End of a Journey (Din Djarin x Reader)
Warnings: Fluffy fluff. Pinning and a little yearning from both you and our lovely tin can man. Not beta read.
Word Count: 4,372
a/n: This was a really nice request! I wasn’t sure at first but honestly I think it turned out nicely. I’m sorry it's so so soooo late. I know it's been some months since you sent these in anons. I just didn’t have the inspiration for these ideas at the time! I also combined the two because they were pretty similar in plot. I hope you see this and thank you for the request!! I would like to do a longer series based around a similar idea, but with a much more flushed out plot. I’m not sure if I’ll actually get around to it, but we’ll see!
Edit: This request was written and done before mando s2 :3
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The stars had streaked by the Razor Crest in trails of gleaming light, brighting the small space with each one that passed. The Mandalorian had found himself zoning out, as he sat in the pilot's chair traveling through hyperspace. His mind being occupied with thoughts surrounding that of the child and his new found home with the Jedi.
Managing to find a living, breathing Jedi, had turned out to be harder than he thought it would be. Even finding any knowledge about the Jedi was difficult, seemingly almost non existent at times. People hadn’t even seen a jedi in years, and everything known about them appeared to just be stories passed down from parent to child. Any leads or information he did manage to find, usually led to a dead end, often leaving him feeling disheartened and discouraged from the task at hand. A feeling that Din Djarin was not familiar with.
That’s why, when Din had happened to overhear a man speaking about a Jedi he’d seen not too long ago, he was overcome with joy. Finally, after searching for what felt like forever, he had a lead. He was now one step closer to finding a jedi. This information was what had ultimately led him to the temple where he had first met the Jedi Master, Luke Skywalker.
Upon Din’s first arrival to the temple, he had expected some sort of hostility. He couldn’t imagine anyone being fine with a random Mandalorian showing up on their doorstep. However, he was surprised to discover that the opposite had occurred. Instead of being met with confrontation, he was greeted with a surprising calmness, and only saw a little of the usual fear that he tended to experience from those who he had come across.
People of all sorts seemed to avoid the gaze of a Mandalorian, appearing to not want to get into any trouble with them due to their fierce reputation. It seemed like those at the temple had similar thoughts and feelings when it came to those of his kind. Din wasn’t offended by this, rather, he was just worried that they would be too afraid to actually want to speak to him, and would thereby hinder his search.
The first person who did manage to greet him, when he had approached closer, happened to be you. While many of the other inhabitants had seemed to shrink away from his approaching form, you had walked straight to him. The robes you wore fluttering lightly in the breeze, your back straight and your head held high, as you moved across the landscape elegantly.
When finally face to face with one another, you had greeted him rather warmly, introducing yourself in the process with a small nod in his direction. He had quickly learned from your introduction, that you were a senator who was currently working at the temple. Hearing this from you had instantly quelled some of his nerves, and allowed for him to feel more hopeful about the encounter.
The child had taken an immediate liking to you, wriggling in Din’s hands in an attempt to reach out towards you. Although, the grip he had of the little one was unrelenting, not willing to allow the child to make his way towards a stranger they had just met. The Mandalorian had then noted the look of confusion which had crossed your features—brows furrowing and head tilting—as your gaze landed onto the squirming child within his arms.
The look on your face had caused for him to hold the child a little closer to his chest, nervousness edging into his mind once more. He had learned very quickly during his time of caring for the little one, that many people didn’t seem to take kindly to a Mandalorian having a small child in his possession. It seemed like you may have felt the same, but to his bewilderment, he watched as your frown had been quickly replaced with a small smile.
Shock had even flowed through him at the sight of you also giving a small wave in the direction of the child—who had giggled happily in response to being noticed. This had turned out to be a rather nice surprise from the interaction for Din, and was something that made him feel instantly more comfortable in your presence.
From there, you had gone straight to the point of asking why the Mandalorian was even at the temple. In response to your blunt questioning, he had explained everything he could to you about the child, and why he was in his care. Trying his best to inform you about how by creed, it was his duty to ensure the foundling returned to its own people.
A feeling of unease had once again spread through him when he mentioned the fact that he was actually in search of a Jedi in particular. He was unsure of how you would react in response to that knowledge, while also worried that there wasn’t a Jedi here at all anyway. This journey he had with the child wasn’t exactly fruitful in either. Making Din come to find that he was always concerned with the other person’s reply to his explanation, and you were no different to him in this regard. The more he had explained though, the more that the expression you wore morphed from that of confusion to understanding.
After he had finished explaining, you had led him into the temple, talking to him in an attempt to learn more about him and the child. The child had squirmed more increasingly the farther the two of you had walked into the building, but Din still refused to allow the child to roam freely in the new space. He still was not quite trusting of it all, and he felt better keeping the child firmly held safely in his arms.
The two of you had only stopped walking, when you had led him to what looked like a small conference room, “Wait here, I’ll be back soon.”
The Mandalorian nodded in agreement, watching as you had smiled briefly, before turning to leave him and the child alone again. A little bit more of unease had tugged at his thoughts while he waited for your return, and to calm himself, he had tried to take a look around the room. He had hoped that by doing so, it would distract him enough from his troubled thoughts. Although, the longer he stood in that empty room, the more his nerves had actually grown, and the more his mind wandered to that of worry.
“Mandalorian,” Hearing your voice had snapped back from his thoughts again, and he peered over towards the sound of it. By doing so, he was greeted by the faces of two new individuals. “Allow me to introduce you to General Leia Organa Solo, and Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.”
The child had beamed with joy within the jedi’s precance, instantly reaching out towards him with his tiny hands, attempting to clutch onto the cloak which rested on his shoulders. Luke had chuckled at the sight, reaching his own hand out, and allowing for the child to take his fingers in his tiny grasp.
“The force is strong with this one.”
Din didn’t know what exactly Skywalker had meant by those words, and wasn’t sure how to respond to the man other than giving him a silent nod. Even though he had learned some things in regards to ‘the force’ while looking for the child’s people, he still had a very little understanding of the entire concept. He just knew it was something that Jedi were able to use and control.
“I’ll gladly train him.” The Jedi had continued, as the child giggled happily while playing with the man’s fingers. “He’ll do well here.”
Din couldn’t explain why he didn’t trust them. He didn’t even have a reason not to trust them. He knew for a fact that he should have been excited that he had finally managed to find a Jedi. The child could grow and learn among his own people. This would be wonderful for the development of the child. He knew that. This was the whole reason he had gone on this journey of searching for them in the first place.
When he had started this search for a Jedi, he knew that he would have to leave the child with them. Although, now that he had found them, he couldn't imagine going through with it. In other words, the Mandalorian didn’t want to leave the child here. He didn’t want to have to say goodbye to the little womprat. His little adoptive son.
The child had quickly become his family within the time he had spent looking after him. The Mandalorian had grown to love and cherish the child dearly in his heart. He had dreaded the day where he might have to actually let him go to join his own people. At times, he had secretly hoped that it would never come. Something which he knew was a selfish thought to think, but it had still managed to plague him in his time with the child. He truly had begun to hope that he could remain as the child’s family, but deep down, he knew that wasn’t possible.
Din had felt the tears begin to form at the corners of his eyes while he stared down at the child. The little one had only smiled up at him as he always did, bright and full of adoration for the man before him. The small child in his arms had removed his hands from Skywalker’s fingers by this point, and had instead placed them on the chin of the Mandalorian’s helmet. The gesture from the child was what had caused the tears he was holding back to fall, and soon streams of the salty drops were flowing down his cheeks in never ending waves.
Din had been only pulled from his thoughts due to the feeling of a hand on his shoulder. Looking towards its source, his gaze had locked with your own, and he resisted the urge to peel away from you. A small bit of shyness had washed over him due to him not being used to the contact from another person, and the fact he was currently silently crying in a room full of strangers. He had never been more thankful for the helmet which currently hid his face from view. Honestly, he hadn’t even been aware that everyone was waiting on him to say something, because of how overwhelmed he had suddenly become with the whole thing.
“Why don’t I show you two around?” You had said to him, a soft smile on your face. “This is not an easy thing to do, and getting a little tour may help ease some concerns.”
Din had nodded to you in agreement, not trusting his voice to sound out properly through the modulator. The others had readily agreed as well, both unaware that the man before them was crumbling as they spoke. Luke smiled once more at the Mandalorian and the child held in his arms, before turning to leave with Leia in tow. Soon, it was only you and him standing within the empty conference room.
“Come, follow me.” You had finally said, the long sleeves of your robe ruffling softly, as your one hand stretched out to motion him to follow you. He did so without question, his feet moving before he had even willed his mind to obey your suggestion, still trying to recover from his sudden burst of emotions.
The Mandalorian’s steps were louder when compared to your quiet ones, and they had echoed through the hallways of the temple with every step he took. The architecture of the temple was a beautiful sight, and he found himself looking around at it with admiration, while the tears that once fell from his eyes finally dried. The child had settled himself comfortably in his arms, his own wide eyes darting about excitedly as they took in the new areas bit by bit.
Finally, you had come to a stop in front of another door, smiling as you watched with amusement as Din had found himself almost walking into you from being occupied with looking around. A flush of embarrassment had shot its way through him again, and he sheepishly looked away as he noticed the amused smile that you wore.
“This would likely be the child’s room.” You had finally said, opening the door to the room, stepping to the side so he and the child could see inside.
The room was of a modest size, not too large and not too small. A single bed laid against the back wall, a medium dresser to the right of it. The room was bare other than those few pieces of furniture, but that was to be expected considering that it technically did not possess an occupant for the moment.
“It may look a little drab and empty now, but more furniture can eventually be added and it’ll feel more lively as he grows, of course.”
“Of course.” He had echoed you mindlessly, his voice soft and quiet as he moved around the space after setting the child down so he could explore it as well. His heart ached at the thought of missing out on seeing the child grow up, and he found himself thinking about whether or not the child would even remember him in future.
“Why don’t you stay?” Your voice had sounded throughout the room suddenly, “At least for a little bit, though I’m sure the others wouldn’t mind if you wanted to stay here permanently to keep an eye on the child.”
Din’s attention had been snapped over to you instantly, his gaze borrowing into your own. He felt himself straighten his back, his posture becoming rigid and defensive without him meaning to. It was a common defensive tactic he had developed when he felt put on the spot. While many would shrink away from the sight of it, you had stood unfazed, and instead he watched as your expression softened more. “I know it must be hard to just leave him here.”
“I...I couldn’t,” he had said as he began to relax again, watching the child move about the room, “I don’t belong here.”
“Are you sure? We have plenty of rooms and space.” You had replied rather cheerfully, a small chuckle leaving you as you watched the child run back over to Din, babbling and giggling in gibberish to the large man. “And personally I think you’d fit in just fine.”
Din had smiled as well when he saw the excitement on the child’s face, and soon he was picking him back up again. “I’m sure, but thank you.”
“Hmm…Well if living here won’t do, what about visiting?”
“Visiting?”
“Yes. I’m sure the others wouldn’t mind you coming around every now and then.” You said, taking a step closer to him as you talked. “I’m sure it would make the child happy as well, he’s quite fond of you.”
Din had paused in thought once more, his mind trying to think of any pros or cons that would come with visiting the temple. Soon he had found himself staring down at the child, who happily laughed as he entertained himself by patting the Mandalorian’s chest plate repeatedly like a drum. He felt his heart swell full of love again, before he found himself looking back towards you standing next to him, his mind finally made up.
“Yeah that could work.”
That interaction between the Mandalorian and you had happened months ago. Now, he was currently on his way back to the temple after having completed some jobs. He would visit often, as much as he possibly could, never wanting to be away for too long. At first it was simply so he could continue to see the child, but soon it had turned to him also visiting another special someone.
This special someone being you of course.
The effect you had on him was immense, and it always left him feeling overwhelmed with a multitude of emotions. The Mandalorian wasn’t sure he had ever felt this deeply for another person. He did of course care for the child greatly, but these feelings he had for you were much different when compared to the fatherly feelings he held towards the child.
Simply put, Din Djarin was hopelessly in love with you, and his feelings for you had made that quite clear. He was certain that he had managed to fall in love with you over the short time you both had spent together. There wasn’t any other realistic reasoning for these feelings of his. Din may not know much about love, but he did know how it felt, and this was exactly what he was feeling for you.
Shaking his thoughts away, he focused on landing the ship the closer he got to the temple. Then, after making sure everything was how it was supposed to be, he opened the large landing hatch, and stepped down it only to be instantly greeted by you. There was never a day when you weren’t there to greet him when he visited, and your greeting was something he always looked forward to on his visits by this point.
“Hello Mando, I’m glad to see you back so soon.”
“Yes,” He said, your words causing for a light dusting of a blush to warm his cheeks, “My last job went over quicker than expected.”
A little stretch of the truth. Din had actually sped through the job rather quickly due to his desire to see you and the child much sooner. He had missed you both terribly, and wanted nothing more than to be by your side again as soon as possible. Although you didn’t need to know that.
“The child is in training with Master Luke at the moment.” You said, the smile on your face being the sweetest thing he had set his sights on, “Why don’t you come on a walk with me until they finish up?”
“A walk sounds nice.” He had replied, a bit too quickly for his liking, and he did his best to calm his racing heart. He held his arm out for you to take, which you had gladly done, allowing for your palm to rest gently on his bicep, as you both began to walk down towards the temple’s garden.
Walks had become a frequent activity that you two had taken apart in while he was visiting. The two of you would walk along the gardens of the temple, talking about anything new that had happened between his last visit. He would tell you about any jobs he had done, or any interesting stories from his travel that he felt you might enjoy. Though it didn’t seem to matter what he told you, everything he said always appeared to peak your interest. He could probably talk about the most boring things in the entire Galaxy and you would probably still eagerly listen. The same could be said for him, it didn’t matter what you talked about, he just liked hearing you talk.
While he would usually speak of his work, you would usually talk to him about the child. Sometimes, you would talk about yourself, things like your own job as a senator and memories from your past. Anything you talked about was like music to his ears, your voice resonating in his ears and blanketing his heart in warmth. He would spend hours listening to you if he could.
Moments like these allowed for him to just exist in your presence, and enjoy the company that the both of you shared. He couldn’t help but notice every detail of you, from the curve of your nose to the colour of your lips, there was nothing about you that he couldn’t help but observe. He loved to see your bright smile, and he found that your laugh was intoxicating. He had learned quickly how compassionate and bold you could be, loving every quirky aspect to your personality, which only made him want to know more about you. It was no wonder he had fallen in love with you so quickly and so deeply. Everything about you was truly beautiful in his eyes.
Suddenly, you had stopped in place, your gaze drifting off to the side as you seemed to ponder in thought. The hand which rested on his arm had removed itself and found a place at your side.
“Something wrong?” He asked, concern evident in his voice, already missing your touch.
He watched as you had looked back up to him, chewing at your lower lip before looking away again. He was about to try and prompt you again, when you had finally decided to voice what was on your mind.
“I love you.”
“What-”
“-I understand if you don’t feel the same way, but I just had to tell you.” You had cut him off, your voice sounding uneasy from your confession. “I’ve never felt like this for another person.”
A sad smile had spread across your cheeks, as you looked towards him once more, the expression resting on your features making him feel almost guilty for being the cause of it. At first he had stared at you silently, not able to form words at the moment, the shock from the sudden confession still overriding his system. His lips have moved awkwardly underneath the helmet, trying to push out any sort of reply, but none came through.
“I’m sorry if I made you feel awkward, you don’t have to reply. I don’t want this to affect our friendship.” You said, trying to gauge his own feelings, before turning away from him completely, and continuing to speak. “We should continue, the child’s training with Master Luke will be done soon.”
After saying that, you went to walk once more, a flush beginning to settle on your skin due to the encounter. This time putting yourself ahead of him rather than by his side, feeling embarrassed and distraught from your sudden confession.
The panic he felt as he saw you turn away had made him reach out to you without a thought, his hand grabbing your arm to pull you close to him again. His sudden tug on you had made you stumble into his hard chest, the beskar feeling cold against your warm skin. At the contact you had looked up at him, your features morphed with shock and confusion. He stared down at you for a second, the grib he held on your arm softening, as he moved his other to cup the back of your head.
Din pressed his metal forehead against your own, the coolness from the sending a visible shiver to roll down your spine. At the contact his eyes had closed, not being able to force himself to see the expression you wore, afraid to see what it may entail.
“I feel the same.” He had finally managed to say, the words soft but firm as they left his modulator. “I love you too.”
“Really?”
He nodded in reply as he pulled back slightly, his gloved thumb coming to brush itself against your bottom lip, causing for your skin to warm again at the gesture. He watched quietly as your lips parted from his touch, your eyes drooping while peering up at him through your long lashes.
“I’ve also never felt this way about another person.” He admitted suddenly while lost in thought, averting his gaze in embarrassment as he continued with his own confession. “Honestly I never thought you’d feel the same. I mean… I’m a Mandalorian and-”
Din’s words had cut off from the sharp intake of breath that had left him. Your hands grasped at the jawline of his helmet, causing for a jolt of panic to flow through him. His mind instantly jumped to the conclusion of you attempting to remove his helmet. Something he absolutely dreaded.
The thought was so terrifying to the Mandalorian, that he found himself not able to react quick enough in order to stop you from doing so, if you had so desired. His body had gone completely rigid, unmoving and stiff. He was truly in no position to cease your actions from undoing his creed in a simple motion. Thought, rather than remove his helmet like he thought, you instead had pulled his head down to press a chaste kiss to the beskar in question.
The kiss was quick, and within a blink of an eye, it had ended. It was nothing other than a simple peck to help affirm your feelings to him, but it had managed to absolutely wreck the man before you. His heart felt like it had swelled to a bursting point of emotions, and his mind had become muddled with affection for you. His worry and fear had now melted away into adoration and love. He wasn’t used to feeling this amount of emotions towards another person, and he struggled to control them as they began to spill over, all while he tried to process how to react appropriately.
Who would have thought that a simple kiss would have left Din Djarin such a mess?
After removing your hands from his helmet, you had taken a step back to smile at him while Din himself had remained frozen in place. The shock of the gesture was still coursing through his system, and he hadn’t quite managed to calm himself by that point. He hadn’t expected the action from you in the slightest, and he felt himself blush deeply as he stared at you standing before him. His lips tingled with want, wishing that he could tear the metal away and feel your lips pressed against his own properly. He had never wanted to kiss someone so badly.
“Come now, the lesson with Master Luke should be done. I’m sure the child is excitedly waiting to see his father.” Smiling once more you stretched out your hand towards him—which he took almost instantly—his large hand intertwining his fingers with your own smaller ones.
“Yes, let’s go.”
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