Hey guys! I just wanted to thank you all for being so sweet and kind lately!! :) It’s always so lovely seeing so much support even though I haven’t been as present on tumblr as I usually am due to my personal life being a little hectic at the moment.
Anyways, I’m sorry this sneak peek is a couple days late!! I was making a bunch of changes to the plot in this chapter and wasn’t sure what part I wanted to post, but I still hope you all enjoy this little preview :)
“Hey, it’s okay” You reassure Paz before he can argue and dig himself into a deeper hole with the armorer, since it seems he’s already testing her patience, “She is right, if I really want to be a part of the tribe, I can’t let you always speak for me and make my decisions Paz.”
“Okay,” He sighs, clearly not wanting to leave you alone with the matriarch of the tribe, though he knows you’re right, “Fine. I’ll take him back to the nursery and meet you in our room later. Just… please think about what it is you are being offered, okay?”
You give him a fervent nod as he squeezes your shoulder before turning to the little one still hiding behind your leg. You half expect Odi to stay there, refusing to face the Mandalorian who’s currently holding a gloved hand out for him to take, though you’re pleasantly surprised when the boy lets go of you. Paz has to lean over the tiniest bit as Odi grabs two of his fingers and if your stomach didn’t suddenly feel so queasy, you would have grinned at how big Paz appeared standing next to the child.
You frown when Paz turns his helm to look at you over a broad shoulder, “Cyare, don’t--”
“I’ll be fine,” You remind him with a kind smile, “Was it not you who told me that you think I am getting stronger and stronger every passing day, or were you lying to me to make me feel better?”
He huffs at the knowing expression on your face and Ima giggles when his shoulders fall, head cocking to the side and you’re certain he wears a soft glare of exasperation underneath his blue helmet.
Wrapped up in his arms in the darkness of his room, you’ve felt the way the smooth skin between his brows wrinkles with irritation when you ask him about certain tribe members that have a knack for causing chaos within the covert or when he’s concentrating hard on something. Or even all the time his plump lips tug downwards and his forehead lightly creases whenever he hears your own responses to the little questions he asks about growing up in the rough city above his covert.
You can still feel the way his lips feel against yours and how they always seem to curve up into a little smile whenever he kisses you for the first time after a long day and you think he must always be incredibly expressive underneath the dull blue helmet.
Right now, you’re certain he’s scowling as Ima makes fun of him for calling you ‘cyare’, and you smile fondly at the way he slightly elbows her away from him.
The alor sits at a small table in front of the lit forge and your anxiety intensifies upon remembering how the two of you had sat in those chairs while you recalled the entire incident with the Trandoshan, Paz seething at your side. As soon as the two warriors and Odi are out of sight, you let out a deep breath and turn around to sit across from the ever intimidating armorer; you try not to focus on all the rusted and scuffed up scraps on the table, but rather her intriguing visor.
“It seems as though you have already made some new friends during your stay,” The armorer hums, almost sounding amused as she speaks of Odi, “It is always a struggle for the newest foundlings to become accustomed to our ways.”
“He is a very sweet child, I am sure with a few more weeks, he will grow more comfortable.”
“And what about you, little one?” She wraps her hand around the handle of a blade, the tip of the blade jagged and broken, and your heart pounds wildly in your chest, “You have been here for six rotations now. The last time I saw you was when you protected Din Djarin’s honor.”
You’re confused and slightly on edge, wondering what she’s trying to get at, “I like it here very much and the work I am doing--it feels far more rewarding than it did when I was working in the village. I am… I am extremely lucky and grateful that I was accepted.”
The armorer continues to inspect the blade as she speaks, “And so you wish to stay with us?”
Your fingers dig painfully into your thighs and you fear that this is it--that perhaps she will kick you out without Paz even knowing. Maker… you had told Odi you would always be here for him, what would he do if you just disappeared?
Perhaps you’re still emotional from the rough previous night you and Paz both experienced, but your throat closes up as you nod fervently, “Yes, I would like to stay for as long as Paz would like to have me here.”
“That is not his decision to make, I’m afraid.”
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