Wrest Pin | The Mandalorian

Chapter Thirty-One: The Interlude V

Note: This chapter is very mature!

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I. Coupé

Mando couldn't remember the last time he had drank.

It wasn't something he had ever found appealing. It often distracted and made him feel outside of himself, in a way that if an emergency happened he wouldn't be ready to defend himself. But the past several hours had left him reeling, them rushing to bring Evangeline back to the palace...The doctor once more telling him everything was fine. Evangeline's still body lying in the bed, breathing slowly...Gently...As if she was only sleeping. He had been waiting for thirty minutes for Bo-Katan to get Relda to bring Grogu to him. They knew he had been drinking, he knew of the hesitance there – but he wanted his fucking kid.

Mando tilted his head back, downing the liquid as it burned his throat and he set the glass aside, before returning his helmet to his head. He knew they would probably return soon and he didn't want them accidentally walking in on him helmetless. He stood with his arms over his chest, Evangeline curled into herself. He didn't approach...Didn't get close for fear he would lose it. When Bo-Katan had yelled for him...When he had come out into the corridor and saw Evangeline lying there, he had almost started killing people.

But nothing was wrong, and he just couldn't understand. Bo-Katan had told him what Evangeline had said – that she had mentioned storm troopers, and the idea of what she had seen or was thinking made him nauseous. He didn't allow himself to dwell on it, because he was already buzzing from the liquid and he didn't want to drink anymore. Didn't need to. He had never built much of a tolerance due to not drinking much. Instead he distracted himself by staring at her beautiful face...He had changed her into something to sleep in, had done his best to remove all the decorations from her hair and the makeup from her face.

There was a knock at the door, and Mando looked over, calling, "Come in."

It opened, and Relda was there, holding Grogu in her arms. The child looked tired, and Relda's face looked hesitant and it was clear Bo-Katan had told her that he had been drinking. Mando gestured her forward with the wave of his hand, ignoring the judgement he was sure he was receiving as she came over and Mando held out his arms, wanting the child handed over. Relda began to do so, and as soon as the kid was in his arms, she spoke, "Your Majesty, I don't mind watching him tonight."

Mando looked at her and replied, "That's alright, I want him here with me."

"Your Majesty..." She tried again, eyes scanning the glass and the bottle nearby before she then looked back at him, "If you plan to have anymore drinks – "

He interrupted sharply, his patience far too thin to have that conversation, "I want him here with me. You can go."

Relda hesitated again and Mando stared at her under his helmet. Truthfully, the entire interaction was pissing him off. He wondered if Bo-Katan had made it sound like he was absolutely bingeing or something. Maybe that was what they expected of him. Mando stared for so long, he supposed Relda decided to give in, bowing her head and moving from the room, shutting the door as she left. Mando looked down at the kid, removing his helmet from his head and it appeared Grogu must have been sleeping before he was brought to them. He noticed the child's eyes go towards Evangeline – his arms reaching out tiredly towards her. Mando shook his head, sitting down slowly in the chair behind him, causing the child to let out a discontent sound, still looking towards Evangeline's sleeping body and whining...

"Shhhh," Mando murmured, ignoring the alcohol on his breath, as he turned Grogu and held him close, beginning to rock the squirming infant. He murmured to him, "She's...she's not well right now...She needs to rest, and you need to go back to sleep."