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

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: THE CLAN

You slipped into a fresh gown from your bag. The crystal from the pocket of your ruined gown found its home on one of the shelves that Din cleared just for you. You kept your hairbrush there too, and tucked your clothes away in a crate. The Razor Crest was already feeling like home to you, and you knew that was because of Din.

"How soon until we get to Nevarro?" you asked.

"Only a few hours more," he said, stepping off of the ladder. He turned and paused to look at you. You stood up straight slowly, a smile growing on your face.

"What?" you asked.

"Nothing," he said. "You just look like a princess."

Your fingers touched the soft skirt of your cream colored gown. You turned towards him slowly and tilted your head. "I am a princess."

"I thought you were the one that just told me that you weren't a princess anymore."

"I was trying to prove a point," you said. "I'm a princess, I just don't need to have a life like one."

"Oh, of course. I see." You laughed softly as he approached you, his left hand cupping the side of your face. "How is your shoulder feeling?"

"Better," you said, nodding.

"Here." He pulled you back to the same crate as the day before and you lowered yourself and pulled the sleeve of your dress down carefully off of your wrapped wound. "Before we get to Nevarro, we should change the bandage."

"Okay," you said.

"I just want to keep an eye on it."

"Okay," you said again, glancing at him and smiling.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

You shrugged your good shoulder. "It's just very sweet, how much you care for me."

His fingers swept the skin of your arm and he tilted his head. Pulling his hands back, he removed the helmet from his head, setting it down on the space beside his knee. The smile on his face was a reflection of your own. He leaned in silently and pressed his lips to the center of your forehead. You let your eyes close when he moved his lips and touched his forehead to yours. Your fingers found his and you held on tightly, not because you had to out of fear, but because you wanted to. Because you loved him and you loved the way holding him felt.

Nervarro was made of black ground and volcanic ash. It smelled of thick smoke even in the city, where you and Din met with two of his friends, Cara Dune and Greef Karga. The woman smirked as the two of you approached with you right at Din's side, the bottom of your thin dress grey from the ash you walked on.

"You're back sooner than we expected," she said. "We weren't expecting your transmission until next week at least."

"Change of plans," Din said, his hands on his hips. He nodded his head to the bundle in Greef Karga's arms. "How's the kid?"

At the mention of him, the little green creature poked his head out of the brown blankets he was wrapped in. His fingers pulled a part of the blanket down and he blinked up at Din, who approached him and carefully took the baby from his friend. The baby cooed and reached for his helmet, a real smile on his face as he reunited with him.

"He's happy to see you," Cara Dune said.

"I'm happy to see you too, kid," Din said. He adjusted the kid so that he could hold him with his back against his chest. The kid grabbed hold of one of his fingers and looked at you with big eyes. "This is ___. She's gonna be with us now. She's a friend, so you need to be nice. Got it?"

"Hello, little one," you said, and you looked at Din and laughed nervously. "Is he usually not nice?"

"He usually is," he said, "but---"

"But some of us have experienced the magic hand thing that he does," Cara said, "and it's not a fun thing to experience if you're on the receiving end of it."

"Oh, I see," you said. You stared at the small thing in amazement, wondering the power the creature held. If Moff Gideon was so intent to have him, it must be very strong. But he looked so helpless and small as he blinked up at you like that, his ears raising in curiosity. 

"Alright, Mando, I've kept silent too long," Greef Karga said. He grinned and gestured to you. "Who's the girl? You said you were bringing along company, but I didn't expect someone like this."

"Uh, ___," he said, turning his masked face to look at you. "She's the princess of Katethen."

"I used to be," you clarified.

"Ah, you're the asset Mando was hired to protect. I wasn't aware it was a permanent job."

"It wasn't," he said, and he looked over at you, "until we decided it needed to be."

You smiled and tucked your arm with his. The baby continued to blink up at you with curiosity. You looked back at him and a part of you knew that he liked you, that he trusted you. He did not mind that you kept your arm linked with Din's. That must be a good sign.

"Where are you off to next?" Greef Karga asked.

"Moff Gideon is alive," Din said, and the two stared at him in mute surprise. "He knew her father, and he knew that I had taken the job. The plan was to lure me there and kill me. When we found out, we fled."

"Now you have two reasons for Moff Gideon to kill you," Cara said. Her eyes shifted from the cooing green baby to the length of your white gown. "And both of them stick out."

"We'll outrun them," he said, glancing over at you in a reassuring manner. You nodded in response as he continued, "I'm going to find a way to take the kid back to his kind. And then ___ and I..."

"We'll find somewhere safe," you said. You understood that he was worried. His Creed was broken, although he was not brave enough to admit it. Two people still currently living knew what his face looked like. Although you knew it didn't bother him that you knew, it was a different thing to know that his helmet had been taken off at all. He would want to hide away somewhere, resting in the knowledge that his kid was safe and happy with his people, and that you were by his side.

"Then you'd better find it fast," Cara said.

"You're right," Din replied. He looked at you. "We're hitting the road before Gideon catches wise. There's only a matter of time before he visits her kingdom and sees the mess we left behind. Thank you for watching the kid. What do I owe you?"

"A favor," Greef Karga said. "But that can be settled later. For now, you fly safe. Good luck with the kid and the princess. It seems to me like you've got your hands full now, Mando. It was nice to meet you, Princess."

You smiled and Din gave a single nod before he turned on his heels, the child in one arm, your arm hooked with his other. The three of you walked back to the Razor Crest and settled in the cockpit together for the very first time. You glanced over at the Child, who was babbling happily in the seat beside you. You made sure he was secured tightly in his seat as Din looked behind him at the two of you. 

"Are you both ready?" he asked. 

"We're ready," you said, and you looked at the baby and touched your finger to his cheek. "Aren't we, little guy?"

The baby grinned and made an excited sound. Din laughed softly, and the sound of it made your heart so full. You sat down in your own seat. And as a clan of three with plenty of unknowns in front of you, you took off past the sun and into the beauty of the galaxy before you, blissfully  unaware of the dangers before you.

END