luc-k-y

He helps you up, but doesn’t hurry you. You almost smirk at the purposeful, cautious touches on your side, trailing his gloved hand along the curve of your back as he leads you to the refresher, awakening thoughts more sinful than you suspect is his intention.

It’s then he tells you the time, but shares nothing else about why the ship is quiet.

“What about—”

“He’s asleep.”

Your mouth clamps shut, taking the clothes he hands you as you bury the rest of the questions. Each piece you slide on, you don’t shy away as he stands waiting. Letting him stare, letting him take in the sight of you in more light than he can when your bodies usually writhe.

Are you admiring me, Din? you want to ask. Do you feel the invisible string between us too?

Sometimes, you dislike that he told you the shade of his eyes, because you look for them. Peer through the visor with more hope than you’d allowed yourself to have before.

“Can you turn around?”

It should sound like a command, but his tone is softer, more brittle. Something unspoken within it, tightening around each letter, bending and forging with it—likely things he’ll never admit.

Still, you obey. Closing your eyes as you feel him behind you, his presence crowding and looming—recollecting when he’d been barer than he is now, draped over you.

If you will it enough, you swear you can feel his breath fluttering over your shoulder—remembering how he makes you feel full and sated, content and happy. The last time, you’d been in a haze, fucked out, blissfully aware of the naked fingers resting at the base of your neck as you came down and the way he had tilted your head back and swallowed your whine like he knew it belonged to him.

You do, you think, belong to him.

Not because he has taken, but because he has earned—he has proven. A thing which rises to the tip of your tongue and sears alongside the other words which linger and ferment.

“Trust me,” he says.

Not a question, but an ask. And you don’t mean to, but an unintentional gasp escapes at the feel of the soft, smooth fabric when it slides over your eyes. Light fades as though he clicks his fingers, blanketing you in night in the middle of the day as it tightens around your head—rendering you quiet, shyer, almost smaller, as your sense is removed, willingly given but taken all the same.

Then you stand, breath hitching, anticipation threading through your veins as you wait. For him to move, to speak, to do. Each second stretches into eternity, making a protest wish to appear. A change of mind, a declaration of wishing to do something else, than this.

But, you don’t speak it. Instead, dancing your fingers against the tops of your thighs, waiting, not patiently, but not rushing.

“Relax.”

You snort to smother the shiver that darts down your spine at his voice.

Unsure how one does such a thing when you hear the ramp going down, subtly listening to the sound of water running. You feel lost, adrift in a sea of darkness—of nothingness—with every fibre of your being yearning for a familiar anchor, teeth rolling over your bottom lip as you fight the urge to whisper his name into the void, a silent plea for reassurance amidst the engulfing uncertainty.

Din, you think.

Wondering if he can hear his name in your mind. If he’ll come to your calling, hold your hand; allow you to ask if this is necessary, if this—

“Breathe.”

And you do.

Chest filling, lungs flooding—his gloved fingers sliding between your bare ones, rooting you as he repeats it. Calmness spreads through you inch by inch, in the same way he makes pleasure surge through your muscles.

He gives you a minute, a moment. Likely waiting until your head turns in the direction you think he’s in, before he leads, offering stony orders to be careful—one that almost makes you grin until your steps take your soles to meet something softer than his ship.

The smell greets you first. It’s crisp and sweet—unlike anything you’ve encountered. Then the drizzle, how it forces your clothing to bind to your skin in a way that should feel suffocating, but instead feels freeing. Lips beginning to stretch, teeth showing as your cheeks ache with the intensity of your grin.

It’s then you feel him move behind you, the squelch of his boots signifying it. His chest meets your spine, the ghost of his touch along the side of his neck, before you feel the fabric over your eyes, loosen and light begins to seep in.

Then, it goes from nothing to everything. It being almost too much to take in all at once—the unveiled surprise, the thing he’d wanted you to see in its wonder and not in pieces as you descended.

And—

“It’s beautiful.”

It being the delicate blooms that stretch out before you. Each one a mysterious burst of colour against a backdrop of greenery. Vibrant splashes of colour, all wild and free, rising from the ground like the scenes from books you used to read. With each sway and ripple in the breeze, you spot more flowers. All of them stirred by the falling rain, watching each motion, all in awe; lost for words.

Distantly, you become aware that he’s moved to the side of you, but you’re unable to tear your eyes from the world. Not able to take your sight from the striking array of hues, every colour flower you think you could ever imagine swaying. Because there are iridescent blues and purples; there are some that glow with luminous gold and reds that look stained with blood. Shares you can’t even name, but are drawn to, reluctant to steal your gaze until you spot another.

Fingers reaching out, knee bending, you touch one, find it softer, more delicate than you ever thought. Tears springing to your eyes, chest swarmed with warmth as you admire the way the stems twist and spiral in graceful arcs, all beaded with the sparkling mist that continues to fall.

“What do you think?”

“It’s…”

Words fail you, a thing you’re not sure he could ever believe.

The only conscious thought is that you wish to live amongst them. No words exist that can describe how serene you feel; how as wild or as drenched as the petals you admire.

Because it’s then you really notice the rain, coming to sit amongst the living and the flowers. Ground soaked with it, it falling in torrents. Each droplet is a percussion against your skin, seeping through the layers and soaking you to the bone.

It's a different kind of loveliness. It’s all free, raw and unyielding, a mosaic of shades that aren't bowing or converting into a glistening canvas of liquid silver—even if the skies try to.

In truth, you thought you’d seen rain. But this is something different.

It is more akin to the sky having been ripped open, split in two, cracked, all but pouring its tears upon the land in a symphony of water and wind. Your fingers dig into the dirt, feeling his equally soaked thigh press against yours as he joins you, feeling him watching, studying, even if you can't see his eyes.

“My mom used to say that a flower sprouts when a person leaves us,” you say, soft, barely your normal volume. “I always wondered where they did—I guess I know now.”

Shifting, you peel your sight from the flowers to see his legs extended, his body so close to yours. So much so, it would be easy to lean into it. Into him. To press your drenched clothing against his equally drowned frame, seek warmth, and take what he will offer you in the brightness of the day.

“Din,” you continue, tuning in to the gruff noise he makes for you to continue, as you move your shoulder closer.

His head turns, the front of his helmet facing you.

Allowing you to see a bead slide gracefully down the silver, moving like a serene symphony—as others fall, and then another. All being left by the sky above, weaving paths you wish to trace with your fingers.

You shouldn’t, but you want to wipe each away with your touch, rest your palms against the places his cheeks should be and will your hands to remember the warmth you know they can be.

“Can you remember the last time you felt the rain on your bare skin?”

Silence. Rain slides against leaves before rolling down to the soil below. The sound increases and decreases in odd waves as the storm tries to square itself against the sun, against the blossoms which rise like an army unwilling to cower.

“No.”

His reply is rough, croaked out through the modulator—caked in openness you’re not sure he wishes to show.

And, it makes a memory resurface. Sharp and clear. The first time you’d felt him unmasked, the vulnerability etched into his features—frame tense, rigid. Nervousness flowed through him as easily as the blood that races. How you’d kissed him, felt his cracked lips gain confidence against yours as his muscles rippled under your palms.

In a different way than then, you reached out, offered comfort—providing something you’re not sure he easily is given.

“A person could get lost here,” you sigh, the words practically tumbling out.

A stillness follows, one only punctuated by the rain. That is, until he shifts, until you hear him exhale, before adding, “Not you.”

Dragging your eyes from the landscape, you watch as more droplets slide and skate down his helmet, against his armour. Desperate to cling. It’s nothing but mesmerising, making him appear like he’s made of the sky. Reflections of the flowers there, muted shades mirroring.

“No?”

He’s silent for a moment. Just one. “Wouldn’t let you. I’d find you.”

Smirking, you turn back to the view. “You’re good at that—practically a professional.”

He allows a beat, lets your shoulder settle against him—the heels of your boots digging into the ground of this place, hoping a little bit clings on and comes with you.

“I’d look for you.”

Breaking your gaze from the flowers and the falling rain, you rest them on his helmet. On him. On the space you think the brown eyes he’s told you about are currently watching you.

It’s slow to appear, taking its time to spread up into your cheek as the implication of his words ring out. Look, not find; search but not hunt.

“I wouldn’t run to begin with.”

You feel it, the shift, slight tilt of his head at your words.

And you swear you hear him breathe good, light almost airy—before gloved fingers find their way between yours again. Soaked, sodden. But neither moving as seconds become minutes.

“Cyar'ika?”

You hum, preening, almost blooming under the name he’s just begun using. Nestling further against him, watching the flowers sway and turn in the rain before his gloved hands come in front of you—a bunch of flowers held out to you, offered, given.

“My hair is brown too.”

You smile, taking the bunch, bringing them to your nose. “That’s nice to know.”

The last lock on your door turned with a soft click and the door swung open as you let yourself into your loft. The light from the corridor illuminated the space inside, your shadow casted by the doorway. Then you clicked the speaker on the phone as you closed the door behind you. Luckily you had let the kitchen light on, allowing comfort into the empty place, flickering the main light switch, bringing it to life.

“Did he actually fucking say that to you?” A voice spoke from the phone. You laughed at your best friend's tone, even from halfway across the world it was like they were on the brink of strangling someone. You leaned on the table as you started taking off your heels. “What a dickhead! You dressed all nice and looked amazing. And he called you a bitch for not sleeping with him!? What a fucking idiot!”

“Too bad. He was decent looking.” 

You heard an exaggerated gasp coming from your friend.

“It’s always the nice ones! Man can’t do shit right I swear!” They said and you shook your head with a smile, grabbing your phone and walking towards the kitchen.

“Thank you, seriously. But what can I expect? Man was full of himself, all talk about what he does and how much he travels. He barely let me speak at all and then he goes on and on about how he was hoping for something else after. We were halfway through the dinner and was asking me to fuck. I thought my profile was easy to read.” You said, your eyes fell on the brand new bottle of red wine sitting on the fridge door, your mouth suddenly felt dry to the promise of the liquor.

“Fuck him. Good thing he actually ended up showing his true colors rather than later into anything.” Your friend then sighed as you grabbed the bottle and closed the fridge. “Holy shit, can’t believe I woke up early for you. It’s about to be seven in the morning now. I should probably get out of bed now. Anyway, love you, go to bed now.”

“Or maybe open a nice bottle of red.” They laughed and there was a pause. 

“Of course, you could alway open that window of yours and give a little show.” This time you gasped with a laugh.

“Good morning to you!” 

“Come on! The dude might be hot.” You rolled your eyes with a half smile.

“Could be, but I will never know. He could also be somebody's grandfather.” Your friend let out a snort and that made you laugh again.

“You got me there. Good night then, enjoy that nice wine of yours.” They said and ended the call after you said your goodbyes.

You moved around your small kitchen, grabbing a wine glass and a corkscrew. After pouring yourself a generous amount, you brought the glass to your mouth and the bittersweet taste made you close your eyes. You needed this, especially after that god awful excuse of a date. You knew it was too good to be true.

After turning off the main light, you found yourself sitting on the beat up loveseat you had set up right next to your window. The small coffee table next to it held the book you had been reading for the past three nights. There was something about the scenery that made you feel like one of those movie scenes. A cozy moment of welcome solitude. As your fingers itched to reach for it, the corner of your eyes caught a light coming from across the street. 

A very familiar light.

Your eyes betrayed you and focused their attention towards your neighbor's window. The window that just happened to be within your direct line of sight. Your view inside was limited, but that didn’t prevent you from seeing your neighbor pacing around the dark space of their condo.

Truth be told, this wasn’t the first time your eyes had wandered to the window. The first time was a month ago. You had gotten tired of working from your bedroom and decided some natural lighting would benefit you. So, you placed a small table by the living room window. The same window you were looking out of now. 

It was an accident really, you had started to notice that, around the same time every night, your neighbor would come home, turn on a few lights, yet not all. Then they would sometimes pace around, you would always catch a glimpse of a shadow sitting down on a chair, next to what you could only guess were books stacked on top of each other.

Ever since then, you had worked on that table, or sat down on the loveseat as you read something. Every time, your eyes would catch whenever your neighbor would get up and do something else. You didn’t understand why observing what other people did fascinated you, but it did.

Your neighbor had once again walked past the window and this time they stood there, their back facing you for a second. You brought the wine glass up to your mouth as you tried picking up your book with your free hand. Just as you opened the book, your glass still in hand, you noticed their figure move away from the window and disappear from your view. But it didn't take long for something else to catch your attention. They were turning on the main light, and your eyes slightly widened at the sudden realization. They had the lights on, not a lamp, but the actual lights. 

Their window was opposite from their kitchen and you were right, you could see piles of books all over the space. Of course, your field of vision was minimal with such distance but the dark allowed for some visibility. Then, you saw him, walking towards the kitchen with his back towards you. Dark curly hair, tan skin, long nose and body tight black t-shirt. That was your neighbor from across the street, the same one you shared a view of downtown, the same one that seemed to always be sleepless.

You felt your glass start to slip from your grasp, but tightened your hold of it. He turned around to walk away for a second, and you almost jumped off the couch thinking he could see you.  Maybe it was the distance, but he seemed too young to be somebody’s grandfather. Definitely around his late thirties, maybe early forties. And your friend was right. He was hot.

He appeared back within view and you dumbly stared as he cooked something, moving through the kitchen with ease and confidence. You downed the entire glass and stood up. One glass would not be enough. 

You made your way to the kitchen and poured yourself more wine. Your eyes shifted to your window, they were still cooking. Your phone still sat next to the bottle, you grabbed it and started typing a text.

‘ Yeah, definitely not a grandpa.’ And pressed send. Not even a second later, your phone chimed.

‘Wait...YOU SAW HIM?’ As you were about to reply, you stopped. 

Your gut twisted. Something felt wrong. 

Your heart dropped to your stomach as you looked towards the window. Your neighbor was now standing by his window, looking directly your way. You stood there. The light of your phone illuminating your face, and the light of the lamp casting shadows on your body. Before you realized it, you found yourself on the floor, crouching down, still holding your phone. 

He had to have seen you. But you were nowhere near the window. He was still cooking when you'd last looked, there was no way he had seen you staring. Unless he stared back too.

‘I THINK HE JUST FUCKING CAUGHT ME!!’ You texted in a sudden panic.

You knew logically it was impossible for him to see you, with how much light he had on. But even then, the idea made you feel embarrassed, that he would realize a random person would be staring into his flat.

‘Ooh! You’re in troubleee!’ Your phone pinged and you saw the text.

‘No shit!’ You locked the phone and the screen went black.

You slowly stood up, your eyes trying to find the window. When you did, you were glad to see him back in the kitchen, continuing with what he was doing.

“I need to go to bed.” You said to yourself.

You stood up fully, closed the wine bottle, and put it back in the refrigerator. You went to the lamp, turning it off and then towards the main light switch, killing all the lights in the place. 

You stood there in the dark for a second. The moonlight washed the darkness and you felt your eyelids feel heavy. 

Of course, you knew watching strangers wasn’t the most moral thing to do. It was an invasion of privacy and if it was the other way around, it would freak you out. You had caught a glimpse of him, so now you could stop. You should stop.

And you will.

The doorbell rang, and two clients entered the coffee shop. You smiled at them as you placed down an order and called it out. You walked back to the register, wiping your hands on your apron. The clients seemed like a couple, standing shoulder to shoulder as they read the menu. As to look busy, you opted to observe the place.

There weren’t as many people tonight. Twelve people sat down with their drinks and baked goods. You were nearing closing time, about thirty minutes or so. The shop was owned by two women, one from Colombia and the other from Mexico who had seeked an opportunity to open a coffee shop and bakery with authentic pastries from their respective countries. 

The place was on the small side, but the decor made it seem spacious. It was a nice place, truly; an old accent brick wall while the rest were bone-white, hanging plants everywhere, thick wooden furniture, lots of frames with pictures of Mexico and Colombia. It was cozy, and aesthetically pleasing as some people that came in would often say. And not to forget how good a lot of the food was. Sadly it didn’t have much traffic, but had enough to pay the bills and have it standing.

“Excuse me, I was wondering, does the store carry any vegan options?” The question made you look at the girl. You politely answered that it in fact did and a few seconds later you were writing down on each cup their order and proceeded to prepare it. Today was only you, since Deanna had called in sick. The good thing was that it hardly got too busy for you to struggle by yourself. Although, whenever the Museum down the street got busy, the shop did too. Luckily tonight had not been the case, so you worked with ease, humming alongside the song playing in the shop.

Voy a navegar en tu puerto azul (I'm going to sail in your blue port)

Quisiera saber de dónde vienes tú (I’d like to know where you come from)

Vamos a dejar que el tiempo pare (Let's let time stop)

Ver nuestros recuerdos en los mares (See our memories in the seas)

Y esta soledad tan profunda (And this deep loneliness)

It had definitely been a good song for a slow night, made you feel like you were in a dream. Almost. Five minutes later, you were done with the couple’s order. You placed their pastries on two plates along with forks and spoons. You called out their order and walked back to the register. Your phone buzzed in your back pocket.

You pulled it out and saw a message from Deanna, asking if it had been busy during the night. Quickly, you sent her a reply telling her how it went, then asked how she was feeling. You put the phone back and opted to start cleaning around.

After cleaning three tables you went back to the prep station, where you wiped the counters with a towel. People started leaving after twenty minutes and five people remained seated. They seemed to be having a good time, but there were around ten more minutes until closing time. You had pretty much cleaned whatever you could without putting away much that could still be needed.

That was until the door bell rang, your eyes went towards the door. There stood a man who seemed rather out of place, in the sense that it seemed he had no idea why he had come in. You walked to the register with a polite smile.

“Welcome, feel free to look at our menu, unless you are ready to have your order taken.” You said and the man looked towards you. He had an Ivy cap on, something that was common for cab drivers to wear, perhaps he was one. Your smile faltered as you took in his features. 

Tan skin, long nose, dark hair, and around his late thirties. Of course this man could be anyone in London but he looked just like one man in particular. Your neighbor. The mysterious man from the window across the street, the same one you managed to catch a glimpse of just last night. Now, there he stood. He was in your shop now, standing there and goddamn did you hope your brain was playing tricks.

“I’ll take a look.” Was all he said after a second. That was not what you thought he would sound like. A close enough Brooklyn accent mixed with something else, something deep and rich. The kind of voice you would want to narrate an audiobook of your favorite romance book.

“Of course.” You said quieter than intended. He had barely looked at you. But, oh boy, were you staring. You looked at the table of five to distract yourself. They were deep in their conversation.

“Café de la Olla.” You snapped your head towards the man and frowned at him.

“Excuse me?” You felt dumb when he seemed to take in a breath, his brown eyes turning to yours. He looked tired, exhausted even.

“One Café de la Olla.” His Spanish was perfect. You heard no mispronunciation from that short sentence. That explained the accent you couldn’t quite place earlier.

“Of course. Yes, sir. So, it will be one Café de Olla. Anything else you would like?” When you said that, his eyes shifted to the display below the register, all the breads and pastries right there, waiting to be picked. Then his gaze shifted behind you, he frowned then.

“What does that mean?” He pointed behind you and your eyes followed. There was a chalkboard with the words ‘One medium drink and one cupcake of your choice for 10% off if you ask for SOTD!’

“Song of the day. We will recommend a song of our choosing from our shop playlist. I can write it down on the cup or on a napkin if that’s what you would prefer.” You explained and he stared at the words behind you for an awkward amount of time. You glanced back at the occupied table when you noticed someone standing up, immediately followed by the rest of the group.

“Napkin is fine.” He said. You looked back at him and nodded with a smile.

“Alright, do you have a specific cupcake in mind?” He looked down and then back at you.

“What do you like?” The question took you back for a second before you replied.

“Well, a couple, I have to admit. But Mrs. Cardenas makes the most delicious churros and chocolate mix. I guess that one is my favorite.” You smile genuinely when he seems to think it over.

“That one then.” He placed a hand on his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. Before you could tell him the total, he dropped a bill two times the amount. “To go.” He then walked off and sat at the furthest table.

The group of five all started walking out of the shop, one of them thanked you for serving them, and proceeded to wish you goodbye. You grabbed the bill and put it to the side as you began to prepare the coffee. The music seemed quiet even though you knew, in reality, it was louder due to the silence between you and the man. You wanted to glance back, see if he was staring, since that was all you felt; a heavy gaze on you. 

After a few more minutes, you had everything ready to go. The coffee was all done, the cupcake in a small to-go box and inside a paper bag, and his change right next to them. You were placing some napkins when you remembered the song of the day offer. You grabbed the closest pen and wrote a song title on the napkin.

Solitud y el Mar by Natalia Lafourcade feat. Los Macorinos.

“Your order is ready.” You called out. And then the doorbell rang.

You turned to see two men walking in. One almost tripped while the other messily tried to keep both of them on their feet. You smiled apologetically at them as you leaned over the counter and closer to them in order to make sure they would be able to hear you.

“Hello. I’m sorry, but we are closing now.” They looked at you. They seemed to be around their mid twenties. The two bumped into each other and raised their eyebrows. 

You didn’t like that. Not at all.

“Seems pretty open to me, love.” His friend snorted at that.

“There’s our business hours by the door. We’re closed now.” You tried to be as polite as possible. However, they didn’t seem to get the message.

“Come on now! Can’t you just take our order? We’ll leave you a big tip.” The other said.

“Or two.” The first one continued and they laughed. You tried your best to remain calm.

You were so close to walking out right there and then.

“Sorry, but it’s store policy. You two have to go.” Once you said that, the second one walked up to the counter and leaned over, invading your personal space.

“She said it’s closed.” Another voice seemed to have caught him by surprise. Your assumed to be neighbor’s firm voice almost made you jolt. He was standing by your right side, now the two of you behind the counter. You noticed his jaw was clenched, the vein on his neck prominent. He had his eyes set on the two intruders.

“Where did you even come from, mate?” The second one asked, seemingly surprised he didn’t notice him when he walked in.

“She said it’s closed. So, you too better get the fuck out.” He placed his hand gently on your arm, pushing you away from the men and placing himself as a wall as if the counter wasn’t enough distance for his liking. The two men stared at him in disbelief,  but almost in a mocking way.

“Or what? We’re not leaving.” 

“You will, because I’m not allowing two hijos de puta talking like that to my wife and leaving unscathed.” Your eyes widened at that. You guessed that was one way to get them off your back.

“You’re married to this twat?” His friend slapped his chest, giving him a look to cut it off.

“The fuck you called me?” Your fake husband took two steps forward and yanked the guy by the collar, bringing him halfway across the counter. You reacted by grabbing the man’s bicep and squeezing it, your other hand laying flat on his back. The action seemed to remind him of your presence as he turned to look at you from over his left shoulder. The last thing you wanted right then was having to explain how three men had a fight inside the shop.

“We’re going, mate! Ain’t worth fighting over that.” The first one said to his companion as he eyed you. You scoffed at his comment. After a minute or so, your companion let go of the guy’s collar. With a little reluctance, the men left. 

You let out a deep breath, walking around the counter and towards the door, and  flipped the open sign to close.  

“¿Estás bien?” The man asked. You turned around to face him and you almost jolted backwards. (Are you okay?)

He was now standing close, a frown on his face, his eyes looked deep as he seemed to take in your features.

“Yeah, I’m alright. Thank you.” His frown deepened.

“¿Por qué?” You opened and closed your mouth. (What for?)

“For helping me, you didn’t have to.” He then laughed. A small and quick laugh but oh boy did you like the sound of it. 

“I sure did have to. Only a pussy would let others talk to a woman like that.” You almost laughed. Almost. Not only did he look pissed, he sounded upset as well. 

“Thank you, and I mean it. Sadly not many would actually do it. So, thank you.” You waited and then he seemed to understand.

“Jake.” It sounded good when he said it and you liked it. Definitely not a name you expected. But it fit him.

“Well, thank you, Jake.” You gave him a smile and he gave you a small one back. His eyes fell on the name tag on your apron and he sighed.

“I have to get back to work.” He said and you nodded.

“Of course. Your order is by the counter.” He nodded and walked towards his things, he grabbed them and walked back towards you.

“I’ll make sure they don’t stay around. Buenas noches, y gracias por el café.” With that he walked out.( Good night, and thanks for the coffee.)

You stood by the door as you watched Jake walk down the street until you could not see him anymore. You locked the door and made your way back to the kitchen. That was when you noticed the coins and bills still on the counter. “A big tip, huh?”

Add yourself in the taglist!

Four days of Leo. 

You were upset that Din was leaving you but you got over it rather quickly with the promise of his hasty return. 

The morning he’d left you’d gone back to bed, you couldn’t think of anything to do without him so you just slept, dismissing the girls when they came to dress you. Your makeshift bed is colder than ever as you toss and turn for a few minutes before finally rising. You managed to find a dress that wouldn’t require much assistance to put on, stepping into it before leaving only to find Leodall waiting outside your door. 

“Can I help you?” You give him a perplexed look as he clears his throat. 

“I’ve been tasked with protecting you while the Mandalorian is away.” 

What the hell is Leo supposed to do if you’re in danger?

“Is this Kodo’s doing?” You fight back the frown that threatens to form on your face.

“No ma’am. The Mandalorian instructed me to keep an eye on you.” 

Bastard. 

Of course he didn’t tell you Leo was going to be watching you while he was gone, he knew you’d be livid, which you are. You know better than to fight this, Leo’s terrified of Din, he’ll do whatever he asks of him. With a sigh you begin to make your way to the library, hearing his flustered steps behind you. 

You don’t want to be stuck with him in the library all day so you simply grab a handful of books before making a hasty return to your room. Much to your chagrin, he follows you in, keeping a watchful eye on you as you read. 

He does all sorts of nonsense.

He sweeps, and dusts, and fusses. Nothing is ever clean enough for him. You tell him it’s fine dozens of times but he just won’t stop insisting. He takes the sheets off the bed to be washed despite you telling him you don’t even sleep there. 

His orange complexion goes damn near white when he discovers that you’ve been sleeping on the closet floor. You explain to him with as much patience as you can muster that nothing he can do will stop you from sleeping in there and you find a compromise where he thoroughly washes every single blanket, sheet, and pillow while you try not to scowl at him. 

And he won’t stop talking. 

He doesn’t seem to take the hint. You can sigh and groan as much as you want to when you look up over your book at him but he just keeps going. 

The only time he goes silent is when you have to attend dinner with your husband. Leo accompanies you as Din would, standing behind you as you take your seat at the dining hall table.

Kodo looks… tired? 

You’ve seen plenty of emotions on that smug face of his, but exhaustion? Never. 

“Let’s make this quick.” He doesn’t even look at you as he takes a swig of whatever’s in his mug. You don’t grace him with a verbal response, just a nod and a hum as you take a sip from your own glass, hoping the water will soothe your nerves. 

They don’t even bring out any food as he writes something down, shuffling through the papers in front of him. 

“I don’t have a lot of time today…” He finally looks up at you, there are bags under his eyes and you can’t help but wonder what’s gotten to a man who seemingly cares about nothing. “Let’s get started, shall we?” He sits up a little straighter, giving you that smile you’ve grown to hate more than anything else in this castle. “My father is ill.” 

“I’m so sorry, my prince.” Your sympathies are emotionless, you don’t remember what his father is like. If he’s anything like the rest of his relatives you’re certain you wouldn’t care for him. 

“Don’t be, this is a good thing.” Of course his father’s sickness would be a positive to him. “They’ve already transferred many of his royal duties over to me.” Hence the exhaustion. “This is a very good thing, wife. You could be queen by the end of the month.” Your stomach lurches at the thought. 

Being queen means making heirs. 

“How wonderful.” You stare at him, really taking him in for the first time in a while. Maybe it’s just because you know exactly how ugly he can be but right now you have to wonder how anyone considers him attractive. You don’t even know what Din looks like but you know that purely based on his actions that he’s more attractive to you than this. 

“I don’t have much else for you, you are excused.” You blink at him a few times as he says it before shooting a confused look at Leo who looks as puzzled as you. 

“You don’t want to have dinner?” You try to not sound excited at the idea of leaving already as he nods. 

“I already ate.” He’s already ignoring you all over again, his eyes back on his work as he waves you off. 

So you go back to your room, smiling the entire time.  

You read, you eat when Leo brings you food, and you sleep. 

And that’s the routine. 

For nearly a week that’s what you do. 

You wake, you let Leo in when he knocks, you deal with it when he fusses, and you sleep. 

But really what you spend most of your time doing is missing Din. 

You miss the way he smells, and the way he balances you out. It feels like you’re missing an integral part of yourself, you’ve grown so accustomed to his constant presence and the sudden lack of it is jarring. He made the castle feel like home and without him it returned to its former glory, a prison. 

☆

Just as promised he returns, you’d hoped it would have been sooner but you’re just happy he’s back. You’d assumed the moment you laid eyes on him that you’d jump his bones immediately, but all you could think about was just how happy you were to see him. 

You just want to be with him. 

So you do just that.

And you take care of him, because it makes you happy to care for him the way he does for you. You don’t ask him about the trip, you know he’ll tell you about it when he’s ready. 

In the morning you hold him tight, and you tell him what you were told at dinner. That the king is sick, and you both know what that means. 

Despite the looming darkness, the morning is relatively normal after that. 

Until you get to the library.

He’d been staring at you for some time and you were just about to ask if he was okay when he spoke. 

“Do you know what riduur means?” 

Spouse. 

You’d seen it in the book while he was away. You’d focused on learning words that would most likely be relevant to your life with him. 

“No, I don’t think I learned that.” You’re mostly just curious if he’ll actually tell you. 

“It means partner, or spouse.” He sounds nervous, it makes your heart skip a beat. 

“Oh. Okay…”

He nods and you can’t help but be disappointed at his lack of followup. You try not to stare, keeping an eye on him as you return to your own book, in your peripherals you can see that he doesn’t even try to pretend to read, he’s just staring at you again. You get ready to shut your eyes when he starts playing with his helmet controls but he doesn’t remove it, instead he takes your face in his hands.

“Can I ask you something?” There’s no modulation as you hear his raw, unfiltered voice. His thumbs rub small circles into your jaw. 

Is this happening? Now? Or is he joking around again? 

“Of course.” You’ve been ready since the first time you thought this was happening. 

“Do you remember when I described the fear of love to you?”

Definitely not a joke. 

“Yes.” You couldn’t possibly forget it, you still feel it everyday. 

“Do you ever feel that fear?” 

Every single second of every single day. 

“Yes.” 

“I don’t want you to.” He releases your face, taking your hands in his instead. “I don’t want to either.” 

If he’s about to break up with you again you’re gonna kill him. You might actually push him out the window, he’ll be fine, he has his pack. 

“I don’t want our lives to be that. I want to leave, soon.” You sit up in his lap, the nook is a mess of tangled limbs and fabric from the skirt of your gown at this point. “B- but I want us to do something before we leave.” He’s usually so put together when he talks to you like this. Slow, well calculated words, but he’s stuttering a bit now, his voice nearly cracking as you give his hands a reassuring squeeze. 

“Okay.”

“Okay.” He repeats, nodding to himself before the helmet tilts up with a whisper of your name, it’s the first time you’ve heard your real last name and not Harand, in a long time. “I love you.” 

“I love you too.” You really do.

“I have lived my entire life in hiding, behind masks and walls.” He takes your hand, bringing it to the lip of his helmet as he takes your fingertips, bringing them under it to hold them to his lips. “I can’t, and I won’t do that forever. I have said it before and I will say it again, I have no secrets from you.” Are you holding your breath? The tightness in your chest makes you feel like you are. “And you deserve a much more profound proclamation of devotion but I’m worried that if I try to do that I’ll lose my nerve. So instead I’ll just say it, and I’ll spend the rest of my days after this showing you just how devoted I am.” He reaches under his cowl, producing a small chain from around his neck, he fiddles with the clasp for a moment before holding it out towards you. Two silver rings hang from the chain. “Sarad’ika, let me spend the rest of my days with you.” He sets the rings in your hand. 

You’re briefly waiting for formal words but you realize those aren’t coming. This is more than a marriage. This is an oath to each other, a permanent bond of devotion. 

“Of course.” You whisper, closing your hand around the bands before swiftly removing his glove, pulling him to your lips to place a kiss to his palm. “Of course, Din.”

You stare into that thin black visor, the both of you just taking a moment to take each other in. And for a brief moment you get a glimpse of the life you could have together. 

A chance at something real. 

Freedom. 

A house. 

A family. 

“Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde.” He murmurs, barely above a whisper.

“What’s that mean?” 

“Mandalorian wedding vows. I can teach them to you if you’d like.”

“What does it mean?”

"We are one when together, we are one when parted, we will share all, we will raise warriors."

You want him to take the helmet off. 

You’ve never felt such a strong urge to be face to face with him, to really truly see him in this moment. To know him and to be known. 

“And I want you to look.” He voices your own thoughts as he brings your hands to his helmet and you lean forward on instinct, pressing your forehead to the cool steel. You stare at the beskar mask. You’ve spent so much time wondering what lies beneath it but now you know that you don’t care, you imagine him as you’ve felt him beneath your hands. You tumble forward, wrapping your arms around his neck.You lift his helmet just enough to kiss him, to feel that warm familiar heat against you. 

“I want to do it soon, I don’t want to wait any longer.” He murmurs once his helmet is properly situated once more. 

“Absolutely.”

“One week from today. Elaine and I will plan everything and we can leave that night.” A week? 

“So soon?”

“It’s for the best.” You settle against his chest so you’re staring out the window at the palace grounds. Just holding each other for a few minutes until you finally speak. 

“It’s silly, but I actually think I’m gonna miss this place.”

“Really?”

“Not this place specifically, I won’t miss this far too large castle, and I won’t miss the arranged marriage of it all, but I’ll miss all the other parts.” You twist around in his arms to face him. “I’ll miss Lysa and Elaine, and the cabin, and being here, in the nook.” His grip on you tightens in an attempt to bring you comfort. “I’m really going to miss the people.” You are suddenly aware of just how fond you’ve become of the people of Naboo. You truly love and care for your subjects and a part of you is going to miss them terribly. 

“I’m sorry.” He truly sounds apologetic. 

“Don’t be. None of it compares to you, Mr. Djarin.” You don’t want him to dwell on any sadness you may have because none of it compares to how badly you want to spend the rest of your life with him. 

“Whatever you say, Mrs. Djarin.” He mimics your tone.

“You can’t call me that yet.”

“But it suits you.”

☆

You wear your ring like he does. On your necklace. He keeps his on the thin silver chain and you keep yours on the cord with the silver flower charm. 

You have one full week to prepare. 

Din assures you that he’ll take care of all the logistical parts of your escape, he says he’s got a plan and you leave it at that, trusting him to handle it. You make yourself a five day schedule. 

Day one, which is today, your engagement day, you will spend packing and gathering whatever you wish to take with you, you both agree to each take one bag and nothing else to make things as easy as possible. 

Day two, Elaine is going to fit you for a gown while Din finishes his preparations for your departure. 

For your third day you’ve convinced Din to take you into the city to say goodbye. You want to see the markets and you want to see the people, one last time. 

On day four, you will have to attend your final dinner with your current husband.

And on day five you will be married. Elaine supposedly knows a pastor who works in a chapel just at the edge of the castle grounds. She has told him that the Mandalorian wishes to wed a servant girl, when the sun sets you will meet him there, your face concealed and just like that, you’ll be wed. 

When he explains it to you it all seems so simple but actually making it through the week is much harder. 

You don’t pack any clothes, Din says you’ll just get new ones when the two of you find somewhere to settle. You plan on wearing a simple tunic and pants, you’ll change after the ceremony and you’ll have your honeymoon once you’re safe and off planet. 

You’ve been wearing the necklace Din got you for a while now you don’t have to worry about that. Otherwise you don’t honestly have many belongings. You grab a few books from the library you’ve been meaning to read, tucking them into the canvas bag he brought for you. You pack a blanket and a few pieces of jewelry you think might be valuable before buttoning it shut, handing it off to Din to be tucked away in the cabin. 

You can’t help but feel like you’re forgetting something but you push the thought away. 

That night, when you’re laying with Din in the closet you hold the rings up together, staring at the intricate detailing in a way you haven’t gotten a chance to do yet. You rest your chin on his chest in the dim lamp light as you watch the way the flickering bulb reflects off the silver. 

The outsides are rather pretty, matching patterns of swirls and vines, miscellaneous flowers adorn the band. The insides are different though, both carved with the same word you vaguely remember from your book. 

Riduurok

It represents a love bond. 

The difference is specifically that yours has a very small carving of a mudhorn, a sigil you recognize from his armor, while his is engraved with a flower. A piece of each of you. 

“They’re beskar.” He says softly. His helmet resting on your bare chest. 

“Like your armor? Isn’t this only supposed to be used on Mandalorians?” You drop his ring and focus back on your own. 

“They make exceptions.” He yawns, he still hasn’t fully recovered from the exhaustion of his trip and you wonder if he slept at all when he was gone. 

“Is this why you left? To get these?”

“Not just anyone can forge beskar, I needed to seek out an old friend to do it.” He adjusts himself a bit, fiddling with his helmet.

“They did a beautiful job.” You close your eyes as you say it, hearing his helmet hit the floor and his face taking its place against you as he lays back down. 

“She always does.” He reaches over, turning the lamp off.

“Why a mudhorn?” He laughs when you ask, rolling over so he’s on his side, still holding you. 

And before you fall asleep, he tells you a story. 

In the morning Din leaves you with a kiss on the forehead to go handle the final preparations of your departure while Elaine arrives with her seamstress kit and bundles of white fabric. 

You want your own dress for this. 

Not one of the ones tailored to you and paid for with Kodo’s money. 

She takes your measurements in silence, her face contorted in concentration as she notes everything. From the looks of it, she already has a good portion of the dress finished. 

It’s gorgeous. 

Pale, sheer fabric lined with dainty little dots. The skirt is layered, flowing freely when she pins it against your figure, fitting it to you perfectly. 

“Elaine… this is beautiful, when did you find the time to make this?” 

“I started it a while ago, I hoped you’d like it.” She smiles and it feels almost normal. Like two friends just looking out for each other. 

“I love it, thank you, I don’t know how I’m going to repay you for everything you’ve done.” 

“You’ve done enough just by being kind to me, princess.” He manages to speak clearly even when she’s holding pins between her teeth. 

“Please, you don’t have to call me that, call me by my name.”

And she does. 

When she finishes the dress you have to fight back tears, not just because of how wonderful of a job she’s done, but because of the sentiment of it all. 

“Will you come to the wedding? You and Lysa?” You take her hands in yours, as you stare at yourself in the mirror, white lace falling off your shoulders in beautiful layers. 

“If you’d like.”

“Nothing would make me happier. You give her hands a squeeze and she helps you out of the gown, after about an hour Din returns from his day spent finding you passage off of Naboo, laying down beside you in the closet, you’re in only your undergarments since you didn’t bother changing after Elaine was done.

“I missed you.” He mumbles as he crawls across the sheets towards you. 

“You always miss me.” He just laughs when you sit up on your elbows to smile at him.

“I got us a ship.” He murmurs, you barely get a chance to cover your eyes before his helmet is off, his mouth on yours as he climbs on top of you. 

“Where’s it taking us?” You gasp out when he finally pulls back, tugging at the latches on his armor as he sits up on his knees. 

“Wherever we want. It’s a cargo ship, making multiple stops throughout the outer rim, we’ll be able to get off whenever.” You listen, eyes still shut, counting as each piece of armor is set on the floor until the last one is off. 

“What about our great escape? What’s the story?” His knee slides between your legs as he crawls back on top of you, holding himself above you so you have to strain your neck to kiss him. 

“The princess ran off on her own volition. She was unhappy for a long time and finally couldn’t take it anymore.” He pulls back just enough that you can’t find him without your sight, whining as you slump back against the pillows. “Elaine will spread whatever rumors she needs to to make it true.” 

“What about her loyal Mandalorian bodyguard?” You reach up, opting to just pull him down to you instead of trying to find him yourself. 

“He was embarrassed, ran away with his tail between his legs because he accidentally lost the princess.” He lets you pull him against you, his face finding a place under your jaw, his stubble brushing against your neck as he does. 

“Didn’t realize he was such a coward.” You let out a breathless laugh as his chin brushes against a particularly ticklish part of your throat. 

“Apparently he was a real baby about that kind of thing.” You feel a soft bite emphasizing his words as his teeth graze your skin. 

“What a shame.”

“Truly.” He ends the back and forth when his mouth dips between your breasts, licking a strip of the skin there before sliding lower. “Do you have any other plans tonight?” 

You just cleared your whole schedule. 

“Nope.” 

“Perfect, I thought we could do some married couple practice?” He lifts your legs up, resting them on your shoulders as he presses several tender kisses to your thighs. 

“Married couple practice?” You’d do just about anything he wanted you to right now as long as he doesn’t stop what he’s doing. 

“Well we’re gonna be married in just a few days, we should probably practice.” There’s a brief shuffling as he tosses his gloves aside before hooking a finger on your panties, you’re waiting for him to tug them down but instead you just hear a few rips and feel his breath against your mound. 

“I don’t exactly get what that entails…” Your words are shaky as he runs his thumb along the crease between your thigh and your cunt. 

“Well I was thinking all day, you know, while I was busy missing you.” He finally puts his mouth on you and it’s barely enough. His fingers spread you open as he leans forward, placing a single chaste kiss onto your clit that makes you jump a bit. 

“Of course.” Your voice pitches up a bit.

“And I was thinking about how I’d probably come back here and we’d talk a little like we normally do, and then we’d probably have sex like we normally do.” He still doesn’t put his mouth on you, you just feel his breath against you, making your pussy ache and your clit throb. 

“So far so good.” Are you even speaking loud enough for him to hear you?

“But then I realized that we’re gonna be married soon, so I thought we should probably start acting like it.” He leans forward just enough for his nose to bump against your clit.

“Yeah?” Your hands tangle in his hair in an instant. 

“Yeah. You know, typical married people things, I ask you how your day was, you tell me it was fine, and then we have boring married people sex.” He tilts his head to the side a bit, just enough to relieve any of the pressure against your core as you try desperately to pull him into you. 

“What is boring married people sex?” You ask, strained and breathless. 

“You lay on your back and I do my thing until I finish inside you, because married people have kids, that’s what they do.” Finally, finally, his tongue drags along your seam before dipping into your weeping hole, your back arching as you groan. 

“Obviously.”

“You probably won't finish, I’m pretty sure that’s part of it.” He mumbles against you before pressing his tongue deeper into you. 

“Well that doesn’t seem fair.” Your eyes are squeezed shut as he works you open, slowly, your cunt leaking as he laps at whatever he can. 

“Marriage is all about compromise.” He pulls back, a little breathless himself now before wrapping his arms around your legs, nuzzling his face between your legs before wrapping his lips around your clit, leisurely sucking until you can’t hold back the obscene moan that forces its way out of you. 

“How is that a compromise?” You finally manage to grumble through your haze, the coil in your stomach tightens just as he comes up for air, resting his head on your thigh. 

“I don’t know, it just is- dank farrik- missed you- your taste.” His own voice is nearly as needy as your own as he leans back down into you, his tongue swirling around that little bundle of nerves until you feel like you're about to explode. 

“Being married… sounds awful.” Your chest heaves and your thighs tighten around his head as he sinks two fingers into you, briefly pulling back with a small gasp. 

“We’ll make it work.” He curls his fingers, chuckling when you tighten around him. 

“Maybe that’s the compromise.” You muse as he flattens his tongue against your clit.

“Making it- making it work?” You’re so fucking close, if you could just get him to stop talking and focus you’d be able to finish. 

“Yeah, maybe the compromise is making boring married sex work for both of us.” You stammer again, desperate for him to just send you over that edge. 

“I suppose we could try that.” He flicks his tongue against you one last time before withdrawing his fingers, you whimper the moment he does. “Are you going to come?” He knows exactly what he’s doing, and that you are. You nod with a breathy whine and he pulls back entirely, sitting up. 

“If you want me to marry you you better stop whatever it is you’re doing.” You spit the words out quickly, desperate to pull him back in. 

“If you want to come you better not make jokes like that.” He teases but you know he’s incapable of denying you anything. 

“Fine, fine, just- come here.” You hold your arms out towards him and he eagerly crawls back into them, slotting himself between your thighs as he spreads your legs wide to accommodate him. You arch your back and shift your hips to the best of your ability, trying to get some kind of relief against him but he pulls back just enough to prevent it.

“How was your day?” You can feel his grin as he leans down, kissing along your jaw slowly as you paw at his chest.

“It was great, wonderful.” You gasp out as you feel him drag the head of his cock through your folds, coating himself in the abundant wetness there. 

“Now ask me about my day.” He notches himself at your entrance, not pushing in just yet but enough to make you squirm in an attempt to take matters into your own hands unsuccessfully. 

“I’m gonna kill you.” Your voice is already ragged and strained at this point but when he still doesn’t move you sigh. “How was your day?” The moment you finish your sentence he pushes into you in one smooth motion, burying himself to the hilt with a groan from both of you. 

“It was fine.” He mumbles before almost immediately finding a rhythm, pumping himself inside you with deep deliberate thrusts. His forehead presses against yours as he lets out a breathy whine. 

This certainly doesn’t feel boring. 

He takes hold of your hips, raising them slightly so he can angle himself to slam against your g-spot, twisting your body until you let out a particularly strained moan and he knows he’s found it. Your brain is already mush just from the sheer speed at which he started fucking you, giving you no time to adjust, so all you manage to mumble is his name. 

“You- you want me to fill you up? He rasps out.

You nod for a moment until you remember the darkness that you’re both in and you manage to find your voice.

“Yes, please.” Your hand slips between your legs as you begin to rub slow circles into your clit but he takes your wrist and slowly pulls it away.

“I- I wanna see if- if you can come just like this.” He stammers out as he continues jackhammering into you, purposefully pushing himself into your g-spot as your walls flutter around him. 

“Din…” You whine but he just keeps at it. 

“I bet you can, I bet you’ll come when I do, when I fill you up, when I’m spilling out of you.” Your head is spinning from the repeated stimulation as he continues to focus on that sweet spot until you’re both falling apart. He’s exactly right. He comes first, snapping his hips forward until he’s nestled against your cervix. And when he’s done he slowly fucks his cum deeper into you, reveling in the lewd wet sounds and it only takes a moment more before you finish as well, gasping and strangling his cock as you clamp down on him. 

When your breathing settles he turns onto his side, holding you against his chest before mumbling a sleepy I love you, so much. The two of you have been laying in silence for quite some time when you finally speak up. 

“You know, married people sex is subjective.” 

“Hmm?” He hums softly.

“Any sex we have after we’re married is married people sex, because we’ll be married people.”

“Mhmm.” He sounds like he’s barely awake but you just keep going. 

“I don’t know why you assume it has to be boring.”

“Mmhm.” He continues to hum against your chest, a low rumble. 

“Do you spend all your time away from me coming up with over complicated ways to put a baby in me?” You finally blurt out with a laugh, rubbing his back as you do. 

“It worked, didn’t it?” He finally sits up a bit and speaks, his voice is heavy with exhaustion. 

“Maybe I spend all my time thinking about the same thing and you just make it really easy for me to get what I want.” You’re still laughing softly. 

“Does that mean you want to have more boring married people sex?” The fatigue in his voice dissolves quickly. 

“Only if you stop calling it that. We aren’t boring married people and we are never going to be. We’re just going to be married people.” 

“Mmm, I can make that work. Do you want to have more married people sex?” He starts to sit up on top of you again but you put a hand on his chest, pushing him so he’s laying down on his back. 

“Absolutely I do.” You straddle his hips before reaching out into the darkness to take his face in your hands. 

☆

Today is the only day you’ve woken up sad since Din proposed. 

Today you have to say goodbye to your favorite part of Naboo, the people. When you wake he’s already dressed, attaching the last of his armor before helping you up. 

“I thought you might want to leave early, so we can spend as much time in the city as possible.” His voice is still thick with sleep as you get to your feet. 

You tell Leo to bring you as many coin purses as he can before you leave and he returns with five rather hefty bags of credits that Din slips into his bag before you head out. You go through the usual process, bracelet and all the other hubbub before you begin your walk through the streets. 

There’s a dull ache in your chest as you look around at the people. Your people. 

The thought of never seeing them again, and never getting a chance to really help them. If you were queen you could do something about all of this, but you can’t stay long enough to do such a thing.

So you settle for this. 

You hand out credits to anyone who will take them, saving a bag for Vivian's family. You embrace anyone who will let you, and you hold the hands of everyone you give credits to. And once four bags are empty you go to Vivian’s store and you play with Theo, and even though she protests for the better part of an hour you give her the fifth coin purse. And when the sun starts setting you hug her. 

And you fight the urge to say goodbye because it doesn’t matter how much you trust her, no one can know that this is your last time visiting the city. 

When you leave the store it’s clear how upset you’re becoming about all of this so Din takes you to the markets just as the sunsets and you get to see the changeover. You can’t technically go to the Lunar Markets without your cloak, it wouldn’t be a good look for a princess to be wandering through such a taboo place, but you stand just outside the first street and you watch all the lights flicker on. 

Each string light going on at its one speed, dazzling flashes of light all dancing through the air until the entire street is illuminated.

It’s beautiful. 

Yet you don’t feel better. 

You just feel sad. Because you’ll never get to see it again. 

So you walk, quietly with Din, back towards the castle. 

“You’re upset.” His voice fills the silence almost immediately as you walk the empty street back. 

“A bit.”

“Why?”

“Because I didn’t do anything. I’m royalty, I should have helped these people when I had the chance to.” You sigh, resting your shoulder against his.

“You did the best you could.” It sure doesn’t feel like it. 

“And it still wasn’t enough.” 

“You did more for them than any other member of the royal family has done in decades.” You have to fight the urge to take his hand in yours after that. 

“You always know what to say.” 

“Aren’t you that bitch from before?” A voice breaks through the small moment of peace and you and Din both turn quickly to see a vaguely familiar face. “Didn’t realize that you were royalty, doesn’t seem like much of a guard for a princess, one guy.” He nods at Din who immediately steps in front of you, silent. 

You squint, trying to recall where you know him from when two other men step out from a nearby alley, flanking him. That’s when it clicks. 

You recognize his welding goggles. And his greasy black hair. 

He had accosted you many moons ago, in the market, Din had knocked him flat on his ass for it. Din takes a few steps in their direction, deliberate and deadly. It doesn’t matter how capable you know he is, you still don’t like the sight of him going up against a group of three. 

“Look man, this doesn’t have to be a problem, we’ll even pay you for just a couple minutes with her.” The one you recognize quips and you feel sick at the insinuation. 

“I’ve never been with a princess.” His friend on the left sneers and you instinctively take a step back. That’s all it takes to send Din over the edge though, you don’t even see the first hit, he moves so quickly. You just see the guy on the left hit the street, a gush of blood shooting out from his nose. 

The other two hop into action immediately after, both standing with their arms held up defensively but it does them no good. 

The one on the right is stupid enough to strike first, his fist hits beskar and he stumbles back with a yelp. Your eyes go wide when Din kicks his legs out from under him, he follows the first man as he hits the ground, his head knocking against the stones, in an instant he’s out cold. 

You gasp at the suddenness of it all. 

The one with the goggles loses all his bravado in an instant, he turns and you’re sure he’s about to run but he doesn’t get the chance, Dins hand wraps around his throat and he’s on the ground beside his friends, except he isn’t as lucky as his friends because the Mandalorian doesn’t relent. He boxes him in with his legs as he kneels, his fist slams against the other man's face repeatedly and your ears fill with a sickening crunching sound. 

In all honesty you aren’t worried about anyone but Din right now, it isn’t just the man's face that’s making the breaking sounds, it’s his fist as well. 

You rush over to them and put your hands on Din’s shoulders, he stops immediately before turning to look at you, his shoulders relax immediately and he reaches for you but he winces when he wraps his hand around your arm. 

“Sorry, I don’t know what came over me.” He whispers softly and you nod.

“It’s okay, but we should go.” You rub his back a bit as he stands. 

“I just need a second.”

“Okay. You nod, watching as he leans down, whispering something in the barely conscious man's ear, you don’t catch a word of it but when he’s done he stands and you both begin walking back towards the castle. 

☆

“I’m okay, I promise.” He groans as you usher him into the cabin. You’ve been fussing over him the entire walk back. 

“Being married means not lying about this kind of thing.” You snap back at him as you open the door. 

“I’m not lying, trust me, I’ve had much worse.” You know it’s true but that doesn’t mean you aren’t going to worry. 

You frown, having him sit at the kitchen table as you carefully pull his gloves off, both knuckles are jagged and bloody. 

“Kriff… do you have a first aid kit?” 

“I promise, sarad, it’s fine.” 

“Marriage means compromise.” You glare at him as he sighs and you cross your arms in front of your chest.

“Fine. In the fresher, there’s a loose board in the cupboard, pull it back and bring me the case that’s in there.” You cock an eyebrow at him before hurrying off to follow his instructions and sure enough you find it, a small metal case. You return to the main room, setting the box down on the table, watching as he fumbles with the lock. He flips the lid open before sliding the box over to you. Your jaw goes slack as you stare at several vials of bacta. 

“Why do you have so much of this stuff?” You cringe at the memory of having to apply the sour substance to your split lip.

“For emergencies, which by the way, this is not.” You grab one of the vials as he gestures at his hands, uncorking it and dipping your finger into the slimy liquid before taking his hand in yours, applying a thin layer to it, watching the blood slowly mix with the bacta in crimson swirls. 

“You’re hurt, this is an emergency.” He just sighs, letting you do your work, not even wincing one as you do so. When you’re done you recork the vial before putting it back in the case and returning it to its hiding place.  

“Thank you.” He whispers when you come back to him, kneeling in front of the chair and helping him out of his armor as he keeps his hands on the table. 

“What was that?” You grin up at him as he sighs again.

“Thank you.” He says a bit louder. 

“You’re welcome.” You take the last of his armor off before standing. “Now come on, let’s lay down.” You wrap an arm around his waist as you walk to the mattress, helping him down as you keep his hands away from the sheets before laying down beside him, resting your head on his chest. You lean over and flip the lamp off before settling in beside him. 

“Did you have a good day?” He whispers against you as you lay your head on his shoulder. 

“I had a sad day, but it was still good.” 

“I’m sorry you had to see that.” He mumbles in the darkness, his tone quickly turning to one of shame. .

“What? The fight? You were just doing what you always do, you were protecting me.” You let your fingertips roam across his chest in small circles in an attempt to soothe him. 

“I should’ve- I shouldn’t have snapped like that. You shouldn’t have seen me like that.” 

“Hey. I want to see you like that. I want to see all the parts of you, not just the pretty ones.” He doesn’t respond, and for a moment you have to wonder if you’ve upset him, but then you feel his chest rise and fall sharply a few times. Your hands fumble around until you find his face, the apples of his cheeks are a bit damp as you run your thumbs across them. 

You aren’t really sure what to say. So you just go with what you know will make him understand just how okay everything is right now. It hasn’t been an easy week so far for either of you. 

“I love you.” You whisper before leaning down to kiss him, your mouth thankfully finding his. “And I can’t wait to marry you.” You lay back down and feel his arms tighten around you, after a few minutes his breathing steadies out and you know he’s okay. 

“I love you too.” Is the last thing you hear before you both fall asleep. 

☆

One last dinner with Kodo and then you never have to see him again.

That’s what you keep reminding Din as he tries to convince you it isn’t necessary, to which you remind him exactly what happened last time you didn’t attend dinner. Not that you aren’t just as worried as he is, of course you are, you’re just internalizing it better. Most people probably spend the day before their wedding stressing, it’s only natural.

So that’s exactly what you do today.

You stress.

You pace, and you stress until the sun is setting and Din is trying to persuade you one last time into not going which you ignore before the two of you walk the familiar trail to dinner. 

You never know what to expect when you walk into the dining hall, but today you couldn’t be more pleased to find Kodo positively swamped. With his fathers condition worsening a fair amount of his royal duties now fall under his son's jurisdiction. He doesn’t look at you or Din when you arrive and you’re thrilled when you see they didn’t set the table for dinner. The entire room is silent save for Kodo scribbling something on a piece of paper, when you go to sit he raises a hand and you stop dead in your tracks. 

“No need to sit, this will be quick.” He stands and you feel a sudden urge to stand behind Din, to put something between you and Kodo but you resist. “My fathers condition is worsening, that is the only news I have now I must be off.” He snaps and a servant helps him put on his coat as you watch in stunned silence, he shoots you one last glance before walking out the door. “That will be all.” And just like that he’s gone. When the door shuts behind him you can’t help but burst into a fit of laughter purely spurred on by your disbelief as Din walks you out of the room.

It was just that easy.

You’d spend hours stressing today and it was that kriffing easy. 

You’re grinning ear to ear when you turn to Din once you’re safe and out of the dining hall. 

“We never have to do that again.” Your voice and excited whisper. 

“Never.” He repeats, you can practically hear his own smile. 

“Can we go home now?”

“Home?” He looks behind him before wrapping an arm around your waist. 

“Sorry, the cabin.”

“I still haven’t fixed the bed frame you know.” He’s still walking you in that direction as he says it so you just laugh.

“That’s okay, I don’t mind.” 

“Then let’s go home.” 

And that’s exactly what you do. And when he opens the door to let you in you realize with a profound sadness that this is your last night in the cabin. A place that is the closest thing you have to a home here on Naboo, besides Din. But he’s a person, not a place. This is your home. His home. You can’t help but wonder if the sorrow is getting to him too, leaving is hard, no matter how much you hate certain aspects of this planet there will always be parts that you love.

But you don’t want to be sad the night before your wedding. 

So you do your best to clear your head.

“Aren’t we supposed to spend the night before our wedding apart?” You tease as you kick your shoes off, eager to just go to sleep, turns out spending all day being worried is exhausting. 

“Why would I want to do that?” He’s taking his own armor off, turning to glare at you. 

“I don’t know, tradition?” He helps you out of your dress and you quickly climb into bed.

“That’s not my tradition.” He lays beside you and you on the mattress, groaning as he kneels to crawl in beside you. 

“Lights off?” You whisper as your fingers trace the edge of his helmet. 

“On?” His voice is soft and hopeful and you smile before promptly closing your eyes, the action is swiftly followed by the sound of his airlock. He kisses each of your eyelids before your lips, pulling you into him completely. 

And he loves you like it’s the last time he ever will. 

He makes every time feel like the first time with how gentle he is with you, even when he’s being rough. There’s always the tiniest spark of tenderness to him. 

But tonight is different.

Tonight he loves you like he’s loved you his entire life. 

It isn’t another first time, this time feels like the thousandth, like he knows your own body better than you do. Like he still loves it even after all this time. His hands can’t hold enough of you, his mouth can’t savor enough of you, and his cock can’t fill enough of you. He chases more and more, wanting only to make you happy, to unravel you and wind you up just so he can do it all over again. 

However you want it. 

That’s what he says when you climb on top of him, sinking down on his length with a groan. So you do it exactly how you want it, which is every way. He takes whatever you give him and you give him whatever he wants. And when he gasps in your ear the single word, posed as a question, inside? You nod, pulling his face closer to kiss his cheek.

“You don’t have to ask, you can just do it.” You murmur, and he does. 

A part of you knows just how reckless that is but it matters less now that you’re leaving. Any children who would be born from this union no longer have to live in fear of your current technical husband, because they won’t be anywhere near him by the time they’re born. 

So you let yourself stop being afraid of that possibility. 

And you let Din love you.

☆

Today’s the day. 

Your day. 

It feels perfect already, the sun shines in through the small windows, you’re still tangled in each other when your eyes flutter open. Based on the way his breathing sounds you know his helmet is still off so you shut your eyes, letting your head rest on his chest as you relax against him for a few more minutes. 

It’s going to be a hard habit to break after today. 

Not looking. 

Shit. 

By the end of today you’ll have seen him. You’re meeting him at the chapel before the sunsets, and you’ll be off planet before morning. And in between that you’ll look. You’ll know every part of him. 

You feel him stir, his breathing picking up just a little as he lets his hand wander up and down your spine. 

“Good morning, sarad.” He murmurs, leaning down to kiss the top of your head. 

“Morning.” You kiss his collar bone, squeezing whatever parts of him you can get your hands on. “What time do we have to start getting ready?”

“Lysa will help you get ready and Elaine and I will set up the church. We have to explain our circumstances to the pastor.” 

“Like tell him that your bride is married?” You groan, just wanting to stay in bed with him.

“Like tell him I’m marrying some random servant girl, but more importantly tell him no one will see your face during the ceremony because of the creed.”

“Is that a real thing?” You sit up a bit, remembering to keep your eyes shut just in time.

“Not at all, but he doesn’t know that.”   

You pull each other close, your movements synced as you do. 

“Are you ready?” His tone is light but you know that if you said no right now he wouldn’t be bothered, he’d wait. It’s a good thing you’re more than ready. 

“I have been for quite some time.” 

The two of you stay like that for quite some time, for as long as you can actually, until Elaine is banging on the cabin door. When that happens you both sit up quickly, Din helps you dress and in just a few moments you’re both ready. 

The next time you see him will be at your wedding. 

You both stand by the door, unopened, when he takes your hand. 

“I love you.” He brings your hand to his chest as he says it.

“Ni kar'tayli gar darasuum.” You do your best with the pronunciation, trying to mirror how he says it. 

“I will know you forever.” He whispers out and you tilt your head to the side. “That’s what that means. It’s our version of I love you, but it means I will know you forever.” 

You squeeze his hand on last time before dropping it and lifting his helmet just enough to kiss him once. 

“I will. I have big plans to know you forever.” You smile at him one last time before opening the door, Elaine and Lysa waiting outside. 

☆

After Lysa walked you back to the castle things were a bit of a whirlwind. 

It was a long arduous process, she insisted on making you perfect one last time. Her sentiment made your heart clench so you allowed her this, considering it a parting gift, one last day staring into the vanity. 

She spends the day getting you ready in every way possible and you spend the day missing Din. 

Until she gets to your hair and you finally speak up.

“Can we leave it down?” You clear your throat and turn to her as she nods. 

“Of course.” 

Despite how much time Lysa has spent dolling you up you’re happy to look in the mirror and see you. Clear as day. Not some unrecognizable woman being dressed to the sake of her husband, you just look like you. 

When the sun is finally beginning to set outside your window she helps you into your dress.

Elaine really outdid herself. 

It’s simpler than some of your other gowns but it’s exactly what you wanted. The dress isn’t wearing you, you’re wearing the dress. You’re standing in the full length mirror when Lysa produces your veil, helping you clip it into your hair so your face will be completely concealed. 

“It’s time to go.” She whispers as she adjusts your dress once, smiling gently at you.

“Could I have a minute alone?” You whisper back before she nods and rushes out, shutting the door silently behind her. 

You lift the veil and look around the dimly lit room for what will be the last time. Your hand subconsciously wanders up your necklace, you twist the ring hanging there between your fingers as you open the closet door, flipping on the lamp to stare at the bed you’ve made. 

You sort of wish you could bring it with you. Your little blanket bed. But you know better than that. As much as you’re going to miss it, after today you’ll have a real bed. A shared bed, with your riduur. 

So you say a silent goodbye to this bed. Your first shared bed. And you leave to find Lysa. 

☆

You know the plan by heart. 

Lysa will walk you in. It’ll be a quick ceremony and then you will get your things from the cabin and leave. 

Simple.

Easy. 

The church is nestled in the woods, only a few servants ever attend but it’s a quaint little place, covered in vines as you stand outside the large wooden entryway. This is it. You will walk out of this church married to a man you actually love. Just as the sun hits the horizon you know that’s your cue to enter. You take Lysa’s arm, holding her close as she pushes the door open. You’re holding your breath as you look around the church, waiting to lay your eyes on him.

Empty. 

You tense up, your grip on Lysa tightens immediately as you both step inside. 

Completely barren. Not even a pastor. 

“They must be running a little bit late.” You can tell by the tone of her voice that she is just as uneasy as you are right now.

Din wouldn’t be late. 

Not to this. 

“Let’s wait a few minutes, they’ll be here soon.” She insists before walking you into the church, you both sit in one of the pews. 

You wait.

And you hold her hand and you wait.

You wait until the sun is completely set and you’re both bathed in darkness before you can’t take it anymore and you stand abruptly, pulling the veil from your hair and handing it to her. 

“Go back inside, hide this, I’ll take care of this.” You walk with her back to the entryway with small frantic steps. 

“Ma’am, are you sure-”   

“I’ll find them.” You give her a reassuring smile, one that brings you no comfort before watching her rush back in the direction of the castle. The moment you know she’s far enough away to not hear it you finally let out the sob that’s been building in your throat. You don’t have time to break down right now though, you need to find Din. 

He didn’t abandon you.

Your mind wants to go there, a part of you whispers that he’s left you all over again but you know with absolute certainty that that isn’t possible. 

Something happened. 

So you search. 

Your heart threatens to burst from your chest as you begin your hunt. 

You go to the cabin only to find it just as you left it this morning. You wade through the waters, silently letting your eyes scour the darkness before you run through the gardens. Yet you come up empty once again. Not so much as a trace of either one of them. 

So you go to the only other place you can think to look. 

The place you had told yourself just a few hours ago that you’d never go back to, and you return to the castle. It’s desolate when you search the halls. Not so much as a guard in the dark stone corridors. It makes your stomach twist in knots. The rooms are empty, and the lights are off. 

What the hell happened?

Your lungs burn from the constant running but you can’t stop now, you won’t stop until you find him, and if you search every corner of the castle and he isn’t there then you’ll start searching the rest of the planet.

Whatever it takes. 

It probably won’t come to that though, you quickly realize when you finally find a room with the door cracked and the lights on. Any sense of relief it brings you is gone in an instant though as you realize what room it is. 

The dining hall. 

Your feet carry you towards it before your brain can comprehend what’s happening and you slowly push the doors open, stepping inside. You have felt a range of temperatures since your arrival on Naboo but right now all you feel is a blistering cold that smothers your flesh and bones. 

The table is set, and as is the case on all nights where you’re expected at dinner, Kodo sits in his usual place. 

Except this isn’t a night where you’re expected.

And he isn’t the only one sat at the table. 

Elaine sits on one side of him, looking like she’s about to be sick, Leo on the opposite side, downright refusing to look at you. You feel like you’re going to pass out the moment you see them and you can’t help but note the fact that Kodo’s guards aren’t here. 

“Don’t you look lovely.” The nasally bellow of his voice fills the entire hall as you take a step forward. It takes all of your focus to keep yourself from trembling as you stare at him.

“Did I forget we were supposed to have dinner?” You keep your voice surprisingly steady considering the circumstances. 

“You didn’t get my invitation?” His voice drips with malice as the doors behind you promptly shut, his tone is enough of an indicator that there was no invitation. 

This isn’t some coincidence, you didn’t just happen to stumble upon Elaine and Leo dining with your husband, no. 

It’s an ambush. 

“I must have missed it.” You murmur. 

“Take a seat.” He says it like it’s an offer but you know better than to refuse, not now. You sit at your usual spot, every muscle in your body is tense as you look across the table at him. “Tonight was supposed to be a celebration.” His face contorts into a sneer as he stares right back at you. “But I’m afraid our night has been ruined by some rather upsetting news.” 

Maybe you should just run. 

His guards aren’t here, you could probably outrun Kodo, especially with how much adrenaline is coursing through your veins right now. 

Not without Din.

“Are you okay?” He doesn’t sound concerned, the question burns a hole into you, what could he possibly mean by that? 

“I’m fine.” You swallow the lump in your throat, turning to look at Leo, and then Elaine, Kodo following your eyeline the entire time. 

“Don’t worry, she can’t hurt you, not anymore.” 

“I’m sorry?” The more confused you get the more the feeling of suffocation in your chest grows.   

“Your servant, she can’t hurt you anymore, I was actually about to dismiss her right before you arrived.” Your brows furrow as you try desperately to make sense of any of this and he grins. Teeth fully on display as he smiles at you from across the table. “You don’t know?” 

“I’m sorry, my prince, but I’m not sure about anything that’s happening right now.” Might as well say it, maybe it’ll get you some answers. 

“No need to apologize, not after what you’ve been through.” 

You know better than to ask a follow up question to that. 

Something is terribly wrong and it would be best to learn as much as you can before giving away any of your own knowledge. 

“Leodall told us everything.” If it’s possible for Leo to somehow look at you less, he manages to do so when Kodo says that. “You don’t have to worry about any of it now, I’m going to take care of everything.” Nothing about the faux soothing tone he takes on relaxes you, you’re getting more and more upset with each passing second. 

“What did Leo tell you?” The bewilderment in your voice isn’t an act as you fight to keep your voice from cracking. 

“About the Mandalorian, dear wife.” 

It’s a good thing you weren’t holding a drink, if you did it would be on the floor. You don’t have anything to say, any words you might have to say die in your throat. 

“We retrieved him from his quarters and he confessed to everything.” Kodo’s eyes raise briefly as he gauges your reaction. 

Din confessed. 

“Everything?” When you find your voice that’s the only word you can manage to produce as your stomach churns at the thought. What did they do to him to make him admit what the two of you have done? 

“It’s better this way, there’s no need for a trial.” He takes a sip of whatever dark ale fills his glass. Maybe your last act of defiance should be to aim the vomit rising in your throat at him, or at the very least at Leo. “Thank the gods Leo found that book, who knows how long this would have continued if it weren’t for him.” 

The Smitten Paladin. 

You knew you were forgetting something. 

Maybe there isn’t enough time to run but you could definitely jump across the table and strangle Leo, it probably wouldn’t even be that difficult. 

Or maybe you should just beg. 

Kodo is a man of ego, if you appeal to him maybe he’ll spare Din. That’s unlikely though, the best you can hope for now is a swift death for both of you. Should you just beg for that instead? 

“I confessed as well, to all of it.” Elaine turns to stare at you, she looks pained and Kodo’s smile drops the moment she speaks up. 

“There’s no need for that.” He hisses, his chair squeaks as he stands but she isn’t deterred. 

“The Mandalorian and I both confessed to our crimes, I’m sorry.” Elaine is strong. The entire time you’ve known her that’s been the word you’d use to describe her, but right now she just looks small. 

“That’s enough.” His voice rings through the hall as he snarls at her. “You’ve done enough.” But she doesn’t stop, tears form in the corners of her eyes as she reaches a hand towards you. 

“Mando told them what he did.” Her words become more and more rushed as Kodo begins to walk towards where she’s seated. “We told them all of it, what he made you do, how I helped him keep you quiet, how he took advantage of you.” Her voice is strained and broken as the loud crack echoes throughout the room when Kodo’s hand comes in contact with her face.

“Not another word.” He growls, his eyes icy and cruel, his hand still raised in silent warning. 

How he took advantage of you. 

Oh Din. 

He didn’t. 

You just stare at her. The weight of the world is starting to crash down on you bit by bit as your heart begins to beat frantically. 

Kodo sighs loudly before returning to his seat, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“You’ve ruined the big reveal.” He mumbles before looking back up at you. “Might as well get to your present since she’s ruined the surprise.” 

This can’t get worse. 

That’s what you’ve been consistently repeating to yourself as this dinner has carried on yet somehow it does. 

Everything gets worse when Kodo calls out for his guards. 

Six battle droids enter from the door behind Kodo, but you barely have eyes for them, you don’t have the brain capacity to notice them because you only see him right now. 

Your Din. 

Din who would do anything for you. With his hands cuffed in front of him, his ankles attached with a short chain. Din who is pushed to his knees, a man who should never be in such a position before anyone who isn’t you. Din who only looks at you, even now. 

Din who made up a lie, to protect you one last time. 

Your Din.  

There isn’t a facade you can put on now, nothing can hide the anguish on your face as you stare at him, you aren’t exactly proud when it consumes you entirely. 

And you vomit. 

The tension in your chest finally bubbles over and you expel the contents of your stomach onto the table. Nobody moves, only you, hands gripping your chair as your chest heaves. You’re vaguely aware of Kodo standing beside you now, he’s speaking but you don’t hear a word, you only hear a ringing in your ears until you look at Din, who nods at you, just once, and everything comes back into focus. 

“He can’t hurt you.” Kodo’s voice is sickly sweet in your ear as he hands you a handkerchief from the table set up, giving you a moment to wipe your mouth as you fight back the urge to be sick all over again. “His restraints are state of the art, it doesn’t matter how much of a fight he puts up, he isn’t getting out of them.” 

Your brain is trying desperately to come up with some genius plan to get all of you out of this but you're coming up empty. 

There is nothing. 

“I’m thinking guillotine.” Kodo’s voice is a whisper now as he bends down to speak to you. 

“You do public executions on Naboo?” Your voice matches his in volume, but your eyes never leave Din, he’s struggling against them, but six battle droids? It wouldn’t matter if it was six Mandalorians. 

“I’m the king now, I can do whatever I want.” 

“Tonight was supposed to be a celebration.” 

Oh. 

“Defiling the queen is considered an act of treason in my eyes, so yes, it will be a public execution for these two.” He points at Din and then Elaine and at this point you have a headache as you try desperately to make the pieces of this demented puzzle fit together. You take a shuddering deep breath. 

Leo found the book.

He told Kodo.

Kodo had Din drawn and quartered. He would have been with Elaine, she was taken as well.

He told them he took advantage of you. 

That he defiled you. 

So you would be guiltless. 

And Elaine corroborated his story. 

Said she helped him. 

They had saved you.

And now they’re going to pay for it. 

“Why don’t we see the traitor’s face, guard?” Kodo’s voice tears you from your mental gymnastics as he snaps, pointing at Din and you can’t help it as you shoot up to be standing. 

“No!” The word is punched out of your chest, all the air leaving your body with it. 

“No?” Din stops struggling as everyone turns to face you now, Kodo’s question rings throughout the room as you try to come up with something, anything, to stop this. 

“You wanted to surprise me? Then we should wait, we should save the reveal.” Your words are rushed, you will do anything to keep that helmet on his head right now. 

“The reveal?” Kodo hisses.

“No one’s ever seen his face, we shouldn’t waste this opportunity on some random dinner.” Is this even worth it? At this point you’re probably just getting yourself killed. 

Now no one speaks. You finally manage to tear your eyes from Din to turn and face Kodo. 

“We should save it.” You whisper, you don’t even care if this gets you killed, you just want to keep his helmet on his head until you can figure out how to keep his head on his shoulders. 

Kodo’s sneer turns into a smirk.

“What a good idea.” You let out the breath you’d been holding in. “Maybe you aren’t completely bland, wife.” He puts a hand on the small of your back and you manage to keep yourself from recoiling. “Well then, I think we’re done here.” He whistles, once, clear and sharp and a pair of guards take Elaine by the arms, dragging her away but not before you manage to shoot her one last look of gratitude for what she’s done for you.  

  You finally look back at Din. 

Thrashing against the hold that the droids have on him until they yank him up into a standing position. 

What you wouldn’t give to be able to say anything to him, even just a single word.

“You don’t have to worry about him anymore sweet wife, it’s over.”  Kodo’s words are hot and vile against your ear as he puts a hand on your shoulder, hovering over you as you watch Din being dragged out of the room. 

He puts up one hell of a fight, one final reminder of just how strong your Mandalorian is, it takes all six of Kodo’s droids to keep him down. 

You don’t like the sight of it. 

There’s something fundamentally wrong about Din being overpowered.

You manage to swallow down the sob that threatens to rip through you as you get one final look at him as the doors slam shut, you fight the urge to recoil when Kodo leans down to plant a kiss on the top of your head.

“Your little nightmare is over.” He mumbles, his voice filled with an underlying joy. 

It’s just started.