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theidiotwhowritesthings · 1 year

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A FRESH START [19]

Din Djarin x F!Reader

Warnings: violence, blood, injuries, mild non descriptive torture, indirect homicide(?), but also fluff. mixed in with all that.

Word Count: 5,514

Updates every Thursday

Summary: When you made plans for your future they never involved being hired by a Mandalorian to baby-sit his adorable, green gremlin of a child. However, after your life fell apart in the span of one disastrous night, you found it to be the only feasible option you had left. Nevarro was a far cry from Coruscant, but the thriving community turned out to be exactly what you needed. Every day you spend in Nevarro you fall more and more in love with your new life, but when your past rears its ugly head you find that perhaps peace wasn’t meant for everyone.

#19: MY BOYS NEEDED ME

"i will hurt you for this. i don't know how yet, but give me time. a day will come when you think yourself safe and happy, and suddenly your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth, and you'll know the debt is paid."

-George RR Martin (A Clash of Kings)

Grogu was an overall well behaved kid in the grand scheme of things. Was he mischievous? Yes. A menace to any local wildlife? Absolutely. However, he was always very good about listening to Din. Well, mostly. That being said, Grogu was still a young kid mentally, and he was not immune to having complete and total toddler sized meltdowns when he felt slighted. The biggest temper tantrum Din had been witness to was ages ago when a sleep deprived Grogu lost his snack while Din was running on a hunt, and they had left the planet before Din could replace the cookies.

Today beat that in a landslide.

“Ma! Ma! Ma!” Grogu beat his silver ball against the glass repeatedly with each cry for you. The first twenty minutes of the flight had just been the child screeching in frustration, and had dissolved to this tactic when Grogu was too tired to cry. “Ma! Ma! Ma⏤”

“Grogu, stop.” Din called back.

“No! Ma!”

“Ad’ika, please⏤”

“No! Ma!” Grogu began to rapidly slap the metal ball against the glass. “Buir, digur Ma!”

“I didn’t forget her, ad’ika.” Din sighed and tried to calm him for the hundredth time. “She had to stay behind. She’ll be there when we get⏤”

Grogu swapped back to screaming angrily. Din huffed and leaned forward to activate a holocall. The child paused in his tantrum when he saw the screen pop up and began to crawl down from his perch in the droid’s seat. The call was answered and your pretty features filled his screen. Despite his frustration of having to hear his child howl and beat glass for the last half hour, his lips spread into a broad smile at the sight of you.

You grinned. “Do you miss me already, Djarin?”

“Yes.” Din blurted. Grogu crawled out onto Din’s lap and began to cry in blubbering sobs while holding his arms up as if you’d be able to scoop him up through the screen. Your eyes widened, and Din wrapped an arm around his son and rubbed his back soothingly. “He didn’t realize we were saying bye to you on the tarmac. He’s been throwing a tantrum since we left.”

“Ma!” Grogu hiccuped in his sobs.

Din watched your own lip quiver as you shook your head. “Oh, baby, I’m so sorry. It’s okay.”

He leaned back in his seat and watched in admiration as you remotely calmed the kid down. It looked like you were in the clinic right now based on the white coat you wore, and things must not have been too busy since you didn’t seem in a rush. Din stayed silent for the next fifteen minutes, scratching Grogu’s back, while you spoke to him and sang him songs. Eventually, Grogu fell asleep⏤ exhausted from his tantrum.

“Thank you.” Din sighed. “He was miserable.”

“I feel so terrible.” You set your hands on your cheeks with a frown. “I didn’t realize he didn’t know. I just assumed⏤”

“Not your fault.” Din replied. “I think we all just assumed, and he assumed you’d be coming along.”

“I didn’t think…” The words left your lips in a breath and the way you bit them back made him think you hadn’t meant to let them slip at all. “Never mind.”

Din shook his head, adjusting Grogu so his head could rest on his shoulder more comfortably, and connected the dots. “Of course he’d be upset to part from you. You’re important to him. He loves you.” Like I do, the thought drifted through his mind involuntarily but not unwelcome. Din chuckled, “You’re Ma.”

“I know. I love him too.” You mumbled and something about hearing you declare your love for his son so blatantly and without pause stroked the domestic part of him making him preen in pride. “But, he was so excited to fly again and the two of you used to do this all the time without me…”

Din wondered if you truly didn’t know how important you had come to be to him and Grogu or if an anxiety of some kind kept you from fully accepting it. Din didn’t mind reminding you every single day if he had to. He’d take on that job happily. He hummed. “Before, you didn’t exist in our lives. You changed everything when you came, ner kar’ta.”

He saw your lips twitch up into a soft smile and he let out a comfortable sigh. You shook your head. “You’re more of a sweet talker than I ever would’ve guessed, Din Djarin.” Din chuckled. Your eyes left the screen momentarily and you pushed out an annoyed grumble. “I have four patients waiting for me. There was a small collision on the tarmac after you left. Nothing too serious, but⏤”

“I didn’t know you were busy.” Din stiffened. You had been on the call with him for nearing twenty minutes now. “I didn’t mean to drag you from work. You could’ve told me⏤”

“Relax.” You replied soothingly. The smile you wore took a mischievous edge and you winked at him. “My boys needed me.” It was embarrassing the way Din’s heart pounded in his chest like he was a small child experiencing attention from his school yard crush. The stupid, silly grin he had to have been wearing was at least hidden from view. “I’ll talk to you later?”

“Of course. Have a good day, ner kar’ta.”

“Stay safe.”

Din ended the call and slumped back in his seat while rubbing Grogu’s back. Every other breath or so his small body would be racked with a shuddering sigh from all the sobbing he had gone through. Din blamed himself for this meltdown. He should’ve realized the toll this would have taken on his son. Grogu was young for his kind, but he had already seen so much loss in his life.

“Ni ceta, ad’ika.” Din murmured softly.

Three days had passed since Din had left with Grogu. The worst part of it, other than just missing them as badly as you did, was living in that house alone. That’s what it felt like with them gone. Just a house, not a home. It was bad enough that you nearly caved and asked to stay with Nima for the time being. You hated getting back from work and not hearing Grogu giggle mischievously while you made dinner or hearing Din murmuring a lullaby to get the boy to sleep. It was painfully quiet and empty. Considering Nima was already worried about you though, you didn’t ask to stay with her. Instead, you had settled on sleeping in Din’s room. At least there, nestled in his sheets with his smell enveloping you, you found some mild relief. You had even dragged Grogu’s stuffed blue frog to rest with you. It was pathetic, you knew, and you were embarrassed to even mention it to Din during your calls with him.

For that reason, work had become your favorite time of day. Luckily, you had actually been a bit more busy lately than usual. Well, lucky for you. Not so lucky for the poor souls wandering in with injuries.

“I kind of thought you’d be using a cautery.” Your newest patient of the day, a man who worked with the local fire department, chuckled. He was younger than you by a few years if you had to guess. The man, named Hale, was good looking, you couldn’t deny it, but his messy, slightly curled brown hair only made your heart ache as you thought of Din. “Figured I’d end up with a gnarly scar.”

“Nope.” You chirped and continued suturing the gash across his abdomen. It wasn’t too deep, he didn’t lose enough blood to require replacement, but it definitely needed attention. “You still might scar, but it won’t be very impressive I don’t think.”

“Shame. I was hoping it’d make me look a little bit cooler. Women like guys with some macho scars, right?”

Your mind drifted to Din’s skin. The various scars that littered his torso and arms. A sigh left your lips, “Yeah. I guess we do.”

Hale nodded once. He shifted in pain, wincing, and you reassured him that you were nearly done. Just a few more stitches. He cleared his throat. “So, is there trouble brewing that we should know about at the fire department?”

“Hmm?”

“Well,” Hale titled his head across the room, “The entire security force of Nevarro is in the clinic with Peli’s best mechanic and our only doctor. Sounds like trouble.”

His words made you glance over your shoulder to see Vanth and Mayfeld arguing over maker knows what while Nima texted away on her communicator. You rolled your eyes with a shake of your head. “No. No trouble. Apparently there’s just nothing better to do in this city than annoy me.”

Hale chuckled at your reply. A lot of people seemed to linger around you as if you were a ticking time bomb. These three were the worst of them. When you asked Din about it, he said he asked a few people to just keep a close eye on you. By a 'few people' he must mean all of Nevarro. You finished your work and bandaged over the sutures before helping him sit up. Hale pulled his shirt back on then cleared his throat while you began to clean up your supplies.

“So, uh, hey,” He gave you a nervous smile, “I was wondering if you wanted to go out and get a⏤”

“Whoa!” Nima cut in before the poor guy could even finish his sentence. Despite having been clear across the room, she was suddenly at your side and fully attentive. You resisted the urge to palm your face in exhaustion. Nima pointed in his face as if her next words were a threat. “Don’t you know nothing? She’s taken, big boy. She’s dating the marshal!”

The patient’s eyes glanced over at Vanth who had paused in his argument at Nima’s outburst. Him and Mayfeld were only a few steps away. Hale raised an eyebrow, “Isn’t he a little old to be dating her?”

Vanth’s eyes widened and he stormed over while Mayfeld howled in laughter. Vanth threw his arm around your shoulder then motioned to his face. “I am not too old to be dating her, kid.”

“We’re not dating!” You threw your hands up in disbelief.

“Not because I’m too old though.” Vanth argued.

“Calm down, grandpa.” Mayfeld snickered. “You’re gonna stroke out.”

“I’m not old.” Vanth argued once more and you caved and allowed your face to fall into your hands.

Mayfeld smirked. “Your gray hair says otherwise.”

“At least, I have hair.”

“Hey!” Mayfeld’s laughs turned to outrage. “I’m not bald. This is a shaved look, is all.”

“Out!” You snapped and pointed to the door. All three of your guests shuffled to the door and you shot Hale, still sitting on the cot with wide and confused eyes, a sympathetic smile. “Give me one moment, and I’ll be back.” He nodded and you turned on your heel. Vanth, Mayfeld, and now Nima had picked up the argument out in the hall, but when you stepped out with your hands on your hips they all grew quiet. At least they had the decency to look ashamed. “What the kriff is going on?”

Nima shrugged. “What do you mean?”

“What do I⏤” You motioned to her. “I cleared you for light work in the garage, and yet you’re here hovering over my every step. And, you two,” You pointed at Vanth and Mayfeld who flinched at the end of your finger, “You two have an entire city to protect. Why the hell are you in my clinic?”

All three of them mumbled out an apologetic answer while not meeting your eyes. Nima crossed her arms and shot you a sheepish smile finally. “We just wanted to make sure you were doing okay. Keep you company!”

“And make sure no one makes a move on the marshal’s girl.” Mayfeld winked at you. Vanth added a grin at his words and offered you a cheerful thumbs up. Of course this would be the one thing these two agree on.

You pinched the bridge of your nose. “Get out of my clinic so I can get back to work.”

“You’re just gonna go back in there? He was flirting with you!” Nima argued.

“Yeah, and I think I’m gonna go in there and say yes to getting a drink.” You said and their eyes widened. You followed it up with a mocking grin. “Then, when Mando gets back and asks why I’m dating a random man from the fire department I’ll tell him it’s because you three pushed me to insanity.” Vanth winced, Nima shifted awkwardly, and Mayfeld grimaced. “How’s that?”

Mayfeld cleared his throat. “Would really love it if you didn’t do that. I don’t want Mando to try and kill me. Again.”

“Out.” You replied. The three of them rushed away and you rolled your eyes in response. It was sweet of them to care, but their lingering presence was going to drive you up a kriffing wall. You hurried back to the main room and shot Ren another apologetic smile. “I’m sorry about them. They mean well.”

He chuckled. “It’s alright. So, if not the cowboy, then the other Marshal? The Mandalorian. You’re dating him?”

“I…” You shrugged. “It’s⏤ Not officially.”

“Alright,” Hale nodded, “That means I have a chance then? Maybe?”

Thoughts of Din rolled over you in waves, as if your body was trying to remind you of who you had⏤ as if you even needed a reminder. You could hear his voice in the back of your head murmuring soft words of care. The promise that when he returned he’d be making you his in every sense of the word ringing clear. You smiled at the thought and shook your head. “No. I’m sorry.”

“That’s alright. I figured I had to try.” Hale shrugged and slid off the cot.

You instructed him on care for his injury and when to be back for you to remove the sutures. Aalya came in after he left and began to ask you questions about supplies and an injury somebody was calling the clinic about to see if they needed to come in. You found it hard to focus. Maker, you hoped they’d be back soon.

The city Daelar had run to was in a rural region of an already rural Outer Rim world named Thyreps. Din had never been here before, barely even heard of it, and from the looks he didn’t plan on making a return trip here⏤ ever. It was a dry, barren place. Hot as Tatooine, but cracked, dead ground versus rolling hills of sand. The city was moderate in size, it must have been the main population on this desolate word, but it was still small enough that if he parked the N1 on the local tarmac he’d be noticed. Din didn’t want to give Daelar the chance to run. He had places to be after all. Din wasn’t looking to drag this trip out any longer than he needed.

So, Din parked the N1 out in the middle of nowhere and hiked into the city. There was an inn on the outskirts where he rented a room. It was times like this he missed the Razor Crest. More than usual, he should say. He was laying on the bed, helmet off, and while Grogu slept in his sealed pram in the corner of the room. Daelar liked to go from his workplace to a brothel. Din planned on catching the man on his way home. Which left him with hours to kill.

Din sat up, ran a hand through his hair, and weighed the pros and cons of calling you. It was late. You were probably getting ready for bed if you weren’t sleeping already. He only hesitated a moment before grabbing his helmet. Worse case scenario, you didn't answer. Best case scenario, he got to see you and hear your voice. Two things he was missing immensely.

He made the video call and it rang for longer than usual. Din was a second away from disconnecting when your line activated. It took a second for his eyes to adjust to the dim view he had of you. From the looks of it, the holo call was being projected from your communicator which was sitting on the night stand beside the bed. The only light in the room coming from the glow the holocall gave off.

“Din?” You mumbled. Your eyes still heavy with sleep. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, ner kar’ta. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have woken you up.” Din tried to soak in as much of your features as he could. Maker, you were gorgeous. His mind couldn’t help but drift off and think of a future where he’d get to lay next to you in bed. A future where all he’d have to do is reach out and you’d be there. “Go back to sleep.”

You shook your head. “No. I’m awake. Don’t go.”

Din chuckled, but he could tell you were coming to a bit more. Your eyes growing more focused on him. He watched you sit up enough to readjust your pillow before laying back down. Din’s eyes narrowed at the color of the sheets cocooning you. “Are you… Are you in my bed?”

Your eyes widened, truly awake now, and mumbled, “Uh… yes? I’ve been sleeping in your bed since you left. Sorry.”

“Don’t⏤” Din began, his voice firm. The thought of you simply sleeping in his bed should not be as arousing as it was, but his thoughts were running wild and the crotch of his flight suit’s pants were growing tight. “Don’t apologize.” He breathed out. “There is literally nothing you could say that I would like more, ner kar’ta.”

“Hmm.” Your lips curled into a grin. “I don’t know about that. I think there are a few other things I could say that you’d like. Want an example?” Din couldn’t find his voice, and you took that as the only approval you needed. “I’m wearing one of your shirts to sleep in. Just your shirt.”

Din let out an audible groan. His head fell back, lighting clanking against the headboard he was sitting up against, and his hand shifted down to readjust himself⏤ it didn’t help. Meanwhile, you were quietly laughing and the sound had him smiling under his helmet despite the sexual frustration grabbing hold of him.

“You’re trouble.” He shook his head.

“The sooner you get back, the sooner you can punish me for it.”

“Dank farrik.” Din groaned. One hand fisting the bed sheet to keep from touching himself. He blew out a ragged breath of air. “You’re doing this on purpose.”

“Of course, I am.” You chuckled. “I have to tempt you into coming back as fast as possible.”

“There is nothing you have to do in order to tempt me.” Din scoffed. “Just knowing you’re waiting for me in Nevarro is enough.”

“Sweet talker.” You teased. “How far are you from Mandalore? I see you stopped somewhere.” The question was a splash of ice water because he technically hadn’t explained the whole Daelar side mission to you yet. Obviously, you needed to know. For the length that he had known you though, you only knew him as the Marshal. Sure, you were aware of his past as a bounty hunter, but you hadn’t been directly exposed to that side of him yet. If there was anything that could scare you away⏤ it’d be that. “Din?”

“To be honest,” Din hesitated only for a moment, “I’m on Thyreps.”

“I’ve never even heard of that world.” Your brow furrowed.

Din nodded. “It’s pretty remote.” He knew what your next question would be and continued without you speaking up. “Daelar is here.” Your eyes widened and he watched as you slowly sat up. Revealing more of the shirt you had on⏤ his shirt. “Karga and I tracked him down. I’m planning to... make things right.” Din paused. His jaw locked and he had to force himself to relax. “Is… Is that alright?”

You stayed quiet for a moment and Din could feel his nerves fraying by the second. Finally, you nodded and there was a fire in your eyes. “Good. Make him pay.”

It was the most bloodthirsty thing he had ever heard you say, and Din felt a chill run down his spine. The start of this conversation may have dampened his mood briefly, but he was even hotter under the collar now. Maker, he wished he could touch you. The temptation to touch himself while on call with you was overwhelming. The only thing halting him being the thought that the first time he’d come undone in your actual presence he didn’t just want your eyes on him⏤ Din wanted your hands on him. He wanted you close enough that he could actually feel your skin. He’s made it this long, he supposed.

“You should get back to sleep.” Din said. It was true. You had work in the morning, and he had work in just a few hours. Your eyes softened as you mumbled for him to be careful and Din sighed before ending the call. First things first, he needed an ice cold shower. Then, skira.

The sun was only just beginning to rise when Din spotted Daelar leaving the brothel. Stumbling out, more specifically. Din leaned against a wall across the street and just watched for a moment. Just the sight of the man made his skin bristle in anger. His hands balled into fists. As Daelar began to wander down the street, Din crossed the street and followed after him slowly. The side of him that enjoyed the thrill of a hunt was disappointed. This was much too easy. It wanted a challenge. However, the other side of him reminded Din that the sooner he got this done the sooner him and Grogu got home to you.

“Him.” Grogu huffed from the pram floating beside him “Him, don’t like.”

“Don’t like him.” Din corrected the order of his son’s words. “Good job, ad’ika.” Daelar turned a corner into an alley and Din sighed. Too easy. “Close your pram.”

Grogu grumbled a few words before hitting the front of the pram and letting the metal walls close over him. Din rounded the corner after the man, but came to a halt when he was greeted by three blasters. Daeler a step behind the ones holding the blasters wearing a smug grin.

“Hey, Marshal.” Daelar chuckled. “Funny seeing you in these parts.”

Din locked his jaw in irritation and shifted so Grogu’s pram hid behind him. Of the three people holding the weapons, there were two men, one human the other Rodian, and the third was a human woman. Din strategized in his head, studying the scene, and it suddenly dawned on him. He recognized that woman. Why did he recognize her? Her dark hair was tied up messily and there was an amused chaos in her blue eyes⏤ like she enjoyed that her day was starting with violence. It hit him then. Ari. The last time he had been dropping her off in Jakku. Why anyone would want to go to Jakku, Din didn’t know.

She had been a quarry initially, but the price she was willing to pay him to forgo the bounty and help her out could not be refused. Ari had given him an ingot of beskar. Karga liked to joke that Din had a bad habit of accidentally making allies across the galaxy, something he thought was far-fetched, but this was damning evidence. Helpful though.

He set his hands on his hips and tilted his head. “I see you’re still trouble.”

Ari’s eyes narrowed briefly before snapping open in shock. She lowered her blaster with a laugh and bright grin. “Mando! How the hell are ya?” Din could swear that Daelar’s face lost all color. “Dank farrik, man. Last time I saw you, your armor was shades of red, brown, and broken. Look at you now. Shiny.” Daelar, obviously able to see he was losing his ally, turned and began to sprint away. Ari snapped her fingers. “No.”

At the single, simple word, both men turned and ran after Daelar. Din hummed, mildly impressed. The woman drifted closer, holstering her blister, and pointed at him. “What’re you doing out in my corner of the galaxy? Please don’t tell me I’m on another puck.”

“Knowing you, you probably are, but I’m not here for you.”

Ari thumbed over her shoulder just as her guys dragged Daelar back kicking and screaming. “You after that guy? He’s got a bounty on him?”

“Yes, but I don’t plan on turning him in.” Din replied. His jaw locked again. He glared at Daelar and the way the man’s poor attempts to escape became more frenzied it was clear Din’s rage was understood. Helmet or not. “It’s personal.”

Ari let out a low whistle and glanced back at the man. “Shit. I knew he was dumb, but I didn’t know he was ‘piss off a Mandalorian’ dumb.”

“You’re supposed to protect me!” Daelar screamed at her. “It’s in my contract!”

Din snorted. “You hired him? You should know he’s a medical fraud⏤”

“I am not! I was the best in my field, I’ll have you know!” Daelar howled.

Ari nodded. “Oh, yeah. I know. He’s a fucking idiot.” The man stopped in his temper tantrum to stare at her with wide eyes. She shook her head at him. “Why else would I have you working in my rival’s clinic, you dumbass? I’m hoping you accidentally kill some of his crew.” Ari glanced back at Din and waved her hand at him. “I’m in the middle of a terf war. It’s a whole thing. Would take a while to explain.”

“Yeah. I don’t care.” Din replied.

“So?” Ari clapped her hands. “What do you want him for? He insult ‘The Way’?”

Din shook his head. “He tried to kill my son.”

Ari’s eyes widened in surprise then hardened into irritation. Daelar cried out. “Liar! He was fine when I left! Your wife is a dramatic bitch. She has no idea what she's talking about!” Din didn’t realize his anger could possibly worsen, but somehow it did. Daelar was digging himself deeper into a grave and Din was eager to bury him. “It was a little viral illness, the common cold⏤”

“He spiked a fever. You left him for dead. You left her to deal with it.” Din growled. That night could have ended so tragically. He nearly lost Grogu. Din hadn’t even been there as it happened. Grogu could have slipped away, gone from him forever, and Din would’ve been miles away⏤ useless to him. That loss would have destroyed him. It would have destroyed you. Din can still clearly remember the tremble in your body as you cried that night. The fear so overwhelming, wafting off you in waves, that it nearly drown him just from being near.

“I⏤I didn’t know!” Daelar tried to excuse himself.

Ari drew her blaster again and pointed it at Daelar’s face. “Want me to kill him then?”

Daelar was sobbing now, pleading, and Din shook his head. “No. He’s mine.”

“Fair.” Ari holstered her blaster again then nodded. “Mandalorian’s gonna take him to go.” The men shoved Daelar to the ground, he thrashed against them uselessly, and Din watched one of Ari’s men pull out a pair of binders. Ari drifted closer once more and crossed her arms. “Look at us. I got a crew, and you got a wife and kid. Aw.”

“She’s not actually my wife.” Din admitted.

Ari smirked. “Yeah, but I hear the word you’re leaving off that sentence, Mando. ‘Yet’, huh?”

Din grinned under his helmet and chuckled. “What are you doing out here? Jakku then Thyreps? What’s your obsession with deserted and dirty worlds?”

“I got my reasons.” Ari winked. The men dragged Daelar over and Ari nodded. “Anything else I can do for you? This is the favor I owe you so you might as well make it count.”

“Can you watch my kid?”

“Huh??”

Din stepped to the side and the pram popped open as if on cue. Grogu babbling and upset that he had been in the pram for so long. Ari cooed, “Aw. He looks just like you.” Din tilted his head at her, exasperated at the joke, and she laughed. “Yeah, alright. He’s safe with me. Be back soon though, I got places to be.”

Without another word, Din grabbed Daelar by the collar and glared down at him. Ari gave him her frequency number before disappearing with Grogu and her men. When the alley was empty, Din bared his teeth and hissed out a threat, “Ni cuy' olar par skira.”

Din slammed his fist into Daelar’s face making him crumple to the ground with a groan. He grabbed the man again and began to drag. Every time the bastard tried to slip out of his grip or yell out, Din hit him again. By the time they made it to the edge of the city, Daelar’s face was bloody and the man was limp in his hand. The sun was in the sky now and the temperature was beginning to rise. Din used his whipcord to wrap around the man’s ankle and began to drag Daelar across the cracked and hard ground.

It took thirty minutes to get Daelar out into the middle of nowhere. He stopped next to the N1 and released his whipcord. Daelar laid on the ground moaning pathetically. Din stalked over and stomped his boot on top of Daelar’s chest, he heard a crack of bone even with Daelar’s screams filling the air, and Din pressed down to keep him pinned.

“I almost lost my family because of you.” Din snapped. “That’s why this is happening.”

“It’s not my fault.” Daelar cough and Din pressed harder. The man cried, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Please don’t kill me. Your son is alive isn’t he? He’s fine! Don’t kill me!”

Din pulled his foot back and then knelt down beside him. He released the binders then roughly grabbed the man by the collar, dragging him up, and hissed. “He’s alive because of my wife’s quick thinking. She’s brilliant, an actual doctor unlike you, and she saved his life. Because of her, he had a chance.” Din chuckled. “So, no. I’m not going to kill you right now, Daelar.” Briefly, Din could see a flash of relief on the man’s bruised and bloodied features. “I’m going to give you a chance to save yourself. You’re a doctor. Best in your field. You should be able to do it no problem, right?”

Daelar’s eyebrows furrowed and, without preamble, his vibroblade was drawn and Din stabbed it between two of Daelar’s ribs on the right side. The man screamed and Din pulled the blade out and stood. Daelar grasped his side, blood pooling out onto the ground under him, and his breaths were growing shallow.

“You⏤ You said⏤”

“I said I wouldn’t kill you. I didn't.” Din tucked his blade away. He motioned in the direction they came from. “City is that way. Save yourself.”

Daelar shook his head, trying to grab his boots, “It’s too far. It’s⏤ I’ll bleed to death. I’ll⏤ I’ll drown in my own blood in twenty minutes. Sooner if my⏤ my lung collapses.” His breaths were shallow and panicked. “What would you⏤ you have me do?”

Din tilted his head. “Well, if I were you, I’d get to crawling.”

Daelar screamed and sobbed as Din marched to the N1 and boarded. Even with the engines going, Din could still hear the man’s cries but it did nothing but make him nod in assurance. Considering Daelar nearly took his family from him, Din felt like he was showing mercy. He gave the man a chance. Granted, it was a piss poor chance and his odds were in a very low percentile, but you had been stuck in a similar scenario. The N1 took off, angling toward the city’s tarmac so he could pick up Grogu, and Din felt relief at a job being done. More than likely, Daelar was going to die in the desert, and in Din’s opinion that was still more than he deserved.

mando'a translations:

Buir: father (parent) Ad’ika: little one Digur: Forget Her Kar’ta: My heart Ni ceta: I’m sorry Skira: Settle a score, revenge Ni cuy' olar par skira: I’m here to settle a score.

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@aheadfullofsteverogers @yyiikes @kneelforloki @c-ms1ut @sgt-morgan @luthienaliceisilra @fawn-kitten @missbabyjay @coldlamaspersonspy @dilfsaremyfavourite @jamesbuckybarnes @yorkeylover @teawrites01 @emily-roberts @djarinxore @impala1967666 @shelbyteller @faithrenner @dindjarindude @dankfarrick29 @rh1nestonecowg1rl @garbo-lesbo @anythingforattention @tearfulsolace @onceinamando @catharinaroxastova @uwu-i-purple-you @modiddys-blog @stagerightlauren @mini-bees @xxinvisblexx @adoringanakin @sagegreensensei @spidey-3 @sydney-1209 @thepascalofus @hrtsforpascal @banana-lol @daybleedsintonightfa11 @lil-dragon-draws @guccistardust @ideajpeg @harriedandharassed @leithatnight @elfamosotoga @damnzelsoul @the-anchored-sailor-girl @morks-watermelon @katelynmarieyt @taylorann2013 @chonkercatto @dheet @liadamerondjarin @fallinallinmendes @missdicaprio @jennaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa @alphaash99 @djarinsmixtape @pcrushinnerd @closedaddition

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tsams-and-co-memes · 1 month

Text

POV you found a notepad and wanted to get the autographs of your favorite characters

Font names and other stuff under the cut

Sun: Font name is “Luna.” You likely got his autograph by approaching him in the daycare. He's skittish and awkward sometimes with fans, so you had to be very chill and calm with your approach. As long as you maintain a normal speaking volume, give him personal space, and talk to him like a normal person, he's cool with giving autographs

Moon: Font name is “Quikhand.” Like Sun, you probably also had to go to the daycare to get his autograph. He can be a bit awkward and distant, but as long as you treat him like a normal person and aren't clingy and don't hover or insist on physical contact, he's cool with giving autographs

Frank: Font name is “CakorAyam.” No one ever knows where to find Frank, or where he is at any given point in time, so let's be real; you didn't find Frank, Frank found you. He's a guy of few words and mostly breathes at you during the whole interaction, but as long as you're kind to him, he'll be kind to you, and he'll even happily give you an autograph

Solar: Font name is “TINET.” You more than likely went to the Superstar Theater and approached him while he was working at the counter. If you treat him like a normal person, he'll give you an autograph, and he might even be content to crack some jokes or make light conversation. If you go at him like a crazy fan though, he'll send you away empty handed and tell you that you're being weird

KC: Font name is “Bree Font.” He worked at a soup kitchen, so you probably went there to see him. If you're weird in your approach, he'll tell you and ask you to stop, but if you're chill and polite, he'll give you his autograph and speak with you during his break. If he's in an especially good mood, he may even send you off with a cinnamon roll or cookie, too

Eclipse: Font name is “PP Handwriting Normal.” No one knows where Eclipse is, most of the time. Only god knows where you manage to stumble across him, but when you show up, he's probably in the middle of plotting and scheming something. He's not happy you're there, but he tries dismissing you. If you're calm and patient, and have the willpower to stand there and take the attitude he'll more than likely give you, he might give you his autograph purely to make you go away faster. If you're rude back to him, he might find some amusement in it and give you an autograph too, but that's a 50/50 shot whether he'll laugh or get annoyed

Solar Flare: Font name is “TrashHand.” You spotted him when he was on his way to the daycare to deliver satellite blueprints to Moon, so you stopped him for a moment. He was in a hurry, as blunt as ever about how important he is that he completes his task before Eclipse realizes what's up, and he finds the concept of autographs a bit strange, but he goes along with it. He doesn't really care how you behave, since he's indifferent to most things

Ruin: Font name is “We Mano Negra bta.” You found the British boy hanging out in the fazcade, tinkering with an arcade machine. As long as you're not a crazy fan about how you approach him, he's quite the social butterfly and would happily give you an autograph, but if you're weird about it, he'd either get visibly uncomfortable and leave as soon as possible, or he'd drop the sweetheart act and tell you, in a very blank, very flat tone of voice, to knock it off

Creator: Font name is “Taken by Vultures demo.” I'll be honest, I have no idea how you'd get his autograph. Firstly, you'd have to break into his lab, and doing so would probably result in death because now you've seen too much. Secondly, he has no hands or opposable thumbs as a giant brain. He'd need to be in the body of one of his little droids to even think about holding a pen and writing anything. On the off chance that you break into his lab and stroke his ego enough, he might consider letting you go, but if you say or do something he doesn't like, he'll put you 6 feet under

Bloodmoon: Font name is “5 years old.” I'm not sure about this one, either. You'd need whoever Bloodmoon was following/taking orders from present, to keep Bloodmoon from launching himself at you with murderous intent. That's assuming the person in question is nice enough to allow that, but... with the track record that Bloodmoon has of people he's decided to follow, the chance of his new master being kind is slim to none. If you don't end up in multiple pieces or smeared on the ground, you'd be very badly hurt. It's in everyone's best interest that you avoid this one at all costs

Monty: Font name is “Mind Antiks.” You likely found Monty in Gator Golf and decided to approach them there. They might be a bit skeptical of your intentions at first and assume you’re there on behalf of The Government, but with patience and gentle perseverance, you could convince them that you’re there of your own will and that you don’t intend to do anything weird or bad with their signature. As usual, treat them like a normal person, and don’t be weird or act like a crazy fan, that’d make them super uncomfortable (gonna stop repeating the “treat them like a normal person and don’t be a crazy fan” rule, because I feel like that should just be a given that no one likes it when you’re weird towards them)

Foxy: Font name is “Note this.” You likely saw him at the store when he was picking up something for FC, or while he was heading to Gator Golf. He’d be caught off guard and a little awkward at first, but probably very flattered that anyone would like him enough/think he was cool enough to want his autograph. Just,, whatever you do, be patient with the man; we all know he struggles with moving his arms

Puppet: Font name is “Domestic Manners.” You stopped by the Faz-Pad for a drink and saw Puppet there, crashing in that little corner that has the pool table. They were in the middle of watching some anime that you’d never even heard of, and although they’re slightly miffed about their show being interrupted, it’s quickly forgiven when you explain why you’ve approached them. Puppet likely didn’t think they had enough of a presence in the shows or that they couldn’t possibly be anyone’s favorite character, so they’re very flattered and more than willing to give you an autograph. If you started asking them questions about anime (whether it’s the one they’re currently watching, a different show, or anime in general), you’d probably be there all day while they happily ramble at you

FC: Font name is “Kindergarden.” FC was under Sun’s care when you found him, likely in the daycare. While it’s a little odd to go up to a kid and ask for an autograph, FC would be very excited, and he’d get the biggest ego boost from it, because this was all the proof he needed to see that he’s cool

Vegeta: Font name is “Elliot six.” Much like Frank, you do not find Vegeta, Vegeta finds you. He might be a little weird about the situation and a bit skeptical at first, but he could be convinced to give you an autograph. You might be suckered into getting him ice cream, helping him find his dog, watching some of his weird, out of pocket dance moves, or something else entirely, and he might find you again in the future, but hey. He’d be happy, and you would have unintentionally made a friend

Stitchwraith/Andrew: Font name is “Bear Butter.” You’d probably die the instant you wandered into his base, uninvited and unannounced. To be honest, I highly doubt anything you could say or do would be enough to get any form of mercy from him, let alone getting a simple autograph. He doesn’t take kindly to people poking their noses into his business, so… yeah. Hope you have a will drafted and a coffin picked out before you even try to approach him

Stitchwraith/Jake: Font name is “Endless Bummer” (in all caps). Everything I typed out for Andrew also applies here, so I don’t really need to add anything else

Lunar: Font name is “Dadhand.” Like with Sun and Moon, you probably found Lunar in the daycare and approached him there. He’s chill with fans coming in to say hi, and he’s happy to give you his autograph, provided you’re not a creepy weirdo

Earth: Font name is “Shadows into Light.” She was also in the daycare (wowie wow wow, look at all the people in the daycare, such a shocker /silly/sar) when you decided to approach her. She likes interacting with fans and it makes her very happy. She’s more than willing to give you an autograph, but you need to be especially mindful of how you act. If she’s even the tiniest bit uncomfortable around you, you’ll be booted out the door by one of her brothers

Jack: Font name is “Coffee House.” Lord knows where you stumble upon Jack, honestly. He’s probably confused about why you want him to write his name on a piece of paper, but he does it anyway, because why not. The only downside is that he might steal or break your pen

Castor: Font name is “Oil bats basic.” Astral bodies don’t typically get asked for autographs, so he’s thrown for a loop when you waltz up to him and ask him about it. While Castor grasps the concept of it, it’s just ACTUALLY doing it that confuses him, since… that’s his name. Why do you need/want it so bad? He is literally just There, he doesn’t see why you’re so invested in getting him to write his name. He’ll do it, but not before expressing how bizarre this is to him

Pollux: Font name is “A hundred miles.” Pollux doesn’t quite understand why you’d want her autograph either. Her thought process is very similar to Castor’s, but she’ll still do it. If you tell her that you want her autograph because you think she’s super cool, you might even manage to score some brownie points

Gemini: Font name is “Hathem Bosteem Free.” They’ll do it. They’re just Castor and Pollux merged together as one person, so just imagine everything I typed out for both of them, inserted here

Nebula: Font name is “Antro Vectra.” Again, this is another one where only god knows where you’d find her. Nebula doesn’t quite fully understand the concept of autographs, but I get the feeling she’d be flattered if you explained it to her and said that you wanted hers because you thought she was cool. She’d be flattered and still slightly confused, but either way, she could be convinced to do it

Taurus: Font name is “Across the road.” You…. Are not finding him on your own. Plain and simple. You’d have to get his autograph through Nebula, assuming he was feeling gracious enough to give you his autograph at all

#tsams #sun and moon show #the sun and moon show #tmgafs #mgafs #the monty and foxy show #monty and foxy show #monty gator and foxy show #the monty gator and foxy show #laes #tlaes #lunar and earth show #the lunar and earth show #handwriting headcanon

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tennessoui · 2 months

Note

Do you think Anakin ever accidentally called Obi-Wan mom? Master and Mom both start with M and if he got whining... What do you think they'd do?

i think anakin accidentally called obi-wan mom so many times but never to obi-wan's face. he only ever did it around other padawans (usually when complaining about how his master won't let him go out on the town even though everyone else is going, etc)

he has called obi-wan mom soooo many times that there are no less than 40 padawans who have been bribed by anakin via droid fixing, cookie-at-lunch giving, best seat on the flight to ilum forfeiting, etc etc to keep them from telling obi-wan. 22 yo anakin accidentally calls obi-wan mom ('mom said he was proud of me!') on a comm call to padmé and a youngling overhears and says they're gonna tell master kenobi when he gets back from utapau and that's why anakin executes order 66

#asks #a very unserious answer

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multific · 1 year

Text

See You Soon

Din Djarin x Reader

SPOILERS FOR SEASON 3!

Summary: When Karga learned of his friend's return, he immediately called you to his office.

It was strange for him to call you so suddenly, you thought.

"Perfect time for you to settle down." you heard the sentence as you entered.

"You called, Greef?"

"High Magistrate...Please."

As he moved, the Mandalorian came into your view. You almost fell, you haven't seen him in a long while. Last time you saw him the Child was taken from him.

"Hi." is all you managed. You felt pathetic.

Din was just as frozen as you were. You looked beautiful. Breathtaking. You had a nice dress on, you looked like a Goddess. A Goddess sent to him by the Maker.

Then you noticed the Child and walked over, picking him up as you said hello to him as well, along with a couple kisses and hugs. The Child laughed and giggled with joy upon seeing you.

He concidered Mando to be his father, and so, you were his mother.

Din's eyes were glued to you even when a droid came to ask the High Magistrate for help.

Once the pirates left and Mando revieled why he was there, you went back to your home.

You knew he would be back if he wanted the droid fixed.

Couple of hours later, there was a knock on your door, you opened it only to find the beskar covered man in front of you.

"Oh?"

"I ca-We came to say our goodbyes. We are going to get a part." he handed you Grogu as he was reaching for you.

"I really missed both of you." you said smiling at the little one and at the Mandalorian. "I understand you have a mission... as always, but if you just need some food or a bed to sleep in, I have a comfortable one."

"Thank you for the kind offer. I do not wish to take you guest bedroom."

"I didn't say it was the guest bed." you said as you looked up at his helmet.

Jus how glad he was he had the thing on.

You handed Grogu back to him.

"Oh, wait a moment." you said before walking into your home, Din took a step forward and was now inside. "Have these. Both of you. I made them, they are sweet." you said as you handed him a box of cookies. "Be safe. See you soon."

He gave you one last nod before exiting your home.

You watched as he walked away. Watching his hips sway as he walked, you recalled what you just said as you groaned at your own stupidity before heading back into the house.

You knew you will see him soon.

More Mandalorian

Taglist: @fleursirvart @greenarrowhead @thisismysecrethappyplace @sincerelyfan @theoneanna @aestheticsandmarvel @rororo06 @castellandiangelo @destynelseclipsa @spilledinkindumpster @capsiclesdoll @puknow @alwayshave-faith @soleil-dor @alex12948 @lxdyred @imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl @anonymoussherlockandmarvelgeek @praline357 @trshngyn @avengers-r-us @violet-19999 @top1bbgloak

~Masterlist~

ˇAO3ˇ

DO NOT REPOST OR TRANSLATE ANY OF MY WORKS

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thathogwartsjedi · 3 days

Text

Tech: Did you hear the rumor? Crosshair tried to arm wrestle a Gonk droid.

Crosshair: And I won!

Wrecker: Of course you did. The Gonk droid was asleep.

Hunter: Can we focus, guys? We have a mission.

Echo: I heard Omega challenged Wrecker to an eating contest.

Omega: Hey, I can eat more cookies than you, Wrecker!

Wrecker: Challenge accepted!

Tech: And I'll be the judge. This is going to be a cookie catastrophe.

Crosshair: Meanwhile, I'll be practicing my aim.

Hunter: At the cookies?

Crosshair: No, at Echo's card tricks. They're getting out of hand.

Echo: Hey, my tricks are a work of art!

Tech: Alright, let's settle this with a mission. Winner gets bragging rights.

Wrecker: And cookies!

Omega: And I get to eat them all!

Hunter: And no more card tricks, Echo.

Echo: Fine, fine. But wait until you see my disappearing act with the cookies!

#arc trooper echo #star wars #tbb hunter #tbb tech #tbb wrecker

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changingplumbob · 15 days

Text

Pancakes Household: Chapter 9, Part 4

This is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween

Bob: Costume time! Okay friends and fans, it’s time for our Halloween special, who wants to make a pumpkin pie with me?

From beside Bob the droid chirps to indicate that people are tuning in.

Bob: As you can see I have chosen to be a rebel pilot today. I’ll be keeping this on for the bake and my bake sale but something tells me the boss would not approve of me turning up to work in it. Okay let’s run through all our ingredients

The drone chirps while Bob begins preparations. Eliza’s suggestion to get the drone may have stemmed from a place of wanting the flashiest one but Bob appreciated having a set of eyes he could look at when he talked.

Bob: Ugh, kneading, not my favourite part after I’ve already done a workout but hey, that’s on me

He continues to narrate his baking, even getting the drone to read out a question or two that viewers have sent in about the recipe. In the end he pulls one excellent pumpkin pie out of the oven, a perfect Halloween treat.

Bob: Come one, come all to Bob’s Bars! We don’t just have our classic beloved lemon bars today, we have cake and cookies for the sweetness you want on Halloween. If you’re having all that sugar, may as well get full eating it!

The first few customers seem unimpressed with Bob’s selling today but when some new sims walk up to purchase suddenly decide maybe the baking isn’t so bad.

Fergus: Hey Onyx could you- woah! What are you

Onyx: A knight obviously. I see you’re going with the classic skeleton

Fergus: No point fixing what isn’t broke. But could you please help me with my bike? Dad’s busy with the sale and I don’t want to interrupt mother when she’s practicing her speech

Onyx: Sure, I can try. Hop on and I’ll try explain, remember I only just learnt how to ride before my birthday

Fergus: Oh yeah, that’s right

So Fergus wobbles his way around the yard with Onyx doing their best to provide guidance.

Bob: Alright folks, my shift will be starting soon. Who’s going to be customer of the day and buy the last lemon bar?

Harvey: Hello. Do you have bake sales often

Bob: Why yes I do sir

Harvey: How convenient! And do you get positive reviews

Bob: Indeed I do

Harvey: Well then person I’ve never met I would like to buy the last lemon bar

After Bob makes the sale Harvey tells everyone around him how good it is while Bob packs up. It’s good to have friends.

Eliza greets the first trick or treater and offers them some candy. The kid leaves happy and Ginger comes out of the house very confused.

Ginger: *whines* What’s going on

Eliza: Ginger sweetie it’s just me, it’s just mother. Here let me give you a brush

Ginger: *barks* you may not look like mother but you definitely smell the same

Then it’s dinner time for the Pancakes left at home.

Fergus: Dad left us roast! Awesome

Eliza: Onyx will you be able to eat in that helmet

Onyx: I could ask you the same question. But I won’t, because I’m a good kid who deserves a horse

Fergus: *laughs*

The trio chat and eat while Ginger looks on. Sure she has biscuits in her bowl but that looks like real meat on the table. Why won’t they feed her that?

Onyx takes care of the dishes and Fergus decides it’s time for Ginger to learn another trick, playing dead. Mustering his drama skills he does his best to show her what to do, but she remains skeptical of the exercise. Fergus keeps trying though and eventually Ginger catches on, rolling to the floor.

Fergus: You did it! Well done Ginger, we’re stars

*doorbell rings*

Eliza: Onyx could you get that one

Onyx: Sure mother

They open the door to the deck candy all prepared and are greeted by a teen girl dressed as a maid.

Zhafira: Trick or treat

Onyx: Uhh… what

Zhafira: *laughs* I mean for me

Onyx: Oh, right. Have some candy?

Zhafira: Why thank you

Onyx has just decided they should ask what high school the stranger attends when she turns and skips off down the drive.

Carson pops over to visit and become best friends with Onyx!

Onyx: Where’s your costume

Carson: I’m dressed as someone who doesn’t care about Halloween

Onyx: Your loss. Hey, have you seen a girl at school?

Carson: There are many girls at school

Onyx: I mean a specific one, she’s a brunette with a bob cut

Carson: You don’t know a name

Onyx: She left pretty quickly, but she was cute and I wondered why I hadn't noticed her before

Carson: People keep aging Onyx, so more teens. But sorry I don’t really find many people cute at our school so haven't noticed

Onyx: You said that last year. But if you know you’re bi you must have been attracted to someone once right

Carson: I mean, it’s going to sound stupid...

Onyx: You’re my best friend, sound as stupid as you like

Carson: I mean I’ll find a guy or girl pretty but my daydreams are usually romance filled instead of woohoo filled

Onyx: Huh. So are you like, anti-kissing

Carson: I don't know, growing up is confusing

Onyx: You’re telling me

Previous ... Next

#sims 4 #the sims #the sims 4 #simblr #my sims #ChangingPlumbobStorytime #R0904 #OnyxPancakes #FergusPancakes #BobPancakes #ElizaPancakes #HarveyFoster #CarsonFoster

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din-miller · 6 months

Text

Aay'han

Pairing: Tech x Jedi!Reader (gn)

Word count: 312

Summary: Comfortember day thirteen: baking

Warnings: fluff, hurt/comfort, Jedi reader, post order 66, all of us being sentimental over two droids, gender neutral reader

“What is that?”

You looked back, spotting Tech leaning against the countertop, dressed in his armour from the waste below, his blacks framing his chest. You smiled and waved him over, “Cookies!”

Tech inspected the treats, “They are shaped like droids.”

You hummed, hip checking him so you could reach the blue icing bag, “R2D2. Master Skywalker’s astromech droid. The little tin can was certainly a charmer but he had a nasty eye for trouble.”

Tech frowned, brows pinched in the way he does whenever he can’t fully comprehend certain emotions and attachments, especially to nonhuman life forms, “You speak highly of this droid.”

“He was family.” You stated plainly like the nonchalantly manner of speech could chase away the whirlwind of emotions.

“You miss him.”

“I miss all of them,” You admitted quietly, a lump forming in the back of your throat. You don’t often talk about your life before Order 66, “I wasn’t with the 501st very long but they were my people.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Spray the pan for me?” You asked, gesturing to the empty pan on your left, “I want to make another batch for Rex, he’d get a kick out of them. Rex ‘hated’ that droid.”

Tech grabbed the spray and did as directed, then slid behind you to press himself against your back, arms looping under yours to interlock over your stomach, “I want to know more about this R2D2.”

“Of course,” You leaned back into his warmth and comfort, “Full warning, it’s a whole saga...”

Tech hugged you even closer, lips pressing a kiss to your temple, “I am excited to hear it, cyar’ika.”

You melted into his embrace, comfortable and content as you continued speaking knowing Tech is latching onto every word you spoke, “So R2 had this companion, a protocol droid named C3PO who was annoyingly fussy and worry-prone–,”

#tech x reader #the bad batch #tbb fic #tbb tech #justice joy writes #comfortember

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mandos-mind-trick · 1 year

Text

Close Call

Summary: Midnight’s seen a lot over the course of this war. She’s had her own close calls many times, she’s saved the others from close calls too. She’s tired of fighting, her mind and body finally beginning to burn out after months of almost non-stop missions. This one might be the grain of sand that breaks the bantha’s back. This might be the end for her.

Pairing: Echo x reader, also implied poly bad batch x reader

Warnings: Very intense in the beginning, violence, blood, injuries, brief gore (It’s very brief), so much angst, NSFW, smut, p in v sex, fingering, toys, language.

A/N: This one is a lot darker than the rest of the series. I really debated going this direction but I decided to explore it anyway. It's very long, the longest part in the series (so far) with a lot of foreshadowing and setting up the rest of the series.And yes, I made my own Jedi for this part.Also if anyone gets the reference I will literally send you cookies.

< Previous | Next > | MASTERLIST

“The goal of this mission is stealth. Get in and get the data without being seen.” General Coltil says. “That’s why the three of you will be going in alone.”

Midnight tries not to look nervous, but she feels like she might be sick. She’s standing next to Echo, trying not to lean too close to him. She’d love to cling to him, seek any sort of comfort she can, but she knows that’s not an option. Not in front of a Jedi General.

“Echo can get into the system and download the data directly. Midnight will be the failsafe. She’s the smallest and stealthiest of our group.” Hunter says.

General Coltil nods. “My Padawan can assist with any resistance you find inside. Scouts have reported very little movement. It seems they may be operating on a skeleton crew. We must try and succeed without engaging directly, but we will be on standby if things don’t go according to plan.”

“We’re ready, sir.” Commander Ghost says, approaching the General. “Everyone’s taken point.”

The General turns to Midnight and Echo. “Good luck.”

They both salute him, Midnight trying hard not to let her fear show on her face. The General leaves them to their last minute checks, Midnight’s stomach doing somersaults.

“You’ll be fine.” Hunter says, turning to her. Of course he could sense her anxiety.

“This is a bad idea.” She says, looking up at him as he checks her armor one last time. “Why does it have to be me? I don’t know anything about Separatists systems.”

“Tech will walk you through it if it comes to that. Plus, you’re small enough to fit in a standard ventilation shaft, should something go wrong.” Hunter says.

Midnight turns her gaze to Tech. “Is that why you had me crawl in there?”

Tech adjusts his goggles. “One of the reasons, yes.”

Midnight opens her mouth to protest, but thinks better of it and stays quiet. There was no getting out of this one. It should be easy, theoretically. In and out without being seen. She’d spent much time on Coruscant running around, trying not to be seen. This wasn’t much different, though she’s not sure if she prefers sneaking around droids or the things that lurked in the shadows of Coruscant’s underworld.

Hunter squeezes her shoulder, his gaze intense as he stares at her. She knows he wants to say more, knows he wants to do more, but they can’t. They can’t give any hints that something was going on between them. Between any of them.

“Take care of Echo in there, okay?” Hunter says, squeezing her shoulder one last time.

Midnight nods, the lump in her throat blocking her from saying anything. How she wishes she would have, as she glances at the other four members of her squad one last time. Oh how she’d come to regret not saying anything else.

*****

Hunter shifts on his feet nervously, fingers toying with the knife sheathed on his vambrace for the thousandth time. It had been close to an hour since he’d sent them off, since he’d watched Midnight and Echo disappear over the ridge they were hiding behind.

He had trusted they could do this, but now as time stretches on, he wonders if they made the right decision. If they were discovered, the Separatists wouldn’t think twice in killing them both. It would be a mercy, compared to the other things that could happen to them.

The thought still makes Hunter uneasy. Dying was a part of war. They had it ingrained in them that losing someone was expected, that they were going to lose fellow clones. Midnight’s not a clone, though. She’s so much more than that, and the thought of losing her makes him sick. The thought of losing any of his squad made his stomach ache.

Wrecker is pacing as well, looking upset by the situation. He had been in agreement with Midnight and her doubts when Hunter had first briefed them on this mission. Tech is quietly tinkering, his own tell for his nerves about this.

Crosshair is quiet, having taken point along the ridge with a few others of the 141st. They would be the first to alert them to the movements of the three sent into the base. Or, in the worst case, if something else happened. If something went wrong.

“We’re inside.” Echo’s voice comes over the comms.

Hunter breathes a quiet sigh of relief. They were still alive, at least.

“Good.” General Coltil’s voice comes over the comms. “How many droids have you seen?”

“Hardly any.” Midnight’s voice comes over the comms. “Maybe two at the front door. None since then.”

Hunter’s brow furrows, something itching in the back of his mind at her words. It doesn't feel right, even for a skeleton crew. If a base housed such important data, he would think it would be crawling with droids and Separatist personnel. Of course, not being seen by any droids was the whole point of the mission.

It makes him uneasy.

“Uploading the data now.” Echo updates over the comms.

The silence that follows makes Hunter’s skin prickle. Wrecker has stopped pacing and even Tech has stopped his tinkering. It feels like the entire planet is holding its breath. In a way it is, all of them waiting for some answer. The success of the trio, the confirmation in their safe exit, or the horrible news of their failure.

“Echo!”

Midnight’s frantic voice through the comms has his heart stopping. What’s happened? She sounds so scared. Maker, why had he sent her on this mission? Why didn’t he keep her close where he could watch her? It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Echo. It was the uncertainty of this mission that had him questioning everything.

The entire 141st shifts uneasily. Something shifts in the bushes behind him, Hunter’s sensitive ears picking up on the sound. His hand lowers towards his blaster as the sound gets louder and louder.

There’s lots of movement in the bushes around them.

“It’s a trap!” Midnight’s voice has the entire battalion pausing, Hunter’s breath catching in his throat. “It’s a-”

The silence after the cutoff rings loud, seconds before chaos erupts around them.

“Commando droids!”

****

Midnight startles awake, inhaling sharply. Her eyes dart around frantically, hands closing around the thin sheet. She jumps as a hand touches her shoulder, blinking to try and clear her vision as a face leans in close to her.

“Easy, cyare.” The gruff voice begins to drag her out of her confused state, vision clearing to reveal a familiar tattooed face leaned in towards her. “You’re alright.”

“Hunter?” She rasps out, wincing at the dryness of her throat. Hunter holds a cup to her lips, cool water hitting her tongue. She drinks greedily, soothing her dry throat. “W-Where...” She tries to speak, but she feels like her brain is moving in slow motion.

“A med station.” Hunter answers, already guessing what her question was. “The 212th was called in for backup. They brought us here, with the other survivors.”

She blinks at him. “Wh..what?”

“Don’t worry, we’re all fine.” He says, leaning his arms on the side of the cot. “I can’t say the same for the 141st, though.”

Memories slowly swirl back into her mind, tears brimming in her eyes. It had all gone wrong, all of it. Her hand presses against her chest, still feeling the phantom pain, the horrible pressure. She’d been so sure she was going to die. She had thought they all were going to die.

“Echo?” She asks, trying to distract herself. She wants to reach out, wants to take his hand, but they’re not alone.

“He’s getting checked over by the bio engineers.” Hunter says. “Making sure none of his cybernetics were damaged. Last I heard, though, he’ll be fine. Tech’s with him.” Hunter stares at her for a moment, dark eyes shining in the bright light of the room. “They’ll want to know what happened. I’ve already spoken to them, as did Commander Ghost, but they’ll want to speak to you too.”

Midnight swallows thickly, tears sliding down her cheeks. She doesn't want to talk about it. She doesn’t want to remember.

Hunter ignores the fact they’re not alone, ignores the possible repercussions if anyone saw, if anyone assumed anything, as he cups her cheek gently wiping her tears with his thumb. “I’ll be right beside you. Commander Cody will be there as well.”

Midnight closes her eyes, leaning into his touch. She wasn’t scared of speaking to the Generals. What she had seen in the few times they’d been on missions partnered with the Jedi, they were all very understanding, patient, nice. She’s more afraid of having to relive it all again.

“Night,” Hunter says, tracing her face with his thumb. “What happened in there?”

*****A Few Hours Ago*****

It’s eerily quiet.

It had been quiet since they first made it over the ridge. Crossing the barren expanse between the treeline and the base had been the most nerve wracking. There was little cover, and the risk of them being spotted was high.

“You’re brave for doing this.” General Coltil’s Padawan, Zaid, says as they duck behind a rock.

Midnight glances down at him. He’s young, no older than fifteen or sixteen. Just a child stuck in a war. Midnight doesn’t know much about Jedi, but it doesn’t seem right. Or maybe she just had a soft spot for kids that were forced to grow up too fast. “I’m not sure if brave is the right word for it. Crazy, maybe. I mean, I did voluntarily sign up for this.”

“All clear.” Echo says, the three of them moving forward.

Midnight can see the front entrance now, guarded by two droids. Something doesn’t feel right as they make their way around to the side of the base. Two droids to guard the entrance? Sure, it could have been a tactic, making the base seem like it’s not well guarded when there’s really an entire battalion inside. If that’s true, though, that was not going to spell good for them.

Echo makes quick work of the grate, leading them into the garbage compactor. She’s not excited about having to wade through trash, but if it gets them inside faster, and the mission over with faster, then she’ll hold her complaints.

They make their way across the massive heaps of garbage. Thankfully it’s all mostly metal, components of broken down droids and who knows what else. Tech would have had a field day, spouting off all the different things they were stepping on.

The door on the other side opens to the lower levels. It was a matter of sneaking their way up three floors to where they’d find a control room to download what they needed. They had to do that without being seen, or at least without raising any alarms.

It’s quiet as they make their way to the elevator. They slip inside, holding their breath as the doors close.

“It’s too quiet.” Midnight says. “I don’t like this.”

“She’s right.” Zaid says. “Something feels off.”

“The quicker we can get the data, the better.” Echo says.

The elevator slows to a stop, all three of them holding their breath as the doors open, half expecting to come face to face with droids. Yet, there’s nothing but an empty hallway in front of them. Echo peeks his head out, checking both ways before signaling them to move.

“We’re inside.” Echo says into his comm as they pause at a corner.

“Good.” General Coltil’s voice comes over the comms. “How many droids have you seen?”

“Hardly any.” Midnight answers as they begin moving again. “Maybe two at the front door. None since then.”

They pause at another corner, Echo checking for any droids. “The control room should be just up ahead.”

“The sooner we can get out of here, the better.” Zaid says, having taken up the rear behind Midnight.

They creep up the hallway, Echo locating the door they need. Echo uses his scomp arm to open it, Midnight scanning the room, finding it empty. Something nags at the back of her head as they enter, the door sliding closed behind them.

“This feels too easy.” She says, looking around the room.

“Uploading the data now.” Echo says, sticking his arm into the scomp link.

Midnight steps closer to a panel on the wall, narrowing her eyes. It seems out of place. Too new for a place like this. Her hand drops to her blaster, fingers curling around the hilt.

That’s when everything goes wrong.

The sound of an electric pulse has her spinning around, Echo’s body jolting before going limp and falling onto the floor.

“Echo!” She cries, rushing to his side. He’s out cold, Midnight terrified he’s dead.

The panel she had been staring out slides up, battle droids filing out. Midnight begins firing, Zaid using his lightsaber to slice through them.

“It’s a trap!” She yells over the comms. “It’s a trap!” The main door opens, more battle droids entering. Her suspicions had been correct. It had been too easy, on purpose.

“We need to go.” Zaid says as they finish off the last of the droids. Alarms are sounding, the familiar clank of metal feet getting closer.

Midnight heaves Echo’s body into a seated position, wrapping one of his arms around her shoulders. “Get yourself to safety.” She says to Zaid. “Use the vents. I can’t leave him behind.” She should. She’s not sure if he’s dead, but he is dead weight that neither of them could carry alone.

Zaid debates the suggestion for a moment before slinging Echo’s other arm around his shoulders, both of them lifting him to his feet. They drag him between them, making their way back to the hallway. If they can get to the elevator, then they can get back down to the garbage compactor and find a way out before they’re swarmed by droids.

Of course, that would work if there weren’t droids swarming the hallways.

“Come on.” Zaid says, leading them in the opposite direction.

They had all seen the layout of the base, spent time studying it. Of course now, with the adrenaline coursing through her system, Midnight can hardly tell up from down. She shoots droids with her left hand, the other trying to keep Echo steady as they drag him through the hallway. They might have been able to make it without him, but Midnight wasn’t going to leave him. Not again.

“This way.” Zaid says, directing them down a hallway, blocking blaster bolts with his lightsaber. The weapon had intimidated Midnight a bit, but she’s glad to have someone capable of wielding one with her now.

They make another turn, both of them stopping dead. Midnight’s blood runs cold, her pulse echoing in her ears. This is it. This is how she’s going to die.

“Ah, how disappointing.” The modulated voice grates on her ears, spiking her fear higher. She adjusts the grip on her blaster, despite knowing it’s not going to help her. Not in this situation.

“General Grievous.” Zaid says, adjusting his grip on his lightsaber. He turns to her, letting Echo’s arm slip from his shoulders. Midnight buckles a bit under the weight, but she forces herself to stay standing. “Get out of here.”

“What?” Midnight stares in disbelief as the padawan steps closer to the cyborg.

Midnight had learned about General Grievous during her training. She’d learned about all of the commanding officers in the Separatist forces. Despite her many missions with the boys, this is the first time Midnight has come face to face with one of the higher ranking members of the Separatists.

Of course it would be the trained Jedi-killer.

Midnight adjusts her grip on Echo, turning and firing at the droids coming at them from the back. She knows Zaid isn’t going to win this fight. Grievous with four lightsabers against his just one? She’s no expert in dueling with lightsabers, but her knowledge of fighting tells her the odds aren’t good. She can’t just leave him, but she knows it will be her death too, and Echo’s.

She takes out the droids at their back, her eyes spotting something along the wall. A garbage chute. She forces her body forward, dragging Echo along the floor. She pries the cover off, letting it hit the floor with a clang. She pushes Echo, shoving him inside, watching him disappear down the chute. She just hopes it leads to where they’d come in, or somewhere close to it.

She turns her head, catching the moment Grievous drives two of his lightsabers through Zaid’s chest. She’s yelling before she even realizes it, her heart clenching. He was just a boy. A boy who had given his life for them to escape. She should take it, she should jump into the chute while she still has a chance.

Instead she draws her blaster, firing at Grievous. He blocks the shots easily, laughing at her. It only fuels her anger more, drawing her away from her once chance at escaping.

“Foolish girl.” Grievous laughs, swiping at her with two of his lightsabers.

Midnight ducks almost too late, managing to tuck and roll behind him. She fires at him, but it does little against him. She barely dodges another hit from the lightsabers, taking a hit from his arm instead. It sends her flying back into the wall, stunning her.

So this is how she dies. Foolishly fighting an opponent that was far more than she could handle. Hunter would be disappointed in her. At least this way, she’d died doing everything she could. It was always a risk. She’d known that from the beginning.

The air is forced from her lungs as Grievous’ foot comes down onto her chest. His clawed toes press into her skin, her hands trying to relieve some of the pressure, even though it’s no use. She desperately tries to take in a breath as the pressure intensifies, Grievous slowly adding more and more pressure. He was going to crush her to death.

What an awful way to die.

She stares up at those yellow eyes, refusing to look away. She wanted his face engrained in her memory before she died. The thing that finally killed her. He wouldn’t remember her. She was just another faceless casualty.

His gaze leaves hers, drawn somewhere behind her. She hears the buzz of a lightsaber igniting through the intense pulsing in her ears. He’s going to kill her. The pressure is almost too much, her chest practically creaking at the strain. Her hand reaches to her side, fingers wrapping around the hilt of a knife. The one Hunter had given her.

If she can get his foot off of her, all she has to do is roll to the side and pull herself into the chute. Her hand grips the knife, fingers finding a gap in his leg before she drives the knife into it. The cyborg lets out a cry, the pressure leaving her chest instantly. She inhales sharply for a second, adrenaline pumping as she drags herself into the chute, sliding headfirst away from the fight that was about to happen.

She drops from the chute, landing on her back. It knocks the air from her again, her chest spasming painfully. Blood rushing into her throat, choking her. She can’t cough, her chest throbbing as she tries to breathe and tries to expel the blood blocking her airway.

She pushes herself onto her side, finally forcing the blood up. It splatters across the metal garbage, painting the droid parts in red dots. It’s rather symbolic. The Republic should use that in their propaganda, she thinks. The truth of this war. The things no one saw unless they were in it.

She digs the commlink out of her belt, lifting it with a shaky hand. “Hunter?” She asks, voice weak and hardly more than a rasp.

Silence.

She tries again, tears pricking her eyes. She’s not sure she can move. She knows she can’t carry Echo, not on her own, not in this state.

There’s nothing but silence on the other end. She curses, throwing the comm in frustration. A quiet groan in the quiet of the garbage compactor has her perking up a bit.

“Echo?” She breathes, voice hardly more than a squeak. Her chest feels heavy, every breath laborious.

An answering groan has her pushing herself up to sit. The pain is almost blinding, but her desperation is stronger. Echo had rolled from the top of the pile when he’d fallen, landing in a valley between piles. Midnight slides down, coming to a stop right against him. Another groan leaves him, his flesh hand moving just slightly.

He’s alive.

Midnight breathes as much of a sigh of relief as she can, shaky hands digging through the pouches on his belt. She knows he has to have one. They all usually carried one, all except her.

She nearly cries as her fingers wrap around the small tube. She pulls it from his pouch, sucking in a deep breath before injecting the stim shot into her neck. Immediately she feels the effects, the pain numbing to nothing. Her head clears, the shake in her hands subsiding. She feels energized, more than she had before they started this mission.

“Come on.” She wraps an arm around Echo’s shoulders, pulling him to his feet. “I need you to help me.

Slowly they begin making their way towards the exit. She knows it’s only a matter of time before droids break down the door and begin searching for them. She’d rather take a risk outside than die in a garbage compactor. She wants to die staring at the sky.

She knows she’s dying. She can still taste blood, feel the drip of it sliding down her chin. Every breath is labored, even if she can’t feel the pain of it. She wasn’t going to let Echo die here either. He’d been through that once already. She’ll be damned if it happens again.

Midnight gets them through the grate, forcing her way through with her blaster. She drags Echo through, collapsing to the side for a moment. She wishes she still had her comm. She might have been able to reach Hunter, or someone, now. Of course, if they had planned a trap inside, then there had to be one outside as well. They could be dead for all she knew.

Midnight forces herself up, lifting Echo up as well. He’s come around a bit more, taking slow steps with her. She can feel the stim shot beginning to wear off as they make their way through the clearing. She doesn't care about stealth now. They were so far beyond that.

Her knees buckle before she can reach the ridge, dropping her and Echo to the ground. She lays flat on her back, feeling the blood pooling once more in her mouth. At least she’d get her wish. At least she was going to die staring up at the sky.

*****

Midnight fights the emotions welling in her chest as she finishes telling her side of the story. She feels comforted by Hunter’s presence beside her, even if she can’t seek comfort in him like she wants to.

“It was a well-laid trap and we walked right into it.” Hunter says, thankfully drawing the attention away from her for a moment so she can collect herself.

“Someone else must have laid it.” General Kenobi says. “It’s not Grievous’ style. We can’t even be sure there was useful data stored there to begin with.”

“Echo did manage to get some data before the system was wiped.” Cody says. “It’s being analyzed now.”

“You did well.” General Kenobi says, turning his attention back to Midnight. “Managing to survive something like that is impressive, and managing to save someone else along the way.”

“But I couldn’t save everyone.” Midnight says, unable to get the image of Zaid with the lightsabers sticking through his back out of her mind.

“Grievous has killed many well-trained, highly skilled Jedi. To survive an encounter with him is no small feat.” General Kenobi puts a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t feel guilty about something you couldn’t have prevented. You did good, even if it was all a trap.”

Midnight feels herself relaxing, like a blanket of calm has been wrapped around her shoulders. She nods her head, General Kenobi giving her a small smile before leaving the room.

“You had us worried for a moment.” Cody says, stepping up to her. “But I’m glad you’re alright. Get some rest, both of you, while you can. I don’t doubt you’ll be sent on another mission soon.”

Midnight deflates a bit at his words. Of course they would be. It is all they’re good for.

*******

The Marauder is quiet. It usually is after missions, but it’s usually an exhausted quiet. This is something else. Something different.

Tech is in his usual place in the pilot’s seat, staring out into the blue of hyperspace. Wrecker is tucked in his bunk, Lula squeezed tight to his chest as he stares at the bunk above him. Even Crosshair is unusually still, glaring into a cup of caf in the hull. Echo’s in his own bunk, eyes closed but he’s not sleeping.

Hunter is standing in front of Midnight’s door.

They haven’t seen much of her since they landed at the medical station.

Hunter had been terrified. The commando droids had come out of nowhere, and an entire battalion of droids had appeared from the base. He knew his squad could handle themselves, and they had the 141st backing them, but for all he had known, Midnight had been on her own inside. If there had been that many droids coming at them from outside, how many had been inside?

He had sent her and Echo to their deaths. He had just known it.

It had been General Coltil’s immediate distress call that had saved them in the end. The 212th had been one jump away and had arrived quickly, but not quickly enough to save them all. They had been greatly outnumbered, and with the element of surprise, the droid army had wiped out most of the 141st, including its general.

In its aftermath, he had been scouring the plains between them and the base, looking for any sign of Midnight. The comms had gone dark, the signal blocked by the base until General Coltil and the troopers he’d taken in had shut off the jammers.

Of course, none of them had come out.

Hunter had paced restlessly, Crosshair watching the base carefully, looking for any sign of movement. He had been on edge, terrified by the thoughts running through his head. Midnight and Echo were gone. There was no way they had survived.

Until Crosshair had alerted them to the figures slowly making their way across the plains. He had almost taken off running, and Cody had looked like he wanted to as well, but the 212th medics had been faster, using a landspeeder to reach them.

He’ll never forget what he saw when they got back to the transport ships. Midnight was still conscious, her breaths were harsh gasps and rattling horribly. They had put a breath mask on her, and it was splattered with blood inside.

She had said something to the medics before she’d been put under. Echo had been electrocuted by the scomp link. He was barely awake, but moving. Midnight had half carried him most of the way out of the base. He’d learn later she’d used his stim shot to make it.

Hunter had stayed by her side as long as he could. He had wanted to hold her, to take her hand, to make sure she really was there, rules be damned. He knew he couldn’t. He couldn’t put them at risk like that. He couldn’t lose her so soon after almost losing her on the mission.

Thankfully his concern had been taken as nothing more than concern for his squad-mate. Cody had been concerned as well, to the point he felt partially responsible. He had put her on the squad to begin with. Thankfully Cody had enough to worry about that he could distract himself. Hunter had been forced to sit and suffer through his thoughts.

He had gone to see her as soon as he could, at the urging of his other squad mates. He was the most level-headed of them all, and was the least likely to betray his feelings, except maybe Crosshair. Crosshair showing concern for anyone would have raised too many questions. Tech had been more than willing to stay with Echo, letting his curiosity distract him from the worry about Midnight.

Hunter had stayed by her side as she slept off the sedatives. She’d spent a few hours in a bacta tank, coming out mostly healed. It had been torture, sitting in the medical station, but he wasn’t going to leave Midnight to wake up by herself. Not after what had just happened.

After she had been cleared by the medic and had told General Kenobi what had happened, she had briefly gone to see the rest of the squad before she’d left for the civilian bunks to rest. The rest of them had opted to bunk on the ship, preferable to bunking with the regs even if it was just for a night.

The last time he’d seen Midnight had been when she’d boarded the ship as they were getting ready to leave. She had immediately shut herself in her room, and hadn’t come out since. She had slept for a while, Hunter listening to the quiet, even breaths. Far better than the horrible rattling gasps he’d heard.

Then she’d cried.

It was muffled, like she was trying to do it quietly, but he had heard. He may not have, if he hadn’t been paying attention, but he’d been focusing on her since they departed the medical station. Even though she had been completely cleared, he was still worried. Her injuries had been substantial. How she had managed to make it that far, and carry Echo, was astounding. Even with the stim shot, she shouldn’t have been standing.

Now it was silent. No muffled cries, but she’s not asleep. He can tell by the rate of her breaths, the slightly faster beat of her heart. He can’t hear anything else. He wonders what she’s doing.

“Are you going to talk to her, or just stand there and stare a hole through the door?”

Hunter turns his head, frowning a bit at Crosshair. He wants to say something, but his mind is too frazzled. His shoulders fall, his gaze turning back to the door. “I don’t even know what to say.”

Crosshair steps closer, putting a hand on his shoulder. “For someone with sharpened senses, you can be very dull. Sometimes the best thing to say is nothing at all. She’ll tell you what she needs. You just have to pay attention.”

Crosshair moves past him, heading for his bunk. Hunter watches him before sighing, looking back at the door. He had a point. Midnight did have a way of saying everything without uttering a word. Maybe he should listen instead of trying to talk.

He presses the button to open the door, stepping inside. He had considered knocking, but he’s not sure she would have answered. She’s sitting on her bed, leaning against the wall. Her knees are pulled to her chest as she stares at the wall across from her. He makes his way over, sitting on the bed beside her. He doesn’t say anything, not wanting to jump into the wrong thing. Instead he sits with her in silence, wanting her to be the one to talk first.

“I couldn’t save him.” She says, voice hoarse from crying. “I-I couldn’t do anything. He was just a kid!” She shakes her head, a tear sliding down her cheek. “I knew it didn’t feel right. I knew something was wrong. I should have pushed to turn back. We shouldn’t have continued.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that.” Hunter says, wanting to reach out to her, but he’s not sure he should. “I shouldn’t have sent you in like that. Not with such a high risk.”

She sniffles. “It’s our job though, right? We do the hard stuff no one else wants to.” She shakes her head. “All of those clones, General Coltil and Zaid, all dead because I didn’t say anything until it was too late.”

“Hey,” Hunter reaches out, gently turning her face towards him. “I didn’t even know until it was too late. There was a lot that could have gone differently. We can’t change it, though. You did everything you could. Echo is still alive because of you. It may not mean much to the Republic, we might not mean much to the Republic, but it means a lot to us.”

“I couldn’t leave him.” She says, looking at him with shining eyes. He can hear the rapid thump of her heart in her chest. He’s glad to hear it. “Not like that. If I hadn’t...”

“Don’t.” Hunter cuts her off. “You don’t know that. I wouldn’t have left any of you. I wanted to go in there, track you down, get you out. I would have fought through the Republic and a droid army if I’d had to. Rules be damned. You’re worth far more than to leave behind like that.”

“I couldn’t ask you to defect for me.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m not asking your permission.” Hunter moves his hand, cupping the back of her neck. “I’d do it in a heartbeat. We all would. We were all ready to.” He pulls her against his chest, letting her relax into him. He’s glad he removed his armor, letting her hear his own heartbeat. “I think you need a break.”

“What?” She tries to pull away but he keeps her in place.

“I’ve put you on leave for the next mission. You need to recover.”

“I have recovered.” She says, pushing against his hand until he relents, letting her sit up.

“Your body has,” Hunter keeps his arm around her, her hand still pressed against his chest. “But I don’t want you freezing in the middle of a battlefield.” He pulls her back into his chest. “I know you’re tired. I can tell. Every mission it’s getting harder and harder for you. I don’t know where we’re going yet, but I want you and Echo to sit the next one out.”

“Is that an order?” She asks, tilting her head to stare up at him.

“I can make it one.” He wraps his arm around her tighter. “I just don’t want something to happen to you after what you just went through.”

Her hand fists into the fabric of his blacks, the saltiness of tears stinging his nose. “I know it’s supposed to be our job. I know it’s not supposed to get to us, but I can’t help it. He just...he died right in front of me. He was just a kid!”

Hunter holds her tighter, trying his best to comfort her. “I know. It gets to all of us sometimes. Whatever you need, I’m right here. We all are.”

She sniffles, tucking herself tighter against his chest. “Just...don’t leave. Not yet.”

He leans down, kissing the top of her head. “Never.”

********

“It will be a quick in and out, nothing more than a small insurrection.” Hunter says. “Nothing the four of us can’t handle.”

“Still...be careful.” Midnight says, leaning against the wall next to the bunks as they get ready.

“We should be back in two days. If we’re not, you can send out a distress signal.” Hunter puts a hand on her shoulder. “Stay on the ship. Both of you.”

Midnight nods, already knowing she can’t argue with him. Still, she worried a lot about them going off on their own. What if something did happen? It could happen so easily, so fast, she’d never know until it was too late.

It made sense why Hunter wanted her staying behind for this mission. She can already feel the panic beginning to bubble.

“Don’t worry about us, cyare.” Wrecker says, bending down so they’re face to face. “We’re tougher than we look.”

Midnight smiles a bit, cupping his face. “I know. I still worry.”

She leans in to kiss his cheek, but he turns at the last second so the kiss lands on his lips instead.

“Cheater.” She murmurs as he pulls away, letting out a triumphant laugh.

Midnight watches them go until they’re out of sight, closing the hatch and locking the ship. She stands still for a moment, nervously wringing her fingers for a moment. She’s on edge, being left behind on this mission, but at the same time she’s glad. She liked to think she’d be fine, she wouldn’t freeze as soon as someone pointed a blaster at her face. She knows that’s not the case, though.

She heads back to her room, pausing for a moment to stare at Echo’s bunk. It’s empty. He had hardly left it since they took off from the medical station, or at least that’s what Hunter had said.

She hasn’t spoken to Echo since their brief reunion on the medical station. She hadn’t meant to leave so abruptly after, but she’d wanted to take advantage of the civilian’s quarters and a semi-real bed. That, and she hadn’t been sure she could stand being close to them so soon. She knew they’d hover, she knew they’d worry. She had just wanted space.

She can’t even imagine what Echo’s feeling. To have gone through what he did, and then going through something like this...

She heads for the hull, finding him sitting at the table. He’s hunched over, back to the door. She debates leaving, giving him more space. She doesn’t know if he wants to see her, or if he even wants to talk about it. She hadn’t wanted to, not until Hunter forced his way in. She does feel better, but at the same time, she knows she'll carry that guilt for a long time.

She decides to move forward, taking slow, quiet steps. “Hey,” she says quietly, alerting him of her presence. He glances up as she moves to sit across from him. “How are you?”

“Fine.” He answers, nodding his head like he’s trying to convince himself.

She nods, unsure of what to say. What did one say in this situation? She had almost died trying to save him, she had gotten others killed trying to save him. As much as everyone tried to convince her otherwise, she knows it's the truth.

“It was stupid, you know.” He says, staring back down at his empty cup. “Trying to fight someone like Grievous with nothing but a blaster and a knife, and for what? For me?”

“It wasn’t just for you.” She murmurs, dropping her gaze like a scolded child. She’s never seen this side of Echo, at least not directed at her.

“You shouldn’t have done it. You shouldn’t have almost died for someone like...”

“What? Someone like you?” She cuts him off, looking up at him with brows furrowed. “You think you’re not worth it too?”

“Not when there were other lives involved too.”

“I made the decision.” She says, feeling anger bubble up in her. “There’s nothing anyone can do about it now. Would things have gone differently if I had left you behind, I don’t know. I chose to take the risk because I couldn’t leave you. You are worth it. I’m not the only one that thinks so.”

Echo’s shoulders deflate, his face softening a bit. She knows her words are getting to him. It’s the truth. She would have taken the risk regardless of the situation. She’d always take the risk, no matter who it was.

“You’re worth it to me.” She thinks back to Hunter’s words during their conversation. “Even if we wound up running from the Republic as defectors. At least I’d be with the men I love.”

Echo meets her gaze, his eyes shining. “Thank you. For not leaving me behind.”

Midnight reaches forward, taking his flesh hand. “I couldn’t leave you like that. Not after everything. I think I’m starting to understand why the Jedi aren’t allowed to have attachments.”

“Good thing you aren’t one, then.” The corner Echo’s lips lifts in a smile.

“I’m already a terrible soldier. I’d make an even worse Jedi.”

Echo laughs, his thumb tracing her knuckles before his hand shifts, grabbing her forearm. He tugs her forward out of her seat so she’s bent over the table, leaning forward to kiss her.

She gasps against his lips, surprised by the sudden, bold move. “Echo...”

He shushes her, pressing their foreheads together. “We almost died before I got a chance to experience this.” He kisses her again. “Let me thank you for saving my life.

Midnight stares into his eyes, captivated by their depth for a moment. She’s never seen this side of Echo before either. She nods, pushing herself up onto the table.

Echo wraps his arm around her, pulling her so she’s on her knees, pressed against his chest. His flesh hand slides down her back as he kisses her, grabbing a handful of her ass. She moans into his mouth, trying to press even closer to him.

“You’re so kriffing beautiful,” He says, nipping at her bottom lip. “Back when I was a reg, I wouldn’t have hesitated.”

Midnight giggles, shifting so she’s sitting on the table. “Well, depending on how well you could shoot your shot, I might have agreed. Of course, it would have had to have been before I fell in love with and fucked my squad.”

“Do you know how much trouble we’d be in if anyone found out?” He says, pressing her back against the table.

“Immediate termination of my contract.” She says, wrapping her arms around him. “And they’d probably find some reason to throw me in prison.”

“The rest of us would be decommissioned.” He says, kissing along her throat. “We’d be lucky to end up as janitors.”

She giggles, pulling his face back to hers. “Then we’ll just have to never get caught.”

He kisses her hard, pressing his body closer against hers. She’s so soft under him, so pliable. Everything he’s not. He pushes those thoughts aside as she moans softly against his lips, pressing even closer against him. She’d told him many times she doesn’t care about his looks, his cybernetics, the hard edges of metal that dug into her supple skin every time he was close to her.

He leans on his scomp arm, his flesh hand trailing down her side. “I want to see you.”

She’s breathing hard, chest heaving. Her lips are parted and kiss-swollen. “Uh huh.” She nods, hands tugging at her pants. He helps her, tossing her pants and underwear behind him on the floor.

He traces his hand over her hip, staring down at her. He’s never seen her naked before. He’d seen her in various states of undress sneaking back and forth from bunks to her room, or to the fresher. This, though, is a new sight to him.

“Echo?” She asks, leaning up on her elbows. She looks nervous at his hesitation, legs starting to press closed.

“Don’t.” He puts a hand on her inner thigh, stopping her. “You’re just so beautiful. Can’t believe you’d ever go for a guy like me.”

“Oh Echo.” She pushes herself up to sit, cupping his cheek. “I don’t really care what you look like. That’s not why I fell in love with you. Or any of you boys, for that matter. Looks are just an added bonus. Though, I guess you could say I have a type, since you’re all technically clones.”

Echo pushes her back onto the table, putting a finger to her lips. “Stop talking.”

She nods, swallowing thickly.

He slides his hands down to her legs, parting them once more. He holds them open as he kneels between them, bringing himself to eye-level with her. He runs his fingers through her slick folds, her breath hitching. He circles her clit with his thumb slowly, watching the way her chest lifts as she arches her back.

He does love her tits.

He presses a finger into her, her body opening for him. She’s wet and tight, a quiet groan leaving his lips. He stands up, pumping his finger slowly. Her lips are parted, hands over her head gripping the edge of the table.

“Kriff, Echo!” She moans, eyes fluttering closed as he curls his finger inside her, his palm brushing her clit as he stands over her. “You’ve done this before.”

“Once or twice on leave,” He says. “Back when I was a reg. None of them measure up to you, though. They wouldn’t look twice at me now.”

Her hand closes around his scomp arm, pulling him down closer. She kisses him, her hand sliding around the back of his neck. She whines against his lips as he slips a second finger into her, hips pressing against his hand.

“Echo...” She moans against his lips, her other hand closing around his wrist. “Don’t stop.”

He curls his fingers again, her back arching as a loud moan leaves her lips. He had overheard the others talking about her, about how beautiful she is when she’s lost in pleasure. To see it is something else entirely.

“I’m close,” She whines, grinding her hips against his hand. “I’m gonna cum.”

He continues for just a second longer before pulling his fingers from her. She whines in protest, eyes snapping open. “Not yet.” He says. “I’ve got something I want to try first.”

He slips an arm around her, lifting her into his arms. He carries her to her room, depositing her on the bed. He reaches down, pulling a box out from underneath.

She stares at him, mouth agape. “How long has that been under there?”

“A while.” He smirks.

A horrified look crosses her face. “What else is under there?”

He pushes her back so she’s laying on the bed before opening the box, pulling the device out.

Her mouth opens once more, pussy clenching at the memories of the many test phases she’d gone through. “Oh.”

“I’ve been wanting to try it out for a while.” He says, opening a panel on his cybernetics. “Just haven’t had the right moment.” He snaps it into place, feeling it warm in his hand.

Midnight sits up, staring at it. “So this is what you two were doing when you disappeared for a while.”

“Yeah.” Echo inhales shakily as her fingers run over it. “Took a little longer than we thought it would.”

She gently pushes him, rearranging them so he’s laying flat on her bed. She kneels between his legs, closing her hand around it. He groans quietly, eyes lidded as he stares at her. “Can you feel that?”

He nods. “Tech made it so it connects to my nervous system.”

Midnight bites her lip, pumping her hand a couple times. “I do love that nerd.” She climbs off the bed, digging through her box to find the lube, thankfully back in its place. “You’re sure about this?”

He nods, groaning as she spreads lube over the device. “Yes. I want to feel you.”

“Then who am I to deny you?” She smirks, straddling his waist.

She lines herself up, slowly pushing herself down on the device. She rocks her hips, slowly working more and more of it into her. She moans quietly at the stretch of it, legs shaking as she finally seats herself against his hips.

She curses, pausing for a moment. “How does it feel?”

“Just like I imagined.” He says, holding her thigh with his hand.

She shifts slightly, cursing as it shifts inside her. She peels her shirt and breastband off, letting them fall to the floor. Echo’s eyes immediately fall to her breasts, watching them as she slowly begins to move her hips.

She grabs his hand, placing it on one of her breasts. “I think we’re a little past needing permission.”

He holds his hand there, feeling her breast as she begins rocking her hips faster. It’s not the first time he’s felt them. He’s used them as a pillow a few times. It is the first time he’s seen them though. Her own hand lifts to her other breast, fingers tugging at her nipple. He does the same on the other side, teasing her nipple as she rides him.

“Yes, just like that.” She moans, using her other hand to brace herself on his stomach.

He can feel the pleasure coursing through his body. The warmth of her, every squeeze around him sends pleasure spiking through his cybernetics. His eyes roll back, his hand squeezing tighter around her breast.

“Maker, Echo!” She cries, hips stuttering. “I’m gonna cum!”

He wants to feel her cum. He needs to feel her cum. He drops his hand from her breast to rub her clit, her head falling back as she cums with a cry. He lets out a cry of his own as she spasms around him, his own orgasm rocking through him.

She slips off him before she collapses against his chest, breathing heavily. He wraps his arm around her, breathing equally labored. They lay in silence for a few moments, both of them coming down from their highs.

“Remind me to thank Tech later.” Echo says, lips brushing her forehead.

“I’m gonna suck the genius out of his dick.” Midnight murmurs.

Echo makes a face, desperately fighting the mental images. “Was that...good?”

Midnight lifts her head, smiling sleepily at him. “Consider me satisfied.”

“Good.” He kisses her forehead again. “We should probably clean the table.”

She hums. “We have time.” She snuggles closer against his chest. “Besides, Tech will clean it when they get back anyway, just in case.”

*****

Hunter sits in the pilot’s seat, eyes trailing over the five other members of his squad. They’re all tired. Putting an end to the insurrection hadn’t taken long, but he can tell they’re all beginning to feel it. Something shifting in the war, something building. They’re coming close to something. He can see it on all of their faces, even without his enhanced abilities. The strain of the mission before this one, almost losing Midnight and Echo, had taken its toll. He wishes he could give them time to rest.

“We’ve already received our next orders.” He says, breaking the silence of the hull. All eyes are on him, waiting. He ignores the exhausted stares, the dark circles. “We’re heading for Kaller straight away. General Billaba has requested urgent reinforcements. Get some rest while you can.” He glances to the back of the cockpit where Midnight and Echo are standing. “All of us will be going. We’ll need all the help we can get.”

Taglist:

@lo0nylexi, @amyroswell, @dangraccoon, @hunnythebee, @lokigirlszendaya, @kriffingmeshla, @storm-breaker7

#star wars #star wars fic #the bad batch #the bad batch fic #the bad batch x reader #poly bad batch #echo x reader #angst #bad batch smut #echo smut

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boliv-jenta · 8 months

Text

Din Djarin x f!reader

WC:3.3k

Warnings: A little reference to adult fun times, nothing explicit. Minor illness.

Summary: When Din gets sick, he takes stock of what is important in his life.

Cyare, Buir, and Other Important Words in Mando'a

You've never seen his face, but you know every inch of it. Every curve of his perfect profile, every laughter line, every hair or lack thereof, on his sharp jaw.

It's all been mapped out in the dark by your hands, your lips, your nose as you've dragged them across his skin while trying to commit him to your memory. He promises that you will see him one day. One day when it feels right for him to become your riduur. He doesn't want it to be about him revealing himself to you. He wants it to be about him committing to you. He wants you to know him in every other way possible before you make that commitment to him.

The hairs on the back of your neck stand up as he sends a shiver down your spine with his lips parted against your neck as he breathes softly in the pitch black dark. The reassuring rhythm of his body and his warmth lull you back to sleep. The hours pass peacefully in the cabin until Grogu wakes up and the droid speaks from the soundboard that you constructed for him.

"Food." It says repeatedly for him.

Din takes longer to stir so you get up to prepare the kid's breakfast. After he slurps down his blue milk and happily munches on his food, you carry him to see his father.

When you arrive at your bedroom, you don't hear the fresher running as you normally would. Din is a creature of habit at home. He wakes, he showers, he puts on his helmet. Some days it is accompanied by his armour. More often than not at home he's taken to just wearing clothes. It was almost scandalous to see the curve of his muscle for the first time in that form fitting shirt that he'd picked up from the market one day.

"Din?" You call softly.

The breathing that was soft and steady earlier was now ragged as he coughed out your name in response. Setting Grogu back in his crib, with his stuffed frog for company, you return to your bedroom door.

"Can I come in? Is it safe?" Your hand hovers over the door control.

Eventually, he replies gruffly "It's dark."

The path to your bed is a short one and well mapped in your mind along with the rest of the room. It takes seconds to get to him, still laying on the bed. Your eyes are still shut while the door closes behind you, blacking out the room once more. Reaching a hand out you find his calf first and follow it upwards. His thigh jerks under your touch as he coughs.

Concern fills your voice "Din?"

The coughing subsides and his rough, unfiltered voice tries to reassure you. "I'm alright, Cyare."

The smell on his breath tells you he's not. Your father suffered from many illnesses involving his chest. The scent still haunts your memory.

"Should I get Grogu? He can…" Din cuts you off.

"I don't want him using his powers for things like this. He's just a kid." The short speech takes his breath away.

Another fit of coughing rocks him as you ease him back against the headboard. A quick press of your hand to his temple tells you he has a fever.

"You're burning up. How are you on your feet?" The way he leans into as he stands tells you 'not so good'.

"Rest for a moment. I'll be back." The bed creaks as it takes his weight.

Grogu has been busy while you checked on Din. He sits in the hallway. A cookie in one hand and his soundboard in front of him. "Father. Sick. Father. Sick. Father…" he alternates between the two buttons until take the board from him.

"Okay. I get it." Scooping him up you cradle him close. "Don't worry. I'm going to take care of him. You can help."

That seems to reassure him as his ears twitch happily.

It doesn't take long for the two of you to gather herbs from the small bed that you've managed to cultivate in Nevarro's climate, and fetch the stool that Grogu stands on to watch you cook.

"Be good." You smooth the tiny hairs on his head before placing him back in his cot. This time it's with a promise of more snacks if he stays put.

Din's thick breathing fills the room as you walk in, eyes closed as the light from the hallway floods the room. Turning left sharply, you head for the fresher. The stool is placed inside the fresher as you set the temperature. Luke warm should help Din's fever. Some of the herbs you collected are tied in a hessian bag and hung in the stream of the water. The scent instantly feels fresh in your own lungs. Hopefully Din will feel the same.

"Din?" You reach out in the dark.

He hums in acknowledgement as he takes your hands. He offers no resistance as you guide him to the shower. Your hands skim his hot body as you strip him. Once he's naked he takes a seat under the spray. The water soaks your own clothes that you didn't even think to remove. Din is your only priority as cup your hands to pour the tepid water over his face.

"How do you feel now, Cyare?" You ask once his temperature feels lower.

Din's heart clenched at the term of endearment in his own tongue rolling off yours. He feels guilty that he didn't marry you long ago. He's loved you since the moment you held a blaster to his neck in a bar so many cycles ago. Here you are taking care of him, in the dark. Even with one of your senses gone you still do an excellent job. Some things are a struggle but you persevere as always. You helped him ease off his clothes. You're standing getting soaked as you prop up his weary head on your chest. Your hands rubbing calming circles on his back. You'd always cared for him. Even from that moment when you'd used the blaster at his neck to instantly defend him when someone took a shot at him. From then on you'd always been there. Whenever he had an excuse to return or take you with him. It had taken a while for him to lower his guard but once he had you'd slipped seamlessly into his life. Much like Grogu, it felt like you had always been there.

"Better, my love?" The light scratch of your nails on his scalp make it tingle. His head bobs a yes under your touch.

With his temperature under control. The next step is to treat his infection. There might be some Bactade in town but Din is strong and the herbs will do just as well, he'll just have to rest. With Din dressed and settled on the bed, you turn to leave.

A heavy hand grabs yours. "Stay. Please?"

"I have to get your medicine ready. I can't mix it in the dark."

"Marry me?" For a moment you question if you're sick too and it's affecting your ears.

"What?!" You laugh.

"Marry me then you can see me." His voice is quiet.

Reaching out, your fingers find his damp curls, you follow the sides of his face until you can cup his cheeks. Holding his face in your hands you tilt him up to where you think his eyes would be to meet yours.

"I love you, Din. I will marry you…when you are better and I'm sure the fever isn't influencing you. Now be a good patient and rest while I get your medicine."

"You know it isn't the fever talking, Cyare." Another cough comes from his chest. This one sounds looser. The herbs are working.

"I know. You wanted to marry me before and you'll want to marry me after this. So you better hurry up and get better."

A grunt of laughter passes his lips before they press into your wrist then your soft stomach.

"Father. Father. Father." Grogu's voice comes from outside the door.

"I'll go see to him and get your medicine. Rest."

Grogu greets you with grabby hands. "Alright, let's go cook up something to have your Dad back on his feet."

Din insists you sleep on the cot in Grogu's room until he feels better. The last thing he wants is you getting sick. Grogu seems to know how much you miss Din at your back as he crawls into your arms each night. It only takes a couple of days of bed rest to get Din well enough to wear his helmet again. The time passes pretty quickly. You see to Din then run out to see to Grogu and curse that day you decide to make him that soundboard. The call of 'Father' rings in your ears.

"Father. Father." Grogu slaps the button with his tiny palm as he sits at the table. Din smiles under his helmet as he makes his way down the short hallway.

"I'm here, kid." His gloveless hand caresses the boy's ear. His posture is much better, his strength seems to be returning.

"You look much better." You make your way around the table to him.

Din catches you by the waist as you do, pulling you between his open legs. The cool metal at his forehead presses to yours. "I feel it."

"Good. I have to run to the market. When I get back maybe you can have one more day's bed rest and we can join you?" The thought of lounging in Din's arms for the day sounds like heaven after the kid calling for his father for two days. You understood that he must have been worried but every time you went to care for Din he would start.

"That sounds perfect." Din sat next to Grogu as you passed him a plate.

Grabbing the net for your speeder, you slipped your feet into your boots and headed out. You were almost out of the door when you heard it. "Father." The word that had begun to drive you mad suddenly sounded right again. Grogu was with his father once again.

It was only when the word repeated and grew louder that you really paid attention. Turning around you found Grogu standing at your feet. "Father."

The amusement was clear even through Din's modulator. "I don't think he's been calling for me."

The soundboard was something you whipped up after Grogu enjoyed his IG unit so much. It was before you moved in with Din. It never occurred to you to upgrade it.

"Grogu? Father?" You point at Din.

"Yes." Grogu presses.

Din came over to pick the baby up. "Grogu, father?" He points at you.

"Yes. Yes. Yes." Grogu slams the button enthusiastically.

Tears fill your eyes. "Hey." You sniffle "Do you want to come with me?"

"Father. Yes." Grogu leaves his board with Din as he reaches for you.

Grogu was fast asleep with a belly full of free treats his big eyes had earned him from the traders at the market place when Din went to check on him. He came back to find you still working at the kitchen table.

"I wired in some more buttons. I just don't know what to have them say. Should I put one in with my name."

"Why don't you have it say 'Buir'?"

"What's that again?"

"Mother." You swear you could feel your heart pushing against your ribs as it grew. Din smiled under his helmet. He knew you well enough to know how you felt. Being cared for was so new to you that you always tried to hide how it made you feel.

Swallowing the ball of emotion welling up inside, you press on. "Wait. How do you say father in Mando'a?"

"Buir."

"We're back to the 'Father' confusion." You chewed your lip. "I have an idea."

The next day Grogu has a lot of fun with his new 'Father One' and 'Father Two' buttons. He would give a little giggle when one of you gave him your attention when he pressed the right button. The three of you spent most of the day in bed, reading, playing, simply enjoying each other's company. After dinner Din suggested a walk in the cooling evening air.

The creek hums with wildlife. Grogu used his powers to skip ahead chasing after anything that moved.

"If his powers keep growing, there won't be a safe place in the parsec for the frogs." Your laughter is caught on the light breeze. As you continue to stroll you feel Din's steps slow until you're tugged you back by your hand in his.

"Din? Do you need to rest?" Your hands skim his chest plate, checking him over as best you can.

"No. I'm thinking about marrying you."

A relieved sigh leaves you. "Well, I did say when you were better." You laugh at his eagerness. "Where? When?"

"Here. Now."

The laugh that left you at that point was incredulous. "What?!"

"I'm serious, Cyare." He takes your hands in his.

"Din we can't have a wedding here…I…what…how..?"

"Mandalorians just exchange vows. We can get married wherever you want."

"So, what? We just say some words and then we go home and I can see you without the helmet?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Wow. I never thought about it being that simple. I think I'm more nervous about the helmet thing. I'm so used to it."

"Hopefully you could get used to my face."

"Of course I would! Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. I just meant it's a big change."

"Is that all you're worried about? No second thoughts about being stuck with me."

"I would never be stuck with you Din. I would always choose you." Gripping the sides of his helmet you tug him down to press his forehead to yours. "What do I have to say?"

Din rattled off something in Mando'a. For some reason everything sounds more important in Din's language. "Do you want me to translate it as we go, or before?"

"Neither. I don't need to know. I have to say them to be yours, that's good enough for me."

"I thought you were already mine?" There's a teasing lilt to his voice. He draws you closer by his hands on your hips.

"Officially yours then." You tease right back. "I want to be your riduur."

"So I'll speak then you just repeat the words back to me." Din's chest stuttered before began the words.

Carefully you repeated everything. Word for word.

Then there was a long pause. "That's it."

"That's it?! We're married?"

"Yes. There would be a celebration usually but that's it. Why? What do your people do?"

"Pretty much the same but there's usually a kiss."

Your heart nearly stops when Din lifts up the front of his helmet. It comes to a stop before his nose so you can place a kiss on his lips.

The walk home is charged with excitement.

"So are you just going to take it off?" You practically bounce next to Din as you get closer to the cabin.

"I suppose. Or do you want to wait?"

"For what?! I think I've waited long enough."

"I don't know. I've never done this before. Should we make it special somehow?"

"Din it will be special but there's no rush. Besides I don't know about Mandalorians, but my people have a special tradition for a couple to share on their wedding night." Your fingers tease the bare skin of his wrist.

The tiny gesture has a big effect on Din."I think we might share the same one. Maybe Grogu should go visit his Uncle Greef for the night."

It was as if you could hear Din's heart beating next to yours as he drops to the bed after fulfilling his marital duties.

"Mmm. That was special." You sigh rolling over to rest on Din's still heaving chest.

"It was." Din agrees in the darkness. "Do you want to turn on the lights?"

"How about we just leave the shutter up and in the morning I can wake up to my husband's face."

"Sounds good."

It did sound good until you needed to actually go asleep. Even with all the wedding night traditions wearing you out, your brain will not give in. Din had no such problem. He was out all night while your sleep was fitful. He was asleep when the first light crept into the room giving you a hazy peek of the profile you'd mapped out. He was still asleep when the light grew brighter and the image sharpened. He was still asleep when you were practically on top of him studying every inch of his face now fully revealed to you in the morning sun. Seeing Din sleeping so soundly usually warms your heart. He finally feels safe enough to relax completely. Today, you want to shake him awake so he could share your joy and more of himself with you.

Finally his breaths grow less shallow. His long lashes began to flutter. Two deep brown eyes come into view as they open, looking straight at you. The sound that brakes free from you is somewhere between a laugh and a sob. It was a strange feeling to finally see that face of the man you love. A face that you in some way already knew and loved.

"Hi." Was all that you could think to say. It was partly apt as in a way you were meeting Din.

"Hi." He sits up, making you sit back on your haunches.

The sun bathing him shows the warmth in his eyes and skin. Now you were staring at him to the point where he looked uncomfortable under your gaze.

Finally blinking, you give him an apology. "I'm sorry. I just…hi."

Din's hands find your face with a laugh. "It's good to finally see you properly, too. Hi."

Tears that you didn't realise you'd shed drip onto his cheeks as he kisses you. He keeps you impossibly close as his lips hold yours. When you break away fresh tears fall.

"I didn't think I was that bad to look at." Din says wryly as he thumbs some tears away.

Another broken laugh-sob bubbles out of you. "I just can't believe you've shared this with me. I know how important your creed is. You could have chosen anyone in the galaxy."

"No, Cyare. Only one, the person that I love. That's only ever been you." He pulls you into his lap to hold you.

"I love you, too."

Sleep finally took hold of you in Din's arms, when you awoke, Din was gone and a familiar voice echoed through the cabin. "Food."

Wrapped in your robe, you make your way to the kitchen.

Grogu sat at the table, ready as always. "Father Two."

"Hi, little one. I missed you." You press a kiss to his fuzzy little head, earning you a happy squeal.

Din gives you a smile, it lights up his whole face. It shows every ounce of warmth that you know he holds in his heart. Who knew that your riduur was secretly the most handsome man in the galaxy? That would be your secret, hidden away in your tiny cabin filled so much with love that it should be bursting at the seams.

#pedro pascal character fanfiction #din djarin #din djarin x female reader #din djarin x f!reader #din grogu #the mandalorian

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astralisbelle · 1 year

Text

Dead Man's Hand 16 - Give In

Dead Man's Hand Masterlist tags: tags: engineer!reader, gambler!reader, loose canon timeline, eventual smut, fluff, action, casino aesthetics, touch starved reader, touch starved din, reader and din get on each other’s nerves, also they’re idiots, defrosting ice king din, cinderella vibes, everybody loves grogu

chapter summary: They've settled into a routine, however unconventional it may be. warnings: smut, r18, minors dni

notes: I can't believe we're done omgg this was definitely a short fic (short for me anyway) but it's been a blast writing it and sharing it and reading all of your wonderful comments. There's more mando content coming, though, so don't despair! If you liked this story, please share it/recommend it. I'd really appreciate it. Thank you and please enjoy

NEVARRO — ONE YEAR LATER

The sound of a steady hammer clangs and vibrates against the metal. Grogu sits in a small patch of grass, various metal and wood toys surrounding him as he finishes a blue cookie. He watches her from a safe distance as she pulls out a wrench and screws a bolt in place. Using the rope attached to her belt, she slides down to another part of the ship and pulls out a blowtorch to weld metal together. Once she finishes the final touches, she jumps and slides back down to the ground, unhooking the rope from her belt and using her forearm to wipe her forehead of sweat. “Alright!” she calls out to the droids. “Start her up!”

The engine hums to life without a hiccup, purring smooth and stable. The owners of the ship, a few Rodians, hold up their hands in praise and make noises of joy. She smiles, shaking their hands and accepting their credits. “Be gentle during the warm-up, but then she’s good to go. Remember that.” She gathers her things and leaves the droids to clean up. “Whew!” she says when she’s close to Grogu, kneeling down to gather all of his things in a bag. “I’m beat. Ready to head home?” He babbles as she picks him up and settles him in his hovering pram.

Together, they stroll through the bustling streets of Nevarro City, watching the various people shop and walk, their children playing in the streets.”We’re gonna stop by the market first, okay?” she says, already thinking about what she could make for dinner that night.

They are rarely in Nevarro, but it’s the one place they keep coming back to in between jobs. Karga wasn’t kidding when he said that he was going to transform it into the Outer Rim’s new hot spot as there seems to be more and more each time they visit. Thankfully, she had the foresight to invest in a small apartment early on, using the money from her winnings (despite Din's objections). It pays off, even if they’ve only used it a dozen or so times in the last year.

The Mandalorian is away at the moment with the High Magistrate to take care of some straggling pirates hiding outside the city. It should be an easy job, but she still worries. Din has a talent in getting himself rather beat up.

When she opens the door to the apartment, she walks in and drops all of her things onto the table with a large groan of exhaustion. Quickly, she looks around and finds that he’s still out on the job, just as she suspected. With a shrug, she reaches into the pram to hold Grogu, pressing a button so it floats away to charge for the night. “Ready for a bath?” she asks him. He holds out his arms and makes a happy whine.

The bathroom isn’t as luxurious as the one in the hotel from a year back, but it’s still nicer than anything she had on Tatooine. It’s much harder for two people to squeeze in, but it’s doable. At least Grogu takes up very little space. As it fills with hot water, heated by the planet’s natural volcanic activity, she sheds off her sweaty, dirt-caked clothes and pushes them into a pile away from her. She shakes out her hair and leans down to take off Grogu’s clothes, folding them and setting them aside.

Into the tub they go, his happy noises echoing against the walls. He sits on her knees as usual and splashes about. “Huh? Where’s my soap… oh.” She frowns, noticing that someone, not her, must have left it on the sink when he washed his face. “Grogu, I’m sorry, do you mind?” He turns his big eyes towards the bar on the sink and extends his little hand towards it. With his powers, he lifts it up and gently floats it over to her hand. “Thank you, my little dear.” She pets his head.

Once they finish their bath, she notices that it’s getting dark and Din hasn’t returned yet. He will soon, she tells herself. He always does. She dresses them both and places Grogu on the floor next to his toys while she brings the ingredients from the market into the kitchen and starts to cook. Occasionally, she’ll stop to peek her head around the corner and make sure the little one is safe before returning to preparing the meal.

Just as she’s about to finish, she hears heavy footsteps outside the door. It slides open and the Mandalorian strolls in, without a word as usual. “You were out for a while,” she says, gathering the bowls while Grogu makes incoherent sounds of joy. Din sighs deeply and takes a seat at the table.

“There were more of them than we expected.”

“That’s annoying. Did you finish the job?”

“Yes.”

She sets down a piping hot bowl of soup in front of him, giving him a welcoming smile. “I hope Karga paid you more.”

“He did.” He looks down to see Grogu groping at his leg and bends down to pick him up. “How about you, you little womp rat? Did you stay out of trouble?” Grogu responds with a tilt of his head and a sputter. He chuckles, sitting him down on the table next to his small bowl of soup. Finally, she sits down too. Din makes a soft groan as he reaches for his bowl, lifting his helmet just an inch to take a sip.

She lifts a brow. “Still sore?”

“I’ll be fine.” Grogu mimics him, taking sips and setting his bowl down when he does. “Nothing you haven’t seen before.”

“If you say so.” She sips some of her soup. “After dinner, I’ll clean up and you put the kid down. Sound fair?”

“Fine by me.”

As she scrubs the dishes in the sink, she looks over her shoulder to watch him carry Grogu to the second bedroom where his crib is. She can’t hear what he says to him over the water flowing from the sink, but she knows it’s something sweet, as it always is. Once she finishes up with the dishes and the counters, she goes to their room to prepare the salves and sprays they use to patch him up. For the longest time, he insisted on doing it himself, as he always did, but lately he’s been willing to let her do it. As she does, she hears that he’s hopped into the shower for a quick rinse — too bad he always keeps the door locked.

Din never takes long, finishing up quickly and using quiet footsteps to come back to the room. His helmet remains, but he sets his armor down on top of a crate, baring his torso and sitting down on the bed.

It’s always so odd to think that even though they’ve been — what was the word Peli used? — involved for a year, but it’s only recently that she’s seen more of him underneath his armor. The first thing she noticed were the many bruises that marred his skin. The armor protects him from most things that would scar him, but every now and then, a blade or a blast can crawl through the unprotected pockets and mark him.

She sits next to him, salve in hand and ready to nurse his wounds. When she begins, he hisses and groans. Unfortunately, she’s used to it. “What did you do today?” he asks.

He could use the distraction. She presses gently, letting the salve do its magic. “Not much. Did a little more arithmetic with Grogu.” She chuckles. “He likes your lessons better, let’s just say that.” He shakes his head with a little laugh. “They asked me to help out at the shop. Couldn’t get a ship off the ground.”

“But you did?”

“But of course.” She takes the spray and gives his skin a spritz. “Then came home and made dinner.”

Din is quiet for a moment. “Do you… like it?”

“Like what?” She tilts her head.

“Days like this. Working. Giving lessons. A normal kind of day.”

“Hmm. It’s nice to have these moments of rest,” she tells him, holding his wrist. “Makes you thankful for them. But, you know? I miss the chaos too much.” She rubs the salve over a small burn. “Remember Chalacta?”

Din shakes his head in amusement. “Please don’t remind me.”

“Okay, fine. What about Seelos? When we drew out that bounty together. You waited, I played. Made almost exactly what you got for the reward.”

“I remember.” His muscles let go of their tension under her touch.

She finishes up, giving his shoulder a kiss before she stands up to put the supplies away. “Should I get the lights?”

“Please.” He scoots towards his side of the bed and waits for the lights to turn off, leaving the room in complete darkness. She knows her way back to the bed, of course, and crawls to her side while he pulls the helmet off and sets it on the night table. Settling under the covers, he turns on his side, pulling her closer. “I want to ask you something.”

Ahh, there it is. His voice, unfiltered and unaltered. She places her hand on his cheek, her thumb following the lines of his face. “Shoot.”

“Is… is this enough for you?” he asks.

He knows what she’s asking. “It is,” she said plainly, knowing that being direct would be the fastest way to reassure him. “Is it enough for you?”

“I think so.”

“You think so? That doesn’t so sure.” She gets comfortable on her side. “What’s on your mind?”

Din sighs, taking the time to find his words. His hand rests on her waist, fingers drumming on her night shirt. “I… I’m happy. Happier than I thought I could be, maybe more than I should be. But, I want to make sure you’re really happy. And I think, if there’s anything more that you wanted, then I would want to do it.”

“Anything more? Like… what?”

“You tell me.”

She huffs. “Well… I guess there is one thing I want right now.” She leans forward, their foreheads touching as her voice drops to a whisper. “Can you guess what it is?”

Din sighs, but he hopes that she can hear the amusement in his voice. “That doesn’t count. We already do that.”

“Mmm, yeah, I know…” She pushes her fingers through his curls. “But it’s so weird. Doesn’t matter how many times it’s been, I always want more.”

He leans in, closing the gap between them. His lips press against hers in a soft kiss as he hovers over her, pulling her into his arms. How strange, he thinks. He feels the same way.

In the outside world, they cannot kiss. They cannot feel each other’s skin or even let their eyes meet without some sort of barrier in between. He thought that by now, she would have grown tired and frustrated about it, but he underestimated her. Here she is, still kissing him with smiling lips and running her fingers through his hair, cherishing the moments where they can feel each other. He never lets a single second slip by.

Din takes his time, kissing her neck and down to her collar bone as his hands pull up the hem of her shirt. His lips and stubble make her shiver, her breathing still quiet for now. Gently, he takes her breasts in his hand, earning a low hum of approval. He kisses down to her peak and finds it already hard against his tongue. As he envelopes his lips around it and sucks, he tastes her clean scent and hears the hitch in her breath. Her back arches slightly and she pushes down on his head, inviting him to do it harder. A playful nibble is all it takes for her to whimper and press the back of her hand against her lips. He leaves her nipple glistening and red before he lowers his head to give the other the same treatment, all the while his hand venturing down to her shorts.

He pulls down on them, bringing her underwear with him. She lifts up her hips to help him take them off, her leg brushing by the bulge forming beneath his clothes. Din sits up, kneeling before her and sliding his hands down her legs. He wraps them around his waist, warming her thighs and letting her grow impatient for his touch. His palm presses below her navel, fingers tracing circles around her skin so he can feel her jolt. Patience, his hands say. Patience.

Din leans over, holding her chin between his thumb and forefinger as he parts his lips against hers. He kisses her deeply, tongue lazily brushing against hers. She moans against him, both in enjoyment of the kiss and frustration that he hasn’t touched her more. All in due time. When he parts from her, his thumb slides between her lips and she tastes the salt of his skin, closing around it. She playfully sucks on him, hoping it to be a precursor for things to come. He replaces his thumb with two fingers, the heat of her mouth sending yearning down his chest and deep into his core. His fingers pop out of her lips and he finally dips his hand between her thighs, exactly where she wants.

When he finds her slit, she breathes in fast, her body awakening. Her voice is still barely above a whisper, but a single curse from her is all he needs to shiver with need. Din audibly breathes out, stroking her up and down, feeling her legs curl around his. She bites down on her lip, trying not to make a sound even as he sends throbs of sweet delight throughout her body. But he knows her too well, knows which strokes and swirls make her thighs clench, her fingers and toes curl. She throws her cheek against the pillow, whining against the back of her hand.

Not yet. She sits up and catches his wrist. “Din,” she breathes. “Ngh…” Despite that, he continues. “Mgh! Wait, wait. Wait…” He stops. “L-Lie down. Please?”

He kisses her head. “Alright.” Then he pulls away, lying down beside her and already pulling his pants down for her. Once she finishes for him, she crawls onto him and slides her palms down his hip bones, following them to his thighs. She listens for his quiet moans that come from his throat, fingers finding his hard cock and stroking it up and down. Lowering her head, she parts her lips and licks the tip, teasing him before she takes him into her mouth. Din’s hand falls on her head, pushing her hair away and grasping it when it gets too good. Even after all this time, he represses his voice well but his body still betrays him.

She lifts her head, adjusting her position so she’s reversed and he has easy access. Din holds her thighs, surprising her with how fast he yanks her down onto his tongue. She claps a hand over her mouth to quiet her sound, melting to his touch fast. Now she has to catch up. She thrusts her lips around his length, bobbing her head up and down and muffling her own moans. His muscles tense underneath her, fingers digging into her skin as she brings him closer and closer towards the edge. Her head grows hot and the sensation spikes underneath her skin. He tongues her harder, mercilessly bringing her to her peak. She claws the bed sheet and represses her vulnerable moans, seeing stars behind her eyelids and feeling enraptured by waves of pleasure. While she rides the high of her climax, she strokes and sucks faster to take him with her. He hides his deep groans behind his lips and teeth, nails raking her thighs as she catches his milky strings on her tongue.

Finally, when both are spent, she collapses and rests her cheek on his thigh. They fill the room with their labored breaths, taking a few minutes to breathe and for the adrenaline to leave their system. Then, she slides off of him and turns, snuggling into his arms and resting on his shoulder. He leans over, landing a kiss on her forehead.

Knowing her, she’s going to want a round two, but he’ll need some time. Not that minds, of course. To him, there’s no better feeling in the world their chests pressing together, their bodies one. The only thing that would make it better is if he could see her face during that time, but he’s on thin ice with the Creed as is. One of these days, he knows he’s going to give in — he’ll sleep in and choose to let her see him in the morning light as opposed to waking up and leaving before giving her the chance. But, every morning, he wakes up before her and allows himself to take in her sweet, sleeping face before he pulls away.

Who knows if that day will ever come.

For now, he can enjoy giving her fluttering touches that, with her heightened sensitivity, make her squirm and whine. He can bury teasing laughs against her neck, kiss it like so and tickle her skin. And he can squeeze her flesh between his fingers, leaving marks that remind her where he’s touched.

Din slides over her, kissing her lazily and slowly. One hand slides under her shoulder while the other slides down to her waist and then her thigh, separating them. His hips grind against hers, the friction humming his body back to life. She rests her hands on his shoulder blades, fingertips outlining the dips his muscles make while her feet slide apart on the sheets, inviting him in closer.

She knows that she’ll never get to surprise him with a kiss or see his handsome face, but she is thankful for their intimacy. She knows Din bares himself completely like this, letting her touch and hear him more than anyone else ever had. It just makes it all the more special.

Din presses his forehead against hers, halting his hips and reaching in between them. His tip rubs against her entrance and she braces herself. With a soft groan, he slides in, stretching her walls to fit his thick girth. She represses a high moan behind her lips, her legs wrapping around his waist. Din rocks his hips, starting slow. Even so, the sensation is intense enough to make her whimper and quake. Her heel presses against his buttocks, asking him to go faster.

He grabs her hands and sets them above her head, intertwining their fingers and keeping her still. Their chests share heat, a thin layer of sweat forming on the surface. She bites down on her lip to keep quiet when she so desperately wants to be loud, to relish in the sweet torture he gives her. Din’s muscles tense, pleasure squeezing and slacking with each thrust, enticing him to chase it.

“Din…” Her eyes roll back and she flutters her eyes closed. “Mmm… I’m… I’m gonna…”

“Not yet.” He slows down and she groans in frustration. “Not yet…”

“P-Please?”

He kisses her once more. “Keep saying my name.” He bucks hard, almost making her gasp loudly. Even so, she complies. She moans his name right in his ear, sounding so amorous. He keeps her pinned down as he thrusts faster, breathing harder against her neck. Everything within him tightens further and further, the pleasure escalating fast. Din’s climax makes him growl from his throat and his body shudder as her tight walls clench around his dick. Ecstasy seizes him at once, bursting heat through his veins. His breaths stagger as he finally relaxes, chest rising and falling against hers, his fingers letting go.

They stay like this in the afterglow, his weight pressing down against her as he rests. She kisses his shoulder, tracing shapes along his back and keeping her legs wrapped around him. “Mm…” Her voice is hoarse and raspy. “I love you,” she whispers.

They’ve only been recently saying it. “I love you too.”

---

The beeping of the alarm makes her groan, her hand flying over it to shut it off. I have so much to do today… I have to go wake Grogu up. Get him some breakfast. And then what? Oh, yeah, probably do more of his homeschooling. I’ll go see what Din has in store today too—

As her eyes open, she feels something heavy around her waist. That’s odd. She looks down to see an arm around her. No way. Is that—

“Good morning.”

Her body awakens as her eyes widen, staring at the wall of the room. “D-Din?” The room is bright enough from the morning light seeping in through the windows. She doesn’t make any sudden movements, in case it’s a mistake. Then again, if it was, he would have already done something about it. Does… does that mean it’s okay?

She takes her time, her heart racing as she turns her head. Her eyes trail from his hand, up his arm, all the way to his shoulder.

When she turns completely, her breath is stolen away.

#the mandalorian x reader #the mandalorian x you #the mandalorian smut #din djarin #din djarin x reader #the mandalorian fanfic #work: dead man's hand #god this took forever #its so long... lmaoooo

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