I've stumbled upon some absolute gems in the babysitter AU fanfiction world that explore secret crushes and unspoken confessions with such tenderness. One standout is 'Holding Your Hand When You’re Asleep'—a 'My Hero Academia' fic where Kirishima secretly pines for Bakugou while babysitting his little sister. The author nails the slow burn, with Bakugou’s gruff exterior hiding his own feelings. The nighttime scenes where Kirishima tucks the kid in, only for Bakugou to linger in the doorway, are heart-stopping.
Another favorite is 'Stray Kids’ Bang Chan and Felix in 'Quiet Nights,' where Felix’s crush on Chan unfolds through shared babysitting duties for their neighbor’s twins. The way Felix memorizes Chan’s coffee order and 'accidentally' oversleeps on their couch is pure serotonin. The fandom’s obsession with soft moments in babysitter AUs makes these stories addictive—like 'Haikyuu''s Sugawara secretly leaving love notes in Daichi’s babysitting bag. The trope thrives on proximity and forced intimacy, and these fics deliver.