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It hadn’t been easy but Din had convinced Bo that they should go on a date like normal couples. This would be the first. Yes, they spent plenty of time together. Yes, they used to go on missions together when she wasn’t this far along and they still planned them but it wasn’t the same. And stars. Din hadn’t really ever been on a traditional date.
His ex… well… they hadn’t done much dating. Even if they both had fun at the time. Din had been different then. Really everything had been different.
But now that he and Bo were together and she was in the third trimester with their girls, he wanted to treat her. She might not admit she wanted something like this but he suspected she cared more than she said she did. He wanted to show her how special to her she was.
He thought about Bo all the time. When he went to sleep, he thought about her determination and never-ending love for Mandalore even when it would be easier for her to give up especially when it hurt her. When he woke up, he thought about her passion and love for ones important to her. Love that she sometimes tried to hide.
Probably to keep herself from getting hurt.
Grogu adored her. He was good with most people but even before Bo and Din were together, he had been curious and open to her despite that Bo could be closed off. Very defensive. Grogu loved Bo, and he would love his sisters. Grogu already talked about the babies as best he could. His little sisters
His sisters.
Din and Bo’s daughters.
Din already loved his little girls more than he could describe. His love for his daughters and Grogu were never ending. It could stretch throughout the whole Galaxy and further... Stars. He could already see them and Grogu playing together when he closed his eyes. In his mind, they were so much like their mother. The same fiery red hair and beautiful green eyes but more importantly the passion and determination and love that was so rare in most people.
“Din?” Bo asked, frowning as she held her stomach where their babies were.
Din smiled. He had been trying harder not to wear his helmet all the time. Now he believed that Mandalorians could be many different ways but it was hard to give up all the beliefs he had been told. He remembered when he was little more than a child being lectured about what showing his face could be. How it would make him not a Mandalorian anymore.
How he would be an orphan with no one.
But he had to set that aside.
He smiled at Bo.
She made a face. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, still holding her stomach.
Din just paused and reached out and touched it. She put her hand on top of his. Sometimes he could feel their girls kick. So strong. So much like their mother.
He was glad she let him touch her stomach where their babies were. She had even before they were officially together. Yes, they had made their daughters, but that had seemed to happen in a galaxy of their own at the time. He knew how Bo was sensitive about people touching her. How could she not be?
Even now that they were together, he always made sure she was okay with what he did.
“Seriously why, Din?” Bo asked.
“You’re beautiful,” Din said but that seemed too simple despite that Din usually believed less was more.
Bo looked at him and laughed.
“I’ve never been beautiful.” Din opened his mouth to argue but he didn’t get a chance. “Especially not now that I look big enough to be one of the Hutts.”
“Bo, you’re pregnant with twins,” Din said as he thought he might have felt one of their daughters kick. Stars he loved feeling their babies kick. They were so strong.
So much like their mother.
Bo frowned.
“There is nothing wrong with gaining weight when pregnant,” Din said. He wouldn’t judge people for gaining weight at all, but especially not a woman pregnant with twins.
His twins. His little girls.
“I suppose,” Bo said, looking at her stomach. She then looked up at him. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
Din didn’t pause and nodded. “We should have time together.”
Bo stared at him. Most wouldn’t see emotion in her green eyes but Din did. She was worried.
“No one will recognize us, Bo,” Din said, still touching her stomach. Stars, he cared so much for her and Grogu and the twins.
Bo sniffled and put her hand on her stomach away from Din’s. She was worried. He could tell.
“Cyar’ika, I’ll make sure no one recognizes us,” Din said, studying her face. He didn’t want to cause her more stress. She went through more than anyone should have. He paused but then realized what might make her feel better. “Bo, I don’t have to wear my armor.”
Asking this… it was hard. He always wore his armor. Yes, he took off his helmet now but taking off all his armor? Din hadn’t done that in front of most people. Yes, he took more than just his armor off in front of Bo and that was what made their beautiful girls, but doing it in front of everyone… that was different.
But he would do it for Bo.
Bo bit her lip but then shook her head. “Baby, you don’t have to. It’s fine.”
Din frowned.
“Though there is no way that anyone would recognize you if you did that,” Bo said, adjusting her hair band slightly. She almost always wore them. “No one in the Empire would ever think you’d take your armor off. At least for something like this.”
Din rubbed the back of his neck. “Then I should do it.”
After all, she was right about this. They wouldn’t suspect that.
“No, it’s fine. We’re going somewhere the Empire wouldn’t be, I imagine,” Bo said, even though there was no way to know that for sure and there was no way that she wasn’t aware of it. “And they would recognize me anyway. There is a good chance they already know that I’m pregnant anyway, given it’s not like we’re hiding.”
Din paused but that was true. He really did want to believe they were going somewhere that they wouldn’t be seen by the Empire. He really did want the two of them to do something special. She was important to him. And before they knew it, their twins would be here and then everything would change again.
It seemed like things were always changing. This would be a good change unlike so many, but still.
“We’ll be careful,” Din said, but even as they left, he wondered if he was making a mistake. Maybe he shouldn’t wear his armor or maybe they shouldn’t leave at all. He could have tried to make Bo a romantic dinner on his own, but that was something they could always do. And Axe, Koska, and Grogu were all there. Axe right now was watching Grogu which was nice, but if they had stayed on the ship, then Axe would have insisted on hanging out and eating their food.
Grogu loved causing mischief also and surely would have done that. He probably would when they were gone too. And when they got back as well.
But even if he could be mischievous and normally was, Din was grateful always he was back with him. He had missed his son more than he could imagine when he was gone.
And he knew that Grogu was going to be an amazing big brother. He already was. He would talk to Bo’s stomach sometimes in his own language and giggle as if the twins were telling him a great joke. All three of them would be lucky to have each other.
And Din was lucky to have the children and Bo.
He would never forget that.
Din was hoping that the date would be perfect. It was really basically their first date even though they had been dating for awhile now. It wasn’t like they could just go out when they were trying to get Mandalore back and fighting the Empire.
But no matter how things changed Bo was always fighting for Mandalore.
But today Din wanted to give Bo a break from that. At least as much as he could. He wanted their date to be calming and romantic. That was different than they usually got and he thought that it would be nice for her.
And maybe they could get a tiny bit of normal just for one night.
Din hoped that would be the case anyway.
But of course, that couldn’t happen.
As soon as they got to the restaurant, things weren’t right. No, the Empire wasn’t here or any of their other countless enemies, but as soon as Din saw the two in front of it, he knew something wasn’t right. Yes, they might not be their enemies but something was wrong.
There was a teenage girl in the front and she was with an man who was probably in his late twenties. The two of them were arguing or rather he was yelling at her and gripping her arm tightly. She was standing there, staring at him and for a moment Din saw fear in her eyes. He would know that look anywhere.
And he kept going on and on at her, saying something about how she needed to grow up and she was making all of them look bad. How she wasn’t doing anything right and how she needed to act in a more proper way.
The girl rubbed her face was her other hand and Din noticed something that looked like it might be a bruise that was partially covered by makeup.
Din’s stomach sunk. He should do something. He should say something.
He didn’t get a chance.
“What is going on?” Bo asked as she went over to them and then actually pulled the man’s hand away from the girl’s arm. Even pregnant and without her armor, Bo looked dangerous. Not like the kind of person who you should mess with.
She wasn’t the kind of person you should, even if she was pregnant.
The man’s eyes widened slightly but then he smirked. “Leave us alone. My girlfriend and I are having a discussion.”
“Your girlfriend?” Din asked. She looked way too young to be with someone like him.
“Yes,” he said. “And I know you Mandalorians like to get involved with things that don’t concern you, but you need to mind your own business.”
Din didn’t know how he would have acted in the past. Things had been so different before he got Grogu. But he couldn’t just stand here now.
“It seems like you’re just screaming at her and I can see the mark on her face,” Bo said. “I know what that means.”
“It doesn’t mean—” the man tried to say.
“You have no right to hurt her or even yell at her like that,” Bo said. “And you should leave her alone. Actually, you’re going to leave her alone.”
“She’s my girlfriend,” he said.
The girl was still quiet. She was looking at the ground. Din didn’t know if this was the right thing but they should do something. And this guy was clearly bad news.
“Well maybe you should find someone your own age and leave her alone,” Bo spat out. “And not hurt anyone you’re with.”
“And are you going to have your Mando do something if I don’t?”
Bo laughed. She used to hate it when people didn’t think she was Mandalorian because she couldn’t wear her armor anymore because of her pregnancy but now apparently, she was used to people not knowing right away.
“You’ll wish that I had him do something,” Bo said. “It would be better than me taking action.”
“And what are you going to do? You’re just a knocked up bitch who—“
“Leave,” Bo said. “Leave or you’ll regret it.”
Din nodded.
The man glared at the two of them but then looked at his girlfriend. “Lola, we’ll talk about this later.” He then left.
There was a silence. Din had no idea what to say. It was good that guy left but that was just for now.
“Are you okay?” Din finally managed to ask the girl. Lola. That was what the guy said her name was.
She stared at him and then Bo and then nodded. “I’m fine.”
“That’s… good,” Bo said, seeming out of her element now even though she had been much more in it when the man was here. “The two of you seemed—“
“He was just upset,” Lola said. She sniffled and then rubbed at her arm. There were red marks on it from where he had been grabbing her.
Bo was quiet, lost in thought. Din doubted that this didn’t remind her of when she had been younger.
“Does he get upset often?” Bo asked. Lola stared at her and for awhile there was silence.
“It’s not a big deal,” Lola said. “He loves me.”
“Then he shouldn’t treat you like that,” Din said.
Bo nodded. “I… when I was your age there was someone who… I was close to. He trained me and I believed was there for me. But he… well… He mistreated me and people near me. He wasn’t how he seemed at first.”
She stared at her.
“I just… there are people who can help you,” Bo said, brushing a strand of her red hair out of her face. “I… I can give you a way to contact me.”
Din was at first surprised that she would say this given how closed off Bo could be. But this girl might be going through something similar to her. He knew how much what she had gone through hurt her.
And seeing her want to help someone going through that…
“I promise things don’t have to be this way,” Bo said. “I… I used to think I had no choices either. And—“
“You don’t know anything about my life,” Lola said, glaring at her. “You don’t know anything at all.”
There was a pause and Din had no idea what to say. They could be wrong about everything but he doubted it.
“Okay, but let me still give you the information,” Bo said. Her voice was so calm that it almost didn’t sound like her. “Just in case.”
Lola paused but then she nodded and let Bo give her all the information. She then bit her lip and looked at Bo. “You really had someone hurt you when you were a teen? Obviously, I’m not like that and it’s not happening to me but someone hurt you?”
Bo nodded. “Yes, and it was someone who I thought never would. I used to look up to him but…” She shook her head.
Lola stared at her. “Thanks, I guess for the information but I’m not going to need it. “I’m not like you.”
They ended up asking Lola if she needed a way to get home or somewhere safe but she left without saying much else. When they went into the restaurant after, the staff was annoyed with them being late.
And they wouldn’t even let them eat there. Din couldn’t believe this. He wanted this to be special. He had even offered them more money to let them stay but they just stared at him.
Sometimes people were afraid of him because of his armor but these people apparently weren’t.
Really Bo was the scarier one anyway.
“It’s fine,” Bo said, putting her hand on her stomach. “I don’t really care about fancy food anyway.”
Din shrugged. He didn’t really either but he had wanted things to be special. Maybe this could have reminded her of what her life used to be like so many years ago and that could have made her happy.
Every place was full so they ended up going back to their ship. There Grogu came running over to them faster than he usually did. He went over to Din and then showed him a new toy Darksaber. One had been enough.
And he wasn’t pleased about Axe getting him another.
Especially after what happened with the real one.
“Dada!” Grogu exclaimed and then he used his powers to bring a toy blaster too.
Din sighed and shook his head as Axe came in. Din narrowed his eyes at him but Axe just shrugged.
“Thanks, Axe,” Din said.
“Don’t you want him to be a proper Mandalorian?” Axe asked
Din sighed. He was sure Grogu would mostly shoot him with that. Well either him, Axe, or Koska. Since Bo had gotten pregnant, he had stopped hitting her with the toys. Grogu could be really sweet.
He was mischievous too though.
Din hoped the twins would love trouble less.
But he doubted it.
“I thought you too would be out later,” Axe said.
“We were supposed to be,” Din said with a sigh. It was disappointing that he couldn’t even do this right.
“It’s fine,” Bo said. “And you know you could try and make food. You’re okay at cooking.”
“That would be great, Din,” Axe said like Din knew he would.
Din stared at him, but Axe didn’t even appear to know or care. Din sighed and ended up going to the kitchen, even though he had no idea what he was going to make. It wasn’t like they had that much food that you could make something special with.
But he would do his best.
And he managed to find something and now was cooking it and hoping that it would end up half way decent. Din was never going to be on some cooking holodrama. But he was doing the best that he could.
He was almost done when he heard Grogu let out an excited chirp and then a giggle. Din tilted his head to the side. What was going on? He put down the spoon and then crept closer to the other room. When he was near, he peeked around the corner.
Axe was gone, but Bo and Grogu were together and she was teaching him how to use the toy blaster as if it was a real one. He was holding it now with a determined look in his big brown eyes.
“Grogu, if this was real you shouldn’t shoot the blaster at anyone you wouldn’t want to hit,” Bo said softly. Softer than she usually spoke. “You don’t want to hurt any one of your friends. But this is a good way to defend yourself.” She smiled and her eyes lit up. “You might not need it since you’re so Force sensitive, but it’s still good to know.”
Grogu nodded and then fired the toy. Din expected him to use the Force for it to go where he wanted, but he didn’t.
“You did good. Really good,” Bo said.
Grogu grinned and reached for her to pick him up and she did, holding him close to her.
“Bo, Bo,” Grogu said. “Love Bo.”
And that was what it took for Din to realize that he loved Bo too. He didn’t know when he had started loving her, but today… stars, how could he have not realized it earlier? Bo was something. She was tough and guarded which could make her hard to get to know. And she sometimes pushed people away. But once you got to know her…
Stars… Bo was so passionate and caring in her own way. She wanted to liberate Mandalore, not for herself but for Mandalorians. She had helped convince Din that they should work together to unite Mandalorians. And that girl today… Bo had done her best to help her, even when Lola tried to push her away. And Bo was good with Grogu.
And Din, well… Din loved spending time with her. He loved almost every minute of it. He loved the person who she really was.
And he loved her.
He was tempted to say it right now and yet he stopped himself. Now wasn’t the right time.
But he would find it.