Work Text:
Peace was not something you thought you would find, and you had highly doubted that it would ever find you, but by some miracle, it did. Instead of being chased across the galaxy by those who wished you and yours ill you were now chased around your living room by a giggling green baby. Cold metal stares had turned into soft touches and kelbade kisses. You had a home. You were home. But you knew your riddur and you knew his son. Danger followed them as if it were their destiny which by extension, made it yours.
“One more bounty,” Din had said, when you dropped Grogu off with Peli. “We won't be gone for more than a few days.” You remembered her waving you and your partner goodbye and the tiny wave your little one had made with his stubby arms as he tried to copy her.
That all seemed so far away now as you trudged through the snow behind Din. The bounty had shot a few blaster bolts into the Crest before being shoved into the carbonite that you’d thought hadn’t hit anything vital but the sputtering that the engine had made proved otherwise. Din had done his best but you’d ended up crashing on a backwater ice planet without the proper gear to handle the cold. Now, you had to hike through feet of snow to the nearest town to try to get supplies. You just thanked the maker that he knew where you were going, having said he’d been there before for a bounty years ago.
You took a step and stumbled yet again, landing on your hands and knees as the snow continued to soak through your clothes from what must’ve been your fifth time falling.
“Up you go,” Din said, helping you to your feet before you stumbled into him with a pained whimper. “What’s wrong?” He asked, holding your shoulders.
“I think I screwed up my ankle on that last fall.” You said.
“Can you put weight on it?” He asked, watching as you tried.
“Only a little.” You said, letting him help you sit on a nearby rock as he kneeled in front of you.
He took your foot in his hand, slowly rotating it until you yelped. “Sorry.” He said softly before sighing “It’s probably sprained, maybe a hairline fracture. Either way, you shouldn’t be putting weight on it.”
First the ship and now this? You wanted to cry.
“It’ll be alright, Cyar’ika,” Din said, seeing that you were upset. “We’re nearly there. Do you think you can walk if I help you?”
You nodded before sniffling and he rubbed your arm affectionately. “That’s my girl.”
He helped you to your feet and wrapped an arm around you, taking most of your weight as you limped through the snow. You looked up and saw the lights of the village in the near distance that acted as a beacon as dusk fell.
When you arrived Din helped you towards where he said the inn was and you took the opportunity to glance at your surroundings. The village was small, which you’d expected, but it had the basics and you spotted a repair shop. Perfect, you’d be able to get the Crest fixed.
There were barely any people out, save for a small outdoor market that had a few stragglers coming and going. For the most part, they didn’t seem to pay you any mind but it wasn’t surprising that eventually someone said something, not in a small town like this that rarely saw any outsiders.
“What’s a girl doing with a Mandalorian?” An elderly woman spoke up, walking forward from the market with her hands on her hips. “Are you alright dear?” She seemed concerned, looking at Din as if he’d taken you against your will.
“I will be.” You said, “Our ship crashed, we just need somewhere to stay for the night so we can get it fixed.”
Her expression soured, realizing what your situation was. “Oh… you’re together?” You nodded and she scoffed. “A Mandalorian is bad enough. Having one tote around his whore is worse.”
Din stiffened at her words and instinctively pulled you closer, his arm tightening around your waist. “Don’t call me that.” You said.
“Why not? His kind isn’t welcome here and neither is anyone who’d spread their legs for something like him.” She said, dehumanizing Din to the point of calling him something.
“Why are you being so cruel?” You asked
“I call it how I see it, you’re disgusting.” She sneered, “Not even marriage could help what you’ve done.”
“We are married.” You said with a frown.
“Really? I don’t see a ring on your finger.” The old woman scoffed. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
Your frown deepened. You didn’t need a ring, you had Din’s mudhorn crest hanging from a chain around your neck and that was more than you’d ever wanted. His word was enough, not that this woman would’ve cared.
“That’s enough.” Din’s voice cut her off before she could throw out another insult.
“It speaks!” The woman chuckled, “Tell me Mando, do you always let your slut do your talking for you?”
In a second, Din had pulled his blaster from its holster and aimed it at her head. “Speak about her like that again and those words will be your last.” He warned.
The woman threw her hands up in defeat but didn’t seem to be as alarmed as she should’ve been given the gravity of the situation. She gave you both one last disapproving look and spat at your feet before she walked back into the market.
“Are you alright, Mesh’la?” Din asked, holstering his blaster and turning to face you.
You nodded, fighting back the familiar burn of tears. “Let’s just get to the inn.”
He nodded, wrapping his arm around you again as he helped you hobble to your destination.
Thankfully the innkeeper was much less of a problem, only giving you both an odd look before handing over the keys to a room when Din transferred the credits. He helped you up the stairs, practically carrying you before he unlocked the door to the room and helped you sit on the edge of the bed.
“We need to get your wet clothes off.” He said “You need to get warm or you’ll get sick. Maybe even get hypothermia.”
You nodded and he helped you pull off your soaked shirt and light jacket that had not been anywhere near warm enough before he knelt on the floor in front of you. He took your foot and set it on his thigh, untying the laces of your boot and gently tugging it off before doing the same for your other foot. As he did this you tried to unbutton your pants but your numb fingers couldn’t get a grip on the cold metal of the button.
“Let me help you Cyar’ika.” Your riddur said softly, sitting up a bit to help you unbutton and slide off your pants. Now in only your, thankfully dry, underthings, he grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around your shoulders. That combined with the fire that had already been roaring in the hearth when you arrived began to warm you up a bit.
Din sat back on his heels, taking your injured ankle in his hands and looking at the bruising that had already begun to form. “Can you move your toes?” He asked which you responded to by wiggling said digits.
He nodded, taking hold of your calf with one hand and your heel with the other. “I’m going to try and rotate it a bit, stop me if it hurts too much. Alright?”
“Okay.” You said, biting your lip as you braced for pain.
He began the movement and you tried to stick it out, digging your nails into your palms as tears formed in your eyes. “Stop.” You finally choked out. “I can't, it hurts too much. I’m sorry.”
He stopped as soon as you said the word, looking up at you. “Don’t apologize.” He said, looking back down at your ankle with a sigh. “It’s not broken but it’s definitely a bad sprain. You’ll need to stay off your feet while we get the ship repaired. Keep it elevated and iced.”
You nodded, still biting your lip to keep from apologizing again.
“I’m going to wrap it, okay?” He said before you nodded again.
He grabbed his medpac and gently placed your foot in his lap before he began to tenderly wrap it in a bandage to keep your ankle straight. He did this silently and in that silence, your thoughts started to spiral.
You thought back to the old woman who’d spoken to you, remembering the malice in her words and the way she looked at you as if you disgusted her.
“Do you think I’m a whore?” You asked, breaking the silence.
Din’s head shot up to look at you and you were sure there was some sort of look of shock beneath his helmet. “No.” he said instantly “Stars… No, you’re not.”
You nodded, unable to stop tears from welling up in your eyes.
“Hey,” he said, taking your face in his hands. When had he taken his gloves off? “Don’t listen to what that old woman said. She doesn’t know you. She doesn’t know us.” His voice came gently through the modulator of his helmet.
“Gar ner kar'ta.” He said as he wiped the tears from your cheek with his thumb. “That’s all that matters.”
You choked back a sob and leaned forward to hug him.
“Shhh.” He hushed you softly as he stroked your hair and reciprocated your embrace. “You’re alright Cyar’ika.”
Eventually, you pulled yourself away but he stopped you, pressing his forehead to yours through his helmet in a kelbade kiss. “Promise me you won’t listen to what she said.”
“I promise.” You said with a sniffle.
“That’s my girl.” He said as he gave your hand a squeeze and went back to wrapping your ankle, finishing after only a few moments. “How does it feel?” He asked.
“A little better.” You said.
“Good.” He replied, standing. “I’m going to get you something for the pain. I can tell you need it.”
You nodded, wiping away the last remnants of your tears before pulling the blanket around you closer as your riddur dug through his medpac.
“Here,” he said, fishing out some pain relief pills and grabbing the water canteen from his pack. “Take these.” He said, putting the pills in your hand and handing you the container. You put the pills in your mouth with shaky hands and took a sip of water.
Din’s hand brushed against yours as he took the canteen and he froze, taking your hand and swearing. “Dank Farrik, you’re still freezing.” He said, pulling away and starting to undo the straps that kept on his beskar.
“What’re you doing?” You asked, pulling the blanket close again.
“You’re not warming up. You need body heat.” He said, unzipping his flight suit so that he was left in a plain undershirt and boxers though he soon removed the undershirt as well.
He may have been your husband but it was still the early days of your marriage and Din was still learning to be better at physical displays of affection, especially now that he was able to remove his armor around you without risking his creed. It was new, and you dared to say maybe even uncomfortable for him so the sudden undressing was unexpected.
“Din-” you started to protest, not wanting to force him into this.
“Don’t argue with me on this mesh’la. I won't have you getting sick on top of your injury.” He said, throwing some of the pillows and blankets from the bed onto the floor in front of the fire. He turned back to you and gently picked you up, carrying you over to the makeshift bed he’d created and sat down on it with you in his lap. The blanket was still draped over you when he pulled you close so that your chests pressed together, your head tucked under his chin and against the cold metal of the helmet he still wore.
He rubbed gentle circles on your back, the cracks of the fire and the sound of his heartbeat in your ear the only disturbance to the silence that now hung in the air. His skin was warm, a welcome difference from the icicle your own had become and you could feel it along with the heat of the fire begin to warm up your own temperature.
“Do you want me to take it off?” He asked after a while, his voice a low rumble in his chest even through his modulator.
“Only if you want to.” You replied in a tired whisper, knowing immediately what he meant but never one to force him to reveal his face.
He was still for a moment before he moved and you heard the hiss of the compressor as he removed his helmet. You felt his lips press to your hair before he rested his chin back on top of your head. “Sleep ner riddur.” he said softly, his voice soothing. “I’ll be here when you wake.”