The dust settles as Riye turns and falls to her knees, pulling Din to her.
She looks over him. "You're hurt." She states, noticing his slow response. She sees the condition of his helmet.
The back of it is dented. The back of his beskar helmet is dented. His beskar helmet is dented. Beskar. Dented. This is bad. Really, really bad.
Riye brings her fingers to the edge of his helmet. Din grabs her wrists just as she breaks the seal. "No," he tells her. Blood pools down his neck. A lot of blood.
She pulls her fingers slightly back and looks at them. This isn't good. She pleads with him. "You are going to die."
"Take care of Grogu."
"You aren't in your right mind."
"This is the way."
"This is crazy! Let me save you." She feels hot tears fall behind her mask. Anger and frustration boil up. She pushes it down. "You can't leave us!"
"I won't let you die." She tells him. She can't lose him. But if she forces his helmet off, she'll be disgraced herself. He'll never forgive her. He will never trust her again. She will lose him if she does nothing. She will lose him if she saves him by force. She brings her fingers back to the edge of his mask. This is the way.
She takes a deep breath and speaks, her voice shaking. "Mhi solus tome." We are one when together. She pauses, waiting for him.
His voice struggles out. "Mhi solus tome."
"Mhi solus dar'tome." We are one when parted.
"Mhi solus dar'tome."
"Mhi me'dinui an." We will share all.
"Mhi me'dinui an."
"Mhi ba'juri verde." We will raise warriors.
"Mhi ba'juri verde."
Din's hands remain on her wrists, but he doesn't fight their upward movement. She takes off his helmet, placing it to the ground. She pulls a rag and a can of bacta spray from her satchel. She covers the rag in bacta and holds it hard to the back of his head.
She turns them so that she's sitting with his head on her thighs. She places her other hand on his forehead, giving herself something to push the rag against. She uses a lot of force. Din looks up at her, watching her helmet closely. When she starts speaking her voice is weak and cracked.
"I was part of a clan of five," she starts, her voice almost faltering. "My mother was a foundling and my father joined the culture after their marriage." Looking off into the distance, she speaks slowly. "They had me and my brother. I had a foundling. She-" She breathes slowly through her nose. "They were all together on Mand'alore. The people I was with, I think we all went mad from grief. We didn't hide. We were dangerous." She pauses. "I don't understand how I survived." She turns her helmet down and looks at him. "I can't lose you. I can't."
Din doesn't speak, instead he closes his eyes. They stay in silence until the bleeding stops. The sun casts long shadows from the rocks.
Riye loosens her grip, letting her hands fall to her sides. She leans against the boulder behind her, closing her eyes and breathing slowly. Din continues to rest there for a moment longer. "We need to return." He tells her. He sits up, searching for his helmet.
He pulls his helmet to him. Riye opens her eyes and watches him carefully. He studies the mask, noticing the dent. It's not unfixable. But it's not wearable either. He feels tired. He looks over to Riye.
He watches her remove her helmet. She wipes the dried tears from her face, then hands the beskar to him. He takes it. She takes his helmet and straps it to a belt. Standing slowly.
She walks to the Creature and using her knife, she pries a fang from its mouth. She tucks it into her bag.
Walking back she grabs Dins upper arm, pulling him up. He puts on her helmet. It's a little smaller than his, but it fits just fine.
She supports him heavily. The walk is slow. The sun falls behind the horizon. The cold air seeps into their armor. She holds tighter to him. He hands her a flashlight. She points it just ahead, nervous they may be attracting predators.
The ground is hard beneath their feet. The adrenaline completely wains. Their bodies ache. It's hard to continue.
Eventually they reach the outskirts of the village. That knowledge drives them faster towards their ship.
The Dressellians start to notice their return, spreading the word around the village. A group meets them at the vessel.
Din's arm pulled around Riyes shoulder, he leans on her heavily. The group whispers amongst themselves.
Riye tosses the fang to the leader. He looks to her with astonishment clear on his face.
"You're alive." A random villager breaks through the quiet mumbling.
Soon someone walks up the crowd with a sack in hand. The leader takes it and notices the little girl from before standing near him. He drops to his knee and hands the sack to her. He says something and then points to the Mandalorians.
The little girl runs up to Riye and hands over the sack. Riye takes it, bowing her head.
"I'm sorry your friend got hurt." The girl looks over them. "Why did you switch masks?" Confusion shows on her face.
Riye turns them to the ship and starts walking forward. She answers quietly, "That's because my husband is much more a zealot than me." She brings them slowly up the ramp to the cargo bay.
The door closing behind them, she helps Din to the front of the ship. Grogu stays close on their heels, looking worriedly at Din.
Riye straps him into a chair. Grogu is already buckled into his seat. She sits at the controls and launches The Bulwark Pursuer, getting into hyperspace as fast as possible. She looks at a screen. 62 hours until they reach the settlement.
She picks up Grogu and quickly puts him to bed. The anxious day putting him fast to sleep. Riye walks quickly back to the bridge. Din is standing, clearly after a struggle. She rushes to him, putting herself under his arm. She walks him to the bunkroom, sitting him at the edge of the bed.
She starts by taking off his helmet and tossing it to the corner of the bunk. Din watches her with exhaustion evident on his face. He'll let her do whatever she needs to. She strips him of both his armor and underclothes, finding an empty cabinet for them. Pulling the bacta spray from its place in her satchel, she sprays him down. "You should feel better in the morning." She tells him.
She moves to sit in the bunk, facing the opening. Din lays down again with his head on her thighs. She closes the partition and starts to pet his hair. Her voice soft, she starts to sing him a lullaby in Mando'a.
A bird flies freely through the sky. The moon hangs sharp overhead. The bird dives into the water, plucking out a fish. It drops the fish on the shore. The fish flaps its body helplessly. The bird stands there, waiting for the fish to die. A wave crashes unexpectedly to the shore, capturing the fish and the bird. The fish swims away. The bird shoots out of the water. Settling on a branch, it shakes its wings dry. It watches the water for its next opportunity.
They fall asleep like this.
In the morning the two Mandalorians wake to the sound of Grogu trying to push open the privacy screen. Din sits up with a start and puts on Riye's helmet. Riye covers Dins naked body with a blanket before opening the partition. Grogu climbs into the bed, walking carefully to Din. He touches a spot on his shoulder covered in dry blood.
"I'm fine," he tells his son. "Riye took good care of me last night." After looking over him some more, Grogu seems satisfied that he's telling the truth. Despite that Grogu seems extra attached for the rest of the day, insisting on sleeping with them that night.
The following day they get back to training Grogu, as well as practicing a few more throws together. Riye showers after the evening meal. When she steps out from the refresher, she picks up Grogu.
"I can put him to bed while you bathe." Din nods and walks into the bathroom.
He places her helmet on the counter and looks up into the mirror. His brown eyes stare back at him. He touches his face. It's been over a day since Riye has seen his face. Her soft worried eyes bore deep into him then. Would he have really made her let him die? He can't imagine leaving Grogu behind. In moments of hardship his creed speaks so heavily to him. He falls back onto the values instilled in his entire being. But could he have really left them behind?
He takes off his armor, remembering that she has seen all of him. All of him belongs to her now. In his creed marriage is sacred like nothing else, he's sure it's the same for her. Honor and duty. They are one now, and no matter the circumstances that will not change.
He hears her voice as he turns on the shower. She is singing to Grogu again. Her voice reminds him of a childhood he never had.
She sings about a brave warrior fighting for a just cause. The leader is defeated. The warrior is told to bow down to someone new. He tries to follow the new leader's strength. The leader asks the warrior to commit atrocities. He fights back. His fellow warriors follow his lead. They defeat the corrupt leader. The other warriors follow him and they take up the just cause again. They fight with honor no matter what.
Her song trails off. Din refocuses on getting clean. He's slow to put his armor and the helmet back on. As long as Grogu is in his own bunk, Din plans to remove the helmet for Riye. How will she react now? He isn't injured anymore. She can have a true reaction. He wants her to look at him with her fierce blue eyes. He wants to be seen and desired.
When he enters the bunkroom he first notices the partition to Grogu's bunk is closed. He sighs with relief. Turning his head he sees that his own privacy screen is closed as well. He tilts the helmet in confusion and walks to his bed.
He opens the partition to find Riye sitting there in the middle, completely naked. His heart starts to race. He's never seen her fully before. She is more beautiful than he had imagined. She looks at him then points her eyes down, shyly moving her arms over her breasts.
A sharp intake of breath. Din takes off the helmet. He wishes her eyes would move to him. He slides a knee into the bed, giving it his weight, he traces his hands along the sheets on either side of her. He leans over her slightly. Bringing a hand slowly to her chin, he tilts her head upwards. Her eyes meet his for a second then dart back down. She bites her lip nervously.
"You don't have to." Din whispers.
"No," she says, her gaze still not leaving a spot on the sheets. "I know that." She takes his hand from her jaw and places it flat in the space between her breasts. "You just make my heart beat so fast."
"I could say the same thing." He tells her, focusing on the feeling of her pulse. Her eyes lift back up to his face.
"You really are handsome." She smiles and wets her lips, parting them slightly afterwards. "Do you want me?" Her whisper is so low now, her eyes move to his lips for a second. She moves her hand from his, tracing it up his arm, over his shoulder, along his neck, and leaving it at the angle of his jaw. Her fingers are so soft.
"I do," he finally says. "Do you want me?" He studies her face.
"Or'atu than mayen." More than anything. For some reason she won't close the distance. He moves slowly to her, closing his eyes just before his lips brush against hers. She presses into him, her hand sliding to the back of his head. His hand moves to match hers. They pull each other closer, deepening the kiss.
They part out of breath. Riye looks down again for a moment. "I'm so nervous," she tells him truthfully.
"I am too."
"Will you take it off?" Her voice is unsteady, uncertain still to if he will. Despite him saying he wants her, she's still unsure if he'll take her. She wants to be taken by him. Her chest almost hurts from the yearning. "I want to see you." She wants to feel him.
He sits back and slowly he removes his armor, dropping it all to the floor beside them. Riye's eyes follow his hands. Her own arms move back over her breasts and she draws her knees up.
When everything has been removed he closes the privacy screen. Thin strip lights illuminate the small space. He places a hand on the outside of her calf. Fingers splayed out, big and warm. He pulls the leg straight then moves up to her outer thigh. Her fingers rub at her collarbones.
He isn't sure how to proceed. How can she be so brave as to surprise him uncovered in his bed, but then close herself inward and barely look at him? She tries to lift her eyes to meet his, but falters, instead watching his hands again. "Are you sure?" He asks again. She's trembling.
She nods her head, finally meeting his gaze again. "I am," she tells him. "I just-" she takes a breath. "Please be gentle with me." He had no different plans. He nods his head, touching her face again. He looks deeply into her eyes.
"Gar cuyir mesh'la." You are beautiful.
He kisses her forehead, pressing his lips there for a long time. She moves her hands to his chest. Her fingers trace his skin upwards until they overlap behind his neck. She moves her unstraightened leg to the side and lays back, pulling him along with her.
He follows her down, now on his hands and knees. Hands on either side of her, knees between her legs. He can't help but look down at her breasts now on display under him. He wets his lips, his eyes moving back to meet hers. She looks flush, her breathing uneven. He kisses her again. He savors the way her lips feel against his.
He moves a hand to the outside of her ribs, just below a breast. Her hands lace through his hair. She gently bites his bottom lip, the feeling sends a lightning bolt through his body. He moves his hand slowly up, taking her breast. Her nipple is hard against his palm. He then rubs his thumb over the bud. She moans against his lips.
He starts to kiss down her neck. She pushes her head back and bites her lip. He kisses along her collarbone, eventually taking some of it into his mouth. He leaves a mark before traveling down. He focuses on the breast he isn't touching. He presses his face into it. So soft and giving.
He's quick to kiss her nipple. He takes it into his mouth. She fails to stifle a moan. She wraps her arms around his head and neck. He sucks on it, letting his teeth graze it ever so gently. Her voice turns his ears red.
Eventually she moves a hand down his back and grabs his butt. He lifts his head, she looks so undone right now. He moves up and kisses her, hard. She gives him back every bit of energy he puts into it. Her arms wrapped around him again, she pulls him down. He wraps his arms around her. Their chests feel so good pressed together. Her hips move unconsciously against his. She moans into his mouth. He pulls his head back and looks at her. Her blush deep. Her eyes so full of desire.
She meets his eyes and moves her hips against his again, deliberately this time. She kisses him. His hands trace to her hips, the same place he is putting most of his weight. She opens her legs more. He pulls back a little and takes his cock into his hand. He looks closely at her face as he traces down between the lips of her vulva, pushing into her. He has to go lower than he expects before he feels the head of his cock start to sink into her. She is so wet. He moves his hand away, placing it on the bed next to them. His other hand is still on her hip.
He stays at the entrance for a while before trying to dive deeper. He sees a hint of pain on her face. He fills her slowly, she's so tight around him. When he finally enters her fully, he pauses and waits for her to adjust. She pulls his face down to kiss her. Din feels so overwhelmed, he struggles not to move.
She breaks the kiss. He presses his forehead to hers, lips less than an inch apart. "You can move," she tells him. He slowly pulls nearly out of her, then he presses his hips back into hers. She moves against him. She takes his hand back to her breast. Din buries his head into the crook of her neck. She forces her head back, hard against the pillow. There's no stopping now. His clumsy movements start to become rough. Their heavy breathing fills the air. "Don't stop." She calls out. Her moans drown out the sound of his breathing. He feels her clench rhythmically around his cock. He moves his hand back to her hips, gripping her hard as he cums deep inside her.
He waits a long time to withdraw, listening to their breathing start to slow.
He lays down beside her. She rolls half on top of him, her leg and arm draped over his body. Her face sideways on his chest. He rests his arms around her. Her body is so relaxed. His body feels heavy. It doesn't take long to fall asleep like this.
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Author's Note: I haven't really written in a long time. I'm not sure what exactly got me back into it but I have really been enjoying writing this story. I hope the people reading like it. I have been trying really hard to be better with pacing, as that has been the most consistent criticism I have received in the past. I really appreciate every view, follow, favorite, and review I receive. It really just makes my day to see people engaging with my story. I'm going to try to get the next chapter out in the next few days. I hope you enjoy it:)