1、Chapter1 Babysitter ...
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"I can’t believe you just made me spend all that money on you." Keegan sighs, keeping his eyes on the road as he pulls out of the mall parking lot. He starts the classical song Sway by Perter Cincotti as he weaves in and out of traffic in his black Ford F150, driving like a madman, “You’re a spoiled brat, you know that? You’re lucky I tolerate your parents enough to take you places.” He teases, briefly glancing at y/n’s way.
"Well, you volunteered, Sergeant. So, enjoy your babysitting." Y/N retorted with a smirk.
“我真不敢相信你刚刚让我在你身上花了那么多钱。” Keegan叹了口气，把车开出商场停车场，眼睛一直盯着路况。他开着黑色的福特F150在车流中穿梭，一脚油门踩到底，顺便外起了Perter Cincotti 版的经典老歌《Sway》，“你真是被宠坏了，你知道吗？你该庆幸我跟你爹妈关系不错。”他速速的朝y/n这边瞥了一眼，揶揄了一句。
“你是自愿的好吧，中士。所以好好享受你的临时保姆工作吧。” Y/N做了个鬼脸反驳道。
“It’s not like I have much of a choice; your dad would skin me and throw me to the dog if I said no. I didn’t know you meant I was paying for everything though,” Keegan countered, still keeping his eyes on the road as he drove. “Next time, I’ll have you work off that debt.”
“我有得选吗？要是我不来，你爹会把我切碎喂狗的。我今天出人又出力，还请客买单，真是没这样的保姆。” Keegan边看路边说着，他又补充道，“下次你得还债，懂？”
"Come on, dad will send the money I spent today. I just, I just had a fight with him, so I guess you will need to wait a couple of days." y/n explained.
Keegan raised an eyebrow, curious as to why y/n got into a fight with y/n’s dad. Though it didn’t surprise him. It was not unusual for you two to butt heads.
“Oh? And what was it about this time?” he asked, turning down the radio a bit.
“切，哪里会让你掏钱？我爹过两天就会把钱转给你。只是，只是我刚跟老头子吵了一架，你得等两天。” y/n解释。
Keegan挑了挑眉毛，很好奇y/n为什么和她爸吵架了，不过他并不感到意外。这爷俩吵架是很平常的事。
“哦?这次又是怎么回事?” 他问道，顺便把车载电台的声音关小了点。
"Nothing; I have almost graduated, and my dad wants me to keep in the Bioengineering doctorate program. But I guess I should travel before making a decision... The world is big, there are so many things I haven't tried. Why can't I have the chance to look into the starry sky in the African savannah and get drunk with my friends? We will dance around the fire, feeling the summer wind gently stroking our ears and faces. Make heaven a bedding and grass a bed. I bet it would be fabulous...Then, things run ugly, and I’m here. "
“其实也没什么; 我快毕业了，老爸想让我继续读生物工程学博士。但是我觉得做决定之前应该去旅行……世界那么大，有那么多事情我没有尝试过。试想一下和我的朋友在非洲大草原夜空苍穹下喝个烂醉？让夏日晚风轻轻抚摸我们的耳朵和脸颊？以苍天为铺盖，以草地为睡席，我打赌，这肯定比我现在直接读书更好……我正跟老爸说这事儿呢，还没展开聊聊细节呢我们就吵了，就成了你现在看见的样子。”
Keegan listened carefully to Y/N’s words, realizing that this wasn’t just another argument with Y/N's father—this went deeper. Y/N was struggling to find her own path in life. He knew a thing or two about that. After all, he had joined the military so young, he’d barely experienced the world outside of it. He understood Y/N's desire to break free and explore.
Keegan耐心地听着y/n的话，意识到这不是y/n和y/n父亲的常规争吵，而是更深层次的讨论。y/n在努力寻找属于自己的人生道路，他之前就听y/n说过一些未来设想。毕竟，Keegan他自己当年他参军的时候太年轻了，几乎没有经历过外面的世界，所以他很理解y/n想要挣脱束缚去探索世界的渴望。
“I get why you want to do that,” he said, his voice softer now. “But your dad just wants what’s best for you.”
"Are you agreeing with him? Thank God, now I got another daddy, Keegan daddy," y/n teased, lightening the mood.
“我明白你为什么想这么做，但你爹其实是对你好。” Keegan声音很柔和地说。
“你也同意他的看法吗？天哪，现在我又多了一个爹，Keegan Daddy。” y/n调侃了下Keegan。
Keegan chuckled, shaking his head. He knew y/n was probably just teasing, but having you call him that... well, it made him feel things he knew he shouldn’t feel.
“I’m just saying that he means well,” Keegan replied, trying his best to sound casual. “He just wants to see you succeed and be happy.”
"Don't speak for him! He has not been your instructor for over 10 years; you don’t need to follow his order now," y/n chided and pouted.
Keegan苦笑了，摇了摇头。他知道y/n只是在开玩笑，但Y/N这么叫他……这让他有了不该有的感觉。
“我只是说他本意是好的，他只是想看到你成功，快乐。” Keegan抑制了一下情绪让语调听起来比较轻松正常。
“你能别替他说话吗？他已经不是你的教官起码有十年了，你干嘛要服从他的命令？” y/n嘟嘴起嘴来。
“You’re a spoiled kid.” he retorted, his voice playful.
“Bloody hell, now you're really a daddy now.....” y/n whispered.
“Well, someone has to teach you a lesson, it seems,” Keegan said, his tone slightly authoritative.
"Fine, fine, then don't drive me home. Drop me at the corner of Central St." y/n said。
“哎，小屁孩儿被宠坏了。”他只能无耐地轻声责备。
“苍天啊，你现在真像个老父亲.....”y/n 小声嘀咕。
“看来得有人给你上一课了，”Keegan说着，这次他语气故意带着了点父亲地权威感。
“你要是这么说的话，那别开车送我回家了。让我在中央大街的下车，” y/n说。
Keegan frowned his eyebrow at y/n request. He knew Central St. well enough – it was a popular spot for young people to hang out at night.
“And what exactly are you planning on doing at Central St.?” he asked, his voice firm. “You know you’re not going to convince me to drop you off just so you can stay out all night, right?”
当Keegan听到y/n的要求的时候，他皱起了眉毛。他知道中央大街那个鬼地方，那是年轻人晚上常去找乐子的地方。
“所以你打算在中央大街做什么？睡大街吗？”他语气变得严肃，“你知道我不会让你去的。”
"Just a healthy bar where I can breathe in some fresh air," Y/N claimed, attempting to convince Keegan of the night's innocuous plans.
Keegan rolled his eyes, skeptical of Y/N’s answer. He glanced at Y/N’s short skirt and said, “A healthy bar? You, with your 10-inch short skirt? And what, you’re just gonna have one drink and then call it a night?"
"It sounds like you don’t drink. Sergeant? Come on, who was the one who drank with my dad and played Contrast Bridge on Patriot's Day just weeks ago? If you can do this, why can't I?" Y/N retorted.
“就是去个很健康的酒吧，让我呼吸点自由的空气吧”Y/N说着，试图快速地把Keegan糊弄过去。
Keegan无奈地翻了个白眼，完全不信，他瞟了一眼Y/N地着装，接着说道：“健康的酒吧？你，和你不到10英寸的短裙子，你觉得我会信？”
“所以你不喝酒吗？中士。拜托，是谁在两周前的爱国者日（美国一个放假节日，每年四月第3个周一）和老爹一起喝酒打桥牌还吹牛的? 你们能喝，为啥我不行？”Y/N反驳。
Keegan let out a low sigh. Y/N had him there. He knew it was hypocritical for him to judge Y/N when he had indeed drunk with Y/N’s father not too long ago.
"Fine," he relented, reluctantly giving in. "You have a point. Just promise me you won’t do anything stupid, okay? I don’t want to get a call from the cops in the middle of the night saying you’re in a holding cell."
Keegan hesitated a little bit and soon changed his plan.
"Never mind, I’m going with you to that stupid bar," he said firmly as he got out of the truck.
“Keegan!”Y/N exclaimed.
"What?" he responded, his tone clearly grumpy. "You didn’t actually think I was going to let you go bar-hopping all by yourself, did you?"
"Fine!" Y/N declared, storming off to the bar where she found a booth and joined some lively young people.
Keegan低声叹了口气，小姑娘现在牙尖嘴利地，自己现在不让她去变成五十步笑一百步了。
“好吧，”他让步了，“我竟无言以对。但是，答应我，别做傻事，好吗？我可不想大半夜接到警察的电话，说你被关在局子里。”
Keegan看着不让人省心的Y/N，决定还是不能放任Y/N一个人在外面乱晃。
“算了，我进去看着你。”他下了车，语气不容商量。
“Keegan！”Y/N知道她说服不了他，所有的烦躁只能化为一声吼叫
“你怕不是在开玩笑?” 他回答，语气和平时不太一样，“你不会真以为我会让你一个人去泡吧吧?”
“行行行，随你。” Y/N撂下着一句话后就冲进酒吧，随机加入了一群的年轻人的卡座。
Keegan then chose a silent bar counter seat to watch over Y/N. He ordered an alcohol-free ginger beer, maintaining his role as the ever-watchful guardian. He leaned against the seat, arms crossed over his chest, scanning the bar every now and then. As for Y/N, she quickly integrated into the group of young people, chatting and laughing as if she had known them for years. As Keegan watched over Y/N, a part of him was impressed, but another part was a little worried.
Keegan则选了一个安静的角落来照看Y/N。他点了不含酒精姜啤，继续扮演着时刻警惕的守护者的角色，他斜靠在吧台座椅靠背上，双臂交叉在胸前，时不时地扫视酒吧各个角落。至于Y/N，Y/N很快就融入了这群年轻人，有说有笑，好像Y/N 和他们很熟似的。其实当Keegan看着眼前的Y/N的时候，心里还是暗暗地会欣赏Y/N交朋友的速度，只要Y/N是安全的，或许这也不全是是件坏事吧。
Keegan was too quiet to be in a feral bar as if the silent white birch in a silent winter morning. He didn’t move stealthily as he did on a normal mission. Instead, he bluntly glanced at Y/N from time to time, which was too obvious to be ignored. Eventually, some blond girls in Y/N’s booth noticed Keegan.
“Hey, Y/N, did you notice that charming masked man sitting over there? He looked at you the third time in the last ten minutes.” The girl asked Y/N, with smirking on her face. Y/N nodded, with hands supporting her face and a flickering smile. After Y/N’s confirmation, they teased Y/N to tell the story.
至于Keegan他自己，那就显得太安静了，像冬日安静的白桦林，和酒吧里纸醉金迷的环境有点不搭。而且他看着Y/N的时候，一点都没有像执行任务的时候那样隐秘地观察，反而是直截了当，这很难让人察觉不到。最终，Y/N卡座上的一个金发女孩注意到了Keegan。
“嘿，Y/N，你注意到坐在那边的那个戴面罩的迷人的男人了吗?在过去的十分钟里，他已经第三次看你了。”女孩问Y/N，眼里充满了怂恿的暗示。Y/ N点了点头，双手撑着脸，眼波闪着奇异的光彩。在Y/N得到确认后，这群小年轻兴奋了，鼓动Y/N讲述她和这个神秘男人的故事。
Keegan remained in his spot by the counter, casually sipping a drink. Though he did not intend to monitor, he could occasionally hear parts of Y/N’s conversations with the group. Then something caught his attention—it sounded like Y/N was telling the group about him. He frowned his eyebrow, curiosity piqued.
Keegan呆在吧台的位置上，漫不经心地品喝着酒水。虽然没有故意监听吧，但是他偶尔还是能听到Y/N她们的部分对话。显然，Y/N她们最新的话题引起了他的注意——听起来像是Y/N在向大家介绍他，这激起了他强烈的好奇心。
"NaNa, just my dad's babysitter for me...." Y/N admitted. Y/N was aware that revealing Keegan’s military affiliation was off-limits. However, Y/N’s relationship with Keegan was not military, literally. "My dad and him were colleagues, or, not just simple colleagues in a way, more like my dad's protégés. I have known him since I was a teenager. I was kind of jealous of him back then; he actually spent more time with my dad than me. Later, my dad changed his career, but these old men still remained close, and dad always invited him to join some holiday barbecues... Can you believe it? My dad asked me to learn from him; he always praised his reliability, professionalism, and sobriety...These old men are really emotional...". Other girls and boys teased after hearing that.
Y/N 开始娓娓道来“没啥大不了的，就是我爹派来监视我的，，，临时保姆....其实我老爹和他是同事，额，其实也不太像是同事，他更像是我爹队友或者下属？” 虽然就Y/N个人和Keegan的关系来说，应该几乎和军事没什么关系，但透露Keegan的军事背景是越界行为，但还是谨慎地好。Y/N继续说道：“我十几岁的时候就认识他了，说实话，那个时候我甚至有点嫉妒他；我爹在工作上和他呆在一起的时间绝对比跟我呆在一起地时间多。后来，老爸换了工作，但他们仍然保持着联系。逢年过节的时候，老爸会邀请他到家里来烧烤……你们敢信？老爸甚至要我向他学着点，总是夸奖他可靠、专业、明白事理……天哪，这两个老家伙真肉麻……”听完这个故事后，其他的女孩和男孩戏谑地笑了。
Keegan's irritation grew as he listened to Y/N’s words. He hated being referred to as an "old man" even more. He was only 30-ish damn years old for crying out loud! He took another drink, trying to calm himself down. However, a part of him was impressed at how Y/N described him—it was almost as if Y/N looked up to him in a way. That thought stirred something in him, a mixture of pride and... something else.
Keegan听了Y/N的话，有点暗戳戳地生气了。“老男人”这个介绍真的糟透了。Keegan心里暗骂，他妈的，自己才30出头，Y/N居然说他和Y/N爹都是老家伙！他又喝了一杯，尽量让自己心情平复下来。但其实，回过味儿来，Keegan发现Y/N对自己的描述好像也没那么糟糕——其实她的话在某种程度上来说，算是崇拜自己？这种想法在Keegan心中激起了某种东西，一种骄傲和……别的东西。
Then, suddenly， a girl threw Y/N an abnormal question, which really made Keegan frozen. “Have you ever tried or intended to spend a night with your babysitter Y/N?”. Keegan's eyes widened in surprise as he heard the girl's question. What kind of question was that?! He tried to keep his expression neutral, but his mind was racing. Has Y/N ever tried that? He mentally slapped himself for even considering the possibility. Why was this even a thought in his mind?! Curiosity and self-blaming battled inside him.
当然，夜还长，接下来一个女孩问地问题着实让Keegan虎躯一震。“所以，Y/N，你以前或者将来会与你的大保姆共度良宵吗？”Keegan惊讶地睁大了眼睛。这他妈是什么问题！？Keegan努力控制着面部肌肉，但脑子却在飞快地转。所以Y/N会不会想过呢？光是产生这个念头，Keegan不由地在脑子里扇了自己一耳光。自己怎么会有这种想法! 好奇心和自责心同时在内心斗争起来。
作者有话说
第1章 Chapter1 Babysitter
