apostasy | the mandalorian

fōūrtēēn

tw: non-descriptive smexy times + mention of se*ual abuse

CHAPTER SIX: THE RECONCILIATION

If she had the words to describe the bewilderment, the absolute breathlessness that emptied her lungs as soon as her eyes fell upon him, she was sure she could describe anything. He was so...shy - so meek compared to his rough exterior. His eyes, the brightest ember of a raging fire, had seen too much. The memories of his childhood, the ones of terror and carnage that he had openly told her of were reflected in his irises, dulling them ever so slightly.

And yet, they were so full of life and experience, so full of love for her.

Her hesitance was impossible to read, from the way her hands fell limp in his, to the way her eyes never left his for even a moment. In an instant, Din's anxiety started to bubble up into his throat, only stopped by a strong gulp. Maybe all those times he had stared into the fresher mirror - though tiny and slightly warped - and had seen a broken, aged man with little to no attractive features...he was right.

As he waited for her to say something...anything, the only thought that kept him from bowing his head in shame was the unobstructed view of her face. Much like her, he had dreamed of the moment they could look at each other freely, preferably after he could swear himself to her as her riduur (husband). It was a dream he had pushed aside for far too long, foolishly waiting for Manda to drop another woman half as amazing as Evri into his life. Of course, no one ever came close, and the guilt of leaving her behind to die was enough to steer him away from any lustful feeling that crossed his mind.

For some reason he couldn't possibly understand, Manda had gifted him with her again. Even against all rational odds, he had been given a chance to redeem himself...and even...be happy.

Din's eyes were still locked on hers, but he had tuned into his own thoughts so strongly that he almost missed the tender hands that lifted to meet his cooled cheeks. A hint of a gasp left his throat, eyes filling with tears of relief as she rubbed her thumbs across his patchy stubble.

"Cyare..." he whispered, feeling the heat of her palms warm his face in the sweetest way. She smiled softly, her eyes already spilling with tears at the sight of him.

"Ner cabur (my protector)," she whispered back, her breath fanning his skin gently.

He slowly moved forward, lifting his hands from his lap to cup her face once more. A calm silence spread throughout the ship, containing them in a bubble of safety as they held each other close. It didn't take words, only a look of conformation to bring him forward, capturing her lips in a fragile kiss. The soft touch that followed, moving his hand to the back of her neck to pull her closer, made her hum into his mouth.

It didn't matter that neither of them knew what they were doing, too scared to go past a firm peck. All that mattered was the way he was holding her, the way that her hands gripped on to his soft curls for dear life. He was the only one who made her feel safe from every danger in the galaxy, the only one who could ever have her heart.

They became lost in the moment, only breaking away from their increasingly intense kisses to shift Din's armor off. She had been the first to initiate the movement, practically ripping off his chest plate while remaining respectful to the sacred hardware. This time, Din was the one to make a noise, a small moan of approval at her soft hands on him.

"Evri," he panted, the sound of his unfiltered voice making her whole body convulse in a frenzy of shivers.

She made quick work of his pouldrons while he moved to his thigh plates, both equally experienced in the removal process and eager to rid him of the cold barrier. As soon as the freezing metal fell away from both their hands, Evri climbed into his lap, gently wrapping her legs around his hips as he inched forward to make room behind him.