Excerpt: “Can we do this now?” he asked, resting his nose against your cheek. His breaths coated your face. “Please?”
You smiled, burying your hands in his hair. Your eyes drifted closed in bliss. “Yes, Din. I want you. Right now.”
He kissed your cheek and placed your hands back on his armor. “Please get this off of me, and please keep me awake.”
And you did.
Warnings: sleepy, love-filled sex between a married couple. Wife!reader, grogu’s asleep, unprotected sex, mostly just kissing and feeling up. NOT breeding kink. A bit of cockwarming.
A/N: Once again, Happy Dincember everyone. I cannot explain how grateful I am for almost 3,000 followers without crying.
If you’d like to leave a like, comment, ask, or reblog, it would be much appreciated :)
Pedro Masterlist
(GIF from Pinterest)
The familiar scuff of his boots on the Crest floor pulled you from REM sleep into barely languid, and the heat of your body from the cot’s covers warmed just so.
Your riduur was home.
Due to how out of it you were, it took you a few moments to realize that no, this wasn’t a dream. This was real. The two-day mission turned five, turned seven, turned nine, turned twelve was finally over, and your numb body somehow found the strength to prop itself up and drape yourself with the blankets.
You sat like that, all wrapped up in your cocoon, smiling to yourself with your eyes closed, for a few moments. You then stood up slowly, taking the blankets with you, and squinted your way out of the bedroom. Your eyes were no wider than slits, and you thanked the maker for muscle memory.
You swallowed the sleep from your mouth and rounded the corner, feeling your muscles ache with stretch, still in a daze. Your head was beginning to swim with dopamine, and with one last yawn, you made it to the cock pit.
The sight before you halted you instantly.
There was your husband, wrapped in wealth and impenetrable metal, leaning over Grogu’s tiny bassinet. He must have gotten fussy when Din opened the airlock, and Din had immediately taken care of it.
You’d have to thank him for that later.
He sat Grogu up, patting his back, and fed him small bites of maple bar. His favorite.
“That’s it buddy,” he whispered. “Swallow. There ya go.”
You stood and watched this encounter, soaking it in. It was moments like this that you missed the most when he was gone—moments so domiciliary and domesticated that they etched into your heart implicitly. These moments were so wrapped in rarity that you could not even daydream about them or yearn for them, because you didn’t even know they existed. Like watching a Mandalorian brush his teeth, or chop an onion, or change the sheets, or breathe at night. They were the memories you would recall when you were old and graying, unable to describe them in a way that did them justice.
You wrapped yourself tighter in the blankets, just watching and basking in the glow of it. Eventually Din laid Grogu down, tucking him in, and traced his face with his leather-bound glove.
“Goodnight buddy,” he whispered, and turned to you.
You looked up at him in all his sheathing, and smiled.
“Hi,” you whispered.
“Hi,” he whispered back. He smelled of metal and woods with a hint of gunpowder. In the nearly pitch black of the room his shoulders still appeared as broad as ever, his armor was caked in mud, and his weapons belt hung a noticeable amount lower than usual.
You took a moment to soak in the fact that you would look at him like this for the rest of your life.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” he said, moving closer to you.
“You didn’t,” you replied, “your boots did.”
His chuckle underneath the modulator was nothing like it was out of it, but it was enough to bring you home.
“You know I like being up for you when you get back,” you said, looking up higher at him as he came closer and closer. The warmth of the blankets and increased blood flow were not the only things warming your insides now. “Let me be your docile, obedient wife for once.”
You could feel the smirk on his face. “Yes. Obedient and docile, perfect for you.”
He made it to you, wrapping his hands around your waist. Your hands laid on top of his cooled beskar chest and chills etched up your spine as you looked up at him with a smile.
He pressed his forehead firmly against your own. The smell of forest and frost on him engulfed you. “My wife is none of those things.”
You hummed. “No, she isn’t.”
He began slowly walking you backwards into the bedroom, as if you were swaying in a dance, and your hands crept up to his helmet.
“Why didn’t you wake me up when the kid was fussy? I could have taken care of him.”
His gloved hands trailed up your back and the exhaustion in his voice was present. “I missed him. Wanted to take care of him.”
You smiled and pressed a kiss to his visor, tasting a mix of ice and salt that burned your chapped lips. “Okay.”
The back of your knees hit the bed frame and you stopped, creeping your hands underneath Din’s helmet.
“If you take this thing off me I’m not going to be able to keep my mouth off you.”
He said it so nonchalantly, as if that was a normal thing to say, and the fatigue of his voice and body language liquified you even more. Your still drowsy state was not helping matters.
You felt euphoric, in a perfect state of conscious and unconscious, like you were still in a dream. It was paradise.
“That’s exactly what I had in mind,” you said, removing the sheets wrapped around you. You let them fall onto the bed before reaching back up for him, slowly rising the helmet off of his head. The familiar hiss coated your ears as it rose, and the chocolate eyes that were yours forever met your own.
He smiled in the dark, illuminated by the moon. He brought his mouth inches away from yours, breathing in your breaths. “Hi.”
“Hi,” you responded, and he kissed you.
Immediately, the taste and feel of him washing over you threatened to crumble you to the floor. Din hands on your waist were the only things keeping you upright.
He kept you standing like it was nothing.
He kissed you slowly and deeply, taking his sweet time tasting you again. Your hands worked their way up his body, tracing his beskar all the way up to his hair. Your tongue met his at the same moment your nails scratched his scalp, and he pulled away from you to groan.
“Can we do this now?” he asked, resting his nose against your cheek. His breaths coated your face. “Please?”
You smiled, burying your hands in his hair. Your eyes drifted closed in bliss. “Yes, Din. I want you. Right now.”
He kissed your cheek and placed your hands back on his armor. “Please get this off of me, and please keep me awake.”
And you did.
Piece by piece, you disrobed the Mandalorian from his beskar down to complete nudity, watching his eyes open and close as he began to drift to sleep as he stood. A few times you had to lean him onto you to prevent him from falling, and he kissed around your pulse point every time. Whispering gibberish.
Finally you squatted down to remove his boots, and just like that, he was naked in front of you. His purple under-eyes stood out in the moonlight, as well as a new scar across his abdomen. Your irises coated in worry, reaching up to feel it, but he stopped you.
“Tomorrow,” he said, kissing you more passionately than he had all night. “Tomorrow.”
Then he disrobed you.
The rough skin on his hands tracing you lit you on fire, boiling you enough to keep you conscious. He was the slowest with your panties, pulling them down your thighs like an art form. You scratched your nails down his warm back, and that seemed to speed him up.
As soon as the fabric hit the floor Din lifted you into his arms, laying you down flat on the cot before crawling overtop of you.
“Din, you’re tired, I can—”
“No,” he said, burying his head in your neck. “Wanna be close to you.”
You couldn’t say no to that.
He took the sheets you had discarded and covered them over the two of you. You could see nothing else but him, and you were completely surrounded by the scent and warmth of his skin.
“Maker I missed you so badly,” he said before kissing you hard enough to make you whine. You pulled him as close to you as possible, tracing his body as he kissed and kissed and kissed you, memorizing your mouth. The passion and heat in you were rising, and with one trace down his haired chest with your nail, he pulled away. He traced his hands over your face, pushing your hair away to see you fully. You traced his face too, noticing his scruff had turned into a full beard.
You always liked that look on him.
“Y/N,” he whispered. “My Y/N.” He spoke as if you were unbelievable
“I’m right here,” you responded, holding his face in your hands.
“I just want to be inside of you,” he whispered, almost pathetically. “Can we just skip to that part?”
You smiled, laughing loudly, and kissed him quickly. “Yes.”
He huffed a laugh and kissed you again, nice and slow, like he had been the whole night.
He kissed you and felt you for so long that you didn’t know if he would make it. His movements slowed and slowed as he went on, touching you and tracing you so meticulously it was like he was painting you from nothing.
Finally, with a firm kiss to your jawline, he entered you tortuously. You exhaled in pure pleasure, and your body threatened to rapture already.
He was a dream come true.
Din halted when he was as deep as he could go and tucked his head into your neck. “Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum, cyar’ika riduur.”
You kissed the side of his head. “Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum, adol akaan.”
And that’s when he started to move.
As he moved in and out, in and out, in and out, dragging each thrust on and on to feel every inch of your folds. He felt all around you, re-memorizing you; how you skin felt, how your body had changed, and the exact rhythm of your heart.
Tears spilled from your eyes as he moved, and you moaned his name over and over, grateful for the return of it in your tongue.
“Keep—keep doing that, saying my name,” he said as he moved. “Almost forgot I had it.”
You repeated it over and over again, clenching around Din when he began to shake. He swirled his shaking fingers around your clit, and with one last clench, the both of you went.
The covers above your heads did little to hide the sound of your synchronization, and it was then that you really started to drift. Din was so warm inside you—filling you up completely—and his body had you trapped in a cave of sheets and serenity. You were perfectly satisfied with your husband safe and sound in your arms, and your body began to fail you.
You felt Din prop himself up and press kisses around your face and your mouth, and your lips tingled with the intensity of it all. He rubbed his nose against yours and pecked your lips before laying back on top of you, pulling the covers raised above his head off as he did. You were hit with fresh air, and were inches away from bliss before Din whispered one last thing in your ear.
“Goodnight, docile and obedient wife.”
You drifted off with a smile.
None of this was a dream. This was real.
Your riduur was home.
Mando’a Translations:
Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum, cyar’ika riduur: I love you/ I will know you forever, my sweet wife.
Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum, adol akaan: I love you/ I will know you forever, even through war.
Tag list: (I apologize if your tag is not working/not added. Let me know if you’d like to be added!!)
Their separation anxiety is probably through the roof now, not even uncle Boba and aunt Fennec can do some something about it lmao. And yes helmet less Din just cuz I wanted to draw his pretty face.
Idk if I’ll be able to draw more Dincember prompts but I’ll try my best! Miss them ;;
I Can Bring You In Warm…. (Din x Reader) - Back To You Drabble
A/N: This is for Dincember 2022 days 20-22, Snowman, Boots, and Decorations. It’s set in the Back To You universe, where? I have no idea…. (Is kinda a continuation of the first few.) This is just fluff and I love it. Though, there is angst, too.
I do not own Star Wars or it’s characters. Sadly. But I carry them in my heart. Does that count for something? My soul says yes.
Warnings: Tooth rotting fluff, Din is once again a warning in and of himself in this one. Maybe like one or two light swear words? Space swearing. Mando’a. Talk of injuries/scars. Tattoos.
Word count: 5,033
Series Masterlist | Dincember 2022 Masterlist
Xxx
“I shouldn’t be long,” Din said, tucking another blaster from the weapons locker into his belt. “I’m just going to get some supplies and the part we need, then I’ll be back. I’ll be gone a day at the most.”
“And if you’re gone longer?” Your voice was small, and you didn’t like it. Staring down at the floor you tapped the toe of your shoe into the ground once, mindlessly working it back and forth as you waited for an answer.
A shadow crossed over you, blocking out the small lights of the main hull, and you felt the cool touch of leather under your chin as he hooked his index finger there. He tilted your head back to look up at him, his visor tilted down to hold your worried gaze as your eyes wandered over the beskar.
“I want you to stay here.” You took a deep breath through your nose, but before you could even open your mouth to protest, he continued. “It’s not safe out there in this weather, especially for the kid. He’s too small, if anything happened, he’d freeze long before you or me, and I’m just not willing to take that risk.” He moved the finger from under your chin to trace along your jaw and up your cheek lightly. “I know you aren’t, either.”
Letting your eyes fall to stare at his chest, you nodded gently.
His hand moved up to cup your cheek, and you leaned into the touch as your eyes fluttered shut. “You have your comm?”
Nodding again, you brought your hand up to place over his, anchoring him to you before he could pull away. “You have one day.” You opened your eyes, steeling your gaze as you peered up into his visor with determination. “If I don’t hear from you after one day, I’m coming after you, so don’t make me do it, Din.”
He nodded after a moment with a sigh. “If I’m comms silent for a whole day, then fine. I’ll admit that probably means something is wrong.”
“Come up with a word, something you can say over the comms so I know to come get you if something goes wrong.”
He chuckled. “Mesh’la, I’m going to a market, not an underground-”
“Din.” Your eyes screwed shut as you tried to stay calm.
“Okay,” he said softly. “If something is wrong and I can’t just tell you,” you rolled your eyes as he spoke pointedly, “I’ll say buruk, which means danger.”
“Buruk. Got it.” You nodded once. “And if everything is fine?”
He sighed. “If everything is fine then everything is fine.”
You hesitated before repeating, “And if everything is fine?”
Letting out a huff, Din’s weight shifted to one leg as he looked absently around the interior of the ship. “If everything is fine, I’ll say mesh’la. That means-”
“I know what that means,” you griped, making him chuckle as you let out a breath of aggravation through your nose. “Din, you call me that all the time, it needs to be something you don’t use so it sticks out.”
“Which is exactly why it’s perfect because everything will be fine.” He reached out and lightly gripped your upper arms, giving them a gentle squeeze. When you kept your arms crossed over your chest and simply glared up at him, he rolled his eyes and let out another huff. “Fine. Naak. Peace.”
“Naak. Buruk. Naak. Got it.” You nodded, giving him a small smile. “Thank you.”
His left hand came back to cradle your face one more time, and again you covered it with your own to keep him there as long as possible.
There were a million things sitting on the tip of your tongue, things to make him laugh, set him at ease before he left. But none of them would come out as you found yourself simply staring up into his visor as he looked down at you.
You almost expected the touch of beskar on your forehead, something he seemed to always do before he left, but the cool touch of metal never came. It was almost a relief, because you weren’t sure you’d be able to let him go if he had. And something in the way he lingered told you he probably wouldn’t have, either.
Taking a few steps back, he pulled away from you slowly, his hand still on your cheek making a slow reluctant drag as he retreated. Your hand over his twisted to hold it tight, knitting your fingers through his and giving a gentle squeeze before you finally had to let go.
“I’ll be back soon,” he said again, voice low and almost believable. “Don’t worry.”
“That’s like asking Tatooine not to be hot, Din.” You let a small smile slip past at his gentle laughter. “Don’t be a hero.”
“That’s like asking this ship not to fall apart,” he teased, pulling the lever to lower the ramp as he tilted his head playfully.
You scoffed, but it quickly melted into soft laughter as you shook your head at him. “At least try?” Shifting your weight from foot to foot, you took a small step towards him before stopping again. “The galaxy will still need help tomorrow.”
“I’ll make sure to make it until then,” his head tilted just a bit further, making your smile grow. “There it is.” Closing the distance between you, he wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you tight, just as your hands wound into his cowl like always. “Ni cuyi gar utreekov, partayli?” (“I am your idiot, remember?”)
“Ni kar'tayli. Ni kar'tayli gar. Gar cuyi ner kar'ta, partayli?” You smiled as he leaned his forehead against yours, somehow getting impossibly closer still. (“I know. I know you. You are my heart, remember?”)
“Shi par gar.” His voice was low, vibrating out of his chest and into yours. (“Only for you.”)
“It’s the idiot part that worries me,” smirking, you stared at his chest as you spoke, giving his cowl a tug before looking up through your lashes into the T of his visor.
“Even an idiot knows to come back when their aliit are waiting for them.” He pressed his forehead more firmly to yours, making your eyes flutter shut. “Keep an eye on the kid. He gets rambunctious when there is snow. I’ll be as quick as I can.” His voice had lost some of its warmth, had gained a hint of pain in its place, and it seemed hard for him to even speak. (“Family.”)
“I will guard him with my life.” You brought a hand to cradle the cheek of his helmet as he pulled his head back to look at you. “There will be no cookie shenanigans under my watch.” Narrowing your eyes, you winked at him. “Well, maybe a few.” He chuckled. “You sure you don’t want me to wake him up so you can say goodbye?”
“No, he won’t even notice I’m gone.”
“Din, you're basically his father. Of course he will.”
“He has you. He’ll be so distracted, it’s only a day. He’ll be fine.” As he backed away from you, cold blasted up the ramp on a gust of wind, and without him in front of you to block it, it rolled over you like a frozen wave.
It made you feel his absence even stronger, everything a little more dull without him around. Watching as his figure got smaller and smaller the further he went, you leaned against the edge of the open hatch to keep you upright. The biting wind didn’t bother you now, in fact you hardly felt it. The growing, gnawing, sinking feeling in your gut took its place, and consumed you from the inside out.
The silence of the ship suddenly felt deafening when you could no longer see him on the horizon, the last small glint off his beskar catching a small ray of sun that broke through the clouds for just a moment before it too disappeared.
Closing the ramp to try and seal in some warmth for the days ahead, you turned and slowly made your way back into the ship. Standing in the middle of the empty hull, you worried your thumbnail between your teeth as you stared absently at the floor. The silence felt suffocating, almost loud enough to be its own voice, whispering words of failure in your ear as your mind swirled.
You tried to ignore the nagging feeling at the back of your brain that something was going to go wrong. It usually did. But it wouldn’t this time. You don’t know that. I can hope. But you don’t know. Shut up, brain.
With a determined huff, you climbed up the ladder into the cockpit to finish some wiring Din had been grumbling about since three planets back. Smiling just a bit, you adjusted your gloves before you rifled through the toolbox.
He’s gonna be so happy this is done when he gets back….
The smile began to slip when your brain decided to chip in.
If he gets back.
You huffed again, sitting on the floor of the cockpit and leaning under the console.
When.
Xxx
The hours came and went. You tried your best to fill them. The panel was fixed.
Something is wrong.
The kid had been fed and was playing quietly on the lower level.
You should have heard something by now.
Your vambraces were freshly polished, all their features tuned and ready for the next time they were needed.
He said he’d check in.
The ration packs had been organized and put away, minus the one the kid had snuck off with.
Just go after him already!
Setting the tool down with an unnecessary clatter, you looked at the ramp with determination, eyes flicking over the lever that stood between you and the planet. For once you and your brain agreed. Like it or not, you were going to go after him, consequences be damned.
You were just getting to your feet when a small noise stopped you.
“Patu?”
Looking down to your left, you saw the child ambling up to you slowly, eyes wide and curious.
“Don’t worry, kid. You’re coming with me. We won’t go too far. I just need to make sure he’s safe.” You almost said alive, but didn’t want to scare the child. And frankly, you didn’t want to scare yourself, either.
Bundling up with every layer you had, wrapping the child in as many blankets as you could find and holding him close to your chest, you pulled the lever to lower the ramp. Staggering backwards when a gust of wind rolled into the space, you glared at the blinding tundra in front of you, willing it to try and stand in your way.
“I’m coming, Din.” You looked down at the kid. “We both are.” Finding the beginning of the trail his boots had left in the snow, you grinned. “Just you wait.”
Every ounce of eagerness you had quickly dissipated when the trail stopped short, his footfalls suddenly covered in a fresh layer of snow. “No. No, no, no, no!” You turned in a circle looking frantically for any sign of them, but all that happened was you got turned around in the world of white, nearly losing sight of the Crest far behind you.
“Dank farrik!” You hissed, biting your lip as you looked around again frantically. “Din, where are you?”
Turning to head back to the ship, deciding to wait the storm out before trying to look again, you stopped after a few steps, cocking your head to the side as the kid did the same in your arms. You thought you heard it on the wind, it’s so faint.
“Mesh’la….”
Looking over your shoulder where you had just come from, you saw a figure drawing nearer, arms laden with items that are covered in snow, and the being themselves covered head to toe in the white powder as they walked headfirst into the storm.
“Mesh’la….”
“Din….”
Your eyes went wide when you realized, and you high stepped through the deep snow to get to him. “What in the hell happened?! Are you okay? Kriff, Din, you scared the hell out of me!”
“Mes-s-s-h’la, s-s-stop t-t-t-talking,” he said through chattered teeth, his body wracked with violent shivers. “I’m-m f-f-fine.”
“You didn’t call,” you protested as you slipped some of the bags off his left shoulder, putting them on your own before putting his arm around your shoulders to support him, the child secured to your front with your right arm.
“B-b-but-t I’m-m t-telling y-you n-now, everyt-thing is f-fine, m-mesh’la. T-that’s w-what I said-d I w-w-would s-say. M-m-mesh’l-la.”
Letting out a groan, you rolled your eyes as you both trudged through the snow. “You’re impossible. I’m not going to argue with you now, but later…. Oh later, we are going to have words. Many of them. Mostly from me.”
“C-c-can’t-t w-wait-t-t,” he chuckled.
Xxx
Walking up the ramp, you turned to him. “What’s that you always said to your bounties? ‘I can bring you in warm’….”
“D-d-don’t….” He groaned, rolling his head slightly at what he knew was coming.
“….‘or I can bring you in cold’,” you finished, grinning up at him. “You didn’t have to take it so literally, Din.”
He hung his head, groaning yet again, gently shaking his head.
“Oh, come on. You know I’m funny.”
As soon as you all were up the ramp of the Crest again, you sealed it up tight. “Don’t move,” you said hurriedly to Din, opening the bunk and placing the child inside. “You, too. Stay in here, kid.”
He tilted his head at you in the mass of blanket still wrapped around him and let out a questioning squawk.
You held up a finger close to his face after you hurriedly dropped the supplies you’d taken from Din next to the bunk. “I mean it.” You narrowed your brows, bouncing the finger slightly. “Don’t move, kid.” As you began to pull your jacket off quickly, your face melted as your voice softened. “Please.”
The child plopped back to sit in his mess of blankets still around him, looking up at you a little defiantly but offering a soft coo you took as agreement.
“Thank you,” you breathed, letting your eyes close for only a moment before you sprung back into action. “Din….” turning, you found him right where you left him, standing in the middle of the hull, still shivering violently as the snow began to melt into a puddle at his feet. “We need to get you out of your armor and your base layer, or you’re going to get hypothermia.”
You saw his shoulders go even stiffer than they already were from the cold at the mention of his armor.
“I don’t have to look, Din. I don’t want to break your creed, but if you don’t get out of that soon, that’s going to be the least of your worries.” Closing the few feet left between you, you removed the last satchels from his arms, setting them on a nearby crate. Once you were back in front of him, you set your hands on his chest. “Just tell me what to do. You’re still shaking too much to do it effectively. You’ll end up bumping your whistling birds or whipcord and then we’ll have a whole other problem.” You chuckled softly, hearing a small huff of laughter through his modulator. “Plus, I just fixed a lot of panels, and if you break them again, so help me….”
You were teasing, just trying to distract him, and from the way his shoulders finally seemed to drop, the tension melting out of them, it was working. Fiddling with the fastener on his glove, you looked up into his visor with a raised brow in question. When he finally nodded, you began undoing what you could. The gloves, then the vambraces, all forming a neat pile on a nearby crate.
They were soon joined by his pauldrons, chest plate, along with the rest of his armor, except his helmet, as he told you how to remove them through chattering teeth, helping when he could.
Without the extra layer of armor, his wet flightsuit began to make him shiver more violently again. Enough that he could barely speak.
You jogged over to the bunk, kicking yourself for not thinking of it sooner, and grabbing the only dry pair of clothing you could find. Extending it to him, you closed your eyes. “Din, just take off the helmet and your clothes, trade me. You can put the helmet right back on. I’ll try and find another blanket since there’s not a shirt- where the kriff is everything?! Dank farrik!”
“Hey,” his voice was low and quiet as his forehead came to softly lean against yours. His bare hand came to rest on your arm, shaking slightly as the rest of him still shook from the cold. “Mesh’la, b-breathe. It’s okay. T-t-thank you.”
You gasped slightly at the touch. “Din! Your hands are like ice!” You shoved the pants closer to him, taking a step back as you did. “Do it now, you stubborn tin can.”
You heard rustling as he laughed, the sound going from modulated to not making your breath hitch. “Am-m I s-still-l-l a t-t-tin can-n with o-out t-the b-b-beskar-r?” The clothes were lifted softly from your hand, replaced with the wet ones, and all you felt was relief.
Turning so your back was to him, you opened your eyes, looking for that blanket you’d promised. “Always.” You tossed the wet clothes onto the floor out of the way. Going over to the bunk, you pulled his blanket from there, smiling down at the kid who had drifted off to sleep, snoring softly. “Tin can is a state of mind.”
His laughter without the helmet was doing funny things to your head, and you smiled as you turned back around, eyes closed tightly, as you offered the blanket.
The hiss of his helmet sealing back in place made your stomach drop slightly. It was a shame he had to hide from the world. Every part of him deserved to walk in the sun.
Opening your eyes, he stood there in just a pair of simple black pants and his helmet, still shivering slightly. Closing the last steps between you, you opened the blanket, draping it over his shoulders.
When you came to close it at his front, you realized the markings you’d completely overlooked in your haste to get him warm again. “I…. I didn’t know you had tattoos.”
“I-it’s part of t-the tin can s-state of m-mind,” he joked, his shivering calming down slightly.
You hesitated, taking a step back to get a better look, looking up into his visor. “Can I?”
He nodded, sitting on a nearby crate with a groan, while you sat on the floor in front of him, watching him patiently as he began to explain each piece of art decorating his skin. “What do you want to know?”
Interspersed among the art were jagged scars, lines left from sutures, or a burn mark.
Eyes dancing over the newly revealed ink, your voice came out soft. “Do they all have a meaning?”
“Most of them. Some of them are just to help cover some nastier scars.”
Your eyes flicked up to his visor. “Do you not like them?”
He sighed. “Some of them I don’t want to remember how I got them. When…. When I was younger, I didn’t always do the right thing. I did what I had to. Wasn’t always the best. I wish I could forget some of that.”
“So you cover it up with something that’s a better choice to you?” It was a statement more than anything.
He nodded. “Something I’d rather see than a scar, yeah.”
There was no rhyme nor reason to the assembly of ink across his skin, each image its own separate thing, but somehow it all blended together into something almost ancient. Like stories drawn on cave walls to keep them safe for future generations. Each told its own tale, and tracing each line with your eyes, you wanted to know every detail.
His whole torso wasn’t covered, just strategically placed splashes of black ink, some at interesting angles, some swooping further across, patterns, lone images, they all appeared to be something old, tribal in nature, and somehow made you think of Mandalorians.
They came down his arms, identical twins on each limb, only one had the raised flesh of a scar hidden underneath. Parts of his upper arms then his forearms, almost like vambraces. Here and there you saw the little lines of broken skin tucked away under the artwork.
Leaning to your side, you peered around his back as he twisted slightly to help you see better, lowering the blanket slightly, and you saw they continued around. Most of those contained the hidden scars, the raised flesh blended seamlessly into the dark ink.
Sitting back in front of him, he tugged the blanket back over his shoulders, pulling it tighter around him as he shivered slightly.
You got to your feet, heading for the crate with the rations. “I’m going to make you soup. Should have done that in the first place. Hold tight for just a minute.”
“Mesh’la, I’m fine, don’t-”
You rounded on him, waving a finger like you had at the child. “Don’t, Din. Please. Let me take care of you.” You turned back to finish the ration, working in silence, until you brought it back over to him, sitting back at his feet. Handing it to him slowly, he took it from your hands gently. “Careful. It’s hot.”
“Thank you,” he murmured, sitting back on the crate with a sigh, letting the hot cup warm his hands.
When you went to lower your arms back to your lap, something on your vambrace caught on his pants, snagging the fabric over his knee and ripping it when you tried to pull away and inspect what was happening. “Oh my- What the- I just-” You froze, staring at the thin black string that connected your armor to his leg before your face tilted up to stare at his visor, wide eyed.
Suddenly you both burst out laughing, Din setting his cup down on the crate beside him before reaching down to untangle the mess as you winced in embarrassment.
“I don’t know how that happened. I even tuned these while you were away, polished them, too. How did I….” The string gone, you pulled your arm back to peer at the underside where it had caught, finding a screw loose, sticking out ever so slightly. “It appears I have a screw loose….” Your face fell flat, and you turned a preemptive glare up at Din’s visor. “Not one word, Mandalorian. Not. One.”
He held his hands up in surrender, but you didn’t miss the small snickers he couldn’t contain crawling through his modulator, his shoulders shaking slightly in an effort to rein them in. Leaning forward, his forehead came to rest softly against yours for just a moment before he pulled back reluctantly. He picked the soup up and cradled it in his hands, holding it close to his chest for the warmth it offered.
“So, what is that one from?” You asked after a moment, pointing to a jagged scar on his left forearm.
“Lucky bounty got a break. Then he got dead.”
Your shock didn’t last long, it melted into snickers as you stared at the scar then looked up at the T of his visor in amusement.
“And that one?” You pointed to one on his right hip.
He groaned, shifting his weight at the memory. “A Wookie bounty bodychecked me, had a hidden dagger, but didn’t quite get it all the way out. Only went deep enough to scar, didn’t do any major damage. Probably wouldn’t have even left a mark if I hadn’t had to stitch it myself here on the ship after I turned him in and collected the credits. But,” he shrugged, “I’m under armor ninety nine percent of the time, it didn’t seem like that big of a deal.”
You smirked. “So that’s why you covered it with a tattoo? Of a….” Your eyes drifted slowly back up to his visor, unamused. “Is that a bullseye?”
“I thought it was ironic.” He scratched the back of his neck. “Plus, it fit the shape of the- Don’t judge me!”
You scoffed. “I’m not!”
“Mmm-hmm,” he hummed teasingly, disengaging the lock on his helmet to tilt it back.
Darting your eyes away quickly, you stared at the panel across the way you had been working on earlier as you heard him blow on the soup. “I fixed the panel under the console you’ve been complaining about.”
He hummed around the lip of the cup as he nursed the soup, the sound of his unmodulated voice always so much deeper than you were expecting for some reason. “Good,” he sighed, lowering the helmet back down, the lock hissing as it reengaged. “Thank you.”
Looking up at his helmet and smiling softly, your eyes fell to another scar, and you smirked before pointing. “That one?”
“Blaster shot. Vibroblade. Joyriding Jawa - Don’t ask.” He named off each reason as you pointed to a new scar, you didn’t even have to ask.
You pointed to one on his knee, peeking out from the new tear, and he hesitated, his shoulders rising and falling with a resigned breath, his helmet tilting to the side as he spoke. “That….” He sighed. “I got that right before….” His voice caught in his chest, and he cleared his throat, swallowing roughly before he tried to continue.
You watched the motion of his bare throat, fidgeting in your seat when you realized, eyes falling to your lap before coming back to rest on his visor.
“I was nine. The other kids were playing on the edge of town, and I wanted to meet up with them. On the way there, I tripped and fell.”
“Over what?” You don’t know why you asked, your face just as surprised as his soft chuckle in response.
“Probably thin air. I wasn’t always the epic bounty hunter, you know.”
You scoffed, leaning back on your palms. “I find that hard to believe.”
“I was just a normal kid. Anyway, I tripped and…. And my dad happened to see. He immediately came to scoop me up, take me home. I kept insisting I was fine and could still go play, even as I was crying. He just softly said, ‘I know, son. I know. You’re so brave,’ while he smiled at me. My mom cleaned me up and took care of the scrape. Told me, ‘You have to be more careful, Din. Gravity can be out to get you sometimes.’ And I finally smiled for the first time since I fell.”
His voice was soft, almost distant.
Reaching up a hand slowly, you hovered it over the scar as you looked up at him with a gentle tilt of your head in question.
After a moment, he gave a small nod, letting out a long breath.
Resting your hand softly over the old wound, you traced it with your thumb, back and forth, wanting to learn every line. Leaning forward, you placed a soft kiss to the scar, making his breath hitch, before pulling back to look at it again, keeping your hand on his knee.
“Your parents did an amazing job. They raised an amazing son. And I see you doing the same with the kid.” Bringing your other hand to rest on his knee, you set your chin on them both, looking up into his visor from your spot on the floor with a grin. “And I think it’s kriffing stupid to be ashamed of your scars. They tell your story, Din. Each one brought you closer to me, and made you who you are. I wouldn’t change that for anything.”
“Mesh’la….”
“No, Din.” You pulled back slightly to look up at him a little better. “You can not like them, I understand that, believe me, I do. But they are very much a part of you, and….” Your eyes danced over the features of his helmet, not landing on one spot for too long as the words sat on the tip of your tongue. Finally they decided to come out just above a whisper while your eyes landed on his visor. “And I love every part of you. Every single part.”
Din leaned forward, his forehead coming to rest softly against yours. He didn’t say anything in response, he only stared at you, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths.
I think you broke him.
Smiling at your brain’s helpful- for once- dialogue, your eyes shot open wide before you got to your feet. “Oh! I remember where your clothes are! I moved them while you were out. I moved everything. I was very bored.” Turning to face him again, you scrunched up your face. “Please don’t leave me alone again, if you can help it. It’s so boring. I mean, I love the kid, don’t get me wrong, but….” You turned to the crate you’d put all of his stuff in, digging out his black sweater and a black long sleeved shirt, tossing him the latter as you went back to your spot on the floor. “It’s not the same.”
As you pulled the sweater over your head, you heard his helmet disengage again, so you closed your eyes as you finished pulling it on.
“Do I not get to actually wear my sweater, even now when I may freeze to death?” His amused tone made you grin, your eyes opening at the hiss of the seal to find his helmet tilted to the side as he looked at you.
“Oh, don’t be so dramatic. Besides, I don’t even think you own a sweater. This old thing?” You pinched the seam over your shoulder, pulling it up slightly to reference it with a grin. “This is mine.”
“Are you sure this was the only safe planet around?” Your complaint is nearly lost within the swirling wind that surrounds the two, or three, of you. You tighten your arms around yourself and look over at Din, who carries on normally beside you.
“Fuel was low,” answers Din, raising his modulated voice enough to be heard over the wind, “and no one wants to land on a frigid planet like this.”
You take a dramatic look around. “I can understand why.”
Din’s helmet remains fixated on you. “I’m sorry.” He gestures to your crossed arms. “I know you’re cold.”
You sigh, your breath puffing a vaporous cloud into the air. “You don’t have to apologize. I could’ve found a way to dress more appropriately.” You shrug and soften the wrinkle in your brow. “Plus, you were just trying to keep us safe.”
Din tilts his helmet at you and walks closer to your side. The change in position, as subtle as it is, provides you with a wave of warmth you don’t take for granted.
The moment fades fast as a large snowflake falls upon your lashes and temporarily blinds you. You curse and rub your eye with your frozen hand. “It’d be great if I wasn’t getting attacked by snowflakes, though.”
Din stops, encouraging you to do the same. “‘Attacked’ is a strong word.” His voice is laced with amusement even as he starts to lift his gloved hand towards you. “May I help you?”
You blink a few more times and nod. “Sure, whatever. It should be gone by now.”
Din sets his fingers on the side of your cheek and his thumb under your eye, which remains opened for him to observe. His visor scans it a few times with obvious movements of his helmet before he also nods. “Yeah, it looks all right.” He swipes his thumb to dry the skin there. “It’s just a bit red now.”
You offer an appreciative smile and fight the sudden shyness you feel. “Well, thanks anyway.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” Din unfastens his cape and tucks it under his arm while he unstraps his satchel with the child still inside of it. He puts the satchel on you first as he continues. “I… know the snowflakes can be annoying, but they’re also beautiful.” Once you and the kid are set, he sets the cape over your shoulders. “It’s important to find beauty in the chaos.” Din secures the cape in place and lets his hands linger there. “I’ve started to do the same.” His visor never strays from your gaze.
You give in to your shyness and look down at his hands, your lips still curled up in a smile you can’t get rid of. “That’s… well, it’s profound.” You tighten the cape around you and meet Din’s visor again. “I think I know a great way to start.”
“Yeah?” Din’s modulated voice remains soft as he sets a hand on the small of your back to encourage the three of you forward again. “Good.”
main masterlist • dincember 2022
all star wars characters: @hugmekenobi @themarvelousbee @nembees @amneris21@wildmoonflower @bombshe77 @harriedandharassed @againstacecilia @ladykatakuri @bludyl @acourtofdreamsandnightmares
You coax Din from his spot watching over you, and convince him to rest beside you.
genre: fluff
word count: 1,200
a/n: here’s the second prompt, snow! A day late again, but my concept of time is so bad that this comes as no surprise. I hope you all enjoy!
PREVIOUS || SERIES MASTERLIST
Pale white, thick as a blanket and glowing like the moon, coats everything left to settle. Tree branches once bare have been tucked in for the winter, showcasing a new kind of foliage. From the safety of the cockpit, hidden away behind transparisteel sturdy enough to withstand temperatures far more extreme than the quiet planet beyond the crest could ever reach, you watch the world sleep in.
There hadn’t been this much snow yesterday.
You could hear it falling last night, each flake a near silent plunk as it fell against the Razor Crest. There wasn’t any wind, no harsh whispers against durasteel walls—this was a quiet storm. You imagine the roof of the Crest holds just as much snow as the rocks and logs below, the storm not knowing the starship’s inhabitants were only resting, not hibernating. The steaming cup of caf in your hands ensures that you won’t be going back to sleep any time soon.
Below you, in the hold, Din and Grogu are only just beginning to wake. It’s rare that you are up before them, or at least before Din, who seems to run on little sleep even if his body could use more rest. But last night you just couldn’t relax, too excited by the thought of snow. Not a sharp flurry with biting gusts, nor a pitiful dusting that melts as soon as the flakes make landfall. This was a real snow, with puffy, formless flakes, and even when you couldn’t see them falling, you knew. You could hear it.
By the time the barest hints of light began to turn the clouds from their midnight hue to a deep grey, you found yourself grabbing your favorite mug and climbing the ladder to the cockpit. You haven’t moved since.
You can hear Din talking to Grogu, making one sided conversation as he goes about his morning. The kid babbles back, trying his best to participate, but his meaning is unclear. The two sound well rested, content to enjoy the morning. The scent of fresh caf wafts from the hold up into the cockpit, and you’re almost tempted to go make yourself another cup. You’re just not ready to tear your eyes away from the scene before you.
“Are you up there?” Din doesn’t bother to shout. The door to the cockpit is open, and he knows that anything he says in the hold can be heard with ease.
“I am,” you respond. “It snowed last night.”
Din climbs the ladder, the kid tucked away in his bag on Din’s hip so the Mandalorian can carry the last of his caf with him. You’ve never met anyone who could down a cup as quickly as him.
“We should take Grogu outside. I don’t know if he’s ever seen this much snow before. Even if he has, I think it will be fun for him.” From the corner of your eye you watch Din stroke the kid’s head with a gentle touch, tracing the curve of one petal ear fondly.
“He’s been to Maldo Kreis,” you remind Din, but you know it’s not the same. Nothing good ever comes from a trip to Maldo Kreis.
“Maldo Kreis is a frozen wasteland. This is different.” You hum in agreement, finally turning the chair to face Din and Grogu fully.
“What do you think, kid? Do you want to go play in the snow?” The wide smile and quiet “Ah,” is all the answer you need. Besides, you can’t help but want to play in the snow yourself. There’s something satisfying about being the first living creature to make prints in fresh snow.
“I’ll go get him ready,” Din says before descending down the ladder with the kid, likely making his way to his sleeping nook where all mysteries revolving around the Mandalorian seem to hide.
When you hear Grogu struggling just as much as he had in the Shop, you decide to linger in the cockpit for just a moment longer, enjoying what may be the last glimpse at the scenery before it is disturbed.
It’s only when the muffled swearing and grunts subside that you drop down the ladder yourself, grabbing your new cloak from where it’s folded nicely by your own cot, ready to face the cold once more. It’s warm and soft and perfect, and you smile at the Din as you put it on. It doesn’t take long for the two of you to get ready for your journey beyond the ship.
Din lowers the gangplank.
Before the ramp even settles on the ground, Grogu runs as fast as his tiny legs can carry him down towards the snow. As soon as he reaches the bottom, he all but vanishes into the snow. The pale green of his head hardly peaks out above the top, and if you didn’t know exactly where he was you just might have lost him. Or rather, if it weren’t for the bright red snowsuit shining through even the thickest of the snow, you just might have lost him. The fabric stands in such stark contrast from the white environment that there’s no way not to know where the kid has run off to.
“The red was a good choice,” you say to Din, and he hums in agreement.
You make your own way down the ramp, and Din follows close behind, keeping a watchful eye on both the surrounding woods and the child’s whereabouts.
Each step you take sinks into the snow, the fresh fall climbing up your shins past your boots. You won’t be able to stay out long—the cold against your feet will get to be too much even if your new cloak can keep you warm for longer. And if you’re already feeling the chill then the Child likely is too.
You make your way to a large patch of snow that hasn’t been disturbed by Grogu yet, and allow yourself to fall backwards. A flurry of snowflakes float up around you from the impact. It’s not good packing snow, but that doesn’t detract from your joy. When the flakes begin to fall back towards you, they don’t seem to stop.
“It’s snowing again!” you exclaim.
Grogu makes his way towards you, tired from running around, and falls back into the snow by your side. It’s a rare moment, a quiet one, nearly perfect. There’s just one thing missing.
“Come and join us,” you urge, turning your head to face Din so he knows your request is serious.
“I can’t. Someone has to keep watch.”
“There’s nothing out there.”
“You don’t know that.” The two of you are silent for a moment. You turn your face back towards the sky, smiling as a snowflake catches on your eyelashes. Even if Din chooses not to join you, you’ll still have fun. It doesn’t mean you wouldn’t enjoy the moment much more if he were lying by your side, but that seems like too much to reveal to the man who isn’t supposed to be anything more than just a friend.
“I do. Because you said so. That’s why you brought us here, right? Because it’s safe?” Din sighs, he’s been doing that a lot lately, before finally giving into your request.
He trudges through the snow until he reaches you and Grogu, standing for just a moment before lowering himself to the ground with a low groan. He leans back, the two of you on either side of the child.
The snow keeps falling, not quite silent but nearly so, tucking you in for winter.
NEXT PART
Taglist: @unmitigatedsuperiority @dontletyourchildrenwatchthis (sorry for tagging you both so many times this morning)
description: it’s cold, and you seem to be gloveless. mando is quite stubborn and won’t let your fingers freeze off.
pairing: din djarin x mechanic!reader
genre: fluff, friends to lovers (eventually?), mutual pining, slow burn (im sorry i didn’t mean for it to be this way)
word count: 1.2k
warnings: pre-canon, he’s probably ooc i can barely keep my eyes open
a/n: this is for dincember 2022! im starting a little late cause i only found out about this last night and this includes prompts 1 through 3 (even though it started as 3, it just ended up that way) god i haven’t posted a fic since august but i plan on writing more for pedro’s characters and cassian (once i finally watch the last ep of andor)
You wonder if they’re as warm as they look.
Orange tips that have browned with age and blaster residue, soft leather worn and broken in, and large. The thought makes your neck heat with embarrassment and a hint of something else you’d rather not go figuring out. No, definitely not. Not when Mando is your employer, and much more recently, your friend. You don’t need to go making things weird for yourself or for him. Things are good right now. You like the routine you’ve both settled into, you like being around him, you like…
You squeeze your eyes shut when the word appears in your head, throwing your head against the back of the seat with frustration. Ow.
You like his gloves.
Along with having to adjust to living on the Razer Crest, you’ve developed a rather mortifying habit of staring at Mando’s hands. You blame his mannerisms for being so hypnotizing. The way his fingers strain and stretch the leather of his gloves while hovering beside his blaster during an encounter about to go wrong, the times he’s placed a gentle hand on your arm to make sure you’re alright, that day he pulled each of the fingers on his glove one by one to take them off and feel your forehead when you were coming down with a fever. Maker, what’s wrong with you?
You spring up from the chair, leaving the cockpit to find something to repair. Anything to get your mind off this and off of him. The heating unit needs a look at anyway.
Turns out, that had been a very good idea. The filter needs replacing, but you don’t have an extra one lying around, so you’ll be adding it to the list of items to purchase when you go out. You scribble down a few other parts you need plus the ration packs you know Mando likes (they’re the same ones you do), warmer clothes, and thicker blankets since the thermal system is at risk of catching on fire. You’re not going to be able to turn it on until you get that new filter.
You jump when Mando rests a hand on your shoulder. You turn to look at him. “Kriff, you scared me.”
“Sorry,” he answers, pulling his hand away. “Are you ready to go now?”
“Yeah, just let me grab my jacket.” You slip on your winter coat, zipping it up. “You know, we need to change out that heating filter of yours. A few more days and it’ll burst into flames. When’s the last time you swapped it out?”
Mando thinks for a moment. You briefly wonder if his eyebrows are scrunched thoughtfully. “I’m not sure.”
You sigh dramatically. “What would you do without me?”
“Die, probably. The Crest has never looked better since you came.”
You grin.
You think he’s smiling back.
-
“Where are your gloves?”
Your eyes fall away from the filter selection and down to your hands. You glance at Mando. “Oh, I must’ve forgotten them when we left.”
Immediately, Mando pulls off a glove and slips it onto your hand. It doesn’t fit right, but it’s warm.
“What are you—?”
“You’re going to get frostbite,” he answers, slipping on the other glove. “Your hands are already freezing.”
“I have pockets. I can just leave my hands in them.”
“You need to be able to hold the starship parts. You like making sure they’re good.”
He noticed? Of course he noticed, you spend forever examining each part to make sure it’s good quality before buying it. You stutter, “But what about you? Aren’t your hands just going to get frostbite too?”
He crosses his arms to cover his hands. “We’ll buy some gloves.”
You grab his hands, looking into the pitch black visor of his helmet. “Can I?” He doesn’t say anything. You place his hands on the back of your neck, hoping to warm them a bit. The cold touch makes you shiver, but you keep them there for a long moment before letting go. “Okay, let’s go.”
It takes a minute for him to respond. He clears his throat. “You—you need to pick out the filter though?”
“I got it.” You grab a pack of filters. “They’re right here.”
After spending a slightly painful amount of credits on the filters (inflation is apparently just as awful on this planet too), you stop by a shop selling winter garments. There’s a table lined with gloves of all colors and sizes. A particular pair catches your eye right away, but then you see the price and wince. That’s a lot of credits. You try to find a cheaper pair, but they all seem to be about the same.
“Get them,” Mando suddenly says. It’s as if he can just tell what you’re thinking. “They’ll last a long time.”
“But they’re expensive,” you mumble. “We could use the credits for other, more important things.”
The Mandalorian picks up the gloves you were looking at and pulls off his from your hands, slipping the new ones on. They’re thicker than regular ones and warm.
“Then it will be a gift. For our first Life Day together.”
Oh right, that is in a few weeks. You’ve forgotten all about Life Day, having been so caught up in your work. But your brain holds onto one particular word: “first”. There will be more? Oh, Maker, you hope so.
It’s been a long time since you’ve received anything for Life Day. The loneliness has seeped into your bones over the years, numbing you from the inside out. This fills you with warmth, and it settles in your chest before spreading to the rest of you. You’re already wondering what to get him. What could a Mandalorian possibly need?
Your smile is much too soft to be for a friend. “Thank you, Mando.”
“You’ve done so much for me. It’s only fair I give you something in return for your skillful work.”
Your smile turns playful. “You pay me to do that, idiot.”
“You can’t be my mechanic if your fingers all fall off.”
“Shut up.” You laugh, gently shoving him with your hand. “I guess you’re right, I do like having all of my fingers intact.”
You pay for the gloves along with a few new jackets (that are fairly priced) and head out. You gasp, holding a hand out. “It’s snowing.”
Sure, the entire planet is covered in a blanket of snow right now, but you haven’t seen it snow in almost a full cycle. You can’t help but stare in awe at the beauty of it. The streets are lined with bright lights and decorations. It’s much more festive here than you’re used to. It’s beautiful.
You turn to see if Mando is looking at the decorations too, but you find his helmet already pointed in your direction. The beskar reflects the colors well, and you can see frost collecting on his armor. You think he’s just as beautiful. Your fingers twitch with the need to hold his hand.
“Are we done now?”
Your trance is broken. “Yeah, yeah.” You nod. “All finished.”
Your cheeks ache on the way back from smiling too hard. You have to pull your scarf over your mouth to prevent your face from freezing that way. You’ve never been so excited for Life Day.
Warnings: Allusions to past sexual encounters (you gotta really read into it). Small spaces, mentions of slight claustrophobia.
Series Masterlist
"You're staring."
Din did not reply to her, instead becoming more ridged in the cramped space of his bunk.
The Crest had suddenly had a major systems failure during the flight, dropping the ship out of hyperspace suddenly. The diagnostic had reported a power supply issue, and Din had to emergency land the ship on the closest habitable planet. Unfortunately, the planet they had landed on was experiencing their winter season, and even worse, a snow storm started only hours after landing, preventing his mechanic from being able to go outside to fix the issue.
A short in the fuse box. Needs new wires and fuses. They had told him earlier. The mechanic he had hired a few cycles ago had quickly found the issue, but the onslaught of snow cascading out of the sky prevented them from being able to safely travel to the city and get the necessary parts. Din had told you not to worry about it, wait until the storm passed. Until then, you'd have to stay warm.
The storm caused a cold to seep in through the metal walls of the Crest. You could feel it. The kid could feel it. Even Din was struggling to fight the way the cold had made him shiver, even though the added layers he wrapped himself in. With the power in the Crest malfunctioning, he couldn't run the ship to keep the three of you warm. He had a small heater that could keep the hull warm, but even that was running low on fuel.
When you suggested huddling together for warmth inside of his small bunk, explaining that the small space would keep warmth trapped while you waited for the storm to pass, he had agreed, telling you to take the kid inside. He'd be fine out here.
You had gotten pretty upset with him, and vehemently refused to leave him in the hull alone, pointing out his visible shaking. Din refused still, pulling any excuse he could. It's too small, he doesn't like small spaces.
It wasn't that he disliked the idea because he disliked you, didn't want to get close to you. Quite the opposite, actually. For one, he had never shared a bed, not like this. Even if it was platonic, and out of necessity to stay warm, the idea of sharing a space, one that was so small, at that, sent his heart racing. He made excuses so he didn't tell you that he's never laid next to someone, only with, and even that was a rare occurrence.
The space in his bunk was so small that with the three of you, he'd be forced to touch you. Legs and knees pressed into each other, arms brushing over the other, and your heads so close together he could count the marks on your face, both natural and unnatural.
But when the kid had started showing signs of lethargy, the extreme cold temperatures in the hull forcing him to start falling asleep, he had quit arguing and laid down in the bunk, the kid, and then you following.
He was right. In order for both of you to fit comfortably with the kid wrapped snugly between your chests, your legs had to tangle together, one of yours slid in between his own. You had an arm wrapped around the kid, and even though he couldn't feel it, he could see the back of your hand brushing along his chest plate. Though it was dark in his bunk, the night vision setting in his helm allowed him to see.
The kid was asleep, not because the cold had lured him into a sort of hibernation, but because you had successfully lulled him to sleep after laying him down. Neither of you were too sure about his species, but it was clear that the cold had an effect on him. You were facing Din, face close enough to see any freckles or marks that covered your closed eyelids and the rest of your face. Worried that if he touched any more of you, he'd fall into the pool of affection and desire that filled his chest and stomach whenever he was close to you.
"I know this is an invasion of your personal space, and I'm sorry." You whispered, eyes still closed. "It's just for tonight, until the storm passes. Please try to get some rest."
He felt a slight twing in his chest. He didn't want you to feel bad for this, as uncomfortable as he was. He wanted to keep you and the kid warm and safe, and he knew you had felt the same way for him. You had outright refused leaving him to freeze out in the hull, telling him it was stupid and could get him sick or even injured. You pulled out all the stops, asking him how he intended to provide for the kid if he was sick, or lost extremities in a hypothetical case of hypothermia.
Just get in the bunk. The three of us will keep it warm, especially since the small space will prevent heat from dissipating as quickly.
You were right. Despite the slight chill in the air, the warmth both of your bodies provided kept the space warm, trapped under the blanket you were sharing. And perhaps most importantly, it kept the kid warm. Din learned that the cold could affect him, but he did not want to find out if it had any negative effects for him.
"Don't be sorry. It's too cold out there for any of us." Din whispered so quietly, his vocoder didn't catch it.
You hummed in agreement and went silent again, trying to fall asleep.
But Din didn't think he could fall asleep. The feeling of your leg sandwiched between his, and your other pressing along the length of his calf kept him aware of just how close you two were. He could see the blanket rising and falling with your breaths, and he was sure he could feel it if he were to take off his helmet.
The fact that he wanted to scared him awake.
"You're still staring." Your voice broke him out of his thoughts.
"You're right in front of me." Din wasn't actually annoyed with you. Though his tone made him sound irritated, he was only irritated with himself, and the desires that tempted him to throw his already fragile creed out the window.
"Then close your eyes. You'll fall asleep faster." He could hear the hint of amusement in your tone, even if you were whispering low enough that his audio receptors almost didn't catch it.
With a huff that caused your hand to press more firmly into his chest plate, a slight pressure he swore he could feel, he closed his eyes.
"They're closed." He couldn't help but answer sarcastically. He'd never understand how you could almost always tell when he was looking at you, but he still listened to your instruction.
And when you giggled quietly, he felt prickles of warmth throughout his chest and face, and a compelling urge to side his arm under yours and around the child. Not tonight. He remembered when you told him it was just for tonight, and he hoped that it wouldn't be true.
"Goodnight, Mando." He felt you shift slightly, getting more comfortable.
And he found that, again, you were right. With his eyes closed, he found it much easier to slip into unconsciousness, hazy thoughts of you filling his mind.
Dank farrik … He couldn’t remember the name of the holiday, but he’d told you all about it - celebrated during the colder months with a focus on the natural life cycles, represented by a tree erected in the village center… a time of joy filled with music, lights, decorations … a time to be with family… It was his favorite time of year - and the subject of his clearest and fondest memories of his parents.
And somehow, you’d recreated it…
Summary: Cyar'ika has an unexpected surprise for Din that will take him back to his childhood...
Note: This one-shot was written for Dincember 2022 and is set in my A Marriage of Convenience universe, featuring Din’s wife/partner who is addressed only as Cyar’ika, as well as Grogu! Instead of writing multiple pieces, I tried to include several of the Dincember prompts in one fic (some are just quick mentions). This can be read as standalone even if you haven’t read the main story.
For those unfamiliar with the backstory: Din and Cyar’ika are aroace partners in a loving and committed non-sexual relationship, who do not consider their bond to be explicitly romantic in nature. This story was written after season 2, so Grogu remains with Luke.
Warnings: Kissing.
Read on AO3
————————————————————————
You were practically vibrating with excitement as the ship made landfall, moving quickly through the long-memorized series of buttons and switches to power down. Stars , you hoped this surprise you’d been planning for Din worked out. Unfortunately, it was in Luke’s unwitting hands now…
Checking one last time to ensure the cockpit door was secure, you turned to find Din, barely able to contain your smile in anticipation. “Ready?”
He grinned weakly before pulling the helmet over his head. There was always a bit of nervous energy about him when it came time to visit Grogu, but you could tell the anxiety was getting to him this time. It’s not every day you ask the great Luke Skywalker for a favor. “Yeah, I’m ready. Let’s go.”
You’d spent nearly half a standard year putting your plans together, subtly prompting Din now and then to tell you more about his favorite childhood tradition, teasing out information bit by bit. It had taken some time to gather the necessary materials - which you hoped bore some resemblance to those Din recalled from the treasured memories he kept of his parents - and the final piece now was simply to get some time alone with his precious foundling. It just wouldn’t feel the same without Grogu… your family complete for a time.
But how to go about it? Luke had never prevented Din from taking a few hours alone with the child, but now you were going to ask for a legitimate sleepover. Who knew what the famous jedi, so averse to attachments, would think of that .
It had been easy to convince Din, though, of course.
Your reasoning: The child should have some time to get to know his second parent…
Din’s face had beamed at the suggestion. He took great pride in the happy and stable ‘home’ you’d built together, and he’d always wanted Grogu to feel a part of it. And so, he’d agreed enthusiastically to request a full night at your next visit.
But now, the reality was sinking in that Luke might actually say ‘no’… or even come to mistrust your intentions. You’d have to tread carefully.
You jabbed Din lightly in the side with your elbow as you walked toward the school, giving him a little pep talk with a bit of humor sprinkled in to lighten the tense mood. “Hey, you and me - we’re bounty hunters . Talking to Luke Skywalker doesn’t scare us. He’s half our age and too skinny to put up a good fight, anyway. Got it?”
Din chuckled lightly in spite of himself. “Nice try, cyar’ika. I appreciate the effort, but we’re no match for his magical laser sword.”
You put a hand on his shoulder as you approached the front steps, now turning serious. “I think he’ll agree, Din, and it will be so nice to be together - all of us.”
He turned the visor to look at you for a long moment before responding. “Yeah… It will.”
——————————
The whole thing was rather anticlimactic, resolved with a small nod of Luke’s head in the affirmative once you calmly stepped in to make the request - after quite a bit of nervous fumbling on Din’s part.
To say Grogu was delighted would be an understatement. You’d never seen the child so excited before - nor his father… which was a delight in itself.
You were incredibly fortunate that Luke asked in turn for a moment of Din’s time to discuss some concerns about an imperial holdout. You didn’t like the implication… but at least it gave you an hour or so alone with Grogu to complete your preparations.
And did you … Once you’d explained to the child what you hoped to do, he’d approached the task with incredible enthusiasm, giddy with excitement at the idea of surprising his father. The two of you made an absolute mess of the ship, but in the end, the childlike touch was perfect. You hoped Din thought so, too.
Grogu turned to look up at you with a toothy smile as Din’s footsteps sounded on the ramp…
——————————
Din approached the ship with a little spring in his step. Not even Luke’s request for help eliminating a few imperials could weaken his good mood. His kid and his partner would be with him tonight - a family together for once. He could think of nothing better.
He paused as he approached your makeshift camp, scrutinizing the scene before him. Why had you built a fire already? It wouldn’t be dark for several more hours. There were a few packets that looked like food items sitting nearby - ones he didn’t recall purchasing - strange…
And he was certainly not prepared for the sight that greeted him as he walked up the ramp. At first glance, the interior of the ship appeared a mess. His first thought was that it had been ransacked, but the sight of you and Grogu standing in the hull, smiling brilliantly at him, set his mind at ease. What in the world were you both so happy about?
He slipped off the helmet and took in the scenery. There were strings of sparkling lights hung across the ceiling and the door to the cockpit, ribbons of red flimsy intertwined. A small tree , clearly cut from just outside, sat in the kitchen area decorated with some hand drawn pictures, likely by the child’s hand, with a roughly cut star on top. Several candles sat alight on the table, and the smell of warm spices wafted from a kettle on the burner. Why did this remind him of his childhood? Of Aq Vetina? Of his parents?
Dank farrik … He couldn’t remember the name of the holiday, but he’d told you all about it - celebrated during the colder months with a focus on the natural life cycles, represented by a tree erected in the village center… a time of joy filled with music, lights, decorations… a time to be with family… It was his favorite time of year - and the subject of his clearest and fondest memories of his parents.
And somehow, you’d recreated it…
It was in Din’s nature to keep his composure at all times, stoic to the point of his own detriment. But right now, he was absolutely and completely losing it. Tears stung his eyes, and he could barely speak, a sob sitting at the back of his throat. He was frozen, feet fused to the floor, as he failed to gather his wits.
“How… You…”
You leaned down to gather the child in your arms and approached Din quickly, embracing him in comfort as he composed himself against your familiar form.
Grogu reached out to put a hand to his cheek, a gesture you’d seen the child offer his father several times before. Din calmed so immediately that you wondered if maybe the child had been using force magic all along.
“I can’t believe you did this…” He pulled back and looked at you incredulously, still hardly believing his eyes.
“Do you like it? Did we get it right?”
He looked around again in wonder. “It’s perfect, cyar’ika.” He kissed you firmly and pressed his forehead to yours. “Thank you...”
You smiled. “Don’t thank me, sweetheart. Let’s just enjoy.”
——————————
It was a truly wonderful evening.
After walking Din around the ship, allowing Grogu to point out all of his own handcrafted creations, you’d surprised them both with small gifts from under the tree - a pair of gloves for the child who would need them outside tonight and a new pair of sturdy boots for Din who rarely bought anything for himself. To make the tradition complete, you’d gifted yourself a thick sweater to keep extra warm around the fire as the planet’s night frost settled in.
And then you’d spent the remainder of the evening gathered together under a blanket by the fire, drinking hot chocolate mixed with a few traditional Aq Vetinian spices you’d managed to locate after a lengthy search, sharing a warm meal which you’d intended to resemble what Din described from his memories of the tradition, and taking turns telling Grogu stories of your childhoods and your bounty hunting adventures.
Throughout it all, Din’s face shone with a kind of joy you’d not thought him capable of experiencing… and that made all of the time and effort spent on this gesture more than worth it. This man you loved so dearly, who cared for you so purely, was happy… and that was everything.
——————————
Grogu was absolutely exhausted by the time the fire went down, eyes drifting closed every few moments. You had encouraged Din to put the child to bed while you doused the last few embers and locked up the ship, giving father and son a few more minutes alone together before you joined them in the bunk.
But the scene you stumbled upon when you finally finished cleaning up the mess in the hull and made your way to the small bunkroom nearly brought you to tears.
Instead of putting the child in the hammock you’d fashioned above the mattress, Din had leaned back against the bunk wall, legs stretched out in front of him, and allowed Grogu to nod off nestled against his chest, one hand caressing the child’s back as he looked down at him fondly.
You, of course, were likely the only person in the galaxy privileged to know an unarmored Din Djarin in any state of relaxation, but you had truly never seen him quite this content with it. You realized with bittersweet tenderness that the pair had probably never had the time or the safety to do this during their travels.
“May I join you?” you whispered so as not to wake the dozing child.
Din looked up at you and smiled, before welcoming you wordlessly with that trademark tilt of his head and a free arm spread around your shoulders as you scooted across the mattress to press yourself against his side. Neither of you spoke for a few minutes, just admiring the resting form of your little ward, while Din continued to run a hand down his back and you smoothed your fingers over one of his ears, watching him settle further into his father’s warmth.
Once sure that Grogu was deeply asleep, Din laid him gently down on the mattress between you before breaking the silence.
“Cyar’ika, what made you think to do all of this?”
You tilted your head and looked up at him affectionately, reaching a hand to his face to run your fingers over his beard. “You spoke of this tradition with a light in your eyes that I rarely see. And it makes me happy to see you happy.” You chuckled, adding, “You see… it was rather selfish on my part…”
He grasped your hand where it lay against his face, intertwining his fingers with yours. “You’re anything but selfish, riduur. I don’t have the words to tell you how much this means to me.”
“You just said them, Din. I don’t need anything more. I just wanted us to enjoy an evening together as a family.”
He stared at you lovingly for a moment, bringing your still intertwined hands to his lips and kissing your knuckles lightly before releasing them. “I’d really like to kiss you right now.”
You shifted to bring your face closer to his, grinning and gesturing toward the sleeping child still resting between your bodies. “Well, just don’t get carried away…”
Din wasted no time bringing his lips to yours, thumb caressing your cheek as your hand trailed up and down his side.
It was a perfect night… this beautiful companionship, the lovely sensations of being close to each other, your child resting comfortably between you after a wonderfully exhausting day…
You wished you could capture this moment - a portrait of your happy, little family radiating love and contentment - even if only for one night…
But Din didn’t need a holograph to recall this image - it would remain crystal clear in his memory, right alongside those of his childhood. Even if you weren’t always together like this - you and the kid… would be forever his home.
