Wrest Pin | The Mandalorian

Chapter Eleven: The Interlude II

Warning: This chapter is very mature.

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The alarm was blaring.

The things – whatever they were – giant droids, dark and horrifying were gripping into her skin. She struggled to draw in air, as it slipped and slipped and slipped, and it felt too much like the blade shoving its way into her ribs and the blood pooling out of her body as if it had never belonged to her in the first place. She tried to grab for it – but it was nonexistent as the droid's hold only tightened and she could only allow a strangled scream –

Evangeline sat up, a cry leaving her lips as her eyes snapped open and her nails dug into the mattress below her body. Her chest heaved, painful almost as her head rushed to catch up with the sudden movement. Evangeline's mind tried desperately to catch up with the world around her – to grab at what she was seeing and where she was, but she had almost forgotten completely until she was finally able to draw another breath into her lungs – allowing it to settle there. Her head pounded – blood rushing through her ears...

She was in the shed...the bed creaking below her trembling body until she stopped moving completely. The sun was pouring in the tiny window to her right, and the door was standing wide open in front of her. They had done such a thing a few days in a row to let air circulate. She gasped out another breath, grabbing the front of her night shirt as she looked around her, noticing the blankets on the other side of the bed were pushed back – a form having slept there the night before, but it was gone now...

The night before – Maker...

Evangeline flinched when a figure appeared at the door suddenly. It wasn't an urgent movement, rather just as if they were checking in – and it only took a moment to process it was Mando – Din...She wasn't sure what to call him now. She had deciphered he was probably to only be referred to as Mando in front of others, and that Din was something that could be used between them...He hadn't seemed to mind when...Well, the night before was a completely different story all together, completely different circumstances. Her mouth was dry, shoulders somewhat heavy...

Mando questioned from the door, "Are you okay?"

Evangeline was breathing heavily still, and all she could muster was a nod. Mando stepped further into the shed-home, walking towards her with his usual wide strides. There was a bit of hesitance suddenly – but then it disappeared and he sat down slowly on the mattress beside her. She stared into his helmet, searching, as her brain worked hard to take in oxygen and to catch up. She had almost forgotten he always wore the helmet, which was an odd thing. The night before she had been able to touch him, had been able to card her hands through his hair and had been able to kiss him –

The night before, the night before, it felt so far away suddenly. In those moments, it almost didn't feel like it happen, and maybe a part of her didn't want to let herself feel and acknowledge that it had. Not after what happened on Tatooine – and she clung to a fearful thought that maybe the same thing would happen again, that she had let him in only to be pushed away once more. She didn't know how to ask such a thing. Even as he raised a hand to press it to the side of her neck, stating, "You're going to make yourself pass out."

Right...she inhaled sharply, before holding it. His gloved hand was soft against her skin – light. Gentle. Something somewhat different, even though he had been gentle with her before. The night before he hadn't been for a few moments, but then again in some he had slowed down, mostly due to her direction. It wasn't that the hunger of his hands frightened her – it just made her fall behind, like she couldn't catch up with the world around her. He must have grown tired of waiting for a response to his earlier question, because he asked again, "Are you okay?"