❦ classes in lifeguarding | jason todd
lifeguard jason x babysitter reader ❥ inspired by this amazing fanart by @a-jasminator
taking the little girl you babysit to the pool maybe isn't the best idea ; especially when she's trying to play matchmaker between you and the lifeguard
"vi, come here sweetheart." you rest your hands on the girl's shoulders, as you beckon her closer. "you stay where i can see you, alright? i'll keep an eye on you anyway, but if you wanna go somewhere else or anything, you tell me beforehand, okay?"
the little girl let her head fall back in mock desperation, "right right. i know. you said all that already." she sighs.
you chuckle at her demeanour, "baby, you never listen." she sticks her tongue out, and you can't help but ruffle her hair, "off you go." and as soon as you give her permission, the eight years old jump in the pool, full of other kids her age. you stay there, standing for a while and making sure violet is safe and sound, well surrounded by other kids her age and, most importantly, happy. once you're sure everything is fine, you let out the breath you were holding and settle down on a deckchair. you take your surroundings in.
your eyes land on the lifeguard. he is...handsome. it's the only way you can describe him. handsome. his dark curls are wet and fall in front of his eyes. his skin is glistening from the pool's water, and you can see a display of scars, alongside sleeves tattoos. suddenly, he sits up from his high chair and uses his whistle, "hey ! no running you little shit !"
you're cut from your starring by a soft voice, "ouuuh, you think he is cute." vi is teasing you.
you quickly turn to her, "what? i do not."
she grins, a mischievous one that shouldn't be allowed on such a cute kid. "yes, you do ! you were so starring. what happened to 'keeping an eye on me nonstop'?" you groan at her words, which only makes her smile widens. "he'll probably think you're cute, too."
"vi, stop that, will you? why did you come back, sweetheart? "
"i will so tell daddy you prefer watching the cute lifeguard over me." she grins.
"vi, please." she laughs and scoot closer to you, "wanted you to tie my hair, please?"
you mumble something about not knowing if she deserves it, but do it anyway. you send her back to the pool, and when you look up, you're pretty sure your gaze met the lifeguard's for a millisecond.
god, this kid made you delusional.
you shake your head and focus on watching violet. after a few more minutes of her playing around with other kids, she calls for you to come closer. you oblige, and as you crouch down on the edge of the pool, she swims closer to you and whispers almost in a conspirational tone, "i was thinking, and maybe you should pretend to drown for him to save you." she smiles.
your brows furrow, "what?"
she sighs, as if exasperated with you, "the lifeguard ! if you drown, he'll come and save you."
it's your turn to sigh, "i really shouldn't have brought jenna along last time i watched you. she has a bad influence." violet giggles at your words. "okay, okay. that's not really why i called you. can you please bring me my towel for when i come out ?"
you smile softly, "of course, baby."
you leave for two second, turn your back to her for two second. but when you walk back to her, she's not here anymore. you feel the panic rises in you. you immediately scan the pool, trying to find her in the water. but she's not there. you snap your head around, trying to catch a glimpse of her.
you keep walking, keep scanning. you find your way to the high chair. to him. the lifeguard.
you wave, "hi, hey. sorry to hm, bother you but...i lost the kid i was watching. i turned my back to her for like a second, and she was gone. i can't find her. she's this tall, and has blond hair. she's eight. i'm really sorry, but i really don't know what to do." the panic makes you ramble.
he sits up, "ouah, okay. take a breath. it's okay, i'm gonna help you find her, alright? what's her name?"
"violet." you rush, feeling out of breath.
"okay. what's your name ?" as soon as you say it, he repeats it, testing it out, "okay, i'm jason, and we're gonna find violet. don't you worry." he comes down from his chair.
he reaches for his walkie-talkie and say something you can't quite make out. he turns to you, "you should stay where you lost her, in case she comes back there, while i search for her, okay?"
you nod, and you finally feel more relaxed, his tone soothing your worries. he's gonna find her.
you anxiously wait for violet, sitting on the deckchair with your knee bouncing. until you hear your name being screamed. you quickly turn to the sound and see violet, looking so tiny beside jason. you immediately stand up and run over to her, hands gently gripping her shoulders, "you scared me to death, vi. are you okay? where were you?"
she shrugs, as if she didn't disappear for about thirty minutes, "was just walking around." she looks up at you with an innocent smile, and she winks, titling her head to jason.
oh god, this kid. she's a little mastermind.
you finally look up to jason, and without the worry of violet disappearing, and, this up close, you can see striking features that just make him even more handsome. you notice a streak of white hair in his hair, and the colours of his eyes —god, the colours of his eyes. one is blue while the other one is green. heterochromia. you force yourself to say something. "thank you, thank you so much."
he can't help but smile at your overly polite demeanour, "just doing my job, ma'am."
ma'am, this makes your heart skips a beat.
violet skims in, "she thinks you're really cute."
"violet." you chastise, then turn to jason, embarrassed, "i did not say that."
he scratches the back of his neck, almost sheepishly, and you do find that cute. the way this 6’7 muscle of a man seems just as embarrassed as you because of an eight years old's words.
"really, she's just playing emma." you sigh.
he blinks, an amused smile makes his way to his face, "emma?"
"yeah, jane austen's, you know? playing matchmaker." you're not quite sure, but you could swear his smile widened slightly, a flicker of something in his eyes.
but the kid is persistent, "you could teach her how to swim !"
his brows raise, "you don't know how to swim ?"
you shrug, feeling defensive at violet's exposure, "no, it's not like we have a lot of occasions to swim in gotham."
jason immediately raises his hands in an apologetic way, "i really didn't mean it like that. i mean...it's funny that you'd take her to the pool when you yourself can't swim."
you feel your face heats up a little at being called out, "she really wanted to go to the pool. and she's a real good swimmer — her dad's words, not mine. also, her dad was okay with it. and i put on a shirt on top of my bodysuit so no one would expect me to jump head first in the water."
your words caught him off guard, and he can't help but laugh, "well, swimming is still pretty important. i guess...i could teach you. if you'd like."
your eyes widen at his suggestion, "i mean...i guess that would be real nice of you. i don't wanna bother you, tho."
he smiles gently, "it's really no worries." and his smile make yours widen.
eventually, you part ways with jason, his number in your phone, and violet beaming by your side. "you can thank me with ice cream. "