#3 & 4) Unpaid babysitter moment

[carnation-damnation]

[poeticandors]

Cut to the Feeling Part 4

Poe Dameron x F!Reader (Babysitter!AU)

Summary: After graduating college and needing to have some cash in order to survive while doing an unpaid internship, Y/N decides to take up a babysitting/caretaking job. Little does she know that she ends up working for a familiar face.

Warnings: None!

A/N: Well, damn! It has been a long time but I’m back! Thanks for waiting patiently. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter. 

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

GIF by @damerondjarin

Ah, the weekend. Plopping on the couch, you planned for a day of doing absolutely nothing. You were finally able to relax after a long week of observation hours for your internship as well as driving Eva Bey to and from school, to her dance lessons and soccer practice, and whatever errands Poe had you running for him such as trips to the store. 

A few months have passed since you’ve started working with Eva Bey, and you seemed to have gotten into the routine. You got along great with Eva Bey, who was an absolute sweetheart, and Poe was nice as well. There have not been any issues thus far, and you were hoping that it would stay that way. 

Eva Bey really was one of the easiest children you have had the pleasure of working with. She enjoyed any activity you had planned for her, and she had the biggest imagination. If she did become upset, it wasn’t hard to redirect her into another activity or to get her to tell you what was going on. You adored her the more you’ve gotten to know her.

As for Poe… things have been going well. There was never any miscommunication between you both, and you would go as far to say that it was as if the incident never happened. It also made it easier that you would really only see and talk with him at the end of each day when you would be leaving, so conversation was limited. But… you secretly wondered if he ever thought back to it such as you have. 

Shaking your head to stop you from thinking anything further, you grab the remote to your TV and flip on Netflix as you try to find some movie to distract you, only for your phone to ring. Grabbing it, you see Poe’s name flashing on your screen as you furrow your brows. You hoped something didn’t happen with Eva Bey, so you quickly answered. 

“Hello?”

“Hey, I am sorry for calling on your day off. But, is this a bad time?”

“No, I was just trying to find something to watch on TV.” You sit up. “Is everything alright?” 

“Oh, yeah! I am actually calling on behalf of Eva Bey’s request— oh, okay here she is.”

You hear the phone being passed on the other end as well as Eva Bey and Poe’s whispers to one another. 

“Hello?” Eva Bey’s sweet voice calls out, which instantly brings a smile to your face. 

“Hey, Eva Bey! Is everything okay?”

“Yeah! Um, I asked my dad to call you. I have a question.”

“Alright, what is your question?”

“Can you come swimming with us? My daddy said he would take me, but I want you to come too!”

“Oh, um… I mean, I wouldn’t want to ruin your time spent with your dad—“

“But I want you to come. Please?” 

Biting the inside of your cheek, you ponder for a moment until you let out a soft sigh. “Eva Bey, can you give the phone to your dad?”

“Yeah!” 

You hear the shuffling of Eva Bey handing Poe the phone back. “Hey.”

“Hey, um… are you sure it’s okay if I join you guys? I wouldn’t want to be a bother and interrupt any father-daughter time.”

“Oh, no. It’s totally okay with me. Eva Bey was the one who wanted to go swimming since the community pool just opened this weekend. She would really want to see you.”

“Oh, well…” You try hiding the slight disappointment in your voice, internally reprimanding yourself why you thought Poe would be the one to want to see you. 

“And please. Don’t think you’re a bother. You could never be one.” 

Something in the way Poe says that makes your heart flutter in your chest. And because of that, you are almost hesitant to decline— to come up with some excuse. This would be your first time being with Poe outside of professional settings, definitely not counting the first ever encounter between you both. But, if Eva Bey really wanted you to be there and it was her idea…

“…Tell Eva Bey that I am packing my swimsuit right now.”

Poe does so, and so you hear the excited little shrieks from the little girl as you both laugh.

“Just meet us at the house, we can all drive together and it gives me time to get us situated.” 

“Of course, Bye, Poe.”

You hang up, soon getting up from your couch as you head to your bedroom to begin packing up for a nice, relaxing day at the pool. Totally professional, totally just to spend time with Eva Bey. 

Totally.

++++++

Hoisting your bag up, you knock on the door as you wait for Poe to let you in. Packing for this trip was a little stressful for you as you searched thoroughly for a swimsuit and then came to the realization you had no sunscreen, so you had to make a stop on the way. Then, you figured to grab a few snacks for you three while you were there because why not? You even decided to pick out a sea turtle floating toy for Eva Bey simply because you couldn’t resist. 

The door opens up and you smile, taking in Poe’s appearance. This was the first time you had seen him in anything other than a suit and tie, and he looked… nice. His hair was slightly disheveled, probably from getting Eva Bey ready for the day, and he looked comfortable in his t-shirt and swim trunks. 

“Hey, thanks for coming along. Sorry if you had plans or anything.” Poe scratches the back of his head.

“Oh, it’s no problem. You saved me from an entire day of just binging Netflix, anyways. Thanks for the invite.”

Poe smiles, and before he can speak, you hear your name being shouted as Eva Bey rushes over to hug you tightly. 

“Hi, Eva Bey!” You laugh as she pulls back, grabbing your hand. She pulls you inside, as Poe closes the door behind you. 

“My dad says I can wear my new swim suit today.” She beams, as you set your bags down. “It’s blue!”

“Well, I can’t wait to see it.” 

“Do you think you can braid my hair the way you do? My dad doesn’t know how to do it.” 

“Hey, in my defense, it is more complex than the braids I usually do for your hair.” Poe chuckles. “You might have to teach me how to do it.”

“Well… I guess I could teach you. But, I must warn you that these lessons come with a fee,” you tease. 

“A fee, huh?” Poe raises a brow as you shrug your shoulders.

“If you’re good at something, don’t do it for free.”

Poe grins, before Eva Bey begins tugging his hand. “Can we go now?” 

“Yes, Eva Bey. Let’s just get everything packed in the car, okay?”

“Yay!” Eva Bey exclaims, as she looks up at you. “I have my own swim bag packed already!”

“Great! But, I think you might be missing something,” you discreetly pull out a box from one of your bags. 

“What is it?”

“I thought why not bring a big pool floatie with us?” You smile as you show her the turtle, and she jumps up from excitement. 

“You didn’t have to get that,” Poe glances at you. 

“It’s okay,” you wave him off. “I thought it would be fun. I also brought some snacks so you don’t have to pack any.”

Poe slowly nods. “Huh… thanks”  

“It’s nothing.” 

Poe stares at you for a moment, a comfortable silence building between the both of you before clearing his throat. “Let’s get this filled with air, okay? Then we can go.”

“Sounds good. Come on, Eva Bey. Let’s get everything else packed up.”

Eva Bey nods, taking your hand as you both walk outside with your bags while Poe searches for a vacuum to pump up the floatie.  

++++++

After arriving at the pool, Eva Bey practically pulled your arm off while dragging you through to a table in the shade as she set her bag down. You sat in the backseat with her on the ride there, braiding her hair as you sang along with her to plenty of her favorite Disney songs. Poe didn’t even get out of it, as he was asked to sing plenty of the male counterparts in the duets. You and Eva Bey definitely got a kick out of it when he sang along to Gaston, trying to match his deep sounding voice.

It was quite warm today, so you were glad there was at least an open area that was well shaded. A group of children screamed and laughed from excitement jumping into the pool, while parents chased after a few others to try and convince them to wear more sunscreen. 

When Poe set down the floatie and bags of snacks and water bottles, he looked over to Eva Bey. “Let’s get some sunscreen on you, kiddo.” 

“Okay, Daddy!”

Eva Bey stands in front of Poe as he squeezes some of it on his hands, and begins rubbing it all over her shoulders and arms before turning her around. You watch as he carefully rubs it on her face and neck, before setting the bottle down. 

“Okay, you’re all set. Where is your life vest?” 

“Umm… Daddy, I want to try and swim without it today.”

“Oh?” Poe raises a brow. “Are you sure?”

Eva Bey nods, and you can see the slight nervousness in her eyes as she does so. You knew that Eva Bey didn’t know how to swim completely, but also didn’t expect her to want to try to learn right away. 

“Okay, kiddo. But only if you’re sure.”

“I am,” she says more confidently, then turns to you. “Will you help me, too?” “Of course, Eva Bey. Just let me finish getting ready, okay?” 

“We can go ahead and get in the pool while we wait, Eva Bey.” Poe takes her hand, as you begin stepping out of your cover, and put sunscreen on yourself. 

What you don’t see, however, is Poe glancing back at you, slightly freezing. You don’t see how his gaze moves down, observing each and every inch of your body. Poe suddenly has a flash to that night so many months ago, of him touching and kissing along those curves of yours, as well as the sounds he managed to hear from you that tend to patronize his dreams most nights. Poe stops himself from gazing any longer, and he shakes his head as he leads Eva Bey to the pool. 

When you finish getting ready, you make your way over to the steps of the pool that Poe and Eva Bey stopped at. You look down at the little girl, seeing her eyes scan cautiously along the water as Poe steps into the pool, shivering slightly from the chill of the water. 

“You ready, Eva Bey?” Poe holds his hand out, only for her to take a step back slightly.

“Um… I don’t know…”

Poe glances up at you, and you nod slightly as you kneel down next to her. 

“It can be a bit scary, learning how to swim at first. But you know all the first steps to swimming by yourself, don’t you?” 

She shakes her head as you smile, and take her hand. “Well, one of the first things you need to remember is that when it comes to swimming, you can always ask for help. Would you like me and your daddy to help you?” 

“Yes…” 

“How about we take the first step into the water?” 

Eva Bey nods, as you both step into the water, and goosebumps cover your skin as you shiver lightly. Eva Bey also jumps from the cold, as you chuckle. 

“It’s chilly, isn’t it?” “Yeah!” She forces out a nervous laugh as you both take another step, the water feeling more manageable. 

“Alright, we’re in the water,” you look down at her. “Now, this is another important step so I need you to pay close attention. An easy way to keep yourself afloat in the water is to just lay on your belly and keep kicking your feet. Can we try that?” 

Eva Bey looks at Poe, as he smiles. “You got it, baby.” 

You step further into the water, and hold your arms out to her. “I’m right here, okay? I’m just going to hold you. Can you lay on your belly in my arms and fly like a superhero?” 

“Okay…” She moves into your arms and lays down as you smile. 

“You’re a natural! Look at you! Can you kick your feet for me and make some splashes in the water?” 

She does so, and you begin moving her around in a circle, and look up at Poe. He gets the hint, as he holds his arms out, and you pass Eva Bey over to him as she continues kicking. You clap your hands, and Eva Bey gives a toothy smile. 

“Look at you! You’re already a professional!” You laugh softly, as you move over to her. “Next step since you have already mastered lying on your belly and kicking: blowing bubbles.”

“I can blow bubbles!”

“Can you? Well, let’s see!” 

Eva Bey puts her face slightly in the water and she begins blowing bubbles for a few seconds before quickly lifting her head back above the water. Poe holds her up, and you give her a high five. 

“Eva Bey, that might’ve been the best bubble blowing I have ever seen!” 

She grins, looking back at Poe as he nods. “It really was the best.” 

“Okay. Now, this next step might be a little scary, but I promise you that me and your daddy will be there to help you, okay?” She gives you a slight tilt of her head, nervous. “We are going to do all of these steps underwater, okay? The flying like a superhero, the kicking, and the bubble blowing— it’s all going to happen while you are under.” 

“Do you want to practice going underwater, first?” Poe looks down at Eva Bey.

“Yeah…”

Poe turns her around, grabbing under her arms. “I’ll hold you the entire time, okay?”

“Don’t forget to blow your bubbles!” You give her a thumbs up.

She returns the thumbs up, before Poe begins to count to three, and they both go under the water for a few seconds. Poe and Eva Bey come back up, and Eva Bey wipes the water away from her face as you begin to clap. 

“Awesome! That wasn’t so scary, was it?” You flash a comforting smile, as she giggles, shaking her head. “Are you ready to try to swim by yourself? Or do you need some more practice?”

“I… I’m ready!” 

“I like the sound of that,” you chuckle, as you hold your arms out to her. Poe hands her to you, as you begin to take a few steps away from Poe. “Alright, now remember, when you need to breathe, just lift your head up out of the water, take a big breath, and then put your face back in the water. Think you can do it?”

“I can do it.” 

“I know you can.” You give her an encouraging smile. “On the count of three, I’m going to go underwater with you and push you, and you’re going to swim to your daddy. Ready? One… two… three!”

Eva Bey immediately begins kicking as you push her away from you underwater, and you break the surface as you begin cheering her on. 

“Go, Eva Bey!” “C’mon, baby, almost there!” Poe holds his arms out, as Eva Bey moves closer and closer to him, before she finally makes it. 

He pulls her into his arms as she looks at him excitedly. “Daddy! I did it by myself!” 

Pride fills Poe’s eyes, and he kisses her cheek. “I’m so proud of you, Eva Bey.”

You quickly swim over to them, as Eva Bey wraps her arms around your neck, hugging you tightly. 

“Did you see? Did you see me swim?” “I sure did. You are amazing! A professional already!” 

“Thank you for helping me.” 

A gratifying feeling fills your chest, as you hug her back, and Poe can’t help but smile at the two of you embracing. You manage to catch Poe staring at you, returning his gaze as you flash your own smile at him. 

Something lingered in that moment as Poe kept his eyes on you. He couldn’t bring himself to look away or keep himself from moving closer to you. There was a tenderness, one that seemed to continue growing the longer he stared at you. It was something that Poe told himself over and over not to pursue.  

Poe just can’t seem to push that fondness away. Whether it was just the heat of the moment, he knew that there was something there for you. Seeing Eva Bey— the most important person in his life— interact and become so comfortable with you, someone that Poe has only grown more trusting with each passing moment, fills Poe’s heart with something he never felt before. 

But he couldn’t act on those feelings. 

Not only that, but he shouldn’t. You worked for him, you took care of his kid… the boundaries were put up for a reason. The night that plays over and over on repeat in his head would never happen again. You both agreed on that, and that was final.

Poe clears his throat, finally breaking the gaze as he pulls Eva Bey from you, and grins at her. “How about we celebrate with a snack break?”

“Okay, daddy! But I want to swim to the steps by myself.”

“Well, if you’re sure.” Poe gently pushes Eva Bey to the steps, and you both watch as she swims towards them by herself. 

“She’s amazing,” Poe hears you say, and looks down at you as you keep your gaze on Eva Bey.

“Yeah… she is.”

Poe quickly looks back, watching as she finally makes it to the steps, and holds her hands up as she stands. “I did it!”

“We’re so proud of you, Eva Bey!” You clap, smiling brightly.

“You both have a beautiful daughter.” 

Looking up, you both see an elderly couple smiling as they stand on the deck, and a slight awkward feeling fills the space between you and Poe. 

“Oh, uh…”

“And I see she gets all her looks from dear old dad, doesn’t she?” The woman chuckles. 

“Actually… we’re not…. I’m not her mother. I’m just her caretaker.”

“Oh! I am so sorry for assuming. How silly of me!” 

“It’s alright.” Poe waves them off politely. “But thank you for the compliment about my daughter. She really is.” 

They only nod in response, before they walk off. You look at Poe, clearing your throat. 

“Well, uh… yeah. I’ll just… help Eva Bey get her towel.”

You quickly swim off, getting out of the pool as Eva Bey takes your hand, and leads you away. 

Poe can only follow, trying to clear his racing thoughts of you as he walks towards your area, and begins to pull out the snacks as you wrap Eva Bey’s towel around her. He can only smile, hearing Eva Bey chatter excitedly about the fact she finally knows how to swim, and suddenly becomes all for trying out for the swim team after discovering it.

++++++

After a fun afternoon of swimming, Poe finally decided it would be best to head home after seeing Eva Bey’s energy begin to dwindle. Poe finished packing up the car as Eva Bey settled in her booster seat, before you both got in the car quietly. 

Poe looks in the rearview mirror as he begins to drive back to his house, seeing Eva Bey begin to doze off. He chuckles lightly as you glance at him.

“Someone had an eventful day,” he nods at the reflection as you peek back, smiling. 

“Oh, this is too cute.”

“Here, take a picture so I can send it to my dad along with the videos I took of her swimming.” Poe hands you his phone, keeping his eyes on the road. 

You snap a picture, before turning back, and setting the phone down in the cup holder. Poe continues driving, the radio playing music at a low volume as a comfortable silence settles between you both, until Poe mutters something.

“Hm?”

“I said thank you. For helping Eva Bey learn how to swim.” “Oh… it’s no problem.”

“It’s a big deal, though. I know she’s been nervous about it, and anytime we would get close to trying she would get scared.” Poe glances at you as he stops at a red light. “Seeing her overcome her fear, becoming so excited, and you helping her… that means a lot to me. Thank you.” 

“Of course. I would do anything for Eva Bey.”

“I know you would.” 

You stare into Poe’s eyes, and the tension only grows in that small space that separates you from him. It was true what you said, that you would do anything for Eva Bey. The young girl had come to mean so much to you the entire time you’ve gotten to know her. She meant so much to you, and you wanted to be there to continue helping her in anyway possible. 

But you also know you would do anything for Poe, too. 

Sure, you knew you would not be able to pursue any feelings beyond that for the sake of professionality and Eva Bey, but you would still do anything you could for him. Part of you thinks he knows that, but you couldn’t outright say it to him. 

Still, something seems to bring you both closer to each other, despite a voice in the back of your head warning you not to cross that boundary. Another tells you that you should cross that boundary, to explore what it could offer and what might blossom between you both.

But you continue to listen only to that first voice, because right now it’s the only one that is keeping you from ruining this. 

The light turns green, and Poe only begins to drive when a car behind him honks, and you look away. The rest of the car ride is quiet, and Poe finally pulls up to the house. Eva Bey stirs awake from the movement, and smiles tiredly. 

“Are we home?”

“We are, Eva Bey.”

Getting out of the car, you grab your bag as Poe helps Eva Bey. She hugs your legs, looking up at you. 

“Thank you for coming swimming and teaching me how to swim!” 

“I had so much fun with you. Thank you for inviting me,” you smile as she pulls back.

“Can’t you stay a little longer?”

“Well, I would. But I have to get home and I’m sure your daddy is tired and wants to spend the rest of the weekend with you.”

“Oh… okay…” She does nothing to hide the dismay in her expression, as you poke her cheek.

“But I will see you on Monday, okay? I have some water beads I thought you might enjoy playing with. Is that okay?”

Her disappointment soon fades away as she smiles, nodding excitedly. “Okay!”

Glancing up at Poe, you give him a small wave, before finally walking off. Poe watches until you drive off, looking down at Eva Bey as she tugs on his hand to lead him inside. 

“Let’s get you ready for a bath, okay? Then I’ll cook us some dinner.” 

“Daddy, do you like Miss Y/N?”

Poe stops, before setting the swim bag down. “Well, of course I do.”

“I think she’s very nice, and very pretty. Don’t you?”

“I… why don’t you go pick out your bubble bath, okay?”

“But—”

“And then we can FaceTime Papa Kes to talk about how you swam by yourself after I make mac and cheese?”

“Fine,” she replies with a hint of attitude that Poe can only laugh at, and she heads to the bathroom.

Poe shakes his head, running a hand down his face as he lets out an exasperated sigh. He pulls his phone out of his pocket, looking through the videos of Eva Bey swimming to you as she pushes off the wall cheering each and every time without fail. Poe looks at your smiling face, and can’t help but pause the video for a moment. 

He did, indeed, think you were very pretty. 

Poe pulls up the messages between you, and begins typing before suddenly stopping himself. Biting his cheek, he decides ultimately to delete the message, and puts his phone down instead.