baby steps

Chapter 9

XLI—Teething

The kid had teeth, sometimes he didn't use them and just swallowed frogs whole, but Din knew he had teeth. And he would know considering the tiny imprints littering his fingers.

The kid wasn't even biting him, or anything he could get his claws on, just gnawing and gnawing. Din never pretended to know things about raising a child but he strongly suspected the kid was growing more teeth in the back of his mouth.

Din tried very hard to give the kid everything he needs to survive and thrive but he is at a loss here. If only he remembered what his parents did for him.

The kid now hated rope and wouldn't chew on it to save his life. And he kept grinding his teeth so much that Din feared for his jaw.

He needed a solution quickly. The market on this planet was far to crowded and the kid was tucked safely against his side but still worried, the most dangerous people knew how to hide in crowds. He wasn't hiding anything, though. He walked down the sandy streets in full armour, his rifle strung across his back and blasters and knives strapped in along his person.

Some people try to avoid him, scattering out of the way of his trail. He acted like he knew where he was going, he walked with a faux purpose, although he had no idea of what he was looking for. Under his helmet he is far less composed, but it hides it so well.

Should he ask for help? Maybe he should have dressed down a bit. His eyes scanned the shops for something that may help.

The kid hated his face being covered, because he loved attention and smelling the air and clawed his way out of the blanket Din had hidden him with. And started to chew on the blanket. He kept walking, his intimidating image perhaps a little tarnished with the little wrinkled face exposed on his arm.

He tried to pull the blanket from the kid's mouth but the kid winced as he absently touched the kid's check.

A woman with many braids in her grey hair was keeping pace with him, she was older, her human face cracked with wrinkles and lines, but she carried a blanket wrapped human child, with a rubber ring in its mouth.

He bit the metaphorical laser. "Excuse me, ma'am," he stopped next to her and she stepped back from him, her grip on her child tightening. "I'm not going to hurt you."

She didn't look convinced but her eyes lowered, still scared but the fear lessened as he saw the kid. She looked back up at him, expectant, regaining her wits.

"I'm sorry I scared you I just—" he pointed at her kid and the ring in its mouth. "Where did you get that?"

"The teething ring?" she raised an eyebrow. "There is a baby shop a few shops down that side," she gestured to the left side of the market.

He bowed his head in thanks. "Thank you."

"Take care of it," she hissed, the stream of people flowed around them. "Your people aren't known for their gentleness but a child isn't a soldier."

Din was used to people assuming things about The Mandalorians, about their fierceness and strictness. But The Mandalorians were a welcoming community that took him in as one of their own. And he's not the only one, far from it.

So he bowed his head in thanks again and set out for the baby shop, finding it easily on the left side.

He ignored any questing and bought five rubber teething rings, not even responding to the salesman's questions and prompts. He paid and took his son back to the ship, with a teething ring to comfort him.