HEAVY IN YOUR ARMS [A DIN DJARIN X READER STORY]

CHAPTER EIGHT: THE SAFE HAVEN

You felt safer with the dining room doors closed. You were shut off from their stares now. But while you felt safer, you still walked quickly, even through the empty corridor. His hand was still on the small of your back, his fist open now, fingers urging you forward gently. You turned your head and looked at him. "Din. Are you okay?"

He said nothing, and you couldn't see his face to guess how he felt, so you relied on his body language to tell you. He was stiff, his steps sure and quick, his hand solid against you.

"Din---"

"I'm angry," he said.

You swallowed hard. "I'm sorry," you said. "I wish I had power to stop what they had planned---"

"I'm not angry with you," he said, his voice softer. "I'm angry that they... that they would ask me those things. That he would..."

"I know," you said, and your voice dropped to a whisper. "I know."

You got to your room sooner than you would've liked. Din stood in front of you to say goodnight, but you weren't ready to leave him. The thought of being without him terrified you. Besides, if you had decided to be selfish and keep him with you, you never wanted to leave him, even for a night. 

With your back against your bedroom door you took his hands in yours, holding them carefully. He said nothing, choosing to just look at you. So you wordlessly turned your body and backed up across the hallway, pulling him along with you. Your back hit the door of his room and you let go of one of his hands to twist the handle so that it would slide open. You pulled him inside with you quickly, letting it close and lock with a click before you moved your hands to his shoulders to pull him against you.

He wrapped his arms around you with little hesitation. Your chin was on his shoulder, then your cheek was, and you clutched him close to you. You felt better with him like this, holding you in a way you knew no one could harm you. Holding you in a way you'd never been before. You smiled, despite the ache in your stomach and the shakiness of your body.

Eventually you moved with him, choosing to sit on the edge of his bed. The sun went down and the room was dark enough that you couldn't really see him, and you held his hands like you had before dinner, just enjoying his company instead of worrying about whatever was outside.

"I wish I could take you far from here," he said. "Where neither of them could see you or touch you again. Where you could be happy."

"I've never been happier than I have been since I met you," you promised him.

"I know," he said. "I can see it in your eyes when you look at me. But you aren't safe, even if you're with me. Everything here puts you in danger, and I just wish that I could take you away."

"You could," you said, your voice hopeful at the thought of escaping. "But I'm afraid you'd have to keep me around for a long time, because they would be after me and they wouldn't stop."

He let go of your hand to stroke your hair. "I would protect you."

"I know you would." You laid down with him very slowly, until you were on your back and he was on his back and the two of you were at eye-level, just staring at one another and thinking. One of your hands was still holding onto one of his, and you stroked the back of his knuckles with your thumb, feeling the warmth of his skin through his glove.

The room grew quiet, and the two of you were lost in thought for a long time. Your head was on his shoulder now. Hours must've passed and he might've thought that you were asleep, because he said as soft as a whisper, "I don't know what I would do if they put me in that position."

You turned your head up to look at him. You knew what he was talking about. Your heart squeezed a little in your chest because he sounded so genuinely scared. You sat up and turned over onto your side, propped up by your elbow. "I know what you would do."

His head turned from the ceiling to you. You looked over his masked face and placed your hand on the side of the helmet very carefully.

"You would honor your Creed, and you would keep your helmet on. No matter what they threatened to do." You closed your eyes and slowly leaned in to touch your forehead against his. The cool beskar of his helmet felt strange but perfect against the warmth of your face. His hand came up to catch your wrist. He stroked your skin there for a long minute until you pulled back to get off the bed and leave the dark room.

"Wait," he said, grabbing your hand as you stood up off the bed. He sat up and you turned to look at him. "Don't go. Stay."

Your eyebrows pulled together and you murmured, "Stay?"

"Where I can keep my promise and protect you," he said, and he pulled you back right where you were. "Where I know that they can't do anything to you."

You smiled, your heart fluttering in your ribcage. "Alright, Din. I will stay."

"Right here," he breathed, his hand going to the back of your head to gently guide you to his chest. "You'll stay right here and nobody can hurt you. I promise you, ___. You will be all right so long as I am here to protect you."

"I know," you said. "I trust you, Din."

And so you stayed, unbothered by the cold armor that you laid on, unbothered by the gown you'd worn all day. You were just content next to him. You slept right by his side soundly, having a dreamless, perfect rest.