Din mumbles under his breath as the deadbolt catches, jiggling his key slightly. He makes a mental note to fix that tomorrow and files it away next to his ideas for breakfast for the kids. Finally, the lock clicks and he pushes the door open, quietly sliding his boots off when he's safely inside. He hangs his leather jacket up on the hook next to yours, and sets his keys and wallet down in the absurd bowl you begged him to buy a few weeks ago at that farmer's market. He smiles and tip toes towards the living room, his tired legs straining under the need to be silent. That 12 hour shift killed his back, but he's glad he has the weekend off.
The TV is on, playing a Disney movie which casts a purple-blue light over the room and he holds back a laugh when he sees the scene before him. You're sandwiched between the kids, munching on popcorn and watching whatever is on the screen with an entranced look on your face. Really, you look like a kid yourself with how bundled up you are. Your eyes meet Din's and you give him a sheepish smile before shoveling more popcorn into your mouth. Din chuckles, "Hey, save some for me." He pads over to you across the plushy carpet and scoops Grogu's small body into his. The toddler murmurs but doesn't wake up, it's only 9pm but the kids sleeps more than his sister did at that age. Aurra cuddles deeper into your side, her arm wrapped around your waist as she sleeps too. Din sits down, throwing his arm around your shoulders as you nudge your head into his neck, "Long day at school? They're out."
"Field trip, remember?" You hold some popcorn up to his mouth and he munches it, kissing your fingertips when he's done. "We're watching Peter Pan. They like the stars I think."
He huffs out a quiet laugh, "How long did they actually watch it?" Din feels you grin.
"Not very long but that's okay. How was your day?"
"It... was rough. Vanth and I responded to a bad car wreck," he shivers underneath you.
"Kids?" You ask quietly.
"Single car, four teens. We stabilized all of them when we first got there, but they were beaten up pretty bad."
"I'm sorry, love," you move to kiss the side of his neck and the movement jolts Aurra just enough for her to wake up. She rubs her eyes with tiny fists before grinning.
"Hi dad. Mom this movie is still on? Did you eat all the popcorn?" Never missing a beat, she starts talking a million miles an hour.
"Sweetie, it's time for bed. What about a bedtime story? You pick."
She grins and jumps to her feet, almost sending the popcorn bowl flying as Grogu finally starts to wake up. With the energy that only an 8 year old has, she sprints towards the stairs.
"Aurra brush your teeth first!" You yell after her, laughing as you tuck the blanket around your husband and son before getting up to put the bowl in the sink. He catches your hand before you leave and kiss the back of it, smiling against you before turning to the little boy in his arms and cooing at him. After a few minutes, Din joins you in the kitchen and hands you Grogu as you both head upstairs.
Aurra is kneeling in front of the book case in her room, thumbing through books with a frustrated look on her face, "Dad I don't like these. Can't you just make one up?" You hear him say something as you enter the toddler's room, climbing into the sheets with him still in your arms. He's clutching a stuffed sphere that he squeezes at random times. When the rest of your little family joins you, you scoot over to make room as Din sits next to you and Aurra climbs in his lap.
"Did we decide to go off book?" You ask as she nods her head excitedly. Din clears his throat and his son looks up at him with large brown eyes.
"A long time ago, there was a bounty hunter who-"
"What's a bounty hunter?" Aurra stares at him, expecting an appropriate answer.
"Din," you laugh before turning to her. "What dad meant to say was there was a cowboy."
"Oh, I know what a cowboy is."
"I know smart girl, but don't interrupt your dad okay?" She nods.
"Okay. So a long, long time ago, there was a cowboy who travelled through the desert and caught the bad guys. But the cowboy was alone, and he only had a couple friends." Aurra frowns at this. "Luckily for the cowboy, one of his nice friends introduced him to a beautiful lady. She was a singer, and her voice sounded like..." he trails off as if he's thinking.
"Her voice sounded like heaven!" Aurra screeches and Grogu giggles.
"Yes! Good job sweetie. The singer's voice sounded like heaven and the cowboy immediately fell in love with her. But oh no! The singer didn't love the cowboy, so he had to prove his worth to her. One day, a bad guy tried to take the singer away from her home and the cowboy had to save her. He did the only thing he could think to do, the only thing he knew how: he challenged the bad guy to a duel. So on one hot afternoon, the singer and the friend stood in the street, watching the bad guy and the cowboy duel. When the cowboy won, the singer rushed to him and gave him his prize. A kiss." Aurra makes an ew sound and her brother bursts into another bout of giggles. "Then, the cowboy and the singer fell in love together and they had two little kiddos who would grow up to beat the bad guys too and the family lived happily ever after." Din rubs his tired eyes and sighs, before looking down at his daughter who is staring at him, "What?"
"Dad, that was a bad bedtime story," she laughs and cuddles into him.
"Do you hear that honey? Our kid thinks the story of how we met is a bad one," he feigns sadness, and sniffs, making Aurra look up at him.
"You're not crying!" Grogu giggles again at his sister's outburst, his eyelids growing heavy.
"He's also not a cowboy," you whisper, just loud enough for him to hear, and she giggles again.
"Alright, alright, time for bed kiddos," he kisses the top of Aurra's head before moving aside to let you put Grogu down. You both kiss him, tucking him in, before turning the lights off and following your little girl to her room. After repeating the bedtime ritual and tucking her in, he takes your hand and leads you towards your bedroom. Shutting the door, Din turns to you and pulls you into his embrace. "I may not be a cowboy, but our story isn't a bad one," he says before ducking to kiss you.
