage clothing shop after all, so she had to dress the part in her opinion. It was one of her many loves and she wanted to share that with the world as much as possible, that was why she opened her store.

"How sweet," she said. She cut a quick look at the twins to see their reaction, and though Phoenix hadn't seemed too bothered by the comment, Mia looked a little sad. "Well, Mr. Moskowitz is on his way. He's just running a little late from work."

Ms. Summer nodded. "Alright-"

"Phoenix! Mia! Come meet my big brother!" another child shouted from across the room.

Phoenix grabbed Mia by the hand and pulled her over, the two looking in better spirits than a second ago.

With them away, Ms. Summer addressed Reader. "Again, I am so sorry. I was under the impression Mrs. Moskowitz was coming."

"Um, I don't really know how to say this, but the twins' mother passed away," Reader told her, voice gentle and low. She didn't want anyone to overhear who didn't need to, or make anyone upset. Even so, Junie became fussy, as if she knew what they were talking about. "Oh, sweet baby."

Reader bent down to take her from the stroller and console her. Ms. Summer watched with sad, careful eyes.

"I assume this is Junie," she said.

Reader smiled as she bounced the baby, who started to giggle, a crisis averted. "Yeah, she's a doll. The twins love her."

"I can tell. They talk about her quite a bit as well," Ms. Summer said.

They both entertained the baby until Phoenix, loud as ever, called Reader over to the book corner. The women said goodbye and parted ways. Ms. Summer let Reader put the stroller out of the way before she walked over to the little bookcases.

"You can sit on the beanie chair," Mia said, fluffing up the beanbag chair for her.

Reader smiled. "Alright," she said and carefully took a seat with Junie on her lap.

The twins proceeded to show off all the books they liked, mostly from being read to in class. Mia showed off the ones she especially liked to sit down with during their practice reading time. Phoenix showed off the picture books with cars and monster trucks, making sure to show his baby sister all the pictures.

They sat like that for a while before the twins wanted to show Reader another corner of the room. It was a fun time, but made even better when Eli showed up.

"Well well well, having fun without me?" he asked as he walked up.

He was still in his dress pants, but had gone forgone his professional looking jacket and tie. Reader had caught onto the fact that he was a far more casual person than his position let on, though he still took it very seriously. She got the impression, though, that if he could wear a tee shirt and sweats to work, he would, but as the CEO he had to keep some sense of professionalism about him. However, when he was working from home, it was casual all the day long.

"Daddy!" the twins shouted. They ran to him and hugged around the legs, buzzing with excitement.

He crouched down to give them a hug, squeezing them tight as they giggled. Then, once he stood up, it was Junie's turn. He took her into his arms and she held onto his shirt tightly, squealing with joy at seeing him.

"I hope they haven't been too much trouble for ya," he said, looking to Reader.

"No, of course not," she said.

"Come on, daddy," Mia said, taking his free hand. "I wanna show you my sea turtle drawing!"

"Reader!" Phoenix jumped up. "I need to go potty!"

"Oh, okay," she said. She and Eli shared a look before she turned her attention back onto Phoenix. "Do you want me to walk with you to the restroom?"

"Yes, please," he said and put out his hand.

She took it and the little group split up. Reader and Phoenix walked out into the hallway while Mia took Hawk and Junie to a wall full of more artwork. The restroom wasn't a long walk from the classroom and when they got there, Reader waited outside for him.

When he came out, he took her hand again and they started walking back to the classroom. However, he had something on his mind.

"I'm sorry I told Ms. Summer you were our mommy," he said, a little sadly.

Reader stopped and crouched down to his level. "Oh, Phoenix, it's okay. But can I ask why you did that?"

"Everyone else has mommies in my class... They're all real mommies and step mommies and just mommies, but I don't have one... I miss my mommy."

"Aw, honey, I know you do," she told him. She gave him a hug, holding him close as he began to sniffle. Rubbing his back gently, she shushed him. "I may not be your mommy, but I hope I'm someone you can trust, because I'm here for you and your sisters."

He nodded and buried his face in her shirt. When he wouldn't let go, she picked him up and held him on her hip, lightly rocking him as they stood in the lightly crowded hall. She let him cry softly until he was ready to go back to the classroom.

She walked with him in her arms, his face hidden in her neck because he didn't want his friends to see him upset. She didn't mind. However, when Eli saw them, he grew worried.

He walked over, leaving Junie and Mia to play on the rug with some toys and another child. "Hey, is everything okay?"

He layed a hand on his son's back, comforting him. Phoenix was receptive to it, but clung to Reader the entire time.

"Yeah, everything's okay," Reader said softly. "I'll tell you later."

Eli nodded, though still wore a worried expression. However, it melted away when she gave him a reassuring smile, and they continued their little tour of the school.

By the time they all arrived home, the twins were starving. Dinner was ready for them, so it was as simple as sit down and eat, then get the twins cleaned up and ready for bed.

Eli took care of Junie, ensuring she was fed and that she was dressed for bed. She fell asleep quickly and he laid her down in her bed, giving her a final kiss on the forehead and a soft goodnight.

When he walked down the hall, he heard Reader's voice coming from twins' room. It was split in half between Phoenix and Mia's sides, toys strewn about, costumes hanging off of bed posts, and from what Eli could gather, a Barbie was leading a dinosaur army into battle in the corner. It reminded him about how he needed to clean out one of the other rooms to turn into a bedroom, and he mentally put it at the top of his to-do list.

He came to stop at the door and peered in, seeing her reading to them. She was almost done, but that didn't mean anything, for Eli soon became just as spellbound by her storytelling abilities as the kids were. They were hooked to every word she spoke as she gave it bravado and flare, smiling the entire time.

As it came to an end, Phoenix yawned tiredly. Reader closed the book and placed it back on the little bookcase in the room, smiling at the kids softly.

"Goodnight," she said sweetly.

"Can I have a hug?" Phoenix asked abruptly before she could even think about walking to the door.

She smiled. "Of course."

Reader leant over to give him a big hug, then made sure to tuck him in tight. Then she hurried over to Mia's side of the room to do the same, mentioning how they could all have hugs. It made Mia giggle.

Eli came into the room to give each twin a kiss on the head and tell them goodnight, then exited with Reader. He turned out the light, watching the nightlights come to life, then he pulled the door almost shut.

The pair of adults walked down to the kitchen, Reader looking to make herself a cup of tea and Eli hoping to have a word with her. He waited a moment, not wanting to rush into things since it had been an eventful and long evening. He didn't let the silence hang for too long though.

"So, what happened tonight?"

Reader looked up from her cup for a moment, then put her eyes back down. She swallowed hard, an odd lump forming in the back of her throat. As she remembered everything the twins' teacher had said, she became a little embarrassed.

"Oh, well, uh, as it would turn out, Phoenix told his teacher that I was his and Mia's mom," she explained, hoping she'd found the right words. She didn't know how to navigate the situation as well when presenting it to her boss. They were his children after all.

Eli's posture changed. He stood straighter and became a little rigid. The thought of his wife came to mind and saddened him. He'd always miss her since her passing, but it wasn't as depressing as before. The wound was healing. It wasn't hard to talk about her anymore, but it hurt knowing his children missed her so much.

Then there was Reader, who was put into an awkward position because of it. Something completely out of her control. Something she still knew so little about.

"I'm sorry," he said. He bit his lip, trying to figure out where to go from there. All he could think of was apologizing.

She smiled kindly, awkward but understanding. "It's alright. I know and understand why he did it. He really misses her and feels like he's somehow different from his classmates without a mom. I mean, he was telling me how the other kids all have moms whether they're their "real" mom or not, and I think it makes him feel a little... othered in a way."

"Did someone say something to him?" Eli asked, a ting of worry in his voice. He knew from first hand experience that some kids were unusually cruel.

She shook her head. "Not that I know of. He's a smart boy, so I think maybe he's picked up on it over time."

They were silent for a moment, and still Eli could think of nothing but apologizing.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Reader said. She finished making her tea and walked up to him. "There's nothing to be sorry for. He's still coping, and it might be a little confusing to me still, that I'm here. I mean, look at it from his view. I'm a woman that's come to live with you and your family, and I take care of them everyday. They know I'm the nanny, but I don't think they quite understand what that means."

He nodded gently, letting everything sink in. It made sense. She made perfect sense. Who was he to go out and hire someone to come into their home and help take care of his kids? Sure, he made them all a part of the hiring process to ensure compatibility, only for them to find the perfect match off of the street, but that still had to be confusing for a child.

"It's almost no different than if I'd remarried," he said softly. He didn't like it, though. The hurt was still there and such a thought had not crossed his mind once since his wife died.

Reader chuckled, lightening the mood. She smiled. "Almost. You and I are far from romantic love interests, Mr. Moskowitz."

He smiled, glad that she could tease him like a friend. He was glad that the night had not ruined the entire agreement they had. He was glad she was so involved and nurturing and good with the kids. For, if it weren't for Reader, he wouldn't know what he'd be doing now. He supposed life would be that much harder, harder when it was hard enough; when there was still an emotional toll being taken out of him and his kids; when he was a single father at a loss for what more to do, left asking himself if he was doing it all right. He was thankful she was there, beyond thankful actually.

"I can't thank you enough."

"You don't have to thank me at all."

She took her cup of tea and sipped it, then started walking to the kitchen door.

"Goodnight, Eli."

He watched her pass through the door and disappear behind it, smiling. "Goodnight, Reader."