Guardian's Heart

Babysitting ft Linda and Alex

It was a sunny afternoon, and Damian had dropped Leni off at Alex and Linda's place, needing to work for the day. Leni had been a bit nervous about spending time with Alex, especially after her recent visit to the dental clinic. She liked Alex well enough, but the memory of him as the dentist who had poked around in her mouth made her a little wary. As she stood by Damian, clutching his hand, her wide eyes flickered between Alex and Linda.

"You'll be fine, sweetheart," Damian reassured her, giving her a gentle pat on the back. "Linda and Alex will take great care of you. I'll be back before you know it."

Leni nodded but didn't look convinced. She tugged at Damian's sleeve, her lips pressed into a pout. "Do I have to?" she whispered, eyeing Alex nervously.

Linda, noticing Leni's hesitation, knelt down to her level with a warm smile. "How about we make today fun, huh? We can do whatever you want—color, play with toys, even watch a movie. Alex is really nice, I promise."

Alex, standing nearby, softened his smile, sensing Leni's discomfort. "We'll have fun, Leni. I won't do any dentist stuff today, I promise."

Despite his attempt to reassure her, Leni still looked hesitant. Damian bent down and kissed the top of her head. "It'll be okay, sweetie. You're in good hands." With a final hug, Damian left, and Leni's eyes followed him until the door closed behind him.

Leni stood frozen for a moment, looking uncertainly at Alex. Her small hand gripped the hem of her dress as she glanced nervously in his direction. Linda, seeing her unease, walked over and gently took her hand.

"Why don't we go to the living room and pick out a book or something fun to do?" Linda suggested softly, her soothing tone helping Leni relax a little.

Leni nodded, keeping her eyes mostly on Linda, her small frame moving closer to her for comfort. Linda led her over to the couch, sitting down and pulling Leni into her lap. "You can stay here with me, okay? We'll just cuddle until you feel better."

Alex watched quietly, giving them space, but always keeping his kind, warm demeanor. Leni nestled into Linda's arms, still occasionally casting wary glances toward Alex but feeling more secure now that Linda was holding her.

They sat there for a while, cuddling as Linda quietly read a storybook to Leni. After some time, the little girl's eyelids grew heavy, her body softening in Linda's arms. She snuggled closer, her cheek resting on Linda's chest as her breathing slowed, the tension from earlier finally fading away.

Alex stepped closer, his voice gentle as he whispered, "She's asleep?"

Linda nodded, smiling down at the now-sleeping Leni. "She was so tired. I think the excitement wore her out."

Alex crouched down beside the couch, his voice low. "She's probably not going to like this, but I need to brush her teeth before she sleeps for too long."

Linda nodded in understanding. "You think she'll let you?"

Alex sighed softly, giving a small smile. "It might be a bit of a challenge, but we can try. I'll be as gentle as possible."

He got up and retrieved a small toothbrush and some kid-friendly toothpaste that Damian had left for her, then returned to where Linda sat with Leni. Linda shifted slightly, cradling Leni closer to her chest, knowing that this might stir the little girl.

"Hey, Leni," Alex whispered softly, his tone as soothing as possible. "We're just going to brush your teeth real quick, okay?"

Leni stirred in her sleep, her eyes fluttering open slightly as she blinked up at Linda, then over at Alex. Her brows furrowed, and she whimpered softly, clearly not thrilled with the idea. "Nooo..." she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

Linda stroked her hair gently, keeping her calm. "It's okay, sweetie. Alex is just going to brush your teeth real quick, then you can go right back to sleep."

Leni's face scrunched up, her body shifting slightly in protest. "But... I don't want to," she whined softly, turning her face back into Linda's chest.

Alex knelt down beside them, keeping his voice gentle and reassuring. "I know, Leni, but we have to take care of your teeth, even if it's not fun. I promise it'll be quick."

Linda continued to rub her back soothingly, whispering soft reassurances. "It'll be over in just a second, sweetie. And you're still cuddling with me, see? I'm not going anywhere."

Leni whimpered again, her little hands clutching onto Linda's shirt. But when she looked up at Alex, seeing his patient, kind expression, she slowly—reluctantly—opened her mouth just a tiny bit.

"There's my brave girl," Alex said softly, gently tilting her head so he could brush her teeth without disturbing her too much. He moved slowly, carefully, brushing her teeth with the softest of touches.

Leni let out a few small whimpers, her body tensing slightly in Linda's arms, but she didn't pull away. Linda whispered soothing words to her the whole time, stroking her hair and keeping her calm. "You're doing so well, Leni. Almost done."

Alex worked quickly, making sure to be as gentle as possible. "Almost there, Leni. You're doing amazing."

After a few moments, Alex finally finished, pulling the toothbrush away with a soft smile. "All done," he said, his voice full of warmth. "You did great."

Leni let out a little huff, clearly not thrilled about the ordeal, but the exhaustion was already overtaking her again. She nuzzled back into Linda's chest, her body relaxing as she drifted back to sleep, this time without any resistance.

Linda kissed the top of her head, her voice soft. "There you go, sweetie. All done. You can sleep now."

Alex smiled as he watched Leni snuggle into Linda's arms, her breathing evening out once more. He reached over and gave Linda's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You're a natural," he whispered with a grin.

Linda chuckled softly, careful not to wake Leni again. "She just needed some extra comfort."

They both sat quietly for a moment, watching Leni sleep peacefully in Linda's arms.