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Alone.
Din spent two cycles alone, and he hated that feeling. When he had to let Grogu go with the Jedi, it was for the better. If he didn’t do that, they both would be dead by the hand of Moff Gideon a while ago. He had to let his ego down for a bit and be selfless for a lot.
Fortunately, they reunited in Tatooine when Din fight off with Boba. They haven’t been seen by their own self alone. They are inseparable. However, everything Din lost was the step he had to take to what he has now. Cobb Vanth happened.
The last time Din heard, Cobb was shot by Cad Bane. No word ever since.
Din couldn’t get the facts straight. He lied to himself about Cobb. There was something beyond Cobb calling him ‘partner’. He buried his feelings deep down so that he could focus on Grogu and Grogu alone. Yet, Cobb cared about Grogu as much as he cared about Din. And it's unfair for him.
That Krayt Dragon incident was the mark and the sign that he was so sure he would die. Din put all his trust in Cobb to take care of Grogu if he didn’t make it. That was stupid of Din to show his vulnerability to Cobb. The embarrassment that he had to endure, but deep down, he would do anything for Grogu. Even falling for someone he just met a day before.
Din knew Cobb was not okay, but he couldn’t come to terms that he was not okay. He wanted to see the body, but he couldn’t just see the body. He was no one to Cobb, but he wanted to see it for himself. Conflicted by this, he would ignore Cobb's existence as long as Grogu was by his side.
“Be selfless for Grogu,” he would remind himself.
It has been a few days since Din settled in a homestead at the edge of Nevarro that was given by Greef Karga. It was a cozy home for him and Grogu. The little house has a pond and Din would occasionally sit by the porch, seeing Grogu from afar. This was what he had always wanted.
The night came. Their ritual was lying down on the bed after they had their dinner. Din would tell Grogu any story or let him play with the metal ball from the ship while Din occupied his mind with something else. Everytime he occupied his mind, it would end somewhere. But tonight, something felt different, but the same at the same time. His feelings had always been the last priority because he was being selfless as reminded.
Something was not clicking, and Din’s heart felt hollow.
Din couldn’t ignore it anymore. The gnawing feeling that is devouring his entire chest made him hug Grogu harder, but not hard enough to hurt him. He cried silently through the helmet. Grogu eyed him sadly and babbled something that Din couldn’t understand.
“I’m alright, kid. Just sad, that’s all,” Din said. “Nothing serious,” he lied. It was something serious, but it was also nothing because anyone could not do anything about this.
He missed talking with that whitish hair and hazel eye of a man, Cobb Vanth.
The guilt that will follow Din for taking that armour away from Cobb. This realization made him sob harder. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. Grogu somehow jumped out of his hold and he waddled towards the door. Unable to really see what was going on because his eyes were full of tears. He could hear something outside of their house.
Footsteps approaching.
It sounded like safe footsteps because he could tell if it was dangerous or safe. He did not get his blasters, and he picked Grogu up in his arms. He braced himself and opened the door. Greef Karga at the doorsteps. Din couldn’t make out what face Karga was showing.
Something’s up.
“Hey, Mando. Sorry to interrupt, but someone here wants to meet you,” Karga said as he moved aside to reveal another person who stood awkwardly and Din did not realize was there. “I’ll leave you both to it,” Karga said, and he left while Din stayed rooted by the door, unable to form a word.
Cobb jerked awake, unable to breathe properly. An unknown breathing tube was attached to his mouth, and he was submerged underwater in a tank. He looked around and caught a glimpse of a button, and he pressed it without hesitation.
The tank hisses loudly, and the compartment above him opens. Cobb struggled to get out, but he managed to hit the hard ground as he crawled away from the tank.
Cobb tried to remember how he got here, but nothing came to mind. He then felt a hand brushing his shoulder, and he backed away. Boba Fett.
“Easy there, you just got out of the bacta tank,” Boba said calmly.
“How did I get here?” That’s the main concern now. However, something is missing. “Where’s Mando? I thought I was with him?”
The silence. Boba hesitated before he answered, “You don’t remember, do you? Marshal, you got shot by Cad Bane after Mando handed the armour back to me. Ring any bell?”
Yes, certainly, but it was impossible that he was alive now. If he is alive now, where is Mando? His head started to hurt more and more. So many questions he wanted to ask, but it was difficult. “Yes, where is Mando? I need him,” Cobb said as he tried to stand up from his seat. The room started to spin until Boba caught him.
“Woah, you need to relax. Wait it out for a few days until you get better,” Cobb relaxed at that.
For a few days, Cobb tried to regain his health again. He has a robotic part on one of his shoulders that functioned really well. It was hard to control at first, but he managed to do simple tasks such as taking stuff and moving his arms around.
These few days, Boba and Fennec gathered info on Mando’s whereabouts after he left Mos Espa. They were impressed because Mando’s been busy and Cobb was worried because he felt bad for not telling him he was fine. He knew Boba and Fennec did not tell Mando that he was okay. That made him angry but, it was for the better.
For the Child.
Cobb finally knows that Mando went to Mandalore to retake what’s theirs. He felt proud that finally he saw Mando succeed. Moff Gideon was defeated flawlessly. He didn’t know the details, but he knew that Mando and the Child were alright. He knows where they are.
Nevarro.
Cobb was in a spaceship within an hour. Some dude from a neighbouring town lent a ship to Boba and he let him use it. He was locked in the location of Nevarro when a gut instinct came out of nowhere. “What if Mando didn’t give a damn about him when they met?”
He tried to suppress all negativity deep down. It was worth a try, he told himself. If Mando didn’t care, he could just leave. No harm done.
Leave.
The ship landed near the town square. Nevarro was a fine settlement. Cobb remembered about the pirate who wanted to take over this place weeks ago, but the Mandalorians succeeded in counter attacking them. That must’ve been embarrassing on the pirate’s side, but victorious on Mando’s side.
Cobb walked through the town square, greeted by the locals with a warm welcome. They tried to promote their goods, but he was not here for that. Boba had told him about Greef Karga, the person in charge. It wasn’t that hard to find.
“I would like to meet with Greef Karga,” Cobb said to a droid who was standing in front of a door.
“Alright, I'll send you right up,” the droid said. It leads Cobb to a lift and the droid pressed the topmost floor. He entered.
After a while, the door opened, and he was greeted by a human this time.
“May I know what is your business here,” the woman said politely.
“I wanted to talk to Greef Karga if it is possible? I am looking for someone,” Cobb said as he glanced over at the balcony which stood a man, must be Greef Karga.
“He’s over there,” the woman pointed at the balcony.
“Thanks,” he said, and he walked over to the balcony.
Cobb noticed that the office here was being renovated. Must be from the attack of the pirates.
“Excuse me, Greef Karga?”
“Yes? Who’s asking?” Karga turned to face him. There’s some fascination shown on his face, but Cobb couldn’t make it up for.
“I am Cobb Vanth. I’m here looking for Mando. He’s the one with the little Child. The little one is green.”
“You don’t have to be that specific. There’s only one Mandalorian at the moment here in Nevarro and yeah he’s at the edge of town,” Karga’s gear was turning because his features changed. “Who are you to him? must be a husband or something?”
“Well, it’s difficult, but no. Not the husband. He helped me back at my home planet.” the lump on his throat is becoming significant but he swallowed it deep down. He’s nothing to Mando. “Thank you so much for telling me where he is.”
“Well, I can bring you there. I wanted to see his reaction when he does meet you. Only then I can confirmed if there’s anything between the two of you because he is a fool if he rejected a fine gentleman like you”
“Sure, but honestly, there’s nothing going on between us.”
“The older the wiser am I right?” pauses to hear the punchline but nothing comes up so, “anyways let’s go, before I embarrass myself even further.”
Cobb has come to terms that Greef Karga is a good man. No wonder Mando came here to stay and reside with the Child. As they walked closer to Mando’s homestead, Karga asked how they met. He told him about the armour and how he got shot afterwards. Cobb showed Karga his cybernetic shoulder.
“Well, that is messed up right there. Mando must be so guilty about that. Took the armour you stole and then you ended up getting shot,” Karga paused. “He didn’t know you were alive, did he?”
“No,” Cobb said solemnly.
“I’m sure he’ll be glad you are here.”
They started to see the tiny homestead from afar coming closer and closer. It’s nerve wracking for Cobb to be experiencing this. After a while, Karga was at the doorstep.
Cobb stood exactly behind Karga to not let Mando see him.
“Hey, Mando. Sorry to interrupt, but someone here wants to meet you,” Karga said and he moved aside to reveal Mando stood by the door. Karga must’ve come to a conclusion about what was going on between the two of them, but Cobb couldn’t come to it. “I’ll leave you both to it,” Karga said, and he winked at Cobb before he left. Karga knows something between the two of him and Mando.
“Marshal Cobb Vanth? Is that really you?” Mando said. “I- I thought you died,” Din said in disbelief. Grogu babbled something inaudible and leaped out of his hands to Cobb.
“Hey buddy! I miss you so much!” Cobb said happily. Din stood still by the doorstep. He was very sure that Cobb didn’t make it but here he stood in front of him. Full of life.
Boba didn’t tell him about this. Why?
“Boba didn’t tell me that you were alive.” “First of all, I am sorry, partner,” there it was again. Calling Din a partner. “I didn’t mean to not tell you, Mando. I got hurt pretty bad,” pointed at the cybernetic shoulder. “I am okay now though, so don’t have to worry about me.”
“I felt so guilty over the armour you know.” Din tried not to sound like he just finished crying. “Now, Boba didn’t even bother with how you were.”
“Well, I am mad too, but anything for this little guy here,” Cobb said as he playfully pointed at Grogu. “You don’t have to feel anything, Mando. I’m the one who’s hurt, not you.”
“But still- I could’ve done something about this,” pointed at Cobb's shoulder. Din was getting nearer to Cobb. “I shouldn’t have taken the armour when you needed it the most to defeat Cad Bane.”
“It’s okay, Mando.”
“Din.”
“What?”
“That’s my name, Din Djarin.”
The most intimate thing Din had ever done. Being this close to Cobbs and telling him his name.
“It is okay, Din. You don’t have to be sorry or feel any guilt because we made it. Look at where we are at. We are beyond alright, see,” Din started to back away from Cobb to ease the tension. Cobb pointed at the house. “It’s a pretty house you got here.”
“Well, I don’t want anything big for the both of us,” Din said as he ushered Cobb inside the house.
“Oh, you don’t have to include me in-”
Oh.
Cobb thought that the house was for him and Cobb. That’s something.
“I meant the Child and I- but-”
“Oh my god. I am so sorry, I misunderstood,” Cobb interrupted. Cobb’s face is getting redder.
“I don’t mind the company for a while,” Din voiced a little desperation.
“I shouldn’t, I can just stay in town,” Cobb tried to be dismissive, but then sounded like he regretted it. Cobb’s cheek rushed with a rosy red.
“It’s already late,” Din said as he closed the door. No backing out now. “You can stay the night. You are not feeling well so you can take the bed with Grogu. I will be on the couch.”
“Grogu?”
“The Child.”
“Oh! Hey Grogu! You got a cool name there, not gonna lie,” Cobb said. Seeing him interact with Grogu with so much fondness made his heart warmed. Cobb sat on the couch and Din followed.
Grogu was still on Cobb’s chest, and he was playing with the red scarf.
Din stared at the sight for a little way longer. Thankfully, the helmet helped him to cover any sadness from Cobb and Grogu. He didn’t want anyone to feel what he felt.
“You’re alright there, partner?”
Din pauses for a moment, unable to choose the right word. “Just taking in the moment,” he said. “Still in disbelief that you are here.”
Din really wanted to settle down with someone other than his own son. He wanted a partner. He had spent a long time alone doing adventures, and now he wanted to be with someone. Maybe that someone is right in front of him. No harm in trying something.
“Cobb,” Din said. The room suddenly went silent, even Grogu. He gulped before saying, “would you like settling down here with me and Grogu? We could make it work, I’m sure.”
Din couldn’t say that he loved Cobb because the fear of rejection and the power the phrase ‘I love you’ holds was heavy and endearing. It wasn’t the right time to mouth or say the phrase right at that moment.
Din will wait.
Cobb tried to open his mouth to say something, but he could only nod. Then, “Yeah, Din. I’d love that.”
Din remembered telling Grogu on one of the nights this exact wording, “I'd give you my sunshine, give you my best. But the rain is always gonna come if you're standing with me.” Now that Cobb is here, this phrasing will be applicable to him. Everything Din does and everything he did in the past will always lead to both Cobb and Grogu.
It is unfair for Cobb to enter Din’s life, not knowing what he signed up for.
“But Cobb, I could give you everything in this galaxy, but the looming danger will always be at our doorsteps.” Cobb was staring fondly. “If you do enter my house, the threat and fear will always come for me and you. We can’t avoid that. This is the time where you can go back to Mos Pelgo and have a peaceful life rather than a chaotic life with me here.” Din started to ramble on and on and on. He brought back the fact that he was so guilty that he wanted to end his life.
“Hey,” Cobb holds Din’s hands to calm him down. “We’ll go through it together. You don’t have to be alone.”
Together.