2022 Tropes & Fandoms event - Trope: Bed/Blanket sharing (gen)

Bed Time

"Alright, Kid. It's time for bed," the Mandalorian stated wearily as soon as they had boarded the Razor Crest.

It had been a long day for them planetside. Therefore, both Din and Grogu drooped with exhaustion as they made their way through the ship. Consequently...after the mandatory visit to the sanitizing chamber, of course...the Mandalorian picked the little one back up and carried him straight to the sleeping pod. Grogu just cooed softly at the man as he was gently placed in his hammock.

Din patted his head. "Good night, Friend," he remarked fondly before he shut the pod hatch quietly, but firmly, and turned around to head back to the cockpit.

"What the...!" he exclaimed just a second later when he almost bumped into the little green foundling who unexpectedly stood right behind him instead of in the sleeping quarters where he belonged. "How did you...Oh, never mind! Back to bed with you!" He picked Grogu up again and placed him in his hammock one more time. He even paused to make sure that the hatch was closed securely behind him so that he would not be surprised again.

Consequently, his astonishment was all the greater when he made it back to the cockpit and saw that the kid was already there. In fact, the little one carefully unscrewed his favorite ball from its shifter handle before he looked up at Din with wide eyes that silently proclaimed his absolute innocence in any suspected wrongdoing.

The Mandalorian just sighed in exasperation as he picked up the small troublemaker and put him to bed once more.

"Sleep!" Din told him firmly and he waited until the child had closed his eyes again before he left to get the Razor Crest up into the safety of the skies so that he could finally have some rest himself.

After all, between the uncooperative bounty which had taken all day to find, apprehend, and turn over for collection...while also trying to keep the mischievous Grogu out of harm's way...he was more than ready for some restorative sleep himself. However, as soon as he had flicked on the autopilot, he knew that he would have to wait a bit longer for the solace of his bed – especially when he heard a sound from the small compartment across the corridor that served as the ship's makeshift galley.

"Dank Farrik!" the Mandalorian exclaimed under his breath as he made his way there - even though he already suspected what he would find.

He was correct. Grogu stood in the middle of the little compartment with one outstretched hand as he slowly levitated a package of his favorite blue cookies from the high shelf where Din had placed them to keep them out of easy reach.

So much for that plan, he thought to himself and he confiscated the snack with another quiet sigh under his helmet. Yet, he still could not seem to resist the silent request once the little one held up his arms in order to be picked up again.

As they turned back towards the sleeping pod, Din pondered the issue. He knew that the kid must also be using his powers in some way to keep getting out, but he just could not figure out how. Consequently, he wracked his brain for a viable solution that came short of actually chaining the hatch shut. After all, he knew that, not only would such a thing not be very safe in an emergency, but he also did not think that it would be any more effective, either. The clever kid was sure to be able to find a way around even such a restriction.

The Mandalorian…despite his current irritation…could not help but to feel a small bit of pride at that knowledge. The little one was really something special. However, in his present exhausted state, Din would have happily chosen "sound asleep" over "ingenious" in a heartbeat.

Right at that moment, though, a vague memory of Din's former life resurfaced in his mind. He suddenly remembered how his mother…and the other women in his village…would hold restless babies and walk with them until they fell asleep.

It's worth a try, he acknowledged.

Then, since he had already hoisted up the foundling, Din proceeded to pace as much as the small amount of available space in his ship would allow. Accordingly, he was pleased to see that his memory had served him well and that the almost rhythmic back and forth motion seemed to be working a miracle when he looked down to see that the little green eyelids had fluttered close. He allowed himself to breath another sigh…this time it was one of absolute relief…as he went to settle the now soundly sleeping Grogu back into his hammock.

Nevertheless, the reprieve was extremely short-lived when he noticed that the very action of placing the child into his bed had awakened him again and that the little one currently watched him with wide-open eyes. Therefore, Grogu was simply picked back up and the entire walking process started over again…and again…and again.

Din did not know how many times the child went through the cycle of almost-asleep to wide-awake alertness, but the man did know that he was at his own breaking point. Despite all of his muscles, training, and ingenuity, his own personal exhaustion had proceeded to the point where it could no longer be ignored or denied.

Therefore, the Mandalorian, who had removed most of his body armor…piece by piece...while they walked, finally collapsed in the middle of his current round of pacing right into his pilot's seat. The child was still held protectively to his chest, though. After all, he was desperate to not wake the young one up – especially since he had apparently fallen asleep with his head on the man's shoulder again. He could only hope that this time around..against all odds...the foundling would be out for the entire duration of the sleep cycle.

The Mandalorian sat upright in his seat as he barely dared to breathe until he was certain that his hard work and patience had won out over the child's dogged persistence in wakefulness. Fortunately, his luck finally seemed to hold and the little one did not stir again. Consequently, it was not long before the man's body also began to relax bit by bit. Soon the little green body was completely draped over the broad armor-less chest that belonged to the much larger body currently sprawled out in the captain's chair...while the incongruously still-helmeted head above him lulled backwards over the edge of the same seat. The wearer had simply been too exhausted to remove it...even though he and the child were the only ones present on the ship to see.

Meanwhile, the somewhat worse-for-wear tattered cloak covered both of the sleepers as a makeshift blanket.

It was a position that was sure to cause some definite physical discomfort for the man when he finally awakened. However, Din was in no position to remedy it at the moment...or even to care. After all, he had battled deadly assasins and monsters from the depths of space...sometimes even both at once. However, none of them had exhausted him so completely as one mischievous green toddler had…simply because he did not want to go to bed!