a multi-chapter Din Djarin x *reverse age gap* *plus-sized* *fem* *afab* O/C
**** please feel free to review, comment, criticize, reblog, and otherwise speak your mind. ****
Pairing: din djarin x *reverse age gap* *plus-sized* fem!O/C
Rating: will be 18+
Story summary: Din accepts an ambiguous bounty for an impressive sum. It takes him days out of the charted galaxy to an unknown planet with a secretive society unlike anything Din had experienced before. He meets a woman living outside of the secure boundaries of the community, who is seemingly protected by large, frightening creatures …
Story warnings: Mando'a and English cursing, explicit sexual content, non-con sexual content, extreme violence, rape, torture, misogynic culture, revenge, and gluten
**** please feel free to review, comment, criticize, reblog, and otherwise speak your mind. ****
Click Here to read on AO3; which I recommend instead on Tumblr because that’s the version that gets rewrites.
Prologue
Day One
Day One point Five
Day Two
Day Two point Five
Day Three (18+, MDNI, sexual situations)
Day Four
Day Four point Five (18+, MDNI, violence, sexual situations)
Day Five
Day Five point Five (18+, MDNI, sexual situations)
Day Six (18+, MDNI, violence, rape, SA)
Day Six point Five
Day Seven (18+, MDNI, rape, torture, violence, SA)
Day Seven point Five (18+, MDNI, rape, torture, violence, blood, SA)
Days Eight through Eleven (18+, MDNI, rape, torture, violence, blood, SA)
Day Twelve
Day Thirteen
Day Fourteen (Din) (18+, MDNI, sexual situations)
Day Fourteen (Marathel)
Day Fourteen point Five (Marathel)
Day Fifteen (Din)
Day Fifteen (Marathel & Cobb)
Day Fifteen point Five
Days Sixteen to Nineteen, Part I
Days Sixteen to Nineteen, Part II
Days Sixteen to Nineteen, Part III (18+, MDNI, rape, violence, sexual situations)
Day Twenty (18+, MDNI, rape, violence, sexual situations)
Day Twenty-One (18+, MDNI, rape, violence, sexual situations)
Day Twenty-One point Five (Din)
Day Twenty-One point Five (Marathel)
Days Twenty-Two to Twenty-Six, Part I
Days Twenty-Two to Twenty-Six, Part II. (18+, MDNI, violence, sexual situations)
Days Twenty-Two to Twenty-Six, Part III (18+, MDNI, blood, sexual situations)
Days Twenty-Two to Twenty-Six, Part IV (18+, MDNI, violence, rape, sexual situations)
Day Twenty-six point Five.
Days Twenty-Seven to Twenty-Nine (Marathel). (18+, MDNI, rape, violence, murder)
Days Twenty-Seven to Twenty-Nine (Din, Part I).
Days Twenty-Seven to Twenty-Nine (Din, Part II).
Day Twenty-Nine point Five. (Mention of bodily fluids and menstruation)
Day Thirty.
Day Thirty-One.
Day Thirty-One point Five.
Day Thirty-Two.
Day Thirty-Two point Five, part I
Day Thirty-Two point Five, part II
Day Thirty-Three
Day Thirty-Three point Five
Day Thirty-Three point Seven-Five (MDNI, sexual situations)
it really is crazy that women's clothes don't fit anybody. fat women can't find clothes, skinny women can't find clothes, tall women can't find clothes, short women can't find clothes, big chested women can't find clothes, small chested women can't find clothes. who the fuck are these being made for
RIP Marjane Satrapi, author of the amazing graphic novels Persepolis about living during the fundamentalist revolution in Iran in the 70’s and 80’s. She also created the animated movie based on the graphic novels, which is where these gifs come from.
A skilled bounty hunter whose identity is based on never showing his face. Power. Restraint. Conflict. With him it's always complicated and intense, it feels gooood, it hurts. Dare I say, Din could have been made for intimate fanfiction. I've tracked down some "kinky" or dark smut fics because deep and dark just seems to suit him also, no? Most fics listed here are Din x female reader except where marked - that's what I could find. I note (variations on or deviations from this pairing), [why the fic made the cut if it's not obvious] and [if the author tagged as dddne - dead dove do not eat - explained here].
A Close Call cowboykylo69 on ao3 [rough sex]
Beg @amanitacowboy [edging]
Beyond My Skin, Deep In My Bones @djarins-wife [breeding kink, rough sex, spanking]
Bleed For Me series @saradika (mand’alor!vampire!din x f reader)
Beskar Doll series JustAGalWhoWrites on ao3 (brat tamer! Din x f reader)
Best Kept Secret Chapter Six: Torment series @lincolndjarin "din djarin is a little shit, helmet stays on" (bodyguard! Din x f reader)
Close Quarters cptnbvcks on ao3 (dom! Din x f reader)
Colosseum Capers @beefrobeefcal (Din x Dieter Bravo x f reader)
Darkness Trilogy series @queenofslowburn (demon! Din x witch! reader)
Despoilation Of The Flesh series @djarinmuse (possessed! Din) [dddne]
Din's Kitten @honeybunnyale ["darkish! fic"]
Deep Into The Wilderness mandoinevarro on ao3 [sex pollen]
Fifteen series @whocaresstillthelouvre (Din x cam girl reader au)
Grip mandoandyodito on ao3 [dry humping, wet dream]
Heresy @kewwrites (demon! Din x f reader) [dddne]
How To Touch @petalsinblood ["Din has nipple piercings"]
Hyperspace Nights series @jedijesi (rough Din! x f reader)
In A Perfect World, You Love Me @theidiotwhowritesthings [forced drug, hallucinations]
In The Dead Of Night @kedsandtubesocks (creature cowboy! Din x f reader)
Interlude: Burn in My Bloodstream @prolix-yuy (Din x f reader, Din x Xi'an)
Ignite @withmyloveasyourgarden [sex pollen]
Kinktober Day 2: Din Djarin - deep throating, rope play with Din Djarin @paulyenvol6
Kinktober Day 3: dark!din djarin x fem!reader @darkuselesssomebody [sex pollen, dddne]
Kinktober Day 11: Din Djarin October 11 – punishment, spanking with Din Djarin @paulyenvol6
Kinktober 14 – somnophilia with Din Djarin @paulyenvol6
Kinktober Day 23: Din Djarin October 23 – boot licking, cock worship with Din Djarin @paulyenvol6
Leading Blindly @pascalispretty (virgin! Din x sex worker f reader)
Limitless | D.D. @honeybunnyale ["t.w. : Dark fic, Smut (with a robot that looks like Dinny Din Din >:)), Breeding Kink, Angst, Din and reader are both insane for each other"]
Like A Moth To The Flame series @the-scandalorian (monster! Din x f reader)
Mand'alor Cabur nautilicious on ao3 (Din x Boba Fett)
Mandalorian's Mercy // bonus content: din's poc series @silver-pieces (alpha!Din x omega!cis!woman!reader)
Mutual @the-scandalorian (sex worker!Din x f reader)
Prisoner - Part 1 @almostempty (Din x f bounty hunter reader)
Quarry series AK_Vintage on ao3 (Din x f prisoner reader)
Riduur in Training @absurdthirst [sexual grooming, training]
Rule Maker, Rule Breaker mandoinevarro on ao3 [bondage, face fucking, etc.]
Rough Day series no-droids on ao3 ["Summary: When you woke up this morning, you didn’t really think it would be a 'fixing Mando’s knife wound and then giving him a handjob' kind of day"]
Secrets @absurdthirst (virgin! Din x f reader)
Shadows @burntheedges (monster! Din x f reader)
Sorgan Girls Are Easy- Solo Din Djarin murder-wife-deactivated20250628 c/o @djarins-cyare
Silent Genesis @sp00kymulderr [light choking]
Take Me To Church series on ao3 @frannyzooey is reworking to republish on Tumblr ["set in a brothel in the 1800s in the Wild West", Threesome F/F/M]
Take Your Time @ghostofaboy (Din x Cobb Vanth)
That Time Again @orcasoul [fluff but periods]
The Apostate Ch 1 series murder-wife-deactivated20250628 c/o @djarins-cyare (fallen angel! Din, later chapters x ofc)
The Might Of The Realm @604to647 [bath sex]
The Way To A Great Wide Somewhere @myownwholewildworld (beast! Din x f reader)
The Throne @absurdthirst [pregnancy kink, breeding kink]
The Visitor Part 1 @whocaresstillthelouvre (husband din x omc! Jedi Kalel x f reader)
The Storm @frannyzooey (Ezra x Frankie Morales x Din Djarin x f!reader)
This Is The Tea @yespolkadotkitty [sex pollen]
Tight @frannyzooey [“'I don’t want you to wear anything but this when you sleep in my bed, okay?'”]
Told Before and Told Again @kiwisbell [sex pollen, "fuck or die"]
Torment series @djarinmuse ["They are both trapped and their captor has dark plans for them"]
Unexpectedly Mated @absurdthirst (alpha!Din x f!omega!Reader) [knotting]
Unfettered @the-scandalorian [sex pollen, use of restraints, "sex-pollened!Mando gets scary"]
Unrestrained @the-scandalorian [sex pollen]
Untitled or response to ask "A din that hasnt seen tits since he was 25, let alone TOUCHED THEM" @here-briefly
Untitled or "inspired by time for a haircut, king" @djarinmuse [masturbation] (Din x GN reader)
Welcome Home | D.D. @honeybunnyale ["Dark-fic!...Jealous, Possessive, implied crazy Din"]
Whispers In The Dark 2.0 series @kewwrites (dark! Din x f reader) [dddne]
You Were Marked series @handspunyarns (Din x *reverse age gap* *plus-sized* *fem* *afab* O/C) [dddne]
Dividers by @saradika-graphics
I listened to My Din YT Playlist while making this and had the best time.
Disclaimer: I haven't read all of these yet, I'm just feeling the vibes. Thank you to the authors - I tried to tag only once but Tumblr's not cooperating - if you'd rather not have your work mentioned please let me know. Din won't mind ;-P
So I did a show at the beginning of May, and I have two more shows, back to back, the first two weekends in June. Then a new local yarn store asked me to be their stitch marker supplier, so I’ve been twisting wire and sniffing glue like a mad woman!
I mean, we’re talking like over 5000 stitch markers! And then I finished spinning a new yarn!
But Din and Marathel are impatiently waiting in my head and they’ve managed to make me write a bunch of notes not just for the next chapter but for chapters far into the future! And Cobb is also yelling, Hey! Don’t forget about ME!
I miss all you guys. I’ll see you in mid-late June.
Can you guess? flagwool is coming up June 6-7 at the forttuthillcounty fairgrounds! Visit http://flagwool.com for all the details. It’s in a new location this year, with indoor and outdoor vendors, better parking, and lots of
With The Mandalorian abd Grogu right around the corner, it's time to show your favorite Mandalorian fics some love (as well as our favorite siny metal man).
They can be stories you've read or you can shout about your own works.
Let's spread some joy.
Tagging for a signal boost- @simpingforjoel @sawymredfox @bergamote-catsandbooks @the-blind-assassin-12 @avastrasposts @pedroscurls @djarins-cyare @dindjarindiaries @djarinmuse
A truly breath-taking catalogue of fics, from intricately laid out tales to snappy, sharp, to-the-point “elevator pitches.” Unafraid to explore and combine characters and plots in new and innovative ways. (Toro Calican Lives AU, my beloved)
@desertbeskar
Forging the Way Forward—Mando Season 3 rewrite featuring Cara Dune and enriched with an actual cohesive and intriguing plot (plus plot-twists!)
@the-kittylorian-writes
So, so, so many wonderful Mando (and Paz!) fics, but the star of the show is For Only the Strongest May Rule. It’s like a meaty, classic novel enlivened with fleshed-out original characters and deep point-of-view.
@azertyrobaz
Lots of truly captivating Mandalorian fics, but I especially adore the modern au’s “The Joy of Nothing” and “Reckoner”
Some more gems I’ve enjoyed over the years…
Each Morning Sun a New Adventure by Ellearem — written before season 3, it picks up at the end of The Rescue and follows Din trying to navigate his new life by trying to go back to the familiar, i.e. bounty hunting. Along, he gets a new ship (that’s infinitely better than the N1), avoids his feelings, returns to Morak, and accidentally becomes a legend.
The Parent and The Foundling by DistantStorm — the fics responsible for really getting me hooked on the clan of two.
Suddenly I’m Respectable by nik_knows_nothing — a crossover between the Kenobi show and Mandalorian, featuring young Din Djarin
Inglorious Journey by Laine Achillea — long and intricate deep introspection and quiet, lonely moments
Beginnings of Brotherhood by itzagoodthing. Trip Wire/Horizon by leslielol. CURRENCY by APendingThought. Dream Child by muchadoloo. Out of Time by Ginipig.
the darkness, trembling; Consequences of Being Known and New Dawn, No Daylight from orphaned accounts.
Check out the works by @nicad13 and @fanfoolishness ! Their one-shots are some of my top favourites ever!
You Were Marked, Day Thirty-Six point Five, Part III (Din)
pairing: din djarin x plus size / reverse age gap / fem!O/C
word count: 3.4K
chapter summary: Din and Grogu fly off to Manda’lor
warnings: angst, English and Mando'a cursing
***Please feel free to comment, kvetch, or otherwise speak your mind about my work. ***
Read this chapter on Ao3
You Were Marked: Masterlist
You Were Marked: <- Previous Chapter
Din stared at the open door of the little cabin, only able to see her bare feet, the rest of her in shadow. He willed her to move, silently begging her to come forward. Please come to the door, mesh’la. Please, cyar’e. In desperation, he flicked on his heat vision. He could now see her standing stock still, and it appeared that she had her head down in an almost prayerful fashion. If there’s anything or anyone sacred or holy in this shitty galaxy, whoever you are, you bring us back to each other.
He sighed, turning away from the door and the cabin and the scrubby yard and the woman within. As he retraced his steps down the steep path, he pushed aside some larger rocks that could potentially cause her to trip. He wished he could do more for her. He hoped that he would be able to come back quickly. He prayed for the chance to do both.
At the bottom of the path, Din placed Grogu back in the waiting pram, and they headed back towards the main part of the city. The street market was closed, but there was now enough of a population that the shopping district was bustling. Din was able to get supplies as well as a number of new tools and spare parts for the Crest. He also had to purchase some unexpected sweets that materialized in the floating pram; Grogu had apparently taken advantage of Din’s distracted thoughts. “You little fink,” said Din with a chuckle as Grogu beset him with a wide-eyed stare of pure innocence. “You better behave, or I’ll tell Mama on you.” Din laughed as Grogu’s expression turned woefully apologetic, and he allowed Grogu to keep a couple of treats while the rest were returned to the shopkeeper.
The sun continued to set. Signs were illuminated in shop windows, and candles were lit on outdoor café tables. Din noticed more women on the street, and not the kind he was accustomed to seeing in this town, either. These were society mavens in fancy dresses and upswept hairdos that toddled along the sidewalks (kriffing hell; this dump has sidewalks now?), drank glasses of sweet wine, and ordered fancy desserts in those outdoor cafés. Every third shop seemed to specialize in clothing or some other product that appealed to higher-classed women. He was pleased that Karga was cleaning up the place. It would make it a safer place for Marathel … assuming she would try to fit in. She was awkward at best, socially ignorant at worst. Her past could work against her, but he hoped she was willing to try.
Din found himself comparing the ladies’ outfit on display in a shop window to what he had seen in Mise-Tusil, believing Marathel had a better sense of style. And of what he’d seen of the styles the women here wore, he didn’t think they would suit Marathel anyway — long dresses and complicated suits with stiff fabrics, high necklines, and tight sleeves. He hoped the women here weren’t as stiff and formal as their attire suggested. Meanwhile, he hadn’t even noticed Karga creeping up behind him.
“Filling up a hope chest for Lady Marathel?”
Startled out of his thoughts, Din said, “… a what?”
“Hope chest. Dowry.” No response. “Bridal gifts, Mando,” said Karga with a sly wink. “She is a fine-looking woman, even with her unfortunate injuries.” Helmet tilt. “Of course, teeth are easily replaced and there’s specialized bacta for scars …” Din remained silent. “And she is quite charming … You know she left lipstick on your visor, right?”
“Let’s settle up what you owe me for my bounties,” said Din sharply, and Karga responded with a hearty laugh as he turned away, allowing Din to check his reflection. There was a light lipstick mark, and although he didn’t want to, he quickly wiped her lip print away.
After returning to his offices, Karga and Din engaged in a brief argument about the range of credits they were willing to offer or accept. Karga stacked the agreed-upon credits and slid them across his glossy inlaid desk towards Din. “I must ask about her.”
“No, you don’t.”
Karga’s eyes twinkled, and a lazy grin curled his lips. “Hands off?”
Din swept the credits off the desk and into his cash pouch. When that was done, he tilted his helmet and placed his hand in the butt of his favorite blaster. He waited until Karga’s eyes shifted from his hand on the blaster up to his visor before saying, “Like she’s strontium.” As he was leaving Karga’s office, he threw over his shoulder, “Spread the word. Kriffing strontium. Or they’ll have me to answer to.”
“So, when are you coming back?” called out Karga. He didn’t get a response other than a closing door, and he chuckled at Mando’s irascible tone. Karga felt certain that Mando was ass over teakettle in love with the woman and felt reasonably sure the Lady Marathel returned the affection. He was quite curious about her. Karga had briefly researched the star charts at the coordinates he’d originally given Mando, and there was essentially nothing out there. If her people originally came from Lew’el, how the kriff did they end up out there? And why?
Karga leaned back in his chair and re-read — for the umpteenth time — Mando’s message from a couple of weeks ago, from when he reached out for help with the gravely injured bounty he’d gone nowhere for.
KARGA bounty needs medical help. Potentially fatal injuries, please assist Require skilled medic bacta tank no droids bleeding out death kmmmminent pleas help Am injured I as well fly as fast I can 3 days 14 hourssssssssddddd
An alarming message, to be sure, but he’d known he wouldn’t be able to help, what with only a self-taught aged wartime medic and a couple of droids that couldn’t be trusted put a bacta patch on straight. He’d felt quite bad about it at the time, especially knowing that Mando was also injured enough to send out a distress call at all, and one as garbled as this. There was also the question of why Mando would seek medical assistance off planet from the bounty location. Mando normally didn’t give a tin shit about the condition of a bounty, beyond alive or dead.
But then, a day or two later, came this question from Mando:
What position does the New Republic hold regarding planetary populations that were not colonized by either the Republic or the Empire?
No preamble, no small talk, no recap or explanation of the previous conversation, just a strange and complicated question out of the blue. Another thing Mando didn’t give a tin shit about was the New Republic. Bounty hunting wasn’t exactly frowned upon by the new government, but it wasn’t exactly sanctioned either. Something weird must have happened on that planet Mando had gone to, chasing down that strangely untranslatable message he’d pulled off the sub-ether. Additionally, Karga was ignorant of the existence of any inhabited systems that were not under the Empire’s dominion. The Empire’s reach was vast, and its greed was insatiable. He couldn’t recall a single planet that the Empire hadn’t exploited.
Then Mando had shown up on Nevarro, and revealed the bounty was a woman. He hadn’t expected that at all. Oh, sure, bounties were certainly placed on wayward females — but what was so special about her that a bounty was placed ... for gold, yet? And then it turned out the Aurodium was not just real, but also ancient. A treasure, he’d thought at the time, right before he’d made a crack about shining knights rescuing damsels. Mando’s response was quick, quiet, and acidic: brutally raped women and little girls forced into pregnancy pisses me off, yeah. It was the first time Karga had heard Mando ever say anything that suggested a person, and not a droid, existed inside that beskar armor. Despite all Mando’s railing against droids, he had certainly adopted a droid’s personality. And their sentence structure.
But getting back to the Aurodium: if Mando had managed to sell all the coins, even at the paltry sum he himself had paid per coin — Mando had secured at least 800,000 credits. Enough to settle down and live comfortably, perhaps take on housekeeping with a certain someone. Karga had no real knowledge of Mando’s proclivities, although he had noticed the man’s preference towards nice backsides, female, male, and otherwise.
And then came the third message, a few days after that:
Tell me more about this tract of land you have.
Intrigued, Karga responded with his best sales pitch, highlighting the remoteness of the location, the spring, the rugged beauty of the surrounding landscape…
Require dwelling, self-contained. Full mod cons. Two bedrooms. Indoor fresher.
One more thing Mando didn’t give a tin shit about: creature comforts. But now it seemed there was someone else to consider, especially with the request that a certain Marathel ap Unmapeth be added to the deed! Oh, he had wanted so much to ask some follow up questions but instead responded that he would look into it.
Karga leaned back and ate the few remaining red candies from the dish on his desk. A female bounty, from a planet that was outside the influence of both the Empire and the Republic. Attractive. Pleasant. Surprisingly even keeled for a person who originated from a place of cruelty and torture … evident in that wretched scar down the woman’s face. No wonder Mando issued his directive for her to be treated with deference — or risk cruelty and torture at the Mandalorian’s hands, and the offender wouldn’t be walking away with only missing teeth and a facial wound.
Oh, yes, mused Karga. Love, Mandalorian style.
Din and Grogu made their way back to the Crest just as the sun was fully set. Din collected the parcel of laundry he’d left earlier, as well as the supplies he’d purchased. He set about getting all the supplies put away in the various compartments of the ship. He opened one last panel, looking for a place to tuck away some extra load pan pads — he’d gone through quite a few of them recently — when he found the bag of items he’d taken from Marathel’s hut. He stood there for a while, holding the homespun, handwoven bag, knowing what was inside. He questioned whether he should have even taken these things, much less still have them, given the current ambiguity of their relationship. He’d seen enough rom-coms to know that their future together was more uncertain than ever. Dank ferrik. Time and space, she said. Kriffing hell. After some more internal back-and-forth, Din made a decision … to not make a decision.
He went back down the ramp to the harbormaster’s office, which held a multitude of purposes for the space traveler: ship repairs, refueling, lodging for overnight stays, even laundry and other … personal services for those who spent more time in hyperspace than on solid ground. The harbormaster looked up from his holopad, where he was reading Coruscant murderball scores. He grunted, shook his enormous wattle, and said, “Whaddya need now, Mando? Laundry not done right?”
“No, everything is fine, Huaspo. I can always count on you to take good care of me. Sorry about all the blood.”
“You say that every time. I need to start charging you more.” He pointed his meaty finger at the bag Din carried. “So what? You got more of those snot-rags for me?”
Din shook his head. “No, not more laundry. Do you offer secure long-term storage?”
Huaspo nodded and waved him back behind the counter. “I got lockers, yeah. Anything in that bag perishable? Explosive? Living?”
“Wouldn’t living preclude perishable?”
“Hey, ya never know in a place like this. Here ya go,” said the corpulent man, gesturing at a quad of metal doors. “Gotta pre-pay. Ya don’t come back in time; I get what’s in there. Unless you got someone planetside to collect your shit.”
“Would you be willing to contact someone for me if I don’t return?”
“Yeah, sure, if they’re planetside. Ya gotta fill out the card.”
Din placed the bag in an empty locker, letting his fingers linger on the rough fabric. “How long can I pre-pay for?”
“Six months.”
Din nodded. He shut the locker securely and followed Huaspo back to the service counter. He filled out the card as requested, writing Marathel’s name and her contact string, hoping that they would be able to figure things out within six months, either for good or bad. Or even indifferent. Once he finished, he handed the card to Huaspo, who took a look at the card. “This Marathel, she’s that lady you came in with, huh?” Din gave him a brief nod. “Seemed nice. Karga’ll be happy. He wants to make the place more palatable to the refined. Sees more value in decent people. Well, decent people with money.” The large man shook his wattle and cleared some phlegm before dropping the card on the cluttered back desk behind him. Din felt certain it would be lost in the stacks of greasy papers and various detritus before very long. Then Huaspo held out a small envelope. “Left this in one of your jackets. Forgot to give it to ya. It’s quiet tonight; no one else is comin’ or leavin’. Ya got clearance, take off whenever. See ya ‘round, tin man.” Din took the envelope, muttered his thanks, and went back to the ship.
Once back on the Crest, Din unpacked his now-clean laundry and noticed that Huaspo had thrown in an extra allotment of the soft rags he’d been giving to Marathel. He then buttoned up the rest of the supplies, making sure all his panels and belongings were secure. Karga didn’t have any spare working carbonite shells, so he was traveling with only one. He shrugged; there was little point in chasing bounties on this trip to Manda’lor. Besides — he’d honestly left it for too long. It was time for him to figure things out. Yes, Marathel had shooed his reluctant ass right out her door, and he was still salty about it, but the sooner he got his hash settled the better. He took one last look out his ramp door, thinking to himself, I’m coming back as quick as I can, mesh’la; you better figure out how to use that oven of yours and get some bread ready.
“Let’s get ready to roll, kid, c’mon,” he said, climbing up the ladder, Grogu hopping up behind. After getting them both strapped in, Din primed his engines and listened to them purr for a few moments — he’d added a shot of premium on this refueling — and got the Crest in the air. “Ready to fly, buddy?”
“Fy!”
“Off we go, then.” The Crest shot off into the atmosphere, and Din managed to get them into hyperspace before the real tears came.
He tried to stay quiet; he did. He had wanted to wait until such a time that Grogu was asleep. He’d been blubbering in front of the kid far too often recently, and he worried was that he’d been exposing Grogu to a life that was far too grown-up with too many adult situations, which then tied into his anxiety and deep-seated fear of vulnerability, both things he didn’t even quite realize he had hang-ups about until a beautiful woman threw a damn rock at his damn head. But dank ferrik, he loved that woman. He knew it as he knew the velocity of a blaster bolt. He wished he could convince her of that, somehow. But back to his current situation: there were only so many times he could swallow the hairball of misery in his craw, and his nose was running like a damn fountain inside his helmet. With a heavy sigh, Din pulled off his helmet and set it on the console, then dropped his face into his hand and wept. Silently, Grogu left the aft seat and joined Din in the captain’s chair, curling his little bulk against his Patu’s stomach, providing a warm and simple comfort, allowing his Patu to grieve his loss as needed.
After some time, Din’s emotional storm passed and reduced to sniffles. He pulled out a couple of fresh cloths and blew his nose several times before leaning back in his chair, completely congested. He detested having a stuffy nose as much as puking, and he groaned as he put his feet up on the console. Grogu crawled up his belly and reached up his tiny hand to pat Din’s chin. “Thanks, kid,” Din said with a rueful chuckle. “Patu is one hot mess, huh? It must be love that makes me this bent out of shape… right?” He grunted and blew his nose again. “Dank ferrik,” he said as he deeply inhaled, listening to the snot rattling in his sinuses. He then peered at the little green boy on his chest, asking, “Now why in Frith are you so damned composed about leaving Mama behind, huh? Why is it that I’m throwing a tantrum while you, womp rat, are as cool as a little black melon?” Grogu looked thoughtful for a moment. He then outstretched his arms high above his head, then made a big sweeping motion with his arms, bringing his little hands in front of him before looking expectantly at Din. “Um … the Force?” Grogu nodded, then clasped his hands together. “You are using the Force to … what?” Grogu rolled his eyes, then shook his clasped hands at Din. “I’m not getting you. Are your hands the Force, or … Mama? You mean Mama?” Grogu nodded again, then pressed his clasped hands against his chest. “So … the Force is keeping Mama in your heart?” Grogu smiled at him, and Din stroked the boy’s ear. “Well, that’s good for you, but … what am I supposed to do, huh? I can’t use the Force like you do, kid …” Din’s words froze on his tongue as Grogu pressed his clasped hands against his armorless chest. Din felt a sudden warmth not unlike the boy’s attempt to heal his ersatz heart attack several days before, leaving him enveloped by a profound calm. The sensation reminded him of a cwtch with Marathel ... but somehow, something so much stronger and more significant.
He felt … he felt … safe.
“Damn, kid, when you do that … it makes me think that everything’s gonna be all right.” He gave Grogu a cuddle and said, “You’re something else; you know that? I’m glad I’ve got you.” Grogu made a happy chuffing noise and then poked a curious finger at the envelope sticking out of Din’s pocket. “What? Oh, yes, that’s right …” Din pulled out the envelope Huaspo had given him and opened it. He looked inside, puzzled at first, and then he chuckled as he pulled out a small card and showed it to Grogu. “Take a sniff, kid. What do you think of that?” Grogu smelled the card and then looked up into Din’s eyes. “Remember when the three of us ate dinner in that fancy restaurant? Mama ate the cake that made her act all silly, and then she flicked this card at me.” Din took a deep whiff himself and then said, “This is the perfume she was wearing that evening. Mama looked very pretty that night, didn’t she?” Grogu chirped in the affirmative, which made Din smile before he took another sniff. “You know what, kid? I think we should buy a bottle of this perfume, and I can keep it around for us to take a little sniff of when we really miss Mama. What do you think of that?” Grogu squealed, happy with the idea. Din stroked the boy’s ear, and Grogu purred quietly. “I knew what you were doing, trying to steal Mama’s blanket, you know. It would have been like Mama hugging you, huh? I like her hugs too, you know. I like her hugs a lot.” Din gave the boy a tight squeeze. “Well, we’ll just have to give each other hugs, I suppose, until we can all be together, back in a clan of three. Are you okay with that, buddy?” Grogu squeezed right back. “You’re the best, pal.” Now composed and resolute in their new mission to find Manda’lor, the clan of (currently) two flew across the galaxy.
