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Cad Bane had never expected his grown up, adult daughter to drag him on so many shopping sprees over the years. Meeyan had been so difficult as a child. Her early life on the streets of Coruscant had made her more cautious than greedy. Once she had food she was satisfied, and after that she'd been more concerned with retaining her comforts than expending on them. The thrill of the hunt hadn't come naturally to her the way it had for Cad.
But one day she'd clicked. He'd recognised the murderous spark in her eyes, her dead-set intent on pulling a self appointed job... And she'd carried that spirit forward into a brilliant career.
He expected little else of his darling daughter, adopted or not. But he'd also expected she'd have taken off to be on her own. Who wouldn't? Instead she often latched her ship to his to "hang out" as she called it, which mostly involved lots of cooking at his expanse, eating all that cooking, doing crazy team jobs he'd never have looked at on his own, and playing a lot more dejarik and zunzu than he'd bargained for, when he'd offered the scrappy little Twi'lek to apprentice under him.
Yet in truth Meeyan's greatest hobby was to drag him through markets and shopping centres around the galaxy.
'It's pure nostalgia to me,' she'd say, eyes crinkling in amusement. 'I never want us to stop doing that, you know?'
That's exactly why he was sitting there on the terrace of a bubble tea place on Pantora, relishing the slanting sunlight and listening to Meeyan's animated report of her last job, which had involved a two million credit prize reward, a backstabbing Rodian in Hutt pockets and a half-deaf, trigger-happy Wookie who she swore was Force sensitive.
'Like, how else could he survive that explosion? No one walks away from that, and then the way he shoved me out of range when—'
Meeyan's stories were usually captivating, and Cad always took an interest in his daughter's life anyway, but the entire world went on mute when he realised who was sitting in the window of the cafe right next to theirs.
He was sitting at the perfect angle to see them without being in their direct line of sight, and Stars be thrice blessed, they were right behind Meeyan's back, so she couldn't see them. There was no mistaking them either. It wasn't like anyone alive today could forget what Fett's face looked like.
But Din's face was a new thing, even for Cad.
They'd met many years ago, when he'd been doing a lot of jobs with Meeyan in the outer rim. Scrappy little Mando crashed two of their gigs before Meeyan descended on him and wrestled him into submission, dragging him to the ship to feed him and tame him. Though they'd walked from the event as tentative new friends, even then he was hiding under his bucket and spouting cultish nonsense about being unable to remove it. Meeyan had brought out a screen to split their small galley so he could eat while Cad loudly complained the runt wasn't worth the effort or their food. They'd stayed in touch over the years, became as close to friends as bounty hunters ever grew to be with each other. Although once Meeyan had outgrown guild work and Cad returned to more solitary commissions, they met less often in the field.
They'd seen his face for the first time along with the longest and by far the strangest holo recording ever sent by the man, and that was saying a lot. Din Djarin had beaten an Imperial in combat while rescuing his own adopted kid and now, somehow, he was Mand'alor. Cad had rarely laughed that hard or for that long in his life, and he kept a copy of that holo in his private quarters. They'd only met up once in person after that, Din stopping on his way to visit his child, a little green Yoda-like thing called Grogu, that did not speak but judged you silently with its big, eery eyes and droopy ears. Cad wasn't a fan. Meeyan thought the child was a riot. Then again, she'd never gotten involved with Jedi, so she could afford to think it cute.
At any rate, even in doubt, both Mandalorians, Boba and Din, had their unmistakable helmets placed at their feet, gauntlets and gloves put tidily on top.
Because—and kriff him, he wasn't dreaming—they apparently wanted to go skin to skin when holding hands.
'So, obviously I shot him between the eyes! Can you imagine the balls of the guy, saying this to my face?' Meeyan was saying.
'Yeah...'
But Cad's attention was riveted on the sight in front of him. Din Djarin and Boba Fett, sharing a seat in the windows of a shop called Lemoney Lemony, holding hands, and ah—here came a waitress with... A single, if generous slice of... Lemon cake?
They nodded their thanks and Boba grabbed the one fork, batting Din's hand away and starting to cut into the cake. It wasn't even a dominance thing, Cad realised with some trepidation. No! Boba was... Offering the first bite, on that tiny little fork, disappearing between his big, callused fingers.
Cad watched, bemused, as Din blushed, simpered, and hid his face behind a hand in embarrassment before finally leaning in to gobble the proffered piece of cake. Boba cut himself another forkful and ate it with a self-satisfied grin. This little dance went on for two more bites before the waitress returned with their drinks. Din saw his opportunity and took it, seizing the fork Boba had put down to accept his cup of kaf.
Cad couldn't read his expression with his face turned away like that, but his dismay was still perceptible when Boba simply put his chin in his hand, leaning over the counter, and lazily accepted the lemon cake Din was trying to embarass him with.
Cad chuckled. They couldn't have been together for too long if Din thought that sort of stuff would work on Boba. Honestly, kriff Din, when did the fucker get himself a boyfriend? He never told Cad anything until way too late! And Boba... Well.
Things had soured for a while between them after he left the Republic prison and before Bossk had gotten out and helped smooth things. Conflicting jobs, harsh words, Aurra's past influence, expectations built on stories Jango might have told Boba... A lot had been going on, and Cad had been too busy raising his own teen in the constant turmoil of the Jedi purge and early Empire getting into gear. It'd taken a while for them to get civil again, and then Boba had started working for Vader on the regular. Same mistake as his old man, like it was etched in their genes. Jango lost his head for sticking around his Sith boss too long and Boba got tossed into a Sarlacc pit.
It was great that he'd survived, but somehow the experience hadn't made him any more talkative than before. He'd certainly not sent Cad a ping when he returned to the bizz. Had to hear it from kriffing Fennec Shand!
'Dad, are you even paying attention?'
'What? Yes.'
'What's so funny about the New Republic's tax forms?'
Cad shook himself. He'd completely lost track of Meeyan's story but tried his best as she continued explaining the new regulations that forced more colleagues out of private jobs.
'Team assembly is getting trickier by the day, that's how you end up trusting your back to scummy Mij.'
'Mij, the backstabbing Rodian?'
Meeyan frowned. 'Yes. What's with you? Did you order a shot of something with your bubble tea?'
'No.'
Meeyan's frown deepened. 'What's in it? Is it an allergic reaction?'
'I'm fine,' Cad said, showing just the tip of his fangs in a sign of exasperation.
She sat back down, observing him, swirling her own tea, making the dark nioka beads whirl. He needed to pay attention. Meeyan could be uncannily perceptive, and if she turned around... Well, Cad knew his daughter, and he knew exactly how she'd react to seeing Din Djarin engaged in the most awkwardly cute date ever.
He nodded along as she resumed her tale, interjected some of his own hard earned wisdom, and only stole little glances to the window and its drama.
But then the bill came, and Boba again struck first, snatching it out of Din's hands, and Cad's attention was engrossed again.
A slight scuffle followed, but Boba clearly would not hear any of it. He smacked a peck of a kiss on poor Din's forehead and went to settle the bill.
Din turned back to the window, finally in full view. He was still frowning, eyes far away. But then his frown just... Dissolved... Into a dumb, blissed out happy smile.
Cad felt his eyes prickle. What the karking Hells was this? Mando Din, hiding a "Teehee my boyfriend is the best and I'm so lucky" smile behind his hands? Blushing as he put his gloves back on? Probably blushing even more when Boba returned and hit their forehead in a small keldabe kiss?
'Dad!'
Cad snapped back to Meeyan, gaping at a series of horrible realisations.
One, given the dead end their cafes were located in, Din and Boba would most likely walk right by them to leave. Two, no way the game wasn't up for Meeyan and three, he'd been so lost in the whole experience he'd completely forgotten to record it for future blackmail!
'I'm sorry,' he mumbled, taking his large, much too iconic hat off his head. 'Just saw someone I thought I recognised.'
'Who?'
'No, no one, don't worry.' Cad said, sliding down his chair to break his posture and bringing his tea up like he could hide behind it. 'You were saying?'
'I'm not sure repeating just that sentence would be enough, you've been completely out of it the entire time.' Meeyan stopped and frowned as the two Mandalorians passed them. 'Hey. Isn't that Di—'
'No.'
Meeyan's lekku twitched. 'I'm pretty sure I can recognise Din's armour. And isn't that Bo—'
'Shhh!! No, it isn't?'
'What's with you?'
She was halfway out of her seat already, and the men weren't getting away fast enough, going at the crawl of a leisurely promenade.
'Nothing!' Cad exclaimed, bringing the metal heel of his boot down on Meeyan's foot. 'Sit down, dammit, tell me everything about the kriffing taxes!'
'Ow— Cad, I swear!' She sat back down and huffed.
A glance over his shoulder told him he was safe, the two Mandos had gone around the street corner. Turning back to his daughter however, he found her leaning across the table, chin resting on steepled fingers and lekku coursing with shivers of anticipation.
'You are going to tell me everything you've witnessed that's distracted you so much,' she said, voice sweet as a summer's mead, 'or else I'll be giving Din Djarin a courtesy call and ask him about his afternoon.'
'Mee-Mee...'
Meeyan laughed, throwing her head back and brushing her lekku behind her shoulders. 'No.' She deadpanned. 'Don't even try. Go on, tell me.'
Cad sighed. He'd done his hardest to raise his bright daughter to be the best and follow in his footsteps, and maybe created a monster in the process.
'Fine,' he said, surrendering with a wave of his hands. 'But you can't tell a soul, this is sweet intel. Like, tooth-rotting sweet...'