a/n: first rio fic!! • lmk if you guys like this and if you want me to continue writing for her • pulled this idea out of my ass • kinda buns…
summary: you work at a daycare, and there is a new employee.
word count: ???(long enough tho)
vibe: no one knows by brent faiyaz
the sun was blaring through the colorful windows that had cartoon animals scattered across them. the room smelled of crayons and sunscreen. though it was 10am, the building was filled with energy.
children from 1-6 came flooding into the room with their parents checking them in. during the summer months it was normal for more kids to attend daycare. parents had to work and couldn’t leave their kids at home alone of course. but more kids meant more staff needed.
currently, it was only you, 2 teens needing a summer job, Beverly (the owner of the daycare), and a 23 year old that got scared if a baby cried. needless to say your job was entertaining.
“y/n!y/n!” amber, a 4 year old, came running up to you with open arms.
you smiled and greeted her back while picking her up and spinning around. she giggled in your ear and kicked her feet which hit the tops of your thighs.
with a small wince, you set her down.
after playing with amber for a moment, Beverly called you over to help with some of the babies.
you sat in a rocking chair, cradling a baby boy who was crying due to how tired he was and didn’t have such a quiet environment. you hummed a lullaby to him and stroked his hair, hoping that would help him settle.
as you did so, you began to wonder what got you here. it was summer and instead of hanging out with friends, going to the beach, or even enjoying the comfort of your own home, you were here.
you always loved taking care of kids. growing up with younger siblings taught you what to do and what not to do. you were happy to help Beverly, but you felt your freedom slipping away.
you had just graduated high school and picked this up for some extra money before heading off to college. but as the days pass, you began to feel drained and a pinch of fomo settling in.
you took a deep breath as you heard your name be called again. probably to help Derek with a screaming baby (who he was crying with).
you looked down to the small body you held in your arms, and he was asleep. you smiled to yourself, feeling accomplished yet somehow already tired.
as you rose from the chair you sat in, you strode over to a crib where you could lay the baby. you were careful not to wake him as you gentle moved your arms away from his back.
you stretched your arms behind your back, feeling tense from being hunched over. with a sigh, you walked over to whoever had called your name.
you held a tight smile on your face when you arrived at the front desk. Beverly smiled back, before motioning to a girl in front of her.
she was tall, tan skinned and had cornrows that went past her shoulders. she had the company label on her shirt a few sizes too big, bright orange complementing her skin. she smiled at you nervously.
“y/n, this is our new employee Rio. I need you to show her around and maybe introduce her to a few of the other staff and kids please!” your boss said cheerfully.
and honestly, you weren’t too opposed to helping or showing her around. if anything, this made your day a little better.
you held your hand out to shake hers, which were a little sweaty. you took a mental note that she was very nervous right now.
“hi I’m y/n. where do you wanna start?”
she took a moment to respond, opening her mouth but no words coming from it. you held back a small chuckle at her anxiety.
“uh… I- wherever you think is best?” she said, mentally face palming herself.
the truth is, she actually thought you were mega fine. the way your skin was glowing beneath the workplace light. the way your hair was pushed back to show your features. why wouldn’t she be nervous? and even though she was mentally freaking out for a reason you weren’t aware of, she attempted to be nonchalant. (flopped hard)
suddenly, you saw her demeanor change. a noticeably fake confidence shown in her posture contrasting from the still anxious look in her eyes.
this time, you let the chuckle slip.
“oh- well alright let’s start with a tour.” you said, smiling as you turned around. this would be entertaining.
she trailed behind you like a lost puppy as you showed her where everything was. kids ran past you guys and she ended up tripping on a toy one of the threw.
eventually you began to introduce her to some of the staff and some of the kids. while meeting Derek he handed her a baby that began to cry and walked away carefully. you began to wonder why even though he got so stressed when a baby cried, why he was always holding one?
besides that, you found it cute the way her face lit up as she held the baby. she cradled the head and began bopping up and down playfully. the small child was left giggling by the time she set it down. maybe she could replace Derek in the baby section.
by the time the tour and greetings were done, it was lunch time for the kids. you brought rio to gather some of their lunches and brought it to the tables. screeches, cries, and babbles were all that was to be heard.
you and rio split up and began to help some of the kids eat or find something to do so.
as you held a spoon up to baby Elena’s face, she swatted it away causing the Apple sauce to splatter onto your chest. your jaw hung for a moment as you froze in place, not expecting her to hit the spoon like that.
you forced a small smile and took a deep breath, shirt ruined. you asked one of the teens to sit with the Elena and finish feeding her while you cleaned up.
you were feeling better when you were showing rio around, but it’s like this brought you right back to reality. this has happened before, kids are kids and they are bound to make a mess. but today it felt like a breaking point.
you walked to the back of the building where there were extra packs of diapers, clothes and supplies. you stepped inside and immeadiatly began searching for a shirt. once you found one, you pulled yours off.
it was nice being in the back for a moment, it was quiet. it was like a moment away from it all. the screaming, the chaos, the constant calls for you. being in the back felt like a hug.
as you grabbed another shirt, the door opened. your head snapped back to see who was there.
rio stood in the doorway with her mouth slightly open, as if she was going to say something.
“s-sorry!” she exclaimed before shutting the door.
you held your face in your hands for a moment, contemplating whether to laugh or be upset. instead you just shook your head, put the shirt on, and moved on.
it was finally the end of the day. the kids had all been picked up by their parents and it was time to clean up.
you stretched for a moment, bending your back, stretching your arms behind you.
when your posture went back to normal and you were looking forward, rio was right infront of you.
“ahh! oh I’m sorry. I just wanted to talk about earlier… the whole back room, changing, bra… thing.” you nodded in acknowledgment.
you began to walk and pick up some of the toys, rio, for the second time today, trailed behind you picking up some toys as well.
“today has just been overwhelming and d-dont get me wrong I love this job. but it’s just a lot to take in. I came into the room because I wanted to check on you. you looked really stressed.” she rambled.
“yeah, don’t worry about it. this job is kind of alot because there are like more than 50 kids that only… now 6 people are looking after. I really appreciate it though rio. help me put this away?”
she nodded, carrying an arm full of toys and putting them in their places.
Beverly and the rest of the staff had left around 10 minutes ago, so it was you and rio locking up and cleaning up.
once the two of you were done, you gathered your things and began to head out the door.
she walked you to your car and made small talk. you learned that she is 19, does college online, and absolutely loves music. she was also here for extra money but also to get out of the house and not rot the summer away.
when you reached your car, you smiled at her. “you know my day wasn’t as bad as it usually is.”
“I tend to have that effect on people” she shrugged playfully and you laughed.
“thank you for this. see you tomorrow?”
you smiled to yourself as you watched her walk away. but suddenly she turned around.
“you’re really pretty by the way!” she shouted from across the parking lot.
you laughed, “thank you!”
it felt like as soon as you were hitting a breaking point, she stepped in. and you couldnt be more grateful.
