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Din is good on his feet. He's athletic enough. He won't call himself nimble, but he's solid, usually.
That is, anywhere that isn't the living trap of a jungle that is Ossus, where the Master Jedi has chosen to live.
He's willing to swear the gravity on that planet is just that tiny little bit off. Either way, he's making his way through their regular path to Skywalker's school, having delivered supplies and a Holocron he'd run into on his most recent assignment from Teva.
Grogu is hopping along with Luke, jumping in graceful little arcs to keep pace with Luke and Din's long legs as Luke almost skips joyfully. Din's heart skips along with him. They've been dancing around each other for six cycles now. It's embarrassing. Din feels like he's been trying to hide his feelings so hard that Luke may think he hates him.
Din has to stare at the ground lest he fall on his face. All it takes is one moment where he's glancing up at Luke's blond hair glinting in the rays of sun filtering through the leaves for a little too long, and he's down for the count. But this isn't like other times he's tripped, and oh, he's tripped before with his vision impaired by the helmet. No, Din can hardly breathe with the pain in his ankle. He gasps in pain when he attempts to shift his left, immediately nauseous at the feeling of his bone shifting inside his leg in a way it is not supposed to move.
Luke and Grogu rush back over to him. Din is happy for the helmet, because his face is burning with humiliation.
“Mando! Kriff, I heard that crack all the way over there,” Luke says, crouching down to Din's level.
Din swallows the nausea. “Yeah, it feels broken,” he says, trying not to hyperventilate. Making involuntary noises due to pain is one thing. Having a full blown humiliation-induced panic attack is a completely different one.
Grogu immediately reaches for Din's ankle, but Luke stops him. “I'm sorry, buddy. But this time we need to help your dad heal the long way, we can't just mend the bones. If we mend them wrong, he'll end up in more pain,” he explains. Grogu whines, grumbles, and ends with a raspberry.
“Oh yeah? Didn't know you earned your healer certificate,” Luke continues teasingly. “Tell you what. Why don't you help your dad with the pain, and I'll help carry him the rest of the way? Sound like a plan?”
Grogu considers this, and Din focuses on taking deep breaths while the Jedi and his son contemplate his fate. Eventually Grogu nods his assent, and Luke gestures at Din. Suddenly he’s floating in midair while Grogu sits on his chest. Din immediately feels lethargic with Grogu's little hand resting on his temple.
He wakes up in a foreign bed with Skywalker fussing in the room. The pain is a dull sensation in the back of his mind, and his foot has been placed in a makeshift splint.
“I would have given you a more solid splint but I didn't want to, uh, undress you while you were asleep.” Skywalker's ears turn red. Din doesn't fully understand why, but he finds the sight endearing. As he unfortunately finds most things Skywalker does.
“Thank you,” he says, a little belated. “You don't happen to have a bacta tank here?” He sighs.
“No, and the bacta patches’ sell by date is good for a few years, but they'll take time to work on broken bones,” Skywalker explains, looking apologetic.
“Right. So I'm stuck here.” Din says, thankful for the vocoder on his helmet that hides the way his voice breaks on it.
“Sorry,” Skywalker offers. “I uh, I've been training in force healing for a few years now, so I can definitely help you, but you're going to need to stay off your foot for the next month or so while everything heals.”
“A month?” Din sputters, jumping to sit in the bed he'd been lying in. It's a room he hasn't seen before, with a personal fresher. There are actual flimsi books on shelves on the walls. A few holo pucks with images of Skywalker's family and old rebel friends. He's in Skywalker's bedroom.
In his bed.
Din feels himself flush a deep red. “I can't stay for a month, Skywalker,” he protests immediately. Nope, nuh uh, no way.
“Unless you're going to let me use a med droid-”
“No droids,” Din cuts off harshly.
“I know, I remember, Mando. Don't worry. But it's going to take some time to heal. I know it's not ideal, I'm not your favorite person to hang with-” Skywalker begins to ramble and Din has to stop him.
“I didn't say that,” he protests. He looks up defiantly, and realizes it's lost under the helmet. At least it answers the question of whether or not Luke knew Din had feelings for him. Well, what type of feelings he had for him.
“Well, your complete reluctance to spend more than a standard day in my company said it for you,” Skywalker huffs.
“Skywalker -”
“Your refusal to use my given name also doesn't help your case,” Luke adds.
“Luke,” Din stressed. “I like your company fine,” he says, through clenched teeth. “I just have duties to attend to. I can't stay on this planet for a month,” he sighs.
“You're going to have to, unfortunately.” Luke shrugs.
“I feel like you're enjoying this,” Din mutters darkly.
“A little,” Luke smirks at him. “Now, may I please take your pants off so I can put you in a proper splint?”
“It's a kute,” Din corrects. “a flight suit,” he adds, when Luke gives him a blank stare and Din realizes Luke doesn't speak Mando'a.
“So may I please take your flight suit off?” Luke rolls his eyes so dramatically Din is momentarily concerned for his health.
He grits his teeth. “Yes, fine, do it.”
In a moment, the pieces of Din's armor are floating onto a shelf on the other side of the room, and Luke is waiting for Din to unzip his kute. Din hesitates. He does not remember when was the last time he changed his under clothes.
“I'll give you clean clothes. You can wash in the ‘fresher before that.” Luke says, like he'd read Din's mind. Din flushes and hopes it's not visible when he unzips the top of his kute. Luke uses the force to help lift his lower body and pull it all the way off.
He's flushed as red as Din feels.
Luke's hands tremble as he touches Din's leg. It's the first time Din has ever seen him look even mildly nervous. “Are you sure you know how to do this?” He asks, suddenly worried.
Luke seems to snap out of a haze when Din talks. He scoffs. “Yes, I'm sure,” he insists, and takes a deep breath. “This is going to hurt,” he warns, before shifting Din's leg to set a splint in place and tighten it around Din's entire lower leg, from his foot to just under his knee. Din stifles a scream but the tears come to his eyes without his consent. He sniffles.
Luke lifts his eyes to gaze curiously at him. “Are you crying?”
“It's a normal response to pain, Skywalker,” Din grunts, embarrassed.
“I’ll forget it happened if you go back to calling me Luke,” he says.
“Only if you call me Din,” he says quietly. He shifts under the piercing blue eyes, feeling like he should cover his groin at least. He's incredibly naked, in only his ratty old undershirt and briefs while Luke is fully dressed.
“Okay. Din,” Luke pauses like he's tasting the name in his mouth. “Do you want to take off your helmet and wipe those natural, manly tears away?” He looks earnest but Din can see the glint of teasing in those eyes.
“I'm going to take you up on that offer of using the ‘fresher,” is what Din says.
“Yeah, I'm coming with you,” Luke declares.
“I know how to shower,” Din argues, aghast. He ignores Luke's skeptic, judgemental face. “Just give me a chair to sit on,” he allows.
“Yeah, I don't know about that,” Luke says, considering.
“You do know, and what you know is that you don't want or need to see me naked! I'm perfectly fine to wash myself,” Din insists, turning to follow Luke's suddenly downturned eyes.
Luke is red in the face again, redder than before. It's spreading down his neck and his chest, from what Din can see under the open collar of his gray shirt. Luke clears his throat. “I'll need to help you in there, Din,” he says. “I can cover my eyes if that makes you feel better,” he offers.
Din clenches his jaw, considering his options. Let Luke help him shower, shower on his own and possibly fall and hurt himself further, or not shower and be judged.
That last one is appealing. He doesn't mind if Luke judges his personal hygiene. He doesn't. He's an adult.
“Okay, get ready to be moved.” Luke says, and it's Din's only warning before invisible arms lift him in the air and lead him slowly and carefully into the fresher.
“Luke - you - I - put me down!” he protests as Luke slowly and carefully places him back down on a chair with a hole in the middle. He frowns down at it. He can feel those same invisible fingers pulling at the hem of his undershirt. “I can undress on my own! My hands are fully functional. I'll shower if it offends you that much, just - let me do it on my own,” Din breaks, sighing tiredly. He struggles to remove his briefs, but manages eventually. “Where did you get this chair,” he wonders, staring forlornly at his genitals hanging out of the hole. It looks like it was specifically made for this purpose.
Luke had turned away from him to allow him to remove his helmet, and doesn't turn when he answers. “I also broke my ankle when I first got to this planet,” he sighs.
Din is stuck in his undershirt when he hears a curious raspberry come from the entrance of the fresher. Grogu.
Oh gods, no.
“You didn't close the door?” He asks Luke desperately as he tears the shirt off and uses it to cover his exposed dick. Luke twitches like he intends to first turn towards Din and then remembers he can't so he remains in place.
“He was asleep, Din,” Luke sighs. He sounds mildly apologetic.
There's another, more pressed, curious raspberry from Grogu.
“That is a human penis,” Luke responds patiently.
More noises from Grogu. Din briefly wishes he had fallen to his death instead of just breaking a bone.
“Yes, it's natural. I didn't see it myself, but I'm sure it's a perfectly normal size.” Luke continues.
“Of course it's a normal size,” Din huffs urgently.
Grogu decides he must take a closer look and hops onto Din's lap.
Luke panics and turns with his eyes squeezed shut. “Grogu, no! No, these are private parts. Your buir needs his privacy right now; I think it's time we both stepped out. Come on. Now, Grogu!” He stomped his foot for emphasis.
Grogu grumbles and tries to reach again. “Kid, no, that's mine,” Din says, as patiently as he can while making sure his undershirt was still covering all the essential parts.
“Grogu! No, you may not see it again. Yes, I do have one as well. No, you may not see mine either!” Luke's ears grow brighter red.
Grogu sighs and slumps in Din's lap, disappointed.
Luke picks him up. “We'll let you shower in peace,” he says finally, still bright red.
“Thank you,” Din rasps, more mortified than he's ever been in his life, and he once fell flat on his face in front of his entire squadron in the fighting corps.
When he's done, he finds he's stuck. He dries himself off with the towel Luke had given him, but he can't take himself out of the fresher. The chair Luke had given him to use while he washed doesn’t move.
Luke knocks on the door just as Din is attempting to swallow his pride and call him for help. “I, uh, I can let you borrow some under clothes and help you out of the fresher. I think by tomorrow I can fix the hover chair I used when I broke my ankle for you to use while you can't walk. So you're more independent.”
Din has to clear his throat twice. “Yeah, okay,” he manages eventually, and Luke walks in again, carrying clean clothes, his eyes still closed. Din wears the borrowed pair of briefs. They're a little tighter than he prefers, but that makes sense, considering he's larger than Luke. They're not too terrible other than that. The undershirt is also on the tighter side, and wearing it finally allows him to wear his helmet again. “You can open your eyes,” Din says to Luke, who was standing in silent vigil while Din dressed himself, trying not to squirm at the thought of having an audience.
“So, uh, you can stay in the main room or in Grogu's room,” Luke says. “Or you could stay here,” he says, quieter.
“Where would you stay if I stay here?” Din asked, unsure.
“Uh,” Luke responds eloquently.
“I'll stay in the main room. The sofa will be fine.” Din grunts. He takes a deep breath. “You'll have to take me there, though.” He admits bitterly.
*-_-**-_-**-_-**-_-**-_-**-_-*
Two weeks later, they have a routine in place. Din is mostly bed ridden, so he's on the couch in the main room with his leg raised, while Grogu and Luke try to ensure he has all of his needs met. Luke uses the opportunity to help Grogu hone his force abilities by assisting Din, bringing and taking things from him.
While his ankle feels much better with the double bacta wraps and splint, Luke still won't allow Din to put any weight on it, and seems to always know whenever Din even thinks about trying it.
“It'll only hurt you, Din. And you'll be stuck here for longer,” he warns jokingly, stirring the pot over the stove where he's making their dinner.
Din thinks, it's not much of a threat anymore. Staying here. In this new routine that starts with Luke walking into the main room and opening the shutters to let the daylight in and wake Din so he can make breakfast, sitting on his fixed hover chair. They eat together, Luke with his eyes covered with a cloth before he takes Grogu outside to meditate and train while Din cleans up and uses the fresher. Grogu hops into Din's lap when they return, warm from the sun and burbling happily, until he falls asleep on Din's chest. And then comes the quiet intimacy of Luke replacing Din’s bacta patches before lunch.
Then Din goes outside with Grogu and helps him run their fighting drills. By the time they go back inside, Luke has prepared a snack for Grogu and is ready to take him for his afternoon nap. Din usually also naps, and Luke teases him about it when he wakes him in time for dinner.
When Grogu is asleep for the night, they sit together and watch holos. Luke's taste is entirely different than Din's - Luke somehow manages to find a new podrace every day, and Din prefers a nature show - but Din ends up watching Luke enjoying himself anyway.
They move so seamlessly around and with each other that it feels like it's always been that way.
*-_-**-_-**-_-**-_-**-_-**-_-*
“You can do it, Din. You're alright. We'll catch you, nothing will happen to you,” Luke encourages as Din shakes before taking his first step on his previously broken bone.
It hurts, but it's possible. He walks all the way over to where Luke and Grogu are clapping excitedly at him.
“How does it feel?” Luke asks, and his hair is so shiny and his smile is so bright and wide and his eyes are so very blue and sparkly -
Din trips.
“Din! Are you alright?” Luke rushes the last step towards him and catches him under his arms.
Din drops his helmeted forehead against Luke's chest, groaning with humiliation.
Luke freezes under him. “Din?”
“I'm okay,” he confirms reluctantly. He doesn't pull away.
Luke also doesn't pull away.
“Help me stand,” Din sighs, and Luke obeys, helping Din stand up straight again. He leans both hands on Luke's shorter shoulders. He doesn't want to leave Ossus.
“Teva is waiting for me. I need to be there in two standard days,” he sighs.
“You'll be there. You're alright!” Luke taps his hands on Din's cuirass, reassuring.
“What if I don't want to be there?” Din whispers, staring at their feet standing together.
“Why don't you want to be there?” Luke asks, just as quiet.
“Don't make me say it,” Din begs.
“Actions speak louder than words,” Luke says, shrugging his shoulders under Din's heavy hands.
*-_-**-_-**-_-**-_-**-_-**-_-*
“Where are you?” Teva asks, signal broken and fading. Din can still tell he's frowning.
“Still classified, still healing,” Din huffs, good humored.
“What the hell happened to you over there?” Teva wonders.
“A lot,” Din shrugs. “It'll be a while,” he says, and can't really make himself sound apologetic about it. He's smiling in the privacy of his helmet.
“Din, you almost done? Dinner will be ready in a bit,” Luke pokes his head inside the room where Din is having his conversation with Teva.
Teva’s eyes widen. “Is that Luke Skywalker -”
Din hangs up the comm. “All done.” He takes off his helmet. Luke leans down for a kiss. Din walks perfectly independently to their main room, ready to eat dinner with Luke and Grogu. He's not even limping anymore. But he's sure there's something else that could use some healing in his body. Luke is happy to assist with it.