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500 followers fic rec list
Mi Luz Series (In chronological Order)* Complete
You and Javi are coworkers at the embassy and Javi can't help but have pet names for you, but you have no idea that he is practically in love with you. Smutty, 5 original parts
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How The Crow Flies (series)* Complete
A Javier Peña and Frankie Morales crossover. You've moved to the embassy in Colombia to help with the Cali Cartel, where Javier Peña is your hard-ass boss. He sets you on a mission to the jungle where Gabriel Lorea is hiding money in the walls. Frankie Morales and his team watch you from the trees, and he thinks he can use you to his advantage
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Somewhere, in the Appalachian Mountains, the outbreak has left you stuck in your grandmother's cabin, trying to keep her and yourself alive. There's plenty of food, water, and words of wisdom from your elder, but her declining health and your anxiety of infected or raiders keep you up at night. Joel and Tommy, working their way up the coast to make it to Boston, stumble across your hideaway. Grief, angsty, smut
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Every Time Series* Ongoing NEW 8/24
A series of Din traveling through time, sent by the Jedi, to find you over and over again, saving you from trouble and discovering how you are supposed to fit into his life. You don't understand why you're traveling through time, but hopefully, you can find out together. Angsty, fluff, smut
Sometimes you hear a song and a fic pops into your head full formed. This is a trap. The fic may be fully formed in your brain, but you still Have to write it down. This is an important step that most people forget about.
i feel like people aren't getting how dire ai is. we are running out of drinkable water. our brains aren't engaging as much with what we see and hear. people near data centers don't get clean water and experience electricity blackouts. it's being used to make pornography of underaged people and women. it often just lies. it affirms everything. it lies. it has made people kill themselves. it lies for gods sake. and people act as if im dramatic for being staunchly against it. 'now i KNOOW you hate ai and whatever, but look at this cute video' this isn't me being a new age puritan about internet videos, this is about the fucking earth and our future living on this planet. people are suffering now, people will suffer more, and my friends and parents will roll their eyes and think im annoying for despising ai so explicitly. we need to wake up because we cannot live like this
Summary: Worried, Din goes after you amidst a rainstorm.
Warnings: 18+ Content (MDNI pls). Newish/secret established relationship, Mando'a nicknames, first time (theirs, but I know how important it is to some of you that Din's a virgin so read it however you want đ), f!oral, fingering, unprotected PiV (they⊠make love?),âšONE BEDâš (I've always wanted to write this! đ€)
A/N: I actually started this WIP for jolapeno's April Showers 2.0 and never finished (I'm sorry Jo!) - but it's here now! Let's take a much needed break from the angst of the last instalment! In the timeline of series events, we're actually going back in time/it's the first (though it's posted as the 4th story), so can be read standalone đ Reminder: this is a post season 3 compliant series where Din has been dispatched to a New Republic stronghold planet (Solana) to train their armies as a General; Medieval vibes are intentional. (Typos and errors are unintentional and I'll try to correct them over the weekend đ )
Dividers by @saradika-graphics / Series Masterlist / Title by Elley Duhe; inspo lyrics at the end.
Din leans forward, bending low, to prevent the onslaught of rain whipping against his visor from obscuring his vision completely; Beskar helmet nearly fully buried in his horseâs flying mane, he urges his trusty steed faster.
Only moments earlier, Din had come upon a scene that nearly stopped his heart: your Royal carriage careened off the main road, one wheel broken clean off its axel, the coach body stuck lopsided, wedged in the thick mud. Horses, unhooked, gone. You, the carriageâs only occupant, gone. Two of his top Lieutenants, whom you had convinced to take you out in this weather despite his explicit orders not to, also gone.
The Generalâs mind races with worry after worry: Are you hurt? Where did you go? Was the accident due to dangerous road conditions or have you become the victim of something more sinister? Sabotage? Where were you now? Are you safe? Have you been separated from your escort? Taken?
Dank Farrik! He had told you to stay put!Â
Trampling down his rising panic, Din pushes his stallion harder through the downpour covering Solanaâs country side; the rainfall is so heavy, his helmet visor can barely make sense of its readings, not that it matters - any clues or data that could be used to track your movements having long since washed away.
Racing his faithful mount over endless rolling hills and across the expanse of pastoral plains, Din rides for what feels like forever until he finally sees the valley and signs of a village in the far-off distance. From his current position, the building roofs are mere pinpricks, smoke from their chimneys but whisps, but Din is sure heâs found your intended destination: the epicentre of one of Solanaâs most vital farming communities. Did you make it? Were you forced to seek shelter elsewhere? Din slows his pace to a trot, scanning his surroundings carefully while repeated wiping off his visor so that the continued downpour wonât compromised his internal display readings.Â
What had you been thinking? Actually, he huffs, he knows exactly what his Princess had been thinking.
Yesterday, after receiving an alarming report regarding large scale damage sustained by this regionâs farm drainage system, you had spent the remainder of the afternoon reviewing and consulting agricultural plans, weather impact studies, and concluded that capital assistance was indeed much needed for repairs ahead of rainy season. The only way to secure and expedite the emergency capital funding required was onsite royal approval, and since you had just spent the past day acquainting yourself with the plight of these farmers, you insisted on going yourself as soon as possible. The storm that Din now trudges through was already rolling in when he heard of your intentions to set out - citing the dangerous weather, he had immediately advised against it. You argued staunchly that with heavy rain expected, it was even more imperative that you went immediately; if the current system were to fail and the land to flood, your decree and very presence on location, would assure that capital assistance would be dispatched as swiftly as possible and hopefully minimize the harm done to peopleâs livelihoods. Your reasoning was sound, and privately to himself, Din felt a swell of pride and admiration not only for your strategic mind, but for the compassion and love you hold for your fellow Solanians â the only problem was it put you right in the middle of that same risk.
Din sighed. The Princess he could not command, nor would he wish to â but your fatherâs soldiers? They were under his purview; he gave the order that under no circumstances were they to leave their posts during the storm without his explicit instructions, hoping that this would delay your excursion until after the storm had passed.Â
Never mind you, what had his Lieutenants been thinking? Dinâs agitation only grows as he continues his search; the sky above him remains an open slate of dark grey with rain coming down in sheets and winds picking up in speed and intensity. With no end to the tempest in sight, even Dinâs stallionâs steps begins to slow as the muddy path becomes thicker, stickier.
The Generalâs eagle eyes spot the crest of your house before his helmet HUD registers it properly. The soaked through equestrian regalia on which your royal coat of arms is emblazoned is hanging over the half door of a small stable house just under a klick away; adjusting his sensors to zoom in, Din makes out the outlines of two horses grazing on some hay just beyond the opening. Two out of five accounted for. Surveying the area, he takes notice of a quaint looking cottage no more than 50 meters from the barn â even from this distance, he can tell by the brightly lit windows and smoking chimney that a fire is roaring within. Ni codayn gar (I found you).
Assuring his exhausted steed that respite would soon be his, Din redirects the weary animal, once again picking up speed. In record time, heâs settled his companion into a stall, hung up his own tack to dry, and is charging towards the humble cottage, unsure of what heâll find upon arrival; at this point, he cannot promise that even the relief of finding you safe will be enough to improve his mood.
As he steps onto the front stoop, he hears your melodic laugh ring out from behind the door and for some reason, sour mood from his orders being directly disobeyed, his current physical state resembling more drowned rat than man, or perhaps nerves frayed and strung out from hours of worry, the normally pleasing harmony grates on the very last shred of his patience; he bangs on the door. His aggressive pounding silences the voices on the other side immediately; unapologetic, Din practically bellows,
âItâs me. Iâm coming in.â Â
With no further ceremony, the General pushes open the door and stomps in. Itâs unclear which party is more shocked by the sight that greets them.
You and his two Lieutenants are casually lounging around a well-lit hearth, the warmth and glow of which feels so welcoming and homey, the juxtaposition to the chaotic gale thatâs still beating at his back hits Din like a punch to the gut. All three of you are donned in dry clothes Din doesnât recognize, modest garments that are positively plain when compared to the ornate and luxurious dress of the capital; speaking of which, he spots the various splendid layers of your royal gown and the official uniforms of your guard strewn around the room, drying.
Thereâs a few grazed upon plates of food sitting between you, still being shared amongst your little party; Din does not miss the flagon of wine that looks to be nearly empty. Far from being in mortal peril, it seems that all three of you have settled in comfortably, enjoying yourselves even.
By contrast, Din is the very picture of misery; a waterlogged mess looming in the entrance way like some ghoulish killjoy here to interrupt your reverie, to ruin the serenity of this humble abode by dripping a riverâs worth of rainwater onto the floor. His drenched and aching figure remains silent and unmoving as he stares back at your group.
Drip, drip, drip.
Even more than annoyed, Din is starting to feel very stupid.
âGeneral!â His men spring to their feet, snapping to attention at the sudden appearance of their commanding officer.
Doing his best to ignore your adorable wide-eyed expression of surprise, Din slams the door behind him so forcefully the walls shake; feeling a smidge of satisfaction when the soldiers jolt a little. You on the other hand, merely tilt your head quizzically at his moodiness.
âI expressly forbade anyone from leaving their posts during the storm,â the General growls, âand not only were my orders flagrantly disobeyed, I find you here in the middle of nowhere with a complete disregard for any and all security considerations. Have I taught you nothing?â
âSorry, General, sir!â
âEntrance way to the premises, unlocked. Door unguarded. No transmissions regarding your location. No discretion with the Royal crest on full display outside the stable. Do you wish to signal to every being nearby, or, Maker forbid, any villain wishing harm upon the Princess, exactly where she can be found?!â
âNo, General, sir!â
âNow that Iâm inside, itâs clear that in addition to a failure to post guard, you havenât established a surveillance position either? How could you possibly assess or even be aware of any potential incoming threats? Youâre sitting ducks here!â
âSorry, General, sir!â
âDinâŠâ you try to interrupt, getting up and crossing the room with the intention to calm your Mandalorian.
He doesnât hear you, deaf to everything but the spiral of his incredulity and anger, âYou cannot tell me that you had any idea of my approach! What if it hadnât been me who came upon you? Anything could have happened! I trained you better than this!â
âYes sir, General!â
âHow could you show such complete disregard for the Princessâ safety!?â spits the General, his disappointment venomous.
âDin!!â you exclaim, unable to listen to his raised voice any longer. The behemoth of a man finally swivels to acknowledge you - even with his helmet on, you can tell heâs snarling, the ferocity of his countenance vibrating the very Beskar that conceals it. âDo not blame them, please, General! When the intensity of the storm overcame us, both Lieutenants thought of nothing but finding safety and shelter - no one could have been more concerned for my health and well being. When we found this cottage, the Lieutenants cleared it thoroughly and determined it to belong to the farm a mere 10 minutes gallop from here.â You put your hand on Dinâs arm to reassure him, heart dropping at how soaked through and freezing cold his sleeve feels, âThe Lieutenants made immediate contact with the perfectly wonderful family who own and work this land, arranging for them to supply us with dry clothing, food and drink. They offered these lodgings for the night and have assured us of their discretion and the security of their property.â
Victorious when you sense a slight relaxing in Dinâs frame, you throw a sympathetic smile to his soldiers, âGeneral, I assure you, Iâve been very well taken care of - there is no need to admonish your men so severely.â
Though no longer in the throws of his earlier rampage, Dinâs tone nevertheless remains deadly, cold, âThey should have never accompanied you on this journey, period. It was ill conceived and thoughtless.â
Youâre starting to lose your patience now, âYou would prefer I came out here on my own, General?â
The shiny Beskar dome tilts, fully staring you down, âI would have preferred you didnât come out here at all during this storm. To do so was also ill conceived and thoughtless. Which if you recall, I made abundantly clear to you, Princess.â
Hands on your hips, you narrow your eyes, âAnd if you recall, I noted your objections and explained that the storm itself was hardly a deterrent but the very thing that precipitated my coming here. As the storm surely wasnât going anywhere, you with your infinite wisdom, General, must have reasonably predicted that I would be. Since youâre so concerned with my safety, I would have thought youâd be relieved I asked some of the guard to accompany me.â
Din full out grins beneath his helmet, his feisty cyarâika - but outwardly, he remains stubborn, âThey were expressly ordered not to leave their posts during the storm, never mind leave the capital itself.â
âAre you saying the royal guard can refuse a direct request from their Sovereign? Should we ask these Lieutenants to whom they owe their allegiance, their General or their Princess?â you wave generally in the direction of the two men; without looking over, you can imagine them standing awkwardly, unsure of how to comport themselves, not unlike children witnessing their parents bicker for the first time â the blaze of your eyes, however, never leave the black abyss of the Dinâs T-visor.
After what feels like an eternity, Din grits, âMay I speak to you in private, Princess?â
You sweep your arm dramatically towards a small door on the offside of the room, âAfter you, General,â continuing to huff, agitated, as you follow his wet footprints into the cottageâs one bedroom.
Once inside, you close the door behind you and spin around, retort on the tip of your tongue, ready to be unleashed - a perfectly reasonable argument that your fatherâs men would have been in even more trouble if they had refused to accompany you - when the breath upon which your remarks lay in wait is knocked clear out of you.
Oof!
The force with which Dinâs helmet barrels into your midsection is rivalled only by the gripping strength of his arms wrapping around your legs â your Mandalorian is on his knees, holding you like heâs never going to let go,
âYou scared me, Meshâla.â
Oh. Oh.
You fold your body over the great man, enveloping the broadness of his back within your embrace, all the fight in you gone upon seeing the strongest man youâve ever met surrender so completely. If anything, you regret the stress your actions caused him, now that his ill temper has been revealed to be a poor mask for his fear.
Cupping the back of his helmet, you stroke down its back seam with your thumb, whispering, âIâm sorry, Din, I didnât mean to.â
âI know, cyare,â Din murmurs, still buried in your soft body, hold on you unyielding. You stay unmoving for as long as he needs, letting him breathe in enough of you to convince himself that youâre truly unharmed, safe.
Slowly the great General rises to his feet, dragging his hands up the length of your body, still afraid to be parted from you for even one second; you melt beneath his loving touch and reach for him with your own â you and Din are hardly ever afforded the luxury of just holding one another like this, fully and unrestrained, with no care for the passage of time. Your love has grown steady and strong in the shadow of its own secrecy, surviving on stolen glances and barely there touches in the openness of court, secret kisses in dark stairwells and heartfelt declarations whispered hushed and hurried. Every rendezvous a wonder, every moment spent together precious, but always taking place on borrowed time â youâve only ever touched while on a countdown, loved under the threat of being caught; never allowed to just be with one another.
âKriff, meshâla, Iâm so sorry - Iâm getting you all wet,â Din drops his hands from your body, and though the imprint his soaked-through gloves have left on the simple borrowed frock is wet, you miss his warmth immediately.
âDonât let go, Dinâ, you plead, fisting the rough fabric of his cape and pulling yourself closer; Din complies, as he always will, gathering you in his arms once more, but not before unlocking his helmet. Â
Eagerly, you close your eyes and nudge up the brim of Dinâs helmet with your nose, the motion well practiced, your lips finding his swiftly. Tongues meeting in sweet reunion, your bodies melt in shared relief, your sighs synchronized, breathy and needy. Din kisses you fervent and deep, pouring all of todayâs anxieties - not getting to you in time, failing in protecting you, losing you - into your willing vessel; you meet each and every one of his fears head on, dissolving them with just one touch of your magic.
Iâm here with you.
Youâre here with me.
Only breaking for air, you drag your kiss swollen lips along the chisel of Dinâs jaw and down the column of his throat, loving on every inch of the skin he bares for you and only you. The General tips his helmet back down and pulls you flush against his chest plate, letting you bury your face into the soft folds of his neck cowl; he chuckles to himself at your deep inhale and the contented sigh that follows as you take in your fill of his familiar scent.
âI really am sorry, Din. I know you worry.â
âI donât know what I would do if something were to happen to you, cyarâika,â Din husks, even saying the words out loud constricts his airway.
Your fingers find the gaps between his armour and wiggle in, tickling your Mandalorianâs soft spots in an effort to soothe him; your own mood having already been placated, you tease, âThen next time you should come with me.â
âPrincess.â The gravel of Dinâs warning causes your pulse to quicken.
Tilting your chin up, you rest its point on the smooth Beskar plate, the very picture of innocence peering up through your lashes as your General cocks his head in faux exasperation, âIf you promise not to blame the Lieutenants for merely obeying their Princess, then I promise there wonât be a next time without proper consultation with you.â
Thereâs a beat of silence before the metal helmet dips to assent, the movement near imperceptible to someone with less intimate knowledge of Dinâs tells. Beaming, you close your eyes and nudge the rim of the impressive silver dome upwards once more, needing no guide to find the lips already waiting for yours.
---
The remainder of the evening passes uneventfully despite the maelstrom that continues to pound the Solana countryside, shaking the earth and slicing its skies. Your little cottage, however, proves to be an impenetrable haven, somehow immune to the outside destruction; its warmth and simplicity, and the generosity of your hosts, underestimated defenses. One of the older sons from the main farmhouse braves the storm to bring a hot meal from his mother, along with some additional blankets, various sundries, and a fresh supply of dry firewood; your party wants for nothing.
Food and drink is shared over relaxed conversation that gets progressively more lively as the dayâs anxieties wear off and the familiarity of the present company, coupled with overall fatigue, remove any remaining vestiges of formality due to rank. The Lieutenants chortle over how their Princess teases the General, and marvel at the appearance of a gentler and frankly more personable side of their fearless leader previously thought non-existent.Â
Din regales your group with outlandish and thrilling tales of old bounties, exotic Outer Rim planets, and narrow escapes that have all three Solanians in the room on the edge of your seats. You counter with your own stories from various diplomatic missions to the Inner and Mid Rim, imparting fascinating and colourful tidbits on the traditions and cultures of nations that even Din has never heard of. Though the Lieutenantsâ favourite anecdotes are the ones you share about the stuffy old court officials that youâve known since birth - the wheezing laughter of two of the Generalâs most formidable fighters at times overtaking the howl of the outside winds.Â
Unable to stop his smiling, Din watches as you cast the spell of your charm over his men, forever in awe of your unique ability to make those around you feel comfortable, valued, seen â itâs no wonder that the people of Solana love their Princess. He thinks back to how the two of you met in the national library those many moons ago, how easily he had mistaken you for a mere noble lady â having met all types of leaders, politicians, heads of state over the years, he never would have imagined that such humility, empathy, sincerity could reside in one of royal blood. You had long since apologized for having inadvertently misled him regarding your identity, but there had been no real need â the truth only made him admire you more. And youâve only continued to amaze and captivate him since then; way past denying to himself just how utterly in love he is, Din is sure he could not conceal his feelings were it not for the cover of his Beskar. His Lieutenants have likely already seen through his armour tonight.
Itâs only when you can no longer swallow your yawns and your eyelids start to droop that Din insists everyone retire for the night. Though he had agreed to refrain from reprimanding his men any further for their role in your adventure today, your security and safety is still his utmost priority. He ushers you to the small bedroom to ready yourself for bed, then lays out the rotating security protocol for the night with his men. When everyone is comfortable with their assignments, Din bids his Lieutenants goodnight before knocking on your door.
âCome in.â
He enters to find you rearranging the bedding of the one bed to your liking, adorably fluffing the pillows and tucking back the covers, âWell, General? Have you satisfied yourself with the security arrangements?â
Din checks the roomâs one window, drawing the curtains after deeming its construction to be adequate, then takes a closer look around; the room itself is quaint, nowhere near grand enough for someone of your station, but perfectly suitable for a nightâs shelter from the still raging storm. Far from complaining, you seem to have no problem making yourself at home â Din wonders if thereâs any place in the galaxy that you couldnât make your own, anywhere you wouldnât look like you belonged perfectly. Corusant? Mandalore? Nevarro? He shakes his head to relieve himself of thoughts he has no right to, drawing a chair next to the roomâs small but well lit fireplace and sits before answering, âThe Lieutenants will sleep out in the main room, one at a time, switching off 4-hour guard shiftsâŠâ
âBut DinâŠâ
The Mandalorian shakes his head, âNo buts, cyare. I cannot compromise on this. Regardless of the assurance and hospitality of our hosts, I will not leave the premises unguarded overnight.â
You relent, knowing he will be immovable on this matter, âAnd you?â
âThe Lieutenants will guard the cottage, and I will guard you.â
âFrom that chair?â
The General nods as he settles in, unsure what to make of the cute little noise you chirp at his assertion, pretending not to noticed the look of amusement gracing your pretty face as you go about your nightly routine. Thereâs something magnetic about the way you complete even the most mundane of tasks: washing your face, brushing your hair â the domesticity of it all tugs at something primal in Dinâs heart. Though heâs never been in your castle bedchambers, Din will admit he has thought about what it might be like in there, the place where you lower your guard, where you can be your most restful self, vulnerable â he would want to protect you even there, he thinks. Unaware of your own allure and the effect youâre having on the stoic, steady man watching, you go around the room extinguishing the lamps so that the only remaining light source is the still gently lapping fire next to him. As the golden dance of its flames illuminate your graceful steps towards the bed, the tranquility of the scene before Din whispers an image of him slipping under those covers with you but for a moment - his impeachable sense of duty snaps him back to reality before the fantasy can take hold.
Youâre still wearing a bemused grin as you climb into bed, as if you can read his mind the way you can the rigidity of his posture; after laying your head on the pillow and rolling away from him, you sing back over the roar of the storm, âGoodnight, General.â
âGoodnight, Princess.â
---
Din can tell that you arenât asleep, but heâs still surprised nearly an hour later when you suddenly sit upright, âDin, do you really mean not to get any rest?â
When he offers nothing but silence, you violently throw back the covers and hop out of bed. Walking towards him, bathed in the warm glow of the fireâs dying embers, youâre an angel unaware of her own sin, âPlease, come to bed, General. Itâs big enough for the both of us.â
You donât know that for the last hour itâs taken every ounce of Dinâs honour, every last fibre of his strength to keep from doing just that. That the mere idea of it being his place to touch you in a shared bed, fall asleep and wake up next to your elegance is worth more to Din than all the credits in the galaxy. That his imagination cannot conceive of anything more comforting than the curved feel of your lovely spine pressed up against his chest and his breath syncing to yours as you both succumb to peaceful, uninterrupted sleep. Yes, that bed is big of enough for the two of you, but is it big enough to contain the spill of Dinâs overflowing feelings? His desires and forbidden fantasies? Is the bed strong enough to cradle the sanctity of your connection, the magnitude of what youâve come to mean to one another, the promises of a tomorrow? Never mind tomorrow, can the bed hold everything Din wishes to say to your heart and do to your heavenly body tonight?Â
âYou cannot say that to me, Princess. Especially not when dressed the way you are.â
Your eyes crinkle adorably, your chest warming from the huskiness in Dinâs voice, âI didnât realize this simple frock made me such a temptress.â
âMore forbidden than any temptation, cyare,â breathes Din. How can he possibly explain that seeing you out of your usual silks, in plainclothes that would not look out of place on any maiden of the kingdom, is a danger to his mind? In these clothes, you would not look so out of place on Nevarro, in his small home near the lava flats - he can almost imagine you welcoming him and Grogu home wearing something similar. He canât tell you that the very look of you as you are now fuels the impossible dream that he might have a life with you; that without your regalia, your satin armour, he can almost picture himself your equal, a man worthy of carving a place by your side.
Din doesnât have the words to articulate any of this; all he can do is to unlock his helmet before simply stating, âYou look like home.â
You move as if in flight, arms locked around your Generalâs neck before youâre even seated in his lap. Eagerly pushing up his helmet, you crash your lips to Dinâs at his romantic declaration, the significance of his words not lost on you. You kiss his fears and uncertainty into submission, every press of your mouths deeper and more passionate than the last.
After Din tips his helmet back down, he confesses, wistful, âCyare, right now in this room, dressed as you are, looking as beautiful as you do - you look like someone that could actually be mine.â
âI am yours, Din,â you declare, heart bursting, âIâve been yours from the moment we met, and every day since. Iâll never be anyoneâs but yours.â You stand and extend your hand towards the only man to whom your heart, your body, your soul, will ever belong, âCome to bed, Din.â
Thereâs not enough fight in him to refuse again - the armour around his heart already cracked and crumbling from your sweet and heartfelt confession, his own abundance of emotions, and the mesmerizing vision of you in that damn dress.
The two of you move as one towards the bed, Dinâs large gloved hands cover yours, guiding you over the breadth of his body. You remain unsure of his intentions until he helps your fingers find the magnetic latch beneath one of his pauldrons â at the click of its release, you gasp, shocked; pulling your hand back so fast itâs as if youâve been burnt, sure youâve just committed an unforgivable sin.
Din chuckles and holds fast onto your hand, bringing it back to his shoulder and closing your fingers over the precious metal. He tugs so that the Beskar detaches from its clip, letting you separate the armour from the man. You look between the component in your hand and the visor of Dinâs helmet in awe â disbelieving of this honour heâs bestowing on you. That a Mandalorian remove any of his sacred armour in front of another is extraordinary enough, to let her be the one to relieve him of it is practically sacrilegious. Your eyes well with tears at this remarkable display of trust, of this invitation Din is extending, and you vow here and now that you will do everything in your power to be deserving of such privilege.
Thank you.
Din nods in understanding as he helps you set down his pauldron, then resumes showing you how to disarm him. The ceremony of his armour removal is sacrosanct, a carefully coordinated dance steeped in tradition: pauldron, bandolier, chest plate, cape, frame, vambraces, thigh plates, boots â all handled with the greatest of care and reverence. You memorize every wordless instruction and commit this sacred ritual to heart, the most attentive student to her adoring teacher.Â
Itâs only when Din stands before you in just his flight suit that he hesitates, shy, exposed. You reach to offer him reassurance but he stops you by holding up both gloved hands; the shakiness of his breath indicative of the gravity of what heâs about to do, reveal more of himself to you than he has another living soul for what may be his entire adult life.Â
âDin, you donât-â you start, wanting him know he doesnât have to do anything heâs not ready for and certainly not this; you donât expect it and you donât need such any such grand gestures to understand his feelings. In truth, you canât stomach the idea of him having any regrets and being unable to take back or undo his actions.
He shakes his head, happy, âI want to, meshâla. Iâve never wanted to more. For anyone, more.â Blinking away your tears, your eyes glue to Dinâs gloves as he slowly removes and adds them to his neat pile of armour; shellshocked, you stare at enormous size of his hands, instruments of immeasurable power, tanned and rough looking with thick veins that crisscross over a myriad of healed-over scars. Din flexes his thick fingers, as if getting used to the freedom of being ungloved, before turning them over in invitation. You slide your palms over his, soaking in the sensation of this first touch â his skin is exquisite in its feel, warm and grounding, priceless.
Youâre overwhelmed, emotional â these very hands have held you, comforted you, cared for you with infinite tenderness and patience, and yet you know them to also be skilled in destruction, unyielding in their might. Your heartbeat quickens; would it be so wrong if you wanted these hands to show you some of that brutal strength? To handle you with a little less care? To ruin you?Â
Registering your physical reaction to his hands, Din chest puffs a little in pride for his effect on you; he takes one of his hands and cups your face, reveling in how you close your eyes and lean into his palm. Slowly, he trails the fingers of that same hand along your jaw line, then down the side of your neck, feeling you shiver beneath his touch; brushing his fingertips across your collar, he pauses momentarily at the neckline of this temptress dress, before gently dragging the fabric aside until it starts to slip over your shoulder. âMay I?â he asks quietly.
You nod, not trusting your own voice. With the same care you used to strip him of his armour, Din undresses you: slow, reverent. Itâs tortuous how much time he takes unlacing every lace, unbuttoning every button, untying every tie; Dinâs sense of wonder is palpable as each of your layers is shed, you can tell by the way his flight suit tightens across the expanse of his chest that heâs holding his breath until the very last panel of fabric lands at your feet and leaves you bare to his gaze.
Only then does he exhale.Â
For the first time in a while, you feel self-conscious around Din â usually so confident in your ability to read your Mandalorian, youâre finding his body language too impassive to interpret; his continued silence exaggerates how exposed you are, and so you turn your face away, hiding from his gaze â are you not what he expected? Does he not like what he sees?
As if having read your mind, two thick fingers gently pinch your chin and tilt your face upwards; the man beyond the dark abyss of the T-visor zeros in on the spiral of your thoughts, calming them with one simple word, âBeautiful.â
You cannot help but beam as the sincerity and lust underlying Dinâs baritone wash over you, filling you to the brim with renewed confidence and want.
Dinâs hands itch to explore your body, but he reminds himself that you deserve restraint, that youâre too precious for clumsy hands; he runs the back of his knuckles over your collar bones, then down your sternum, closely watching your reactions to his touch. Your skin prickles from the electricity of his caress, breasts aching for more and perking towards Dinâs hands; when his fingertips catch over one of your hardened nipples, you whimper and your body bows. His laugh sends shivers down your spine, âAnd so sensitive.â
Biting down on your lower lip, you pout, too impatient for seduction, and throw your arms Dinâs thick neck, whining as you press your naked body against his immovable frame. He touches his helmet to your forehead, and the cool feel of his Keldabe kiss against your warm skin forces you to still and calm; even through the modulator, Dinâs tone is indulgent and placating, âCyare, I have to blindfold you now, is that okay?â
âOf course, Din,â the significance of this next step not lost on you, you purr, âI trust you.â
Reaching behind you, Din picks up a sash tie that came loose from your dress when he disrobed you. You gaze affectionately into Dinâs visor, straight into his soul, your love and trust the last thing he sees before he covers your eyes with the soft fabric and robs you of your sight.
âCan you see?â the General breathes right above your ear as he secures the blindfoldâs knot, âNot too tight?â
âItâs perfect,â you whisper, barely heard over the loudness of the storm, but no matter, Din reads the way your body reacts to the hiss of his helmet being removed, the sound of his flight suit unzipping.
Something about Din removing this final layer of clothing, the last remaining barrier between his skin and yours, feels like a point of no return, like youâre about to step off the edge of a cliff, hand in hand with the only person in this galaxy with whom you want to share this intimacy.
âDin,â you call for him, you need him.
He lays you gently on the bed and climbs on top, powerful body covering yours, covetous and protective; he flutters soft kisses to your forehead, cheeks, the tip of your nose before coming home to your mouth. Your lips part in an invitation and Din licks in, his tongue eager to explore, deify, to claim â you match him stroke for stroke, brush for brush, letting yourself be conquered. This man is everything to you, his strength, his compassion, his heart, all without an equal in this galaxy - your passion for him claws at his back, trying to pull your bodies closer together, the heat between your legs making a mess of you.
âCyarâika,â Din rasps, the honey of his tenor, so clear without the modulator, music to your ears, âI will do anything you ask, give you anything you need, but please, Your Highness, if you allow, I would very much like to take my time with you tonight.â
Your rank sounds like delicious sin on his tongue, the polite manner of his address barely concealing the filthiness of his request. Of course you will acquiesce; Din has said on more than one occasion that whether you command him as his sovereign or his love, he will always obey without question â but the truth of the matter is that you could never deny him anything either.Â
âOkay, General,â your fingers trace the sharpness of his jaw and thumb at his plush bottom lip, âtake all the time you need.â
He does.
Din worships every inch of your body with his hands, his mouth â mapping the valleys and hills of your figure with the skill and focus of a master navigator getting the lay of a new land. The tip of his strong nose carves new pathways over the soft plains of your body, and his tongue and fingers follow, traversing those routes over and over so that heâll forever be able to find his way to heaven, even with his eyes closed. He reads the noises you make like a map: your little sighs and gasps have him running his tongue over the same pleasure points repeatedly, begging you to recreate that sweet melody for him again; when you writhe and whine, his fingers dig a little deeper, pinch a little harder, forcing your body to mold to his reverent touch; moans and pleas for more, more, more leave him proud and tortured, torn between drawing out this holiest of prayers and paying homage to the siren call from between your legs.Â
No sweet spot is left undiscovered as Din explores and marks you wholly and completely as his. He knows you now in a way that his wildest dreams hardly allowed, and yet it changes nothing of his feelings for you; naked and needy beneath him, you still command him - he remains at your mercy, forever devoted to your happiness, the fiercest protector of your heart.
Your cries for him under the cover of the winds howling against the window do not go unheard; he could never leave you so unsatisfied - kissing down your raised leg, laving at the ticklish spot behind your knee, Din surrenders, bringing his mouth to where you need him most.
The whinny and shudder of relief you exhale when he touches down on your clit rivals the shrieks and shakes of the still raging storm outside. Din grins against your cunt as you fist his hair, tugging, patience having run thin, your offer to let him take his time officially rescinded. Orders received, the General laps at your folds with renewed vigour, making out messily with your slit and drinking down the drip of your nectar like a man parched. Your moans of ecstasy spur him to add the efforts of his fingers, pushing in one, then two thick digits to your mindless chanting of his name. Curling and scissoring you open at the pace that has you yanking at the curls at the base of his neck the hardest, Din circles and sucks on your clit like a men possessed, obsessed, slowing only when he feels you seize and quake with your first orgasm of the night.
Proud of a job well done, Din makes the return journey up your body, smiling against your skin, kissing and caressing the all the curvature landmarks he discovered earlier. Resting his weight on top of you, the Mandalorian sighs, contented and hard, as you welcome him back into your arms. His mouth returns to yours, and when you taste your own honey the sound you make is so guttural and animalistic, Din cannot fathom what he ever did to deserve such heaven. The kissing remains tender, the scratches down his back gentle, your moans soft and melodious â for a man whoâs spent his entire life fighting and steeped in violence, Din knows this is the peace that would allow him to die happy.
But itâs not enough for you.
âDin, please,â you murmur against his lips, voice awakening and dripping with lust, âI need you.â
Once again, the General has no choice but to obey. Kissing you deep, he notches his aching cock against your entrance, smiling at the expression of anticipation evident on the exposed half of your face; he enters you slow, careful.
Your body reacts to finally getting what its wanted for so long by arching, welcoming every inch of Dinâs length, pussy fluttering and begging for more. You want all of him tonight. Forever.
When he finally bottoms out, Din buries his face into your neck, nearly overwhelmed by the sweet hug of your warm walls, and growls low, throaty, âSo tight, meshâla.â
âSo full, General,â you sing back, floating on bliss. Though you cannot see his expression, youâre sure this moment is affecting you both the same; the feel of this great man, cradling you so dear while trusting you to touch him while bare, armourless, makes your heart explode â you want to give everything you have to him, repay him for the trust and belief heâs place in you, for making you feel alive, free, invincible, for just being him, âDin⊠I love you.â
You can feel him smile as he presses kisses up the column of your throat, his facial hair tickling as he drags his lips back to yours, âNi kar'tayli gar darasuum, Princess.â
Unable to contain your joy, your mouth curves in delight, âIs that Mandoâa?â
âYes. For I love you.â
âTeach me?â
Din begins to move, slow thrusting into your tight cunt, every drag a release, an offering, âNee kar-TIE-lee gar dah-RAH-soom. Nee kar-â
âNee kar-â you try out the pronunciation hushed, heart pounding, as if it was a secret being revealed to you and only you.
âTIE-lee gar.â
The words of Dinâs native tongue sound so beautiful spoken this way, sure and slow to the rhythm of Din rocking into you; you try your best to do it justice with your own repetition, âTIE-lee gar.â
âVery good, cyare,â Dinâs praise hits you right in the throb of your clit, you clench so hard he chokes, âDah-RAH-soom.â
Mandaloreâs language might as well be a forbidden hymn when sung in your breathy register, âDah-RAH-soon.â
âPerfect. Again.â
Again and again you practice, recitation of this one glorious phrase punctuated by the increasing tempo of Dinâs thrusts. He praises your every successful completion of the phrase, even those that take longer when you become distracted by how deep he sinks into your cunt or the wet squelch of your bodies joining together over and over.
âWell done, Princess.âÂ
âDoing so good for me.âÂ
âNi kar'tayli gar darasuum.â
The Generalâs patience and encouragement make you want to try even harder to please him; you roll your hips, meeting his powerful drive with your own bounce, voice growing louder and more confident, âNi kar'tayl-â
Your cadence stumbles as Din picks up the pace something feral; he jolts you up the bed, punching the air from your lungs and with it, the simple phonetics of his peopleâs language. You wail your Mandoâa like a war cry as Dinâs cock reaches new depths, grateful that the rainstorm that continues to beat down over Solana drowns out your unrestrained vocals.
âDank Farrik, youâre perfect, cyare.â
And still, you persist, sobbing out the lyrical combination of vowels and consonants between every gasping breath Din allows; heâs holding you close now, his lips growling words of devotion and reassurance as you continue to refine the pitch and intonation of the truest phrase you will ever utter. His hips never stutter, he chases after your high like his life depends on it; not in all his days has Din heard the words of the Mandalorian people sound so melodious, so regal, so damn ethereal than on the wings of your angelic voice. Heâs so proud of you; he could listen to you speak Mandoâa forever. He could love you forever.Â
âAgain,â Din croaks, his animal now fully unleashed, he pounds into you unrestrained, single minded.
Youâre so close. So, so close to perfecting your Mandoâa, unwilling to settle for anything less than a proper declaration of how adamantly you adore and admire your Mandalorian. I love you, Din. I love you, Ni kar'tayli gar darasuum, I love you.
(Thrust) Ni kar'tayli (thrust, thrust) gar (thump, thump) darasuum!
âAgain.â
(Slap) Ni kar'tayli (slap, slap, slap) gar (thrust, thrust) darasuum!
âDin!â You come, the chime of your Generalâs name ringing out and echoing off the walls of your room, thankfully swallowed by the roar of the outside gale.
The hug of your perfect cunt and the poetry of his native tongue on yours proves too much for Dinâs cock; he spills into you as you continue to murmur in perfect Mandoâa âNi kar'tayli gar darasuum, Ni kar'tayli gar darasuum, Ni kar'tayli gar darasuumâŠâ
âI love you, I love you, I love you,â he hums against your mouth, his descent lazy and sleepy. You smile against his lips, blissed out, body limp and wrung out, but heart full and blooming.
âI love you too, Din,â you coo, letting your Mandalorian curl around you, the two of you settle under the covers, soaking in the afterglow of your lovemaking. As Dinâs strong arms wind protectively around your body and the heat from the press of his naked body against yours urges you towards sleep, you remember your concern from earlier, âDin, I know you wonât spend the night like this, but please promise me youâll get some rest before getting up and resuming guard.â
The General squeezes you tighter in response, the velvet of his promise rumbles against your cheek, âI promise, Princess. Iâm yours to command. Iâm yours.â
And Iâm yours. So tired, youâre unsure if youâre able to say the words aloud before your eyes close. Itâs not necessary; the steady beating of your heart and the enormity of your feelings pulsing against the feel of Dinâs bare skin next to yours, say it for you.
I summoned you, please come to me
Don't bury thoughts that you really want
I fill you up, drink from my cup
Within me lies what you really want
Come, lay me down
'Cause you know this
'Cause you know this sound
In the middle of the night
In the middle of the night
Just call my name
I'm yours to tame
In the middle of the night
In the middle of the night
I'm wide awake
I crave your taste all night long
'Til morning comes
I'm getting what is mine
You gon' get yours, oh no, ooh
In the middle of the night
In the middle of the night, oh
These burning flames, these crashing waves
Wash over me like a hurricane
I captivate, you're hypnotized
Feel powerful, but it's me again
Come, lay me down
'Cause I know this
'Cause I know this sound
In the middle of the night
In the middle of the night
Just call my name
I'm yours to tame
In the middle of the night
In the middle of the night
I'm wide awake
I crave your taste all night long
'Til morning comes
I'm getting what is mine
You gon' get yours, oh no, ooh
In the middle of the night
In the middle of the night, oh
hating on x reader fics is genuinely like. so weird to me .wowww someone wants to imagine dating a fictional character. wow someone did the mortal sin of pretending their fav loves them.. boo fucking hoo people are dying
Warnings: 18+ Content (MDNI pls). Angssssssst. Secret established relationship, Mando'a nicknames, allusion to past smut. Kissing and Crying. Sorry.
A/N: Takes place a few months after Kiss it Better; can be read standalone but might hurt more/better if you read that drabble first? A reminder that this is a post Season 3 canon compliant universe where Din has been dispatched by the New Republic to an allied planet (Solana), training their armies as their General. Kindly excuse the errors/typos (I'll try to fix over the weekend!) - I had to rush to post on time đ (Emily is bad with schedules đ«Ł) Thank you for reading!
Dividers by @saradika-graphics / Series Masterlist / Title from Camilla Cabello; inspo lyrics at the end.
Something was⊠off.Â
Din sensed it throughout the morning, an unshakeable needling at the back of his mind - one that made his trigger finger itch. A warning.
To be fair, it hadnât been all morning.  Slipping from your bed just before dawn, the tranquility of the dawdling dark and quiet of the still sleeping castle felt as calming as it had every morning prior. Taking great care not to rouse you from your peaceful slumber, he moved slow and deliberate â contentment settling in Dinâs chest when he stood from the bed to find his efforts had not been for naught.
While dressing and redonning his armour, Dinâs gaze had been naturally drawn to the beauty of your naked form; he smiled to himself, lingering longer than allowed, recalling the passion of the night before â the hours spent between those legs, kissing those luscious lips. Going through wonderfully mundane motions to start his day, the only hitch Din could foresee was the injustice of having to tear himself from your perfection; he comforted himself with the knowledge that he would see you again in a few short hours, laid one soft kiss to your bare shoulder, then two more to the silk blindfold still miraculously tied over your eyes, before leaving via the balcony.
It was only after flying straight to the castleâs training grounds and meeting with his lieutenant and captains to the oversee the usual morning drills, did Din start to feel unsettled.Â
Training proceeded uneventfully, but Din had been satisfied with your fatherâs soldiers â there was nothing noted among the ranks or in the execution of their exercises that would be the Generalâs cause for concern. Just after dawn broke, Din spotted your ladyâs maids, Seline and Olivia, strolling across the castle grounds with Grogu â unexpected, but still no reason for alarm. It wasnât unusual for his son to be roused earlier than the rest of the castle by a hungry stomach, nor for Groguâs favourite playmates to indulge his appetite in the kitchens before breakfast was officially served.
Still unable to put his finger on its source, the troublesome feeling that he was missing something critical continued to pester Din up until he and his troops broke for breakfast several hours later. Trying to shrug it off, he chalked up the feeling to his old bounty hunter instincts while walking towards the royal dining hall, unaware that his life was about to be turned upside down.
Itâs only when he enters the room, expecting to find the usual company sitting down to all your favourite morning dishes, that heâs reminded his gut is never wrong. The room is being cleared, empty dishes indicating that the meal has long since been over, with only your father sitting in his usual place at the head of the table, studying some documents.
âForgive me, your majesty. I did not realize how late training had run.â
âNo apologies necessary, General. You are not late in the slightest â we simply had reason to celebrate and therefore set the spread earlier than usual,â the king smiles brightly at his trusted General, gesturing for the Mandalorian to take his usual seat.
As he sits, offering thanks for the customary plate thatâs been prepared for him to take away and eat alone, Din inquires, anxiety not yet abated, âWhat do we have the pleasure of celebrating today, sire?â
The king clasps his hands together happily, âAfter many months of fielding offers from foreign dignitaries and endless talks with the fine families that make up our court, I am pleased, and somewhat relieved, Iâm not afraid to tell you, General, that a suitable match has been agreed upon and my daughter is finally engaged to be married.â
To Din, an eternity passes before he answers your father, when in reality, itâs only a few seconds - short enough of a duration for his silence to pass for surprise. During that temporal void, Dinâs heart crawls up his throat to choke off his air supply, before swan diving to the pits of his stomach; there it sits heavy, an anchor weighted with a dread that heâs been desperately trying to ignore. It eats at his soft, defenseless insides, a burden borne not just of this morning but one thatâs been an inescapable foe for the past several months... maybe even prior. From the day he first laid eyes on you, possibly. Or perhaps since the cataclysm of your first, perfect kiss? The exact start of Dinâs ruin hardly matters now â heâd been doomed countess times over, with every call of his name in your pretty voice, each press of his mouth to your sweet lips, every moment found in the heaven of your body.Â
In the recesses of his heart and mind, Din has always known that everything with you, each kiss, each smile, each touch, has been stolen - your love existing on borrowed time. And now the universe has come to collect.
âCongratulations, sire,â says Din, as evenly as he can manage, âthis is indeed a reason for celebration. A blessing for your great house.â
âIt is,â your father studies the armoured man, face softening with fondness, âand a tremendous weight off my mind, for which I owe you many thanks.â
Tilting his head, Din remains silent, not understanding.
The genuine humility of the great warrior before him never ceases to amaze the king, âIt is a privilege to be able to arrange a betrothal within our own kingdom, to be confident there exists a mutual love for the realm and the people of this planet. You have raised the strength of our armies, defended our borders, and made Solana safe enough that I do not need to seek any political or security alliances through marriage. The Princess can remain in our royal house, rule after me as sheâs always meant to; you yourself know of our peopleâs love for her, and now they have the good fortune of looking to her for leadership and guidance after I am gone â itâs all I ever truly hoped for.â Your father takes a breath, misty-eyed at this sentiment, âAll the Solanian people require in a King consort is someone they can trust to have the Princessâ best interest at heart, and with one of our bannermen, that can be assured. This would not have been possible without your hard work and dedication, General. For what feels like the millionth time, the people of Solana thank you. The Princess thanks you. I thank you.â
âIt has been my truest honour to serve you and the people of Solana, your majesty. No thanks are necessary,â Din bows his head, and while he knows the older man cannot see his face, he nonetheless wishes to avoid his gaze, âthough perhaps I may call upon that goodwill and your overall splendid mood, in order to inform you that Grogu and I will concluding our time in your service today and returning to Adelphi Base in order to receive our next assignment from the New Republic.â
âToday?â
âYes, sire, today,â that this has been Dinâs plan ever since your father announced his intention for you to marry matters not, the words still sound unbelievable even to his own ears â he bolsters slightly to convince the king, himself, of his resolve, âIn truth, our return has been long overdue, but neither Grogu nor I feel any shame in having enjoyed staying past our original assignment. We have grown attached to the beauty of your planet and the hospitality of your people, and will be forever grateful for the kindness and generosity you and the Princess have shown us. Solana has felt like home in a way I never intended, or frankly thought possible for someone like myself. However, there are other planets to defend, threats to eliminate, bounties to capture â every assignment Grogu and I complete for the New Republic makes the galaxy safer for everyone, including Solana.â
âI have long admired your dedication to duty and responsibility, General,â the Kingâs tone is warm, proud, âI would not attempt to convince you to stay, but I hope you know that it is with genuine sadness that I see you go. You and Grogu are sons of Solana now â you will always have a place here should you choose to return, for any reason or length of stay.â
Din rises to bend the knee in deference and gratitude to the man heâs grown to love and respect as much as he does you. Awkwardly accepting your fatherâs insistence that they are beyond such formalities and the resulting embrace of farewell, Din reiterates appreciation on both his and his sonâs behalf before retreating quickly from the dining room. Once alone in the hall, he allows himself one, solitary moment of self pity before going on autopilot, setting forth to complete the necessary sequence of tasks with droid-like efficiency.
First, he retrieves his and Groguâs belongings from their quarters â nearly everything has been packed and ready for departure for months. Dinâs been prepared for this painful eventuality since the day you tearfully begged him to stay until you were officially betrothed; never able to deny you anything, he had promised he would, knowing that you both knew it was but a temporary remedy, a prolonging of a dream that was bound to end in heartbreak. As he looks down at his meager belongings, Dinâs grateful for his own forethought â the longer he lingers, the more prone he might be to reminiscing, getting lost in thoughts and memories, regrets even, and Din cannot not afford any additional sentimentality today. His heart simply cannot bear it.
As he sorts his sonâs much more robust collection of personal items, he pleas silently for Groguâs forgiveness over their sudden departure, for denying him a more deserved sendoff from the friends and family theyâve both found here on Solana. With a heavy sigh, Din contends with thoughts of his sonâs inevitable, and justifiable, anger, pledging to somehow make it up to him.
Once fully organized, Din brings all the luggage to the capitalâs primary aircraft hangar to load into his N1, and asks the ground crew to have her ready for launch within the hour. Done with the logistical arrangements, the only thing remaining is something Din would happily surrender all the credits to his name in order to avoid: saying goodbye.
He finds his men, his troops, his friends, reconvened on the same lawn from earlier, awaiting his return â patiently and eagerly ready to follow their Generalâs command.  Breaking to them the news of his leaving, Din cannot pretend that their range of emotions at his announcement â loss, dejection, shock, gratitude, pride to have served under him â do not touch him deeply; he would die for any one of these soldiers, whose trust he does not take for granted, whose unyielding loyalty he will never fully feel he deserves. Their General is beyond proud of them; Din could not imagine or ask for a better army to train and fight alongside - their dedication and honour rivaling those of his warrior Creed. He tells them so spiritedly and with genuine attachment as he addresses them for the final time as their commanding officer.
After leaving his lieutenant and captains with some parting guidance and to their final salutes, Din makes directly for the woodlands at the edge of the castleâs expansive property, knowing he will find one if not both of your ladyâs maids lingering nearby. Just as predicted, he comes upon Olivia as he closes on the hidden opening to the forestâs path. She is equally unsurprised to see him.
âGeneral,â she curtsies, and when rising, meets his eyes with sadness and worry that he knows are all for you, âdo youâŠ?â
Din nods at her unfinished question and tilts his head towards the woods, a gesture she immediately comprehends, âOlivia, could I please trouble you to find Grogu and take him to the capital hangar? His belongings have been stowed in the starfighter and afterâŠ,â he falters slightly before continuing, âKindly tell my son that I will join him there in a short while, at which time we will leave directly.â
Your trusted confidant and friend gasps, eyes filling with tears as she takes in all the implications of the Generalâs instructions.
âIâm very sorry,â Din laments, shoulders slumping, âto offer so little time for Grogu to say his goodbyes. He has grown very fond of you, Selene, and all his friends on Solana. I must offer you my sincerest gratitude for the kind attention youâve extended my son during our stay.â
âOh!â Olivia perks up, eyes shiny, smile nostalgic, âGeneral, it is I who must thank you! On behalf of myself and Selene, as well as the entire household, thank you for coming into our lives and for allowing us the honour of getting to know sweet Grogu. We love him so tremendously and will miss him more than you know!â She curtsies again, âAnd you as well! Solarians will never forget the great honour you have afforded us by being our General, nor how much safer and prosperous we are and will continue to be because of your efforts. And,â her voice lowers, but warms, âfor Selene and I particularly, we must thank you for how well you have loved our beloved Princess.â
âPlease take care of her after I am gone.â
âOf course, General,â Olivia straightens and sets off to find her favourite green companion without another glance back, trusting Din with your care as she has countless times before.
With her gone, Din is once again left alone to his overwhelming melancholy; taking a few deep breaths to steel himself for whatâs to come, he enters the woods, resigned. He walks speedily towards your secret meeting place, grateful for the number times heâs walked this route - feet find their way from memory alone, his mind too addled to make much sense of the readings on his visor.
His sensors nonetheless track your erratic path: broken twigs, a skewed brush, fallen leaves left in the wake of your uneven footprints; Dinâs heart clenches, your emotional state carving its own inelegant trail to a place that until today has been sacred, a refuge for your love. When he emerges from the thicket, he finds you standing on the opposite side of the clearing, your lone figure brightly lit by the morning sun, a sparkling diamond inlaid against a background of majestic old growth trees. Your back is to him and his steps have been silent, but Din knows you know heâs there.
Letting the moment sit, Din admires the soft curves of your frame for what he knows is the last time and takes solace in the small degree of calm this vision of you brings his wildly beating heart. How many times has he gazed upon you like this? From across a ballroom as you danced, while on guard in the throne room from which you ruled, from the army training grounds as you took a turn about the castle grounds? A million stolen glances, the depth of his admiration and want hidden from the world behind Beskar, tempered by the forbidden nature of your relationship; aware that the clock is nearly run out, Din finally speaks,
âYouâve been hiding from me, cyarâika.â
When you turn, your tear-stained cheeks and the depth of sorrow in your watery eyes nearly send Din to his knees. The only way he could cross the clearing faster would be if he flew; he practically does.
Your spirits cannot help but lift as he stands before you, the Mandalorianâs very presence grounding, offering you a momentary respite from your inner turmoil; this man is and will always be your safe, your comfort, security personified. But youâve never seen him like this before; so clearly, the very power and strength of his people is hammered into the shiny Beskar he dons so proud and well â it shatters you to see Din deflating beneath its weight, fallible for the first time.
Sad eyes crinkling, you jest with forced mirth, âAnd what chance does one actually have at hiding from the most feared bounty hunter in all the galaxy?â
You both chuckle, though it feels like nothing will ever be funny again.Â
âYou found me.â You always knew he would.
âI will always find you, meshâla.â
Voice betraying your shame, though youâre certain Din assigns you no fault, âSo you know.â
âYes, your father told me.â The helmetâs modulated tone is factual, apologetic even. You nod in acceptance, unwilling to speak more of the topic than necessary; it feels like poison on your tongue.
âCongratulations on your engagement, Princess.âÂ
These words, perfunctory, cold in their formality, stab at your heart, âDo you really wish to congratulate me, Din?â
Your heart lurches to see this man - your General, your warrior, your most cherished love - trying to be strong enough for the both you, âAnd you, Din? What of your happiness?â
âAs a Mandalorian, I seek only to live with honour, defend our way of life, and protect my kin and clan. As long as your safety is assured, I am in no position to ask for more.â
Though itâs not the first time the General has acknowledged he considers you kin, family, it always sets you a flame â today, however, that swell of emotion is smothered under the bitter admission that no matter how close he deems you, you can never be to him what you so dearly wish.
You can never be Dinâs riduur. His partner. His wife.Â
Until this betrothal, the two of you had managed to put off this sobering reality, living in a blissful state of denial. And now the day of reckoning is upon you and youâre not ready to wake from the fantasy, to relinquish a future where you could be something, anything to Din. At arms length, will forever be how he holds you in his heart â after today, all you will ever be is a memory. Surrendering to this anguishing thought, you sob and fly into Dinâs waiting arms.
He holds you as he has a million times before, cradled like the rarest of treasures - as precious to him as his son, as sacred to him as his Creed. In these arms you will always be protected, loved, known; in these arms, you arenât just a princess, youâre his princess, his woman â the woman whose very thoughts and esteem he holds above all others, whose compassion and wise counsel he seeks, whose good opinion he cherishes, and whose heart, soul and body he worships. Din holds you like a wish, a promise.
Neither of you say a word, but there is no need - the consequences of today and the resulting wound on your souls is so fresh and deep, you understand the otherâs pain perfectly; to acknowledge the truth, that this is the end, out loud, feels like an afront to the fragility of the moment.Â
It is his greatest shame that Din has no comfort to offer you â the woman to whom heâs pledged his everlasting devotion, who heâs sworn to protect, to venerate. He has nothing but shared grief, sorrow.
If only he could simply dry your tears and offer heartfelt words of affirmation, love, as he has many times before; you would return them ten-fold and the two of you would take solace in one another, dismissing the power of the proverbial axe thatâs hung over your future. Despite the strength of your commitment, this one subject, this ghost, has loomed in the background of your relationship since its inception, creeping closer and closer, in spite of your joint efforts to refute its existence - hide from it, deny its inevitability. But for the Princess and her General, there is no escape from duty; the rope that tethers you together has finally run out of slack, itâs time to face reality.
Together, but ultimately, apart.
Under the weight of his breaking heart, Din presses his last gift to you into your palm â you pull away slightly to look down at where you feel the cool metal against your skin.
Through your tears, the smooth grooves of the small Mythosaur skull pendant reflect the dayâs light as tiny stars â a symbol of Dinâs homeland weighted with a history and tradition of kinship and faith as resplendent as the man who is gifting it to you. The token itself is priceless, a reminder that you belong to a clan you can never openly claim â the fullness of Dinâs selfless gesture rips clean through you, a wound ontop of your other wounds. Burying yourself back into Dinâs chest, you burrow in close, inhaling his scent like a lifeline, hoping to somehow find salvation in the safety of his embrace.
But even the relief of this intimacy is fleeting, every gentle stroke to your back, your arms, your head, every claw and dig of your fingers between the gaps of Dinâs armour, into the soft gather of his neck cowl, carries with it an expiration date.Â
Dinâs mind is a storm.  He is a Mandalorian; the member of a Creed that values strength, bravery. He is the General of your armies, the commander of legions that fight in your name; he holds the line, is first out of the gate, a gunslinger, a bounty hunter, a warrior. If anyone should have the strength to lead the two of you through the final act of your story with some semblance of composure, it should be him.
But heâs never been more lost in his life.
âMeshâla. Promise me you will take care of yourself.â
Startled by his choice of words, you pull back sharply to study the man before you. Though you cannot see his face, you know him well enough to read his mannerisms, his emotions - hidden from all the world⊠but not from you, âYou speak as if you are leaving.â
âI am,â Dinâs voice is quiet, as if too loud and it would betray his resolve, âWe agreed that I would stay until your betrothal.â
âWe did,â you say slowly, already afraid of his response, âbut you speak as if you are leaving right now.â
âI am.â
If he did not already have such a firm hold on you, you may have collapsed from the impact of these two little words. Itâs too much, itâs too much, your heart cries. Another shock to your spirit that youâve had neither the time nor the strength to steel yourself for; in quick succession, all before finishing the first meal of the day, youâve lost your freedom, right to choice, hope, love, potential, happiness. And now, to be met with another devastating loss so soon, to be forced to say goodbye to Din when you havenât even reconciled how youâll be able to live without the man himself? Itâs too much!
Of course, if you were to be honest with yourself, you did not expect Din to stay much longer after the formalization of your engagement â he knows you would never expect him to linger in the background, swallow the niceties and endure the formalities of seeing you paraded alongside another man.Â
Itâs why you had hidden from him after breakfast. Suddenly, another realization tears your soul open,
âBut⊠GroguâŠâ you rasp, unable to articulate the gutting of another piece of your life with Din.
âI know, cyare, I am sorry, so, so sorry.â
âI donât have⊠I- thereâs nothingâŠâ You mindlessly run your hands over the bodice of your dress, trying to distract, hold yourself together. Frantically patting through the volumes of your dress, you look for something, anything, to give the man you love and his son to take as a token of your affection; in the jumble of your mind, amidst the swirl of every incohesive thought, without one, once they depart, it will be as if the time you spent together - this life, you â never existed. Panic closes in on you, your breathing laboured as your chest feels like it might collapse in on itself, âI donât have anything for the two of you to remember me by. I havenât anything to give you.â
As if this was the true tragedy of the moment.
âThat isnât true, cyarâika,â Din lovingly wipes your cheeks with his thumbs, the familiar scent of the worn leather enough to steady your breath, âYouâve given me more than youâll ever know: a glimpse of something I never thought possible - a love so deep and pure, I thought it only existed in the lore passed down by the Elders. To have someone as true as you bestow love upon me, is an honour that rivals glory in battle. Youâve touched my heart and altered me forever and youâve made a home for me and Grogu in yours. Princess, this is a gift my son and I will carry to our dying days.â
A warrior with a poetâs heart. His words hang in the air - so romantic, so soul piercingly beautiful they nearly border on despair; with nothing left to lose, you whisper, âThen how can you leave so easily?â
Itâs not a real question, of course â you have no intention of guilting your General; rather, this your final and most desperate cry for help. If Din has some answers as to how to survive this separation intact, youâre begging for him to share them with you; your sadness has defeated you, and youâre exhausted from the fight.
Seeing you like this, so small, so lost, nearly breaks your Mandalorian. âNot easily at all, meshâla,â Dinâs voice cracks, his composure dangerously close to crumbling, âitâs the hardest thing I will ever do. To leave you and know that I will never look upon your beautiful face, never know the brush of your lips against mine againâŠâ He doesnât add, never feel you writhe in pleasure beneath me, never taste your honey on my tongue, never feel your warmth wrapped around my cock, never see the quaking allure of your face when you come, âTo know that when I wake, it wonât ever be to your sweetness, nor will I ever hear the melody of your voice calling my name⊠even now, I donât know where I will actually find the strength to leave all your perfection behind.â
The tears come fast and furious now, Dinâs gloved fingers no longer able to contain your sadness; all he can do is helplessly watch as you cry, your grief spilling over the rough leather and cascading down your pretty face, your hurt whimpers killing him.
âBut I must endure, Princess, for the torture that awaits me if I stay is not something I think I could survive,â even as Din admits this, he imagines you on your wedding day, a vision walking away from him towards a faceless rival, and nearly throws up, âIâm just not strong enough.â
âDin, youâre the strongest man Iâve ever known,â heart overflowing with equal parts fondness and melancholy, you bring your hands up to the Mandalorianâs helmet; he lets you softly trace its sleek grooves before resting your palms on the side panels, leaning in to your affectionate touch â you will never know what youâve done in this lifetime to deserve such privilege, âNi kar'tayl darasuum gar.â The darkness of the T-visor reflects the truth behind your words, pronounced to perfection, taught by your most patient teacher. I love you.
âNi kar'tayl darasuum gar,â your General whispers back, pressing the brow of his helmet gently to your forehead. I love you.
The cool feel of metal against your warm skin triggers a fresh wave of sadness. This is the last Keldabe kiss you will ever have; the last time you will hear Mandoâa uttered so intimately, like a secret language. Never again will you be in such close proximity to incomparable power and lethal skill, and know only its tenderness and warmth; you cannot imagine ever feeling so well loved, understood, limitless, safe, ever again.
Iâll never know what you look like, a part of your mind decries, but your heart reminds you that it matters not. In spite of this enduring mystery, you know your Mandalorian. You know his strength of character, the impeachability of his integrity, his capacity for compassion and kindness. You can mimic all his imperceptible tells, every little tick and nod that would be meaningless to others, but speak a thousand words to you. You know how expressive his eyes are even though youâve never seen them; youâll feel his smile in your bones until the day you die. You could find him amongst a sea of his brethren with your eyes closed. And even if that were not the case, you would not ask him for this - it is beneath your bond.
âI donât know how to say good-bye, Din.â
âSo, we wonât,â his tone is gentle, but unwavering, the strongest man youâve ever known attempting to remain so for your sake, âclose your eyes, cyarâika.â
Trusting, you do ask he asks, tears flowing down your face into the curves of the soft smile you cannot help when you hear the hiss of a Beskar helmet unlocking, then removed.
Oh, how you could kiss like this forever. Far from tragic, this last kiss is like every one youâve shared with Din since the first: passionate, tender, searing; it sets your heart soaring and your mind racing back to when you first met all those moons ago, before he was your General, before you were his Princess. How could you have ever known that that mysterious, striking stranger would become your whole world, open your heart and mind, own you body and soul? If only you could go back in time. If only you had more time now. If only duty and kingdom didnât stand like an impenetrable forcefield between you. If, if, ifâŠ
âCount to thirty, Princess.â
Once more, you do as your Mandalorian says, âOne⊠twoâŠâÂ
âYouâre so beautiful.â
âEleven⊠twelve,â you hiccup, forcing yourself not to chase after Dinâs lips, to arch in the direction of his calming baritone.
He moves in silence, arms slipping from your body, stepping out of your orbit; the last trace of him, a delicate brush of his fingertips over the back of your head, one of your hair ribbons slipping through your strands, vanishes without warning. âNineteen⊠twenty,â dismay fills your chest as the stillness of the surrounding woodland air settles, weighty, over you.
You can still smell Dinâs manly musk, a mix of grit and determination (âTwenty-eight⊠twenty-nine...â), overlayed with the clean polish of flawless Beskar, â⊠thirty.â
Slowly opening your eyes to the hush of the clearing, a stuttered sob catches in your chest as you sink to your knees.
Youâre completely alone.
đ¶Loving You Had Consequences, by Camilla Cabellođ¶:
Loving you was young, and wild, and free
Loving you was cool, and hot, and sweet
Loving you was sunshine, safe and sound
A steady place to let down my defenses
But loving you had consequences
Loving you was dumb, dark, and cheap
Loving you will still take shots at me
Found loving you was sunshine, but then it poured
And I lost so much more than my senses
'Cause loving you had consequences
Please keep interacting with this post because when I come to tumblr to procrastinate, this shows up again in my notifications and guilts me into writing again
the feeling of his whole body blanketing over yours during back shots because heâs so desperate to meet your lips over your shoulder not realising the angle is only pushing him even deeper
in my mind the space tin can man is as touch-starved as one can be and hasnât had any experience kissing before, so when he has the opportunity to get skin to skin contact and kiss⊠din kinda blacks out.
ability speak, gone. those steady warriorâs hands, gone. in their place is a trembling, moaning, groaning and whimpering mess of a man whoâs lovinâ feels like heâs about to plow you through the floor of the crest into outer space and the only thing he wants in the universe is to feel your lips on his.
(whoa!!! wheeeere did all of that even come from??)