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Somehow you ended up back on Tatooine. Again. With all the hundreds of worlds in the galaxy, somehow you kept returning to this little backwater desert planet. It wasn’t because it was a pleasant place to be but rather because it was just outside the reaches of the New Republic. Traveling with a Mandalorian wasn’t exactly safe, although sometimes it felt like the safest place you could be was by his side. It was certainly never boring, especially with a certain mischievous green toddler to keep you on your toes. Even stuck in the quiet of hyperspace, the child was a tiny terror to keep entertained and satisfied. But when he had tired himself out and fallen asleep, you had a little quiet time alone with the Mandalorian.
From the very beginning, you dealt with the quiet by talking to him. He was an exceptional listener. You shared your thoughts with him, stories of your childhood and homeworld, your hopes for the future. The more you shared, the more he gradually opened up to you in the same way. There was still so much you didn’t know about him, but he knew everything about you. He knew how you would live and die for him and the child. And you knew from his actions, that he felt the same. He’d put himself in harm’s way time after time to protect you and the child. You weren’t sure where or when along the way that the two of you had begun to act like this but it became increasingly obvious to others and yourselves how much you cared for each other.
You’d been traveling with the Mandalorian for a year when your previously quiet attraction to each other bubbled over. You had almost died that day. All three of you had only barely survived. You managed to escape thanks to your quick thinking and Din’s skill with a blaster. It’s not important what happened. What’s more important is that when the three of you reached the Razor Crest again and you were back in the safety of hyperspace, the three of you collapsed in on each other.
The child was asleep in your arms as you sank to the floor in the hull of the ship. You were still in shock after your little family’s brush with death. You weren’t sure how long you were sitting on the floor cradling the child and staring blankly ahead of you before he sat down beside you. He had removed most of his armor, leaving only his helmet. He was still wearing long sleeves and long pants, but his hands were ungloved. You jumped when you felt his bare hands on the skin of your arm.
Staring at him with wide eyes, you watched him take the child from your arms to hold him against his own chest and settle into a more comfortable position on the floor beside you.
“You need to rest,” he said simply. He stared seemingly at his legs outstretched in front of him. You didn’t say anything back, too tired and desperate for some sort of comfort after a harrowing experience to speak. You shifted to face him and pressed your cheek against his shoulder, huddling against his side. His breathing caught for just a moment. “Go rest in my bunk,” he said softly. It could have been a command but he didn’t speak with any real force, only gentle suggestion.
“No,” you whispered in response. You didn’t want to be alone but were suddenly too nervous to tell him you needed to be close to him. Even without saying it though, he seemed to understand.
“Fine,” he muttered as he stood up. At first, you felt hurt. He didn’t seem to want you close to him. He put the child in his bunk and pulled out a few blankets from a storage compartment. Silently, he laid them out on the floor and sat down on them before turning to you and waving you over. It made tears come to your eyes. In the raw emotional state you were in, he was taking the time to make sure you were comforted. You hadn’t realized that he thought about that. After taking your place beside him, you reached out for him again and this time, he put his arm around you as you brought yourself to lie against his chest. He still wore his helmet but it didn’t matter to you. You could feel his breathing and his bare hand on your back. You could feel his chest, firm and solid, beneath your hand. The length of your body was pressed up against the side of his. The two of you had never been closer.
“I was so afraid,” you spoke softly against his chest. “I thought I was going to lose you.” You could hear his heart beat a little faster and felt his thumb gently rub against your back. The small gesture made tears creep into your eyes and now you couldn’t hold the words in anymore. “I love you.” He froze. His breathing stopped. His hand on your back ceased moving. A whirlwind of thoughts went through your mind as you waited to see how he would react. Several seconds went by in tense silence until his body relaxed and he took a deep breath.
“And I you.”