Union Babysitters

sun in your smiles (I'll protect them)

Situated just beside Gray Yeon, Donald watched the interaction between the two children and their new babysitter with proud eyes.

'See, I knew you'd do well.' He thought in his head, pleased and endeared at how well Gray was doing.

Maybe, when he had told that to Gray, it was simply his bias speaking brought on by a single interaction he had witnessed at the park, but he just knew it was warranted.

After all, he had seen the way Gray's eyes attentively roamed to ensure every child was within his sight, he had witnessed Gray adjusting his demeanour to adapt to every child's personality and make them comfortable, and though he hadn't heard it, it was obvious that Gray's voice was gentle as he spoke to them. He had observed the way Gray wasn't just indulgent in participating in every child's conversation, but he genuinely talked with them.

Even with that interaction alone, he knew Gray was perfect no matter Gray's objection on the matter.

Case in point, he had always been there when the children met the past babysitters and they weren't quickly taken with them as they were now with Gray. Before, the children always did something similar to an initiation by playing with their new playmates to see if they were suitable to be their babysitters. A few passed it, but it was quickly proven just hours later that the new hires couldn't quite follow after the boisterous antics of the children who were then left disappointed by how lacklustre or, in their own words, such a party pooper their new playmate turned out to be.

And yes, Donald knew this was just the start and Gray only met two children, but he was more than confident that Gray would also do well with the rest and in whatever initiation the kids would throw.

Raising his hand to gently hold Gray's nape, he smiled knowingly when purple-pink eyes met his and his eyes softened when he was given a reluctant smile in return.

When Gray turned back to look at the kids with such a soft expression, Donald remembered how, despite the grief in his tone when he talked about Stephen Ahn, the love within Gray's eyes when he did so was undeniable.
 
 
"I have a special person—"
  
  
"To me, he's the brightest star there is—"
  
  
"He's my one and only hero—"
  
  
Gray might've already accepted that Stephen Ahn was well and truly dead, but the way Gray still considered the man as his special person, his brightest star, and his one and only made it clear that no other could replace Stephen Ahn's place in Gray's life.

That upset him a little, but he wouldn't be impertinent enough to want to replace the man either.

Donald wasn't and couldn't possibly be a star as bright as Stephen Ahn had been. He was too damaged, too brutal, and too deep into crime for him to ever be one. He couldn't be a hero in someone's life either, not with all the things he had done that weren't befitting of one.

However, he wanted to be someone special to Gray Yeon.
  
  
(He might not be the sun who brightened Gray Yeon's world, but he could be the moon to always accompany Gray in his darkest evenings.

Be the force to ground him, be the light to guide him whenever he was lost, and be the constant presence of comfort whenever Gray felt too burned by the pain of Stephen Ahn's memory.

Donald didn't want to replace Stephen Ahn, he just wanted to be another someone to Gray Yeon.

That wasn't too presumptuous of him, was it?)
  
  
If Donald became that special person, then it was already guaranteed that Gray would stay by his side.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he focused his attention back on them when the kids started talking about their interests, the youngest about his love for insects and amphibians and the oldest about his love for superpowers.