the curious happenstance of pedro pascal and din djarin [The Mandalorian]

The Cat

"I'm going to ask around, see if anyone knows the owner..."

Din pretended not to be listening as the vets spoke to each other in hushed tones.

"What if you can't find them?"

"We'll have to take her to the council."

"They'll just take her to a shelter."

"I know."

Din gripped the armrests of the chair. His face felt hot, and his lip hurt from biting it so hard. He wanted to see the cat, he wanted to make sure it - she? - would be okay. He needed to see it. He glanced in their direction, hoping, praying that they'd acknowledge him, but the vets had already disappeared into a different room.

"It'll be alright," Pedro spoke suddenly. "They'll take care of it."

Din ducked his head. "I know," he mumbled. "I just..."

They'll just take her to a shelter, is what they said.

She won't last a week. They won't take care of her. Sphynx cats need maintenance, they need baths, they need so much. You can't just stick them in a cage. She'll freeze, she'll-

"Din? Focus on me. Din?"

He took a deep breath. Closed his eyes, reached out to the side, and grabbed for Pedro's hand. He felt it and held it tight.

"You're fucking freezing," Pedro sighed.

"Blame the weather, not me," Din responded with a forced chuckle. "Fucking hell."

"Do you want to go home?"

Din opened his eyes and cast a longing glance at the back door. He bit the inside of his mouth. He could still feel the claws digging into his skin as she clutched onto him for dear life, freezing cold and soaking wet.

"No," he croaked. "But I don't want to keep you..."

Pedro squeezed Din's hand. "I don't mind. Really."

"But it'll fuck up your sleep schedule, you-"

"I haven't had a good night's sleep in weeks. It's fine."

It's not fine. But me saying that makes me a hypocrite.

Din sighed.

The rain had stopped. Strangely, Din found that he missed it. He normally didn't like the rain. It was loud, intrusive. On the Crest, it sounded like bullets were raining down on it, and it had always disrupted his sleep.

Watching it, though, from indoors, and listening as it gently pattered the roof, was comforting. So he missed it. The room was too quiet, now.

A young-looking man stepped into the waiting room with his gloved hands wrung in front of him.

"We're done with her," he said quietly. "There were more complications than we'd previously anticipated. I'm glad you brought her to us when you did."

Din spoke before he could think better of it. "Can I see her?"

The vet shook his head. "Not now. She needs rest."

Din sank further into his seat, suppressing a sad sigh. He averted his gaze to the floor.

"She'll be alright?" he muttered.

"Of course," said the vet. "Physically."

What happened to her? Is she okay?

"What do you mean by 'complications'?" he vaguely heard Pedro asking.

"Well..."

The vet talked. Din listened, and the further the man went on, the more he wanted to cry.