Love After Loss || Din Djarin X Reader

4. The Past

It was so nice having Din around. He helped so much around the settlement with the animals, garden, and regular maintenance. Not only was he a helping hand, but he was also a comforting presence. Having someone to share my day with was calming and reassuring. A feeling that I had forgotten.

Many years have passed since the person I gave up the Creed for was killed. When it first happened, I was truly lost. Not only had I lost my person, but I had lost my people. The Mandalorians exiled me. I was utterly and completely alone. There had not been a time when I had been in a darker place. Everything about my home reminded me of what had been taken from me. I couldn't bare to live there anymore.

I became a wanderer, traveling to different planets and meeting strangers. My memory of those days are foggy, and I try not to think back to some of the choices I made while I was dealing with my grief. Eventually I stumbled upon this planet and met Doc. 

Doc saw that I was hurting and welcomed me with open arms. He helped me see that the world was not hopeless and that I could start anew. And that's just what I did. I owe my life to Doc and will always view him as one of my dearest friends and heroes. 

Working in the house, I was deep in thought thinking about my past when I was startled to find Din tapping me on the shoulder. Snapping out of my concentration, I turned to see Din looking at me with concern. "You okay?"

"I'm sorry, just lost in thoughts of the past...I'm okay." I replied halfheartedly. Even though I had accepted what had happened, and moved on, it was still emotional to think about. 

Din nervously grabbed the back of his neck. "Oh, um, do you want to talk about it?"

A sense of comfort filled me knowing that he wanted to help me and talk through my problems. But he was dealing with his own things and I didn't want to burden him. "No, it's alright. Maybe some other time."

"You sure?" Din pressed.

I let out a heavy sigh. Maybe it would be good to talk about it. So I confided to Din about the days where I felt most lost and how Doc found me in my darkness.

When I had finished telling Din the full story, he didn't say anything. I started to worry that maybe I had shared too much. I was about to walk away when I was surrounded by warm, caring arms. Din held me so close, it was as if he was trying to absorb my pain. When he released me from the embrace, we looked at each other both with our glossy eyes. Din spoke with a warmth in his voice that I hadn't yet heard. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. Thank you for sharing it with me." 

"Thank you for listening." I replied with a weak and trembling breath. I took a moment to recover, ready to move on from the heavy conversation. I could tell that Din felt the shift in the space as well.

"So I was thinking I could reconstruct your fence for you." Din said, changing the subject.

I gave him a funny look, "What's wrong with my fence?"

Din laughed, "Are you kidding me? I'm surprised none of your goats have escaped. It's falling apart."

I feigned hurt. "I'll have you know, I spent a lot of time on that fence."

"That's not something I would brag about if I were you." Din teased.

I enjoyed the back and forth we had going. It was nice seeing Din joking around. Even when I knew Din back when we were both working out of the same covert, he was always such a serious person. Any conversations we had were strictly business. It was fun discovering this other side to him.

"Well, if you think you can do better, be my guest." I said as I bowed and gestured outside.   

_________

Din spent the rest of the afternoon working on the fence. I honestly hadn't realized how run down it had become. Luckily, Din had it good as new by the end of the day. By the time the sun was setting, we were both pretty tired from a long day full of both physically and mentally taxing things. 

Although we were exhausted, there was an understanding between us that we didn't want the day to end just yet. I personally had felt that Din and I turned a page today. We were becoming friends, no longer just associates working through a bargain. 

I was watching the sunset, sitting next to a crackling fire, when Din took a seat next to me. Butterflies went through my stomach and I wasn't sure why. I have known Din for a long time, why should I feel any different about his presence now? I pushed the thought from my head.

The two of us sat together, enjoying the fresh air and beautiful view. Time passed and the world around us turning in for the night, but we couldn't be bothered to notice. We were sharing a drink and telling each other tales of adventures we had been on, places we had been, sights we had seen. 

Our laughing, drinking, and retelling of old times went into the late hours of the night. We stumbled back into the house, wishing each other goodnight, and going our separate ways. As I laid in bed, I couldn't help but feel a longing to have Din by my side. Again, I pushed the thought out of my mind. I didn't want to get too attached or too hopeful. For all I knew, Din would be leaving at the end of the month to return to the others, with my help. I couldn't allow myself to feel the feelings that were bubbling up inside of me.