#mand'alor'kar'ta

[kurlyfrasier]

6) Bleeding Heart: Slip of the Tongue

Pairing: Din Djarin x Reader

Synopsis: Din ruminates over the past few weeks or so.

A/N: This takes place directly after Beskar Kisses & Strangers. Also, this is a short one lol I wrote it before I started writing Bleeding Hearts: A Chronologue and feel terrible I haven’t updated it in...too long. So if you don’t mind reading another part before the last one is finished, here ya go! :D ENJOY (: Series Masterlist Warnings: None Disclaimer: I do not own any Mandalorian/Star Wars anything. Word Count: 817

No new Mando’a. (I think)

After a good night’s sleep and a day of barely leaving your side, Din felt…almost normal. Two weeks away from you was the worst possible thing he could have done for himself. He was honestly surprised he made it back to Fett’s Palace without needing the bacta tank.

“Kar’ta is safe,” was a never ending chant in his head from a voice that panicked any time you were out of sight. His speeding heart followed suit every time and Fett never let a moment pass to show how humorous he thought it all was.

“Better you than me, vod,” he would say, chuckling as a hand clapped down hard on a pauldron.

Even now, as you slept in your bunk on the ship, Din had to remind himself you were fine. That he was the one who was recovering from the clumsiest hunt of all time. Remembering the moment he coughed up blood from nothing, coating the inside of his helmet. One minute he was fine. The next, he couldn’t breathe, heart wrenching as though a hand squeezed it tight. He hadn’t even found the bounty and friends at that point. It was still early on in the hunt.

He steadied a gloveless hand against your door, the cool metal grounding him as the other turned the volume up on his helmet so he could hear your calm, rhythmic breathing. He breathed with you. In, and out. Until he was calm enough to go back to the cockpit and find a planet to refuel and restock on supplies. He had been flying around space for too long. Grogu was getting restless, fussing more often than not, running you ragged late into the night. Din had tried to take over, but you wouldn’t let him, stating he needed his rest to recover. What he wished to tell you was that he was fine, now that he was near you.

With a smile beneath the helmet, he picked out a planet he knew had a market filled with fresh, local produce; you had practically ripped him a new one, in your quiet, seething way when you boarded the ship on Tatooine and saw a standard month’s worth of rations instead of actual food. But it was all he needed without you and the kid during the hunt.

~~~~

They had found him. The Mando’ade. Specifically his guard who were personally responsible for keeping him safe. More under Bo-Katan’s order than his own. If only because he thought it ridiculous for a Mandalorian Leader, who is supposedly considered  the most ruthless killer in the galaxies, to need a guard. It didn’t help that he had been both predator and prey since he chose The Way. More the hunted than the hunter since Grogu came along. He lived through that just fine, though. His Mando’ade felt differently though, when the stories of his exploits spread throughout Mandalore.

But a guard for you, the Kar’ta- the Heart of Mandalorians, Fett had told him on one of the many nights he commed while you and Grogu were in Fett’s care- was a good idea. Granted, he would rather be the one doing the guarding, knowing he would never be able to trust your care to anyone else, even if they were his most elite fighters.

He blamed the darksaber for his lack of trust in that department.

They wanted- needed- him back home on Mandalore, they said, completely ignoring you; who hid behind him.

“Make them see,” the darksaber growled. “Make them bow to their Kar’ta.”

With effort, Din continued to keep you hidden. He simultaneously wanted to keep you to himself and force the Mandalorians arguing to show their respect to you. Every fiber of his being struggled not to pummel his guard until they were nothing but chunks of beskar. His usual patience was nonexistent when it came to the respect you deserved. 

The sound of your voice whispering his title made his soul cry in despair, roaring for him to correct you. To tell you never to say the word again. That you were so much more than the fools before you, including him.

When you took your place next to him as though you knew where you belonged, like a blaster bolt meeting its mark, he could do nothing but lean down for a keldabe kiss. The others were forgotten in the background. All he wanted was to take you away. Far away. Someplace where you could be free of worry and cautious eyes to bring back the wonder in your gaze.

The darksaber seemed to purr in his mind when he noticed his Mando’ade bow toward you, not him; he had made it perfectly clear that there would be no bowing early on in his reign.

“Ner Kar’ta,” slipped past his lips before he had the chance to swallow it, selfishly knowing rumors of you would fly faster than hyperspace on Mandalore.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope you enjoyed!

Taglist:  @againstacecilia​  @djarinslove​ @bxmxtx​ @takeyour-pants-off​

[kurlyfrasier]

Beskar Kisses: Bleeding Heart (An Epilogue) - Part 1

A/N: Honestly, if you've gotten this far in the Mand'alor'Kar'ta series, I'm sure you know what's going on lol

Summary: Din has been pulling away from Reader. Reader decides to take things in her own hands to prove her love to him: by finding the bleeding heart.

Warnings: kidnapping? violence?

Word Count: 2200-ish

Breathing in a lungful of fresh air, you hopped off the ship, excited to have reached your destination without the Protectors finding you. Or Bo. Or Din. Especially Din, but you knew you didn’t have long.

But freedom felt oh, so, good. 

With just the green field before you, you ran. Because you could. Because, before he found you, before you fell in love, before you became more than you ever expected to be, you couldn’t run. It wasn’t allowed. You always did what you were told. And as the wife of the Mand’alor, you could. Nothing could harm you. You were protected by the scariest man known in the galaxy. You couldn’t be touched.

It was a high that you loved.

A high that you planned on taking advantage of.

You laughed, loud and free with nobody to see. With nobody to judge you or your husband.

The breeze blew through your hair, light and only a little bit chilly. You should’ve brought your favorite wrap, but you didn’t want to cause a stir, what with the wrap having your insignia. 

You were the Kar’ta of Mandalore. And for once, you were alone. No overprotective husband. Not Protectors. No formal armor to wear to a political meeting.

In a bout of recklessness, you shucked your shoes, letting the cool grass soften your steps as you ran and ran and ran.

Oh, how you missed the fresh air of Naboo.

At the top of the hill, you stopped, panting, and looked down at the village below. Beyond the village stood a dormant volcano and blue skies, looking peaceful. A quick pat on your hip proved your favorite knife - the one Din made you with your Mudhorn and Heart insignia on it - hadn’t fallen out of it’s sheathe during your jaunt. It balmed your aching soul, but that didn’t matter. Not when you were here to get Din’s gift. Something to show him that you loved him not because of some old legend that tied you to him, but because your heart sang at the sight of him, mourned him when he wasn’t within sight, cheered when he came home from a long trip. Freeing slaves, finding foundlings, wrecking havoc in general. You heard the stories at each celebratory dinner, wishing there was some way not to worry even when he was right there beside you, holding your hand, safe and sound.

Your husband was as reckless as they came. Though you shouldn’t have been surprised, considering his title. But he was never a title to you. He was human. With fragile bones and soft skin underneath that impenetrable armor. He was your safe haven. Your savior. Your love.

Which brought you to Naboo. To find a Bleeding Heart. From the tales you were told as a girl, Bleeding Hearts could be found in the heart of the lonely volcano by a small village on the planet Naboo. Only those who truly, selflessly love their partner could walk in to retrieve the beating heart of the volcano, hardening into rock once it was plucked free. Then, when given to their love, would it bleed out its lava, rehardening around the heart as it cooled to keep it safe. If their love was mutually true, the lava wouldn’t burn, but if it was a false, selfish love on either side, the lava would consume them both until they were molten into nothing themselves.

You had never told Din about this, especially lately. After years of getting used to your role, of learning to fight and shoot and politic - more for Din’s sake than yours - of falling harder and harder each day you woke up next to him, he had been drifting. Leaving in the early hours of the morning, when before, you would cuddle until someone knocked on your door, forcing you both to acknowledge your duties. Allowing you more alone time, when before, he would hover protectively around you. It would have been suffocating if you hadn’t loved him in return. Now, instead of sparring with you, he would have a guard practice with you, with a hoard of Protectors watching, evaluating, judging. 

Suddenly, he had decided that he forced you into this marriage, that it wasn’t something you chose, that the Force had strung you together without your consent. The Darksaber would roar in idignation. You would assure him he was wrong. You would show him with your touch, your love. Still, in the morning, your bed was cold where he slept and your tears would fall until you had nothing left but to put your helmet on and continue with your day. 

When Din left for his current mission, you ran. Found an old ship nobody used and flew away to the only place you thought would have something that would prove to him that you and him were supposed to be together. That you chose this life with him because you love him, not because of an old legend.

Heart pounding, you stepped toward the village. A quick glance down at yourself proved you looked like a nobody: torn pants, a too baggy shirt - one of Din’s old shirts - no shoes, an almost empty pack on your back. Another pat on your hip and you felt the knife under the itchy shirt. Exhaling a breath you hadn’t known you were holding, you reminded yourself that you would be fine. That Mandalore has been in good standing with most of the galaxy for a few years now. That the Imps had stopped their search for Grogu. That nobody was looking for a way to hurt Din, so you were safe from being kidnapped… again. Relieved by your inner peptalk, you looked up with newfound energy and searched for a kind face to ask about the best trail to the volcano. 

“Excuse me,” you said over a simple wooden fence after passing by the slowing market, people shutting their wares, and filling their hover carts to go back home for the day

“Sorry, dearie,” a short, wrinkled woman stood from her gardening and wobbled closer, holding onto the fence between you both. “What was that? My ears have gone old, you see.”

“I was wondering if you knew of the best trail to the volcano,” you stated, a bit louder than you normally would, thinking her ears weren’t the only thing on her person to have ‘gone old’.

“You here for the Heart?” she squinted up at you through thick, foggy lenses as you nodded. An electric hum filled the air around you, a swirling breeze cut through the thin material you wore, causing goosebumps to rise and your hair to stand on end. “I see,” the woman stated. “You are determined, then?”

“Yes, ma’am,” you said, hoping she would point in the right direction before nightfall. You may have made it to Naboo without the Protectors noticing, but that didn’t mean you had time to dawdle. Mandalorians were quick at catching their prey. Especially when they were led by Din. And you knew that he would be their first point of contact once they had found your room empty. Which was likely before you had even landed.

“Keep going straight through the village and you’ll find a barely used trail, almost hidden, that winds through the forest and leads straight to natural crack that was created when it erupted the first time.”

“The first time?” Your voice pitched higher than usual, not knowing it had ever erupted more than once.

“There have been many who have not truly loved, dearie,” the woman let out a weary sigh, shoulders sagging as though holding a heavy burden as she turned back to garden and teetered away.

You understood the conversation to be over and thanked her, even though it was likely she couldn’t hear, and moved at a steady pace through the village. Lights started shining through the windows of small homes, smoke rose from chimneys as the chill evening started to settle in. 

Shadowed under the trees at the edge of town made it hard to find the trail, but when you did you wasted no time in entering, feeling the clock ticking as your mando’ade started their search. The foliage crunched beneath your bare feet, scratching and bruising them, but you paid it no mind, having been through more pain during your lessons with Din and other vod. Besides, it would be worth it in the end. 

Stopping a few miles in, you brought your pack forward, reaching in and grabbing your canteen of water, taking a sip. Wiping your brow with the hem of your shirt, you put it away then grabbed a ration pack, tore it open and ate as you continued forward. The closer you got to your destination, the warmer it became. Still, you sped up as you continued higher up the mountain, legs burning, until finally, you could see an orange glow up ahead, boosting you. Running, you bursted through the forest, smiling as you sat to rest a minute on the cool dirt before entering the volcano. 

The crack was just that - a crack barely wide enough for you to slip through sideways. Peaking in, you saw a lava river flowing several meters in. Beyond that, you saw nothing. With a long sip of water, you set your pack down, heart pulsing in your ears as you gathered the courage to literally walk through fire.

Think of Din, you reminded yourself, feeling a sense of peace as you brought him to your mind’s eye. With the helmet, like you first met him, standing before you as he spoke to the hotel clerk when he didn’t know your name. The thought brought a smile to your face and you shuffled yourself into the gut of the volcano. 

Of the time he bought you an entire wardrobe, only to forget about undergarments. You breathed out a chuckle, watching as lava rats and lizards scurried in front of you.

When he and Grogu caught you too many frogs to count. You jumped onto a peaking rock in the lava river.

The only time you had seen his armor dirty when he picked you and Grogu up on Tatooine after a two week long hunt. You hopped to the next rock.

The first time you said his name on Firefly Hill. You sqiunted through the light of the lava, finding the beating Bleeding Heart on a burnt, ashy platform, pumping in what you could only call a tree with flaming leaves, its light shining bright then dimming with each pulse. Lava veins twisted around the trunk and its branches pulsed along with it.

Fire filled your lungs.

Din holding the Darksaber as it sung its deadly tune when you were held hostage. 

The fire in your lungs washed out as though you swallowed ice, allowing you to breathe again. Another hop to another stone, each getting smaller as you went until you landed on the platform with the fire tree. Slowly, you moved forward, unsure how you were supposed to handle it. Thinking back on the tale, you knew it wouldn’t burn. Your love for Din was true. Hands shaking, you reached, tugging it gently. The heart was removed without a hitch. Its outermost layer turning to rock, feeling cool to the touch compared to the sweltering heat of the volcano. 

One last thought of Din putting his own armor on you brought you where you had come from, outside of the volcano.

Shaking, with rapid breaths, you put the heart in your pack, adjusting it on your back, and took large swigs of heavenly water, smothering any remaining fire and smoke in your lungs. Slowly, with deep, purposeful breaths, your shaking and rapid pulse slowed. Pausing for a moment to take in the darkness, focusing for any unnatural noises - like Din taught you - and finding none, you started back down the hill at a casual pace, no longer worried about when your Mando’ade would find you now that you got what you came for.

With no more adrenaline rushing through your system, you became sluggish halfway down the mountain. Limbs turned heavy, lids slowed with each blink, steps fumbled, tossing you down the trail until you landed hard against a trunk, knocking the air out of you. 

You moaned, spitting dirt and gunk as you reached up to brush your hair out of your eyes, instead, catching your fingers in a tangle of sticks and twigs, dirt sprinkled in. Slowly, painfully, you picked as many out as you could, taking shallow breaths as you did so. Eventually you pushed yourself into a sitting position against the trunk, hard bark scratching through your thin shirt as you did so. Closing your eyes, you focused your breathing, realizing you had no broken ribs, though likely bruised, you sighed.

“My, my, my,” your eyes popped open to find a light Klatoonian standing above you, arms crossed over his chest. “What do we have here?”

“Looks like a lost little girly, Buv,” a blue Twi’lek peaked out from behind him. Buv, the Klatoonian, rolled his eye, smacking the Twi on the back of the head. “Ouch, what the kark?”

“Grab her, Ulryk,” a human on Buv’s other side gripped you by the arms and pulled you up, forcing you to walk with him. You stumbled, head spinning as he dragged you along, feet throbbing.

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

Thanks so much for reading part 1! I hope you enjoyed it!

Tags: @againstacecilia @djarinslove @bxmxtx @takeyour-pants-off @sgt-morgan @readingfan

Want to read more from my Masterlist? Or Mand'alor'Kar'ta?

[kurlyfrasier]

3) Bleeding Heart: In and Out

Pairing: Din Djarin x Reader

Synopsis: DIn must go on a bounty hunt, but struggles to leave you and Grogu behind. 

A/N: This takes place directly after Bleeding Heart: Spice, and Death is Nice. Eventually, I’ll get past part one of Beskar Kisses lol ENJOY! Series Masterlist Warnings: the word death (thank you darksaber). no use of y/n, if you like that. lots more din x reader interaction in this one (yay!). angsty(?). definite pining. Disclaimer: I do not own any Mandalorian/Star Wars anything. Word Count: 1735

No new Mando’a.

Din stood rigid, staring at you, making the atmosphere in the ship awkward. The air thickened around him. Could see your sad attempts at acting casual as you stood there, in the hull with the ramp wide open. Grogu tugged on the collar of your shirt as you held him, completely ignoring the tension Din knew he could feel with his magic Force sense. Still, Din didn’t move.

He didn’t want to.

Logically, he knew you would be safe inside the ship. He had protocols set that made it practically impenetrable. But that didn’t stop him from worrying. From soaking up every last detail that was you. How your new clothes clung to you. Your quiet curiosity, making him wonder why you hardly voiced your thoughts. Your shuffling feet, confused gaze glancing between him, the kid, and the planet beyond the ship- a question begging to be set free from your lips. Lips Din was compelled to kiss- constantly- but always held back. He didn’t want to scare you. Someday, he kept telling himself. Someday he would know how sweet you tasted.

He stifled a groan. It hadn’t been that long since he last hunted a bounty- a few standard years or so. Before, wherever he went, the kid went with him. A constant weight reminding him that his kid was safe- there- with him. Maybe he could take you along too.

“Too dangerous,” a voice whispered, sounding just as devastated about leaving you as he was.

But he was Mand’alor. He was, by definition, the greatest warrior in the galaxy. He could keep you safe.

“Too many variables,” it said, sounding oddly rational. “When have bounties ever been trustworthy? When has any fight gone as planned?”

An overwhelming urge to rip his helmet off and fling the darksaber had never been so strong. Not even the day his world crashed down on him. When he watched Skywalker take his son- just minutes after he learned of the darksaber’s weight. But he knew from experience the darksaber would find its way back into the palm of his hand. It always did.

Minutes passed, the silence deafening, even to Din.

“Let’s go,” he broke the silence, voice sharper than intended, stunning you into action. You were out of the ship faster than he could draw a blaster. “Mesh’la,” he called out, running after you, terrified some monster would pop out of the rocky terrain and eat you. You flinched when he grabbed your arm, rougher than he intended. He pulled away as though he was burned- already, he was breaking his vow. You were only out of his sight for a second and already, he was hovering, eyes scanning your body for injuries he knew weren’t there. “Stay close.”

You nodded, eyes wide as you soaked in the wonder of a new planet, gaze never straying in one place for long. Grogu pointed and babbled toward everything and nothing, your infectious excitement rubbing off on him.

Din strode ahead of you, keeping one eye on you as the other roamed the area for any danger. A perimeter check, he decided, would ease his mind. Then he could leave that night while you were asleep, where your dreams wouldn’t bring thoughts of leaving the ship to stretch your legs. Besides, it wasn’t like the bounty was going anywhere. Fett had informed him that the bounty had been hiding out on this planet for years, so there was no reason for them to think they were in any danger now.

He couldn’t thank his friend enough for helping him keep his newfound secret while simultaneously helping him mislead his Kar’ta from figuring out who he was. Guilt ate at his soul for keeping things from you, but the smile on your face and the sparkle in your eyes kept him from saying anything. You deserved to experience something new- so long as he was there to make sure nothing got in your way.

“Mando!”

His jaw clenched, hating the generic term coming out of your mouth. He was aching to hear you say his name. His real name. Then again, he wondered, hearing your sweet voice saying his name would likely undo him. It was probably for the best, for now, to keep his name hidden from you.

“Are those mountains in the distance,” you pointed off to the side, awed.

“Yes,” he said, continuing on.

“Do you ever,” you trailed off, going silent, causing Din to stop and turn your way when it seemed you wouldn’t continue. “You know…stop and smell the roses?” You shrugged your shoulders, curling into yourself. Din found it cute, your bashful curiosity.

He made a show of looking around. Short, brittle, dry plants covered the ground between rock and dry land. “There are no roses,” he deadpanned.

You sputtered, mouth opening and closing with nary a sound, body stiffening. Grogu strained his neck to check on you. After a moment’s pause, realizing his failed attempt at a joke (or maybe you weren’t used to jokes?), Din moved swiftly, reaching out and rubbing your arm, relishing the contact even if it was through a glove. 

“Not really,” he struggled not to laugh at your slitted, serious gaze, clearing his throat to cover it up best he could. “Bounty hunting is more of a get in and get out kind of job.”

Realization seemed to dawn on you, head nodding as your gaze turned curious again, looking around as if to say ‘what are we doing now, then?’

Din didn’t want to worry you with the possibility of threats, so he ignored the silent question and turned back toward the ship. You quickly followed.

“I’ll- umm- I’ll go make dinner,” you said, planting Grogu into Din’s arms as you swiftly walked up the ramp and into the ship. 

Din paused, glancing at the setting sun with dread, a sigh escaping through his helmet. He would have to leave for the bounty soon.

“Eh?” Grogu glanced up at him, head tilting, big ears tink-ing against his chest plate. “Bah,” he tapped on his vambrace, catching his attention.

“Yeah, kid?” His voice was hoarse as he glanced down at his son to find him pointing up at the ship, forcing him to move forward on heavy legs. “Right, dinner time.”

Dinner was a quick, quiet affair made of mostly rations and left over jerky from Naboo. The kid ate most of that as Din barely lifted his helmet enough to stuff bite-sized pieces in his mouth, struggling not to be rid of it completely each and every time. The kid grumbled up at him between bites- incoherent, yet getting his point across with those big, all-knowing eyes of his. Obviously thinking his father was being ridiculous, hiding his face from you. Din silently agreed with him, barely lifting his helmet up enough to put another chunk of food in his mouth. You, on the other hand, pretended it was completely normal, barely even glancing his way, keeping most of your focus on your own plate of food.

“Thank you,” he managed to say after finishing his last bite, standing up from the makeshift crate-turned-table and grabbing Grogu to prepare him for bed.

“No problem,” you pinched out a smile, still eating the last of your portion.

“Okay, womp rat,” Din said, settling Grogu in his hammock with his favorite blanket and stuffed Ewok. “Don’t cause too much trouble for ner Kar’ta while I’m gone.”

He quietly babbled back as if to tell him he never causes trouble with a big yawn, sleepy eyes getting heavier with each blink.

Din chuckled under his breath, stroking a big ear in goodbye. “I’ll be back before you wake,” he whispered, turning around to see you’ve already cleaned up what little there was from dinner and entering the ‘fresher. As he waited for you to finish, he sat down and double checked the weapons he prepared earlier in the day for the hunt, heart feeling heavier with each second that passed by.

Din whipped his head up at your startled ‘oh’, immediately turning rigid when he saw his shirt- and only his shirt- hanging loosely off your shoulder, swallowing you.

“I hope you don’t mind,” you said, face flushing, fingers twisting the hem. “I didn’t bring anything to sleep in and found it hanging in the ‘fresher. I thought you- I can change back into-”

“It’s fine,” Din said, not daring to move- to breathe. He could curse himself for forgetting to buy you sleep clothes, but he found this to be much more to his liking. “It’s yours,” he said before he could catch himself, making it obvious he didn’t plan on buying you any unless- 

“Unless you would like-”

“No,” you shook your head, hands coming up as if to block his words from hitting you. “This is perfect. No need to buy me anything.”

He nodded, not about to argue with that.

“Kid’s asleep,” he said after letting the silence hang longer than necessary, standing up. “I’ll be back before sunrise,” he continued, taking heavy steps toward the ramp and opening it. Knowing if he didn’t leave now, he never would.

“Okay,” you breathed out. “G’night.”

HIs fists clenched, willing himself not to look back as he stepped down and off the ramp, stiffly pressing the buttons on his vambrace to close it up.

One step.

Two.

Three.

Unconsciously, he  rubbed his chestplate- a sad attempt to soothe his aching heart.

Five steps.

Six.

He spun on his heel, all the discipline in the galaxies, he realized, couldn’t have kept him from looking back. How he let Skywalker take his son all those years ago yet couldn’t walk away from you for one simple hunt, he didn’t know. Turning on his heat sensors, he watched as you checked on Grogu and crawled into your own bunk across from him. Then he waited. Five minutes- ten- an hour- as he scanned the ship’s surroundings, daring a threat to get close to his sleeping ship. Until finally, he sighed in resignation, turning away to hunt. The sooner he got the bounty, he thought, the sooner he got back. 

“Death to bounty,” the voice in his head growled. “Death to all who keep us away from Kar’ta.”

Din kept silent, thinking if he did as the darksaber said then maybe- maybe- he would feel better about walking away from you.

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

THANK YOU FOR READING! :D

TAGLIST:  @againstacecilia​ @djarinslove​ @bxmxtx​ @takeyour-pants-off​

[kurlyfrasier]

1) Bleeding Heart: Necessities

Side Stories to Beskar Kisses & Sequel to The Mand’alor’Kar’ta

Pairing: Din Djarin x Reader

Synopsis: Din goes to the cantina for intel. 

Masterlist

A/N: Well people, I know I said this may not happen - especially not this quick - but it did. This takes place directly after The Mand’alor’Kar’ta: Prelude Beskar Kisses. Updates will likely be slow and infrequent, just fyi. ENJOY!

Disclaimer: I do not own any Mandalorian/Star Wars anything

Warnings: Mentions of violence. Voices, kinda Haunted!Din. No use of y/n, if you like that. Cute moments.

Word Count: 1250

Mando’a:

- Di’kut (DEE-koot): Idiot

- Kar’ta (Kah-ROH-ta): Heart

Mando’a words and pronunciations found here.

Din stared at the fabric bolts, not having any idea of what you would like. All he knew was that you needed more clothes. Not wanted. Needed. Because all you had were the items on your back. Considering you were haggling with the front desk about working for a room, he assumed you had no credits on you. When you came out of the fresher in the same clothes he first saw you in - smudged in dirt, worn hem, and thinned fabric - he realized you needed clothes and that you weren’t about to ask him to give you some pay in advance. For something necessary. That you needed.

Of course his Kar’ta would be stubborn and selfless.

A smile bloomed under the helmet. Stubborn and selfless meant he could spoil you relentlessly, even if it might cause you embarrassment. He found he didn’t care, thinking you probably looked adorable when embarrassed. Spoiling you would be worth it, no matter the consequences. Not that he could think of any at that particular moment.

“I need clothes for every kind of weather: from desert planets to ice planets and everything in between. At least three of each item,” DIn told the shaking stall owner.

“What size would you like, sir?” She grabbed the fabric closest to her and held it close to her chest, like a shield. Din would laugh if it didn’t happen so often. 

“Someone of this height,” he moved his arm to about your height before moving them to show your width. “And this width.”

“Uh…That’s not exactly,” the lady licked her dry lips, eyes bouncing everywhere but at Din. “I’ll get started right away, sir. When do you need them by?”

“I need one set within the hour. The rest by the day after tomorrow.”

Her eyes blew wide, fingertips turned white from gripping the bolt of fabric so tight.

“Can you do that?”

“Yes,” she nodded emphatically, starting to scurry off. “I’ll start right away. See you in an hour.”

Din walked away feeling uncharacteristically giddy, body buzzing in anticipation of getting something for you. Wandering around the stalls he decided he should get a new toy, or at least a special snack for Grogu as well.

It was strange, he thought, that his heart continued to beat without your presence next to him. Each beat reminding him he’s alive and well, no longer dependent on the darksaber to keep him alive. He gripped the handle, thinking once upon a time he would’ve given everything to be rid of it. But now…. Now it was an extension of him, a heavy crown that led him to you.

A quiet hum filled his head as though the darksaber was lit. DIn feigned ignorance of it and moved on.

After finding some satisfactory building blocks and jerky for his kid, Din found old habits died hard as he entered the local cantina, surreptitiously searching for threats as he made his way to the bartender.

“I need information,” Din laid a few credits on the bar.

“About what,” the light blue, almost gray, aging Twi’lek said, sounding wary and keeping an arm’s length away from the counter as he polished a glass.

“Has a local senator or dignitary lost their mother recently,” Din said, casually leaning on his elbows, showing the bartender his hands were empty - that he meant no harm.

“There was a funeral recently,” he said, glancing at the door as more customers walked through and found a place to sit. He leaned in closer, seeming more relaxed, and spoke quieter than before. “For the mother of Senator Hak Inut. Everyone loved her. She always tipped good and danced with the locals before she got sick. Said it helped remind her of where she came from. Once she couldn’t make her weekly visit, her handmaiden would pick up a meal for her. Too good to be a servant of any sort, that one. Too sweet, never complained. The sort who- well, she’s probably nobody to you.”

“What’s she look like,” Din said, hoping he was talking about you. It would make finding this Hak Inut much easier than anticipated.

“Why?” The bartender stood tall, puffing out his chest as he set the glass down.

“Di’kut,” an old, familiar voice sounded through Din’s head, startling him more than he’d like to admit. It had been a while since he had heard the haunting voice. “Answer us,” the darksaber roared as though the bartender could hear it, drowning all outward sounds of the cantina.

“Might be who I just hired-”

“For what,” the bartender demanded, voice close to a shout, causing patrons to murmur. “She’s no warrior looking for adventure. She never hurt nobody-”

“We would never endanger Kar’ta.”

“Nothing dangerous, I assure you,” Din lifted his hands in surrender, not wanting to start anything, against the darksaber’s obvious wishes, and was relieved when the Twi’lek deflated, grabbing another glass to polish.

“We keep Kar’ta safe.”

“Good,” he nodded and continued with a description of you. “You’re not gonna make her,” he trailed off, his other hand waving in circles. “Dance in court or anything, are ya?”

“Kill him.”

“Dance in-” Din shook his head, at the Twi’lek or the darksaber, he wasn’t sure. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Well you're that Mandalorian who reclaimed Mandalore, right? The new king?”

“Yes,” it purred.

Din stayed silent, ignoring the voice and unwilling to admit the bartender guessed right.

“I’ve heard rumors he doesn’t paint his armor and wears the skull of a mudhorn,” he pointedly made eye contact on Din’s mudhorn signet. “Also heard he’s the reason for the negotiations going on. Everyone’s been buzzing about you, hoping you don’t bring your army and destroy us all.”

“Not a bad idea, actually,” the darksaber chuckled, its thirst for death never truly sated - no matter the amount of decapitations in a day..

“Sounds unreasonable,” Din stated, almost always at war with the weapon, placing a few more credits down in hopes the guy would stay silent about his presence there and left, wondering how he came out of that story as a tyrant.

He blamed the darksaber.

Back at the fabric stall, Din grabbed your new clothes and dropped credits with a quick “thank you” in one fluid movement, refusing to be away from you any longer than necessary. The market crowd had thinned, making the trip back to the hotel quicker than that morning’s walk to the market.

Din found you asleep on the stiff couch, quiet snores filling the air, Grogu laying on your stomach, a drool dripping from his mouth. With a resigned sigh, he set your clothes down on a nearby chair before lifting you up and moving you to the bed, hoping this nap was due to the kid wearing you out more than a restless night’s sleep.

After covering you up, moving Grogu to the pillow next to you, he retrieved the clothes and set them on the end of the bed, hoping you would at least wear this set even if you didn’t like it.

“Kar’ta is safe,” it sighed, content for the first time since Din came to possess the darksaber.

Once the door swooshed shut behind him, Din started for the next meeting of negotiations, secretly hoping Hak Inut would be introduced to him.

“Death to Hak Inut. Death to Hak Inut. Death to Hak Inut,” the darksaber taunted with each step and Din agreed, a feral smile appearing under the helmet.

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

THANKS FOR READING!

Please, I beg of you, tell me if the voice thing gets confusing. Yes, if you were wondering, the darksaber was the one speaking to Reader in Beskar Kisses. I don’t think I ever made that clear. Also, should ‘darksaber’ be capitalized? I’m thinking yes, but I haven’t been doing that lol fail

TAGLIST:  @againstacecilia @djarinslove @bxmxtx @takeyour-pants-off​

Please, let me know if you would like me to take you off of this taglist since Beskar Kisses is technically done.

[kurlyfrasier]

THANK YOU

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has liked, commented, &/or reblogged any part of Beskar Kisses (prelude included)! I didn’t think it would get all that love and I appreciate all of you so much for reading and enjoying them!