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“Hey bud,” buir said softly, “do you think you can drink a bit more for me?”
Grogu whined. He didn’t want to drink anymore. Everything felt so hot yet too cold at the same time, and he didn’t like it at all. He looked up at buir, bleary-eyed, a claw against his stomach. His tummy hurt so much, and he just wanted it to go away.
“I know,” buir sighed, “but we gotta keep you hydrated, kid.”
Buir’s helmet was off, so Grogu could see the crease over his eyes which meant he was worried. It took Grogu a little while to get used to seeing his buir’s face. It surprised him to learn that the feelings he had always sensed coming from buir in the Force were actually connected to the way his face moved. It was a different kind of way to suss out how he was feeling, and Grogu was still learning the ropes.
Because of the deep lines on buir’s face, he decided to take one more sip, even though his tummy didn’t like it.
“Great job, Grogu!” buir praised, lightly rubbing his ear, and a warm bubble of joy replaced the hurt in his tummy for just a second. The smile on buir’s face matched the wavelengths of happiness Grogu could feel in the Force, though they didn’t quite breech the worry. “Great job.”
Grogu raised his arms as high as he could, more than eager for some cuddles, claws flexing to be closer.
“Sure, ad’ika, just let me take this off,” buir said, starting to remove his shoulder brace, but Grogu warbled in disagreement, lifting his arms higher.
“But… okay,” buir said with a sigh, “If that’s what you want.”
Once Grogu was in his buir’s arms, he nestled in close and pressed his forehead against the cool metal on his shoulder. It felt nice, and Grogu chirped happily as he lifted his arm to rest on the other side of it and soak in the cold against his warm skin.
“What – oh,” buir realized. “Yeah, I bet that does feel good. I’ll get some cool water and a cloth to cool you down after, how does that sound?”
Buir’s gloved hand rested softly on Grogu’s back, and he hummed in response. He didn’t feel good at all, but being held by his buir always helped make things feel better. Buir’s armor rested under Grogu’s cheek, cold and refreshing, a reminder of his steady presence. The yelling in his tummy started to quiet down, and his eyes slipped closed as he felt his buir rock him back and forth.
“That’s it, ad’ika,” buir whispered, “Get some rest. It will all be better in the morning.”
Grogu, for once, listened to his instructions, and slipped into a deep, peaceful sleep in his father’s arms.