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"You'll be safe here. Trust me." Boba Fett looks at you earnestly. You do trust him. You helped him with info to take down the Pykes and now you wanted off of Tatooine. It wasn't ever your home, you've bounced around so many times you've lost count. Six planets, well Navarro is now the sixth. Boba swears to you no one related to any of the gangs will catch up to you there and if they do, you'll be protected.
....
Six rotations, that's how long ago she moved in. Din watches her through his macrobinoculars. She already has some decor up and he's glad she's far enough away he can't hear her wind chimes. He watches her silhouette against the sunset. Feminine, beautiful, he thinks. There is a twist in his stomach he hasn't felt, in a long time.
Greef did tell him he'd be getting a neighbor in his usual boisterous tone, "She's special and you both share a mutual friend. Introduce yourself! You might find a reason to finally open that wine!"
Din watches from his roof top as she climbs a ladder to hers. She sits on the flat roof and pours a drink. She waves.
Din drops his binoculars and fumbles. Idiot, of course she sees the shimmering man, with the sunset bouncing off him, watching her.
This is embarrassing. Now he has no choice.
...
You noticed you had a neighbor when you found the highest spot on your property to see over the slight curve of the flat land. A quaint little cabin, a little smaller than yours.
Six days later you see the shimmer of someone at the little cabin. Not sure if they can see you, you wave. Maybe you should hop on your speeder and introduce yourself. Boba said you're safe, to make a life. As you're stepping down the ladder you hear it. Your neighbor had the same idea.
...
She's lovely is the first words that come to Din. She's set up a nice place here so quickly, efficient. Din is finding nothing but reasons to be attracted to this woman and that makes him nervous, "Din Djarin, I'm...I live–" he points "just over there. With my son."
"Nice to meet you Din. Your armor is unpainted, I like it. Made you easy to spot." She smiles and he's confused by what he's feeling.
He's tilting his helmet and doesn't realize.
"That's not...I mean. You're shiny. It's good, I'm sure you're capable of not being spotted..if you...didn't want to..be." she stammers and fidgets.
Say something
"Why did you move here?" Not like that! She looks scared. "That is, what brought you to Navarro, it's quite remote?"
"I needed to get off of Tatooine to be safer and find some peace...and, it was Tatooine..." She looks around at the isolated landscape, maybe wondering if this is any better...the sunset makes her beauty ethereal.
"That all makes perfect sense." Din smiles under his helmet at the thought of Boba Fett moving this woman into his backyard.
...
Six weeks later you are sitting on the bench in front of Din's cabin telling him the full story of how you ended up on Navarro. He silently listens.
"I think you can probably guess how you ended up with a Mandalorian for a neighbor," Din posits.
You give Din a crooked smile and nod, "You know Boba Fett. I figured it out as soon as your speeder pulled up. I'd heard about the Mandalorian that had helped in Mos Espa."
The wind rustles and the splash of Grogu playing in the pond distracts you both as you watch him.
Din nods, to himself, "You're safe."
You look over at you're new friend, ever curious of what's going on under the helm. You watch him, he's looking straight ahead but you know he sees you smiling at him, "I know... I'm glad I moved here." Your fingers touch his on the bench.
His gloved hand lay over yours, "Me too." His fingers wrap around yours.
...
Six more weeks of safety. Twelve weeks to build trust and friendship and home and community. You're pulling vegetables to take over to Din's tonight. You cook together often even though he doesn't eat in front of you. Although recently he's been lifting the helmet up to drink in front of you, he's even had you over when he's not wearing the armor, just the helmet.
You like him and you think about him more and more. What it would feel like to hug him. You should try, you know how you feel and you're taking it so slow it's practically unmoving.
...
Din gets done eating in his room and steps out to see her playing with his son. She's laughing so hard she has tears in her eyes. She looks over at him, "Was it good? I thought the broth was excellent!"
Din nods, sometimes he wishes she could see his smile so he tries to make up for it in his tone. "It was excellent! I'm not sure I've ever eaten this well in my life. Thank you."
She hops up from the floor and strides eagerly over to stand in front of him, her hands fidget in that way he finds endearing. "You're welcome Din." He's not expecting it, so his reaction is to throw his arms up. Her arms are wrapped around his unarmored middle, her head meeting just his shoulder. Shes hugging him.
...
He's not hugging me back this was a mistake. But maker does he feel solid and warm. I'll give a squeeze before I let go. And just before you do let go, Din's arms come down around you and his helmet meets the top of your head, "Thank you."
"You're very welcome." The hug lingers. Din's hand drags down your arm. Words are hanging in the air unspoken. Just gentle touches that yearn to go deeper. His knuckles, rough, caress your jaw as he nudges you to look up at him. You search for his gaze, only finding the blackness of the visor. Your palms move over his stomach gently gliding up to his chest, "Can you...could we...do you even want to?"
Din pulls you by the waist closer to him, his voice soft and deep "I can...we could and desperately mesh'la."
...
Six months. You can't help but look at the calendar, biding time, a dark shadow looms, in the back of your mind you're always a little worried they'll catch up to you. You share a bed some nights. Other nights he takes you home. You don't hate the helmet, but you can't help but wonder if one day he'll choose differently. He recently explained that he's learned a lot and he's still trying to figure it all out. You'll wait, it's worth it. He's worth it and if you stopped trying to lie to yourself you're certain you love him. You crawl out of bed and Din is the first thing on your mind. What color are his eyes?
...
Six months. Din wakes up and wishes she was next to him. He rubs his whiskered face and goes to the sink. His tired feet drag across the cold cabin floor. He loves waking up next to her, her peaceful face when she sleeps and how she can smile so early in the morning. He looks at himself in the mirror. She's worth it, he can still follow the way and he can show her his face. Din feels himself grinning and is excited to get on with the day, to tell her and hope she's ready, hope she's not upset, hope she likes him without the helmet.
Din could hail her on the comm but instead he goes to the roof to see if she's out watering her plants. She is, he watches the breeze catch her skirt, he could watch all day.
Too distracted by his feelings he's stunned when he sees a slight shimmer out far on the mountain range. Too far and no time he's taking off into the air firing at the assassin distracting the gunman. Who now takes aim at Din.
Din draws the attention of the assassin, the slugs ping off his armor. "Greef!"
"Mando!?"
"Help." Is all Din can mutter.
"Where?" Greef responds.
"I left Grogu alone. They found her," Din's voice is panicked. Scared.
"On it." Greef says no more.
...
You hear the gunfire in the air above you. Dumbfounded by the sight of Din firing at what looks like nothing to you in the sky above. You run inside. From your comm you here Din shouting, "STAY INDOORS! GET DOWN! GOT IT!"
You shake your head yes in response, ducking low.
"Mesh'la, got it!?"
Shit! You didn't say yes!
Your hands trip over themselves with the comm, almost dropping it, "Yes!"
You here distant gunfire and then silence. Deafening silence that carries on and you're frozen until you here the unmistakable sound of a Mandalorian jetpack. Your front door opens, the daylight pours in momentarily blinding you.
Din's chest heaves as he pants, "Are you hurt?" He is silhouetted by the daylight, his form filling the doorframe as the light beams around him. "You're" he stumbles forward, "You're safe."
You jump up, "Din!" You catch him as he falls to his knees, your hand comes away from his side, warm and red. "No!...no..you're hurt." Your heart beats out of your chest, adrenaline pumping.
He nods, his words breathy and weak, "Okay. 's okay." He falls and you tumble down with him. He's unmoving. Your fingers fumble for his pulse.
He's not breathing. He's not breathing. Your hands smear blood on his helmet as you hold the cheeks of it.
"Din! Wake up!"
You have to. You have to take it off. You're whole body shakes as you find the release, his helmet hisses and you pull it off.
It's him. There he is. You don't have time to grasp how pleasing he is aesthetically to you. But you do notice his pallor, pale, bluish lips surrounded by dark stubble. Your brow stitches together, afraid, frustrated.
You tilt his head back and pinch his nose. You breath for him. You can't remove his chest plate but you press your weight into it hoping it's enough. You do it again and again and your muscles scream. Six times you breath for him. You don't notice that Greef Karga has come in with Grogu.
"Maker." Greef whispers aloud, shocked by the sight in front of him. The small green child forces himself out of his arms and leaps onto Din. You stop your compressions, shaking and sweating you recall.
He's very special, capable of healing people with just the energy field he can control.
Was Din telling you the truth? You witness his color come back as he breathes in a gentle breath. Alive. Din blinks awake slowly.
Your hands cover your mouth and in a panic you drag your bloodied palm over your eyes, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!! Oh...Din. please don't be upset."
He says nothing as he sits up slowly, he gently wraps his hand around your wrist, "It's okay."
"No, I...I'm sorry." Tears spill from the corners of your eyes as everything that's happened catches up to you.
Din holds your shoulders "Please, look at me. I want you to."
Your hand falls away slowly as you look at him carefully, taking your time opening your eyes to give Din a chance to stop you.
His eyes are gentle, he's smiling sweetly at you.
"Din?"
"It's me."
You throw your arms around him, clinging to him, desperately, your fingertips weave into his soft hair, his voice deep in your ear, "I'm here. You're safe."
"Are you okay? You were...I had too..."
"I know, I'm fine now." He nods against you. "It's over."
It's over. No more wondering when they'd show up. Boba knew it was possible and he was right, you were safe. You got a house and it happened to come with a Mandalorian neighbor who saved you. Din's forehead meets yours, biting your lip you stifle a laugh.
"Don't laugh." He breathes back a nervous response to your joy.
"You're so kriffing handsome." You go ahead and laugh as you can't keep your hands off him, you grip his strong jaw. You kiss his cheek, then his forehead and his hair and his temple, the tip of his nose, he smiles all the while. Then you kiss hips lips and he takes his time kissing you back. No one is counting now.