The Nanny // Faye Yoko AU

Chapter 23 In or Out

"Yoko..." Nicco's voice was low, almost cautious. It startled her, pulling her from her spiraling thoughts. Her eyes snapped up to meet his, her pulse quickening. "That's the dinner bell," he added, his gaze steady.

"I-I'm not feeling well," Yoko stammered, her mind racing. Did he hear me just now? She couldn't shake the feeling of being caught, vulnerable.

Nicco didn't seem fazed. "That's too bad," he said, his usual smile creeping back. "Because you're going."

Yoko straightened up, her brow furrowing. "Do you have the power to order me?" she challenged, her tone sharper than she intended. There was a flicker of defiance in her words, daring him.

Nicco chuckled softly, unfazed by her resistance. "Do you want to find the boss and ask her?" His smile widened as he raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the situation.

Yoko sighed, knowing she wouldn't win this one. She pushed past Nicco, stepping out into the hallway, her thoughts still in turmoil. I really don't. She didn't want to face Faye, didn't want to endure the strange mix of emotions that always clouded her judgment around her.

As she walked out into the more crowded areas of the mansion, she spotted Mikey with two other children.

"Yoko!" Mikey's face lit up when she saw her, then she leaned in and whispered proudly to one of the other kids, "That's my nanny."

"She's pretty," said Isa, one of Mikey's cousins, her eyes wide with admiration.

"Is she fun?" Vinny, another cousin, asked curiously.

Yoko managed a soft smile, trying to shake the unease in her chest. "Being a good host, Mikey?"

"Of course!" Mikey puffed out her chest, clearly pleased with herself. "I showed them all the best hiding spots."

Yoko looked at her with a tenderness she hadn't fully allowed herself to feel before. She looks so grown up, Yoko thought, watching Mikey in her little black suit, her black hair falling in soft waves. So sure of herself. It reminded her of someone. I felt that too, once. The image of her younger self, before everything had changed, flashed in her mind—a time when she too had been confident, untouchable.

"Shall we go to dinner?" Yoko asked the children, trying to shift the mood.

Mikey gave her a smug look, hands on her hips. "We're at the children's table. You can't come." There was a slight hint of annoyance in her voice, as if Yoko should've known this already. Isa and Vinny giggled, their amusement only adding to Mikey's pride.

Yoko blinked, caught off guard by how quickly she'd been dismissed. "Oh. Then I suppose I'll just—"

Before she could finish, another voice interrupted her, smooth and familiar. "I'll take you in."

Yoko turned, her breath catching in her throat as she saw Faye standing there, dressed in a different suit—a perfectly tailored, sleek black one that seemed to accentuate her sharp, elegant features. It was even more refined than the one she wore earlier, as if Faye had changed deliberately, knowing the effect it would have. Her hair, once loosely styled, now framed her face with a subtle precision that made her seem even more untouchable, even more... captivating.

Yoko's heart fluttered, her mind scrambling for something to say. There was something about the way Faye carried herself, the way her presence filled the room with an undeniable allure, that made Yoko feel both nervous and exhilarated. She had been trying to keep these feelings at bay, trying to remind herself of the danger she was in, of the secrets between them. But seeing Faye like this, so poised and effortless, sent all those rational thoughts tumbling away.