#for how the new mandalorians are all perfect and totally in the right

[blackkatmagic]

Hi, Kat! I saw your post earlier about the New Mandalorians, and wondered if you have the time or energy to expand on that at all? If not, or you don't feel like it, feel free to ignore this. I've been interested in writing a fic where Mandalorians play a major role, but have been avoiding it given how much contention there is around so much of it, and just how challenging it is to keep straight what's Disney canon, Legends, and fanon. I'm also mostly not a comics reader, so I know I'm missing a big chunk of info there. So any chance you could point me to where to look for some of this information? Like, Death Watch being deported to an "overcrowded and undersupplied" moon. Is that extrapolation from what we see of Concordia in TCW, or are there additional sources that get into more detail? I'm also curious where we see Death Watch/warrior Mandalorians being POC? Jango is, of course, but I've heard other people claim that, other than Jango and the KOTOR materials set several thousand years in the past, we don't really see onscreen Mando POC until Rebels, after TCW creators got backlash for making all the New Mandalorians and Death Watch white Vikings. Are there other sources that show the exiled warrior Mandos being POC? Any help you can give me figuring this out would be greatly appreciated! I know fanworks can go in whatever directions their creators want to, but I want to at least make sure I'm working from a clear understanding of what I'm starting from! Thanks you.

It's very definitely an extrapolation, but based on what we see pretty much solely in TCW, specifically "The Mandalore Plot" episodes.

First, if you look at shots of Sundari, the Mandalorian capital, everyone is white and blond and Human. Maybe it was the animators being lazy, maybe it was a conscious choice, but it's still jarring, especially in contrast to most background shots elsewhere in the galaxy. Take a screencap of anywhere else and it's pretty mixed as far as Humans and aliens go. Not in Sundari.

Second, re: Death Watch being deported. I'm not talking about Death Watch. I'm talking about the warriors, who Satine specifically says were "exiled" to Concordia. And she and Obi-Wan have a conversation about how, even though Concordia was once an agricultural settlement, it was strip-mined to the point that forests were just starting to grow back. Extrapolating, that means Concordia probably has to import everything. I can't remember if it's Satine specifically who says it, or one of the other NMs, but they also say they presume all the warriors have all died out. And like. yikes. There's a pretty big implication there.

As for the warrior Mandalorians being POC, at the very least there are more POC characters among them than among the NMs. Clan Wren, I'm thinking of, and then. Jango and his disavowal by the NMs is a whole other can of worms that has a lot of racist overtones, imo. This post has a good breakdown of the issues regarding the Fetts, if you'd like to read it. It dips into Legends, but it's mostly based on TCW and the movies in those sections, so. There are your sources.

Edit: To clarify on why I find the "we presume the warriors all died out" so yikes. It's been about 20 years since Satine took power at most. A lot of the people exiled were probably young, to say nothing of how long people live in the gffa. How exactly are that many people supposed to have died in 20 years max without some outside factor? Add that to the fact that Concordia is mostly barren and like. Hella yikes, imo.

[vodika-vibes]

would you also write for Jaster Mereel (jangos adoptive dad, at least in legends I think)? There’s not that much information about him so I totally understand if he ist un-writeable but I really like him and thought I would ask 🤭

Matching

Summary: You decide to surprise Jaster. Unfortunately, neither of you are so good at talking.

Pairing: Jaster Mereel x Reader

Word Count: 1220

Warning: Dumbasses don't know how to communicate, and make assumptions.

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni

A/N: Asking me to write for my absolute favorite Mand'alor who has ever mand'alored? Oh, twist my arm why don't you, lol. Also, this story was very easy to write, probably because I've been mentally writing it since I got the ask.

Divider by Saradika

You’ve been in a relationship with Jaster, the actual Mand’alor, for years now. Technically you’re dating, but that doesn’t feel like the right term when you’re raising a kid together.

Technically, Jango is Jaster’s kid, but he calls you buir also, so-

And Jaster’s about as close to perfect as you would ever expect from a romantic partner. He’s kind and considerate. He’s respectful, and he doesn’t make any demands.

Well, no demands that you aren’t willing to give into, at least.

And you love him. Of course you do. Enough to put up with the bullshit that is Mandalorian politics (though you’re personally of the opinion that anyone who’s willing to put up with Mandalorian politics is a few crayons short of a full box). Enough to put up with childish temper tantrums, (from Jango) and threats against your life (also from Jango, though that hasn’t happened in years).

And yet, in spite of all of that, in spite of all the years together, Jaster hasn’t once asked if you’d be willing to say the riduurok with him.

If you were any less confident in your relationship, you’d worry that he was leaving himself a way out. But, well, raising a kid together. And you suppose you could ask him, but he’s the kriffing Mand’alor.

So you think on it. You bounce some ideas off your closest friends (“Dump him.” One said. “Fight him for the title of mand’alor.” Said the other. You really need new friends).

Jango, however, thought about it for a whole day when you mentioned your minor concerns to him, and he said, “Maybe buir is waiting for something showing that you’re interested?”

“What?” You asked at the time, “Is raising you not proof enough?”

And he just grinned at you, before he ran off.

So with that super unhelpful help in the back of your mind. You thought about the situation long and hard. Over the span of weeks. And you know that your distraction has caused more than a little concern in Jaster, but, as ever, he never pushed.

You really do love him more than life itself.

And then an idea came to you. Late one night when you both were getting ready for bed. There, tattooed over Jaster’s heart, is his clan sigil. You teased him about it when you first started dating, asking him if he was afraid that he would forget what clan he belonged to, but now it was giving you an idea.

So, early the next morning you wake with your alarm, drop a kiss to Jaster’s cheek and inform him that you won’t be back until late, and to not wait up.

And though he looks like he wants to ask where you’re going, he holds his tongue, and  you hope it’s because he trusts you and not because he’s afraid to know what your answer is.

Your destination. The one, single, tattoo parlor located in the area.

And, true to your word, you don’t return home until late that night. A new tattoo inked into your skin between your shoulder blades, and covered by a bacta bandage.

Jaster is already asleep when you slip into the room. He doesn’t stir until you slide into bed, laying on your stomach and wrapping your arms around your pillows.

“Mm…cyare?”

“Go back to sleep, love.” You whisper, as you slide over to him and press a feather light kiss against his temple.

He blinks at you, sleep fading from his gaze as he takes you in. “Welcome back.” Jaster murmurs.

“Sorry it took me so long.” You reply, “I did mean to be back before now.”

He opens his mouth to say something, hesitates, and then smiles, “Well, I’m glad you got back safe.”

“Of course.” You sweep your hair off your back, the sensation uncomfortable against the bandage, and you rest your head on your arms, “How was your meeting? With Kryze, right?”

“Uneventful,” Jaster replies, as he rolls onto his side, holding himself up on his elbow, “I’ll give you a full rundown tomorrow, if you wan-” He stops mid-sentence, his gaze snapping to the white bandage on your back, “Are you hurt?”

“In…a manner of speaking.” You admit with a sigh. “It hurts, but it’s…self-inflicted?”

“What?!”

“It’s…” You sigh again, that was the wrong word, “It was supposed to be a surprise,” You grumble, “Go ahead and take the bandage off. You’ll see.”

Jaster sits up completely, and you feel his fingers, light and warm against your bare back, as he carefully removes the bandage.

And then he stops.

Stops moving, stops breathing even.

You turn your head to glance at him, “Jas?”

His fingers glide across your back, and ghost over the new tattoo, “That’s my clan sigil,” He says faintly.

“Well, yes. I suppose I should have asked if it was okay before I did it…” You mumble. 

“That’s…cyare, that’s a rather telling show of loyalty.”

You scoff, “I’ve been sleeping in your bed and raising your son for years, Jaster. I think my loyalty is pretty solidly locked in.” You squeak in surprise when you feel his lips against the middle of your new tattoo.

“You never showed any interest in tattoos before.” He murmurs against your skin.

“Yeah, well…” You shrug, “I was beginning to wonder if you weren’t asking me to say the riduurok with you simply because you wanted a way out, so this is my way of saying you’re stuck with me, I guess.”

“...cyare, I never asked you because you never seemed interested.” Jaster says slowly, as he lightly flips you so you’re looking up at him.

“Why would you assume that?” You ask.

“Because we had a whole conversation about it, and you said that it was an outdated tradition-”

“When did I say-” You stop midsentence, and you stare at him incredulously, “You mean that conversation we had right about you turned 20 and the day after my long term boyfriend broke up with me?”

“Yeah.”

Your head flops back on your pillow and you laugh, “Jaster, cyare, I love you. But you are the dumbest smart man I’ve ever met.” You grin at him, “That was me being bitter, Jas. I was hurt and angry, and you were the only person willing to listen to me. I didn’t mean any of it.”

“What about the part where you said you wanted to push your ex into a star?”

“Oh. That I meant.” You reach up and caress his cheeks, “I already plan to spend the rest of my life with you, whether or not we end up married. But nothing would make me happier than being your spouse.”

Jaster exhales slowly, and he leans in to press his forehead against yours, “Was beginning to worry that you found someone else,” He admits quietly, “You’ve been so quiet these last few weeks.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I wanted to surprise you.”

“I’m surprised. And happy.” He kisses you, slow and deep, “Mostly happy.” He adds in a low murmur, and then he shifts so he’s kneeling between your legs, “Are you in pain, cyare?”

You smile at him, small and sensuous, “Not so much that it’ll detract from what you’re planning.”

He grins and pins your hands to the bed next to your head, “Good.”

[burnwater13]

Three Mandalorians in flight in a cloudy sky. Concept art by Brian Matyas from The Mandalorian, Season 2, The Heiress.

Grogu sat at the do everything table in the front room of their cabin on Nevarro and drew sketches of his dad. For those of you asking, no, not of his face. He was doing renderings or sketches or whatever you wanted to call them of Din Djarin standing in his full armor. Front, sides, back, feet, hands, knees. That sort of thing. Not that his dad was cooperating at all. He wasn’t. 

‘Kid, just take a vid. It will last longer’, was a phrase Grogu was already tired of hearing. Yes, his dad had a point. He could take a vid. He could use it to help him in what he was doing. But he was an artist and he wanted to practice those skills more than he wanted to practice operating a datapad. He would have thought that a guy who had searched every planet within a parsec for his favorite armor polish would understand. Fat chance. 

So Grogu had to catch the Mandalorian at odd moments when he was still. Those moments weren’t just odd because they didn’t happen much except when Din Djarin was sleeping, they were odd because it almost always meant that his dad was thinking of work that needed to be done, sometimes right now, but mostly when Grogu was showing signs of boredom. So they were a blessing and a curse. Uff. 

But the rare moments that he caught his dad being still and he had his stylus handy (the markers were too wide and he couldn’t get the level of detail that he wanted), Grogu quickly sketched what he saw. Slowly but surely he’d been building up a nice thick file of drawings that could be used to create the master images that he needed. He knew if he didn’t get things quite right… well his dad was going to notice that the vambrace wasn’t perfect or the ammo belt was too far to the left or right, instead of answering Grogu’s perfectly reasonable question, what kind of paint job did the bounty hunter want on his armor?

Yup, all of this was in aid of helping Din Djarin become more of a Creed following Mandalorian than he currently was. And Grogu knew that seemed impossible. After all, this was the man who had voluntarily gone to Mandalore to find the waters there to renew his commitment to a Creed that could somehow allow new members to use any old water, but old members had to do the impossible and for what good reason? Harumph. Grogu didn’t understand that at all, but he supposed all organized cultures with as many rules as the Mandalorians had, ended up with rules that really didn’t make a lot of sense, but given who his dad was, they were going to be followed no matter what. 

That was why Grogu wanted Din Djarin to select a paint design for his armor. All the other Mandalorians had one and Din Djarin should have one as well. At least that was Grogu’s opinion. His dad’s opinion was that being the only Mando with super shiny pure beskar armor was enough of a design. Grogu had snorted so hard when he heard his dad say that, he was still wiping his nose. 

He’d told his dad that would be like saying that the absence of a plan was a plan in and of itself. Instead of arguing with him, his dad had mentioned that they were having stew for dinner and that Grogu’s bowl would have frog bites in it, so they couldn’t mix them up. Yup. He totally distracted Grogu. The mud scuffer.

But Grogu hadn’t gotten to where they were by being the kind of person who gave up at the first sign of adversity. Nope. He was old friends with tricks, traps, entanglements, and delays. He knew how to be patient and how to strike when the lightsaber was lit. 

He also knew that his dad wasn’t going to accept any old design. Yes, there would have to be a head nod to the mythosaur because that imaginary (but real) critter defined them. Then there would need to be symbols or colors that represented Clan Mudhorn. The sigil was great, but mudhorns weren’t shiny. They were shaggy. And muddy. Not like Din Djarin was ever going to let him just layer mud onto his armor as part of the symbolism. Nope. Whatever the design was it had be executed in manner that allowed everything to be polished and clean looking. 

With all that in mind Grogu had also sketched the designs used by other Mandos. Not the whole armor, but the bits and pieces that provided for their uniqueness. Bo-Katan had that sort of bird look on her helmet. Paz Vizsla had blue accents and mythosaur (of course) on his left pauldron. The Armorer of course had those weird little horns on her helmet and the reddish paint that made her armor stand out compared to anyone else’s. 

Grogu knew that his dad didn’t want to stand out, although, given how shiny his armor was and how sunny a lot of the places they visited routinely were, the Mandalorian wasn’t really accomplishing that goal as things stood right now. Grogu also knew, as noted previously, that Jedi drabness wasn’t going to work for the design either. He needed to do something that spoke to his dad’s accomplishments. Something that made it clear that, first and foremost, Din Djarin was the father to Din Grogu. But would his dad really let his armor be painted Grogu green? Grogu wasn’t sure. 

He did think that his dad would accept a four panel symbol on his left chest plate section that recognized the critters that Din Djarin had survived. They could skip the mudhorn because it was already on the pauldron. He definitely needed something to represent the Krayt dragon. That was pretty special and anyone who saw that symbol would think twice about annoying the person who wore it. Maybe the blurgg too? That hadn’t been easy for his dad to master, according to Kuiil and Greef Karga. And then what about the mythosaur? His dad didn’t talk about it much, but he’d dealt with that critter and lived to tell the tale. 

Now there was just one question…what should go in the last section? And before anyone mentions it, not the Ice spider critter. First that would not make his dad happy. Second, it was really Captain Teva and Commander Wolfe who had helped them out of that mess. Grogu was pretty sure that his dad didn’t want to be reminded of that either. 

What should it be? Let Grogu know. He’s counting on you. 

Three Mandalorians in flight in a cloudy sky. Concept art by Brian Matyas from The Mandalorian, Season 2, The Heiress. Calendar by DataWorks.

[direwolfrules]

3 Mandos And A Baby AU: They’re In Love Your Honor

I've been neglecting Ursa and Alrich in this AU, and that's a goddamn crime. They're too adorable together. Clearly, I have sinned.

So, Ursa and Alrich actually do a great job of keeping their relationship from leaking outside of the halls of the Academy. Even within the Academy there are only three people who know for sure that they're dating. We don’t count the Cadet Squad as people by the way, they’re more…sentient headaches.

If you ask the Professors? They're friends. Study-buddies. Alrich is Ursa's pet scholarship student. The heir to Clan Wren certainly isn't dating a boy who's only able to attend the prestigious institution through a scholarship.

Their fellow students only respond with a pointed "this line of questioning treads dangerously close to violating the Honor Code". Translation: "The last time someone tried to gossip about the two of them their speeder blew up and their crush was sent a really embarrassing drawing". The speeder thing was actually totally unrelated, but eh. Ursa's not gonna turn down free fear.

So, news of their relationship finally breaks...I wanna say when they're nineteen? Some big festival, fireworks, picture perfect romantic moment, and both of them have adult minds but their bodies are full of teenage hormones. They kiss. Publicly. Right as a journalist who'd been assigned the second most boring beat in Sundari passes by.

No one expected the front page of Mandalore's biggest gossip rag to be a very dramatic shot of the kiss (Alrich, once he gets over the shock, frames it. It's actually a really nice picture).

Ursa's father? Furious. His heir – his strong, proud, traditionalist heir – dating a New Mando boy? And also, to a lesser extent: his little girl, dating?

Alrich's folks aren't pleased either. Such a close tie to a family that openly borders on indecency with their traditionalist politics? It could actually cost them in the circles of New Mandalorian society that they're trying to ascend.

Bo-Katan's trying to stop Pre from exploding. He's very unhappy that the heir to one of his vassal clans would do this. He had plans for her, cousins and other vassals he was going to introduce her to. Strengthening ties between vassals and interconnecting the members of Death Watch even more is necessary. The more people he can pressure with a single point the better.

When she hears this Bo, once again, questions all her life decisions, and promptly shoves those realizations in the same box as Korkie's parentage.

She manages to calm Pre down and convince him it's all part of a strategy on Ursa's part. If she can get to Alrich she'll have better access to his underclassman mentees, one of which is the dear Duchess's beloved nephew. Access to Korkie means access to the palace, and Ursa's always been very good with explosives.

Pre promptly decides that yes, this is a brilliant plan, and also that he'd come up with it. Bo's so glad for helmets cause if Pre saw how hard she rolled her eyes Bo would be deader than that kid from Clan Priest who got caught chatting up one of the other verde, instead of guarding the cells. (There was no need for anyone to even guard the cells, they were empty, but Pre just likes shooting his finite supply of loyal warriors)

Anyway, back in Sundari things are not looking good for our favorite couple. Some professors have gotten it into their heads that Alrich isn't good enough for Ursa. He's suddenly getting worse marks, his submissions of certain assignments are "disappearing", and the other students are definitely picking up on it. He gets tripped in the halls more often now, and has had his art supplies sabotaged more than once.

No one's done anything to Ursa, they still think she blew up a guy's speeder after all, but an attack on Alrich might as well be an attack on her.

No, Ursa's biggest issue comes in the form of her family. Her father is not happy and keeps trying to arrange matches to traditionalist/Death Watch aligned clans. Ursa tends to shut these matches down by spending the entirety of the arranged date talking about how perfect Alrich is. It's an effective strategy and Ursa takes delight in making things as awkward as possible.

Alrich at one point is visiting his parents, and they're giving him a "what will society think?!" talk. His father's up for a promotion soon, that bump in salary could secure them a place in the upper-mid levels, why doesn't he think of his little siblings? What will the Duchess think of the boy who's mentoring her nephew? He better believe his palace invites are gonna dry up real quick!

As they're ranting Alrich gets a notification on his datapad telling him his next visit to the palace, to discuss Korkie's schooling, has had a minor change. He's now allowed a plus one. (Satine saw the news, sipped her tea, and decided that anyone who doesn't suggest Korkie's insane deserves nice things.)

[theoutletonmychest]

Found my initial live thoughts on watching the mess that is Book of Boba Fett from a year ago.

A show that would have been fine with any other character.

But they did him so dirty, along with other issues that I have not seen a lot of people talking about in favor of celebrating the found family part of the show.

What the actual fuck, show? So, first, you white savior Boba fuckin' Fett, [I know he's not white. But the trope of the outsider from a "more civilized society" coming in and fixing everything is exactly the same.] a bounty hunter best known for working with Darth Vader and disintegrating people. I understand choosing Tusken Raiders as a stand-in for Clone Troopers. No problem. So, they take him prisoner. For slave labor. I guess. Then he kills a big dumb monster. Suddenly he is not a slave. How progressive. Then he learns their ways. And brings them technology. Hey, is this sounding like a 1950s western yet? Then, he and the natives take down a train trespassing on the Tusken's ancestral lands. He goes on a vision quest. He wears their clothes. He is of the tribe. Disney invents a new tribal dance for the kids to imitate and everyone forgets they're slavers. And all the murders are written off with a single line, "Other tribes have chosen violence!" Perfection. Beautiful. And then, the very next episode, all the totally-not-evil-slavers-who-never-murdered-anyone-because-we-know-them are murdered off-screen. Before we can remember their actual past actions. Including the child with the toy gaffi stick. Who, I remind you, literally held two people as slaves and directly led to the death of one of them. Angelic choir music plays over the scene. Because they're angels. What the actual fuck, Disney. What the fuck? How did this get made in 2022? It's just the same old bullshit from 70 years ago mixed in with the cultural shifts of the 90s and early 00s and dressed up in a Star Wars outfit. What am I watching? Also. We know nothing about our main character. And all his decisions have been quests assigned by other people. He is so flat I wouldn't be able to see him if he turned sideways. But maybe that's a slow burn. They have done some setup there. But geez. People have been praising tf out of this. I wasn't expecting so much oof. HE WAS LITERALLY IN A JESUS BLESSING POSE WHILE BEING WRAPPED IN NATIVE GARB.

--------

Like. They somehow portrayed the natives as savages and helpless angels who need a savior from the "modern world" simultaneously. And then killed them all while the savior was away. It is almost funny how oof it is.

--------

He just said, "That was a bit heavy-handed, don't you think?" over a simple threat of violence towards a repeatedly stonewalling character. This is the big scary bounty hunter everyone's dreamt about for 45 years.

--------

"And remember. No disintegrations. They're a bit heavy handed." - 2022 Darth Vader, I guess.

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Star Wars just did a car chase scene where they plow through two people carrying a plate-glass window. In 2022. I'm so glad it's out of George Lucas's hands. He would have done something silly. What am I watching?

--------

WE HAVE FRUIT STANDS. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. I REPEAT. WE HAVE FRUIT STANDS.

--------

I'm going to be honest. None of this is what I expected from a spin-off of The Mandalorian. I can't handle another episode right now. Woof.

That's how far I got the first day. I really wasn't expecting much from the show, but the problematic shit, then the Looney Tunes shit, then the complete erasure of Boba Fett's soul as they replaced him with someone who looks like him, but isn't him...

Oh my gods they cloned the Fett.

I wish the transhuman stuff was more explored and they had more personality. They were basically just an aesthetic for Boba to wear and it really didn't work for me.

He also spent the entire season being the town's gopher which, again, is not what I expected from a Boba Fett at the end of his life, even with the supposed rebirth. You don't actually lose your past when you go through something like that.

You make a decision.

Boba Fett from the show doesn't make decisions.

I really did not enjoy this. And it's 100% because they Teen Titans Go'd it. Used a visible name people care about to do whatever they wanted.

Mandalorian worked. If this was the show you wanted to make, do it with a new character that fits better. Have an ounce of respect for fans of the universe. Star Wars is huge and has room for all kinds of stories.

It doesn't have to be the same characters pasted into scripts that don't work for them.

Blah.

[juletheghoul]

Burning Hour (Part 5)

Of everything I've written this is the story that's gotten the most love and I'm so happy that you are all enjoying it so much. 🥺

Surprisingly enough - I had to cut this chapter down because if I'd added everything I had originally planned to it would have been about 16k. With that said - I'm thinking it might end up being either six or seven chapters total. Anyway - enjoy!

Din Djarin x F!Reader (Virgin reader)

Pairing: Din x F!Reader

Word Count: 8.6K 😅

Warnings: (18+ NO MINORS) Angst, pining, slow-burn, language, mentions of hunting (hawking) age-gap (about 10-11 years, legal, reader is of age), implied homophobia (as a result of the times) Yearning, jealousy, oral-f receiving / dirty talk / p i v sex (wrap it up) vaginal fingering, breast worship / nipple play

Let me know if I missed anything!

reblogs are appreciated

Masterlist Series Masterlist Part 6

————

It was difficult to sleep.

The events of the day replayed over and over in your mind, enough to make your body vibrate with the excitement of it all. Din’s touch, his mouth - it had lit a fire within you and it made you giddy that your dreams of finding someone that truly loved and desired you seemed to have been answered; or so you desperately hoped. It was a double edged sword however. Poisoned fruit.

You were the future Queen, you had a duty to your family and the kingdom and as thus, knew that you’d never be truly free to marry him. This shoved Poe to the forefront of your mind.

Why are you wooing me so persistently sir? If you so obviously love another?

The thought crossed your mind briefly, that maybe Poe's intentions were less than chivalrous but you shooed them away. This was good news. Maybe they could come to an understanding.

Your thoughts drifted back to Din, much like they always did and you smiled to yourself. You thought about what he’d done, how good it felt - how much he seemed to enjoy it and now you understood what the serving girl had meant. It was selfish of you, but it didn’t stop you from hoping he wasn’t calling on her still.

I want you all to myself my love, only me.

---

Poe was quiet as he broke his fast, his squire even more so; barely meeting your eye.

“Mr. Dameron, I’m curious to know if you enjoyed yourself at the tournament. I noticed the two of you quite happy in each other’s company before I retired to my chambers.” Your mother was speaking with a sly smile, trying - in what she must have thought was a cunning way - to push you both together and you raised your eyebrows at him.

“I had a lovely time, the Princess was enchanting as always and I know we have much to discuss. Princess - would you like to go hawking with me today?” If he was worried about what you could say, he didn’t show it.

“I’d love to Poe, I imagine you’re right.” You smiled at him and ignored the way his squire worried at the hem of his doublet.

“Wonderful! Din - I have some matters to attend to in the city and I will need you with me but make sure you send some of your best with Poe and the Princess.” Your fathers voice boomed through the small room and Dins response was a tiny nod, but it was more than that; you could feel his annoyance at not being able to accompany you.

Patience my love, you have nothing to fear.

“Lovely.” You smiled to yourself, letting him catch the smile on your face.

------

The air was bracing, nipping at your skin slightly as you rode out into the open grounds outside the palace. The Mandalorians sent for protection were respectful, keeping their distance as you reached the little hillside perfect for hawking.

“I think this will do nicely.” His usual smile plastered on his face as he helped you off your horse.

It was easy to spend time with Poe. Easy to laugh and chat and enjoy the time with him. You’d assumed he’d get right into the conversation you knew had to be had but he didn’t. Instead you hawked, you enjoyed the fresh air and you thought about everything that had led to this moment.

“Poe, we have something to discuss” Your words were soft, spoken to him quietly so as to keep it between the two of you.

“Yes I imagine we do.” His smile shifted then, to something softer, something honest and hopeful.

With the hawks safely back in their cages you were free to wander a bit and he offered his arm like always.

“I expect you have questions for me.” His voice was low and for the first time, you detected a slight nervousness.

“I do and I mean to cut right to the heart of it, what are your intentions with me Poe? I will hear no lies from you, speak plainly.” It wasn’t something you wanted to think about but it simply could not be helped. He seemed taken aback.

“Nothing nefarious if that is your fear Princess. I have great respect and love for you, maybe not the love a man usually has for a woman but I do consider you very important. As for truth I will give it to you freely, but I also ask for discretion, as your friend and I hope you consider me so. I am indeed in love with another, but unfortunately people are not as tolerant to the kind of love I share with this person and thus we cannot be together openly.” He had such a sadness in his voice at this admission that it struck you, he had more in common with you than he could possibly know. “I meant what I said before. We would make a good match, not in the romantic sense but in terms of bettering this land. Helping people and giving to the less fortunate. We could have a happy life, while privately - loving other people.”

He let the words linger as you came to a small stream within the woods, the sun making the bubbling water sparkle despite the chill in the air and you thought about his words. Could this truly work?

Din my love, is this how it must be for us? Marry Poe publicly, but love you privately? Will you accept this secret life?

“Your squire?” The question popped out and you had to know, he was a lovely man and it hurt to think that others would not accept them because they were men. Why should men not love each other? Surely love is better than hate and scorn.

“Yes. His name is Finn, and I love him dearly.” The words were reverent, a prayer, his name sacred.

“And is Finn content to live this secret life with you? For us to play the happy couple at court for all the world to see while he waits for you in the shadows?” Your tone was soft, your hand rested on his shoulder, the questions genuine and he nodded with a sad smile.

“It is the only way for people such as us.” He kissed the fingers on your hand and it was a friendly gesture, reassuring.

“You would be free to love in private as well Princess. Your knight need not feel threatened by me.” He smiled at the shock on your face. “It is obvious. The way you look at him, the way he tracks you. How people don’t notice is beyond me.” He wrapped his arm around your shoulders and for the first time it was such a comfort.

You weren’t attracted to Poe - sure he was handsome and chivalrous, well liked and influential; all the things a suitor should be on the surface. More important than all that however, Poe was a friend.

“I do love him, desperately so. I imagine I’ve loved him all my life.” You couldn’t lie to him.

“I cannot blame you, he is quite handsome and I trust he will be happy to hear that even though the situation is not ideal, he can still have you all to himself.” There was no animosity, no hint of anger or jealousy - just a quiet support and it was as though a huge weight had been lifted from your shoulders.

“I pray he is content, it is all I can offer him.” You both walked arm in arm, back towards the horses.

“Have we come to an agreement then Princess? Will you marry me?” He said it with a playful bump of his shoulder and you laughed, giddy with the excitement of it all.

“Yes Poe, I believe I will.”

—-

The King’s business took much longer than he thought, keeping them out of the palace for most of the day and he let out a satisfied sigh when it was time to make their way back. He hoped the Princess would find time to meet with him although with Poe around it was difficult. The man was constantly underfoot.

She will marry him soon, what will I do then? Foolish Knight that I am.

It was getting harder to put those thoughts to bed and he wondered, not for the first time, what would happen when the day finally came.

I will have to watch you ready yourself for him, stand outside your door as he -

He couldn’t even finish the thought.

I’ll do my duty and protect. Or die.

-

He accompanied the King to his apartments, entrusting him to other guards. He had to bathe, to eat and ready himself to take his place at the royal dinner table.

Maybe I can meet with her in the gardens tonight, maybe I could take her somewhere private -

“Greetings Sir, I’m sorry to bother you in your private time but I had to see you.” She caught him as he entered his chambers, pulling him out of his thoughts of the princess.

“Gisella, what are you doing here?” His tone was low, a little curt at having been cornered and she worried at her shift. He saw the trepidation on her face and he felt bad, it wasn’t her fault. “My apologies my lady, you caught me unawares.” He softened his tone, but he did not invite her inside.

“I did not mean to Sir, I just - I miss-” She sighed, defeated. “You have not called for me in ages, have I offended you somehow?” Her big eyes were wide with sadness and he felt unchivalrous. Just because he did not love her, didn’t excuse the way he’d ignored her.

“No sweetling. You have done no such thing. It is I who have offended you.” He bowed his head in apology and she perked up, stepping closer. “I thoroughly enjoyed our time together but I am afraid it has run its course.” Her face fell at his words, unhappy with their meaning.

“Have you grown tired of me?” Her eyes filled with unshed tears and he felt awful. When they had started their little tryst it had been fun. She was funny and pretty, willing and she knew how to handle him but when the Princess returned, he had no taste for her. He took off his helmet, letting her meet his eyes.

“I will be honest with you Gisella. I have no feelings for you, not the feelings you hoped I would. It is no reflection of you but I cannot pretend to feel what I do not. It would be unfair to both of us to keep going.” He took her hands in his, placing a gentle kiss on each to soften the blow of his words.

“Din, I don’t understand - we worked so well together. We laughed, we made love, we talked about all manner of things and I thought - hoped - that it would grow into something more. I could be a good wife Din, I could give you children and we could be happy.” She pressed herself against him, letting him feel her warmth. “You said you liked the things we did-” She ran her fingers through his hair as she spoke, her tone suggestive. “-you made me feel so good, teach me more Din. I can be better for you.” She pressed small kisses to his face, trying vainly to reach his mouth.

She was not wrong. He did enjoy her company, he enjoyed her body and her eagerness to please him but he didn’t feel about her the way he felt about the Princess, and he never would.

“Gisella, please don’t misunderstand. It is nothing you’ve done wrong-” He firmly separated her from his body. “-perhaps in another life, we would have had everything we spoke of and more, but not in this one. I am sorry. Truly.” He kissed her forehead softly, before entering his room - and closing the door.

---

Poe had agreed to postpone the announcement until you could explain what was happening to Din and for that you were grateful. It was hard to control the urge to blurt it out however, especially when you could feel his eyes on you at the dinner table.

Mila poured wine for you as your mother dropped hint after hint about what a future wedding would look like for you and you indulged her with a smile. It was genuine, but not for the reason she imagined.

You pictured getting married, the lovely gown you’d wear but the man standing in front of you wore a suit made of beskar and it was enough to steal the breath from you.

I pray you accept this secret life with me my love, it’s all I can offer you.

-

The smile was plastered all over your face as you made your way to the gardens. Your feet bringing you closer and closer to him and it takes everything in you not to lift your skirts and run like a child. Especially when you finally reach your meeting place to find him smiling, hair ruffled, dimple on display.

Your body betrayed you and you practically flung yourself into his arms. You can hear him chuckle deep in his chest at your urgency and the heady feeling at being in his arms again makes you laugh.

“Hello my love.” He breathes the words into your ear, his big hands crushing you to him and you can’t even answer, your mouth pressing against his in response.

“Hello Din.” You finally answer. “I have news to tell you, I know you will not like it but there is a silver lining.” You smile up at him but his expression falters. His brow furrows slightly at your words and you know this will be tough for him to hear.

“Tell me, what is it?” He brings his hand up to your face, the warmth of his palm is indescribably comforting on your cheek.

“Well - I have discussed my future with Poe.” You see the flash of annoyance at the mere mention of the other man and you cannot help but smile slightly. “He has asked for my hand and I have accepted.” You brought your hand up to mirror his actions but he moves away slightly.

“You have asked me here to tell me that you will marry another man, and you laugh?” His tone wasn’t angry, it was hurt and you smile again despite yourself.

You will laugh with me, my love.

“You don’t understand, we have come to an agreement.” Your smile broadened but you saw the clench in his jaw and the hurt look on his face.

“You and Poe have made an agreement about me? Am I supposed to be thankful, Princess?” His voice had turned cold and you could see that he was offended. This was not going the way you’d envisioned.

“Peace my love, allow me to explain and you will understand my meaning.” You tried to get close to him again, hoping to calm him with soft words and light touches.

“What I understand Princess, is that I have no chance with you, I never have. I am a fool and I have been dreading this since I realized how I feel towards you.” He kissed your hands despite his visible anger, quickly separating himself after. “I understand that this must be the end, unless I were to challenge Poe for your hand but even that would be in vain.”

“Din Please I-“

“My apologies Princess. I am sorry to have ever entertained this.” He gestured at the two of you. “We must stop living in this fantasy. I beg of you to forgive me but I must be alone.” He pressed a chaste kiss to your mouth, silencing any words you had for him before he promptly left you in the garden.

You walked back to your rooms in a tearful daze. How could he misinterpret this so quickly?

“Your highness, is everything alright? Are you hurt?” Mila ran to kneel in front of your place on the bed and listened intently as you explained what had transpired. “Write him a note, your highness - I will see that he gets it.” She patted your hand before helping you undress.

“Thank you sweetling, perhaps tomorrow.”

You cried yourself to sleep.

—-

It all felt like some horrid dream, strange and far away but once the fog of sleep had cleared it all came rushing back. All of the lovely parts - his kisses, his tousled hair, his smile. And all of the awful parts; his anger, his hurt, his words.

Mila could be heard moving things around in your room, picking out your clothes for the day if you had to hazard a guess and the thought of breaking your fast with Din in the room was enough to make you sick.

Her face fell when she found you still in bed a little later, staring at the sky through the gap in your curtains.

“Your highness, are you unwell? Shall I bring your meal up here to eat privately?” She sat tentatively at the edge of your bed, she knew you too well.

“Yes sweetling, that would be wonderful - I don’t think I could stand to be in that room this morning.” You couldn’t keep the sadness out of your voice, could barely keep the tears out of your eyes and everything he said just came rushing back once again.

“He will come around your highness, you must make him listen.” She patted your hand and you pulled her into bed, hugging her tight. “Everything will be okay.” She spoke low as she ran her nimble fingers through the tangle of your hair.

She would never know the comfort she gave you in that moment.

“Perhaps I could write him a note - explain that it’s not what he imagines it to be - that he has no equal in my eyes.” You looked up at her with hopeful eyes and she nodded with a smile.

“I will deliver it, but I beg of you, get out of bed and eat something.” She gave you one last squeeze before leaving to get you something to eat. In the time she was gone, you managed to write him a note - nothing too in depth but a plea to listen. To let you explain, that you loved him above all others and your spirits lifted as you read it over.

“I have brought you fresh baked bread and butter, some soft eggs and tea - nothing too heavy your highness.” She set down the tray on your little table and looked at you expectantly.

“Sit and eat with me - and then we can speak about you delivering this for me.” She nodded and sat with a smile.

--

“Where is my daughter?” They had all been waiting on her but she hadn’t come down. He was worried about her, but his pride stopped him from knocking on her door himself.

“Is she okay? It surprises me that she hasn’t joined us.” Poe’s face was the very picture of worry and it was lucky he wore the helmet, or his expression would have given him away.

“I assure you my lord, your highness, she is well. She is indisposed at the moment and begs your forgiveness. I am to fetch her something to eat.” Her handmaiden was apologetic.

“Please make sure she eats more than a few bites, it will help. Some tea as well.” The Queen spoke to the girl and she nodded as she made her way to the kitchens, she caught Dins eye before leaving however and his mood darkened further still.

Din had the nagging suspicion that this had everything to do with what had happened the night before.

You are a fool Djarin, you hurt her.

He felt terrible, like some sort of monster - a predator that had stolen a tiny part of her heart and then ripped it up in front of her face.

What am I to do? Am I to watch happily as you marry this man? Am I to hope you’ll have time for me? Maybe one night when he’s called away I can slither into your room like a thief and steal a few more kisses before he comes back? Shall I kill him for you Princess? Start a war for your love?

He sighed silently, his hands gripping his sword tight enough to turn his knuckles bone white, lost in his own thoughts.

—-

The light at this time of the day was absolutely gorgeous. Autumn was well and truly here and everything had taken a golden hue. For once, you were glad Din was not present.

“I imagine your conversation with him did not go as planned.” It wasn’t a question, he had seen the look on your face and it made no sense to lie.

“It most certainly did not.” You smiled sadly, the two of you sitting in the courtyard. Poe was reading a book borrowed from your library as you tried to occupy your thoughts with needlework but it wasn’t going as planned. Your stitches were not up to your usual standard and despite your annoyance you weren’t going to put it down until you finished. “He barely let me get the words out. I suspect I offended him.”

“How so?” He tilted his head in confusion, his attention moving from the words on the pages in front of him to look you in the eye.

“I could see that he was upset that I have accepted your proposal-” You made sure to lower your voice. “-and it made me laugh because I know he has nothing to fear - you and I have come to an agreement but he thought I was mocking him.” You could see the genuine concern on his face.

“Should I speak to him? Do you think that would help?” He placed his hand onto yours and you knew that would be a bad idea.

“No - as much as I appreciate it I don’t think that would go over well without him knowing about us.” You placed your hand onto his in thanks. “How does Finn feel about this whole situation? I meant to speak to him myself but I have been preoccupied.” You had noted that Finn wasn’t in attendance.

“We have both accepted that we cannot live life as open as we’d like - he is content to learn that you are accepting of us.” He smiled fondly at you. “We must adapt.”

“Isn’t this lovely? You two look right at home together.” There was genuine happiness in your mothers voice and you fought the urge to roll your eyes at her. She wasn’t wrong per say - but not for the reasons she imagined. Poe was a dear friend, that and nothing more.

“Your highness.” Poe made to stand but she waved him away.

“I am happy to see you getting along this way and I am hopeful that you will have good news for us soon.” For a moment you saw your mother, not as the Queen she always portrayed but the secret side to her she only ever showed you. The one who held you close when you were ill, the one who told you stories as a child. The vulnerable woman who worried about your well-being.

“Yes, I expect you will have good news soon Mother.” You smiled up at her and her face lit up, that private smile gracing you both before it was put away.

“I am very happy to hear that my darling.” She composed herself again, and then she was gone.

---

It was hard not to pace around the room, Mila had left with the note and your heart in her hands what felt like ages ago and your nerves were frayed. It felt as though your heart was in your throat, constricting your airway, pulsing in your ears and it didn’t let up. It wouldn’t let up, not until everything was as it was. It was your fate to wait until she came back.

You tried to focus on your breathing, on calming your body but it was no use.

I am practically vibrating, and it seems as though the hem on my dress is paying the price.

You watched almost outside your own body as your hands worried at the fabric, pulling and straightening, smoothing away invisible wrinkles until finally she entered the room and lifted your heart; only to smash it again. You could tell something was wrong by the worried little frown on her pretty face and you were upset to see the note still in her hands.

“He didn’t care?” The voice wasn’t your own, it was a sad creature in the grip of despair.

“Not just that your highness, he would not listen. He would not read it and would hear nothing of your reasons. Would hear nothing of your wishes to meet him tonight. I promise you I tried but he told me that he knew all he needed to know and wished to suffer no more hurt. I could hear the sadness in his voice but I couldn’t see his eyes.” She was apologetic, but there was an anger there.

“Speak truthfully, say what you will not.” You locked eyes with her and gave her a small nod, signalling that you wanted her honest opinion.

“Well, truthfully speaking your highness, I am angry. How can he be so hurt and claim to love you so but then refuse to listen? If he would stop being so proud and foolish he would know that he is the only one you want. He would know that Poe is no threat and this nonsense could end. This is unnecessary heartache and it-” Her speech faltered at the small smile on your face, her ardour touched your heart - that she could care so much about your happiness. “It’s useless your highness.” The bite had gone and she smiled back.

“You are right, sweetling. He is being dreadfully obtuse, I appreciate your sentiments and you have my love.” You kissed her cheek. “I must make him listen.”

“How will you do that, your highness?”

“With your help.” You had a plan, and it had to work.

--

Turmoil.

That was the only way he could describe his state of mind.

Her handmaiden had come with a note and just the sight of her flowing script sent him into a frenzy. He wanted no part of it, wanted to know nothing more of her accepting Poe.

He had tried to end it quickly but he had to give it to the girl, she was determined but he had made up his mind. After her various attempts of showing him the princesses words, he finally managed to send her on her way.

How had this all gone so wrong? He had been the dependable protector; The Mandalore. He was trusted to keep this family absolutely safe. How had he gone from that to this jealous, love-sick creature? Lusting and yearning after this woman, forgetting himself. He had to be better, try to get himself back to how he was.

But how can I forget about you my love? How can anyone compare? Maybe I should bury my love for you in someone else as you will undoubtedly do yourself with Poe. Although Gisella doesn’t come close, she would make a good wife - she might help me get my head out of the clouds.

He stared at his helmet, contemplating on whether or not he should go and find the girl.

---

“How do I look?” Her smile wasn’t encouraging you.

“You look completely ordinary, your highness, it’s a little strange.” She was circling you, adjusting the woollen shift, making sure the simple corset was laced right.

“That’s rather the point.” You said it goodnaturedly and she laughed, fixing your skirts before she dressed you in her simple cloak.

“No one will recognize you, you should let your hair down.” She helped you and when you looked in the mirror you understood what she meant.

“He will not know me. It’s perfect.”

You won’t get out of this so easily Din, you will listen.

“You know where to go, your highness?” She was nervous, now that it came down to it she feared you’d get caught.

“I know every inch of this place sweetling, if anyone comes I am not to be disturbed.” You kissed her cheek quickly before quickly making your way out the door.

-

I feel invisible.

No one looked too closely at you, and if when their eyes did find you it was barely a glance before they moved on to other things. You were for all intents and purposes a maiden, a servant girl.

It was utterly thrilling; a lovely reprieve from your everyday life. No one bowing, no one asking what you’d like, no Mandalorian shadow behind you keeping you safe. It was freedom - pure and simple and you cherished it all the way to his room.

He opened the door in a huff and almost didn’t recognize you at first.

“Princess? What are you doing here? Why are you dressed like that?” He was more confused than anything at first. The shock of you standing there in Milas clothing and if you hadn’t been so angry at him, you would have laughed.

“So you do remember me.” It wasn’t a question, and you let him take it in before you pushed your way through to his humble apartments. For once in all the time you’d known him, he didn’t know what to do. He was at a loss but his mind quickly recovered and you saw the panic, the reality of the situation set in and you waited for him to ask you to leave. He didn’t disappoint.

“Princess, you cannot be here. If you are discovered - it would be bad.” He left it there as he stood by the door. You made no move to obey him.

“No. I have had enough of this. You will listen to me Din Djarin - I am tired of you not listening to me.” You crossed your arms over your chest and his frown deepened.

“We cannot do this -”

“Oh yes we can, and we will, now I command you to listen to me. As your Princess, as your future Queen -” You softened slightly. “As your love, I need you to listen to me.” You stood your ground and he wilted slightly, yielding with a defeated sigh.

You took the moment to look around. The soft light of the moon was shining through a modest window, aided by a few candles. It was sparse, filled with only the essentials. His bed, large and soft, no doubt filled with down and you noticed that there was no canopy.

He rises with the sun.

He had a small table, chairs and more books than you ever would have thought. It made you smile to think of him here, reading the histories of other Mandalorians that had served. Learning from the Mandalores which came before him.

“What would you have of me Princess. I am listening.” He seemed chastened, docile. He walked over to the small table and sat, ready to finally hear your words and you took in his appearance. A loose-fitting white tunic and simple dark brown woollen breeches - not in all of the time you’ve known him have you ever seen him looking so comfortable, so soft and unguarded.

“It is unchivalrous of you to treat me this way Sir. I am not someone to be ignored, least of all by you. If you had bothered to wait until I explained you would have known that I am yours. Now and always. Maybe not the way I would have wanted, but you have nothing to fear, from any man.” You approached him where he sat and kept the smile to yourself at the shame on his face. “If you would have bothered to listen to me my love, you would have learned that Poe does not desire me. Not in the same way you do.”

“I don’t understand.” He asked softly, that crease reappearing between his brows, the confusion evident. “If he doesn’t desire you, why is he courting you so aggressively?”

“Poe is in love. He is in love with someone that, much like you and I - he cannot be with openly.” You gave in to the temptation and ran your fingers through his hair softly as you spoke. Despite the annoyance you felt, you had to touch him. “He is committed to this person, and our marriage would be a means to use his power and influence to help the kingdom. It would also be an end to questions about his lack of a wife. A chance to be happy, without judgement.” He leaned in to your touch, his eyes closed and you knew that his time brushing you aside was as painful for him as it was for you.

“Who is this person? Why can he not be with her openly?” He took your hand in his, kissing your palm.

“Him. He cannot be with him openly. Not everyone is accepting of their love and although it makes no difference to me I understand his need to keep it a secret.” He seemed slightly shocked.

“I see, and he has no problem with your marriage to him being a farce? He knows about us?” He held your hand in his, unable - or perhaps unwilling to let you go.

“It wouldn’t just be a farce Din, he is my friend. We would have a lovely friendship, companionship - nothing more. He does know about us and he wanted me to assure you that he is just a friend and that anything that happens between us that vaguely even resembles romance - it is just an act. Do you see now why I couldn’t help but laugh?” Your anger had evaporated, dust blowing in the wind while being able to be so close to him.

“I have behaved shamefully my love, I pray you’ll forgive me.” His voice was pained, embarrassed. “There isn’t anything I can say other than I am sorry.” He pulled you close, his arms wrapping around your waist - his face pressed into your belly.

“You must make it up to me.” You smoothed the lines in his face with your thumbs as you spoke, as if you could take them away. “I want to be with you, I want to lay with you.” He pressed kisses to your sternum.

His head shot up and you saw the realization hit him.

“Now? Here?” His eyes flashed over to his bed. “This space is not worthy of you.”

You could see him evaluating his rooms, the size of his bed - the sparseness. None of it mattered to you. He was all you cared about.

“I don’t care, I just want you.” You pulled him up off the chair, guiding him slowly over to where you wanted him. “Take me to your bed.” You pressed your mouth to the tawny skin of his neck and you couldn’t help but taste his skin. “Do you not desire me?” You spoke softly, noting with delight how his breath hitched when you bit his shoulder through the fabric of his tunic.

“Of course I do Princess, let me show you just how much.” He lifted you onto his bed. “I want you to see what I think about.” You could see his manhood rising - a slight tenting in his breeches, it made you ache.

Finally - I will know you as a woman knows her husband.

You felt the heat crawling up your chest, felt it in your ears and you thought about what he’d done to you in the alcove.

“Din?” A tiny bit of hesitation coloured your voice and he looked up. “The thing you did in the alcove - with your mouth.” He smiled slightly as he undid the laces of your corset slowly - unwrapping you like a present.

“Yes my love? Ask me.” He knew. He knew and he wanted you to ask him. His hands slowed, molasses slow as he pulled your hose and undergarments off - leaving you in just your woollen shift.

“Yes. Could you do that again?” The urge to cover your face was immense but you fought against it to keep your eyes on him.

“You want me to eat your pretty little cunt again my love?” He smiled slyly, his big warm hands rubbing at the sensitive skin of your thighs as he watched you. He laughed low at the gasp and it all made your arousal flow - made it drip out of your womanhood and onto his linens. You nodded, leaning back on your forearms, biting your lip in nervous excitement. “Do you have even the vaguest notion of how good you taste? Of how much I relished the smell of you? The feel of you flooding my mouth with your pleasure?” You watched him speak in awe, your nipples pebbling at his words and the fervour in his voice.

He pulled his tunic off and you noticed the scars on his torso, proof of the battles he’d won, of the hard work he’d put in to be who he was today and it was lovely. The sacred map of your heart made flesh in another person. He let you drink your fill of him as he stood, undressing fully and your eyes widened. There was a light dusting of hair on his belly leading down to a patch of dark curls at the base of his sex; it was at full-mast.

Dark red and thick and your thighs trembled at the knowledge that he’d be inside you.

“Are you afraid of me Princess?” He tilted his head to bring your attention back up to his eyes and you knew he could see the nerves on your face.

“I am nervous, not afraid - but I know you will be gentle with me.” You leaned up and took off the last article of clothing standing in the way between you and you swore you saw his manhood twitch.

“I will be whatever you desire, forever.” He crawled towards you and you took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his manhood on your hip as he lay on top of you and you half expected him to get right into it but he smiled, fully in control of himself despite the state of him. “I am going to take my time with you Princess, you will cry out in pleasure many times before my cock goes anywhere near you.” He kissed you then, hard enough to bruise and you felt yourself clench.

“What will you do to me Din?” You ran your hands down his back as he kissed your neck, feeling more raised spots, more scars and you traced them idly.

“First-” He moved down to your breasts. “-I want you to be so wet you can hardly stand it. I want to find what you like - see what feels good.” His tongue poked out then, laving softly at one pert nipple and then the other. A little moan escaped your mouth then and you were enraptured - it was almost magic, how he could pull it out of you. He continued, smiling into your skin as he worshipped your body. His mouth a steady suck at your nipple and you couldn’t help but stare at him in open-mouthed silence. “Good?” He watched you nod as he showed the other the same attention.

“Really good Din.” You ran your fingers through his hair but it turned into clutching him to your breast when he bit you softly. “Oh- that was, that felt really good.” It had made you gasp slightly, the little shock of pain ramping up the pleasure and he did it again.

Again and again, he switched between the two and then you felt his fingers at the apex of your thighs. He moaned at the slick pooled at your entrance, pulling away threads of you to taste.

“I want you like this first, with my fingers and my mouth at your nipples.” He rubbed at the pearl of you and it was almost shocking how fast you seized up, your opening fluttering around nothing. Your lip raw in your mouth from trying not to scream and he smiled when he pulled away. “I think you’re ready for one.” He slid one thick finger inside and it was strange but not unpleasant. “Too much?” He watched your face for any signs of pain.

“No, it doesn’t hurt, just feels strange.” He rubbed at the bundle of nerves and it shifted. “Th-that helps.” You moaned out the words, the little circles from his thumb lifting you up again and he smiled. Kissing you as he continued his onslaught.

“Let's try one more finger.” He kissed you softly and you felt the stretch then, there was a little burn but it didn’t last, and when he curled them inside you there was a delicious pressure that made you moan into his mouth. “Yes - there it is.” He kissed you again, moving down to bite at your nipple again and it only took a few seconds before you were soaring; falling.

“Good girl.” He kissed you again before pulling his fingers out and shoving them in his mouth greedily.

You felt wetness, his sex leaking fat pearly drops of arousal onto your skin and you wanted for all the world to explore him as he was exploring you. You moved to touch him but he stopped you.

“Wait Princess - believe me there is nothing I want more, but I want this to be about you.” He kissed your palm before bringing it back to his neck. “Now, I want you to flood my mouth once more.” He smiled as he moved down your body, taking the time to lick at your nipples again. He seemed to want to kiss every inch of you. Your ribs, the soft skin of your belly, your hips - the soaked curls on your mound.

He spread your thighs, making space for the breadth of him between your legs and it looked to you as though he was drunk on the smell of you. The intensity of his gaze was enough to make you want to close them but he dove in, parting you with his tongue. Ripping away all thoughts of stopping him.

“God Din - that feels - that feels so good.” You leaned onto your forearms again, needing to watch him and the flutter of his lashes, the sight of the flesh of your thighs spilling through his fingers - it all made the arousal flow right where he wanted it; into his mouth.

His big hands moved underneath you - to the meat of your ass, pulling you closer to his mouth. He ate you like a man starved, stoking the fire burning in your veins. His tongue was probing into you, gliding up to circle around the pert little button of your pleasure and it almost maddening how fast he could make you fall apart.

“Is this what you wanted my love?” He kissed your sex the same way he kissed your mouth as he spoke and you nodded quickly, wanting him to get back to what he was doing. “Tell me - tell me how good it feels.” He watched you, making a show of spearing into you with those long fingers.

“Oh- yes, yes Din it feels so good, please give me your tongue again. I’m so close.” His mouth was sucking your little bundle of nerves, making the last few words a breathy moan. He worked in tandem, fingers curled inside you as his tongue glided and glided and glided until the coil snapped and the wave of pleasure radiated out from your core. Down to the tips of your fingers and toes, your breasts.

“Din please - stop, I can’t.” You tried to push him away as you lay there, boneless.

Your ears were pounding and it called to mind that feeling when you were a child, when you’d run as fast as you could. The wind in your face, your blood pumping in your ears - your feet carrying you as fast as you could until someone stopped you or until you simply couldn’t run another step.

How do you do this? How do you make me feel this way?

He couldn’t help but kiss his way back up and you felt the dampness on your skin wherever he touched you, a little trail of your arousal like a map leading to some great treasure.

“It fills my heart with joy to see you like this. Naked and satiated on my bed, happy - mine.” He kissed you softly now, his tender heart in your hands and you vowed to yourself then silently to keep it safe. To protect this part of him, lock it away.

“I am ready now my love.” You pulled him into the space between your legs. “I want to see you fall apart now.” He hissed when you touched him softly, the skin of his cock surprisingly velvety.

“I will go slow, open wider for me.” He lifted your legs high onto his hips and you watched as he fed himself into you, worked his cock into you slowly.

You were wet, as wet as you’ve ever been in your life and yet - it was a stretch. There was a burn, a pinch of pain but it was nothing compared to what you’d been led to believe and he took his time. Your comfort was his only concern despite the look of pain on his face. You looked up to see his eyes, watching where you were joined. There was sweat on his brow, a tremor in his arms where he held himself up, his thighs pressed up against the backs of your legs. He was holding himself back.

“You’re doing so good, taking me so well, just a little more.” When he was fully sheathed inside you he groaned; a low rumble deep in his chest. It was an intense feeling of fullness, a burn that wasn’t completely unpleasant, but not pleasurable. “Gods above, you’re squeezing me so tight - feel so good. Am I hurting you?” His hair was matted to his face and he looked to you then for all intents and purposes like an angel.

“No - it’s a lot, I feel full.” You brought your hands up to his shoulders, grounding yourself with his body and he couldn’t help but moan at your words.

“Once you become accustomed it will feel better. Reach down, feel yourself spread around my cock.” He took your hand and brought it down to feel and you gasped. Never had you ever felt this wanton, this beautiful. He took your hand and urged you to touch yourself while he was inside you. “Show me how you do it to yourself.”

He lowered his head, his tongue obscene in your mouth and you obeyed, half believing you wouldn’t be able to do it again but you did. He added another layer of pleasure and when he slowly started moving, in and out you felt yourself bearing down again.

Another wave of slick leaked out of you, making his thrusts loud, it felt good - it felt right.

“A little more Din, a little faster, a little harder - please.” You tightened your legs around his waist, your fingers sped up and when he obliged you heard the wet suck of your cunt - no part of you wanted to let him go.

“You hear that? Hear how wet I make you? You hear me fucking you Princess?” He was letting go, his movements frantic and rough but so so good. You could feel the sweat on his lower back, the strength and stamina translating into the bedroom perfectly and when he lowered his head to capture your nipple in his mouth you clenched around him, screaming louder than you meant to as you drenched him in you.

“Oh god - I’m close - where? Where?” He was in a frenzy now and a madness took over you, you locked your ankles on his lower back and kept him inside. You felt him twitch, felt him empty himself inside you and once he was done he collapsed onto you. His full weight was overwhelming as well as completely addictive.

you rubbed at his back, soothing the tense muscles there while he caught his breath.

“Princess, I should not have finished inside, what if you- what if my seed takes?” He pulled out with a hiss and lay beside you. His body was completely relaxed but his face was a mask of worry.

“Then I will have a child with the love of my life. What could be wrong with that?” You kissed him softly and despite his fear, he smiled.

-

Your eyes were heavy.

You had settled on your stomach, naked and unselfconscious while he lay next to you on his side. He was running his hand down your back, content to stroke your skin, from the top of your shoulder down to the swell of your ass.

His warmth practically lulling you to sleep and it was hard to recall a time where you’d ever felt this comfortable. He watched himself touching you, soft and slow, thorough. His lips pressed against your shoulder every few minutes; almost as though he kept remembering he could.

“I hate to trouble you right now, when you are so lovely and replete but what happens now?” He pressed himself closer still.

“Hm? What do you mean?” Your eyelids were so heavy and his touch was so soothing, it was hard to keep up.

“My love, as much as it pains me to say it, you cannot stay here.” Another soft kiss to your shoulder. Another caress of his hand. “I must get you back to your rooms, and we must discuss what happens next. You, Poe and I. How are we to make this work? Will I sneak into your bed every night?” His voice wasn’t helping. It was so low and it reverberated through your bones, a lullaby in itself.

“Whatever works, I don’t care where we sleep, so long as you are with me. Once Poe and I are married we will find a way to be together privately. I suppose I must announce it now-“ A big yawn escaped you and he sighed. The end of your night together had come. “-Gods above Din I don’t want to leave.”

“I know, I don’t want you to either - but I imagine your handmaiden is sick with worry and things must appear normal.” He placed a kiss onto your temple before getting up.

He gathered your things and you studied his body once more, so many scars, so many marks and freckles.

I will memorize every single one.

He pulled his breeches on before helping you dress.

“Helping you dress is not nearly as enjoyable as helping you undress.” A little smile played on his lips and you slapped his shoulder playfully. Much too soon though, the moment was gone, and reality set in. “Be safe my love.” He couldn’t help but lick into your mouth before sending you off into the dark hallway.

“I love you.” You spoke the words into his mouth.

“And I love you, desperately.” With that - you were gone.

——

Tag list: @hellovanessax @magikfanatic @frankiecatfish @mrs-ghuleh @pedritoispunk @librariantothejedi-deactivated2 @studythoreauly @missswriter @prostitute-robot-from-the-future @pintsizemama @mswarriorbabe80 @a-trial-run-on-paper @la-le-lu @chickadee-djarin @dobbyjen @rosiefridayrogersunday @ajeff855 @anaaaispunk @johnsrevelation @the-witty-pen-name @zombiesnips-blog @quica-quica-quica@literallydontlook @pedrosbrat @gamingaquarius @gothicxbarbie @localddreamers @luxmundee @iamafadedmoon @nakhudanyx @littlemisspascal @grogusmum @ajeff855 @recklessworry @heyitmelexie @liviiii98 @gothicxbarbie @evildxad @dragonslarimar @spideysimpossiblegirl @chemtrail-mix @maievdenoir @kissasith @goddessofsprings @breezythesimp @altarsw @artooies-scream @staygolddindjarin

[captainkirkk]

✩ WEEKLY FIC ROUND-UP ✩

All the fics I’ve read and really enjoyed in the past week-ish. Reminder: This list features any and all ratings and themes.

DC

theyll fall asleep without you by CosmoKid

[15:45] MISSED CALL to Mom

[15:45] MISSED CALL to Mom

[15:56] MISSED CALL to Mom

[15:57] MISSED CALL to Dad

[16:00] MISSED CALL to Dad

[16:01] “Hi, you’ve reached the voicemail of Jack Drake, it appears that Jack Drake can’t come to the phone right now, you can leave a message for Jack Drake after the beep.”

// whumptober day 15: forgotten

SVSSS

it was a sunny afternoon on Qing Jing Peak... by Justread0verandover

Shen Qingqiu is raising Luo Binghe as a totally normal teenager, just like all the other teenagers he's seen in his previous life.

Alternatively, Shen Qingqiu has never heard of the word 'flirting' in his life. What do you mean, teens are not supposed to be like that?

Star Wars

What the Stars Let in by ShyOwl

Peace in the New Republic is not coming as easy as desired.

The newly reformed, and quickly growing, Mandalorians and their fearsome king have announced they will not join the New Republic’s hold and it is making keeping the peace become progressively more difficult to the point political marriage may be the only way to prevent bloodshed. However, no one in the New Republic can meet the impossible standards set by the Mand’alor.

Well, almost no one. Fortunately, Senator Organa has a very eligible Jedi-warrior brother.

Novel Notions by Phosphorescent

“I thought you’d enjoy reading about Master Obwain Kibonek and how the Jedi used to be portrayed in pop culture.”

“Thanks,” Luke said dryly, eyeing the cover again. The man’s abs glistened in the sunlight as though oiled, and his hair… no one in real life had hair that perfect, no more than anyone had naturally kohled eyes. “I think.”

Clone Wars

reel to reel by yellow_caballero

Part 1 of Clone Wars Roleswap AU (NOTE: This whole series KILLED me, you guys - definitely check out the series too)

Obi-Wan Kenobi is proud to be a padawan soldier in the Clone Wars, but he makes a pretty mediocre Jedi. As a student of the two most notorious Jedi in the order, he’d rather spend time learning how to shoot than learning how to meditate. And as a brother to Cody and the 501st, he’d rather spend time running his military black market ring than learning how to be the perfect Jedi.

Perfect Jedi don’t spend their teenage years hunting down clone conspiracies and preventing their master Anakin Skywalker from going off the deep end. But maybe the galaxy has no room for a perfect Jedi anymore.

Temptations of Trouble Yet to Come by shipNslash

“My point, Cody,” Obi-Wan continues, leaning back a little to stare up at the stars, “is that this whole ‘war' business has been a tad bit stressful. I’ve decided that if the only way to keep my sanity is to engage in a few… ” He turns from the stars, then, and meets Cody’s eye with an unreadable look. “Indulgences… Well, needs must.”

He offers him the nic-stick, little wisps of smoke floating between them. “I’ll share one with you, if you promise not to tell on me to Anakin."

-

Five bad habits Cody learns from Obi-Wan Kenobi (and one good habit Obi-Wan learns in exchange). Alternatively, how Obi-Wan Kenobi single handedly corrupts every clone in the GAR because of his giant crush on his commander and how Cody single handedly saves the galaxy as a result.

AKA the 5+1 crack fic that mutated into a full blown AU, featuring caffeine, nicotine, yearning, and pining.

war is a looming specter by CallToMuster

“Hey,” Anakin said softly, kneeling down. “Are you alright, Master?”

Obi-Wan raised his head and revealed his pale, blotchy face and red-rimmed eyes. “I – I can’t – I can’t do it again, I can’t–”

At his side, Boga let out a soft trill and raised her head to swipe her tongue down the side of Obi-Wan’s face.

[Or: in the shadow of the first battle of Geonosis, Anakin learns the Jedi are going to war. His first thought is of Obi-Wan.]

To have and behold by galateaGalvanized (NOTE: This fic is thinly veined pining-and-porn and I will not apologise for it)

“We’ll just need to change the plan a bit,” Obi-Wan had said with brisk certainty. “But we'll be fine, and we'll surely get into less trouble than Anakin and Ahsoka would have.”

Or: The Republic sends Commander Cody and General Kenobi to Zygerria instead.

Surrendering to the Pirate by wanderingjedihistorian (RangerJedi67)

Obi-Wan Kenobi, a young nobleman, hadn't expected that meeting a handsome pirate commodore would change everything.

Safe passage by WhisperingDarkness

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and did his best to press the anxiety he was feeling away. His hands were steady as he adjusted the settings of the communcation set-up of the small vessel he was currently piloting. He purposefully set the comm to audio only on his side. He hadn't been a padawan for long, but if there was one thing he'd learned during his missions with Master Jinn, it was that it was rare for anyone, especially politicians, to take a padawan seriously.

He assumed the same held true for the leader of an enemy empire.

[gaysimpsstuff]

Hawks Getting Y/n Pregnant After A Rut

This was a request but I can’t find the ask where it was requested, but it certainly was requested.

Genre: fluff

Type: headcannon/drabble

Word Count: 1.7K Words

Warnings: pregnancy, mentions of sex, mentions of rut, children, vomiting, Keigo being a bit of an asshole, doctors, mentions of sensory overload, mentions of blood, crying, reader calls Kei ‘daddy’ as a joke once,

Other: I did my best to keep it gender neutral, so there aren’t any gendered pronouns used for the reader, so they could be non binary or trans masc. Also, I do plan on never getting pregnant and have never been pregnant before so I really have no experience and no qualifications to be writing on this subject so let’s just see how this turns out.

Fluff Taglist: @smolchildfangirl @combat-wombatus @mandalorian-baby-bird @waffleareniceandfluffy @catcherisvibin @thesubtlewhore @popcatx0

“Kei.”

“Nope.”

“Kei.”

“I said no.”

“I said yes.”

“Well too damn bad. I’m not carrying you.”

“It’s your damn fault I can’t walk, you fucked me for five days straight this time around, I literally can’t feel my legs. You will carry me.”

“Except it isn’t my fault I have ruts, I’m not in control.”

“It was your dick fucking me, Kei. No one else’s, so it’s your fault.”

This was a normal occurrence in the springtime, right after Keigo’s ruts. The small fight over your capabilities. 

“You can walk to the bathroom yourself.” Keigo was in bed next to you, arms crossed. “It’s literally been a whole ass week.”

“You fucked me for five days!” you exclaimed. “Do you really expect me to be up and running the same amount of time after that?”

“Yes!” Keigo exclaimed. “It’s not like I hurt you or anything, you barely did anything the whole time, you’re fine!” 

You leaned across the bed to glare him in the eyes, examining his slitted pupils for any sign that he might back down. You found none.

“Ughhhh fiiiiiine I’ll walk.” you groaned, throwing the blankets aside and standing up. Your legs were still sore, but you could maneuver them well enough. “Asshole.” you grumbled

“Oh yes, I’m the asshole.” he smirked, sitting back. You rolled your eyes, pausing for a moment to hold onto the edge of the bed.

“Something doesn’t feel right...” you muttered. 

“Seriously, Y/n? I said I wasn’t carrying you so-”

“No, Kei I’m not joking, I feel sick.” 

“I’m sure you’re just hungry.” Keigo waved you off, seemingly uncaring about your situation. You shot him another glare that he totally missed. Suddenly, you felt something move up in your body, and you launched yourself into the bathroom to crouch over the toilet. 

“Babe?” Keigo sat up in bed, trying to peek into the bathroom. He blanched when he heard you gasp, and then a loud splat noise. He was on his feet in an instant, crouching next to you as you wiped your mouth with toilet paper. 

“I fuckin told you...” you grumbled, and he rubbed your back worriedly.

“Boy who cried wolf!” he exclaimed “I’m sorry, baby, are you okay?”

“Do I look okay?” you snapped, and he frowned. “I’m sorry, no, I’m not okay- hold up- more’s coming-”

You threw up the next day too. 

And the day after that. 

One the fourth day, Keigo was panicking, insisting he take you to the doctors.  

-

“I keep telling him I’m fine, I probably just caught a stomach bug or something.” you shrugged, sitting on the uncomfortable table bed thingie inside the doctor’s office. Keigo was in the chair behind you, holding your hand.

Not for your comfort, but for his.

He hated the sterile smell of the doctors, hated the smooth white walls with charts hanging from them, too bright lights stabbing at his eyes, and the smooth way the doctors spoke was all too similar to his handlers from the commission.

You wanted to get the visit over with and get Keigo out of here before he went into sensory overload, you knew just how much he hated hospitals and doctors, and while it was sweet that he would force himself to go through it for you, you didn’t want him to.

“I keep telling them they’re not fine,” Keigo grumbled. “Look at them, they don’t look fine and I keep telling them something’s wrong but-”

“Please don’t start to fight in my office,” the doctor sighed, she glanced between you and Keigo. “I understand Hawks goes through ‘ruts’ as you would call them in the springtime, and during that time he is much more fertile than usual. Have the two of you just finished one of those ruts?” 

“Yes,” you answered quickly. “It lasted five days this time.” Keigo nodded.

“DO you think maybe I got them sick?” Kei worried, squeezing your hand tighter.

“Keigo have you ever heard of someone getting sick after sex and not- oh oh, Doctor are you implying-”

“Yes, I am, you should probably get tested for it. We can do a blood test, they’re more accurate.”

“Thank you, Ma’am.” 

“I’ll send you to the Hematologist,” 

“The what?” 

“Blood doctor, Keigo. I need a blood test.”

“So I did get you sick!”

“Oh my god Keigo, no, just- we’ll see what happens.”

“Is it normal that I’m confused?” 

“Unfortunately, it’s very normal.”

-

Keigo continued to be confused and worried for the next few days, at least until you got an email. 

“Why’s this one so important?” Keigo pouted. “And why can’t I read it with you?”

“It’s the result of the blood test.” you explained, clicking on the email and scrolling past the formalities to get to the result

“So basically it’s the result of whether my cum is toxic or not...” Keigo was laying on the bed near your feet while you were sat up on your laptop.

“Your cum isn’t toxic, Kei.” you chuckled, reading through the email. “I would have gotten ‘sick’ much sooner if your cum was toxic.”

“How do you know my cum didn’t just- suddenly become toxic?” he exclaimed

“Keigo. Stop. Your cum is not toxic.” you sighed, finally reaching the results.

Your lips lifted up and you started to practically buzz with excitement. You cupped your hands over your mouth and squealed. Keigo lifted his head up, staring at you in confusion.

“Babe? What happened?” His wings twitched as you shut the laptop, setting it aside and flinging yourself at him. Your arms squeezing his midsection tight. “Ah shit- Y/n what’s going on? Why are you so happy?” He sat up, pulling you into his lap. “I’m not against you smiling and cuddling me but I am still very much confused.”

“Keigo, I’m pregnant!” you squealed, holding onto his shoulders, your face was stretched wide in a bright smile “We’re gonna have a baby!”

“Wait- what?” His face immediatelty lifted 

“Yes! We’re gonna have a kid!”

“Holy shit, really?” He hands flew to your stomach “My kid is in there?” He sucked his bottom lip into his mouth to keep it from quivering, his hands were shaking against your stomach.

“Yes, Keigo. You’re gonna be a dad!” He let out a warbled sort of chirp, pressing his face into your neck. His breath fanned out over your skin, and you could feel moisture against it. 

“I’m so happy!” he whispered, voice wavering slightly “Fuck I’m so happy with you, I- I’m gonna be a good dad for our little chick.” his hand rubbed circles against your belly. You traced your hand up to rub Keigo’s back.

“They’re lucky to have someone like you to be their dad, Kei. I love you, and I know you’ll raise our child right.” His grip in you tightened

“I- I can’t I’m just- fuck words can’t describe it, I-” He  pulled away from your neck and pressed his lips against yours, you closed your eyes and kisses back, enjoying his passion. It was like however close you could be wasn’t close enough, and he needed to just be with you.

You broke the kiss a few minutes later, pulling away to cup his face. His golden eyes were full of tears, and his smile was the brightest it had ever been. 

“I love you...” he whispered. “And I already love our kid.” You stroked his cheek with your finger, speechless. You kisses his nose, giggling a little.

“We’re gonna be a family,” you told him

“I can’t wait!” 

-

After that, Keigo just couldn’t keep his hands off you, especially your belly, even while it was small, he just couldn’t keep himself from holding your belly and talking to the baby.

“Goodnight, Y/n~” Keigo pressed a kiss to your cheek, a hand rubbing circles onto your growing belly. “And goodnight Akina!” 

“Keigo, we don’t know if it’s gonna be a girl, so don’t name it just yet!” you chuckled.

“But Akina’s just perfect, if it’s a girl then she’d be a lovely spring flower” he cooed, scooching down to your belly.

“Keigo, I’d be concerned if our baby was born in the springtime, that’s way late!”

“Well she was conceived in springtime!” Keigo exclaimed, pressing his cheek to your belly “Weren’t you, Akina? My beautiful daughter~” 

“You don’t know if it’s your daughter or your son yet, Kei! Seriously!” you laughed at the way he spoke to your belly, running your hands through his golden tresses. 

“Well if it’s a boy, what do you think his name should be?” he asked

“I was thinking Hajime, I mean this is a whole new beginning for both of us.”

“Hajime...” Keigo breathed, pressing a kiss to your belly. “My darling child, my Hajime, my Akina, my perfect child I already love you~” 

You buried your face in your hands, giggling, Keigo was just too precious sometimes, you couldn’t wait to have his and your child.

“Oh! Keigo I felt something!” you exclaimed, Keigo sat up, pressing his hand against your belly. 

“Was it a-”

“Yes! They’re kicking!” you placed your hand over Keigo’s, moving it so he could feel the small bursts of pressure. You heard him suck in a breath, vibrating with happiness.

“They’re so strong!” he was beaming with pride, feeling his child kick up against his hand. “I’m going to keep them so safe, they won’t cry like I have, like you have, they’ll know true happiness.” 

“We’ll protect them, and when our little birdie is ready, then one day they can fly away...”

“But we’ll always be there when they need us.” Keigo pressed himself against you, kissing your neck “We’ll all be so happy!”

“Keigo, that tickles!”

“I still can’t believe it, that little chick will call me ‘dad!’” 

“What, is me calling you ‘daddy’ not enough?” you joked and he laughed, pressing one more kiss to your skin before rolling onto his stomach and resting his head on your shoulder

“I love you Y/n, I love you Akina, Hajime,” he murmured, you settled into the blankets next to him, letting him cover your body with one of his wings as you absentmindedly wrapped an arm around his body.

“I love you too, Keigo. And you, my child.” 

Oh my gosh

I wanna do a part two

But like- angsty?

Idfk this is just v fun-

It’s either gonna be fluffy Hajime/Akina being born and living life to the fullest

A miscarriage

Or maybe the reader dies and Keigo has to raise the child alone- which could very well result in Keigo abusing the child- AHHH SO MANY POSSIBILITIESS

[thewriterowl]

I can totally see a fake dating AU in which Luke, while not opposed to the principle of an arranged marriage because of his martyr syndrom, REALLY doesn't want to marry THAT specific creep the New Republic has in mind.

Enters Din, who takes one look at the situation before casually informing the Senate that that just won't do, since he has officially started to court the Jedi Master a few weeks prior.

Let's just say that everyone's too scared of starting a war with terrifying warriors to protest.

Listen, listen...I love this. I ADORE this so much. This is incredible. Absolute perfection.

Luke being so grateful but needed to try and talk to Din about this selfless act and tell him he doesn't have to sacrifice himself like this. Din saying it's not confirming they are getting married. It gives them enough time for that Senator (I'm gonna say Ken from Stars) to find another target for his creepiness. And it wasn't like he had anyone he really wanted to be forced to marry either, this worked for both of them. Luke has to agree. They were nice to each other through Grogu, slowly becoming friends already, so this was something that made sense. And it wasn't like either of them would actually fall in love with each other. Haha, right?

Haha....tragic.

That senator coming up to them and being all gross and says he sees through this. That they had never been close. Even now they were just standing by each other! Din isn't one to turn away a challenge and is about to pull his supposed partner to him but Luke beats him to it by throwing Ken a blank and disturbed look. "Why would we be close?" The Senator thinks he has them but Luke goes, "Mandalorians do not find the public space a location to be intimate. And even if it were, they do not show it the same way as other cultures. That is so insensitive, Ken. You need to apologize to the Mand'alor."

Din may have had a slight heart clench at that.

Later with them making sure they are seen in public together, not close but together, they chat and talk to get their stories straight and learn as much as they can about each other. The facts thrown back and forth didn't last too long. Soon, from Luke starting it off, they were exchanging stories and learning things that were of more importance than age or favorite color (though they found out these things; Luke teased Din when he claimed he didn't have one before finally dragging out it was red)

Ken doesn't stay away from long. He is too obsessed with Luke and is desperate to make him his and his husband. He continues to make advances, spread rumors, and try to find proof this was not a real relationship. Luke almost always interfere with his honesty and knowledge of Mandalorian culture to call him out on his behavior before Din could punch his teeth out. And holo-droids were following them and had everything filmed. Soon the whole galaxy knew of the two, how good Luke was to his king's people, how horrible Ken was (no one is surprised) and soon the whole galaxy has royal-fever and the people are hungry for every movement of the two.

(There is possibly a little trash planet of trash panda folk who are strangely obsessed with Luke and having him on Din's lap and with a lot of lewd and uncomfortable pieces of work on Luke getting his face shoved into a bed with Din going after him like an animal...no one speaks of that planet and Luke isn't allowed anywhere near it)

Of course their friendship doesn't last too long and they are just giving each other shy side glances, and each touch makes them jump, and they blush and oh no, he's so hot.

This can add in the greatness of there was only one bed! Of course with any visiting of other worlds they would only have one bed! Ken making a kidnapping attempt on Luke or an assassination attempt on Din! Of the two discovering their fan-art and fan fiction! It would be amaaaaazing.

[littlemisspascal]

The Last Mandalorian

Chapter One: The Warrior in Carbonite Part 3

Fandom: The Mandalorian / Pedro Pascal

Eventual Pairing: Din x Togruta!Female!Reader

Word Count: 4,320

Rating: G

Summary: A series that is a mixture of Mandalorian, Star Wars, ATLA, and my own imagination. The Imps have seized control of the majority of the galaxy, including your homeworld Shili. You and your sister Ahsoka have developed a daily routine despite the stormtroopers keeping your village imprisoned. One morning you make a startling discovery that will change the course of your lives forever.

Warnings: I don’t know much about starship mechanics so probably nothing in this is accurate but it’s fanfiction people so cut me some slack please, reader gets a nickname 🥳, plot plot plot, discussion of loss of loved ones, worldbuilding, dialogue heavy, this is a slow burn but it’s also ridiculously self-indulgent so I’m including as many cute getting-to-know-you scenes as I can, reader is 17 and Din is 19 so I’m going to warn this as underage even though nothing sexual or even vaguely romantic happens in this chapter.

Author Note: Thank you anyone and everyone who has read even a sentence of this story! Special thanks and love to @dindja for creating this stunning, fantastic, amazing piece of fanart for me 💖💖💖 I still can’t believe how perfect it is. I mean, I’m such a sucker for pinky promises it’s not even funny and this is just beautiful 😍😍😍

Part 2

Cross-posted on AO3

For as grand and wide-reaching as the Galactic Empire has become in its ten years of existence, it had relatively small beginnings. A group of radical Force-wielders banded together under the leadership of an old, beady-eyed man named Sheev Palpatine who believed it was his divine destiny to seize control of the entire galaxy, rewriting the ancient laws to match his own beliefs. His cult, the Sith Order, gained attention by attacking Jedi temples, capital cities, places with large populations until every corner of the galaxy had heard of them. Most regarded them with fear, but over time they began garnering a startling amount of followers who were discontent with the status quo and willingly drafted themselves as soldiers in Palpatine’s fight for control.

At first everyone in your village thought Palpatine and his cult of followers weren’t worth worrying about—after all, Shili was a peaceful planet that never drew much attention to itself. But within the first year of its inception, the Sith Order captured Ryloth and the similar peaceful characteristics between the Twi’lek planet and Shili were too glaring to overlook. A seed of anxiety took root in every Togruta’s mind after that, and continued to grow with every planet seized as the years progressed.

The Decimation of Alderaan didn’t start as a tragedy, believe it or not. The Mandalorians, Jedi, and Alderaanians combined their numbers in an all-out fight against the Sith Order. It was the largest battle ever fought in the history of the galaxy, thousands of souls willing to die to defeat Palpatine’s followers. For the first three days of warfare, the fight seemed to be in favor of the allies with many noteworthy Sith members reportedly killed in the fray, such as Palpatine’s second-in-command Dooku and lethal Zabrak assassin Maul. You remember there was a sense of hope felt within your village as everyone listened to the news reports blaring across the Holonet. A belief that things were finally, finally going to return to normal after so much chaos.

But on the fourth day, the Sith Order brought their own ally onto the battlefield.

At the time there wasn’t a name for the droids that slaughtered every opponent they faced. They were described as indestructible, unharmed by blasters and the intense heat of Mandalorian flamethrowers. Not even lightsabers could damage them. The allies didn’t stand a chance, brutally murdered one by one, their dying screams echoing across the Holonet, forever haunting listeners far and wide.

The Dark Troopers were unleashed upon Mandalore afterwards and out of the ashes rose the Galactic Empire, except, in a twist nobody—not even the Sith Order—saw coming: Palpatine died before taking on the title of emperor, passing away in his sleep. A mediocre ending for the monster who permanently altered the foundations of the universe. One of his loyal followers from the cult’s early beginnings took control in his place, a vile man with a penchant for spilling blood and a deceptively bland name: Gideon.

Only seven years-old then, you didn’t understand the unbalance in the Force your aunt kept referencing. You didn’t understand the meaning of the word genocide either. But you did understand the galaxy would never be the same ever again, and the lesson was only further established as truth when the Imperials seized your village. 

There is no normalcy to return to anymore.

And as long as Emperor Gideon remains in control, there is no future to hope for either.

__

Silence reigns in the aftermath of Maar’s explanation as the long list of tragedies hangs heavy over the four occupants. There is tension in the air as you await the Mandalorian’s response to the extinction of his people, whether that be an outburst of anger or tears, and each passing minute only intensifies the nervous energy thrumming through your veins. Your leg starts to bounce restlessly, a bad habit you have had since childhood.

The Mandalorian stands eerily motionless. Your eyes keep flicking from your lap to his visor though you know it is rude to stare. His helmet hides his expression, but you don’t need to see it to know he is floundering right now, mind scrambling to piece together all the details thrown at him. From personal experience, you know the loss of a loved one hits like a tidal wave, hitting you over and over again until you must decide if you are going to stand up or surrender to drowning. Grieving the loss of your parents is the hardest experience of your lifetime to date.

But this...this is vastly different. The Mandalorian didn’t just lose his loved ones. He has lost his friends, neighbors, comrades, acquaintances, everyone all at once. This loss isn’t a tidal wave. It is a kriffing avalanche, burying him ten feet under in total darkness, and there is no one he can count on to save him. 

Finally, after the longest five minutes of your life, he shifts, resting his hands upon his belt with an unexpected air of seriousness. “I need to go.”

You frown, head tilting. That is his reaction?

“Go?” Ahsoka echoes, sounding as incredulous as you feel. “Go where?”

“To look for survivors,” he answers, blunt and harsh, the words forced through clenched teeth. 

Ahsoka is struck silent, and you feel your heart break on his behalf. Your mother’s stories about the Mandalorians had always included, one way or another, their lifelong bonds with each other. You had felt those ties when you had connected with the Mandalorian, believed for a moment as strongly as he did that his fellow warriors would come search for him, that his absence would be noticed and missed amongst them. And here he is now, still desperately clutching to them, unable—or, perhaps unwilling is more apt—to believe a stranger telling him those bonds have been cruelly severed. 

“What you need is to rest,” Maar says, gentle yet firm, letting her authority as the eldest in the room seep into her tone.

He shakes his head, not backing down. “I’ve been asleep for ten years. I don’t need any more rest.”

“Your ship, it, uh,” your shoulders hike up defensively when his visor snaps in your direction, pinning you with its blank stare. Clearing your throat, you continue with a slight grimace, “It’s going to need some repairs before it can take off. I can help you fix it.”

Ahsoka looks over at you in surprise, and then in worry. You don’t blame her, especially since the offer had slipped out without you consciously meaning it to. Once again, the Force is calling the shots and you are just along for the ride, a passenger in your own body.

He considers you for a long moment, then asks, “What do you know about the mechanics of a gunship?” 

If anyone else had asked you that same exact question, you would have bristled at their condescension and retracted your offer in the next breath. But with the Mandalorian, there isn’t even the slightest hint of patronizing courtesy. It is a serious question prompted from genuine curiosity.

You sit up straighter, smiling at him now. “Enough to confidently say I’m your best shot at getting off the ground.”

__

“What’s your plan, exactly?” Ahsoka asks you, braced against the wall with one eye on you and one on the Mandalorian across the garage, patiently waiting for you to finish assembling your tool kit. 

“Huh?” You reply distractedly, trying to decide if you should bring your carbon chisel or not. 

“You don’t have one, do you?”

Not. There are bigger concerns than a bit of carbon scoring. You move to grab your favorite screwdriver with a tapered socket, only for Ahsoka to snatch it away, holding the tool hostage.

“Hey!”

“Have you thought about what you’re doing?” Ahsoka asks slowly, staring you directly in the eyes. “Once you fix his ship, he’s gone. And he’s taking our best chance at escaping Shili with him.”

A quick glance over your shoulder shows the Mandalorian studying the scattered BB unit parts on your workbench. You are missing a few vital components needed in order to bring the little droid back to life after a stormtrooper shot a plasma bolt through it for accidentally bumping into his leg, and haven’t had any luck convincing the village traders to track them down for you when they went to the capital. 

“We can’t keep him here against his will,” you manage at last, turning back to your sister. “Otherwise we’re no better than the Imps.”

When Ahsoka doesn’t say anything, you shrug a shoulder, adding, “Besides, I think I’m supposed to fix it for him. The Force seems pretty insistent about it.”

She makes a face at that. “I liked you better when you ignored your Force instincts. You didn’t make me worry as much.”

A laugh escapes you, embarrassingly loud in the otherwise quiet space, and your cheeks immediately start burning. Ahsoka’s lip twitches like she wants to smile, but instead she schools her features into a blank expression when the Mandalorian’s head turns at the sound. Only once he diverts his attention elsewhere again does her stare lose some of its intensity, looking less like she wants to dissect him beneath a microscope. You can practically see her protective-older-sister-instincts buzzing, reacting to the warrior’s presence. 

As much as he is a chance at providing an escape, he is also first and foremost a complete and total stranger. Even worse, he is a complete and total stranger who knows how to handle weapons. 

“I’ll be fine, I promise.” You squeeze her arm reassuringly. “Shouldn’t take longer than a couple of hours. You’ll be so busy smoothing the Elders’ ruffled feathers you won’t even notice I’m gone.”

Ahsoka finally relinquishes the tool, exhaling a quiet sigh. “You shouldn’t make promises you don’t know for certain you can keep.”

__

Walking side by side with the Mandalorian in silence isn’t awkward, per se, but it definitely isn’t comfortable either. He is close enough your arm keeps accidentally grazing against his, the cold brush of metal against your skin startling you each time. You would have considered his nearness strange if you hadn’t heard Ahsoka threaten to castrate him if you wound up hurt before she sent him flying at the juni tree branch outside your window with an unnecessarily strong push of Force. 

To his credit, the warrior handled her rough treatment with the same ease he has handled everything else thrown at him. You are beginning to think Mandalorians don’t just wear beskar—they are made of it too. Other than the few glimpses of frustration earlier in Maar’s office, he keeps his cards close to his chest, impossible to read. 

He watches everything though, reacting to the slightest of movements and sounds. Constantly alert. You are certain he is watching you right now, despite the fact his helmet is facing forward, your nerves prickling in response to the sensation of eyes upon you.

To your surprise, he is the one to break the silence first. “You sneak out often.”

It is a statement, not a question. 

You suppose the dots are easy enough to connect to reach that conclusion. Still, the certainty in his voice has your heart skipping a nervous beat. He hasn’t even known you a day and yet he is privy to secrets no one outside your community is aware of. “Yeah,” you nod your head after a brief lapse of silence, “Ahsoka can’t train in the village. Not with the stormtroopers around.”

“Has your village tried to run them out? Fight back?”

It is only because you know he is just trying to understand your village’s predicament with the little bits of information he has that you don’t snap at him for being so insensitive. He has no idea what these past five years have been like for you all. No idea the amount of losses and sacrifices the community has suffered. 

Your grip on your tool kit tightens. “I was twelve when they came. The community is mostly traders and hunters, not trained fighters. The few weapons we had were nothing compared to their blaster rifles, but some of the adults tried to defend the village, including our parents. They...” You swallow, or try to, at least, your throat suddenly dry as sand. “Our aunt looked after us until last year we woke up one morning to find a note she’d left to join the rebellion. We haven’t had any contact with her since.”

The Mandalorian’s gloved hand brushes against your knuckles. This time you think it might have been on purpose.

“I lost my parents as a child, too. There was a riot and they died protecting me,” he offers his own private details with the same reluctance as one volunteering to have their teeth pulled out. “The Mandalorians took me in, raised me as one of their own.”

You say nothing about the way his breath slightly hitches when he says Mandalorians, appreciating his openness as it puts you both on somewhat equal footing with each other. 

“I owe it to them to look for survivors,” he tells you, and your montrals detect the quietest hint of a plea in his voice. 

“I understand,” you answer, keeping your tone light to preserve the fragility of this moment. This kind of situation doesn’t happen often—two strangers on the same wavelength, exposing their vulnerable underbellies, desperate to be heard and yet skittish at the same time—and it is oddly therapeutic. 

A decision is made right then and there in the span of a heartbeat. And even more significantly, it is 100% your own choice without any intervention or manipulation from the Force. 

You stop walking, causing the Mandalorian to halt as well. He scans the area for a threat, then visibly jerks when he turns back to find you have your hand held out towards him, pinky raised high, reacting as if you are pointing a weapon at him.

“I don’t understand,” he says, blunt and almost suspicious sounding. Are you just imagining it or can you actually hear him frowning? “What are you doing?”

“Haven’t you ever made a pinky promise with someone before?”

“...A what?”

You snort, ducking your head to hide your smile, and then reach for his hand. Surprisingly, he doesn’t protest your touch.

“A pinky promise,” you repeat as you make his hand form a fist, curling his fingers towards his palm, and then adjust his pinky so you can wrap yours around it. He watches the whole process wordlessly. “It’s a sacred vow shared between two people. The Elders say once it’s sworn, the promise can never be broken.”

He cocks his head, skeptical. “Never?”

“Never,” you reaffirm with a nod. Licking your lips, you look at his visor, right where you instinctively know his eyes are staring back. “I promise I’m going to help you. No matter the odds.”

And something leaks into your voice then, something resolute and binding and otherworldly. A tremor shoots down your spine, too quick for you to make sense of it.

Your sister’s words echo in the back of your mind, ‘You shouldn’t make promises you don’t know for certain you can keep.’ 

You try to pull away, self-doubt gnawing a hole in your stomach, only for the Mandalorian to wrap his pinky tighter around yours, holding you still. A gasp escapes your lips, muffled by the bleeding sincerity in his voice as he swears:

“I promise I will be there when you need me. No matter the odds.”

And although your sister could undoubtedly provide you with a long list of reasons why you shouldn’t, you believe his promise to be true.

__

The Mandalorian heaves a heavy sigh at the sight of his crashed ship. 

“I can’t do much about the landing gear,” you inform him, believing honesty to be the best policy for cases like this. “And I brought some foam-jet for the cockpit viewport, but it’s not a permanent fix. You’re going to have to find someone offworld to replace them.”

“Right,” he agrees absently without turning his eyes away. It occurs to you then that this ship is the closest thing to a home he has now. One of the few precious relics from his past he can still physically cling to. 

“Does your ship have a name?” you ask.

He looks at you, as if coming back to self-awareness, and answers, “Razor Crest.”

A good name, you think. Strong. A bit mysterious. Just like its owner.

You nod decisively. “I like it.”

His modulator crackles faintly, a quiet noise produced from a sudden exhale of air. You blink at the unexpected sound, surprised to realize you recognize it. A laugh. The Mandalorian just laughed at something you said. What is next in store for you? Are akul going to sprout wings and start flying?

He steps around you, heading for the side entry door still open from yesterday with its ramp laying on the ground, pebbles shifting noisily beneath his boots with each step. You don’t realize you are staring, oddly entranced by the swish of his cape and his purposeful strides, until he calls out your name to ask if you are coming.

You nearly drop your tool kit in your haste to follow after him into the Crest’s interior, ignoring the flaring heat radiating from your cheeks. 

For the next few hours, you and the Mandalorian work in companionable silence, engrossed in rerouting wires and welding damaged components with your trusty hand torch. The gunship is older than you initially assumed, perhaps even as old as yourself, and you idly wonder if the Mandalorian found it in a scrapyard somewhere or maybe inherited it from another Mandalorian. You notice the way he handles each piece with an experienced and respectful touch; the same kind of care someone reserves for their most cherished possessions. Anyone with eyes can see how much he loves the Crest just by watching him.

Once you have finished sealing the numerous cracks dissecting the cockpit’s viewport like a spiderweb with foam, you approach the Mandalorian to see his progress on returning power to the dashboard. He is on his back beneath the steering controls, rearranging a mess of wires, and barely acknowledges your presence when you squeeze yourself into the tight space next to him.

“The red wire goes before the white one,” you point out, noticing the mistake immediately. “Fire hazard.”

He pauses, looks at where you have gestured, and corrects his error without criticizing your intervention. You bite back a smile, pleased to be heard. Within your community, even though you have proven your skills time and time again, some of the villagers, usually men, don’t always adhere to your advice, thinking you are too young and too female to know about technology, until they inevitably make their problems worse for themselves and come back to you with their metaphorical tail between their legs. 

You help him reattach the cover plating once he has finished, screwing the bolts back into their corners, and then watch, fingers crossed, as he attempts the ignition sequence, flipping a series of switches.

None of them light up with even the faintest flicker of life.

“Dank farrik,” he growls under his breath, slamming a fist upon the console.

You take a tiny step forward, hesitant to direct his frustration your way. “Can I try?” 

He tilts his head, probably thinking he knows this ship better than anyone and if it doesn’t work for him then you aren’t going to have any luck either.

Eventually he steps back with a shrug, uttering a simple, “Sure.” 

Although you can’t remember the last time you were on a ship, it doesn’t take long to refamiliarize yourself with the various controls and screens once you take a seat in the pilot chair. When your hobby for fixing broken machines changed into a passion you wanted to pursue as a future career, you started memorizing any reading material you could find on the Holonet, including the flight manuals for different classes of starships. You flip through the stored information in your mind about gunships as you press a few buttons on the panel overhead, trying out different sequences for a response.

When your third attempt fails, you bite your lip, racking your brain for a solution. You think about Huno’s kitchen droid and how you had been on the verge of ripping off one of your head-tails trying to repair it after one of its fuses blew, causing it to malfunction. Your tools and knowledge hadn’t been able to fix it in the end. It had required a special remedy to bring it back to life.

You lay your palms flat on the console, just as you had held onto the droid’s square torso. Out of the corner of your eye, you notice the Mandalorian fidget, as if he wants to come closer but is hesitant to crowd you. You ignore him, pressing your fingertips harder against the metal, visualizing in your mind the unseen gears, cables, and components stiff and powerless. You imagine the parts working properly, a current of electricity running through each wire, life ultimately returning to the entire ship, and whisper under your breath a request to the Force.

“Please work, please work, please work…”

An invisible pulse of energy burns down the length of your arms and discharges through your fingertips, strong enough you jerk backwards against the seat. Every button and screen on the dashboard lights up all at once, beeping with alarm at being so rudely resurrected.

You sit there helplessly, stunned and breathless, hands twitching in your lap. The kitchen droid hadn’t required even half as much energy to restart, barely a pinch. Now your body feels like you have been thrown against the electric fence a dozen times. Wordlessly, the Mandalorian comes to your side to help, punching buttons and turning knobs until the alarms quit blaring. A distant part of your brain thinks the Razor Crest as a whole seems strangely soothed by his presence, not quite as cold and dark, but it is hard to follow that train of thought due to the distracting pain throbbing along your temples.

“That’s quite a spark you’ve got,” he says, not unkindly or accusingly, just a statement of the obvious. He looks down at you, not outright asking for an explanation, but giving you the opportunity to open up if you wanted to.

“Yep, that’s me,” you reply, forcing a cheerful smile, praying it doesn’t resemble a grimace. “Sparks Tano at your service.”

He chuckles again, oblivious to how your heart stutters at its raspiness. “Thank you, Sparks. I appreciate it.”

“Well, we’re not done yet.” You rub at your temples under the guise of adjusting your headband. “I need to take a closer look at the engines before we attempt flying out of here. I—”

“I’ll do it,” he cuts in, already heading for the ladder. “You stay here, see if you can update the navicomputer settings.”

You know he knows that updating the navicomputer is child’s play for you. Clearly you aren’t as great at concealing your pain as you thought you were and this is his way of giving you a break. A small part of you is irritated at being treated like a porcelain doll, but you push those negative feelings aside as quickly as they develop. Your aunt always used to remind you and Ahsoka it was okay to accept help when it was offered, that needing support didn’t in any way make you weak. 

“Hey, wait a second,” you call out as you spin around in your seat, freezing him right before he disappears from view into the hull. He holds onto the ladder, waiting patiently for you to continue.

“Back at Maar’s place you didn’t introduce yourself and it’s weird just calling you Mandalorian in my head,” you say, awkwardly drumming your fingers on top of the armrests. He doesn’t answer, eliciting a sigh from your mouth after a drawn-out beat of silence. “What’s your name? You do have one, right?”

“I do, but I can’t tell you it,” he admits at last. “By Mandalorian Creed, only other Mandalorians or my riduur—my spouse,” he corrects, seeing your confusion, “are allowed to know my name and see my face. This is the Way.”

He doesn’t linger to hear your response, dropping down into the hull with a resounding thud. You slowly turn back around, staring absently out the glass. Every culture is unique, including your own, but you think there is something especially interesting about the Mandalorians’. It sounds like a lonely existence, only able to show your face while in select company. What would have happened if he had been unconscious and you had slipped the helmet off his head? What consequence would he have faced? 

And if there truly aren’t any Mandalorians left besides him, his spouse will be the only one to ever know him completely. It almost sounds like a love story, if not a little bit heart-wrenching. 

Two high-pitched dings from the console jerk you out of your thoughts with a wince. You look for the source, finding the radar lit up and actively scanning the area, and bristle when you see a pair of red dots moving across the screen. 

Not even a minute later you are sprinting out of the cave, ignoring the Mandalorian’s alarmed shout from the roof of the Razor Crest. They’re early, you think with panic, looking towards the sky where two starships with Imperial logos are heading straight for your village. Why have they come back so soon?

You push your legs to run faster, your surroundings a blur beyond the trail in front of you, but the effort is meaningless. You won’t make it back home before they land.

And when your absence is noted, bloodshed is not a possibility. 

It is a guarantee.

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[writingthingsisdifficult]

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Feeling alone on your birthday? Check. Drinking too much to hide those feelings? Check. Accidentally both yelling at and declaring your feelings for Mando? Check. Oops.

Din Djarin x female reader

It was my birthday a couple of weeks ago, and the day wasn’t optimal, so this little idea formed. I'd be super stoked if you let me know what you think. :)

Word count: 5043

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It was your birthday. A day for eating and drinking and celebrating with friends and family, but you had neither. Still, the day had been okay, you supposed, but you couldn't shake off the loneliness and sadness that accompanied it. When you were younger, you always looked forward to the day, and even during the war your parents managed to scrounge up a celebration of sorts.

But that was years ago. Now your friends were gone, your parents were gone, hell, even your home planet was gone, and your birthday served only as a bittersweet reminder, reduced to longing, heartache, and waiting for the inevitable end.

The music was loud enough that it drowned out the other patrons in the bar, allowing you to drink and wallow in self-pity in peace, just like you had planned, and you were deep enough in the bottle that the mental wall that protected your emotions started crumbling.

Being miserable at home was bad enough, and you were seriously starting to regret the decision to even go outside today. Somehow the loneliness punched you in the head once the third glass was empty and you noticed how crowded the bar was. No one else seemed to be alone.

Your circle of friends had never been large, and it became even smaller during the war. Then it slowly thinned as people got older; getting jobs in transport, or starting families. Some just moved away. Eventually it became harder to keep in touch. Life. Life was what happened.

You sniffed into your glass, coughing a little when the fumes hit the back of your nose. There was still one friend, though. But he wasn't in town at the moment. He wasn't even on the planet.

Yeah, the music was loud, but not loud enough to drown out the thoughts that popped into your head. You had sort of promised yourself that you wouldn't think about Mando tonight, but as with all such promises, Brain was a big, fat liar.

As the hours ticked by, his face, well, helmet, showed up in your mind over and over, no matter how many times you shoved him down. Then his voice echoed in your ears; that soft, yet commanding voice that sent shivers down your spine. And his laugh… quiet sometimes, but always sincere. Fuck, you missed him so much! A new lump caught in your throat, and you swallowed hard and traced a line through the condensation on your glass.

How long had it been? He left right before your last birthday, you knew he had a job to do, but he promised to come visit again when he had earned enough money to take a break.

Weeks turned to months. Nothing unusual there, but when the year mark approached, you grew worried. You were always worried, to be honest, considering his line of work, but he had never been gone this long without so much as a message before.

"Well, happy birthday to me," you muttered with a sigh and drained the glass, wincing as the liquid burned down your throat, but the numbness that followed spread over you like a blanket. “Hey Briswig!” You waved your glass in his general direction. “Help me out, will ya?”

The bartender put down his towel, picked up a bottle. and sauntered over to you. “Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” He asked and poured a generous amount into your glass.

Shaking your head vigorously, you almost fell off the stool. “Nooooo! Not enough, I think you mean.”

Briswig smiled, then shook his head. “I can barely understand what you’re saying. It’s too early to be this wasted, Y/N. Shouldn’t you be at work or something? Why are you even here?”

“Din’t you know? ‘S my birthday.”

"It is? Happy birthday!" He cocked his head a bit and frowned. "You've been drinking alone all day." It was innocent enough, but it stung more than you wanted to admit.

You wafted him away and grimaced. "So? Not everybody is a social champ. Took the day off to drown my sorrows. See?" Lifting the glass again, you saluted him and took a big gulp. Most of the liquid went down the wrong pipe, and you coughed hard. The alcohol stung in your nose.

Handing you a napkin, Briswig patted your arm. “You don’t have to drink alone, you know.”

Rolling your eyes, you emptied the rest of the glass in one go and used the sleeve of your jacket to wipe your mouth. “Well, I would if I had any friends. All my friends are dead.” Or not even on the planet, you added in your head. “Do you know how hard it is to make new friends when you’re an adult? And I’m not very good at it in the first place.”

Briswig grimaced. “Go home, Y/N. You’ve had more than enough. Go home and sleep. You’ll thank me in the morning.”

You answered with a small pout. “Are you kicking me out? On my birthday?”

He smiled and left the bar to collect glasses. “You know what? Yes, yes I am. It’s not healthy wallowing like you do right now. Take an early night, get the day over with faster, right? Go home. Or do I have to call the bouncer on you?”

Glancing over at the burly trandoshan by the door, you sighed in defeat and hopped off the stool, almost knocking it over and bumping into the bartender. "Yeah, yeah. I'm going." You blew a raspberry and waved dismissively at him.

He chuckled and stepped aside so you could pass safely. You still stumbled. "You'll feel better tomorrow," he repeated, way too cheerfully for your taste.

"Bah!"

"See you next week, Y/N."

"Screw you!" And you meant it. He had come between you and your alcohol. For all you cared he could jump into a sarlacc-pit.

"I know you love me."

"Only because you provide me with my preferred poison, Briswig."

"Sleep tight."

The afternoon breeze was pleasant. It was still early enough in the year that the temperatures were tolerable, and the summer humidity hadn't kicked in just yet.

You sighed and snorted at the same time. How dared the day be so likeable? One day, you thought, you would jump on board one of those spaceships, travel the universe, find the one responsible for it all, and then punch them in the face. Or yell at them. Or at least hand them a strongly worded letter. You had never been fond of confrontations.

The sudden rush of air from the door pushed you forward, forcing you to sidestep. A stroke of luck and unexpected reflexes stopped your face from impacting with the wall, though your hands stung from the scrapes on you palm.

"Oh. Heh. Sorry. Din't see y' there." The words stumbled out of your mouth, and you looked at the wall in front of you and trying to make sense of it. "Well, don't let me interrupt." You patted the red brick and turned the other way, only to smack your head on a shiny breastplate. "'Pologies. Nice armour." You thought for a second. "I knew an armour once. He was nice too." You closed your eyes and pictured Mando in your mind. "I'd kick his butt," you muttered with a scowl, "if I could just catch him. Give him a few choice words for leaving me alone, that fucker. You understand, don't you?"

The armour started to say something, but you cut it off.

"He better come back soon." You fought to focus. It was harder than you anticipated. You weren't that drunk, were you? Or at least, you hadn't been when you'd been seated at the bar. Seated. Oh. "Now, where was I? Oh, yeah, don't suppose you've seen a Mandalorian sneaking around? I, I don't mean jus' any Mandalorian, you know." The eyes looking back at you from the shiny armour-mirror-thing glittered as you tapped the hard surface. "I mean my Mandalorian."

The armour didn't respond.

"You'd like him," you continued, not noticing the way the helmet tilted when you spoke, or how it chuckled when you interrupted every time they tried to speak. "He’s kind and funny and so soft on the inside -“ Putting a finger to your lips, you smiled conspiratorially. “Shhh… don’t tell ‘im that I said that. He likes people to think he’s hard.” The smile turned dopey. “He is hard.  Could probably take anyone in a fight. He’s a total badass. Ooh, his ass. That’s a fine ass.”

"My Mandalorian is fantabulous," you said, grinning to hide the lump in your throat. If the waterworks started now, you wouldn't have the sober strength to stop. "Absolutely marvelsome. And he always makes me smile, you know. He’s perfect. I hate him. Makes me feel like I can fly."

A loud sigh escaped you, and you blinked one eye at the time. "Damn that man. Off on his adventures and leaving me behind like that. Look at this place. It's a dump! If I could, I'd jump on a spaceship and never ever come back." The thought of Mando stung in your heart. "I love him, y'know," you muttered to the breastplate. "Stupid Mando with his stupid, shiny armour." You hiccoughed a sob and swallowed. "I miss 'im." Blinking again, you stepped sideways to let the stranger pass, and almost stumbled into a trash bin. "Well, it's nice to meet you, armour."

"Y/N…" The voice showed a mix of amusement and something else you definitely were too drunk to recognise.

But hearing your own name immediately shut you up. For a moment the voice was just a disembodied memory, so familiar, but you just couldn't figure it out. Slowly, you looked around, before finally lifting your eyes. "Mando!" A wide smile spread over your face. "Where did you come from? I didn't see you, there."

It was difficult to decipher him, what with the armour and all, and even more so now you had all but inhaled Briswig's entire collection of fine, fine alcohol, but he looked happy to see you. You hoped he looked happy to see you.

Taking his gloved hand, using it to pull yourself closer, you finally put your arms around him, snuggling his hard shell, though in your state it didn't feel hard at all.

"I missed you," you mumbled into his pauldron, the sound of your voice somewhat muffled by the metal.

He squeezed you tight with one arm, leaning his head against yours. "Yeah, me too."

Forcing yourself to let go, you still lingered with your hand on his arm. "Hm? Shall we go for a walk? The suns don't set for a while yet. Or better: do you have anything to drink?"

"You think you should have any more now?" he asked as you crashed into the bin again. The only reason you didn't tumble over it and land on your butt was because he still held onto you.

"Yeah! Duh!"

He shook his head. "Let’s get you to bed.”

“But the suns are still up.” Confusion fizzed in your head. It was too early to sleep.

“I know, but I think you need some rest. We can talk tomorrow.”

“Are you sure?” You pulled back a little bit.

"Positive," Mando said, offering his arm as support. "You're so drunk you can barely stand. Can't have you starting a fight with the wall."

"What? Why? What did it say about me?" You balled your fist, tugging out of his grip to punch the bricks.

"Don't worry about it." He laughed quietly. "Come on." He took you gently by the elbow, leading you through the streets, making sure you wouldn’t fall and hurt yourself. Based on the collision with the trash can, there were already bruises forming on your thighs.

Being next to Mando was the only thing that made the day tolerable. You cherished the touch of his hand on your elbow, grinning stupidly, not quite aware of your surroundings, but still awake enough that you could account for yourself, and try to keep a conversation.  Leaning heavily on him, you snuggled into his side. You could stay like this forever. “Mando. My Mando,” you muttered with a stupid grin. It wasn’t strictly true, but you were too drunk to care.

“Din. My name is Din,” he replied quietly.

You stopped abruptly. "Whoa!" It took a few seconds for your brain to unscramble. “Your name is Din.” Pause. You hiccoughed. “‘S pretty.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Din answered.

You took his arm again, an extra sway in your step. “Din. My Din,” you muttered, clearly trying to be quiet enough that he didn’t hear it. He did.

Though the ship no longer held the same feeling of home for Din - kriff, he missed the Crest - it was closer than the flat you called home. To be honest he wasn’t even sure if you even lived there anymore, and you weren’t providing answers; mumbling and humming happily. You were a happy drunk. Din smiled under his helmet. He should have come back long ago and whisked you away.

To be honest, he didn’t catch more than half of what you said, you were too intoxicated to make much sense, and most came out as gibberish anyway. But he DID catch the part where you said you missed him, and you had mumbled something about his stupid armour and his stupid butt, and he couldn’t ignore the feeling of elation that coursed through him.

Had you been sober, well, more sober, he would’ve told you how he felt, but for now he was more concerned with keeping you safe. There would be a day tomorrow too.

The ramp creaked and clanked heavily when it hit the ground.

“Wait, wait, wait,” you protested once you processed the sight, squinting at the entrance. “This isn’t the Crest?”

Din shook his head and looked at the new ship. It was shinier, newer, probably better, but it didn’t have the personality. “I lost it,” he replied bitterly. He still felt that pang of sadness every time the old ship was mentioned. “I haven’t decided if I’m going to keep this one yet.”

You patted the dusty exterior and nodded. “You should. Feels sturdy, ummm, keep you safe.”

He smiled a half smile. You seemed to approve. Maybe he could get used to the new ship after all.  

“You can sleep in here,” he said, pointing with his free arm to a narrow alcove when you had made your way through the ship and into the private quarters.

“Noooo…” you sing-song protested. “It’s still light. An’m not tired.”

“Say that to your droopy eyelids,” he retorted. “And it’s dark in here; who cares what it’s like outside anyway.”

He had a point. And you were tired. Almost immediately, once you admitted that fact to yourself, you started swaying. Din had to grip you tighter to keep you from falling nose first to the floor.  It was so hard to stay awake, even though you fought with all you had. The yawn that followed almost split your face in two. “Mmmm…”

“At least wait until you’re lying down,” Din grunted, thrown a bit off-kilter by your sudden deadweight. He hoisted you up to get a better grip so he could guide you to the bed. It was more dragging than walking, since you had apparently decided to sleep standing up.

“Come on, my drunk one. Let’s get you into bed, alright?” The only answer he got was a quiet, drawn-out hum that he interpreted as a yes, more out of necessity than anything else.

He lowered you down on the edge of the small sleeping alcove, and you sat - for a whole three seconds, before flopping backwards, landing with your head in the middle of the mattress and your legs still on the floor. Moments later you were snoring lightly.

Din looked at you with a gentle smile on his lips. You looked serene, like a sleeping angel, but that crooked angle of your neck couldn’t be comfortable. He’d fallen asleep many awkward places when he needed to, but waking up was always a stiff and painful experience.

So he grabbed your legs and tried to slide you onto the bed. No good. Your body twisted like a noodle. “Dank farrik! A little cooperation would be good,” he muttered, warranting a small sigh of content from you, almost making him forget what he was doing.

“Right. So…” He shook himself and cleared his throat. This was going to be more difficult than he thought.

Reaching over you, he hooked his arms under yours and pulled. Lacking the leverage, he slipped and almost landed on top of you, only just managing to get a hand loose in time to catch himself, and smacking his head on the wall in the process. The sound reverberated in his helmet, and the fact that you didn’t even react made him a bit worried.  He would definitely have to check on you during the night.

What now? There was only one possibility left, and the thought sent heat to the back of his neck. The first attempt was fruitless. His helmet scraped against the low ceiling, and the bulkiness of his armour restricted his movement too much. With a jolt to his stomach, he realised that he would have to remove it. Was he ready for that? Maybe. After all, you were sleeping, and - if things went the way he had planned, he would soon show you his face anyway. But it was a big step. He thought for a second; one that he was willing to take for the sake of your comfort.

Returning to a dark corner, he began unfastening the clasps that fixed his breastplate in place. Then his arms and legs. Only when all the other armour were gone, leaving him feeling bare and vulnerable, he lifted his helmet off and placed it in one of the small wall niches. It fit perfectly.

Inhaling deeply, then exhaling, he stepped into the light again. You were still sleeping, and seeing you with his own eyes instead of through the visor almost brought him to his knees. He knew then, that unless you told him to, he would never have the strength to leave you again.

Suddenly he was struck by guilt. Could he really offer to take you away, to remove you from the safety and calm of having your own place? Wouldn’t he be ripping your roots right from the soil? A life on board the ship, with him, would be no easy life.

But hadn’t you, in your drunkenness, told him that this planet felt more like a prison than a home? The Crest had been his home once. Maybe, with you at his side, this ship could become home too.

Din gently climbed into the alcove, positioning himself with his knees on either side of your hips, careful to not touch you more than necessary. This way he had enough room, and enough strength to pull your drunken body all the way in.

Satisfied that you weren’t lying crooked anymore, he scooted out and off the bed. He then pulled off your boots and tucked the blanket securely around you.

With a sudden ache in his heart, he was reminded of Grogu, but quickly told himself that leaving the kid with the Jedi was for the best. Still, he was going to make damn sure he didn’t lose you too. With a final pat on your knee, he switched off the light and left you to sleep.

_______________________________________________________________

Some mudhorn was stomping on your head when you woke up. "Hnnnggg… I’m definitely dying. And if not, someone better hurry up and make it happen!” You weren’t ready to get out of bed yet, but it wasn’t a very comfortable position, and your tongue felt drier than the sand dunes on Tatooine. You muttered a curse and tried to turn over on your side, only to face the wall too quickly. You cursed your inexplicable ability to curl up in the smallest of corners in your sleep. Slowly, ignoring the creaking joints, you unfurled and stretched.

"Hey,” a gentle voice said from somewhere up above you.

Okay, so you weren't alone. That was… unusual. You opened your eyes and almost choked on your tongue.

Mando was there. “Good morning,” he said softly.

“Not particularly,” you croaked, wiping sleep crust from your eyes. To be honest you weren't a hundred percent sure he wasn't some alcohol fuelled hallucination.

“Well, here.” He handed you a bowl and a spoon.

The bowl was hot, and the contents steaming, and it smelled better than most space rations you’d seen before. To be honest, you were starving; craving those delicious carbohydrates to chase the alcohol out of your system.

And, when your brain finally started working again, you noticed that he wasn’t wearing a full armour. Helmet, of course, but other than that, only a soft pair of trousers and a thin shirt.  If you didn’t know better, you would say he had just gotten out of bed. But then… where were you?

Squinting, you peered around the room. A soft mattress, comfy blankets, a grey metal wall that was dotted with rust and dust. The light was dim, but warm. This wasn't home. And it wasn't the Crest.

Din coughed, you thought, a bit awkwardly, but as long as he was there, he could be as awkward as he wanted. “How’s the hangover?”

“Massive.”

“Eat.” He nodded to the bowl. "And drink this. It'll help."

You noticed the bottle in his hands. Putting the food down on the mattress, careful to not spill a drop, you took the bottle with a grateful smile. The cool liquid ran down your throat with such deliciousness that you had to bite down a moan. “Thank you.” You shook the bottle. It was empty.

“So, drinking alone, huh? That can’t be good for you.” He sat down on a crate.

You chuckled darkly and blew on the spoon before sticking it in your mouth. It was good. “Heh, well… who else would I be drinking with? You weren't there to keep me in check.".

Mando didn't say anything, he just watched as you ate.

You wished you knew how disappointed he looked underneath that helmet. When he wasn't talking, it was impossible to gauge the level of your humiliation. "Great." You squeezed your eyes shut and grimaced, preparing yourself for the mental blow, then you opened one eye and looked up at him. "What did I do? Please tell me I didn’t do anything stupid yesterday!” You searched your memory, jumping over huge, black holes, feeling more anxious with each void you passed.

“You didn’t. Well, you did try to start a fight with a wall, but that was partly my fault, I guess. And you talked a lot. Not that I understood all of it, you were pretty wasted. Hard to interpret, too.” He laughed loudly.

You groaned and hid your face in your hands. “Really? Crap! Listen, Mando -“

“I told you: my name is Din.”

Your brain stopped for a second. “…your name is Din.”

“Funny. That’s the same thing you said yesterday.” There was amusement in his voice.

Heat crept up your neck and blossomed around your ears. “Just unexpected, is all.” You briefly wondered about the implications of this, but decided to worry about that later. Your head hurt too much to think. “I like it. It’s a good name. Suits you.”

“Thanks.” Din grinned. You were never one to make a big deal of something. He liked that. "I'll let you freshen up. The bathroom is down the passageway and to the right. I’ve filled the freshwater tanks, so use what you need. I’ll be in the cockpit.”

“Thank you.” The food was still warm, and it filled your stomach nicely. That, combined with the water, your headache had receded to a dull thumping just behind your eyes. Bearable.

________________________________________________________________

Clean and feeling a thousand times better, you climbed the ladder to the cockpit, eager to hang out with Din - you couldn’t believe he told you his name! - before he had to fly off to his next job.

“Now it’s a good morning,” you said as a greeting after knocking to let him know you were there.

Din nodded. He was waiting for you, comfortably sprawled in the pilot seat, and gestured for you to sit when you remained by the door.

"So –" you started.

"Listen –" Din said at the same time.

"Go ahead."

“I…” He hesitated, suddenly uncertain how to proceed. “I should’ve come back much sooner. But the job… things… got in the way. I’ve… This past year has been…”

You blinked. This was unexpected. Your stomach tickled; a small hope blossomed in your chest. The way he danced around what he really wanted to say: you knew Din. He either had some really bad news, or… Your cheeks twitched, but you forced yourself to be calm.

“The moment I jumped into hyperspace, I realised that I didn’t want to leave.” He paused again, suddenly convinced he’d imagined all the things you said the day before. “I -“

You put your hand on his. “I didn’t want you to leave either.”

Din sat back. “I was…” he began, rubbing the back of his neck and searching for words. “Things happened. I had planned on returning after the job, but then…”

“Life happened”, you offered, and he nodded.

“Yeah. I needed more money, one job followed the other, and suddenly I had a responsibility other than myself.”

Your heart sank, feeling the weight of what he was saying. He’d found someone. Settled down. “Congratulations,” you said, but you didn’t really mean it.

“What?”

“You have a family now."

“A foundling. For a while we were a clan of two. But he couldn’t stay with me. This isn't a life for a kid. I was tasked with bringing him to his own people. And I did. He's… he's with someone who can train him now." His voice cracked and he swallowed hard.

Utter heartbreak radiated from him. You reached for him, but changed your mind, placing your hand awkwardly on your knee.

Din sighed. He needed to do this, now. The short rush of air from the release of his helmet rang in his ears. Keeping his eyes on you while he lifted it, he held his breath - afraid for your reaction.

The moment you realised what Din was doing, all air left your lungs. How often had you not imagined him without his armour, without the protective barrier between him and the world? Pictured his mouth, his eyes, how his face must shine when he laughed… Mandalorians simply did not remove their helmets, and if they did, they could never put it back on, and now he was letting you see him.

“…Din.” Your voice was a gentle warning.

He stopped mid-movement; chin just visible under the bottom edge.

You continued before he could say anything. “I’ve wanted to see you since the day we met. But please don’t break your creed for me. I’m not worth it.”

“I’m not,” he said, voice raw and emotional. “I want to look at you with my own eyes. Please. There is so much I’ve learned since… and this…” He lifted the helmet off, revealing his face to you with a smile and glistening eyes. “You areworth it.”

Never in a million years had you imagined how it would feel. His face was so gentle. Before you could stop yourself, you put your hand on his cheek. The rough stubbles tickled, but the skin was soft underneath, and the warmth spread through your body.

Din leaned into your touch and closed his eyes. "I have so much to tell you." He opened his eyes again. They were an abyss, and you felt yourself drowning.

Suddenly aware of yourself, your hand dropped back into your lap. "I have all the time in the world." It was barely a whisper, but you both heard the true meaning as if it was shouted. I'm with you to the edge of the universe and back.

"I should've come back before. But I was afraid. Afraid you would say no, but I just couldn't stop thinking about you. Cara hit me over the head more than once, practically ordering me to go back." He exhaled through his nose and smiled. What was it she used to say? What, are you stupid? Go to her. You're so CLEARLY in love, it's disgusting. "But then I found out Moff Gideon was involved too, and I couldn't let him near you. If, if you had been hurt because of him, I would never forgive myself. But he can't hurt you now."

Getting to his feet, he walked around the chair and stopped in front of you. Crouching down, he took both your hands in his, brushing his lips over your knuckles. "Were you serious when you said you would leave this planet if you could?

Not daring to look away, in case this was all a dream, you nodded and squeaked out a thin "Yeah." The sound took you by surprise, and you barked a laugh, breaking the tension in the small room.

Din laughed too, and gave you a crooked smile that almost made you slide off the seat. "I could use a co-pilot," he offered with a wink.

Looking dramatically around the room, you shrugged. "I can't fly."

"Well, company then," he replied, opening his arms to you.

You sank into his embrace, leaning forward with such force that he toppled backwards, pulling you with him. He didn't let go, and you landed on top of him, nose to nose, and with a vague feeling of your skin being on fire.

His warmth and scent enveloped you, and when he leaned up to gently press his lips against yours, thousands of tiny stars skipped over your body, leaving flames in their wake. This was not a time to be gentle, and you dipped down to mould yourself against him. You were home.  

[blackkatmagic]

Agen is the type of person to follow rules to the point of ruthlessly exploiting every loophole while staring unblinking into the eyes of everyone who set those rules in the first place, and honestly I adore that about him. (Also, feel free to not answer, but do you have any Agen/Jango or Jaster/Agen wips? Or Agen/Myles, tho I’m not sure how straight Myles is).

Agen/Jango:

1. Jango's been hearing rumors about legendary bounty hunter Argent Kole for years, but he's never actually met the man. One of the main rumors is that Argent is Force-sensitive, so when Boba starts showing signs, Jango sets out to hunt Argent down to help Boba learn control. Agen, for his part, doesn't expect his undercover identity to be remarkable at all, so when he hears Jango Fett is on the warpath and coming to find him, it's wholly a surprise, but not one he's about to run from.

2. Finding an amnesiac Jedi wandering Tatooine seems like the perfect opening to start getting his revenge for Galidraan. Jango takes the Zabrak in, intending to betray him, but Agen's blunt honesty and unwavering trust affect him more than he expected.

3. Agen Kolar breaks the timeline! Yeeted back from the moment of his death to just before the invasion of Naboo, Agen has too much to fix and too little time to do it, so he hires out. Jango is neck-deep in Dooku's plots, but this weird swordsman who insists he's definitely not a Jedi, no way, is willing to pay big for help assassinating one shriveled old Naboo senator, so Jango agrees. He doesn't expect to promptly get dragged into madness.

4. While on a mission, Agen rescues a child from his abductors. Boba is totally happy to hang out with this big scary Zabrak who lets Boba sit on his shoulders and grab his horns. Sadly, Jango is not nearly as enthusiastic.

5. In an AU where the Jedi Order operates in secret and Jedi are all but a myth, Jango is the Mand'alor, fighting an increasingly vicious battle against Pre Vizsla and the Death Watch, when he finds a man and his ward locked away in a strange dungeon deep underground. Agen refuses to give any details of his past, but his care for Tan is clear, and Jango can't help but be drawn to him.

Jaster/Agen:

1. Jon tried to teach Agen to teleport, but it's not a skill that comes easily. When Agen uses it in a last-ditch attempt to save Kit in the Chancellor's office, he misses the mark, and ends up throwing himself backwards in time. Jaster, for his part, doesn't expect a Jedi to come crashing out of thin air and land right in his lap, but, well. It's certainly not the worst way to start a morning.

2. Rescued from carbonite after years locked away in a Death Watch base, Jaster has no idea what to make of all the changes the galaxy as a whole and his family in particular have gone through. Since the Jedi are the ones who found him, they assign him a guard and guide to help him get back on his feet, and maybe it's desperation that has Jaster latching onto Agen, but he's the one steady thing in a whole chaotic galaxy, and Jaster can't help himself.

3. Following rumors of the Darksaber's origin, Jaster comes across a Jedi Knight who's doing the same, and in possession of information unique to the Order. Obviously the only recourse is to team up and shake him down for all of his sources.

4. After one last desperate attempt to save Tan on Geonosis, Agen wakes up somewhere he definitely shouldn't be, and finds that he and Tan were rescued from a desert by the Mand'alor. By a Mand'alor who's entirely taken by Tan, and more than willing to help Agen - except he doesn't know they're Jedi, and Agen isn't sure he can trust Jaster enough to tell him.

5. Mandalorian Empire!AU where the Jedi are wandering monks more than a structured order, and with a new Sith Emperor threatening his borders Jaster is desperate to get his hands on old records of the last time the Sith Empire rose. The only ones who might have such information are the Jedi, though, and they've had a long history of being persecuted by past Mand'alors. Jaster knows that if they catch wind he wants something from them, they'll go underground again, so finding a lone Jedi in a desperate fight seems like a stroke of impossible luck. Agen is just trying to find his kidnapped padawan, and he's desperate enough to make a deal with his people's traditional enemy to get him back.

Agen/Myles:

1. Agen is a new Knight when the Force calls him to Galidraan, and he manages to deescalate tensions between the True Mandalorians and the Jedi. Unfortunately, he does this by taking Myles hostage. Myles is incredibly unimpressed, but at least being a Jedi's hostage isn't the worst thing imaginable, and Agen is pretty, for a Jedi.

2. The Nightsisters do a favor for Pre Vizsla, bringing back one of the most dangerous True Mandalorians as a mind-controlled assassin. When Pre sets Myles on a Jedi who's been investigating Death Watch activity, Agen recognizes what's happened and breaks the control, freeing Myles, but it's not so easy. With a whole galaxy that's vastly different from what he remembers, millions of men running around with Jango's face, and a sudden resurgence of True Mandalorian sympathies among Mandalore's people, Myles has no idea what to do, and an empty throne that isn't supposed to be his but might have to be regardless.

[inkerii]

Watching fandom reactions to the new ep of the Mandalorian- sorry, Book of Boba Fett (totally did this on purpose to be snarky haha totally did not actually slip up and called the series the wrong name, Disney pls I dont even care for Boba Fett but this is wrong), and I feel like... it's okay to be ambivalent about it? I feel both "sides" have a point here.

Grogu ultimately does need someone like Luke in the sense that he can help harness his powers, because when you're force sensitive it really is important to have proper training. And there IS some truth to asking Din if he's here for Grogu or for himself... Dude just lost his foundling and then his entire way of life, it's natural that he would be drawn to the one person who brought him happiness who he could still reach.

Which brings me to the infamous attachment discourse.

So first of all, yea, Luke did not actually appeal to his father's "attachment" to him. Anakin had to learn to let go and accept his death and accept that he wouldn't be able to be with his son, and that would be okay bc he'd be safe and happy even if he himself couldn't. Luke, who despite the situation had a bond with his father, had to let go and accept that he would die despite his best attempts to save him. ROTJ Luke is compassionate and firm about saving his father without the frenzied fear that led him to be very sloppy, reckless and cost him his hand and nearly his life in Cloud City... for the most part. He does give in to fear and then anger when Palpatine pokes and prods him but he regains his senses this time :'D

Remember, to Lucas, attachment is not a positive word. It's the same as greed and posessiveness. When it comes to people, it's when you're *unhealthily* attached to someone. Your entire world revolves around them to the point where loosing them would drive you mad.

HOWEVER.

Saying that "the devs are finally writing about the Force the right way and everyone is wrong" is also a step too far. A lot of fans these days grew up with the clone wars. Y'know, the series whose director explicitly said multiple times that for all their good intentions, their system and the way the Jedi did things WERE flawed and half the point of the series was to show how Palpatine exploited the weaknesses of the Order. It's literally shown in the canon of the show, btw, not just in interviews. I firmly believe in giving Luke the benefit of the doubt here since we don't know if this is more of a test for Grogu, but having him not try to correct the flaws of the Jedi Order IS weird if that's what he's really doing.

The basic philosophy of the Jedi isnt inherently wrong, but the way they were applying that philosophy in the prequels WAS flawed and it showed to Luke- to a smaller degree bc both Yoda and Obi-Wan had grown over the past 20-ish years, but it was there. Them being flawed is no reason to hate them (I find them fascinating! If they were 100% perfect it would be much more boring) but people CAN be upset and confused as to why Luke is behaving as though he has no intention to change even the issues that have costed the Jedi everything. The Jedi's main flaw was that in legit trying their best, they had grown *too* detached and did not always know how to handle trauma and other complex emotional situations, such as in regard to Anakin's fears and Luke's terror at the vision of his friends when they were captured by Vader. They meant well, but the way they dealt with it was.... not the best. You'd expect Luke to try to do better in regards to Grogu's trauma and subsequent attachment (which, thanks to him not being able to talk, we dont know the extent of) to the one source of security in his life since the clone wars, which is, by the way, very similar to Anakin's own attachment to the single source of peace, security and joy as a slave. It shows how Grogu's bond with Din COULD be dangerous but it also shows that Luke really should not be treating it the same way the Jedi did with his father.

As a side note, it's starting to really bug me when people start saying that Legends Luke is wrong and didnt understand the force as Lucas intended, etc etc. Yes, Luke was more moderate than the Jedi before him, in which he did take a wife and have children, but this does not mean he didn't understand the importance of selfless love and compassion and the need to let go sometimes. I'm sure not every writer was the same, and I'm sure more than one wrote the Jedi/Force wrong, but (and spoilers for a decade old book but I highly recommend you read it) for example, I distinctively remember that in the second book of the Hand of Thrawn duology, Luke talked to Mara about how sometimes you have to let go of the thing you value most (the thing you're most attached to, wink wink). By the end of the book, despite having a vision of Mara seemingly dead (like his father!! and the book came out before the prequels even did!), Luke still put his faith in the Force, accepted that she might die no matter what he did, and went through with his plan. Mara did not die, but Luke was prepared to let go of her if need be, despite being in love with her at this point. Mara herself had to give up on her ship, which had been her greatest attachment (as it represented a sense of safety, security and home, something she did not have for a long time), because it was what needed to be done. Luke was just able to not let his fear of loss override his senses, and he was able to coach others, such as Mara, through the process of letting go without freaking out as well.

Basically for Legends attachment did not have the same meaning as for Lucas. It did not mean greed/posessiveness, it meant just having relationships with people. Luke allowing marriage and the building of families in the EU and not wanting to imagine his life without his own did not inherently go against the philosophy of the Jedi because ultimately he was prepared to let go and trust the Force if need be, and he (at least in the books I've read *shrug*) attempted to teach his Order to love the ones dear to them without getting unhealthily attached, so like. Lay off EU Luke, pretty please with a cherry on top? George has had a negative view of marriage since his divorce and has said before he believes it to lead to attachment in the negative view of the word, which is a very controversial opinion to say the least.

It's understandable that this causes confusion in the fandom but seriously, please.

Anyway, to get back to it, I really do think both sides have a point here. There's a truth to what Luke is trying to teach Grogu, but you'd expect him to be more tactful about it based on what TCW has shown about the flaws of the jedi way in the prequels (TCW, not the EU. People are upset bc this goes against what CANON has said about the Jedi, they're not trying to enforce EU views upon disney's canon).

Imo, I DO really hope this is leading to a more moderate/balanced view of bonds with others. It bothers me that they seem to be contrasting detachment as the Jedi way vs loyalty (attachment as the EU saw it) as the Mandalorian way. Do I trust Disney to handle this nicely? lol, no. But I'll continue to watch on the sidelines andat least try not to bother too much about it, since lately I just pick and choose what I like from Star Wars (aside from hard canon like TCW + the 6 movies) these days. Its healthier for the soul :'D

PS: Also also, I dont even like Boba Fett this much but I weep for the unrealized potential this show had. Even if you brought in the Mandalorian, contrasting Boba and Fennec wanting out of the bounty hunting system to Din who still uses hunting for his own goals to people like Cad Bane who are oldschool bounty hunters would have been one hell of a story. Hope Boba gets a few lines in on the next ep I guess.

[beskarhearts]

Vencuyot (Din Djarin x reader)

source: @isetthetone​

Connection series Pt. 11

Pairing: Din Djarin x f!reader (no use of Y/N)

Warnings: cursing, fighting, total sleazy douche bag

Word count: over 8.5 K

Summary: Din and you finally get started on helping the kid find his kind.

Notes: Alright, we are finally going into the events of season two! Each episode will probably be about 2-3 chapters. And I’m also planning right now on how to incorporate original scenes while also kind of following the overarching story line from season two. I am very excited to see how you guys like it!

Previous Part ____ Next Part

____________________________________________________

“You’re good with him.”

You smile warmly at Din, holding the child’s little body against your chest to which he let out a string of joyful noises that pulled at your heart strings. You looked down quickly to see the child’s eyes look up at you, his little hand beginning to pull of strands of your hair. He always loved to play with it, sometimes to tug at it or yank it, but most of the times he’d just run his three tiny fingers through it like it was the most fascinating thing. You looked back up to Din, who watched the two of you with his helmet tilted slightly. You couldn’t see his expression but you’d like to think you knew him well enough to know he was smiling underneath the helmet.

Moments like these were nice. The kind of moments where you, Din, and the kid just sat together in the hull of the Crest, letting the ship guide you guys through hyperspace as the three of you just relaxed. It was domestic and pure and everything you and Din deserved. 

“Yeah. I guess I kind of am.” You quietly admitted. You never wanted to brag about the way you were able to care for the child. Yes, it was part of your job around here. But Din also helped and a small part of you always saw the child as Dins, and solely Dins. Din had been the one to find him and protect him. He was the one who made an oath to find his kind, putting his Creed and life at risk to do it. It had been just been the two of them for a while before you came along. So yes, you were good with the kid, but you never wanted to overstep a boundary and claim the kid as your own. Even in spite of the way a maternal wave washed over you each time you saw the child coo at you or reach for you. The way a sleepy smile would pop onto his face when he woke up and saw you. The way some nights he would just need to be held by you for a while before feeling safe and secure enough to go to bed. In spite of all those things that made you feel special, you still wanted to show respect to their relationship.

“You definitely are.” Din paused, sitting forward a little more before continuing. “Is it cause of some... Jedi thing?”

You smiled at the way Din spoke about anything Jedi related. You were the first to admit you weren’t the most educated about Jedi history but Din was absolutely clueless. You supposed that made sense considering the rift between Mandalorians and Jedi’s but it still made you chuckle whenever he tried to speak about the matter. “I don’t know, to be honest. I think sometimes I just can feel what he needs or sense when something is wrong. I don’t know if it’s a Jedi thing or just a m-” you cut yourself off, trapping the words in your mouth before they slip out.

“Just a what?” Din asked and you shook your head quickly.

“Oh nothing, it was just a silly thing.”

Din sighed, reaching forward and brushing his hand against your knee. “What was it, cyar’ika?”

“I was going to say a mother thing. But not cause I’m the kids mom or anything. It was dumb because I’m totally not. I’m just-“

“Stop.” You physically bring your lips together to stop yourself from rambling. “I might not know much but I know the kid sees you as a mother.”

You smiled warmly, looking down at the child in your lap who continue to play with strands of hair, not paying much attention to the conversation being had. “Yeah?”

Din nodded. “Of course. And you are a good one.”

You tried to look away from Din, not wanting him to see the way your face flushed from the compliment or the way your eyes started to water from the sincerity of it. You truly loved the child, probably a bit too much. And maybe you shouldn’t look at him like a son considering what you knew was bound to happen, but you didn’t contemplate the pain you would one day feel at his possible departure. As far as you knew, this was your family and you were going to enjoy it for as long as possible. And that meant treating the kid like your own because even if you selfishly wanted to build a wall up, you knew the child needed a parental figure in his life. He was only a small child after all, one who had already been through enough and hidden away for so long. So you figured you could do this for him. You could show him love and compassion, how it feels to be protected by someone who cares for you. It was a job Din did extraordinarily well, something you don’t think he even realized he did. And you were damned to do your best by the kid. Even if in the end it hurt yourself. Because wasn’t that one of the biggestc, yet also inevitable, sacrifices of a parent?

“Thank you.” you whispered out and the kid finally looked a you then, showing you the hair in his hands to which you nodded. He dropped the hair before picking it back up, seeming satisfied by the feeling of the strands slipping through his fingertips.

“Do you ever. I don’t know. Want... some?”

You glance up a Din, your eyebrows shooting up at the way he awkwardly fumbled with his words. Din was usually a very clear man so you knew if he was struggling to express himself, it must be new territory for him. “Want what?”

Din didn’t bother to verbally answer, simply directing his head towards the kid. You let out a small ‘oh’ once understanding what he was getting at. “Kids?” You clarified to which the Mandalorian firmly nodded.

Your heart skipped in your chest at the thought. Maker, kids. You hadn't considered the idea of having kids in so long. For many years, it seemed an impossible task. Having a child meant allowing someone in, which was not something you excelled in. You also never found yourself too invested in the prospect of having kids of your own. It wasn’t that you didn’t like them, though Jakku was never teeming with them. Kids were fine. You often found them to be funny, like little drunken adults just wandering around. And you could t deny that they were cute (though you would argue the child in your lap was even cuter than human children). But when you looked in the mirror before, you never saw a woman who could be a mother. It just wasn’t part of your personality. You had watched your own mother for so long and you loved her, but you hadn’t been similar to her at all, you two often having differing opinions. But your mother had seemed like such the picture-perfect mom to you and if you were nothing like her, how could you be a mom?

But now things were different. You were a different person than you used to be (a better one as well you would argue). And that was due to Din. Having allowed yourself to open up to someone taught you a lot of things about relationships, communication, and trust. And now there was someone in your life who you could kind of invision a future with. A very rocky, unclear future but a future nonetheless.

The kid also changed your perspective. When you met the child, you instantly felt a connection to him. You wanted to grab his small little body and hold him close, make him smile. It was like this instinctual side of you kicked in, a side you didn’t know you even had. And now you liked it. You liked caring for him and being there for important things. You loved to way he had begun to expand the way he communicated , whether that be with his facial expressions or noises. You loved that when he first woke up in the morning and saw either you or Din, a sleepy little smile would form that made your morning instantly better. You loved when he would giggle when you did something stupid or silly. You even liked when he needed your help, when his grabby hands reached out for something he wanted. Watching him grow was like a gift. So now the idea of kids sounded exponentially more appealing than it ever had before.

“I never really used to. Was never that type of person really. But now... yeah. Maybe one day.” You said the last part with a sheepish shrug. You didn’t know what one day meant, even to you. You had sworn to stick by Din, even once the kid was gone. And though there was no label and nothing official, there was clearly something happening between the two of you. You were certainly a little more than friends, though you didn’t want to jump to any assumptions and make a fool of yourself.

But you couldn’t help the way your heart nearly jumped out of your chest at the thought of having kids with Din. You already knew he was paternal. You didn’t need to see beneath the armor to see the way he looked at the kid. He treated him like a son and did an exceptionally good job at protecting him and making him feel safe. And sometime, when you were with the kid and Din walked into the room, you could feel this rush of love wash over you, almost like you were feeling what the kid felt. You felt this immense sense of belonging and love, a type of admiration you couldn’t even begin to describe. He looked up to him in a way a kid is truly meant to look up to their dad. There was no doubt in your mind that Din would be a great father.

You cleared your throat and looked up at Din. “What about you?”

“Absolutely.” The answer didn't shock you too much in particular. It was the speed at which he answered. He hadn’t taken a second to even think about it or contemplate it. The answer had just leapt out of his mouth as soon as you had finished speaking. You couldn’t help the way you grinned at him but felt it drop slowly as he let out a loud sigh, his helmet dropping down. “But I don’t know if that’s even possible.”

You furrowed your brow. “What do you mean?”

“This life isn’t right for a kid. And I’m just not the kind of person.”

“Woah, that’s not true. Have you seen yourself with the kid?” You reached a hand out to rest on his leg, reassuringly squeezing it. His helmet finally lifted up a little but you could still see the way his body slightly dropped. “You would be a great dad, Din Djarin.”

“A Mandalorian isn’t the greatest dad.” You could definitely understand where Din was coming from. Life for Din was unstable, tumultuous. His whole job required a certain level of danger that he had to willingly accept every day. Definitely not the most conducive for raising a child.

But you had always imagined Din settling down one day, not even with you per say but just in general. He deserved that. Out of all the people you could imagine, he was one who deserved to find a home somewhere, marry someone, have a peaceful life with what he wanted. Now that you considered it, you didn’t even know if that was a possibility. “Is the whole Mandalorian thing a life time commitment or do you eventually retire?”

“I never really thought about it. I just figured I’d keep going until...well, let’s just say Mandalorians don’t have the greatest track record.”

Your stomach lurched at the meaning behind Dins answer. A job that was a game between life and death meant one of two things, you either lived or died. And you expected that eventually death caught up to the Mandalorians, no matter how strong or unshakeable they appeared. Your heart broke for Din. He had been living his days just working, expecting his life to be cut short because of the life he lived, the job he had, the armor he bore. You squeezed his leg even tighter, forcing him to look at you directly. You stared right into his visor, hoping you were making eye contact with him. “I’m here now. And I’m going to make sure you live a long life. A good one.”

Din just stared back at you, responding with a small jerk of the head. “Okay.”

You nodded in response before smiling, try to lighten the situation. “Good. So you better come up with a retirement plan, old man.”

Din chuckled at you, shaking his head jokingly. “Will do.” You grinned at him but felt it drop slightly as Din continued on. “We need to start looking for the kid’s kind.”

You knew this moment was coming and soon. You and Din had already spent too long playing house, justifying it with excuses like you were trying to come up with a good plan or you were letting time pass so things could calm down. But you and Din both knew the truth deep down. Things weren’t going to calm down and no good plan would be formed without starting somewhere. 

You looked back down at the kid, who just gurgled as he saw your attention land upon him. Sometimes you thought he was too young for training, even though he was fifty. He was just a baby. A child. You had only received a sliver of training and that had been some of the most intense work you had ever done. You couldn’t imagine the same little child in your lap, the one whose most prized possession was a metal ball and who cried when he couldn’t eat a butterfly, was supposed to become a Jedi. But you also understood that you couldn’t even attempt to understand his full potential and just how truly powerful he was. And the earlier he started harnessing it, the better. Sometimes you wish you had been taught earlier. You understood what it felt like to be younger and capable of something you couldn’t understand. It was terrifying sometimes and other times just plain confusing. 

You looked back up at Din. “Yeah. We do.”

“We need a plan.”

“We don’t even know where to start, Din.” 

“Do you know of any... Jedi places?”

You laughed at his question. “No. I’m afraid I will be of no help to you in that regard. I barely know any more about Jedi’s than you do.”

Din nodded and you knew he was slightly disappointed, but not upset. You understood that feeling. Sometimes you wished you were better or knew something so you knew how to help out. But you had also accepted that you were who you were and nothing would change that.

“I need to find other Mandalorians. I was told they could help me.”

“Well, where are the Mandalorians?”

“I don’t know.”

You furrowed your eyebrows. “How do you not know? You guys don’t have like some meet up spot or something?”

Din chuckled, now finding your lack of knowledge about Mandalorians as funny as you find his lack of knowledge about Jedis. “They are called coverts and they are in secret locations for safety. There was one on Nevarro but that got exposed.”

“So you have no clue where any are?”

“No.”

You huffed. “Well then, what do we do?”

“I know some people who might know information about where Mandalorians are. We can start there.”

You nodded. “I have a question.”

“Yeah?”

“So once we find a Jedi, we just hand him over? That’s it?” You found that to be such a bizarre thought. Jedi’s were supposed to be peacemakers but that hadn’t stopped a fair share of them from becoming Siths instead. How were you supposed to meet someone and just trust them enough right away to hand the child over? What if this person just took advantage of him or worse, handed him over to Gideon for a large prize?

“I don’t know how this works at all. We need to just find out more information before we get to that.”

“And what if we can’t find one?”

“I made a promise. He is under my care and I vowed to bring him to his kind. I will make sure it happens, no matter how long it takes.”

You admired Din’s dedication. You had never met an individual who was so devoted, whether that be devoted to his Creed or to the child or yourself. It was so admirable and you believed every word that came out of his mouth. 

“You are a good man, Din.”

Din just nodded in response and you wondered if he ever believed you when you said that. You meant it with every part of your being but you don’t think he ever looked in the mirror and saw the man you saw. Saw the kind heart and the beautiful soul that laid hidden beneath all his armor. You just wanted to spend all your days showing him that, hoping one day he would see it. Look past the helmet and the job and see who he was. 

“Din?”

“Yes?”

“What are we going to do after all of this?” The question had been on the tip of your tongue for weeks now. You knew Din had said he wanted you to stay. And you knew your relationship had now progressed, though neither of you had placed any binding label on it.  Those were great things and you were thrilled by them but you didn’t know what that would entail for you guys.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, when we find the kid a place to go, what do we do? Are you going back to bounty hunting? I mean can you even do that after you took the kid back?”

Din’s helmet tilted and you knew he was deep in thought. Part of you hoped he couldn’t and you felt selfish for it. You knew that was what Mandalorians did. They worked, endlessly. But you couldn’t imagine finding somewhere for the kid to go and then Din working night and day to catch bounties, traveling through the galaxy from one place to the next for the rest of his days. You wanted him to be able to relax, to live a life that he had never even thought to envision. A life where he could have kids when he wanted to or could just live in peace. 

“If you could go to any planet, where would you go?”

You brought your head back, staring at Din with a perplexed expression. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Just tell me.”

You thought before remembering a planet Mai had told you about. “Sesid. Mai said she read about it once. There is supposed to be so much ocean that you can’t walk anywhere where you don’t have a view of it. And where you don’t see blue, it is supposed to be so green with so many trees and plants.”

“Then we will go there.”

You let out a laugh. “Din, what are you talking about?”

“I don’t know exactly what will happen after all of this. But I know I want to be with you. So once we find the kid a place to go, you and I will go to Sesid.”

You smiled up at him. You still didn’t know if that was even possible but you didn’t want to think about what would realistically happen. You wanted to believe, if only for this moment, that Din and you would help the kid and then be together, somewhere beautiful and happy. “Okay. Sesid it is.”

Din nodded in agreement. “I do know one thing for sure, though.

“What?”

Din leaned towards you, close enough that if he weren’t wearing the helmet you could kiss him. You leaned against him, your forehead tapping against the helmet. “I am going to do whatever I can to make you happy.”

__________

Once night fell, the two fell into their new routine. They didn’t discuss it but it kind of just fell in place. As soon as the child’s eyes slid closed, Din grabbed onto her, pulling her to crawl into his bed, the cot on the floor she used to sleep on being long forgotten now. 

Din shuffled in next to her, closing the hatch to the cot and removing his helmet immediately after. Part of him wished so much that he could have a light on, just so he could see her face when she was laid in his bed, next to him. But for now, being able to feel her beside him was more than he could ever ask her. 

Din rested his body against the padding of the thin mattress, feeling her immediately shuffle into him. Her head sat to rest on his shoulder and he could feel her breath tickle his neck. One of her arms wrapped around his chest, clinging on like it was a life preserver. Her legs tangled with his and she let out a loud sigh once she finally rested comfortably into him, letting the shape of his body contour into hers. “You are very comfortable, y’know?” She mumbled happily and Din felt a small smile grow on his face. He loved this. Loved the way she clung onto him and the way she hummed as he wrapped an arm around around her back, tracing her spine over her shirt with his finger tips. 

“Yeah?” He responded, feeling himself turn his head in her direction. He couldn’t see her, only the silhouette of her body if he focused enough. 

“Mmhhm.” She hummed and Din brought his lips down to kiss the top of her head. Her head tilted up in response and she brought her lips against his, allowing the two to mold together. Din couldn’t believe he had gone this long without kissing her. Whenever he did, it felt so divinely perfect in a way he couldn’t even begin to describe. It was warm and thrilling but also made Din feel safe in a way he never had before. Like no matter what happened, he would be okay as long as she was there.  He had never felt that way with anybody else before, besides his parents so long ago. Nobody had ever wormed their way into his heart like she had. 

She eventually pulled away, her breathing a little heavier than before, and rested her head back into her previous position, nuzzling into him. “Where are we headed now?” 

“A planet on the outer rim. I know someone who might be able to help me find other Mandalorians.” 

“A friend?”

Din couldn’t help the small chuckle that came out. “No. He is an old gangster. Gor Karesh is his name.”

“Oh, lovely. Old gangsters are my favorite.”

“Oh really?”

She let out a giggle at the jab and he could hear the grin on her lips. “Oh yeah. You better hope he doesn’t win me over cause I might just stay with him instead.”

Din narrowed his eyes, not understanding what she meant. “You aren’t seeing him.”

She paused for a moment before letting out a small sigh. “Yes, I am. I’m coming with you.”

“I don’t want you coming. You’ll be safer in the Crest.”

“Din, last time you left me alone in the Crest, a man ended up dead.” She didn’t say it with anger or annoyance. Din didn’t detect any harshness in the words. It was just said very matter-of-factly, reminding Din of himself. But it still didn’t stop the way his heart dropped into his stomach at her rebuttal. She wasn’t wrong. Last time she had begged him to come and he had refused, all in the name of protecting her. But he had seen where that ended and he didn’t want a repeat of it.

As much as it pained him, she was right. Din wanted nothing more than to protect her and keep her safe. But in a galaxy like this, with a man like Moff Gideon hunting for him, nothing was safe. It was all inherently dangerous. And Din knew she was more than capable. She was smart and strong. She could stand her own but he still felt uncomfortable with the idea of pushing her into danger directly. It felt like a betrayal to the promise he had made to protect both her and the kid. “Okay.”

She nodded her head against him. “I’ll be fine. You know, I might even be an advantage. I’m pretty smart.”

“I know you are, sweet one.” 

“Well then, we will be fine. We’ve got your crazy Mando strength, the kids hand thing, and my quick-witted humor. It should go very smoothly.” Her body started shaking slightly with laughter and Din couldn’t help but to join in with her. He couldn’t remember the last time anything in his life had gone smoothly and he expected this to be no exception. 

Once the laughing stopped, she rested her hand on his chest, right over his heart, and patted softly. “Really though. I’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.”

Din nodded, feeling slightly better with her reassurances. She was probably right. It would be okay especially with her there. Din had never really worked with anyone before but everything was different now. She was his rock and he trusted her. She pressed a small kiss onto his jaw and he could feel her smile into it. 

“Din, this is perfect but I am going to be a pain in the ass.”

“What is it?”

“I’m freezing my ass off.” 

Din let out a chuckle, shaking his head. It was probably from all the years he spent in hyperspace, but he was never cold while she managed to somehow always be cold. Even with his body heat and the one blanket over them, he could feel the goosebumps on her skin as he ran a hand over her arm. “You are always cold.”

She huffed. “It’s not my fault you are cold blooded and that this ship is colder than Hoth itself.”

“Where did your blanket go?”

“I think it’s still in my bag. I haven’t gone through it since I got back from Jakku.”

Din started to shuffle, pulling away from her to which she let out a loud whine. “Let me put on my helmet and I’ll grab it for you.”

She sighed contently at him and Din slipped the helmet on his head before opening the door to the cot. Some light from the hull of the ship reached his bed and he could see her face just slightly illuminated, a sleepy, lopsided smile on her face. She looked right back up at him. “Did I ever tell you that you are my hero?”

Din shook his head before slipping out of the bed. He walked over to a corner of the hull, where her bag had been sitting for days now. He bent down, opening it and saw the blanket on the top, with a small piece of folded paper with her name sprawled on it. He picked it up, feeling the weight of it in his fingers. “What is this?” he asked out of curiosity, not opening it.

“What is it?” She said, not bothering to get up to look.

“I think it’s a letter.” He looked back just in time to see her head pop up slightly. She furrowed her eyebrows before beginning to slip out of the bed, wrapping the blanket around her body. 

“What does it say?”

“Just has your name on it.” 

She eventually stumbled over to him and he reached his hand up, offering the letter to her. She reached a hand out from under the blanket, grabbing onto it and reading the writing on the front. “That is Mai’s handwriting.” 

She brought her other hand out, the blanket resting on her shoulders and arms, and began to unfold the piece of paper. Din looked up at her as she began to read. He sat silently, even as her face dropped into a blank stare and her face paled. She suddenly folded the paper up, shaking her head. “What is it?” he asked.

“I don’t know. But I can’t read it right now.” He saw the way her chest was heaving and how her eyes were frantically moving around, as if she was trying to follow something that wasn’t there. 

“Sweet one?”

“It’s something about my family. That’s as far as I got.” Din stood up and looked down at her. She didn’t look at him, her face twisting up as she frantically shook her head as if begging someone to stop. “I can’t do this. I’m am finally okay with everything and I don’t need to read something that will just mess with me.”

“But what if it is something important?”

“If none of them told me and I didn’t find out for this many years, I am sure it can wait.” She scrunched the paper up in her hands, tossing it into the opening of her bag. “Besides, we have to focus on the kid. This can wait. He can’t.”

Din slowly nodded and she forced a smile onto her face. He hated when she did this, when she buried everything in and just put on a smile. He knew it was how she coped and he could identify with that. He was similar, but instead of smiling, he buried everything down and then hunted a bounty to forget. 

Instead of pushing her, he held up the blanket that was still grasped in his hand. She looked at it and chuckled. “Maybe I can sleep now since I won’t be freezing.”

“Are you okay?” Din couldn’t help but to ask. 

“I will be as long as you come keep me warm.” Her hand reached out for one of his and tugged him over. “Let’s go to bed.”

__________

“Well, this is just such a beautiful place. We should come back one day when we are really able to enjoy the sights and sounds.” You sarcastically mumbled, arms protectively held over your chest as you looked all around you. The walls surrounded you, all of which covered in a plethora of graffiti, parts of them crumbling into pieces. The outer rim was not a pleasant place in general, you knew that. But you had finally landed on the planet where Koresh was supposed to be and as soon as you stepped outside the Crest, you just knew it was a real shit hole. And walking through the streets of whatever town you were just confirmed it. 

It was completely dark outside, almost totally silent. You didn’t see any other people around, except for pairs of red glowing eyes that hid in dark corners and made the child whimper. You looked back to the child, who was sitting in his pram that floated beside you. His small ears tucked in slightly on himself and he buried himself into the pram slightly, big eyes looking all around. Looking over at Din, you didn’t detect any sense of unease. He was on what you’d like to call Mando mode. His head was aiming straight forward, attention on the path in front of him. He stood tall and straight, seeming like such an intimidating figure even in such a shady place. He was completely silent, not speaking. He didn’t like to talk much in public and you weren’t sure if it was because he was uncomfortable to do so or if it was a matter of maintaining a reputation that made others cower in fear.

You let out a sigh at his lack of response until you turn the corner, coming to a door. You see the first individual of the night, a Twi’lek standing guard who stares back at the Mandalorian. He doesn’t greet the two of you with anything but a harsh expression. So much for a welcome.

“I’m here to see Gor Koresh.” Din directed, his voice sounding strong through the modulator. Despite the demand, the Twi’lek still doesn’t speak, just looking over at you before his eyes landed on the Child. The kid looked up at him, cooing slightly.

The man looked away, moving aside and pushing the door open for you to pass through. “Enjoy the fights.” was all he said as you and Din entered. As soon as you walked into the building, you felt your face scrunch up. The place smelled like ale and blood strongly, slapping you in the face as soon as you stepped through the door frame.  You walked down some stairs, studying the scene in front of you. Crowds of humans and creatures, some of which you didn’t recognize, sat or stood amongst benches, yelling loudly and banging their fists. You saw some woman sitting besides the men, some looking less impressed by the entertainment than their counterparts and others looking just as engrossed as the others. In the center of the room sat a platform where two Gamorreans were fighting wildly. They were both fearsome creatures with less than desirable faces. They snarled and huffed, though the sound was drowned out by the yelling in several different alien languages that filled the room.

Din strolled over to a bench, seeming unbothered by the scene before him and not in any way distracted by the environment. He plopped down onto a booth, next to a Abyssin you assumed to be the man of the hour, Koresh. He stood out from the crowd, his body draped in richer fabrics and a large ring on one of his chubby green fingers. You sat down next to Din, watching as the child’s pram hovered right beside you.

The Abyssin didn’t seem bothered or intimidated by Din’s presence. He was s gangster, probably used to having bounty hunters around. Probably hired a few himself, perhaps had one or two come after him even. “You know this is no place for a child.” He spoke, his gaze landing on the child and you for just a moment before going back to the fight, his eye glistening with excitement as he appeared totally enamored by the barbaric nature of it.

“Wherever I go, he goes.” You almost wanted to smile at Din’s response. It sounded intimidating coming from him, but you knew the sentiment and honestly behind it. You refrained from doing so, keeping a blank face and trying to keep your gaze on Gor Koresh. You weren’t much for watching fighting, finding it dull and tasteless, though you couldn’t help but to find the banging and rumbling to be distracting.

Koresh just let a chuckle out. “So I’ve heard.”

“I’ve been quested to bring him to his kind. If I can locate other Mandalorians, they can help guide me. I’m told you know where to find them.” You weren’t surprised by Din’s directness or lack of small talk. This was just the kind of man he was, part of it being him and part of it being due to the armor he wore.

The man let out a sigh. “It’s uncouth to talk business immediately. Just enjoy the entertainment.” The creature finally tore his sight away from the fight, giving you a fleeting glance as a smile curved his lips. You knew that smile very well, had seen many men and creatures wear it before. And usually, it didn’t end well for them. “Why don’t you introduce me to your friend? She is quite the beauty.”

You couldn’t help the way your eyebrows raised and face scrunched up in slight disgust. He couldn’t even try to be a little subtle, or at the least more original.. You let out a sigh and looked at him, even though his attention was back on the fight. “How about you just help us?”

Din didn’t turn to look back at you but you saw the way one of his fists clenched. This was his domain and he wasn’t used to others being with him while he worked. And you didn’t want to overstep your boundaries, but you also weren’t going to let this man look at you like that. You wanted to say a lot more, but knew your mouth could get you in trouble and decided to leave it at that.

The Abyssin let out a huff. “Didn’t know you kept women around. Or children too.” The words were directed at Mando, him not bothering to respond to you directly. You wanted to say something but jumped slightly at the sound of loud clanging. The child cooed in distress as you looked at the fight. The two Gamorreans were clanging their axes together, one of which knocking the other to the ground. Cheers rang through the ground but Koresh looked rather annoyed.

“Bah! My Gamorrean’s not doing well. Kill him! Finish him!” An axe was brought down to the fallen warrior, who dodged just in time to avoid the slamming down of the blade.  Koresh smiled just barely at the sight before glancing at Din. “Do you gamble, Mando?”

You couldn’t imagine Din being a gambler. It seemed so unlike him, almost against the ideas he held close to his heart. He wasn’t one to trust luck. He depended on himself and nothing else. “Not when I can avoid it.” He responded.

“What about you, sweetheart? Do you gamble?”

You rolled your eyes at the question. “No. I don’t.”

“I do. Which is why I’m the rich one here.” Koresh responded, letting out a chuckle at his own jab. “How about this? I’ll bet you the information you seek that this Gamorrean’s going to die within the next minute and a half...and all you have to put up in exchange is your shiny beskar armor.”

You felt your eyes widen slightly. You knew Din could handle this creep and you knew that beskar was worth a lot. It was no wonder Koresh wanted it. But you couldn’t imagine Din would be willing to put it on a silly bet based purely on luck. You couldn’t help but to scoff in response. “His armor isn’t on the table.”

Koresh smiled at your harsh response. “Okay. How about we bet the woman then? Wouldn’t mind a new friend.”

Din for the first time looked over at you for just a second, seeing the way your jaw locked. You couldn’t see his face, but you could tell he was angry by the way he moved. He turned over, looking back at the man. His fist was clenched against his lap but he didn’t bite the bait, just calmly responding. “I’m prepared to pay you for the information. I’m not leaving my fate, or hers, up to chance.”

“Nor am I.” In a flash, his hands reaches into his coat, whipping out a blaster at a surprisingly quick speed. A shot rings out in the building, one of the Gamorreans dropping dead, his axe clanging down beside him. You hear gasps and a cry ring out from the audience at the sudden end of the fight. Your head whips over to Koresh, just in time to see several men rise from the bench behind him, all of them whipping out guns that aim right at Din’s head. You felt your chest squeeze up slightly, panic settling into your bones. But Din just remained seated, even as the crowd yelled and rushed out of the stadium from all directions and Koresh rose from his seat, his own blaster aimed at the helmet. You couldn’t help but to wonder how he could always remain so calm. You felt your hand itch towards the blaster on your hip, but you didn’t know what you would do with it. One blaster against a handful of men, all with their own loaded guns, wasn’t a fair fight by a long shot. Trying to do anything might just get you and Din killed immediately so you waited, seeing how Din handled it.

Koresh laughed at your panicked expression. “Thank you for coming to me. Normally, I have to seek out remnants of you Mandalorians in your hidden hives to harvest your precious shiny shells.” You felt rage bloom within you as you realized what this mans job was, your eyes widening in anger. He made money off ruining people’s lives, ripping the amor that means the world to the Mandalorians off of them with no regard for human decency. No wonder he was so rich. “Beskar’s value continues to rise. I’ve grown quite fond of it. Give it to me now or I will peel it off your corpse. And then take your woman as my new companion.” He chuckled once again, his eyes running down your body with a disgusting smile.

“Tell me where the Mandalorians are and I’ll walk out of here without killing you.“ Din, please, please know what you are doing. You trusted Din and you knew some stories of what he has done, though he never wanted to talk about it too much or seem like he was bragging. Din was an annoyingly humble man and it made it hard to find out just what exactly he was capable of. You knew that he was strong, unnaturally so, and you had seen him in action before. But you hadn’t seen enough to know what he was truly able to do. And you couldn’t help the way your heart slammed in your chest, even upon hearing his confident voice make the demand.

Koresh’s face dropped slightly. “I thought you said you weren’t a gambler...”

That was when you saw it out of the corner of your eye. You had completely forgotten about his whistling birds, him having explained it to you weeks ago when you almost hit a button that triggered it. The child must have also sensed what was about to happen, reaching out quickly to hit the button that closed the lid to the pram, sinking into it before the lid closed.  You figured he had the right idea but you just let your hand hover over the blaster, waiting for the next move. 

“I’m not.” Din said. Suddenly, the whistling birds shot out, instantly hitting all four of the henchmen and causing them to drop immediately to the floor.  You feel Din’s arm reach out, pushing you away, and you brought your own leg up to kick the pram back, already knowing what was going to happen next.

The Gamorrean who had been on the platform recovering, rises up, snarling. You see as he was ready to jump down, onto Din. But Din scoots over to the side, causing the large creature to slam down onto the bench, the wood under him cracking and splitting open. You couldn’t help the laugh that left your lips as you saw him pass out instantly. “Now that was too easy.” You chuckled.

Your hand instantly reaches for your blaster as you look away from the fallen fighter. The Twi’lek from the entrance of the building reached for Din, grabbing him from behind. You rise up the blaster quicker than you ever had before, firing off a shot that hit the guard right in the neck, causing him to release Din and drop down to the ground, joining the others. Three people run after Din as Koresh rushed out of the building, trying to escape while you two were distracted by the fighting. You turned to check on the kid, finding the pram still closed before running towards the exit.

You had just made it out the exit when you heard footsteps charging behind you, to find one of the Zabraks that was attacking Din coming after you now. A  You raised your blaster but found it to be no use when the creature dropped dead before your finger could even pull the trigger, revealing a blade sticking out of his back as he landed face down on the dirty ground. Your head whipped up to find Din behind him, only pausing for a moment to look you over for any damage before charging towards Koresh.

You followed closely behind, only to stumble into his back when the Mandalorian stopped dead in his tracks, your body falling into the metal of his armor and clutching onto his shoulders to steady yourself. In what seemed to be a flash, Koresh had his legs stuck in Din’s grappling hook and his whole body was being lifted up by a street lamp. Din didn’t stop until the mans body was dangling upside down, his head only a few feet above the ground.

Din stepped forward, facing the creature who now looked absolutely terrified. Part of you wanted to laugh at the sight but instead you stepped forward and glared at him. The man started swaying, trying to break out of the hooks with no luck. “All right, stop, stop!” He yelled out, looking at Din. “I’ll tell you where he is. But you must give me your word that you won’t kill me.”

“I promise you will not die by my hand. Now, where is the Mandalorian you know of?“ Your eyebrow raised at the odd wording of Din’s answer until you saw the red eyes that lined the streets start caving in slowly, seeming to stare into the scene before them. My hand, he had said.

Karesh let out a groan. “Tatooine.”

“What?” you and Din both said out-loud and the man just let out another groan, face twisted in discomfort.

“The Mando I know of is on Tatooine.“ he repeated.

“I’ve spent much time on Tatooine. I’ve never seen a Mandalorian there.“ Din responded, tilting his helmet just slightly as if thinking, mulling over in his mind whether or not the man was lying to you. You trusted Din, but Tatooine also seemed like it wouldn’t be the most surprising place for a bounty hunter to be. That planet didn’t have the greatest reputation, lots of sleaze bags and criminals roaming around there from what you heard. Wouldn’t be the most shocking thing for a Mandalorian to be there, whether for work or just because of the environment.

“My information is good, I tell you. The city of Mos Pelgo. I swear it by the Gotra!” Another groan left his lips, even louder this time. You rolled your eyes and looked over at Din.

The Mandalorian stood still before giving you a slight nod. “Tatooine it is, then.”

You brought your hand to your waist to grab the knife strapped to it, preparing to cut the man down when Din’s hand reached out for your wrist, holding it still. You looked up at him, waiting for an explanation but he only stared down at you, shaking his head just the slightest bit. You let go of the handle of the knife, leaving it at your side, and looked back at Koresh who looked back at you two expectantly. You saw the red eyes still there, still glowing in the darkness behind him ominously.

Din let go of your wrist and turned, starting to walk down the street with the pram following behind him. Part of you felt like you should cut down the gangster, until you remembered how he made his living. Ruining the lives of other Mandalorians just for some beskar to make him a richer man that he already is. Instead of cutting him, you gave him the sweetest smile you could muster to which his face scrunched up in confusion. “Koresh, it was a pleasure meeting you.”

You began to walk away, following after Din who slowed his pace for you to catch up when the Abyssin started to thrash wildly, panic settling into every pore of his body. “Wait! You can’t leave me like this!”

You turned back one last time and glared at him. “And you can’t take off a Mandalorians helmet. Yet you did. Many times.”

The man continued to scream, the red eyes caving in on him as you looked back at Din, catching up with him. You heard begging and screaming from behind you, but drowned it out. Part of you felt like you should feel guilty. But he had threatened Din. Ruined lives for money.

There was no guilt, no sadness at what was happening in this very moment. Instead you just felt like your body was energized, the adrenaline from the fight still coursing through you. You had spent so much time now on the Crest with Din, and before that you were just on Yungbrii. You had to fight off a couple creeps here and there, but nothing like that. Nothing that made blood course through your body and your heart pound in your ears. You found you could understand why some people found this addicting, why some people chose to be bounty hunters. It was thrilling in a way you’d never felt before.

You glanced over at Din, studying him. He looked completely unbothered and maybe that was because you couldn’t see his face, but you had a feeling the grizzly attack behind him brought him no sense of upset or guilt. You imagined he felt what you were feeling but ten times stronger. The Mandalorians were his people, his clan, and they had been attacked by the selfish monster. You couldn’t help but to wonder if he had any attention of letting Koresh go, even if he hadn’t attacked the two of you.

Shaking away your thoughts, you spoke loudly over the noises behind you which were now slowly drowning away as you continued on. “Where are we headed now?”

“Tatooine.” he responded and you nodded. You supposed it was the right place to start, even if Din didn’t know of any Mandalorians there. “You are okay, right? Nothing is hurt?”

You couldn’t help the small smile that grew on your face at the way his tone softened, the way his whole figure relaxed. You found it amazing how he could change from bad-ass, killer Mandalorian to your soft, caring Din so quickly.

“Yeah. I am fine. You okay?” Din only nodded in response. You looked away from him, to the path in front of you before speaking again. “You know, I have to admit something.”

Din continued walking, staring into the environment around him. “What, cyar’ika?”

“I don’t know if this sounds bad, but that was kind of fun.” You smiled up at him.

Din stopped walking for just a moment, looking over at you and you could hear a chuckle pass through the modulator. “You did well.”

You winked at him before continuing to walk on, the Mandalorians boots crunching behind you as he followed. “Told you I was handy. Now let’s go find this Mandalorian.”

Tag List: @ilikethoseodds @dindaddy @poguesvixen @starspangledwidow @fangirlalexia @the-scandalorian @ka-x-in @keepcalmandblogstuff @the-lady-of-stars @orneryscandalousevil @spaghetti-666 @afootnoteinyourhappiness @the-darkempress @dream-alittlebiggerdarling @dee-vn @eury-dice3 @rb4writers @just-me-and-my-obsessions00 @lxdyred @queen-since-97 @honey-hi @periptil

[sharknadoslutt]

Not that I ever wanted to watch it because of the era it plays in, but what was so awful about Star Wars resistance?

Oh Okay this ask got me GOING so Welcome to my Tedtalk on my feelings on Star Wars Resistance; a story of Disappointment.

So Mr. Dave Filoni, the story telling Prince, left the show like halfway through production of the first season for other projects (For TCW season 7 and The Mandalorian). This left what was a promising show with characters Dave himself had created, in the hands of very inexperienced story board artist and writers. Personally, I think they panicked and half assed it so that Disney could make money on toys. Because.. idk. It just doesn't even come close to the emotional story arcs that TCW and Rebels gave us. and that's what Star Wars is supposed to be about. Changing for the better. Hope or some shit, am I right?

What was most disappointing in my opinion.. is that the protagonist, Kazudo Xiono, is UNBEARABLE. He is the EMBODIEMENT of privilege. This punk has had everything handed down to him from the moment he was born. He was born like 14 years after the Empire has been brought down and the New Republic reigns, so he has never known war. AND HIS DADDY IS THE SENATOR OF HOSNIAN PRIME FOR FUCKS SAKE! THE CAPITOL????? WHERE THE SENATE IS???? YOU KNOW HOW RICH THAT MUST MAKE HIs FaMiLY??? His dad literally gives him an allowance even though he is a grown ass man in the military when the show starts.

To put things into perspective for those not up to date on Sequel Era Lore and I envy you greatly tbh bcs not to be that person i do not like the sequels that's the equivalent of being the Senator of Coruscant in the Prequels!!!!

Not to mention he is a BUMBLING idiot. Like. This man has ADHD on steroids. As a person with ADHD it's.. lord, it's cringe. He is clumsy. He is loud. He says inappropriate things at the wrong time. He doesn't know how to do anything for himself. AND HE IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SPY FOR THE RESISTANCE UNDER COVER AS A MECHANIC???? HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT MECHANICS and really doesn't really learn anything about it by the time the show ends. And don't come at me saying this is a kids show so I cant complain about things being silly bcs I'm not the target audience. I can and I will bcs no one was NEARLY this obnoxious in TCW or Rebels. Kaz is Jarjar Level, but I ACTUALLY LIKE JARJAR!

DUDE IS A DAMN SPY HE DOESNT EVEN LIKE GO BY AN ALLIAS!!! HE DEADASS USES HIS REAL FULL NAME. BCS KAZ IS AN IDIOT.

I'm not saying he isn't a good person. Kaz is very sweet tbh. He's just an unknowing spoiled ass man-child who NEVER REALLY DEVELOPS INTO ANYTHING ELSE?????

It would be okay if he entered the show like this and exited a more mature, capable man. But he really doesn't. There are never any consequences for his actions. Ever. Other than when he becomes a spy and, again, IS USING HIS REAL LEGAL NAME as a spy for the Resistance... to avoid a scandal and to scold him for LITERALLY DESERTING THE NAVY his daddy cuts him off from his allowance. So instead of half assing his cover job as a mechanic, Kaz has to actually apply himself so he can make money for food. He doesn't improve much. His co-workers (Who are MUCH more interesting than him) constantly complain about him messing things up and making their jobs more difficult.

Man, FUCK KAZ. MY HOMIES HATE KAZ. BEING HOT CAN ONLY GET YOU SO FAR!!!!!

At the Season one finale there is a moment where you think he is finally going to grow as a man! Grow into the protagonist we deserve! Tragedy, for the first time in his life, strikes Kaz! It's during the events of episode 7, when The First Order blows up Hosnian Prime. His home planet. Where his FATHER LIVES. He has a moment of humanity and he is devastated. He almost cries. But he sucks it up to finish the mission and get his friends off base for their safety. He is a man now. and the audience feels a sense of comradery for Kaz. After all, Star Wars is about Fathers. Kaz has lost his father forever. His father was KILLED by the First Order. He now, first hand, has experienced real loss for the first time and this is going to help him grow and toughen up. he has to live on his own now. Our hero has a reason to be doing what he's doing. Fighting against the first order.

BUT NAH. FAM. then the very next fucking EPISODE YOU FIND OUT HIS DAD IS FUCKING ALIVE AND THAT HE DIDNT ACTUALLY EXPEIRENCE THE LOSS THAT HE HAD THOUGHT, AND HE GOES RIGHT BACK TO BEING HIS GOOFY ASS CHILDISH SELF. NO. I HATED THAT. THERE WAS NO REASON FOR GROWTH. MAN FUCK RESISTANCE.

FUCK. IF ANYONE DESERVED THEIR FATHER TO LIVE THROUGH A DAMN PLANETORY DESTRUCTION IT WAS MY GIRL LEIA, NOT FUCKING KAZUDO THE CLOWN XIONO. FUCK. guys I'm sorry I just really hate this god damn character.

Like. Lemme break it down, folks.

TCW started and Ahsoka enters. I HATED Ahsoka for a long time. Bcs she was young, cocky and annoying. But that was on purpose. Narratively, she experiences loss, she experiences pain and GROws as a character while navigating her Jedi life during the war. Our girl grows into the capable protagonist that we EXPECT out of a Star Wars story.

Same for Rebels. We meet Ezra, and he's not quite as annoying as Ahsoka was at first in my opinion (I cannot stress how much I did not care for Ahsoka yall) but he was young. He was childish. But he was more capable at 14 than fucking Kaz was at 20. By the end of Rebels, not only is he more wise and capable, but he is selfless. He has found his own path and it's only because of what he has gone through. His journey has made him stronger. Ezra is my favorite Star Wars journey, if I'm being honest. He is the perfect example of character development.

KAZUDO XIONO ENTERS SEASON ONE AS A 20 YEAR OLD MAN-CHILD USING DADDY'S MONEY WHO IS LOUD AND DOESNT KNOW WHEN THE STFU... AND EXITS THE FINALE... AS A LOUD MAN-CHILD WHO CAN NOW USE TOOLS. He doesn't' experience REAL FAMILIAL loss. He doesn't really experience a lot of character development at all. Things just happen around him, he helps, but he doesn't learn. He doesn't grow. I fucking hate that.

Literally every single character in the show BESIDEs Kaz is more interesting than him. and EXPEIRENCE CHARACTER GROWTH!!!

Jarek Yeager, Kaz's boss in the mechanic shop, was in the Rebellion and LOST HIS FAMILY. He is a sexy ass man too. HE starts the show not wanting to help the Resistance at all bcs he's experienced loss since his days in the Rebellion, and his heart is hard and he's comfortable. By the end of the show he is risking not just his career, but his VERY LIFE to help the Resistance.

Tam Ryvora, Kaz's co-worker. Daughter figure to Yeager and a total bad ass woman of color. She is the one on the show who experiences the most character development and struggles to find her identity while the First Order is taking over the galaxy. I LOVE her.

There are these 2 kids who are force sensitive and orphaned after Kylo Ren comits GENOCIDE on their planet. This arc set up is never fully addressed nor does it have a conclusion, like most story arcs on this show tbh.

There's a literal witch for some reason??

There's this fucking rad ass sexy Mirilian Pirate girl named Synara who FOR SOME REASON is suggested to be Kaz's love interest. Gross. Girl, you gay. Move in.

I could go on and on and on. But I wont. Fuck this show. Fuck Kaz. It literally adds NOTHING to the bigger Star Wars lore. TCW and Rebels do this beautifully and this show is a hot mess of ideas and characters that never come to a satisfying story telling conclusion.

Thanks for coming to my tedtalk, dont watch Resistance.

[dinthehottotty]

Catch Me If You Can

Summary: Din finds new meaning to old words.

Warnings: Straight, unadulterated, violently disgusting fluff. It's gross.

A/N: translations at the bottom. No editting.

Those five stupid words got him everytime. They always stirred a childish rivalry between the two of you and he hated it. He was well and grown, those insignificant words should have no effect on him.

But they did.

From the time you were both foundlings it burned him. Not because you were faster than him, because he managed to grab you everytime, but the fact that it always worked on him. He idly wondered if that's why he was so drawn to bounty hunting. Had you trained him to chase?

Often times, when he's flying through the endless streaking that is hyperspace he thinks about you. Hyperspace is to you as visiting the armorer is to his parents. The whirring of hyperspace makes him dream of you saying that like some sick nightmare.

He remembers the first time it's said to him, a couple weeks after he was rescued. He'd seen you, both of you young enough that you hadn't sworn the creed. He remembers you watching him with excited eyes and sneaking over to him when all he wanted was to cry again over the loss of his parents.

"It's easier not to think about it," you'd told him, "and when you do, think about the good things." It had surprised him. He'd never spoken a word, he quickly discovered you were a foundling yourself, rescued only a short time prior. You'd eased him a bit, accepting his quiet nature with your chatty one. He thinks often of your cheeky smile from youth. It's hard to imagine what it looks like now, all he sees when you laugh is just the endless times as children he saw your grin. How you stayed so upbeat he didn't know.

But when he'd dried his tears you begged him to play and he had. "Catch me if you can!" Was shouted and so began his rage because you flashed a devious look over your shoulder as you ran.

You dared him to try.

Then it continued.

Catch me if you can, as you were trained to fight and he'd chase you across the training fields. In the middle of brawls, you'd call it out and he'd immediately turn to chase. It was purely instinctual. How you found him that one time on some outer rim planet, magnitizing trouble his direction, he decided you were bad luck. You'd weezed it as you both sprinted from an unidentifiable creature that was ready to tear you both limb from limb. He'd punched the back of your helmet for it when you were both in private (and you found it hilarious as he shook his knuckles free from pain).

It turned into a joke you'd say. Because he might be faster than you but he always have to push himself to keep up with you. It was competitive but effortless on your part and that brought out the childlike indignation he buried down. You pushed all the buttons in the perfect sequence to rile him up. He hated it. He dreaded it.

You'd appear in the furthest reaches and the most annoying manner, sneaking up on him to whisper it like it was the funniest thing. Swooping in to steal his bounties at the most inconvenient times. He never understood it. You'd catch them just before him and dump them at his feet like a lothcat dropping a womp rat on its owners doorstep. Smug and proud.

You'd jibe him with those five words whenever you could. Some of the most difficult, dangerous bounties that could yield a mighty reward and you'd just... hand them over like it was nothing.

It frustrated him to no end. But there was nothing in the world that felt better than sacking you to the ground, he swears. He loved to win against you, even if it felt like you let him. He always second guesses himself when it happens because you laugh! Like it's all in the fun.

You snare him everytime with that line and he knows he's lost. You were a fierce warrior and honestly he was glad you didn't bounty hunt often. If you did he wouldn't have even half the credits.

You swore the creed before he did. Earned your signet before him. Won a blaster before he did. It was endless chasing and even when you lost he could never understand just why you seemed to enjoy yourself so much. He could never tell if you were a rival or a friend but deep down he always hoped it was just an annoying friend.

He felt like it was a waste of your talents for you to transfer to the covert under medicine instead of mercenary work. To be honest, though he had seen you work, fingers flying effortlessly. They were steady, even when covered in blood.

He tried to tell himself that he was just too exhausted from the last bounty to not clean up his newest wound. A few shallow stabs that he'd acquired in the scuffle of a twi'lek that refused to give in. Din had closed it with an emergency cauterizer but it was mess and awkward, especially the one on his hip.

The excuses kept rolling in his head of what he'd tell you on why he didn't just clean it up himself before he realized he couldn't stop thinking about your modulated laugh or the lightness of your gloved touch compared to his. (He was fully aware of how hard you could hit and was always amazed by the delicacy of your gentle touches.)

It was after he left the Cantina, delivering bounties, collecting rewards, internally punching Kreef, that he finally just admitted he missed you. He missed the only person he might call his friend.

Din is aware that this will be the third time in the last two months that he's sought you out in this manner. That it's becoming a habit instead.

So he tries not to limp to badly to the convert. When he reaches the medical room he feels disappointed that your armor doesn't catch his eye at first. You'd probably been requested on a mission, somewhere important.

That is until he spots you half hidden behind a curtain, hunched over another mandalorian and focused intensely on whatever was under the bandage you were staring at.

He'd seen you do that. You were evaluating. You'd stand still as a droid, thinking about whatever wild random thoughts came out of your head. Another thing that marveled him. You were so creative, always looking for a different way to do things, just for the fun of it. It frustratingly worked in your favor but he thinks it's got more to do with stubbornness than good logistics.

He shuffles that way, and if you notice, you don't acknowledge him as he sinks awkwardly into one of the chairs. He keeps his weight off his hip.

"There is an avaliable baar'ur on the otherside, vod." You murmur without looking up. You'd noticed him, however not noticed it was him.

"I'll wait," he rumbles and your head jerks up in response. He likes it more than he cares to admit because your straightening and evaluating him instead of the man on the table who is no doubt glaring at him. Din thinks it's one of the many that float around and boast for your attention.

"Did you get stabbed again?" You demand.

"Not deep." Your laugh flutters about and then your turning back to your current patient who relaxes as your finally return your attention on him.

"If you want an excuse to see me just ask, you don't have to hurt yourself to do it. Just stop by, bring me some shig." You say and begin to pick up tools. When you remove the bandage Din sees a healing wound. You were checking up on him.

"I'll remember that." He can feel your grin through your helmet.

By the time he was settled on the table for examination, you were already hovering over him. He shifted onto his good side, rolling toward you as he jerked his tunic up. He had to unclip his belt to lower his pants enough for the wound on his hip to show.

You were forced to ignore the glorious dark trail of hair beginning to peak out from the top of them.

He very nearly sighed in relief as your hands carefully braced over either wound and prodded gently. It makes his heart race. "Maker, Din," he could hear you hiss minutely. "Do I have to board your damn trash ship in order to keep you from doing this shit to yourself? I'm giving you bacta."

"Don't need it. And my ship is not trash." He grunts, making you twist your helmet toward his.

"Or'dinii," you grunt lowly. Maybe he was a bit of a moron. "I'm taking your cauterizer away." Finally, you draw away and begin to pull out supplies to clean and dress his wound.

"So I'll just bleed out next time?"

"It'd be a mercy." Din smiles under his helmet as you begin gently cleaning his gashes. You knew by this point that he also refused the local anesthetics by now. He couldnt feel your hands the last time.

Din relaxes against the table, calmed by your presence. "Do you want to stop by for dinner tonight?" You prompt him.

"I have bounties to hunt."

"Tell you what, have dinner with me tonight and I'll help you catch your next few."

"I don't need your help."

"Sure. Sure. I mean, you're totally up to catching me right now." Din feels the spike of emotion in his chest and groans in annoyance.

"I have caught you everytime, wounded or not," he growls. "Were not children anymore." He doesn't expect you to lean down to his helmet. It startles his heart into a sprint as you rub your thumb affectionately over his hip bone. What game was this? All he can see is his helmet reflecting in yours.

"If you haven't realized that I enjoy you chasing me at this point, I may have to spell it out for you, Din." Your threat has a mocking to it that pisses him off more, but he's tense under your thumb stretching to the inside of his pelvic bone. It's taunting, teasing.

"What's the point?"

"Maybe you'll have to try again and find out."

And you rose back to work silently on his wound, letting him mull over your words and over think the tension.

Finally, he's patched up properly and sits up on the table. "What time are you done here?" He asks.

"Twenty minutes ago."

"Why didn't you say anything."

"Doesn't matter, does it?" You make quick work of cleaning up your supplies. "So dinner?" You demand. Din grins under his helmet.

"Fine." He relents, climbing to his feet.

"Good. Oh, and Din," you lean close, backing him into the edge of the stone table your hand presses into his chest plate. "Catch me if you can." Before you take off like there's blaster fire.

You let him catch you this time, right in the entrance to your quarters. He tackles you through the curtain and you roll across the floor, laughing all the way. Clearly, you're enjoying as much as you did playing tag or hide and seek as kids. Despite the bite of pain in his wounds he wrestles your arms to the ground on top of you.

"You like this?" He demands, half amused.

"Yeah, you were the best part of my life when we were growing up, it brings me back, you know?" He tenses when you casually admit that. And the silence hangs heavy, only heavy breathing and the tap of beskar chests heaving against each other.

Then he headbutts the helmet to yours. "I... I think about your smile a lot... from when we were kids." You shift slowly under him, legs framing his hips.

"It's strange isn't it? That we've known each other so long and we don't look anything like we did the last time we saw one another." Your voices lowered.

"We... we could see each other again," he finds himself suggesting. You gasp quietly underneath him.

"Like... like leaving the covert?"

"If you... if you wanted. But..." he hesitates, trying to remember how annoying you were supposed to be. "What if we got married?" He feels more nervous than he ever remembers feeling.

"Okay," you whimper, sounding as breathless as you feel.

"Okay?" He finds himself repeating. Your helmet nods frantically against his.

"Yes, okay!" And he's letting you go of your arms when you sound like your ready to sob. He kind of likes the sound of the beskar armor sliding against more beskar, but suddenly he's exhausted and all he wants is to sink into your warm embrace unhindered. Only rumbling bellies reminding the both of you to detangle.

...

His jump to hyperspace was welcomed this time. His brain swimming around you, his Riduur. His love. His best friend. He could embrace the thoughts of you in hyperspace.

Navarro darts out of view and he settles back in his seat, a pleasant sort of soreness filling his body from his eager activities you'd both participated in. He just wished he could have seen your face after the ceremony, but there wasn't enough time.

"Hey, Din," he hears you call from the doorway of the cockpit. But it sounds different, lighter. You weren't wearing your helmet. A thrill of excitement filled him for a split second. He soaked up a moment before he slowly pilots his chair about.

You weren't just not wearing your helmet, you weren't wearing anything. It stalled his brain to see the shy but mischievous smile as you casually lean against the doorframe. He knows the tightened nipples are due to the cool air of his ship and he takes in the face he's been imagining for nearly three decades.

You smile up at him, mocking him. "Catch me if you can," you murmur softly, but there's no motion to run. Din smiles behind his helmet.

There's no rage this time. Only thrill and awe at the face he's imagined a billion times and how he still couldn't have gotten it right. He reaches for his own helmet lifting it off his head to see his spouse for the first time since they were kids.

....

Baar'ur - Medic

Vod - Brother, sister, comrade

Shig - a hot, tea like beverage

Or'dinii - Moron or fool

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