#din djarin coffee house au

[drawingdroid]

Sweet Potato

Modern AU Firefighter Din Djarin x GN!Reder

Summary: You move to your new apartment and meet your new neighbours.

Warnings: Fluff!!!, Meet Cute Trope, Gender Neutral Reader, no y/n, Mentions of food and eating, This is literally the most SFW piece I’ve written ever, Good Dad Din Djarin!!!, But also stressed!

Words: 1336

A/N: This is just a little one shot for you to enjoy as I enjoy sweet potato! I wrote it to celebrate I’m getting my own place finally, one step further from my abusive family, so this is practically autobiographical lol. Anyway, life has been hectic and I felt a little blocked with The Unknown Regions IV, since smut is coming and I want it to feel natural between Din and Reader, but things are finally flowing. Let me know if you like this little self-indulgent piece! The lovely dividers are from @saradika by the way!!!

Edit: I added a moodboard hehehe

You had just moved to your new apartment on the outskirts of the city. Aspiring to be a cosmopolitan girl all your life, you had finally surrendered to your true nature: you craved a quiet existence. Luckily, after some searching your friend Martha had made you an offer you couldn't reject. She'd lend her spare flat to you at an affordable price if you could keep an eye on her grandma, who lived next door. The woman was a kind, sassy 80-year-old lady and you adored her, so it was a win-win situation for you.

After a busy day of moving boxes around with the help of your friends, you (and your plants) were finally settled. With a content sigh, you collapsed on the sofa, looking at the strip of blue sea that was visible from your new balcony. You smiled toothyly, proud of yourself. Finally, you broke free from your family and achieved having your own space.

The morning after you were sitting in your elder neighbour's kitchen with a warm cup of coffee between your hands. Violet, that was her name, was delighted with having you there. She had shown you all the pictures of her grandkids before breakfast and now you were chatting about which plants you could add to your new house.

“Let me give you a piece of this one, if you put it in water, the roots will be out in a week.”

You grabbed the tiny branch and tucked it in carefully.

“I have something for you too!” From inside your tote bag, you took out a paper bag that contained Violet's favorite sweet potato pie. Her face lightened up and she took one serving. But just when she was going to have the first bite, someone knocked on the door. Who could be this early in the morning?

“Oh, maybe it's Din,” Violet said casually and started standing up from the chair. You had no idea who that was but followed her to the door. People trying to scam the elderly had been sadly a common thing in the previous months.

“Good morning sweetheart!” She greeted them when the door was finally opened, and someone responded with the cutest coo. A kid? You couldn't see anything, since the old lady had the entrance only half opened.

“Morning Violet.” That was the most beautiful baritone voice you had ever heard. “Grogu, be polite, that's her pie.”

“There's more inside if he wants one.” You poked from behind your friend's white locks with a friendly smile and finally met with the stranger's eyes. And what a beautiful pair of eyes. His chocolate irises went from Violet to you alternatively and his brows frowned with a silent question. Din knew you weren't her grandkid and was aware of scammers too. Who were you?

“This is our new neighbor, Martha's friend. Just moved in yesterday.” The lady introduced you to Din and the man relaxed a bit, but you were more tense than ever. He was like a dream. Lean and muscular, tattooed arms and the softest looking face. You could sense his gaze scanning you, as if evaluating if you were a threat or not when something grabbed the hem of your clothes.

“Eh?” The biggest pair of eyes returned your look from the floor and you felt you were gonna die from the cuteness.

“Hello little man, are you here for your pie?” The child cooed enthusiastically and Din sighed in defeat. You crouched to be closer to the kid's height, dumbfounded by the little one. He chirped, visibly delighted, but then looked at the older man for approval. Violet was laughing softly at the scene, knowing how much Grogu enjoyed food.

“I'm sorry to interrupt your breakfast,” Din said, shifting his weight while looking at how you made funny faces to the kid. “The fire station just called, there's a big emergency, I'm on duty and they need backup and…”

“Of course, he can stay with us!” Violet interrupted with a dismissive gesture and Din's shoulders visibly relaxed. The kid looked delighted at the prospect and made grabby hands to be picked up by you. You indulged in his petition, obviously.

“Thank you so much, Violet, I'll compensate you.” Din looked at the kid in your arms still hesitant. You were a total stranger but he looked like Grogu already trusted you. And you were Violet's friend too.

“I have a lot of experience with kids, I'll take care of him as my own.” Your kind face convinced him and finally Din nodded. Then, to your surprise, he touched his forehead with Grogu's and he was suddenly so close you could smell his shampoo and the aftershave he used to keep that nice mustache.

“Be polite with them kid.” Grogu giggled and grabbed Din's face with his claws in a sweet embrace. Your heart melted at the tender gesture. It was clear they loved each other a lot, even though you didn't know if they were related or not.

“He's an angel,” Violet responded, caressing the kid's fuzzy head. “But I need you to do something in exchange for keeping an eye on him, son.”

“Whatever you need Violet,” Din responded surprised. The old woman grinned mischievously and then went inside the house. Grogu then surprised yourself to death jumping to the floor and following her.

“Does he…make that a lot?” You asked Din, confused about how such a small kid could manage that jump. Now alone with his caretaker, you felt your nerves growing in your belly. He was handsome and also imposing.

“You can't imagine.” He rolled his eyes and let a tired sigh escape his plump lips and you laughed. It was going to be an interesting day in Grogu's company. “It's so kind of you to visit Violet.” He declared after a short silence. You looked at him wondering what he was referring to. “She's been so lonely since her husband's illness. It's sweet.” He added the last phrase almost muttering and without looking at you. So the big man was shy.

“I enjoy her company, I'm glad we are neighbors now and we can hang out more often.” You offered him a wide, sincere smile.

“I'm glad too.” He responded after licking his lips, his big brown eyes now fixated on yours.

“Here you have, you weren't gonna leave without some sweet potato pie!” You didn't notice when Violet had returned, that's how distracted you were with the new neighbor. She had packed some of the pie you had baked for her and now was handing it to Din in a container. You observed that Grogu was already having his fill, stuffing his little mouth while grabbing the lady's skirt.

For the first time, you saw him smile. The warmth of his expression was contagious and you noticed the cute dimple in his cheek.

“This was the condition to take care of Grogu?” He said accepting the gift.

“Exactly. I'm sure you haven't had breakfast. Am I wrong?” Din looked somewhere else in shame, totally guilty. “And I love the pie, but this time she has baked too much to my poor sugar levels, sorry sweetie.” She apologized but then winked at you. What was she plotting?

“You baked it? That's incredible.” Now your face was red and you started to pick what Violet's intentions were. “Grogu seems to love the pie.” The kid cooed agreeing, his tiny clothes covered in crumbs. He was too adorable to be true.

Din's phone interrupted the conversation and with a concerned look, he gestured to the stairs. Violet just told him to leave with her and Grogu and you waved at the firefighter. You then crouched again to speak to the toddler.

“Let's go, little man, we're having lots of fun.” And you did, indeed.

That day in the fire station, everyone had a bite of your delicious sweet potato pie, and Din was forced to talk about the new lovely neighbour who had baked it. They wouldn’t stop teasing, but all he could think was in seeing you again, the sweet potato neighbour.

[crowandmousewritingco]

Paring: Shane "Dio" Morrissey x Din Djarin

Words: 1.8k

Rating: G

Summary: Dio doesn't lose fights, but what happens when he does.

Author: Mod Mouse

Notes: So we have au verse called The Fill House where several Pedro boys live together in a house together in a modern au, and this is one of those drabbles. These are meant to be fun little one-offs for whenever inspiration hits. If you want more information about the au we have a whole list here.

Dio didn’t lose fights. He had an image to keep up and he worked really hard to maintain that facade. Except today. Some punk had gotten lucky and snuck up behind him when he was on a smoke break outside the local record store. Apparently he had looked at his girl “wrong” while pursuing the newest metal selection, and sent him to the ground with a decent punch to his cheek. His lackeys took it from there kicking him while he was down and giving him a minimal chance to fight back. Once they had done the damage they wanted, the gang abandoned him in a pile on the alley leaving him to lick his wounds.

He could feel his hard shell crumpling as he slammed the door to his shared house. Desperately wanting to not draw any attention to him, he kept his head low as he hoped no one would see him in this state. Especially Dieter. The last person he needed right now was that disaster calling him one of his annoying nicknames. 

Though unfortunately for him that wasn’t the case. The “parents”--Din, Joel and Frankie– were gathered around the kitchen island when he stormed past them, thick platform boots thumping against the wooden floor. They looked up when they heard the clatter. “Dio?” Frankie asked, seeing the state of the youngest member. 

Dio held out his palm and only briefly looked up at the trio. “Don’t,” He sneered and hurried his way up the stairway leather jacket swooshing behind him. The trio exchanged glances as the noise slowly dissipated. Clearly something was wrong. Dio was usually just his grumpy self but he would linger for a bit before seeking solace. 

Din swirled his coffee cup staring at the empty staircase. “I’ll give him 20.” 

Joel hummed and finished his mug of coffee. Frankie held out his mug for another cup, and Joel took it, giving the other man a quick kiss on the head. Frankie couldn’t help but look behind him watching where Dio once stood. 

“I’m sure he’ll be okay,” Din reassured him when he noticed the worry etched on his already worn face. 

Frankie turned back to the others and sighed. “I know but I worry about him sometimes.” 

“I think we all do,” Joel added as he sat back down in his chair and handed the mug back to Frankie. 

The warmth of the mug made him feel a bit better, but he would still be worried until Din went to check on him. In the meantime, he found comfort in leaning against Joel’s side as the other two conversed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dio slammed the door to his bedroom and quickly shucked off his leather duster, not even bothering to hang it up, kicking off his platforms with none of the kindness he usually had with his attire. Ezra looked up from his desk where he was working on his current craft of choice. “Well don’t you look like something the cat dragged in.” 

“Fuck off,”  Dio sneered and fell onto his bed. He pressed himself into the corner of his bed bringing his knees to his chest making himself as small as possible. The world didn’t need to see him nor did he want anyone to notice him. His thoughts sending him spiraling were familiar and unwelcomed. 

Ezra sat on the edge of his seat. “Something has caused your neurons to fire in the wrong sequence?”

Dio growled and grabbed the nearest object– one of his many pillows gathered over the years-- and threw it in Ezra’s direction. Ezra being used to this behavior deftly dodged it. “Get out!” 

Ezra sighed and set down this craft with annoyance before getting up from his seat. He grabbed the doorknob and opened it. He turned towards the upset goth as he was leaving. “Fine Oberyn and I had plans that didn’t involve such a violent creature.” 

With another louder growl he threw another pillow which bounced harmlessly off of the closed door. When he was finally alone he let his facade crash around him. Soft quiet tears flowed down his cheeks bringing black streaks of mascara running down his face as he curled up in a ball. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just like Din had promised, 20 minutes went by before he softly knocked on the door. He didn’t hear a reply, but that was normal for Dio. Carefully he pushed the door up a crack enough to see inside. Soft sobs escaped through the opening making his heart pang from the sound, and when he peeked inside the room he saw the puddle of black curled up on the bed. His form was gently shaking from his sobs as he hid his face in the stuffed goat Din won for him at their last arcade date. 

“I told you to get out,” Dio weakly fought back, not bothering to look up from the safety of his stuffed animal. 

“It’s just me,” Din softly replied as he slipped into the shared room. Dio lifted his head with some effort and his guard was dropped when he saw his partner. Tears threatened to fall again and he gently reached out for Din to take his hand. 

Din of course obliged, wrapping the smaller hand in his well worn palm. He could feel Dio shaking against him. Carefully while still holding his hand, Din arranged himself on the bed so Dio could press his face into the safety of his chest which is exactly what the shaking man did. Like a moth to a flame Dio curled himself into the comforting touch of his partner. Now that his safety net was there, Dio didn’t let any of his emotions back. 

Softly he sobbed against the material of Din’s shirt, turning it a darker shade from the tears. Din stayed silent letting his boyfriend roll with the emotions. Dio always kept his emotions so deeply locked up some times like this were important for his mental wellbeing. Din gently ran his fingers up and down the fabric of Dio’s shirt soothing him the best he could. 

It worked and soon Dio’s sobs turned to soft sniffles as Dio finally let all the feelings out. He didn’t stop his soothing even after Dio spoke. “I lost a fight.” 

Din glanced down at the vulnerable goth. “That sounds like it was scary.” 

“It was. I didn’t see ‘em coming. Didn’t even get time to prepare. It was an ambush which was some bullshit.” He cursed out though with less energy he usually gave when he was swearing. 

“Was it someone you knew?” Din asked softly, gently playing with a stay black hair. 

“No some fucking drone thinking I was trying to take their girl.” He snorted sadly. “Wouldn’t he be shocked when he finds outs I don’t fuck like that?” 

Dio was silent again before he continued. “I was just scared. I can hold my own in a fight, but…not when that happens.” He took a deep breath. “I have to keep my image in line or people will think I’m getting soft.” 

“What people?” Din asked

Dio gave a short shrug. “Just people.” 

“And what makes these people so important that you need to have this wall?” 

Dio was silent for a while and Din had to look down to make sure that he was still awake. “It’s always been this way and it always will.” 

“Only if you want it to be like that. You are a different person than when you first moved in. Remember how you were so scared to acknowledge your sexuality.” Din added gently, kissing Dio’s forehead. 

Dio groaned. “Fuck that was embaressing.” 

“But now you are openly out and enjoying your true self.” 

“What does that gotta do with anything?” Dio asked, glancing up at the older man’s face. 

“It’s up to you but maybe you don’t need that shield anymore.” Din offered softly. 

Dio thought about his words for a while. “Dieter is gonna have a fucking field day with this.” 

“I will deal with Dieter. You just be whatever you are most comfortable with.” 

Dio stayed silent mulling over Din’s opinions. Maybe he was right. Maybe it was time for him to let down his wall sometimes. 

“If I let this go I’m not changing my style.” 

Din let a short chuckle out of his nose. “And I wouldn’t expect anything less.” 

Dio smirked and kissed his cheek as they continued to cuddle for a bit longer. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey no fair! It’s my turn to pick the movie,” Dieter pouted as he tried to reach the remote Ezra was holding above his head. 

“You would be incorrect my gem, remember you selected that we observed the classic movie Grown Ups for last week's perusing,” Ezra countered keeping the remote out of his boyfriend’s reach. Everyone was gathered for the weekly movie night. The little groups had formed–Oberyn watching his two partners tussle for the remote with amusement while lounging on the shared recliner while Joel sat alone for now on the corner couch. 

“Ya but we were making out the whole time!” Dieter complained. 

“Dieter please you’ve had your choice,” Frankie sighs as he came back with a few bowls of popcorn. Dieter pouted and slumped back in the recliner. Ezra smiled and gave his boyfriend a kiss on the cheek as a consolation prize which seemed to pacify Dieter. He settled himself between Oberyn and Dieter. Frankie set the bowls of popcorn on the coffee table before sliding in next to Joel. 

Ezra scrolled through his options, picking “Charlie Countryman.” “Are we prepared? Wait, where's the goth and the silent one?” 

“We’re here,” Din replied as he and Dio wandered down the stairs. 

No one was bothered that the pair were late except for Dieter. He rolled his eyes and was about to complain when one look from Din’s stoic face shut him up (and made him a little horny.)

Dio took a deep breath and walked around the couch to Joel. The older man glanced up at him and Dio blushed as he sat down in Joe’s lap. Joel’s eyes widened only a smidgen, but his shock turned into a soft smile. His thick arms wrapped around the smaller boy's waist and pulled him in so he was flush with his chest. 

Frankie peeked over at Din who had joined him on the other side of the couch, surprised at the goth man’s outward display of affection. All Din gave in response was a wink. Frankie smiled in response, glad for whatever magic Din worked. 

Ezra peered around the room. “May I start the film?” 

“Go for it,” Dio added, taking a handful of popcorn, and Ezra pressed play on the remote.

Everyone took in the movie though once again the plot was lost to the making out. Movie nights were always better like this.

```````

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[pintsizemama]

Looking at Lights

Day 20

Summary: You and Din take Grogu to look at Christmas lights.

Pairings: Din Djarin x You, Din Djarin x Female Reader

Fandom: The Mandalorian (AU)

Rating: Teen

Warnings: language

Word Count: 372

A/N: This is part of the A Little Rusty series.

Day 19 Day 21 Christmas Masterlist Main Masterlist AO3 Join my taglist

“Almost there, little guy,” you told Grogu excitedly. You were in the car with Grogu and Din driving around to look at Christmas lights. There was one neighborhood that went all out every year, and you wanted Grogu to see it. He was strapped in his car seat, cooing happily.

“It’s just up here,” you pointed out to Din. “Make a left.” Din turned down the street and the whole car lit up from the amount of lights.

“Wow,” Grogu whispered. The look of awe on his face was priceless. You quickly snapped a picture so you and Din could always remember it. Din drove slowly through the neighborhood, and you both pointed things out to each other and Grogu. The smile on Din’s face took your breath away. You loved being able to make him and his son happy. Grogu clapped his hands and squealed with excitement when he saw the Grinch on one of the houses. He was a huge fan of the Grinch since it reminded him of a frog.

“This is incredible.” Din said softly. He picked up your hand and kissed your knuckles. “Thanks for suggesting we do this. It means a lot to me that you care so much for the kid.” You smiled at this amazing man you were falling in love with.

“It’s my pleasure,” you said. You glanced back at Grogu. When he noticed your attention on him he gave you a huge toothy grin. You smiled back. You weren’t just falling for his father. You loved the little guy like he was your own. “What do you think, buddy?” Grogu threw his arms up and yelled happily. You laughed. “I’ll take that as a good sign.”

“He’s thrilled,” Din assured you. “He’s always happy when you’re around. I mean, he was a happy kid before, but ever since you came into our lives, it’s like he’s radiating joy.” Din paused and looked at you. “It’s not just him, you know. I’m much happier around you. Well, I’m still a moody asshole, but you soften the sharp edges quite a bit.”

“I like all your edges, Din Djarin, soft or sharp, I’m crazy about you.” He smiled and kissed your hand once more.

Day 21

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[remmysbounty]

omg for the coffee shop au when the reader has a bad day at work and it’s pouring outside and gets coffee and din is like “no it’s on the house” plus a free little pastry with a note 🥺 all the feels and pining and longing and so cute

omg boo thank you so much for sending in this!! yes yes yes i am definitely feeling this omg ALL THE LONGING AND THE FEELS OH MY THE FEELS!

heheeheh

i came up with something hope you like it :)

--

As you shuffled over to The Way you wondered if your day could possibly get any worse, when you found yourself caught in a rather sudden and strong downpour. Merely bring across the street from Din’s cafe did nothing from saving you from becoming soaked, and you were sure if Cara wasn’t in the back preparing everything for the next day, she would have broken down laughing at the sight of you drenched from head to toe.

You grimaced at the cold air that chilled you, all the way to your bones, as you slowly headed to the counter, trying not to get too many droplets onto the floor.

Din had a certain look in his eye, one that you didn’t quite understand, as you finally made it to the checkout. Your body shivering every couple of seconds as you skimmed the menu searching for a drink to warm your body before you had to return to your shop. 

He softened at the sight of you filled with exhaustion from everything that had occurred and the dread at everything you had left to do. As you pulled out your wallet, Din covered your free hand tenderly as he shook his head, “It’s on the house, cyar’ika.”

You wanted to argue but the lightness and sincerity with which Din treated you, made you bow your head in acceptance, as you whispered a soft thank you before heading over to the spot you’d quickly declared as yours.

A lot sooner than you were expecting, you found not only your drink placed in front of you, but also a little pastry that happened to be your favorite as well as a note written on the napkin it was served with.

Cyar’ika ♡,

Today is merely one bad day amongst a sea of good ones. It will get better. - Din

Tin Man:  @captn-andor  @thewayofthemandalorian  @magpie-to-the-morning  @magicrowiswritingstuff  @booksmusicteaandanimals  @dinthisisthe-wayson  @littlemisspascal  @din-damn-djarin  @elysiansith  @dincrypt  @ohwaitimthewriter  @poesflygirl

[multific]

The House of Djarin

Din Djarin x Reader 

Modern AU

Words: 1990

Summary: Din Djarin is the most influential man in the entire world. But even the most influential needed something more, something he found in a place he never expected to.

Din Djarin is one of the most influential men in the entire world, he has everything a person could ever want and more.

He was rich, he had power and people were afraid of him. He was a true leader who feared no one but everyone feared him.

And just as they say that behind every successful man there is a woman it was true in his case as well. 

It all began when he was on his way home from a job, his driver drove into a part of the city which was really dangerous, not that he cared because no one would even dare to look at him let alone attack or rob him. 

As they were driving through the streets Din was looking at the people out on the street, he saw prostitutes, drug addicts, drug dealers and many homeless people.

Then as they stopped at a red light he saw someone, a young woman carrying a small child in her arms as she was making her way through the streets. 

Din didn't know what was it about her that caught his attention, he was sure he had seen many women like her but there was just something about her, something he couldn't quite understand but he was interested. But as the light turned green again the driver began to drive and Din could only see her getting smaller and smaller and then he took a turn, completely losing her from his sight.

The next time Din saw this woman was in a different part of the city, but she still looked the same, same coat, same shoes, and the same child. He was sitting at a coffee store, enjoying his lunch when he saw her. Again Din found himself being interested. But she soon left.

Then the third time Din asked his driver to go the same route they went a couple of weeks ago, he wanted to see her, he wasn't sure why but he wanted to, and he did. She was getting out of a convenience store when he saw her. However, he also noticed the couple men that was heading her way, he made his driver stop the car. 

He got out and as the men saw him, the smirks disappeared from their faces. They looked down and quickly walked the other way, where they came from.

Din didn’t talk to her, but she did look at him, she offers him a warm smile before she walked past him.

This is when Din realized that he wanted to know more about her, he wanted her, and he will always get what he wants.

So, he called up one of his most trusted men, Boba Fett, who was an assassin, Din explained to him that all he wanted was more information about the woman he didn't want her dead.

Din was very specific to Boba to not hurt the woman.

Boba knew better than to question his boss’ requests so he nodded and went along to carry out the job.

Din couldn't wait, he was good at many things but patience was not one of them.

Thankfully, it didn't take long for Boba to find out everything about her and so he gave all the information to his boss.

When Din was final left alone in his office he opened up the envelope, it was possibly the thinnest envelope he has ever seen in his entire life.

Her name was Y/N Y/L/N, an orphan. There was very little information about her a couple of schools she attended, a couple of jobs that he had during her life, however, there was no mention of a child anywhere, no birth certificate for the little one no hospital entries or anything like that. Which made him even more curious, did she hide a kid from someone? Is that's why there was no information about the kid or what was going on? Could it be that she stole the kid or found him?

From her papers it was clear that she wasn't a harmful person which he already knew just based on the smile she gave him, he knew when someone recognized him, he knew when someone knew who he was but she had no clue. The smile she gave him was genuine not out of fear or respect it was a genuine smile something Din hadn't seen in a long while.

---

The story of him talking to her for the first time was completely by chance, he was at his usual place in the café then he saw her once again. 

He saw her pass on the street as she was walking past the many people someone ran into her knocking her over and no one even looked at her everyone just walked past like nothing happened. 

Din didn't even recognize when his legs started moving, he only realized that he was standing right beside her when he began talking.

“Are you okay?” he asked he offered his hand to her so she could stand up again. 

She smiled at him again, “Yes, thank you I'm fine.” She said as she took his hand and got up. She checked the kid and so did Din. The baby looked nothing like her, still sleeping as if nothing happened.

“Is he okay?” Din asked.

“He is, thank you. He is a heavy sleeper. Thank you again,” she said before she smiled at him, and started to leave. 

But Din grabbed her arm. She immediately looked at him, scared.

“I-I just.” he stuttered. Din Djarin just stuttered. For the first time in his life. “I like you.” he said.

“Thank you, Sir, but you don’t know me.”

“Let me get to know you. I want to know you!” the desperation in his voice was clear. He guessed she felt bad for him, and she agreed to meet him tomorrow same place.

---

You still couldn’t believe it.

What would a well-dressed handsome and rich man like him want from you? You were almost homeless, with a child. Why would he want to know a person like that?

Did he think you were some kind of prostitute or something? No, he wouldn’t have offered you lunch in that case.

Then, the next day, with Grogu in your arms, you made your way to the place you agreed to meet the man, who you learned was named Din. After many long debates about whether you should go or not, you ended up going.

There was something in his eyes which told you that you could trust him.

So, your first date came. At the time you didn’t even know it was a date.

And what a disaster it was.

You were a mess, lost in the luxury that seemed so basic to him. People looked at you with disgust in their eyes.

At least your son had a fun time, eating whatever he wanted and Din was really affectionate towards him.

In Din’s eyes, the date went amazingly. You looked beautiful and he loved hearing you talk, you weren’t so different from him, the difference was that now he had money in the bank.

---

Din Djarin was your savior.

He saved you from the awful world, he gave you shelter and loved you.

You realized you were in love during your fourth date with him when he took you and Grogu to the Zoo. The way he lifted Grogu so he could see the lion warmed your heart.

That was the first night you spent at Din’s place. And although you knew he had a completely different lifestyle, when seeing his mansion, you were left speechless.

“Y-You live HERE?!”

“Of course, I do. Do you not like it?”

“Like it?! This house is bigger than a hotel!”

“Oh don’t be silly.” he smiled.

But you also knew that was only the outside. Inside Din was much more than a multimillionaire with a gang to his name.

He was kind, affectionate and loyal. He wasn’t much of a talker, but he listened and remembered.

It was the first time you could properly celebrate your son’s birthday.

“He is getting so big.” Din said as he watched Grogu running around the backyard. He rented out three bouncy houses, a giant ball pit and there was way too much food considering no one was invited. 

You watched the man you love smile at your son, and you decided this was the time to tell him.

“Three years ago, I found him by a dumpster. He was just a newborn, crying. The most terrible part is that someone placed bags on him either to hide him or they didn’t even care that a baby was there and just left their garbage on him. He is not my blood but he is my son.”

“It always amazes me how strong you are, My Love.”

Din was not expecting that the kid was treated so poorly. Thankfully you found him, and Din found you.

---

Only after two years of getting to know Din was enough for you, you knew he was the one. The one you wanted to live your life with.

And only just one year later, Din finally gathered his courage to ask you to marry him. You made it official with a beautiful ceremony.

“Do we really have to go?” asked an annoyed Din. “We could celebrate our wedding anniversary from here, why should we go to a theatre?”

“Because I heard great things about this play and I want to see it. I told you if you don’t want to go, I could have gone with my friends!” you said from the bathroom as you were finishing up with your hair. The dress you had on was pure perfection as you knew your husband loved seeing red on you.

“Okay, okay. And then we go to that restaurant, as I wanted to.”

“Exactly, theatre, dinner, and then when we get home we can have sex.” you said as you got out of the bathroom. “What do you think? Do I look nice?”

“Can we maybe start with the last option on your list?” he said as he headed over to you, smirking.

“Nooo, we’ll be late, let’s go.”

Din let out an annoyed groan. You would always win.

Din had to be honest, he enjoyed the play, although he wasn’t a big fan of musicals, this one was actually rather good, but he was too proud to admit.

During dinner, he couldn’t take his eyes off of your breasts. The dress that you wore was covering them, but he just couldn’t look away.

“My eyes are up here Mr Djarin,” you said as you took a sip from the lemonade you ordered.

“Did they grow?” he asked looking into your eyes finally.

“I have a new bra. Maybe it’s that.”

“No.” 

He knew you too well.

And during dessert, you were ready to tell him about your surprise.

“I do have something for you.” you said as you watched him sip his champagne, you didn’t even touch yours.

You pulled out the small box from your bag and handed it to him.

“I thought you said no presents.”

“In a way, this is for both of us.” his eyes widened. “Not like that, you pervert! Just open it.”

Din opened the ribbon and the box, he took out the pacifier from it.

“I’m pregnant.” you said before he could ask anything. “The doctor confirmed yesterday.”

“We are going to have another little one?” the way he said that made you want to jump at him and kiss him.

“Yes.”

He smiled at you, tears gathered in his eyes.

“Don’t cry love please, I know you are happy but someone could see you. The fearless leader might lose his reputation.” you laughed, trying to make him laugh as well, but he only smiled.

The house of Djarin was growing, he was now a husband and a father. Something he was rather proud of instead of his fearful title.

From having one child to having two and now his wife was pregnant with their fourth, Din couldn’t believe his luck. 

He had a family now not only his empire.

Taglist: imreadinggoaway @fleursirvart​ @v-2bucky ehsebastiancrunch-time-sports  @pxstelrainbow​ ablogbypeteparker liamssmilersmexylemony @greenarrowhead​ feelingsareharddd @thisismysecrethappyplace @sincerelyfan @theoneanna @aestheticsandmarvel @rororo06 @castellandiangelo @avengers-r-us @destynelseclipsa   @spilledinkindumpster celebsimagine @capsiclesdoll snoopy3000 @firstangeldragonranch @puknow crazzyter  @alwayshave-faith @soleil-dor @alex12948 scream-kiwi79  @lxdyred  @imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl​​​

~Masterlist~

ˇAO3ˇ

[emilianadarling]

Get to Know Me - A Tag Game

thank u for the tag, @aureutr 😊 EDIT also @ace-din-djarin!!!!! 

rules: tag a few people you want to know better; make a new post, don't reblog!

favorite color: red! ❤️

currently reading: listening to ‘The Anthopocene Reviewed’ by john green, most recently over my lunch break when I lay down in my room and dozed lol. 

last song: ”The Longest River” by Anciients, played ambiently in the background by my spouse. (I am not one to put on music for myself much, I get exposed to so many excellent curated lists via him lol)

last movie: hmmm. uh. It can’t be Last Night in Soho... I watched that months ago... hmm...

last series: Either “The Legend of Vox Machina” (such a wild and delightful experience as a Critter!) or Season 2 of Channel Zero -- No End House on Shudder (still part way through that one!)

sweet, spicy, or savory: savoury every day of the week baby but also fuck me up with spicy while ur at it

coffee or tea: coffee, daily. my partner owns like 9 brew methods and I know how to use exactly one (1), the clever dripper, so I use that. 

three ships: ooh! - Din/Luke (Star Wars, currently working on the second in a series for this ship, the sequel to through power, there is victory on AO3)

- Percy/Vex’ahlia (The Legend of Vox Machina/Critical Role, my little shipper heart has been so overjoyed to see them most recently in animation, the sheer delight of visual animated media!!) and,

- ... hoo boy this is hard. I have been reading a LOT of Obi-Wan Kenobi fic for these last many months, but I am very (EXTREMELY) fluid with those I ship him with. True fandom bicycle for me for sure. Gun to my head though, glitterglanger got me fucking good with Transactional States so for the ‘what if?’ factor alone, I may have to say Jango Fett/Obi-Wan Kenobi lol. 

first ever ship: hmm. Ron/Hermione, perhaps? as in, my first online fandom shipping experience.

currently working on: “only as strong as the warrior next to you”, i.e. DarkLuke fic part 2, currently at 60k. I’m midway through the third act, and have never written this much without sharing something before. it’s KILLING ME lol but honestly also it probably a good learning experience. most recently, scenes I’ve been drafting have been focused on politics, art, and Empire within the Galaxy. 

favourite piece of clothing: asked my partner (mr d) and he said ‘cardigans’ lmao. (”that’s not a piece of clothing, that’s a genre of clothing” I said. “pffft” he responded.) BUT -- my response is: 1. for pure value over time, my red button-up coat, and 2. my moose housecoat for comfort-bumming around lmao

comfort food: Poutine tbh, all kinds, for pure comfort value. If we’re talking specifically hungover comfort food, switch it up to Subway Chicken and Bacon Ranch sandwich lmfao. 

favourite time of the year: autumn/fall!! fuckin LOVE me that autumnal bullshit like the basic bitch I am

fav fanfiction: EVER? 😱 If we’re talking pure compounded comfort and joy over time, The Student Prince (Merlin/Arthur AU) by FayJay is RIGHT up there honestly. Specifically, on audiobook -- dear god I’ve listened to that so many times and still the story of the relationship is so solid and the writing so enjoyable. Perhaps next up for sheer impact and notability is my dear friend (years after I read this series omg I was so starstruck to be friends with her) is the icarus verse by green_postit (Star Trek, Mirrorverse Kirk/Bones), ft. some of the best fucking titles in the history of fanfic IMO. (icarus in retrospect, the pugilists, skeleton men. FORMATIVE for me as a writer tbh.)

honestly, wrapping it up I’m also a fan of my own fic “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To” (Steve/Bucky, Steve/Peggy, Wartime) from back in 2014 if I’m honest. I really felt so sated and satisfied when I wrote that fic and shared it, because I wanted so badly to read it I brought it into existence. :) so that brings me a lot of long-term joy, also. 

... wait fuck I wanted to keep this to three but peradii’s “wonderterror” (Star Wars, no ship) is world-endlingly good, ft. Eldritch Luke and Leia, so. gotta sneak that one on too I guess!!!

Tagging @glimmerglanger @universeinorbit @seekthemist @avelera @reena-jenkins @mneiai @gyzym @himboskywalker  @peradii @thebatwiggler​ 

[raiseyourcups]

I Love You a Latte

A Modern Coffee Shop AU

Pairing: Din Djarin x Reader (I think it reads as gender neutral) Warnings: none just an overabundance of fluff because apparently that’s all I write now aside from in Cabur. Word Count: 1.7k

Summary: You own a café/bookstore and if anyone asked you definitely didn't have favorites that came in but everyone knew that was a lie. Your town wasn't that big and everyone knows how much you dote on Detective Din Djarin and his son, Grogu. 

It had been a normal Monday, all the usual suspects coming in for the one thing that would help them make it through the day. Coffee. And you provided it to them with a smile and the hopes that their day would get better. But none of them, not even the regulars who treated you with respect, were your favorite customers. That honor was bestowed on one perpetually tired Detective Din Djarin and his son. The two customers that had somehow burrowed themselves into your heart without you even noticing. 

You weren’t sure when Detective Djarin started coming into your cafe slash bookstore but you wish that you had made note of it. It was always the highlight of your day and he even knew when the rushes ended. He usually came in twice, once after dropping his son off at school and again right after picking Grogu up from school. That wasn’t actually his son’s name but he had told you once that it was the closest his son could get and it just stuck as a nickname. 

You weren’t even sure what his real name was now that you thought about it. Gregory, maybe? It didn’t really matter, Grogu liked his nickname best so that was what you called him. 

It was one of the things you admired about the detective. He was a single dad and had adopted Grogu after fostering him for not even a month. The foster care worker had just about cried in the middle of the coffee shop area because children like Grogu are notorious for being hard to find a permanent home for. You had nearly cried as well, needing to step into the stock room for a moment to calm yourself. 

You saw them when they first met, watched as they connected throughout the month, and got to know them as well. Detective Djarin had told you one morning that you had become one of Grogu’s constants, it was why they always stopped by in the afternoon. The young boy needed a routine that stayed the same and your cafe/bookstore was always the first stop after school for that very reason. After that you always made sure to get the afternoon rush done as soon as possible in order for the building to be quieter for Grogu. 

Your day had been going as normal, the afternoon rush was finally over when the bell above the door gently chimed. (You had changed it about two months ago to less jarring of a sound. If anyone other than the detective asked, you would deny that you had changed it for Grogu. He used to cover his ears when they entered the building because the sound hurt.) A smile lit up your face when you saw Grogu rush in. His little green beanie with large alien ears keeping his head warm from the winter chill. His dad followed behind him, a tired smile on his own face. 

“This is a surprise, Detective Djarin. I thought school didn’t let out for another hour.”

“How many times have I told you that you can call me Din, cyar’ika,” Din said with a smile on his face. “And I took him out of school early.” 

“Sorry, I keep forgetting,” you said, even though you were completely lying. You didn’t even know what he was calling you even though the affectionate way he said it always brought warmth to your face. You loved the sound of it leaving his lips, the slight accent he got when he spoke in his native language. You made a note to yourself to look up cyar’ika when you got home, knowing you’d “forget” just to keep the mystery. With one more smile at Din, you turned to the counter where Grogu was standing. 

“Now why did your dad take you out early?” You asked, leaving over the countertop so you could see him better. You really found his beanie just the cutest thing you had ever seen other than the two of them together. 

“Cough,” Grogu said quietly. You gave him your best fake shocked face.

“Oh no! Well luckily, I have just the thing to fix that,” you said before looking up at Din for permission. He nodded, a smile playing at his lips. You beamed and moved over to the bakery display to grab one of the new desserts. You quickly handed it to Grogu and watched as his face lit up. The new cookies were cute, bright green frogs that made you think of the child before you as soon as you put them on display. 

“Frog!”

“That’s right, buddy!” Both you and Din said at the same time. You grinned at each other before Din gestured for Grogu to go sit at their usual table. You both watched as he did, the little alien ears flopping as he did. You had never been happier that the store was empty for once, not needing to even pretend you weren’t utterly in love with the father and son duo. You slowly made your way out from behind the counter so you could sit with them like you usually did when they came and it was slow. 

“Thank you.” Din said before pulling out his wallet. You reached out to place a hand on his to stop him. You tried to ignore the way your breath hitched in your chest at the feeling of your skin touching. 

“On the house.”

“You can’t keep giving us things for free, cyar’ika,” Din said, looking at you with those brown eyes of his that you always found yourself staring into. 

You shook yourself out of your trance and gave Din another smile, “I own the place, I make enough off the rushes and book sales to afford to give out freebies.”

“You give things out for free often?” Din asked, brow furrowed just a little and you wanted to reach out to smooth it out. You barely stopped yourself from doing so, placing your hands in your coat pockets for good measure. 

“No, not really just for this one tired, single dad and his absolutely adorable son.”

He stared at you for a long moment before his gaze looked around the building to see if anyone was around. There wasn’t. It seemed even your customers knew to steer clear when they saw Din and Grogu heading in knowing that most of your attention would be on them. It was a good thing you didn’t live in a big city full of impatient people who wouldn’t be so understanding. Din finally looked back at you, a shy look on his face now. 

“Could I--can I buy you a coffee?”

“What?” You blinked, not expecting him to ask you that. You wondered if he meant for you to make the coffee yourself or if he would just ask to use the regular coffee pot. 

“I mean not from here, not that your coffee isn’t very good I just-”

“Din, Din!” You called him, reaching out to grab his upper arm before he could keep going. “I’d love that, but maybe a cup of tea instead? There’s this new tea shop I’ve been meaning to try. It’s across town but-”

“The one that caters to kids like Grogu?” Din asked, almost a little breathless at the thought. The fact that you had been thinking of his son, of the two of them enough to even know about that new tea shop. He hadn’t even known about it until Grogu’s teacher had mentioned it during their weekly meeting. 

“Yeah. I was, um, I was actually going to ask you when you came in on Friday but I guess you beat me to it,” you shrugged. 

Din wasn’t sure what came over him, he wanted to blame your thoughtfulness, the way you treated his son like a person despite his differences, or maybe the way you always made little changes to your own place to make it more comfortable for Grogu. He didn’t know, all he knew was that he placed a palm against your cheek and felt the warmth grow beneath it. You stared at him in shock but didn’t move away. He moved in closer, your breath mingling. 

“Can I kiss you?” Din whispered, his tongue coming out to wet his lips and you tried not to stare too much. It obviously didn’t work when he grinned a little. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes, please,” you whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear but he did. He slowly leaned in and your lips finally met in a gentle kiss. There were no cliche sparks but you still felt a warmth go through your body like the first sip of coffee on a cold day. You never wanted to stop drinking it all in but eventually you had to pull away, both of you a little breathless as you did. 

“I think you can pay for your orders with kisses from now on,” you huffed out, a shy smile on your face and burning cheeks. 

Din grinned, the smile matching your own. “I think I owe you another thousand for my past orders.”

“Well then you better get started, I expect your debt to be paid in full by Christmas.” 

“You drive a hard bargain but I think I can manage that,” Din laughed as he led you over to the table where Grogu sat waiting. He had already finished his cookie, the crumbs already swept up in his napkin. He looked up at the both of you when you took your seats but he frowned when you sat across from him. 

“What’s wrong Grogu?” You asked, a slight frown on your own face. He never looked at you like that so you were confused. He pointed at your seat and shook his head before pointing to where his dad sat. “You-you want me to sit with your dad?”

Grogu nodded enthusiastically, tugging on the ears of his beanie like he had been taught to do when he got too excited. You looked at him, a smile on your face before you looked at Din with a raised brow. 

“Exactly how many Hallmark movies have you let him watch this year?”

[themusicplayedherlife]

to love is the greatest gift

2. the dinner

pairing: obi wan kenobi x f!reader (past!din djarin x reader | past!obi wan kenobi x satine kryze) characters: f!reader, anakin amidala-skywalker, padmé amidala-skywalker, mentiones of din djarin, obi wan kenobi, others word count: 3.6k+ warnings: angst, fluff, death, longing, some arguing, slow burn summary: au! It has never been the right timing for you and Obi Wan, but maybe this time will be different. a/n: thank you so much for all the love in the previous chapter! i was so overwhelmed that i was a little nervous posting this part ;w; i really hope you guys enjoy this story! and do let me know what you think of the current formatting. is the switch from past to present jarring? or is it okay?

prev || all || next

Then.

The heat that Summer brought to Coruscant was different than Tatooine’s, less harsh and dry, and more of a kiss of warmth on your skin. Mother did say that Tatooine was always more temperamental, quick to heat up; while Coruscant could be a little tepid sometimes, but always a lot of fun. 

That was probably the only nice thing about Coruscant. Everything else about the city—like their streets—were too confusing.

Following the directions on your phone, you pulled the straps of your backpack tighter with your unoccupied hand, eyebrows furrowed as you tried to read the map on your phone. Was this truly the place you were meant to meet your guide? 

You looked up at the quaint house in front of you, quite a ways away from downtown and more in the suburbs. It looked like a cottage, like the ones in home magazines your mother liked collecting or the ones in Naboo or Stewjon. Could a high schooler, even one able to attend a prestigious private school, be able to afford such a home?

Did the headmistress confuse the address? Seemed possible. The woman seemed to be much more interested in the absolutes of rules and manners than actually helping you find your guide. Maybe you should have accepted your mother’s offer to accompany you. Or maybe convinced your parents to let you come with Anakin, you were sure Shmi wouldn't have minded.

You stood on your tiptoes, trying to take a peak over the white fence covered in a fuchsia flower—bougainvillea, if you remembered correctly. When that didn’t work, you stuffed your phone into your pocket and with hands holding onto your backpack straps to not jostle your belongings around too much, you began to jump.

There was a sound, like the sound of metal clinking and wood screeching, and the gate opened to a boy? man? (too young to own a house and maybe a few years older than you). He stepped out, blue eyes stopping on your curious form and greeting you with an amused, “Hello, there.”

You knew he had seen you jumping, there was no way he wouldn’t be looking at you the way he was if he hadn’t—embarrassing.

“Hello,” you greeted him back, timid and quickly setting your feet flat on the ground.

“May I help you?” he asked you, his Coruscanti accent thicker than the ones that greeted you at the terminal, much more charming too. It reminds you of all the actors you’ve seen on screen, speaking clearly and with nuance—never faltering. “You seem to be quite lost.”

“Oh, yes, I’m looking for someone,” you found yourself saying, tone turning formal and stiff. He removed his flat cap to push wisps of auburn hair away from his eyes, nodding for you to continue when you paused. “Padmé Amidala, is her name. She’s supposed to be my guide?”

At the mention of Padmé, the kind stranger sighed, hands falling to his hip. “Ah, now I understand why she came over. Did father know?” he murmured under his breath, looking back at the house with a raised brow. “Give me a moment and I’ll fetch her for you.”

You nodded quietly, watching him turn back inside, but not even two steps in, he stopped and turned back around, flashing you an almost sheepish, but albeit charming smile. 

“Pardon, that was a bit rude of me. Would you like to come in and wait for her in the garden?”

You mulled it over—following a stranger into their home was always something you had been advised against since you were a child. It would be completely unwise, wouldn’t it? But he seemed too kind, eyes too innocent and earnest to hurt you. And so, against your usual better judgement, you nodded. “If it’s no trouble?”

“None at all,” he assured you, opening the gate wider, “please come in. I’m Obi Wan, an old friend of Padme’s.”

You gave him your name and he smiled at you, wide and completely beautiful. “A pleasure to meet you.”

Now.

You were only a girl back when you first met, immature and blossoming and he was a young man, all roses and maturity—too much like his father (and yet nothing like him)—it was never going to be the right time for you.

Even now, standing before you—him with his tidy, combed auburn hair, white, stupid shirt that is freshly pressed, and brown slacks and dress shoes that are anything but casual—you feel like that girl all over again. 

“It has been a long time, Obi Wan.” Obi Wan. Obi. Obi. It’s been so long since you’ve said his name aloud that it feels so foreign on your tongue now. “I—I didn’t know you were visiting.”

His eyebrows furrow, deep, cerulean pools gliding away to the white door only a few steps away. His nostrils flare with a breath and turns his gaze back to you, opening his mouth to say something—he doesn’t get the chance. 

“There you are! You said—oh,” It’s Padmé. Beautiful, sweet Padmé looking as lost and confused to see Obi Wan just at the entrance of her driveway, with you. “Obi Wan?”

“Hello, old friend.” His head is slanted towards her now, a soft smile on his face. “It has been some time.” 

Friend. There’s always been that distinction between you and her in his words and actions. She was and is friend or little sister, and you were and have not always been darling—that always something, but never just nothing. 

“Yes, it has,” she says, unable to change her expression, and you don’t blame her. You still can’t believe it either.

Did Anakin know?

“Honey, where is—“

Of course Anakin knows, how could he not know? Look at his stupid face peeking over Padmé’s shoulder like the kriffing embecile he is! Those wide blue eyes don’t fool you, not one bit!

Dinner is quiet for the most part. 

The twins are unsure of the newcomer, even though Padmé and Anakin keep reassuring them that he’s a friend, their godfather (something they are aware of thanks to the pictures of the six of you sitting on the mantle of their fireplace). The twins were only a year old when he returned the first time and around three years old when he left the second time. They have no attachment to the man sitting at the head of the table. 

They absolutely refuse to sit next to him—Obi Wan smiles, but there’s a flash of pain in his eyes at hearing their quiet reluctance and rejection to get to know him—and so, you and Anakin take the seat closest to him and across from one another. Leia by his side and Luke by yours. Padmé takes the other head, smiling placidly, but her brown eyes waver when they meet yours every time.

Utensils scrape against ceramic, Obi Wan occasionally asking questions—how have you been? how’s work? how’s school? did Mr. Ford finally move? Quinlan still touring? Mr. Windu still teaching at the school?

It’s Anakin that mostly answers for all of you, trying to keep dinner as lively as it usually is, but with the kids eating silently by your side and not falling for their dad’s bait, it falls flat.

This dinner was supposed to be full of discussion—who will be joining us? will I need to buy more bread? did the know Qui Gon? does it matter? coffee for how many people, again? But you can’t bring any of them up in fear of how Obi Wan would react, and quite honestly, you think it might be because you don’t know how to react to his presence, yet.

Your heart squeezes in your chest every time you glance at him and find him looking back at you, a longing to reach out and take him into your arms edging ever so slightly forward every time. But there’s also a part of you that wants to keep him at a distance, to not give him the ability to hurt you when he inevitably leaves again. And that latter part of you is probably the reason why you blurt a question you should’ve kept to yourself.

“Why are you back?” Anakin trails off, his voice lowering when yours suddenly cuts through his. Obi Wan’s eyes widen and his mouth hangs open slightly and you realize your question comes off more accusatory than you meant it to sound. “I—I mean, it’s just so sudden and—“

“I know,” Obi Wan interrupts, soft; understanding. “I wasn’t sure I should come back,” he admits, remorse floating around his words (whether for having felt that way or because he knows it’ll hurt you, you don’t know) and you quickly face forward, meeting Anakin’s hurt eyes that most likely mirror yours, “but the firm has offered me a promotion and Anakin managed to convince me to test it out.”

You release a shuddering sigh, you had a feeling he knew.

Now it’s Anakin’s turn to quickly look away from you (you can’t help but wonder if he saw the hint of betrayal beginning to bubble in the pit of your stomach), only to be trapped by his lovely wife’s. Once more, he breaks contact and stares down at the plate in front of him instead.

“I’m sorry,” Obi Wan starts after a brief tense silence, “if I had known you weren’t aware I wouldn’t have—“

“We’re glad you’re back, Obi Wan,” Padmé interjects, a soft, lovely smile on her face—always so good with people, “for however long you wish to stay.” Although you know she means it, there’s still some hesitation in her words as her gaze flickers between you and him.

“Yes,” you find yourself saying, somehow managing to keep your voice leveled through it, “we’re glad you’re back.” And just like Padme, you know you mean it too, even if there’s a hint of hesitation in the way your eyes won’t meet Obi Wan’s gaze as you say it, focusing instead on the bridge of his nose.

You think he knows it too with the way his hands resting on the table roll inward, an uncomfortable veil beginning to fester as he keeps quiet, eyes drooping and the corner of his lips pulling down.

“Auntie,” Leia whispers, breaking the tension, from across the table and you hum, turning to face her with a wavering smile, “may I please have your piece of roast if you’re not going to eat it? It’s getting cold.”

You blink, and you’re sure everyone else is just as surprised as you are by her words—it’s such a little Leia thing to say, but at this moment? None of you were expecting it, and so, when you erupt into laughter, the room does too, the shock wearing off.

Leia looks around at the adults and she and Luke share a look before shrugging. She murmurs about roasts and perfectly good meat, and you shake your head as your laughter begins to die down.

“You can have it, honey.”

“Sweet!” Her eyes brighten and she grins, immediately digging into the piece of roast you’ve set on her plate.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Anakin whispers into the quiet space between you; the two of you staring out into the living room from the kitchen, leaning back onto the island.

It doesn’t surprise you that Obi Wan somehow manages to get the twins to warm up to him—Leia on his right and Luke on his left, the scrapbook you gifted them last year filled with Polaroid pictures of constellations opened on Obi Wan’s lap. He’s always been particularly good with kids, a trait he must’ve inherited from Gui Gon, who had an immense patience for teaching little ones how to play the piano and guitar.

Padmé sits with them too, keeping their attention away from you and Anakin and the inevitable arguing that might occur.

“This is Cetus!” you hear Luke point out.

“It’s our favorite ‘cause it’s a sea monster!” Leia informs him giddily, leaning forward to trace the stars to form the shape. “And this is And—Andromeda! It’s our Auntie’s favorite.”

“Is that right? It happens to be my favorite too.” Obi Wan glances over his shoulder, his eyes meeting yours for a split second—and you refuse to unravel the mess of emotions swirling in your stomach from that simple glance—before returning his attention back to the eager children, voice lilting. “Which one is this one?”

“It doesn’t matter anymore.” You cup your cheek, the other holding your elbow to keep it perched—but it does matter. It very much matters that Anakin knew and kept it from you, blindsiding you completely. If you had known—if you had known you wouldn’t have come. You could’ve mentally prepared yourself for his reappearance in your lives. But instead you got punched in the gut. “He’s here now.” 

“I wanted to tell you,” he rushes to admit. “But I—when he told me he would visit—try out that new job, I didn’t think he actually would.” Anakin crosses his arms over his chest, eyes downcast and focused on his crossed ankles. “He’s done this before, you know?”

Your head snaps in his direction—this is the first you’ve ever heard about it.

“Once after your 21st birthday and another after Din and you broke up.” Anakin lets out a frustrated sigh and the hand that had been cupping your cheeks curls into a tight fist. “I wanted to surprise you, so I didn’t tell you. But he always called the night before to say he couldn’t make it. Some surprise, huh?”

“Anakin…” 

“I thought—I don’t know what I thought, to be honest.” He laughed self-deprecatingly and you squeeze his forearm. “I just hoped he would. I’m sorry”

“I’ll get over it, Ani,” you promise him, soft, the hurt and betrayal you felt dissipating like wisps of smoke. “I understand why you didn’t tell me.” He tries to smile at you, but fails. “I’m glad he’s back, really, I meant it when I said it… but—“

“It hurts,” he finishes for you, sympathy and understanding laced in those two words.

“Always.”

“Do you know which one is this one Uncl’Obi?” Leia asks.

“Mama, knows it,” Luke follows.

“Does she? Care to give me a hint?”

“That'd be cheating.” Padmé laughs.

“No cheaters here,” Leia agrees, nodding her head with each word.

“Oh, fine. Let’s see…” Obi Wan chuckles, his hand coming up to his chin to rub the growing stubble, exaggerating his thinking. “Is it… a Bantha?” The kids giggle and shake their heads. “No? Hm. Then… is it… ah! I know—Pegasus?”

“Yes!”

You fight back a smile, pressing your lips together as the twins begin to tell him the story of Pegasus, not telling it correctly, but Obi Wan is enraptured by their animated story telling nonetheless. 

“We have to tell him,” Anakin whispers, breaking the silence, and while he doesn’t reference who has to know and what they have to know, you know exactly what he’s insinuating and you don’t agree.

“No.”

He exasperates your name, hands falling to his side as he fully turns to you. “He deserves—“

“I said no, Anakin,” you spit, breath coming out harshly. His blue eyes widen and they flash with hurt. You close your eyes, steadying your breath and calming your racing heart—cursing yourself. “He doesn’t need to know,” you repeat, softer this time. “He’s not going to stay long enough for it and even if he were, he’ll want nothing to do with it.”

“You do know best.” Anakin’s eyes have always been much more expressive than yours or Padmé’s or even Obi Wan’s—always giving away how he truly feels even though his mouth and the words that come out of it say otherwise.

“That’s—Anakin. That’s not fair. Remember last time we tried telling him when—“

“Satine had just passed away,” Anakin iterates, eyes softening when your eyes begin to well up—you swallow harshly. “It was still so fresh in his mind that he couldn’t think of honoring—“ He sighs, stopping himself from saying Qui Gon’s name. “Maybe now will be different.”

His eyes, as soft as they are, challenge you, refusing to crumble under your glare, they’re asking you to give in, to please, tell him. You shouldn’t give in, for your sake and Obi Wan’s, but the longer he looks at you with those eyes of his, you let out a reluctant sigh. “Okay.” You move away from the kitchen’s island and head towards the archway leading to the living room. “But you tell him. I have to get going.”

“I can do that.” You look back at him and find him smiling at you, thankful and relieved. You return it, albeit weakly, but he appreciates the effort. “We’ll talk about preparations another day, okay?”

You’ll probably have to talk about more than preparations later, but you don’t tell him that; instead, you nod and exit the kitchen.

Padmé, noticing your return, turns to you and studies you carefully. “Everything okay?”

Obi Wan also turns to look at you—the children’s current story falling on deaf ears—but you keep your gaze on Padmé.

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” you assure her, “but I have to head out.”

The twins hear that and immediately a chorus of “aww” and “why, Auntie?”, “can’t you stay?”, “sleepover!” begin to take over—their words wrestling over one another to be heard and you laugh, crouching down and opening your arms wide for them to run into. They do without hesitation, practically climbing over Obi Wan and Padmé to do so.

“I’m sorry, my little stars, I have to get up early for work tomorrow.” Pulling away from their little arms, you hold your pinkies out for them. “Next time I come over, we’ll have a movie night. Deal?”

“Deal!” They readily agree, hooking their pinkies with yours.

“And you’ll bring Uncle Din and Baby?” Luke whispers, low enough for only you and Leia to hear.

“Promise,” you whisper back.

Shaking their pinkies one last time, you stand up and begin your goodbyes, hugging Padmé tightly.

“Call me when you get home safely, okay?” she says, warmth in her words. 

“I will.” You linger in her arms longer than necessary, your heart beating in your chest harshly and rapidly, hesitant and afraid of saying goodbye to Obi Wan. But you finally pull away, you can’t be rude and leave him hanging. 

“May I… walk you to your car?” Obi Wan asks you, blue eyes wavering ever so slight my when you meet his gaze head on. 

A part of you wants to say no, but an even bigger part of you—the part that completely and utterly missed him—convinces you to agree. “I’d appreciate it.”

Anakin’s eyebrows furrow as he hands you your jacket and purse, and you smile at him, telling him it’s all right. It’s really not, you’d rather be able to breath for a moment and then think about Obi Wan later, but it’s too late now.

Obi Wan says something to the family of four as you slip on your jacket—“I’ll be back,” you assume. He grabs his own jacket from the coat rack and zips himself up, following after you as you walk out into the evening’s cold air.

“Did you park very far?” he asks you and you shake your head, walking down the stone path Anakin and Padmé installed earlier this year.

“Just down there.”

“Oh.”

“Yes.”

It’s a quiet walk, not an uncomfortable one, but you can’t say it’s comfortable either—it just is? Like many things just are. Will it always be like this now?

You hope not, because this quietness is not you and Obi Wan.

“This is it.” You step to the side of the driver, pressing the unlock button once and open the door. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, my dear.” Obi Wan moves to close the door for you, but you don’t move to sit and he just stands there in front of you, holding your door. “I wish you a Goodnight and—and I’m glad I got to see you.”

Goodbye, Obi Wan. The words catch in your throat, your mouth parted, waiting for the words to escape, but you can’t bring yourself to say goodbye—what if this is the last time I see you, again?

“Darling?”

Your eyes find his even in the low lighting of the street—blue eyes shining brighter than the celestial sea. There are permanent lines around his eyes now—little crow feet that weren’t there last time he stood in front of you—and you reach for them with shaky hands and he closes his eyes when your thumb runs over them—gentle and tender, caressing.

He delicately hold your wrists, his thumbs running over your pulse, soothing and all too caring—thump. thUMP. THUmp. steady. familiar. alive.

It’s too much. It’s too much that you can’t help the welling of tears or the way your throat croaks when you call his name. 

Blue eyes re-emerge, red rimmed and devastating and it takes you only a second—a second of bright stars and flashing satellites, and airplanes landing—for you to collide against each other—faces hiding in hair and shoulder—wet words murmured over each other and tangling in vines so deep like the flowers that once grew on a beautiful white fence—hands wrapped tightly around each other.

“I’m so sorry, darling. I’m so sorry.” “I’ve missed you, I’ve missed you so much.” “Please don’t let go.” “I will never let you go. Never again.”

You stare up at the house, well kept and pristine. The roses, however, are dying, their season soon to be over. But even in their last moments, they cling to their own beauty just for a little while longer.

“Resilient little things,” Qui Gon used to say. “Just like the heart. We tend to forget it’s a delicate thing, prone to hurting and breaking—even wilting, but much stronger than we give it credit.”

With the lingering warmth of Obi Wan’s arms and words encasing you, you turn back around and get in your car, driving away from the place that has been your home for the last few years.

Hopefully, Din will take you in for the night.

next

[queen--kenobi]

Honor Among Criminals Chapter IV

Pairings: Crime Boss!/Dark!Din Djarin x AFAB reader, crime boss!/Dark!Boba Fett x AFAB reader

Summary: Your job is to broker alliances between criminals and the major company you work for. You help the company get what they want without getting their hands dirty, and you provide the criminals with protection. At least, that was your job until a better offer came along. Up and coming crime boss Din Djarin needs someone to play diplomat for him. You might be the right person for the job.

This is a modern AU!

Previous Chapter

Summary: You’re not sure who you’re more afraid for: yourself or Din

Warnings: Brief discussion of child murder. It’s not depicted but is discussed

As soon as Din’s eyes land on the signet, he’s pulling you close. You bury your head in the crook of his neck. Your arms wrap around him to pull him as close as he possibly can. Your breath is coming in quick bursts. Surely you’re hyperventilating. Your whole body trembles as you try not to sob. Once you start, you don’t think you’ll be able to stop. He rubs a soothing circle on your back. 

“It’s okay, sweet girl. Breathe.” He’s not looking at you. You can feel his gaze trained on the signet. His words are reassuring and tone the same as the other night, but something is different. You realize that he’s too stiff. You begin to think that you must have done something wrong. You go to pull away and apologize, but he holds you closer. His shoulders are high and tense, and the ones your face is buried into occasionally twitches. He’s not mad at you but for you. 

A noise makes both of you spin. It’s coming from Grogu’s room. You nearly laugh with relief when you hear him make a noise. You disengage from Din.

“Go.” You swallow. “Go check on him. I’ll... I don’t know. I’ll make coffee or something.”

“Are you...?” He trails off lamely. He watches you for a second. He’s clearly trying to gauge if you’ll be okay with him getting Grogu. You nod. “Don’t make coffee. It’ll make your anxiety worse. Get water.” He turns towards Grogu’s door.

You stand in the hall and wrap your arms around yourself. Din opens the door and steps inside. Grogu’s happy greeting makes you smile despite the situation. He’s clearly excited to see his dad. 

“Yes, good morning to you too.” Din’s voice floats into the hallway. His voice is cheerful. To your surprise, there’s no relief in his voice. It’s almost as if he knew Grogu would be safe. “I didn’t expect you to be up yet. How’d you sleep?”

You opt to give them their moment. Hesitantly, you go back into the living room. Your purse is sitting on the table. The ribbon almost looks like a snake to you, like a moss green pit viper. You keep to the edges of the living room as you make your way to the kitchen. It’s stupid and silly to be that scared of an inanimate object. Well, it’s not the object that you’re afraid of as it is the clear message. The problem is that you don’t know which one of you the message is for. If it had been just for you, the ribbon would have been enough. If it had been for Din, it would have been put on his bike or his doorknob, not on your purse. It must be for both of you, and that thought ties your stomach is all kinds of knots. 

You make it into the kitchen without incident. 

You pad over to one of the cabinets and grab a glass of water. Your hands are trembling so bad you nearly can’t pick up the glass. You pause. Din and Grogu’s voices float from the hallway towards you. That sound brings your heart rate down some. You’re not alone. You’re not alone in this house. That makes everything a little bit better. You take the glass and fill it up with water. Your throat is bone dry, but you don’t think you can drink. The lump in your throat makes you think that you’d choke if you tried. 

You place the glass beside the kitchen sink. The porcelain is cold under your hands. The small window above the kitchen sink has no curtains, so you can see out into the backyard. It’s entirely surrounded by a privacy fence. You can’t tell if the slats haven’t been painted yet or Din was going to simply stain the wood. An image of him working out in the yard appears in your mind. Din works on painting the fence while Grogu tries to help, only to end up splattering paint everywhere. The image makes your heart feel fuzzy. 

You shake your head. He probably was too busy to do it himself and would have someone else do it. 

The small patio has a cloth awning above it. Several deck chairs are scattered about on the concrete. A metal object is out there, and it takes you a moment to realize it’s one of those portable fire pits. Beyond that, you can see a playset towards the back of the yard. That makes you smile. Grogu probably isn’t quite big enough yet to play on it by himself, but you can still easily imagine him swinging from it and giggling as he does so. Something tells you that Grogu would be the kid who would swing as high as he can before jumping off of it. Din would have a heart attack.

The feeling of someone tugging on your sleep pants makes you look down. Grogu looks up at you expectantly.

“Good morning, little man.” You squat down so you’re at eye level with him. “How’d you sleep?”

He babbles. Din’s voice comes from somewhere near the door. “He says he slept well.”

“Good! I’m glad!” You brush a stray strand of hair out of his face. “Did you have any dreams?”

The child pauses before shaking his head. Din ambles past you to start making coffee. Grogu tilts his head for a second, clearly eying you. He then looks up at Din and starts speaking. Din sighs.

“He said he heard you running and that’s what woke him up. He wants to know if you had a nightmare.” He looks at you. “Don’t tell him about...” He shakes his head. “I don’t want to scare him.”

“I won’t.” Your voice is soft. You turn back to Grogu. “I did have a nightmare. It was about an old friend that I haven’t seen in a long time. It’s okay, though, because I know your dad will protect me from them.”

Grogu stares at you for a long moment before nodding. You can’t tell if he believes you or not. He then makes his way over to one of the chairs where he begins climbing up into it. You can’t help your soft smile as you stand up slowly. The coffee maker begins to bubble. Din holds something out to you. You realize it’s the glass of water. You take it, and he makes his way over to the table.

“What do you think about spending the day with Ms. Motto, huh?” Din sits across from his son at the table. Grogu nods excitedly. You come over to the table as well. You stand there for a second, unsure of which one to take. To your surprise, Grogu decides for you, tapping the table at the spot right between him and Din. You nod.

“Wise choice, Master Grogu.” You intone as you pull the chair out. Grogu lets out a squeal of delight. Din’s head hits the table. That makes both you and the kid chuckle. You take a long sip of your water. It surprises you how much being around Din calms you. You’re still scared, but the fear is nowhere near as intense when you’re with him. Din lifts his head up enough to look at you, and you’re sure the glare would kill you if you could see it. You merely smile at him. 

The coffee maker beeps. Both you and Din stand up at the same time.

“I’ll get it.”

You both stare at each other for a second. You narrow your eyes. You’re sure he does the same in return.

“You’ve been really nice to me. Let me get it.”

“You’re my guest.” He counters.

“I’ve already put you through enough trouble.”

“It’s no trouble. Sit down.”

“What are you going to do if I don’t” You jut your chin out. “Spank me?’

“I might just.” It’s so soft that you barely catch it, but you do. You stare at him for a long second. He looks back at you, as if challenging you to ask what he said.

“Fine.” You huff, sitting back down. Din nods. He’s more than a little bit pleased. He pads past you towards the coffee pot. You can hear him rummaging around for a coffee cup in the cabinets. You turn your attention to Grogu. The child has his head tilted. You think he’s trying to understand what just happened. 

You keep Grogu entertained so Din can make breakfast. You’re not ready to talk about what happened yet. Playing with Grogu is a nice distraction. He seems to enjoy your company. You can tell because the amount of side eye you get decreases the longer you spend time with him. When the three of you start eating, Din explains the plan.

“I called Peli earlier, so she’s watching Grogu today.” He lifts up the visor just enough to eat and holds it in place. You look the other way on the off chance he reveals too much of his face by accident. You can tell he appreciates it. Something in his inflection and tone tells you as much. “There should be security footage. I’ve asked Cara to request it, so we’ll go see what’s on it then.”

“We need to look for an apartment for me. Ideally one that I can move into soon. The sooner the better” You point out, stabbing viciously at your pancakes. You pause and sigh. “That came out worse than I meant it to. I just-” You swallow hard. You don’t know how to tell him that the longer you stay with him, the more danger he’ll be in. You don’t know who exactly put the signet on your purse, but you know that they clearly have allied themself with Boba. That raises a whole bunch of questions that you’re not sure you want to think about right now. For instance, why would anyone ally themselves with a dead man? No one would, which then begs the question that you don’t want to think about right now. Since you don’t want to think about it, it weighs heavily on your mind.

If he’s alive, then why would he leave you? For five years he left you alone, letting you think that he was dead, and the minute that you might be opening yourself up to someone, he makes his presence known? Your nostrils flare as you try to control your breathing. A gentle hand on your shoulder brings you back.

“Hey.” Din’s voice is gentle. “It’s okay. We’ll figure it out, okay?” He seems to have more he wants to say but thinks better of it. You nod. Your shoulders drop some. His concern doesn’t quell your rage, but it does help you see through it. You let out a long breath you didn’t know you were holding.

“We’ll figure it out.”

**********************************************************************************************************

Peli Motto runs a mechanic’s shop outside of town. It’s one of those places that screams “last stop” for a while. It’s actually in a completely different town, one that hasn’t been swallowed up by suburbia. You don’t think it will be. Most people don’t go this way to get to the next big city. Her little auto shop is really along the backroads. She must have heard the motorbike coming from a distance because she’s outside when the three of you pull up. She holds open her arms, and Din wordlessly gives her Grogu.

“Hey there little guy! How have you been?” Grogu chatters excitedly in response. She grins at him and looks at Din. She must see you leaning on the bike because she stops and stares at you.

“Who’s the girl?” Her tone is inherently suspicious. You greet her.

“She’s a new employee.” Din says by way of explanation. Peli’s eyes narrow.

“Oh? What do you do?”

“I’m negotiating deals for him.” The words slip easily off your tongue. Peli makes a face but nods. You can tell she doesn’t exactly trust you, but she’s giving you a chance since you’re with Din. The two of them talk briefly. You don’t listen to them. You wouldn’t be able to pay attention to their conversation anyway. Your brain is so scattered right now. It’s all you can do to hold yourself together. Din comes back after a moment.

“You ready?” You nod and wordlessly get on the bike behind him. He speeds off. You expect him to head back right away, but instead, he takes you a different direction. You blink when you see the sign for a park. He pulls the motorbike into the almost deserted parking lot and turns off the ignition. You slip off the back of the bike and look at him.

“I thought we were going to see Cara.”

“We will.” He nods. “I want to talk first.” Normally, those words would fill you with some sort of dread. It makes sense that he would want to talk about everything, so it doesn’t come as a surprise. You just weren’t expecting to do so out in the middle of nowhere. 

“Okay. Lead the way, then.” Din looks at the various trails before deciding on one. He starts down it, and you follow after him. You catch up to him quickly. The two of you walk side by side in silence for several minutes. The trail takes you around the visitor’s center and towards some outcrops of rocks. You bump into him playfully, tired of the silence. Even underneath his helmet, you can tell he raised an eyebrow at you.

“So. What did you want to talk about?” You try to keep your tone light and airy. You don’t want him to know just how scared you are. You aren’t sure why; he clearly has an idea from your reaction this morning. He lets out a long sigh.

“I know that the signet was a message for both of us.” He begins, his speech halting as he tries to find the right words. “But I. I’m not sure you having your own apartment is a good idea.” You open your mouth to argue, but he holds up a hand. “I failed to protect you last night, I acknowledge that. But I would feel safer if you’re close to me so I can redeem myself.”

“But, what about Grogu? What about yourself?” You swallow. “I can’t put either of you in danger, Din. I’m so sorry, but I just can’t.”

“Fett wouldn’t hurt Grogu.” Din’s voice is surprisingly steady. He speaks with such conviction. “Grogu is a Foundling, and we prioritize all children, Foundling or biological. This is the Way.”

You sit down at the table without much preamble. Boba is already there. He stares at you for a long moment. Normally, you’d meet his gaze and open up with some small talk, but you just don’t have it in you today. Your shoulders sag. The impassive helmet tilts.

”Rough night?” It would seem like a taunt to most people, but you know better. You can hear a note of concern tinge his gravelly voice. You look at him.

”Yeah.” Your voice is soft. Something in it is threatening to crack, so you clear your throat. “I’m having one of those days. I’ll be fine.” You reach into your purse and pull out the file your bosses wanted you to pass along at this meeting. You slide it across the table. This meeting was meant to be business, not one where you got assurances. The lines between the two were becoming more and more blurred. You might even say some of the meetings were for pleasure instead of business, given how fond you’ve grown of him. You think he’s fond of you too.

Boba doesn’t pick it up. His visor stays trained on your face. You stare back at him. The silence seems to stretch on for a while before you finally cave. You let out a long sigh and run a hand over your face.

”Lamtur. The other guy.” You pause for a second. You close your eyes. “I don’t know exactly what happened, but one of the guys that Lamtur dealt with. Turns out Lamtur signed us on with a child killer. I don’t know if Lamtur knew and just didn’t care or if he was so desperate to get another person signed on, but that shouldn’t have happened. I know that we deal with a lot of people who do morally reprehensible things, but this is.” You take a deep breath. “This is a whole different ball game. There’s no reason to do that at all, which means it had to be for fun, and I just.” You can feel the tears prickling at the corners of your eyes. You look down. You can’t speak anymore

Boba stares at you for a long moment. You can feel his gaze, but you don’t meet it. It’s so hard to not cry. The worst part of it was that even though it was Lamtur’s mistake, you were sure that the company was going to find a way to blame you for it. Everyone knew that would never let something like that happen. A lot of your superiors didn’t like that you held some sort of moral integrity.

Boba swears. It’s not in a language you understand. It’s easy to figure out what it means. The words are said just loud enough to where you can hear them. The venomous way he spits them sets your teeth on edge. You let out a chuckle, but there’s no humor in it.

”Yeah. Same.” You intone. You rub your forehead. A splitting headache is threatening to develop. “How much would I have to pay you to kill both of them?” The words are meant to be funny. Your humorous intent doesn’t reach them, and it’s clear just how much you mean them.

”Nothing.” Boba’s response makes you look at him. “I would do it for free. Both of them.” Something hard and mean seeps into his tone. You huff.

”Well, as much as I love a two for one deal, I can’t have you kill Lamtur. Wish I could, though.” You take a deep breath. “I’ll just have a nice little chat with him.” You smile, and it’s more teeth than anything else.

”Don’t leave any bruises. They’re proof.”

You nod. That all made sense now. Of course Grogu would be fine. He wasn’t after Grogu; he had no problem with the child at all. Even if he did, he wouldn’t be able to hurt a kid. 

“What about you, though?” Your voice is soft and meek. “I can’t let you do that. I’m not worth that.”

“Don’t.” Din shakes his head violently. “I wouldn’t have gone looking for you if I thought that you wouldn’t be worth it.”

That makes you pause. “What do you mean by that? He’s dead, and people don’t support dead men.”

Din snorts softly in response. “Boba Fett was more than a man to a lot of people.”

The two of you walk again. It’s clear the two of you aren’t walking for fun or for health. The two of you are walking to have a conversation where no one else could hear. It might be considered romantic in any other context. Two people walking just to enjoy each other’s company. You let out a long breath.

“I’m scared, Din. Not just for me, but for you. I don’t know what I’d do if you got hurt because of me.” It’s hard to fight off the tears. “I don’t think Boba would have anyone hurt me. You? He would do it in a heartbeat. He’s killed men for looking at me for too long.”

“Mesh-” He stops himself short. “I know how to defend myself. I can handle it.”

You shake your head violently. “You don’t get it!” The panic in your voice rises. “I was his everything, Din. He would stop at nothing to make sure that no one could take me away from him!”

Din turns to you. He places a hand on each of your shoulders. You realize you’re trembling, tears streaming down your face. God. You didn’t deserve this, didn’t deserve his kindness. 

“I’m not going to let you deal with this on your own.” His voice is a deep rumble. “I told you, I was going to protect you. It’s going to be okay. You’re going to be alright.” He hesitates. You take his non-verbal cue and pull him into a hug. You try to communicate your fears and worries in the single gesture. He returns it. He pulls you even closer to him. The two of you stay like that for a long time.

“Tell you what.” You pull away from Din. “I’ll stay with you until we’re sure it’s safe for me to be on my own. Is that okay? I can’t put you out by staying at your place forever.”

“That works.”

**********************************************************************************************************

Cara pulls up the security footage. She doesn’t say a word. Her jaw is set, which tells you it can’t be good. The two of you watch the video on the tablet. It’s from the side door of Din’s house. A dark figure walks up to the door. When she gets close to the door, you have to swallow to prevent your noise of distress. It’s Fennec Shand. She pulls out a lock pick and works on the door. It swings open, and she slips inside. Nothing occurs for several minutes. You guess that must be when she tied the ribbon to your bag. She exits. 

She stops on her way out and winks at the camera before slipping away into the darkness.

You swear you hear a primal noise come from Din. It almost sounds like a growl. The thought makes a pleasant tingle light up your insides.

“At least we know who she’s working for now.” Cara’s tone is dry. She’s scrutinizing you. You can’t tell if she’s sizing you up or trying to figure out why someone would go to all this trouble. “You need to tell me the nature of your relationship with Boba Fett.”

You scrunch up your face in confusion. You had told her already that you and Boba had been together, so why was she asking? Did she need more details? You close your eyes and sigh.

“We were romantically involved.” You keep your voice steady and even. 

“Did you ever break up?” Her tone is blunt. You shake your head.

“No. He died in that chemical explosion. Or I thought he died. That tends to end a relationship.” As you speak, you feel a coil of anger from earlier beginning to build. How could he do this to you? Your lips twitch. You want to believe that he’s still dead. If he wasn’t, then what was the point of those five years? Your nostrils flare.You mull over Din’s offer from earlier. You didn’t want him to get hurt, but also, if Boba Fett thought that he could just waltz right back into your life, he was a fool and an idiot. 

You aren’t sure if your anger is that obvious or if Din can read you like a book already. Hesitantly, he reaches out and places a hand on your arm. You can hear the silent message reminding you to breath and that everything was going to be okay.

“A body was never recovered from the explosion.” Cara sets the tablet down on her desk and leans back in her chair. “He could be alive. It’s doubtful but possible.”

“How big was the explosion?” Din looks at Cara. She hums thoughtfully.

“I can pull up the reports, but I was told it took out a whole block.” You nod.

“It was a whole block. The only reason that the Senator, Skywalker, and Solo survived was because they were far enough away that they were able to get out of the blast range quick enough.” You know the details of the case by heart. You had spent hours pouring over the reports and notes, trying to figure out if Boba survived or not. You actually learned quite a lot about explosions in the process. Din tilts his head.

“Depending on where he was, he might have survived.” You look at Din, confused. He shrugs. “It’s part of my job to know things like that.” You snort softly. Of course he would know something like that. 

“I can put a security detail outside of Din’s house until you get a new apartment..” Cara gently brings you back to the topic at hand. Din shakes his head.

“No security details.” His voice is firm. “I can’t have that.”

“Then I suggest getting a new apartment sooner than later.” 

It’s your turn to shake your head.

“No.” Your voice is steady and strong. Din looks at you. “Boba or whomever is pretending to be him is trying to scare me. I’m not going to let that happen. I’m not running, and I’m not hiding.” You see Din incline his head, the smallest of nods. Cara stares at the two of you.

“As long as you know what you’re doing.” It’s clear that she doesn’t approve of the plan. 

“I do.” Din’s voice is curt. It’s clear that the topic isn’t up for discussion or debate. You know that he’s figuring out how to make this work. It makes a part of your heart flutter. 

“How do we proceed?” You finally gather the courage to ask. “Fennec clearly wanted us to know who she’s working for, but that’s a problem. He’s not going to make it easy to find either of them.”

“I’ve heard some rumblings.” Din seems hesitant to speak. “I didn’t pay them much attention, but there’s been talk of Bib Fortuna losing his position soon.”

“He won’t make a deal.” Cara props her feet up on her desk. You nod. “You have nothing that you can offer him.”

“Cara’s right.” A thought occurs to you. You bite down on your lower lip in thought. “But. We can still make it work.”

Both of them turn to you. Cara raises an eyebrow. Din must know where you’re going because he shakes his head.

“Absolutely not.”

“Think about it.” You turn to face him fully. “You knock Bib Fortuna out of the game, you have a better foothold. And if you ally yourself with this new faction, they’ll surely help you with Bo-Katan.”

“What about you? I can’t put you into that kind of trouble.” That makes you snort.

“I’d be in that kind of trouble sooner or later. If we move now, it might make a difference down the line.”

“I can’t risk you doing that.”

“It’s not a risk!” You resist the urge to start pacing. “It will work, trust me! We can do it easily. Besides, do you really want Bo-Katan to have first crack at this?” You don’t tell him that Boba would never ally himself with Bo-Katan. Just from the way that she spoke on the phone, you know that Boba Fett would snap her neck like a twig if she even so much as looked at him funny. Din is clearly not happy about the idea. You can see the acceptance of it, though.

“Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.” Cara’s voice makes both you and Din turn to face her at the same time. “Even if Ahsoka won’t join you, she might tell you something you can use.”

Din huffs. It almost sounds like a dragon exhaling smoke. “I don’t like it.” He turns to you. “If we do this, I’m coming with you to those meetings. I’m not leaving you alone with him.”

“We don’t even know it’s him.” You gently remind him. Din’s visor doesn’t turn away from you. You get the feeling his stare is disappointed. You turn to Cara. She shakes her head.

“You two need to have that conversation.” It’s clear that she’s not willing to get involved. Her office phone rings suddenly. You exit her office, Din trailing behind you. The two of you are silent until you get outside.

“Do you want to take another walk?” You ask cautiously when the two of you get to the bike. Din nods. It’s curt. His shoulders are still tense. He gets on the bike, and you climb on behind him. You make sure to keep as much distance as you can in case he needs his space.

The two of you stop at a different park on the way out of town. It’s closer to the city, so there’s trees planted in the area. You slide off the back of the back wordlessly. Din stays on it for a while before dismounting as well. The two of you pick a trail and begin walking. Since the park is closer, there’s an artificial lake. The trail takes the two of you past it.

“I know you don’t like the idea.” You’re the first to break the silence. “But it’s the best shot we have.” He’s silent, so you press on. “I know you’re worried about me being in danger, but I won’t be, especially not if you’re with me.”

Din exhales. “It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?” You stop walking. “It’s clearly something personal.”

“I don’t.” He stops and clears his throat. “I don’t want you to go work for him.” He finishes the sentence lamely. You raise an eyebrow.

“Do you think that I would work for him?”

“He’s probably got more to offer.” Din’s voice is quiet. “He knows you better than I do. He might use that to his advantage.”

You snort. A fond smile makes its way onto your lips. Din’s visor trains on your face.

“Din.” You chuckle and shake your head. “I’m not going to work for him. Trust me. There’s nothing that he could say or do right now that would make me do that.” You take a deep breath. “Five years. If this is really him, he left me. Alone. For five fucking years. He let me think he was dead for five goddamn years! There is nothing that he can do to get me to go back to him. I don’t care what he does.”

Din looks at you for a long moment. “Is that why you want it to be someone else doing this?”

“He left me. He let me think he was dead.” Your words are a snarl. “For five fucking years, five years of my life that I can’t get back! I mourned him for five goddamn fucking years!” You don’t realize your shouting until then. You’re shaking. Din watches you. You can’t tell what he’s thinking. Hesitantly, he steps towards you. He tilts his head as he regards you for a long second.

“Keep that anger.” He eventually says. “You might need it.”

You nod. You swallow hard. Din begins walking again. After a few seconds, you follow him. You end up walking side by side once again. You can tell Din is thinking, mulling the situations over and trying to figure out what exactly to do. You imagine his face is scrunched up in thought. The two of you walk for a little bit longer before doubling back around toward the bike. 

“I have a plan.” He finally states. “Let’s get Grogu, and I’ll tell you over dinner.”

***********************************************************************************************************

You keep Grogu entertained while Din attends to some matters, both domestic and business related. You’re pretty sure he calls the security company and then a locksmith to change the keys and get a deadbolt. You decide to take Grogu out into the backyard and to the swing set. Grogu enjoys sitting on your lap as you swing.

“Don’t go too high with him.” Din warned as you opened the back door. “He’ll throw up.”

You talk with Grogu. You’re beginning to parse out some of what he says. When he gets bored of swinging, he makes you stop and then goes over to a small sandbox nearby. You help him build things in the sand. When you don’t understand what he’s saying, you’ll draw a question mark in the sand. He responds with a drawing of his own. From what you can make out and what you think the pictures are, it sounded as if he had a fun day. Peli worked on some cars while Grogu watched for a bit, and then she let him watch TV. She apparently has two dogs and a cat that hang around the garage, so he had fun playing with them. Well. He had fun playing with the dogs. You don’t think the cat had much to do with him. That didn’t seem to bother him.

“Dinner.” Din tells you, nearly making you jump. You weren’t even aware that Din was behind you. Grogu sees that and laughs. “No, I’m not going to scare her again.” Din moves past you to scoop his child up neatly. The three of you make your way back inside, Grogu happily telling Din what he told you. 

Dinner is nice. You enjoy the atmosphere. It feels natural and welcoming. It’s downright domestic, an island where none of the outside world can disturb the three of you. You imagine that anyone who tried to do anything during dinner would not be treated kindly. The only blip comes after dinner is done. You have to argue with Din to at least let you do something to help out around the house. You bicker over it for a bit before deciding that Din can give Grogu a bath while you clean up the kitchen.

You try to focus on the task at hand and not the impending nightfall. You know for a fact that you won’t be able to sleep tonight. You shake your head. You can’t think about that right now. It’s too early to start wondering and worrying. You do what you can to focus. Once you’ve finished cleaning the kitchen, you decide to straighten up the living room while you wait. You make sure to lock the side door and set the alarm before you leave. You need to do it yourself.

Eventually, Din comes back into the living room. You heard him herd Grogu to bed and tuck him in after the bath. You smile softly at him. You imagine that he has to be tired. He takes a seat in the recliner, and you take a seat on the sofa.

“I have your first official assignment.” He doesn’t prop up his feet yet. “The account you told me about the other day.”

“Yes.” You nod. “I remember it.”

“I know a hacker named Mayfield. He knows a lot of the company systems around here. You’ll meet with him tomorrow about it.” He gives you the location and time.

You blink. The name sounded familiar. You weren’t sure where you had heard it, though. You nod. “Alright. Is this you collecting a debt or is he going to ask for something in exchange?”

“He’s out on parole right now. We can make him disappear entirely. He might can start a new life in a new city.”

“I’ll offer him that.” You nod. The name is still bugging you for some reason. You could have sworn you heard it around the office. “Is the plan to deal with Agent Gideon first, or are we just collecting information on him?”

“I don’t know yet.” Din hangs his head slightly. “I want to be prepared for any move we might have to make.”

“When do you want me to try and meet with Ahsoka?” You tuck your legs under you. “Even if I don’t get her to join our side, I can gain information about Bo-Katan from her. Being able to get people to tell me their secrets is what landed me my old job in the first place. It makes it easier to make deals.”

Din is silent. He tilts his head to the side, clearly lost in thought. He exhales. “I’m not sure how much you can get, but I’ll let you set that up.”

You nod. You don’t know much about her, so you need to do some research before you set that up. You need to do some digging on Bo-Katan as well. You frown softly. It might not hurt to bring some extra cash to the meeting with Mayfield. He might be able to find things quicker than you.

Din opens the recliner. It snaps open, and he leans back in it. He shifts around for a second before finding a comfortable position.

“Comfy, are we?” You tease.

“Yes. I’m sleeping out here.” You open your mouth to argue but think better of it. This wasn’t some gesture he was making as your host; this was for your safety. He was genuinely worried about you. He turns his head slightly. You have no doubt that he’s got one eye open, watching you like a dragon. You realize he’s waiting for you to start arguing. After a moment, he turns his head back up towards the ceiling.

“Do you want a blanket?” You get to your feet. You folded up the blankets from last night and had put them on the end of the sofa since you were unsure of where they went. He shakes his head after a minute. You take that as a sign that he’ll get one when he wants one. You take the sheets you folded up and make yourself a bed before nestling into them. You can feel Din’s gaze on you, but he doesn’t say anything. 

********************************************************************************************************

”So.” Lyra smiles mischievously at you. She fiddles with the straw umbrella in her drink. “Who is he?” You raise both of your eyebrows and give her a very confused look.

”Who is what?”

”The mystery man you’ve been seeing.” She huffs and leans back in her chair, She places both of her hands on the table. “Don’t lie to me. You’ve always made sure that your work doesn’t take up all your time. So what department does he work in? Does he even work at the same company? Oh, are you engaging in a tryst with the enemy?”

”He’s not fr-” You stop. Your friend looks far too triumphant for your liking. She leans forward and smiles.

”So he’s not from your work, huh? What else?”

”It’s not like that.” You huff, crossing your arms over your chest and leaning back in your chair. “I have to spend a lot of time working with him. What he does requires a lot of my input.”

”Oh, you have got it bad!” She nearly squeals.

”No, I don’t. I have a healthy respect for what he does.” You sniff. “Before you ask, no. You can’t meet him.” The thought of Boba meeting Lyra makes a smile come to your face. That meeting would be interesting. You’re sure you would have a lot to answer after it was all over.

You realize Lyra is staring. She’s got a sly smile on her face. “Not like that, huh?”

”I wasn’t thinking about him! I was thinking about how I’m going to get you back for this conversation.” She nods sympathetically, but her grin betrays her. You let out a growl. It’s clearly for show. She laughs at that. 

”Well, whenever you get over your denial, I’d like to meet him so I can talk to him.” She grins, taking the cherry from the top of her drink and popping it into her mouth. 

You can’t help your laugh at that. You shake your head, a grin making its way onto your face. “Oh, Lyra. I don’t know how to tell you this, but you’d make his day giving him the shovel talk. You’d probably make him laugh.” She puffs up, and you hold out a hand. “It’s not that he wouldn’t take you seriously, it’s just that I’m sure he hears worse on a daily basis.” 

Lyra opens her mouth to argue with you, but someone calls your name before she can. You grimace. The voice sends a disgusting feeling along your spine. You feel like a wild cat puffing up when cornered. Lyra looks at you and raises an eyebrow. “Do you-”

”Hey!” Lamtur comes over to the table. He smiles. “I didn’t realize you were eating lunch here too! What a funny coincidence.” He takes one of the chairs and slides it out enough for him to take a seat. Lamtur’s gaze is focused on you. Lyra mimes vomiting. You raise one eyebrow a little bit to let her know you felt the same way. Lamtur looks from you to her.

”Hi.” Lyra extends her hand. She smiles, and God. You wish that you could switch that easy when it came to personal relationships. It was easy to do when business was involved, but you were never able to master it when it came to social situations. “I’m Lyra, her friend.”

Lamtur takes her hand. For a second, you’re worried he’s going to kiss the back of it. Thank God he doesn’t. You would have actually thrown up. “Lamtur. We work together.” He nods over his shoulder towards you. He turns back around to face you. You try to school your face into something neutral. “Say. When are you going to let me come with you on one of your deals? I’d love to see you in action!” 

”I don’t know.” You smile politely. “Some clients can be skittish, so more than one person might scare them. I’d have to have worked with them for a bit.”

”What about that mystery guy you meet every week? Surely he’d be okay if I tagged along.”

”No.” Your tone is harsher than you mean for it to be. Lamtur pulls back. You shake your head. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s more... He’s very particular. Incredibly particular, actually, and he’s allowed to be because of how good he is.” You clear your throat. “He’s made it clear that he’ll only work with me.”

Lamtur smiles at you. It doesn’t reach his eyes. “No, yeah. I totally get it.”

”I think the M brothers might want to talk to us. You could maybe come along then?” You don’t want to make an offer like that. You know if you don’t that Lamtur will make your life a living hell. He perks up some.

”Yeah! I’d actually like that!” He chirps. You don’t like it. Something about this interaction is nagging at the back of your mind. You look to Lyra. She’s a better judge of people’s intentions in social situations, especially when it comes to men. You can tell from the look on her face that Lamtur is up to something.

”Keep in mind, they are fickle.” You warn. “Who knows if they will or not. It depends entirely on their moods.”

Lamtur nods. “Yeah, absolutely.” He stands up suddenly. “I’ve got to get back to my lunch, but it was good seeing you! Nice to meet you, Lyra!” He walks away before either of you can say anything. You stare at Lyra.

”Is he trying to steal my job?” You break the silence first.

”Maybe? I think he’s more interested in getting into your pants.” She gives you a meaningful look. You roll your eyes.

”Yeah. Not happening.”

”Because your mystery man won’t like it?” She flutters her eyelashes. You snort. 

”Because I won’t like it.” You pause. “And yeah, my mystery man probably won’t either.”

**************************************************************************************************

The smell of coffee wakes you up. You groan and roll over onto your side. You lay there for a second, debating whether or not you want to get up. Eventually, you open your eyes. You can see Din in the kitchen. Slowly, you sit up, and amble into the same room. Grogu chirps happily from his place at the table.

“Good morning to you too, sunshine.” You ruffle Grogu’s hair as you step into the kitchen. Din hands you a cup silently. You thank him and take a seat at the table. A small box is resting on it.

“Your new phone.” Din explains, sliding it towards you. “I got it the other night but had someone take a look at it to remove as much tracking software as they could. Cara dropped it off while you were asleep.”

“Thank you. I really appreciate it.” You look at the box. Your new number is scrawled on a post-it note on the front. You nod. You’ll need to start memorizing it soon. You take a long sip of your coffee before turning to Grogu. “How did you sleep?”

Grogu babbles. You take that to mean he slept well. You turn to Din. He nods before you can ask.

“The recliner isn’t uncomfortable.” He joins you at the table. “Your snoring is what kept me up.” He delivers that last line in such a deadpan manner that, for a second, you think he might be telling the truth. Grogu laughs. The little laugh tells you that Din isn’t being serious. That, and Din’s shoulders shake ever so slightly as he tries not to laugh.

“Is something funny, Master Grogu?” He giggles and shakes his head. He thinks he’s hiding his smile behind his sippy cup. You stare flatly at him for a long second. “Alright. I’ll trust you. This time.” He giggles as you turn away to look at Din.

“Other than my meeting, what’s on the agenda for the day?” 

“I need to talk with one of my Elders about our mutual friend.” He exhales. His fingers drum against the kitchen table briefly. “I need advice. I want you to meet her at some point but not yet.”

“Not yet?” You tilt your head. Din huffs.

“She’s suspicious with good reason.” He lets out a small, amused noise. “You’ll understand when you meet her.”

The last part feels like a reassurance. You smile softly. Your heart flutters. His helmet is trained on you, and you wonder if he’s got a matching smile on his face. God. You would give anything to see it. You shake your head, hoping to rid yourself of those thoughts. You take a sip of your coffee.

“Do you want me to watch Grogu while you go see her?” You wrap your hands around the cup. Din looks at Grogu for a second. 

“No. I’ll take him with me.” He’s clearly considering something. “I’m going to have Greef go out with you today. You need a new wardrobe, and he’s got a better eye than I do for that sort of thing. He can give you the lay of the land while you’re out.”

***********************************************************************************************

“So. The rumors are true.” Greef has got this shit-eating grin on his face. “Mando is your sugar daddy. I thought Cara was pulling my leg”

Din turns his head to look at Greef. Even through the helmet, it’s obvious that Din’s look is unimpressed. You snort.

“Don’t call him that. It hurts his delicate sensibilities.” You can’t help your playful ribbing. The helmet turns towards you. You smile and flutter your eyelashes. You have to bite down on a snarky retort. You’re pretty sure Sorry, Daddy wouldn’t go over well. It might be worth it just for Greef’s reaction. 

“This is early payment for today’s meeting.” He tells you as he hands you a thick envelope. His voice is quiet, clearly not wanting to be heard. You don’t check how much is in it. You know it’s entirely too much. You go to argue. Din shakes his head in the smallest of gestures. You nod your understanding.

“Thank you.” You hope you convey how much this means to you. How much all of this means to you. Him letting you stay at his house, him calming you down as Boba makes his presence known, him getting you a new wardrobe. It all meant so much to you in a way that you don’t think you can put into words. Din nods. He pulls away from you.

“If you two get into trouble, I’ll have Cara double your bail.” He threatens. Greef snorts.

“Maybe mine, but I know you won’t hers.” Din levels him with another look before walking back to his motorbike. You make your way over to Greef. You were at his office. He ran a bail bonds company. It started initially as a front for him laundering money, but somehow, it became legitimate. He throws an arm around you as soon as you’re close enough.

“I’ve missed you.” He begins conversationally as he steers you towards his Buick.

“Would you believe it if I said I’ve missed you?” You counter. He lets you go so you can go to the passenger’s side and slip into the car.

“Not at all.” He tells you as soon as he gets in the car. You snort. 

“You’re always so cynical.” You can’t help teasing him. He rolls his eyes in response. He’s silent as he gets the two of you out onto the open road.

“I have actually missed you.” He begins conversationally. “Even before you left. When they benched you, they tried to make me work with Lamtur.” He makes a noise of disgust. You nod in agreement. “That man is a slime bag, and that is saying something coming from me.”

“Yeah. I never liked him.” You look out the window briefly. Greef snorts.

“I know. I was there when you found out about the deal he cut with that child killer.” He whistles softly. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you quite so angry.”

“Yeah. Angry is putting it mildly.” You shift in the seat. “I can’t believe they kept him on after that.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t have Fett kill him.” Greef fires back. You splutter. “Oh, come on. You had him wrapped around your finger by that point.”

“I did not!” He gives you a look.

“Trust me, you did, and everyone knew it but you two.” Greef chuckles softly to himself. “If you had asked him to jump, he would have done it. Not unlike another Mandalorian we may know.” His gaze flicks to the rearview mirror, clearly looking at you in it. You huff.

“It’s not like that.” You aren’t sure if you’re trying to tell yourself or him. “D- Mando is just being nice. He’s helping me out.”

Greef makes a noise that tells you how much he doesn’t believe you. “And my mother is the Queen of England. But go on. If it makes your life easier, then who am I to judge?”

“He says, in a judging tone.”

“I wouldn’t go so far as to call it that.” He pauses. “I do have a question for you. Has Cara given you The Talk yet?”

“The one where she threatens to hurt me if I hurt Mando?” You let out an annoyed sigh. “...Yes.”

“I rest my case.” 

The two of you go back and forth the rest of the way to the mall. Part of it is reminiscing over old times and part of it is catching you up on things. You learn a lot. Bib Fortuna had dropped your old company because of how Lamtur handled the case. Apparently Lamtur had been currying favor with Jabba and that was the only reason the company managed to keep it for so long. Ahsoka was a wild card, and no one had seen her for a while. She used to be an agent but quit for an unknown reason. Greef didn’t know much about Bo-Katan, but he was working on finding things out.

“What about that Gideon guy?” You wrinkle your nose. Greef’s eyes flick to the mirror again. He clears his throat.

“Not much is known about him. He was in that big militia cult thing, the New Order, for a while, but he claims that it was for an assignment.” Greef snorts. You shake your head.

“Didn’t Vader endorse them?” You frown. Greef nods.

“They think he was an appointment by Vader.” He sighs. “Agent Gideon claims that he has no ties to it, but the department hasn’t been cracking down on the New Order since he took control. New Order my ass. More like the New Imperial Order.”

“I thought the New Order had died.” You frown. Greef pulls into the mall. “Well, I had hoped they had died.”

“We all did.” He kills the engine. He goes to get out, but you stop him.

“Before I forget. Wasn’t that...” You swallow hard. “Wasn’t that child killer a part of the New Order?”

“He was.” Greef frowns. “I’d like to shake the hand of whomever killed that bastard.”

You get out of the car. If Greef notices that you clearly know more than you’re letting on, he doesn’t say anything. 

You had counted the money in the car. It was honestly too much. You had made a note to give some back to Din whenever you saw him next. At least, that was the plan until Greef dragged you towards the Michael Kors.

“He gave you enough money for this. Live a little!” 

Din was right. Greef had an eye for this sort of thing. He helped talk you through what might work for you and what wouldn’t. It probably helped that he knew both Din and you very well. He knew what Din would expect anyone representing him to wear, and he knew how to help you get your own twist on it. You could tell that he wasn’t approaching this from the standpoint of how to get you laid. It was all about who you represented and how much power came from an outfit. The nicer you looked, the more power you had in a deal.

Well, it wasn’t all about that. Greef did stop you outside of a lingerie store. You raise an eyebrow. He grins in response.

“Go on.” He waves you towards the store. “Get yourself something nice for you and Mando.”

“I hate you.” You scoff. Despite yourself, you head inside the store. You look through the racks and eventually find several things to your liking. You try not to think about Greef’s words as you pay for the items. You try not to think about the fact that you bought a couple sets that were in Din’s colors. You try even harder to not think about the fact that one of the sets is a beautiful moss green.

You step out of the store. You see Greef sitting on a bench talking to a man. You frown. The man looked familiar. You aren’t sure if it’s because you’ve seen his face on TV or because you’ve seen him in real life. You make your way over to the pair. Greef looks up when he sees you.

“Ah! There she is.” Greef introduces you to his friend. “This is Han Solo. We used to run in similar circles.”

“We’ve met.” Both you and Han say at the same time. The two of you stare at each other for a long moment. You can tell Greef is delighted with this interaction. You have no doubt he knew that the two of you had met each other before.

“Sorry about your boyfriend.” The way Han says it makes it clear that he’s not at all. You smile. It’s just shy of being a nasty grin.

“Sorry about your little prison stint.” Han’s jaw twitches.

“You need to keep better company.” He turns to Greef. He pokes the other man in the chest. “She’ll turn you in for the fun of it, Karga. She wants to watch the world burn.”

Your lip twitches. Greef gives Han a shocked look. “I don’t believe that, even for a second.”

“It’s true. Mark my words.” Han protests as he stands up. He walks away quickly but not before making a gesture that indicates he’s watching you. You snort.

“I hate that man.” You turn to Greef. 

“I know you do.” He chuckles, throwing his arm back over the bench. “But I learned some valuable information from him, so you might hate him a little less.”

“Like what?”

“You’re not the only one getting threats. He doesn’t think that they’re coming from your man, mind you. I don’t think they are either. From what he told me, the threats are clearly from someone pretending to be Fett. I agree with him. They’re too sloppy.” He looks at you. His gaze softens some. “Han says he saw Fett die. I don’t know if you want that to be true or not, but I know one thing. That man had to have loved you more than anything in this world. If he is alive and hasn’t reached out until now, there’s a reason for it.”

You take a deep breath. “I know. I don’t like it, but I know.” You close your eyes. “I know.”

Tag list: @yamaktaria​

[djarinvibe]

Shooting Stars (Din Djarin x F!Reader) Pt. 2

A/N: I apologize this is took so long to get out. Life is mad against me right now and I’m just trying to stay afloat- anyways heres wonderwall...

Warnings: MODERN!AU, mentions of child abuse but not detailed

Words: 3.1K

Summary: Din comes over to help with a project, bringing along someone you didn’t expect.

Master List

October

“I’m sure you're aware as to why I called you into my office…?” Dean Karga’s voice echoed throughout his boring, run-of-the-mill office. You furrowed your brows and shook your head, watching the man in confusion. He sat leaned back in his chair, feet propped up on his desk, mindlessly twirling a pen between his fingers and looking up at you expectantly. 

“I am not,” You answered with a chuckle, sitting in one of his guest chairs. The man had summoned you without warning; you had just dismissed your last class of the day when the announcement happened. 

“The Halloween Formal…?” The man trailed off in question again. His expression was excited, as he shrugged out his arms with glee, however you still couldn't get a read as to whatever the hell he was getting on about. The Halloween Formal is a dance the school puts on every year; usually organized by a sorority of students and the secretaries working together.

“What about it?” You shook your head in confusion, studying the man's face for any answers. He took his feet off the desk, leaning towards you in his chair with a growing smile. 

“I want you to put together the Formal this year.” Karga grinned, arms stretched out in exclamation. You grimaced at the offer, quickly shaking your head. 

“Me? What happened to the sorority girls and the secretaries?” You questioned, “Like, a whole team of people?” 

“Right,” The Dean sighed, dropping his arms to his lap, “The sorority decided they didn't want to do it this year, and the secretaries agreed... However, Omera suggested you.” 

“Or, maybe you could hire an outside source?” You suggested, prompting the man to give you a pursed-lip glare. Also, why would Omera call you out like that? You’ll have to speak to her later.

“It’s not in the budget.” He coyly responded, triggering your eyes to roll. “Look, I’ll give you an extra week of vacation as compensation? I just need someone to plan this damned thing.” 

You paused before speaking, casting your arms up in defeat, “Alright, fine. Can I at least recruit some people to help?” 

“Yes- But don't tell them about the vacation days…” The Dean quickly spoke, giving you a look. You sighed with a nod, prompting the man to chuckle with glee and clap his hands together; probably ecstatic he didn't have to plan the Formal himself. 

--

The afternoon sun blared into the windows, casting a golden glow across your emptied classroom. A groan passed through your lips as your eyes scanned the list of essential items for the Formal. Your feet anxiously tapped the ground below your desk as you chewed your cheek.

It’s been one week since the Dean gave you the task of planning the Halloween Formal, and honestly, you've got nothing done; your helper hasn't exactly been much help. Omera, who you recruited out of spite, hasn't done her tasks yet leaving you a week behind from where you should be. You would ask Din for help, but it’s his first year here and you honestly don't want to scare him off with such a tedious job. 

Ever since his personal introduction in your classroom just a month a few weeks ago, your friendship has blossomed. Never have you gotten along with a new teacher so fast, but you love it. However, you've noticed that he isn't as social with the other teachers. He mostly tends to just hang by himself unless people engage him. It makes you curious as to why he was so eager to introduce himself to you.  

A quiet, repeated knock echoed throughout the room, startling you. Chuckling to dismiss your scare, you called for whomever to enter the space. 

“Hey,” Din’s low, gravely voice caught your attention, and you looked up to greet the man. He had just closed the door behind him, beginning to pad over to your desk. 

“Hi,” You smiled at the man, biting your lip shortly after. He donned his signature gray suit, with dark brown shoes to match. His hair was loose and curly, splaying across his forehead and curling around his ears. You noted his stubble had grown in a bit, appearing more dark against his tan skin. 

The two of you haven’t spoken in person for a couple days, as he had gone out of town. He never told you why, and you didn't want to pry either; Though you were very curious. You know that he has an adopted three year old son, and couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with him. 

Din mentioned his son to you a few weeks back. The two of you had somehow managed to find yourselves alone in the teachers lounge. You told him your life story, while he remained relatively quiet; but you managed to find out some things about him.  

“How have you been?” He questioned, mindlessly grabbing a spare chair from a stack in the corner of the room, which you keep for meetings, and placed it down in front of your desk.

“The usual,” You chuckled lightly, shrugging afterwards. “How were your days off?” You added, leaning forward and resting your elbows on your desk.

“Oh, I just took my son out of town for a couple days.” Din shrugged off your intrigue, clearly not interested in sharing more details. 

“I'm jealous, getting out of town sounds like a dream right now.” You sensed the man's hesitation for detail, and began to shift the topic to the Halloween Formal. Grabbing the paper from earlier, you groaned looking at the list.

“The Dean told me about that,” Din chuckled, reaching down and grabbing the to-do list from your grasp. His eyes scanned the paper before he shook his head, handing it back.

“It’s in less than three weeks and I’ve got nothing done.” You groaned, resting your head into your hands. “And my helper, Omera, has been… well, unhelpful.”

You could hear the man across from you release a humor filled snort before he spoke, “I’ll help you.” 

Your head raised at his statement, looking at him with hope. “You will?”

“Yeah, you seem like you could use it.” He smirked in return, watching as your whole demeanor changed.

“You have no idea how much that means to me,” A sincere grin crossed your cheeks at the statement. 

--

Streaming sunlight illuminated the small living room of your house as you sat on the couch, fingers flipping through papers for the Formal. The TV hung above the fireplace quietly played some show to fill the silence, one you haven’t bothered to pay attention to. The repeating ‘Tik’ of the clock felt like it was pounding at the same beat as your heart.

An anxious sigh passed your lips as you jotted down a note to call some company about DJ-ing the Formal. You are honestly just trying to distract yourself from the nerves in your belly. Friday afternoon, before you left work, Din had suggested he come over to help with planning the Formal on Saturday, which you accepted. You know you should invite Omera over too, as she is the one who got you into this, but you really just want to spend time alone with Din; outside of school.

In all truth, the two of you haven't been alone together save for that rare moment in the teachers lounge, and the small talk you exchange in your classrooms. But you want to get to know him better. The man is mysterious, and rarely speaks unless spoken to. You notice that he hardly interacts with your colleagues, mostly just you or the Dean. It drives your curiosity, how secluded the new teacher is. 

A knock at your front door caught your attention, making your stomach drop. Swallowing, you set the papers onto the coffee table and stood up, padding over to the entryway. Pulling open the heavy slab of wood, Din’s handsome face came into view as he stood on your porch. However what you weren't expecting was his three year old son to be in his grasp. The child was asleep, his small face tucked into Din’s neck. 

“Hi,” You whispered breathlessly, stepping aside to let him in. He gave you a half grin and a nod as he tread inside, setting his satchel onto the couch.

“Sorry to bring him, my sitter dropped.” Din’s voice softened when he spoke about his son, “Is there somewhere he can sleep?” 

“Oh, of course, there's a guest bedroom down the hall and to the left.” You whispered, pointing to the area. Your colleague thanked you silently before disappearing into the bedroom.

You took the moment to compose yourself, puttering around the living room. You spent the entire morning cleaning, but still couldn’t help yourself from straightening a few items while waiting for his return. When his footsteps finally echoed back down the hall, you settled.

“Sorry, again.” He apologized quietly, grabbing his satchel from it’s spot on the couch and sitting down. 

“Please, don’t apologize, he’s allowed to be here,” You chuckled, dismissing his apology with a wave of your hand. The man thanked you with a soft nod, opening up the bag in his lap and pulling out a small binder.  

Din quickly jumped into work mode, focusing on the project at hand. The conversation died, both of you choosing to stay in silence as you worked on planning. Though you felt more inclined to remain silent due to his silence. The butterflies still haven't left your stomach, every time he would shuffle or clear his throat, they regained activity.

It felt silly to be so flustered over a man you’ve barely met and is also a colleague. There have been moments where your breath has literally caught in your throat at his sight. Someone even caught you doing it last week. You were walking by his classroom during your free period and couldn’t stop yourself from halting in front of his door and watching him teach through the small door window. It wasn’t until a student noticed you watching did you scurry along, heat radiating from your cheeks. 

Omera was aware of your crush, having spoken to you about him multiple times since the morning he started. Whenever she sees the man around school, she finds the time to gossip about it later.

It’s endearing that she’s invested, but sometimes you avoided her around campus for that very reason. You love the woman, but recently she’s been driving you crazy. Hence, why you didn't invite her over; besides your want to spend an afternoon alone with Din.

-

“Did you call the DJ yet?” Din’s low voice caused you to jump slightly, interrupting the silence that shrouded your living room. The two of you had remained quiet for about half an hour now, merely making small talk about the Formal here and there. 

It’s frustrating however; you want to get to know more about him, like, for example, where did he move from? And what did he do before teaching? Also, you had questions about his son, like his name, and if there is a mother figure in the picture? Yet, you can't seem to get the questions to form. 

“No, not yet.” You answered with a slight chuckle, dismissing the scare. You could feel his eyes studying the side of your face, only making the heat return to your cheeks.

“Can I get you anything to drink?” You then asked, setting aside the papers in your hand and standing up from the couch. Din shook his head, and you gave him a curt nod before stepping into the kitchen, out of his eyesight. Taking a deep breath to release the tension in your shoulders, you grabbed a glass from the cupboard before filling it with water. However, just as you were about to take a sip, you felt a slight tug on the bottom of your pants. Looking down, you met the sight of Din’s son. 

He is adorable, to say the least. He wore a little green, knitted beanie with bunny-like ears sticking out side to side, and was dressed in a tan jacket that was long enough to cover his body down to his feet. He looked up at you with dark brown eyes filled with tears, his bottom lip trembled as he was on the verge of crying.

Without a second thought, you set down the glass of water and picked the boy up into your grasp. He immediately tucked his face into your neck, little sniffles sounding from his throat. Rubbing his back, you made your way back to the living room. 

“Uh, Din?” You questioned, causing the man to turn around. His eyes widened for a second when he realized his son was in your arms, before jumping up and making his way over.

“What’re you doing up?” Din questioned, peeling the boy from your chest and settling him in his arms. The small child only sniffled instead of answering, pulling at your heart. The man didn't say a word, only holding his son tighter while tucking his head against his chest. He mouthed a silent ‘Sorry’ before turning on his heel and sitting on the couch. 

Following timidly, you bit your lip unsure what to do. Truth be told, you don't have much experience with young kids. Young teens and up? No problem. Elementary age and down? Well… you teach college for a reason. Growing up, you didn't have any cousins who were around. Your family lived across the country from your aunts and uncles; and to make it worse, you are an only child. Needless to say, you're not much help in the babysitting department. 

“Um, is there anything I can do?” You questioned, watching the man stroke his child's back soothingly. A pang formed in your belly as you thought about him doing that same thing with you, but instead cuddled in bed talking about your day.

“No. Thank you, though.” Din murmured, his dark eyes greeting your own for a moment. You nodded, joining him once again on the couch. Focusing back on your work, you figured that was easier than fawning over the man soothing his child. Even though you struggle with children, it’s hard to not be attracted to a man taking care of one. 

A quiet hum sounded from the man adjacent you, filling the silence of the room. Swallowing dryly, you tried your best to look at the paper in your hand, however his voice was too distracting. It sounded like a melody, one a parent would sing to soothe their distraught child. His low alto added warmth to the tune, and your chest. 

“I’m going to get a drink.” You quickly cleared your throat, standing up from the couch. You heard the man mumble something, but didn’t quiet catch what it was as you made your way to the separate space. Approaching the cupboard, you grabbed a glass before hastily filling it with water and taking a sip. 

Taking a deep breath, your eyes turned to look at the back of Din’s head. Butterflies stormed your stomach at the sight of his son’s head tucked into his neck; the boy’s green beanie acting as a pillow. The faint sound of his humming could still be heard from the kitchen, but it wasn’t as overwhelming from a distance. 

You finish the full glass before returning to the living room, deciding it was best to let Din get his son back to sleep; and to slow your beating heart. You don’t realize how much time had passed, but you notice that Din has stopped humming, Instead replaced by little snores coming from the child snoozing in his lap. 

“I’m sorry about the kid.” The man whispered once you sat down.

“I already told you it’s okay,” You cleared your throat, looking back towards him. He remained silent, his eyes cast down towards the child.

“I’m still new to all of this.” The man chuckled, but you could still read the uncertainty in his voice. He is a new father, which is scary by itself, but he’s doing it all alone. 

“Can I ask… What made you decide to adopt?” You formed the question carefully, unsure of how to articulate without your curiosity sounding like a jackass.

The man was quiet for moment before he finally spoke, “It kind of just happened.” He began, “Before working at the university, I was a bounty hunter. I mostly brought in criminals who had debts, traveling around the country in an old RV. Then, I got an odd job. I was tasked with finding a child and returning him to the client…” Din trailed off afterwards, his hand protectively settling on his son’s back. “They were going to kill him... I couldn’t allow it.”

“Oh,” You murmured, studying the side of the mans face as he stared down at the boy. It’d harded over the course of the story, voiding all emotion, the happening clearly still weighing heavy on his heart. 

“He’s gone mute from the torture they put him through.” Din added, his gaze greeting yours once again. A stale sheen of tears stained the bottom of his eyes, but he was quick to blink them away once you noticed. Your chest clenched at his words, sorrow filling your throat as you looked at the sleeping child. Three years old... and to have faced such horrors… 

“I fled with the kid after that. We’ve hidden a few places, but we ended up here back in August.” Din paused, catching your attention once again. “Greef hired me as the Astronomy teacher, aware of my situation. He’s an old friend.” His eyes held a shimmer of hope, though it was dim. Him entrusting you with this information felt exhilarating, but to hear of such things existing in the world seemed unbelievable. And who would have to heart to harm a child? No matter, you felt the need to aid him and protect his son.

“Din, I-” You paused to swallow, his soft, brown eyes peering into your own, “You can trust me.” You finished, reaching across the couch and gently placing your hand on top of his own. The warmth of his hands mixed with the cool touch of your own felt electric, sending your heart into a frenzy. The man didn’t respond, instead he adjusted your hands so your fingers intertwined.

“Thank you.” His voice was low, filled with sincere emotion. You didn’t dare look up into his eyes, afraid of sending your heart into overload, but you felt them peering at the side of your face. God, what have you gotten yourself into?

--------------------------------------

TAGLIST:  @snow30285​ @mack4676​ @remmysbounty​ Thank you for reading!! <3 <3 <3

[remmysbounty]

this is miniscule but headcanon that din always writes a lil heart by your name on your coffee cup whenever you come in

Omg hell yes!!!!

––

You hadn’t realized the lil heart at first but it was always there next to your name, whether on the napkin holding your pastry of choice for the day or on the cup holding your drink that you’d ordered as a pick me up during a break from your shop. Usually you had no reason to go searching for your name, but today was a busy day and Din was stuck behind the counter with no reprieve whatsoever.

Drink after drink lined the pick-up counter- most of them in to-go cups, so as you searched each one for your name, you were surprised, but happily so, to see a small heart sitting right next to it.

You felt your face flush at the lil heart and your eyes immediately searched for Din- but even without looking into his eyes, you knew it was him.

Your eyes returned to the lil heart again, and you soon found it consuming your every thought. The sight of it reminding you of a conversation Cara and you had recently during one of your weekly stay-ins.

“I’m telling you, Din is into you,” Cara took another sip from her drink as she gave you a look that screamed I’m not joking.

You merely shook your head, “How can you be so certain about that?” Your face felt warm at the thought that Din returned the feelings you had for him.

“Fine, you want a hint,” Cara smirked at you, “Next time you order one of your drinks to go make sure to get a good look at your name.”

You were so confused that night, but it seemed as though the next day that suggestion left your mind entirely- you weren’t sure if it was the drinks from the night before or the fact that Din had your full attention when you’d gone to grab your drink.

Yet now as you finally got a good look at your name, you began to wonder just how long Din had been putting a heart next to your name.

Looking down at your watch, you realized you’d have to rush back to your store, but not before dropping of the book that you’d told him about earlier, making sure to add a small note inside.

For Din,

I hope you and Grogu enjoy this book. It’s one of my favorites ;)

[chaotic-noceur]

scribbled ink

[ part 1 - the beginning ]

pairing: Marcus Pike x reader

summary: Marcus works as a barista in a local coffee shop to pay for art school. If he happens to meet someone who becomes his special someone then that’s an added bonus. aka the college/coffee shop AU that no one asked for.

warnings: probably cringey fluff

a/n: fluff is really not my thing but here we are so 🤷🏻‍♀️This was very heavily inspired by @ezrasarm​ addition to our coffee headcanons and @theravenreads​ addition via comments! This started as a drabble but now its 3 parts long… I ooped. That being said though, I’m really excited about this so I hope you enjoy this little… mini series I guess?

[ part 2 - the beginning of something ] [ part 3 - the beginning of us ]

The creaking of the front door pulls his attention from his sketch. When he looks up, he’s met with your soft smile as you readjust the strap of your bag. The pencil slips from his grip and lands on his sketchpad with a soft thud as he watches you walk towards him. Clearing his throat, he shakes himself from his dazed state.

“Hi-” he dusts his hands on his apron as he slides off his perch on the high stool, “what can I get you today?” He watches you as your eyes dance across the menu, lips pursed in deliberation. 

“What do you recommend?” you ask after a moment. His eyes light up as he begins to question you on your preferences. Sweetness level? Caffeine desire? Dietary requirements? He’s not sure why but some part of his being tells him to store this information for later use. 

So he does. He clings on to every detail that you give him. He notes the way you grimace at certain things and perk up at others. He commits it all to memory in hopes that you’ll come back again.

He’s launching into his explanation of different coffee beans and how they affect taste when he realises he’s rambling. Heat creeps up his neck as he cuts himself off, clearing his throat to mask the embarrassment. “Sorry,” he sputters out, “you probably have places to be.” He makes his recommendation to you - pointing to it on the menu, before returning his gaze to you. 

An apologetic look washing over your face and he pretends that his heart doesn’t sink in his chest. “Yea. I erm, sorry I- I have to get to class,” your head tilts towards the doors, “but that sounds amazing.” You send him a reassuring smile and his worries ease a little. He mutters a ‘right, of course’ before proceeding with placing your order. 

He stops you when he sees you reach your hand into your bag, presumably in search of your wallet. “Please,” he interrupts, “it’s on the house.” He shrugs before saying, “it’s the least I could do for taking up your time.” 

You move to protest but he shushes you. In a sudden surge of confidence, he says, “you’ll just have to come back again to make up for it.” 

He catches the teasing smile that graces your face before he turns away to make your drink. He doesn’t see you slip a few dollars into the tip jar. Nor does he catch you peeking over the cash register to sneak a glance at his open sketchpad. 

His fingertips graze yours as he passes the cup to you. The touch sends a tingle up his arm. You thank him quietly before taking a cautious sip of the liquid. 

Marcus crosses his fingers behind his back in silent anticipation. He eases when your eyebrows shoot up and a shocked smile dances across your face. “This is incredible,” you breathe. 

He chuckles lightly before spreading his arms and bowing dramatically towards you, “I do my best.”

You giggle at his antics and his heart flutters in his chest. Your gaze drops from his as your laughter quiets. “I should um-” you throw a thumb over your shoulder as you take retreating steps away.

“Yes! Yes.” He gestures vaguely towards you, “go. Wouldn’t wanna make you late.” 

“I erm, I’ll see you around.” You nod at him before turning to leave. He tracks your movements for as long as he can. 

●●●●

Your focus is wavering from the lecture notes in front of you when you notice the scribbles on your cup. 

‘Words cannot espresso how sorry I am’

You shake your head as you chuckle under your breath. There was something about him that made your heart beat a little faster in your chest. Maybe it was his dramatic flair. Or maybe it was his quirky nature.

It occurs to you then that you never got his name. You’d been so caught up in your little interaction that you never did remember to glance down at his name tag...

Maybe you will have to go back.

——pedro tag list (let me know if you’d like to be added/removed, cuz apparently I’m doing this now)

@din-damn-djarin @ezrasarm @oloreaa​

[curiosi-tea-writes]

Tender Resignation

Pairing: Din Djarin / Cobb Vanth

Setting: Modern AU

Summary: Sometimes, bad days just happen. It’s unavoidable. Din has a particularly bad day and all he wants is to have Cobb in his arms. When he finally does, he never wants to let go. Cobb always knows exactly what to do to make him feel better.

---------------------------

Some days just aren't good. This was one of those days. Everything was going wrong. Not even wrong, just not right. 

Cobb was gone before Din woke up, late he might add, having already taken Grogu to school. One might see this as the opportunity to have some calm and quiet before going to work but not Din. He enjoyed the time he had with his family before he had to spend hours with people he didn't generally like. It gave him the encouragement he needed to make it through the day.

Din managed to have nearly everything go wrong as he got ready for work. He nicked himself while shaving, dropped the bottle of shampoo on his foot, and even burnt his bagel. He took a deep breath as he started his car, attempting to will the universe to make his day better. 

It didn't work. 

He realized as he walked into the classroom that he had left his coffee on the kitchen counter. He mentally scolded himself, already wishing he had the caffeine in his system to fight the growing migraine forming from the morning. All the other teachers seemed to be against him that day. They insisted on asking him for favors during his prep period and he could never find it in himself to say no. While the children were mostly okay, there were always a few that Din wished he didn't have to deal with. 

By lunchtime, all Din wanted was to go back to sleep. His head pounded and he just in general felt miserable. He poked at the leftover spaghetti in his Tupperware. His microwave had decided the day before to stop working and he had forgotten about it when he packed his lunch. He wasn’t really hungry anyways, despite only having gotten through a few bites of his burnt breakfast. He was still moving it around with his fork when the bell chimed for the students to return to class. He put the lid back on his container and slid it back into his bag with a sigh. Just a few more classes and he could go home.

The sound of the door unlocking was music to Din’s ears as he entered his house. He half-heartedly dropped this bag on the bench beside the front door with a heavy sigh. He paused for a moment, trying to listen for any hint of a sound coming from upstairs to hit his ears but nothing came. Cobb wasn’t home yet. Grogu had plans to go to Winta’s house after school so Din was once again home completely alone. 

He had half the mind to reheat his coffee, but he just didn’t have the energy. He sluggishly made his way upstairs and found something more comfortable to wear. He pulled the strings of his hoodie to keep the hood as close to him as possible, pretending the warmth was the arms of his loved one around him. 

Once in better clothes, he trudged back down the stairs and made his way to the living room. He took the blanket off the back of the sofa and wrapped it around himself, the extra layer adding the perfect amount of warmth to emphasize the feeling he attempted to recreate. He laid himself out on the sofa, facing the back cushions, and let out a groan. 

He let the tears that filled his eyes fall, not even bothering to wipe them away. He was too exhausted to move at all. Even the slightest shift of his body caused him pain both physically and emotionally. 

Din wasn’t sure if he dozed off or not. The familiar sound of a car locking outside caused him to jump, the noise loud and painful to his head after so long in silence. The sound of the front door unlocking, however, was a more comforting one to his ears. He knew what it meant. But while his heart leapt at the knowledge that his love was finally home, his head continued to ache, a constant reminder of the day he had. He couldn’t even bring himself to call out Cobb’s name in return for his own as the other man entered the house. 

Cobb’s eyes first fell on the bag by the door, knowing that Din rarely left it out. His heart began to pound with worry. He made his way to the kitchen and found the now cold thermos of coffee sitting open on the counter. He called Din’s name again, the anxiety clear in his voice, a stark contrast to the cheery greeting he had called as he first entered their home.

This time, Din managed a soft groan that sounded pathetic even to his own ears. He hated that he made Cobb worry, mentally adding it to the list of things that had gone wrong that day. His eyes filled with fresh tears as his head pounded harder, causing a small hiss of pain. 

“Hey, Darlin’,” Cobb spoke softly, leaning his shoulder against the wall of the entryway. He gave a gentle hum as Din huffed out another groan. “Bad day?”

All Din could manage was a nod. Even the simplest of motions brought him pain, sharp at the base of his neck.

Cobb gave a small nod, knowing Din couldn’t see him. He made quick work of what he needed to do. He closed the blinds of the living room window, something Din had forgotten to do. He smiled as Din gave a satisfied hum to the welcomed darkness. He placed a soft kiss to the top of Din’s head before rushing upstairs. He quickly changed his clothes, much as Din had a handful of hours earlier, tugging his dark green hoodie over his head. He took a spare blanket off their bed and carried it down the stairs. After grabbing a cup of water from the kitchen and setting it on the coffee table for when Din was ready, Cobb finally wrapped the blanket around himself. 

“Do you want to stay like that or you want to turn ‘round?” Cobb asked gently, his voice barely above a whisper. 

Din paused for a moment before turning around slowly, pressing his back as close to the cushions as he physically could. He opened his eyes for the first time in hours and was met with the sight of Cobb smiling softly down at him. He actually managed to smile back, weak but genuine. 

Cobb pulled the blanket tight around him and joined Din on the sofa, wrapping the blanket around Din with his arm as he pulled him closer. He finally felt his heartbeat return to normal as Din buried his face into Cobb's chest and sighed contently. The sofa was barely big enough for both of them but they both saw it merely as an excuse to cuddle closer.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Cobb asked gently, his voice muffled by the blue fabric of Din’s hood against his face. 

Din wanted to say yes. He wanted to vent about how long the day had been and everything that had gone wrong. He wanted to tell Cobb how much he missed him and how happy he was that he was finally home. But when he opened his mouth to speak, he couldn't push the words out. His head gave a sharp pain behind his eyes and he squeezed them shut, tears forming again. He sighed defeatedly and shook his head.

Cobb nodded. "Alright," he whispered, holding him tighter. He ran his hand lightly up and down Din's back. He felt Din shift to lean into his touch, shaking lightly. Cobb knew he was trying not to cry. "It's alright, I've got you, Darlin'."

After taking a deep, shaky breath, "I love you," was all Din managed to get out. His voice was scratchy from his hours of silence and crying. He knew he needed water; he was likely dehydrated at this point. But right then he couldn't be bothered to move, not when he finally had Cobb's arms around him. Not when he finally felt warm and safe.

Cobb removed his hand from Din's back and slipped it under Din's hood to thread his fingers through his hair. It was warm and damp from sweat but Cobb just smiled and continued to play with it, scraping his nails gently against Din's scalp. "I love you too, Darlin'. Get some rest, I'm here now."

Din nodded and held him closer, his hand with a tight grip on Cobb's waist under the blankets they were wrapped in. After so many hours of the day, he was finally content. He could feel the love radiating off Cobb like one could feel the warmth of the sun on a summer afternoon and it made his heart skip. Cobb always knew exactly what he needed when he was upset. 

Bad days happen, they're unavoidable, Din knew that. But having some time to relax, wrapped up in blankets with the love of his life - that made even the worst of days fade away, leaving behind only the love and support he knew he would always find in Cobb.

[yes-ihavealwaysbeengreen]

January AU Writing Challenge

I think at this point we all wish we could live in an Alternative Universe and for the month of January I will be. I am celebrating reaching 300 followers with a writing challenge! Thank you so much for your support and positivity! 

Each week will be a different theme and each day will have a prompt. You can send in asks for any of the characters below and I will update the list as we go! 

Make your requests HERE 

Characters to choose from: 

Pedro Boys: Javier Pena, Agent Whiskey, Oberyn Martell, Pero Tovar, Marcus Pike, Marcus Moreno, Maxwell Lord, Max Phillips, Frankie ‘Catfish’ Morales, Ezra (Prospect), Din Djarin (The Mandalorian) 

Oscar Boys: Santiago ‘Pope’ Garcia, Llewyn Davis, Nathan Bateman, Evgeni (W.E), Poe Dameron 

Week One Theme: College AU January 1st-7th 

1 - You keep reserving the good study room in the corner of the library with the windows- Santiago ‘Pope’ Garcia 

2 - My friend dragged me to this party, and I just saw my ex quick make out with me -Javier Peña

3 -  My computer crashed, and you’re the student worker at the IT center. - Evgeni 

4- I’ve been sitting in this seat all semester. Why did you decide to sit in it today?-  Max Phillips 

5-  We’re studying in the library, and there are two people very obviously fucking in the stacks, and we keep sharing embarrassed glances - Santiago ‘Pope’ Garcia 

6 - I’ve ordered take out every night this week, and you always seem to be my delivery person

7 - Every single table in the union is full. Do you mind if I just sit here for a while? - Llewyn Davis 

Week Two Theme: Store AU (Book, flower, coffee shop)  January 8th-14th 

8 -  Barista and person who has a ridiculous coffee order- Maxwell Lord 

9 - At the coffee shop, there is a chess set in the corner, and every morning, I move one piece. Later in the day, someone else always moves a piece too. I’m dying to know who I’m playing against. - Nathan Bateman 

10 - you give me a different fake name every time you come into Starbucks, and I just want to know your real name bc you’re cute, but here I am scribbling “batman” onto your stupid cappuccino. - Santiago ‘Pope’ Garcia 

11 I like buying books at this one bookstore in particular because you work here and I think you’re cute au. - Oberyn Martell 

12 - I only came to this coffee shop bookstore cause I was thirsty and it was nearby, and I saw you reading and drinking at one of the tables and kept coming back au- Marcus Pike 

13 - when you paid for your book, you kept talking about how much you were looking forward to it, so I read it too out of curiosity, and we bonded over it au- Ezra (Prospect) 

14 - You buy a weird amount of flowers, and I’m concerned as to why- Ezra (Prospect) 

Week Three Theme: Modern AU January 15th- 21st 

15 - My pet ran away, I got fired from my job, it started raining out of nowhere, and I fell in the mud, and you’re just a random stranger at my bus stop, but I need someone to talk to. 

16 - I adopted a kid, and you help me take care of them all the time since we’re neighbors, but you came over and got so involved in the kid’s life so much they think that we’re both their parents instead of just me. - Marcus Moreno 

17 - I met you at a convention, and you’re cosplaying Person B to my OTP, and I’m cosplaying Person A

18- We’re internet friends, and we’re meeting up in real life today, and I’m super paranoid because what if you’re a deranged killer and– omg, you’re perfect. - Nathan Bateman 

19 - Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy, but can you go on the bungee jumping thing with me? Because I’m too scared to go by myself. - Santiago ‘Pope’ Garcia 

20 - You keep coming in to get your laptop fixed, but I’m pretty sure you’re breaking it on purpose, but you’re cute, so I’ll let it slide. - Marcus Moreno 

21 - We’re playing Monopoly in the local library, and the game just got serious; I think the librarians are about to kick us out. - Poe Dameron

Week Four Theme: Parents/Expecting Family AU  January 22nd - 28th 

22 - you’ve been sleeping at mine because your house is being renovated, and we aren’t even dating, yet every time you wake up to the baby crying and sigh, “I’ll go,” I feel like we might as well be married. - Poe Dameron 

23 - our children are in the same class, and we both hate their teacher. Eventually, the parents’ evenings are just us competing who can call out snarkier comments. - Maxwell Lord (Also my darling Kat’s birthday) 

24 - our kid is only a year old, but they already rule the household and every single aspect of our lives. - Frankie ‘Catfish’ Morales 

25 - we are the only two parents who agreed to attend the school trip (bonus: “so I guess we share this hotel room?”) - Frankie ‘Catfish’ Morales 

26- “the scans have just come through, and it’s been revealed that we were wrong. You’re not having a baby…you’re having two! congratulations!” - Maxwell Lord 

27 - “fine, fine, fine. rock, paper, scissors to see who has to go calm down the baby.” “glad that we’re dealing with this like adults.” - Nathan Bateman 

28 - we left you to babysit our kid for literally three hours. What happened?!?- Frankie ‘Catfish’ Morales (guest starring: Benny the babysitter)

Bonus Days 

29- Called tech support and flirted with the geek squad tech working the phones by themselves - Santiago ‘Pope’ Garcia 

30 - Ran into each other at the bookstore and tried to get the last copy. - Marcus Moreno 

31- We’ve been hooking up for the past few weeks, and holy shit, it turned out you’re my fifth grader’s teacher. Oh god, this embarrassing! - Maxwell Lord 

Taglist: @josepedropascal​ @mrschiltoncat​ @mrsparknuts​ @ghostwiththemostbitch​ @zannemes​ @oldstuffnewstuff​ @anetteaneta​ @a-seeker-of-imagination​ @artsymaddie​ @aellynera​ @lucifer-​ @houseofthirst​ @phoenixhalliwell​ @maxlordsgf​ 

[dincobb-ao3feed]

by Curiosi_tea

Most of Din and Cobb’s date nights consist of them going out to dinner, a museum, or possibly a movie. But Din comes home one date night to the extreme scent of coffee filling the house. It’s decided that sometimes they can stay in and do something different for a change.

Words: 1923, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: The Mandalorian (TV), Star Wars - All Media Types

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Din Djarin, Cobb Vanth

Relationships: Din Djarin/Cobb Vanth

Additional Tags: Modern AU

[raiseyourcups]

I Love You a Latte pt.2

A Modern Coffee Shop AU part 1 over here

Pairing: Din Djarin x Reader Warnings: an absolute tooth-rotting amount of fluff (hey remember that time I used to write nothing but angst?) Word Count: 2.2k of Christmas fluff

Summary: Detective Din Djarin and his son come back to your cafe with a single question in mind: What are you doing for Christmas Eve?

You struggled to close the back door of your car, arms full of presents and cookies. You knew you had gone a little overboard but you hadn’t been able to stop yourself. It was Christmas, the first one you were officially spending with Din and Grogu. Sure, they had come into the shop before to exchange small gifts with you but this was different. A smile crossed your face when you recalled how nervous Din had been when he came in after picking Grogu up from school for winter break. 

He had once again timed it just right, the afternoon rush over and only a few people working in the book shop section. Most wearing headphones to block out everything so they could finish last minute projects. Grogu came rushing to the counter first, ears of his beanie flapping like usual, and placing down a card he had made for you in class.

“Whoa, look at this!” You had exclaimed, picking it up to admire it. It was a cute little card with a Christmas tree made of paper strips on the front with little pom poms as ornaments. The inside simply said Happy Holidays in Grogu’s handwriting but you loved it all the same.  “This is so nice, thank you!”

“You’re welcome,” Grogu said quietly and you couldn’t hold back the smile from appearing on your face. He looked up at his dad with pleading eyes, gently tapping on the glass of the dessert display. Din pretended to think about it before nodding and gesturing for Grogu to head for their usual table. 

“Let me guess, a hot cocoa with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkled on top with a Christmas tree cookie for Grogu and a black coffee with a pump of vanilla syrup for you?” You asked with a smile still on your face as you placed the card Grogu made you on the counter top so everyone would be able to see it. 

“It still amazes me that you’ve memorized our order,” Din said, a smile on his face as he let out a huff of surprised laughter. 

 You looked at him from across the counter with a sly smile, “I thought we established that I only do this for my favorite customers?” You pulled a tray you had prepared beforehand, hot cocoa and coffee ready to go minus the whipped cream and cinnamon. You opened the dessert case and pulled out a cookie, placing it onto the tray before reaching over for the whipped cream. You put slightly more whipped cream than you usually would before shaking cinnamon on top. 

“I can take it to the table,” Din said, already reaching over to take it before you could stop him. He was walking away from the counter before you could say anything and you pouted even as you placed your “taking a break” sign on the counter. You would’ve made yourself a drink too but you had already had plenty of coffee to make it through the day. 

You sat down across from the pair and watched as Grogu blew on his cocoa before taking a large sip. It was another reason you had made it before they came in, so it would still be warm but not too hot that he couldn’t drink it. 

“So I know you two didn’t come in just to bring me the card and get free stuff in return,” you teased, looking at Din with a raised eyebrow. 

Din took a sudden interest in his coffee, taking a sip before setting it back down. You tilted your head when you noticed that his hand was slightly shaking. “Um, I-we, I mean, we wanted to invite you over for Christmas Eve and I know you probably have family to go visit and it’s okay if you can’t-”

“Din, calm down,” you said, reaching over to place a hand on his arm. You had finally gotten used to small touches like this. You also had no idea how a detective could be so nervous asking you a simple question. “I wasn’t planning on leaving to visit anyone so I would love to spend Christmas Eve with you.”

Which is what leads back to you struggling with your arms full, walking up the steps outside Din’s house carefully so you didn’t slip. It had snowed earlier and the steps were still a little slippery.You would admit that you hadn’t been expecting to see a row house painted yellow with green trimming but you also knew that this was a historical district. Din couldn’t paint it even if he wanted to and you knew Grogu probably loved it anyway. You already did. 

You lifted an arm carefully, hitting the doorbell with your elbow and waiting for someone to come open the door. You thankfully didn’t have to wait long before the door was pulled open and a gust of warm air met your face. It felt amazing in comparison to the chill in the air. 

“Hey, hi, um come on in,” Din stuttered, pulling the door open more so you can shuffle in. “You didn’t have to bring anything.” He helped you out, taking the tray of cookies that you had brought with you. You were thankful because those had been balancing precariously on top of the presents. 

“I wanted to, besides it’s Christmas,” you said as you walked over to the tree set up in the living room. You smiled when you took in the obvious space theme that was going on with the ornaments as you placed the presents underneath the tree. You looked back at Din who simply shrugged with a smile on his own face. “Grogu picked the theme, I presume?”

“You would be correct. Are you sure I’m the detective?”

“Oh you definitely are, I could never chase down a suspect. That’s what you call them, right?” You asked as you took off your coat to hang up on the coat rack back at the doorway. 

Din laughed at your comment, the sound making warmth spread throughout your chest. “Yes, but I don’t do much of the chasing down anymore. I leave that to the cops on the street level.”

“Ah, so that’s why people think all you do is sit around and eat donuts,” you teased, laughing out loud and dodging away when Din tried to playfully swat at you. Once you two were done laughing, you took the tray of cookies back from him and followed him to the kitchen. You took in everything, from the way the place was decorated with pictures of Grogu along with his artwork from school. The warmth that had started in your chest moved throughout your whole body like it did every time you saw just how much Din loved his son. 

“Where’s Grogu?” You had noticed the boy’s absence as soon as you walked in despite the TV in the living room on and playing a Hallmark movie. You knew Din had been letting Grogu watch all of the new ones, probably even the terrible Netflix ones too. 

“Upstairs, he said he had just one more decoration to make,” Din replied, shaking his head in amusement. He nodded for you to follow him and you did with matching smiles on your faces. You two had just gotten to the bottom of the stairs when Grogu called out to you both causing you to both look up. 

You let out a surprised laugh when you saw Grogu at the top of the stairs, holding what looked like a fishing rod over the edge. There was mistletoe attached to it and hanging over your heads. “What did I say about those Hallmark movies?”

“You know the rules,” Din shrugged before turning to you with a smile. He didn’t look too put out for being outsmarted by his own son and you wondered if he had planned this out before asking you to come over. Not that you really minded. 

You shrugged your own shoulders, “You do still owe me for past orders and your time’s almost up.”

Din laughed loudly, shaking his head before pulling you into a sweet kiss. It was much too short for your liking but Grogu was still there watching you two. He let out a happy sound before you finally heard him rushing down the stairs. You let out a content sigh as you and Din separated, no matter how many times you kissed it was just as good as the first time. Grogu took your hand and led you back towards the tree before you could say anything. 

You nodded and made comments for every ornament that Grogu pointed at, telling him which was your favorite one. He approved of your choice before pointing out his favorite. Neither of you noticed the look Din was giving you from his spot against the couch. Just pure love in his eyes as he smiled at the two of you under the lights of the Christmas tree. It just made him more determined to ask the one question he had wanted to ask after the first time you had treated Grogu like a normal kid. Or maybe it was when he had seen that you had changed your shop’s bell when you noticed how much it hurt his son’s ears. 

“Anyone ready for some food?” Din asked, finally able to pull himself out of his thoughts. 

The rest of the night went by filled with laughter, more cookies than were healthy, and a Christmas movie that didn't come from Hallmark. You had convinced Din to put on a classic from your childhood and even he had to concede that it was a good choice even if Grogu kept getting up to dance along with all of the characters. Eventually the hours and dancing wore Grogu down and Din was carrying him upstairs to his room with you following after. 

"How many more sleeps?" Grogu tiredly asked after you finished reading the book you had brought with you. 

"Just one more sleep 'til Christmas," you answered before tucking the blanket around him and giving him a small kiss on the forehead. You once again didn't see the look that Din was giving you and his son so you didn't know it matched the one you gave him when he leaned in to do the same. It didn't take long for Grogu to be completely asleep leaving you and Din trying to sneak out of the room as quietly as you could.

"Do you want a glass of wine?" Din asked, as he quietly closed the door though he left it open a little just in case Grogu woke up. 

"Yes, please." 

You and Din were curled up on the couch, fireplace still going and Grogu asleep in his bed. You were glad that he had enjoyed the book you had bought from the shop. You understood the hilarity of paying yourself for a book but when they had come in for the Christmas display you had just known that you needed to get one for Grogu. And you had been right, he loved the book after all.

“This was nice, thank you for inviting me,” you finally broke the peaceful silence that had fallen over you two. “I would’ve just spent the night drinking wine or something.” 

“Couldn’t have that, no one should be alone on Christmas Eve.”

You smiled up at him before you glanced down at your watch and your eyes went wide when you saw the time. “Oh wow, I hadn’t even realized how late it was. I should, uh, probably get going?”

“Stay.”

“What?”

“I, um, that is-if you want to spend the night. I have a guest room or maybe, never mind." Din cut himself off, cheeks warm from the embarrassment. This was the first time he was even thinking of asking someone this question, you were the first person since he had adopted Grogu to even accept them as a package deal. 

"No, Din, ask me." Your heart was pounding in your chest and you hoped you weren't reading things wrong. You knew you weren't, it wasn't like you were planning on doing anything other than sleep but you still wanted to hear him ask. 

"Move in?"

You blinked a few times in surprise. That hadn't been what you had expected him to ask. Your brain took a moment to catch up with your mouth but eventually you replied, "I...yes?"

"Really?" Din breathed out, a disbelieving smile crossing his face. You found yourself falling a little more in love with him at the sight of it. 

"Yeah, yes, I would love nothing more," you said. You didn't even care that you two had only been sort of dating for a month or so. You had been in love with him since the first time he smiled at you across your countertop and you had only fallen deeper in love as you watched him with his son. 

Din let out a laugh and pulled you into a kiss, this one deeper than the one you had shared under the mistletoe. It was made better by the two of you laughing into it.

"This is the best Christmas present just so you know. Nothing will ever top it." You laughed out, laying your head down on Din's chest. You felt more than heard his answering chuckle.

"I don't know cyar'ika. I could have a few more surprises in a year or two."

"We'll see about that."