modern!AU rerindis x reader is the biggest brain move I love your brain, I'd love to hear more of anything with them (I'm starving and this is my new awakening please)
YESSS this is my perfect excuse to lay out the groundswork for this AU 🥹🥹
A/N: Sooo this is kind of a really rough layout cuz I didn't flesh out a lot of things, it's just the concept..otherwise the post would've been wayyy too long. Also the yandere elements I didn't get to go too in depth with but I could always make a separate post for it. I also left a lot of stuff vague
You're a broke college student looking for a way to make some extra cash and during one of your online searches you come across a very simple ad for a babysitter. It wasn't all glammed up like most of the others, very straight to the point. The details included watching over a pair of six-year old twins during the daytime on weekends, though the timings could be flexible if necessary.
The pay is what really caught your eye though. That much for a simple babysitting gig on the weekend? You're surprised no one has taken this offer up sooner. Plus, a flexible schedule? It's like the job was made for you!
Tholindis ends up being the first one between the couple that you meet, maintaining a very polite and warm demeanor as she welcomes you inside their modest home. It's a pleasant first impression, you think, even the children— a twin boy and girl— are darlings. You have a feeling you might end up liking this little part-time more than you originally thought.
You meet Rerir later the day, after he's returned from his work. Unfortunately Tholindis was temporarily out of the house so the first meeting was slightly awkward on your end, but at least he was given a heads up previously so he was somewhat familiar with you. Though you'd be lying if you said he wasn't a little bit intimidating even if he isn't trying to be.
You work the agreed weekend watches for while and truly do enjoy yourself. The twins are easy to work with and cooperative with any limits you're advised to enforce by their parents. They seem to like you a lot as well, generally speaking. And it's pretty heartwarming how excited they get whenever you happen to be supervising them for the day. Tholindis had once joked that you're like a second mother to them, and you had simply laughed it off.
But maybe it wasn't entirely a joke.
From Rerir and Tholindis's perspective, they were never expecting anything out of this. They just wanted someone who could look after their children while they were at work. Someone they could trust and you just happened to fill that role very well. It was even mildly amusing to see how fond the little ones grew of you.
Even when you weren't around, they'd occasionally ask things like 'when's the nice lady coming back to play again?' The twins seemed to actively crave your presence. But at first Rerir and Tholindis didn't give it too much thought, children are just like that, aren't they?
Tholindis would've been the first one to bring it up though. On a day they both were home, but you had still come over to watch the children anyway as per the latter's insistent request. The two of them watched you engage with the young ones in the living area from the kitchen. She was the first to speak up, mentioning how sweet you were.
And Rerir had to agree, they had gotten lucky with someone like you. You didn't make much fuss about schedules, were kind and patient to the children, trustworthy around their belongings and never once tried to steal anything. True, it was basic decency but sometimes such is difficult to come by nowadays.
Tholindis nodded, sipping some tea as she brought up how much the twins liked you. They've never gotten attached to anyone like that before. Anyone that wasn't their parents, that is. Rerir suspected that maybe there was just something pure about you that they were drawn to, though it was simply speculation.
Conversations like that would only get more common, as the topic of you seemed to surface a lot in idle talk. Tholindis seemed to think you were a cute little thing, still so shy and skittish around the two even after working with them all this time. During the times when either one of them happened to be around and struck up a small chat, you'd barely hold it before making some sort of excuse to check up on the children. Tholindis thought it was adorable, even mentioning it to Rerir at some point.
He simply nodded along with his wife's comment. While he may not necessarily describe your behavior as 'cute', it is somewhat amusing to see if not slightly puzzling as to why you're so... avoidant. Nonetheless it makes them slightly curious about you.
But curiosity can be dangerous.
When they offered you extra pay if you could manage a few extra days during the week, you simply viewed it as a sort of 'promotion'. One which you happily took, figuring you could squeeze in a few hours here and there.
The twins were delighted to see more of you and by extension, pleasing their parents with the fact they could have someone they're so fond of be able to look after them more. But while they wouldn't admit it out loud, Rerir and Tholindis were quietly happy to see more of you too.
What would start out as extra days during the week would inevitably turn into a full schedule (once you could manage it of course). And then into the two of them subtly trying to find ways to convince you to stick around more often. Offering for you to have dinner with them, to help them out with something, trying to prolong conversations before you leave.
They just enjoy your company...that's all.
You tend to agree most of the time out of politeness. Though it does get to a point where you realize you're basically spending all your freetime at the house of the couple you merely babysit for outside of your classes on campus. Your dorm is basically collecting dust considering you only seem to sleep in it. Not really 'live'.
At one point you do consider the possibility of quitting, you've made a substantial amount since you've started this 'gig' though it doesn't really feel like one anymore. But by now you've gotten to know them so well you feel a little bad to just...go. And the children! You couldn't bare to imagine their heartbroken expressions if they were told you'd never be coming back.
So you continued with this sort of routine you made for yourself.
Though, maybe one day, just maybe the front door to that couple's home won't open when you try to leave again.
