to all the fictional people I’ve ever loved

hotch raised an eyebrow. “are you sure? i have to get jack to school too.”

you waved your hand. “i’ll pick you both up at eight.”

true to your word, you pulled up to hotch’s apartment complex a few minutes early and shot him a quick text to let him know you were outside.

jack came barreling out first, hotch not far behind. his  backpack bounced as he ran and lunchbox hit against his leg. 

“hi y/n!” jack exclaimed as he climbed into the car. hotch greeted you with a quieter hello as he buckled jack’s seatbelt and circled the car to get in the passenger's seat.

you stayed quiet while driving, focusing instead on navigating. hotch had asked jack about his day ahead in an effort to make small talk. the young boy perked up and began rambling off about everything he would be doing at school. you were impressed with how much he seemed to enjoy learning.

it was only a few minutes before you were pulling up to jack’s school as per aaron’s directions. you quickly parked while aaron got out of his seat to help jack out of the car and get his backpack on.

before he exited though, you twisted around to say goodbye to jack and wish him a good day at school. 

he waved up at you with a toothy smile. 

“maybe you and dad could drive me to school together more often.”

you and aaron met each others eyes in a mutual agreement.

“i think that can definitely be arranged.”

2. work

it was rare that jessica couldn’t watch jack. her job and schedule allowed her to care for the young boy after school and when aaron was away on cases. 

today, however, she got swamped with a last minute series of meetings and was out of town for the day. she let aaron know as soon as possible but not quick enough for him to find another sitter.

that meant one thing, jack would have to spend the day at the bau.

aaron coached his son the entire drive over on the proper behavior. it was a paperwork day, thankfully, and he made sure jack knew that everyone on the team had a lot of work to get done. that meant no bothering them.

despite the warning, jack was practically bouncing the entire way up, more than excited he would get to spend an entire day with some of his favorite people on the planet.

members of the team greeted jack as he made his way around the bullpen. morgan even slipped him a lollipop he stole from garcia for the occasion. when hotch had begun to guide his son up towards the office, you offered to let jack sit with you.

hotch tilted his head. “are you sure?”

“i don’t have a ton of files to get done. he won’t be a bother.”

hotch brought a spare chair over to your desk. he thanked you again and disappeared into his office. you knew the young boy would need entertainment of some kind while he waited.

you took a spare piece of paper from your desk and a few pens. jack took them eagerly with a thank you and got to coloring right away.

it was far from a distraction. his scratching on paper served as white noise more than anything.

he seemed to finish after a few minutes, sliding it over to you for approval. you beamed when you saw the drawing. it was you, him, and hotch at what looked like the park. some of the scribbles were a little tough to decipher but you got the gist.

“wow jack!” you exclaimed. “i think we might have found your hidden talent!”

jack giggled, taking the picture back.

“wanna go show your dad?”

the boy was sliding off the chair and running up the steps towards his dad's office before you could stop him. while the offer was made, you were unsure if hotch was in a meeting. the door was already open, though, and jack headed in with ease.

“dad! dad! look what i made!” jack quickly exclaimed. hotch looked up from his file, expression softening as his son handed the picture.

you entered the office next, apologizing for jack’s sudden rogue behavior. hotch held his hand up, lips upturned in a small smile. 

he kept the photo framed on his wall.

3. career day

there were plenty of events at jack’s elementary school that were spread throughout the year.

he had an art show, a holiday concert, and even a mini science fair. aaron had done his best to make it to the ones he could, but there were times when work conflicted and he felt awful.

jack had another event, career day, in just a few days and the team had yet to be called in for a case.

this was a big deal for him. once aaron had told him he would be in attendance, jack seemed to work extra hard and checked every single morning to make sure his dad would still be there. typically, jessica would also attend with or without aaron but she was away on a work trip.

as happy as jack was that aaron would be there, all of the other kids in his class were bragging about both of their parents taking the day off.

haley wasn’t around anymore and his aunt was busy. 

jack asked his dad before he got out of the car for school. one of the aids had handed aaron a flier with a reminder for the event. in the back, jack piped up.

“can y/n come too?”

aaron glanced at his son through the mirror. he knew how important this event was for jack.

“sure, buddy. i can ask her today.”

jack’s career fair was that friday during your lunch break. the students would be dressing up as their future careers and even prepared a presentation for the parents who had come to see them. 

despite not being able to make it, jack had enlisted jessica’s help to make his outfit a total surprise. 

aaron and you had left a few minutes before your scheduled break to ensure enough time to make it to the school. you had to admit, hearing that jack wanted you at such a big event for him and being invited made you tear up. 

you quickly found seats in the auditorium. jack’s teacher had given a brief speech before releasing everyone to walk around the room.

jack was in the back corner. you and aaron both beamed when you say his career choice.

he was dressed in a suit, one of aaron’s ties around his neck though it was much too long for his body. he had a little bag beside him and an id clipped to his collar. he looked like aaron.

jack immediately ran into his dads legs, squeezing him tightly. you were next.

“hey buddy,” you greeted. “what did you dress up as?”

“i’m an fbi agent!” he exclaimed proudly. “i wanted to be like you and dad.”

you glanced at aaron who pressed his lips together. “you wanted to be like us?”

“yeah! i couldn’t be a superhero so i chose the real thing.”

both you and aaron collected jack in your arms at his words.

aaron stayed close to you and jack went through his entire presentation: what an fbi agent was, why he picked it, and how he can practice in his everyday life. it was adorable.

it was finally time for the career fair to end and jack had hugged you both again before running off with his class. you and aaron needed to get back to work too. aaron drove you two back to the bureau, leaving the radio on at a comfortable volume.

“thank you for coming with me. i know it meant a lot to jack.”

aaron was truly grateful. jack adored you and deep down, aaron always worried that his son would struggle with emotions and opening up after losing haley. but with you, he was the opposite.

you leaned over the center console to squeeze his hand. a small intimate gesture.

“of course. anything for either of you.”

4. emergency room

you loved watching over jack whenever you could. 

all of the team, minus you and morgan, had a conference out in wisconsin over the weekend. it wasn’t odd for certain members to not go, the bureau chose who they thought would discuss the content the best.

you volunteered to watch jack in aaron’s absence. 

you headed over to the hotchner residence immediately after work on friday. the rest of the team would be heading out that night for the conference on saturday and sunday.

jack was ecstatic that you were watching him. he even made a list of movies he wanted to watch and games he wanted to play.

of course you had been in aaron’s apartment before, but he still showed you around and pointed out where specific things for jack were. he stopped by his bedroom, motioning you to drop your bags. 

“you can sleep in here. i changed the sheets and all before you came but there’s also fresh linens in the hall closet.”

he had said it so casually you couldn’t help the blush that formed. you really hoped he didn’t notice.

you had to practically shove aaron out the door after the makeshift tour. he was running late for the airport but you could sense his nervousness about leaving jack. he finally kissed his son on the forehead and squeezed your shoulder. 

“good luck at your conference.” you giggled when he rolled his eyes, clearly not excited for it. “try and have some fun.”

“i doubt it.”

the weekend with jack went by smoothly. you did everything on his agenda and spent some time in the city too. it was honestly relaxing to be with the boy.

aaron had texted you before he had left wisconsin, sending the flight information and arrival time. you had responded with a simple ‘safe flight!’ and ventured into the kitchen to make jack dinner.

jack was bouncing around as you cooked. he missed his dad and was excited for him to get home. you warned him gently to be careful and he simply giggled before taking off around the apartment.

you thought all was good until you heard a loud crash and an instant cry.

after shutting the burner of the stove off, you wasted no time in running to find jack.

he was sitting on the floor on the hallway, the table knocked over and a picture frame scattered on the floor. your heart plummeted when you saw the blood on his forehead and hands.

you’ve had training for this. you’ve literally saved people's lives but seeing jack injured seemed to make you falter. 

you quickly took him in his arms and brought him into the kitchen, grabbing a towel to his cut. you needed to slow the bleeding before anything. you used your spare hand to wipe away jack’s tears.

“it’s gonna be okay, jackers. i promise.”

his verbal crying had subsided but the tears still flowed. your heart ached.

after a few moments, you removed the cloth and winced. he would definitely need stitches. “i’m gonna take you to get cleaned up, okay?” jack nodded.

you scooped him into your arms, quickly grabbing your phone and keys.

the drive to urgent care went by thankfully quickly. jack kept the cloth pressed to the cut and was taking it like a champ. you knew he would be okay but anxiety still nipped at your head.

doctors took jack back right away. you relayed what happened and that you were his babysitter. thankfully with aaron’s status at the bau, not much information was needed for you to write down.

when you went to follow them back to jack’s room, you were stopped. it was standard protocol for them to not let friends or family back while they operated. as much as you wanted to go and be with him, it simply wasn’t allowed.

you squeezed jack’s hand quickly, reassuring him that he would be okay. your eyes stayed on him until he was led out of sight.

you needed to call aaron.

the team was mingling about on the jet, all immersed in a game of poker while rossi slept somewhere else on the jet. hotch’s phone rang and he placed his cards down to pick it up.

hotch barely had time to answer with a hello before you were apologizing. 

“aaron i’m so so sorry,” you cried. 

“y/n what happened? where are you?”

“i’m at urgent care,” aaron’s heart fell at your words. “jack fell and cut his head. aaron i’m so sorry.”

you were crying again when you finished talking. he could tell you were trying to muffle your sobs with your hand.

“y/n,” aaron needed to calm you down before anything. “is jack okay?”

“yeah yeah. they took him back to get stitches but they said he was going to be okay. i’m sorry i was supposed to be taking care of him.”

“it’s okay. as long as jack is being taken care of, that's all that matters. i’m sure it was an accident.”

you’re already protesting his words. “but i-”

“y/n,” aaron’s voice is stern. “it’s okay. i’ll meet you at urgent care when we land. shouldn’t be more than thirty minutes.”

he was going easy on you and you knew it. 

the thirty minute wait seemed to go by agonizingly slow. a doctor had come into the waiting room and let you know that they were beginning the stitching. the cleaning had taken longer than intended.

you shut your eyes when someone sat down next to you. you knew it was him. you knew you should turn and talk to aaron but the guilt was all consuming.

he finally took the first words. “how’s jack?”

“he’s good. getting his stitches now. aaron i’m-”

“y/n, it’s okay, really. please don’t apologize again. accidents happen,” his words were gentle. you stayed quiet, knowing you would apologize again if you opened your mouth.

aaron’s hand moved to your knee, effectively stopping the anxious bouncing and squeezing to reassure you of his words. 

he kept his hand there until a doctor came out to which he stood up, professionalism seeping into his expression.

“you can go first,” you offered once the doctor had informed you that jack was ready to be seen. it felt dumb to have to vocally tell him to go.

aaron was having none of that. he reached down to take your hand in yours and hoist you to your feet, pulling you after him to jack’s room. aaron entered first, hugging his son tightly.

“hi jackers,” you greeted quietly after stepping into the room.

the young boy bit his lip as tears welled in his eyes. “i’m so sorry.”

aaron looked at his son. “what for buddy?”

“i was running when i wasn’t supposed to and i got hurt.”

you took a seat on the bed beside him, carefully wrapping an arm around his shoulder. he leaned into you as aaron occupied the other space beside him.

“it’s alright. i’m just glad you’re okay.”

5. hurts

there was always a risk when a friend, a lover, anyone close to you was in a potentially dangerous line of work.

you and aaron had gone through it a few times with him and foyet and various members of the team. you, however, hadn’t ever been directly put in danger.

that was until this case.

the unsub was profiled as a misogynistic, psychopathic serial killer whose signature involved overkill of women. every female in the immediate area was absolutely terrified. 

you didn’t think much of it at first, especially not when you, spencer, and emily had been sent to a suspect's house. the fear only set in when all traits of the suspect had pointed to him being the unsub and you were the one who got attacked first.

hotch nearly lost it when he found you unconscious and bloody. your face had been beaten, nose swollen and lip split. he dropped down beside you, taking your head in his hands and yelling your name in pure fear of losing you until j.j. had gotten the emt’s.

you thankfully didn’t stay in the hospital very long, just overnight. all of your wounds had gotten cleaned and stitched up but the doctor had diagnosed you with a pretty nasty concussion. you were just glad it was a local case so you didn’t have to wait to fly home.

hotch had insisted that he watched over you for at least the first night. there had been other volunteers but no one was going to argue with their boss. 

you had strict concussion protocol for the first night. you would need to stay up as late as you possibly could and once you fell asleep, someone would need to wake you up every few hours. it sounded exhausting.

if hotch had any issues with it, he didn’t voice them.

you were still pretty out of it on the drive home. aaron had loaded your bags in his car and kept a secure arm around your waist to help you in the passenger's seat. he even made sure to take the least bumpy route to his apartment.

you stayed leaning against the wall of his apartment hallway as aaron knocked before unlocking the door. jessica was greeting him right away, echoing that jack was in the kitchen eating dinner. the rest of their conversation was fuzzy. your head was pounding and it felt like too much to try and tune in and listen.

“y/n?” aaron’s voice was suddenly close.

you hum as you opened your eyes slowly. 

“let’s head in,” his hand fell to your shoulder as he led you inside. jessica must have left because you could only hear jack in the kitchen.

you collapsed on the couch. aaron went into the kitchen to greet his son and get you some medicine.

despite doctor’s orders, sleep was beginning to feel like a good idea. but as your eyes started to slip shut, you heard a patter against the floorboards.

“y/n?” jack’s voice was small. you knew he had never seen you like this. “are you okay?”

you sat up, patting the spot next to you for jack to climb up. “i’m alright, jackers. just got a little hurt.”

an idea seemed to pass over jack’s face and he lit up. “oh! i know how to help!”

you tilted your head to the side. sure jack was smart for his age but you didn’t know how he could help your injuries. 

“how?”

jack smiled. “kisses! dad and aunt jess always say that kissing my hurts will make them feel better.”

you bit your lip. the young boy's heart made you tear up. “well i certainly want to feel better.”

jack clambered forward, placing a soft kiss to the cut on your forehead, the bruise on your cheek, and the brace on your wrist.

aaron opened his mouth, a warning for his son to be careful on the tip of his tongue. but when he saw you smile, he stopped.

“dad!” jack twisted around to face his father. “your turn!”

aaron shook his head. “sorry buddy, i think you got them all.”

jack shook his head, pointing towards your very split lip. “nuh uh. i made sure to leave one for you.”

oh. 

aaron ruffled his son's hair. he wanted to defuse the brewing situation. as willing as he would be to kiss your injury, it was wrong, unprofessional. “her lip needs to heal. i can’t kiss it.”

“but y/n won’t feel better!” jack sounded clearly in distress. “please?”

both you and aaron knew jack’s stubbornness, something he got from his father.

“alright,” aaron’s voice was softer now.

he circled the couch to stand in front of you. jack babbled on about how he also had special spiderman bandaids in his room and he would even let you have one. aaron’s eyes met yours. it was a silent agreement between the two of you.

aaron ducked down to kiss the corner of your mouth, lips ghosting over the stitches. 

it was a surge of emotion but one that you knew he was only doing for jack. his lips left yours much faster than you would’ve liked.

“do you feel better?”

jack’s question broke you out of the trance you were in.

aaron had kissed you. indirectly, yes, but it was still a kiss.

“without a doubt.”

+1 movie night

you and aaron hadn’t discussed the night after the case. though in all honesty, you hadn’t stopped thinking about it. 

once you were cleared again for the field, cases seemed to pick up which left less than sufficient personal time for you and aaron. you missed him. 

you were the first one in the office friday morning. you had gotten there early to get a headstart on your paperwork in hopes that it meant not having to stay late.

aaron was in next. he usually gave you, or whoever else was in the bullpen, a nod and a quiet ‘good morning.’ today, he changed his route and circled around to your desk.

“are you busy tonight?”

you nearly sputtered out the coffee you were drinking out of pure unawareness of where this question was going to lead.

you shook your head. “assuming we don’t have a case, i’m not.”

“good,” aaron started. “jack wanted to have a movie night and he’s been dying to see you and i wanted to see if you wanted to come over?”

his voice seemed to go up an octave towards the end, as if to cushion the non-existent blow of the question. 

you beam. “i would love to.”

aaron’s eyes lift. it’s not a smile, those are rare even for you, but it’s close to it.

“perfect. does seven work?”

you nod.

“great, we’ll see you then.”

you hide your smile in the file you’re working on.

right as aaron had instructed, you showed up at aaron’s apartment right around seven. you knocked twice, stepping back to wait for the door to open. when it did, you weren’t met with your tall solemn boss, but the smaller hotchner.

“y/n!” jack exclaimed, surging forward to hug your waist. 

you giggled, hugging him back. “hi jack.”

aaron appeared behind his son, lips upturned at the sight of you two. “hi,” you greeted him. 

“come on in, it’s all set up.”

you let aaron take your bag. usually on nights like these, you and aaron stayed up much later than you expected and you crashed at his place instead of going home.

you took a seat at the edge of the couch, letting aaron decide the distance between you two. when he returned, he sat a few feet away. it wasn’t enough to be inferred as him clearly trying to make distance but it wasn’t close enough either.

jack had clambered into his dad’s lap, curling into his chest with just enough vision to still see the movie.

once he had settled, however, his head turned to where you still sat. he extended one of his hands, opening and closing his fists in a grabbing motion. he wanted you closer.

“i wanna lay with you too.”

“of course jackers.”

you smiled and scooted a little closer to aaron. you looked up at him cautiously. being close to jack meant being close to him too. aaron didn’t respond verbally. he lifted his arm from where it sat at his side to rest along the back of the couch. open invitation. 

you curled into aaron’s side, legs pressing against his. jack wasted no time in readjusting himself to be strung across the both of you. you could feel aaron’s eyes peer down on you but you didn’t meet his gaze. instead, you settled further into the couch and watched the screen.

as the final few scenes of the movie played, jack began yawning and rubbing his eyes. you knew it was his bedtime but would fight until the movie was over. you brought your hand to his back, running your fingers up and down to help soothe his tired state. 

when the end credit popped up, aaron leaned to shut off the tv. “alright buddy, let’s get you to bed. can you say goodnight to y/n?”

jack slid fully into your lap, arms interlocking around your neck to hug you.

“goodnight y/n. thank you for coming over.”

“goodnight jack,” you spoke, squeezing him a little tighter.

when you let go, the boy wasted no time in all but sprinting down the hall to pick out the bedtime story aaron would read.

“i’m going to get him ready for bed,” aaron started. “i shouldn’t be too long.”

you smiled up at him. “take your time.”

aaron too disappeared down the hall and you were left to your own devices. 

you knew he wanted you to wait in the living room but your overnight bag was discarded in his room and you really wanted to wash your face and get in more comfy clothing. 

you tried to be as quiet as possible as you walked down the hallway, fully intent on going into aaron’s room just to grab your bag. that was until you heard the conversation between aaron and jack. you stayed pressed against the wall next to the door.

guilt climbed in your chest at what you were doing but what the hotchner boys didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.

“-don’t get it.” that was jack.

you could almost see aaron’s eyebrow quirk. “what don’t you get, buddy?”

“why aren’t you and y/n dating yet?”

you suck in a breath, cheeks turning rosy at the question. you absolutely knew you weren’t meant to hear it. the thought of turning away and completing your original task passes over but you want, need, to hear aaron’s response.

“i don’t think she likes me like that, bud.” 

“she does,” jack nearly giggles. “she talks about you a lot.”

you just got betrayed by a seven year old. 

aaron seems to change the conversation after that and that’s when you tune out, replaying aaron’s words over and over. i don’t think she likes me like that. does that mean he liked you too?

you’re so caught up in your thoughts that you don’t notice jack’s door open and aaron step out.

he sighed, not surprised in the slightest at seeing you waiting. “i know you heard all that.”

busted. 

you stammer, trying poorly to come up with an excuse.

“come on,” aaron’s hand is strong as he guides you to his room. “he just got to bed, don’t want him waking up while we talk.” 

fear courses through you. you could lose your job over all this. dramatic reaction but still a possibility. above all, however, you could lose aaron personally. it was already a barrier you felt like you were pushing

“jack sometimes doesn’t think before he asks a question,” aaron starts. oh. “i’m sorry you had to hear that.

he was sorry?

“why are you sorry?” you’re trying to save yourself the potential heartbreak.  

aaron sighs.

“i’m your boss. it’s unprofessional to have feelings for my subordinate. you watch my son too, i don’t want you feeling like i’ve been taking advantage of you.”

you wanted to laugh. aaron was always overly professional with his words.

“i really like you aaron.”

he didn’t respond at first and for a moment you think your confession was a little too strong. but then his eyes meet yours and he smiles.

“can i kiss you? properly this time.”

you hummed. “please.”

aaron’s lips met yours tentatively. his hands cupped your cheeks effectively holding you to him. it was new, though not unwelcome.

you leaned up to loop your arms around his neck to pull him closer. 

aaron pulled away first and you whined, clearly upset at the sudden lack of contact. you had waited ages to kiss aaron and in no way did you expect for it to end so soon.

“relax baby,” aaron chuckled. your heart leaped at the pet name. “need to adjust.”

he sat down on the bed. arms snaked around your waist to pull you close to him.

“so you like me too?” the question slips out before you can think about it. 

aaron leans up to kiss the corner of your mouth, the same spot where your cut had turned into a scar. 

“I know ad'ika but he must fly the ship.” His little bottom lip turned out in the most adorable little pout, his big brown eyes shimmering with tears. She cooed and rocked back and forth with the child clinging to her f/c chest plate, a small hand reaching out to caress her covered face. 

She knew he was tired and cranky and probably just needed a good cuddle. Glancing up to make sure the cockpit door was still locked, Y/N looked back down at her child, who now had fat tears dripping down his tiny cheeks. “Alright alright but only for a little while.” Shifting him to her non-dominant arm, she was able to reach up and unbuckle the bindings on her helmet.

——————

Din sighed in relief as the last of the planets fell away into the blackness of space. Hopefully they would be safe for a while. He leaned back in the pilot’s chair, taking in a deep breath. He instinctively looked to his right, expecting to see her berserker in his peripheral vision in her usual spot behind him. 

His heart clenched at her absence, even if she was barely twenty feet away from him. She had constantly been by his side for years, helping him with bounties and jobs that got out of hand. She was a brilliant hunter and a kind soul, something he could not have ever imagined. Truthfully, it started off as him enjoying having another Mandalorian around after being alone for so long but it slowly shifted into something more.

He was able to keep it under wraps thankfully, but then the child came into their lives and all he could think about was that she would make an amazing mother, preferably to his children. Every time he closed his eyes, he thought about what she would look like beneath her f/c armour, what would her eyes look like under the double suns of Tatooine versus reflecting the glittering snows of Hoth? He knew she was beautiful, how could she not be? 

He’d seen glimpses of her curves when she removed part of her berserker to tend to an injury or to buff out a dent. But beyond that, she was a kind soul, always watching out for others before herself, finding beauty in things that he would have overlooked. She even picked up trinkets for every planet they visited, either to keep for herself or give to the child or him. Din always scoffed saying he didn’t need any of the useless items but always took them and stored them in a safe place under his cott. His personal favourite was the necklace charm that vaguely looked like his prized blaster.

He trusted her entirely and she trusted him, they had even exchanged names after a few months of travelling together. She had even turned away when he bore his face to Grogu to say goodbye. 

Rolling his neck, Din loosened up his muscles. Pulling off his leather gloves, he allowed his tanned skin to breathe. The clips on his boots came off easily and he placed his socked feet on the cool floor of the cockpit. It was a secret delight of his that he could walk around barefoot, it made him feel safe, that he trusted Y/N enough that he could shed some of his armour around her and not risk being attacked or have his credo broken.

After double checking that the Crest was on auto-pilot, Mando carefully unlocked the door, worried that both his companion and the child were asleep and he didn’t want to wake them. He slipped down the ladder, feet silent against the metal. Turning to face the hold, he froze, eyes wide in shock.

There she was, bare faced, looking down at the child who was slowly losing to his exhaustion. She was humming a lullaby he vaguely recalled from his own childhood, her unmodulated voice was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard. Din quickly spun around, squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to forget what he saw. But the image of her s/c skin lightly brushed with sweat as her h/c hair hung down over her perfectly chubby cheeks was too much. Her face was seared into his mind, never to leave.

But Din turned too quickly in his haste to avoid looking at the woman and the edge of his helmet caught the ladder, making the loudest clang he had heard in his life. His blood turned to ice as the reverberation died off and the hull was silent. He knew she had heard it, how could she not? He was dead.

——————

Y/N couldn’t help but smile at the child as he gazed up at her. It was not the first time she had removed her helmet for him but it was incredibly rare. Who knew what Din would say about her breaking the creed for the child? It was worth it though, to actually see Grogu clearly and not through the tinted view of her helm.

She adored the shade of green of his skin, how truly deep his brown eyes were. Without thinking, she swayed gently, slowly rocking him to sleep. Grogu chirped and snuggled even closer, resting his head on the bare skin of her neck, his little breaths causing goosebumps to appear. 

The song rumbled through her chest from some deep recesses of her mind.

“You are my sunshine

My only sunshine

You make me happy

When skies are grey

You’ll never know dear

How much I love you

Please don’t take my sunshine away.”

She hummed the tune, not recalling the rest of the words, as she hugged her boy closer, so thankful to have him back in her arms, back where he should be. Maybe this could make Din happy once more.

He had been so sad without the little womp rat making trouble everywhere. His silences, which usually brought her comfort, were now forced and tinged with sadness. She hated that, how he pushed her away and isolated himself in his grief. He became barbaric, so angry, a tightly wound ball of fury and despair that scared her sometimes. 

It had been so long since she heard his modulated chuckles or caught him doing anything other than cleaning and preparing his weapons for the next hunt. She missed who he was, the strong warrior with a heart of absolute gold. She couldn’t deny that there was a large part of her that she wished she could be enough for him, that her presence could pull him out of his funk, but she knew that she never could be his person. 

Y/N was stupidly head over heels for him.

She shook her head, trying not to think about the powerful jagyc who haunted her dreams and seemed to have barely any feelings of friendship towards her. Instead, she focused on Grogu, his eyes fluttering as he finally lost himself to sleep. “I love you” She whispered into his hair and then picked up her humming once more. Just as his little breaths evened out and she felt his muscles go lax against her, Clank! 

That wasn’t the ship falling apart or gunfire, it was the berserker of a Mandalorian coming into contact with metal. She knew because she had lost count of the times she slammed into the wall or a door jam on the Crest. Anxiety rushed through her veins, this couldn’t be happening.

“Din?” There was a pause. “Yeah.” Her heart was beating out of her chest. Her fingers dug into Grogu’s robes and her voice shook. “Did you see my face?” He didn’t answer and her eyes squeezed shut as she forced her tears not to fall. “T-tell me.” She was on the verge of crying, shame and embarrassment curled in her gut. “I did.”

Her creed was broken, truly. It could be forgiven that she had shown herself to the child since he had been adopted into their clan, but another person, another Mandalorian seeing her like this? It meant death. She could kill him to protect her honour but she loved him too much. A life without him would’ve been worse than death, and knowing that she was the one to do the deed, would’ve driven her to madness.

Or, he could kill her. 

With one last kiss to Grogu’s head, Y/N placed him in his little bed, making sure to seal the hatch up tightly so he couldn’t see what would happen next. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Din tense, the muscles in his back flexing like they did when he prepared for a fight. Taking in a deep breath, she wiped away her tears and spoke once more. “I’m not going to kill you, ner vod.”

She fully faced him now, slowly unbuckling the rest of her armour and laying it on the box she had been previously sitting on. “Why?” If she didn’t know any better, his voice sounded strained and full of emotion. “It was my fault so I should be punished, not you.” She felt lighter without the heavy metal covering her plump frame, she was naked without it, vulnerable.

“I don’t want to kill you, mesh’la.” His back was still turned to her and she took the time to take one last look at the man she loved more than anything. “Nor I you. I would rather die than cause you pain.” Her steps were silent as she approached him. Her hand trembled as she reached out, fingertips just grazing the back of his jumpsuit.

“Look at me Din, please.” She pleaded, fingers curling into the navy fabric. His shoulders slumped and he turned, the visor of his own helmet meeting her eyes. Even hunched over with his head bowed, he still seemed so large compared to her. Y/N’s palm cupped the cool metal where she knew his cheek would be. “It’s ok.” He shook his head, his own hands coming up to rest on her wide hips.

“How can you say that?” She chuckled tearfully, leaning her forehead against his own. “I’d rather it be you than anyone else in this universe. You always have been, and always will be my heart. I could never live without you.” His grip tightened on her hip bones. “And what makes you think I could survive without you?” “Because you’ll have our son.”

They stood there in silence, just holding each other, willing this to last for an eternity. “God you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” Din whispered just loud enough for her to hear. “You are literally the first person to ever tell me that.” “It is true.” 

His hand moved from her hips to her jaw, his calloused thumb rubbing the apple of her cheek, completely hypnotised by the softness of her skin and the heat of her body. How warm could one person be? His heart ached with what had to be done. Din suddenly went stiff in her hold.

“Marry me.” “What?” Y/N’s eyes were wide with shock, had she heard him right? “If we are joined in riduurok, we can see each other’s faces.” She tried to pull away but he held fast, refusing to let her go. “I don’t want to marry you to save my own skin.” He shook his head firmly. “Y/N, I have always loved you. I’ve just been too much of a coward to tell you.”

“You love me? Really?” Din smiled behind his helmet. “How could I not?” Her bright grin almost made him stumble back with just how beautiful it was. “I love you.” She replied. He released her but didn’t step away, only reaching up to pull off the last piece of metal that separated the two of them. 

Y/N’s breath caught in her throat as Din’s face was finally revealed to her. To say he was handsome would be the understatement of the millennium. His shaggy hair fell in front of his brown eyes that sparkled with hundreds of thoughts. His chilled jaw was covered in scruff leading to a small mustache that only enhanced his beauty. “You’re beautiful.” He flushed a deep pink at her confession and she chuckled at his bashfulness. 

She took his hands in her own, their fingers intertwining. “Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde.” There was no hesitation in her words, no second thoughts and Din couldn’t help but grin stupidly at her, with no fear of mockery. 

He squeezed her fingers and repeated the words. “Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde.” Din wasted no time, as soon as the last words were spoken, he grabbed the back of her neck so their lips could meet for their first ever kisses. Y/N’s knees wobbled as he pulled her into a tight embrace, her arms winding around his neck.

Fireworks seemed to explode around them as they moved in sync. Y/N tilted her head to deepen the kiss but instead bumped her riddur’s large nose. She laughed into his mouth. She felt him smile against her before he gripped her jaw to encourage her back into the kiss, tension palpable between them. 

——————

As the sweat cooled on their bodies, Din rested his head on Y/N’s bare chest, his arms wrapped firmly around her middle as she buried her fingers in his messy hair. There were still echoes of their lovemaking, the chorus of moans and grunts that had filled the small bedroom.

Perching his chin on her sternum, Din watched his riddur come down from her high, her eyes shut, lips parted with soft pants. Her skin was littered with hickies and bite marks, the same as his. “Sing for me, please.” Y/N lovingly stroked his head. “What would you like me to sing?” “Anything.” He settled back down on top of her, feeling the vibrations of her words through her chest, lulling him to sleep.

“You are my sunshine

My only sunshine

You make me happy

When skies are grey

You’ll never know dear

How much I love you

Please don’t take my sunshine away.”

Translations:

ad'ika - little one

jagyc - man/male

ner vod- my friend

mesh’la- beautiful

riddurok marriage

Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde - We are one when together, we are one when parted, we will share all, we will raise warriors.

riddur - husband/wife

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