Disclaimer: I made the fanart but otherwise, I own nothing here.
Backwards
AN: This is my first attempt at a prompt challenge. I didn't follow the prompt exactly, but for the most part I think I stayed on target. Somebody, please give me an A for effort. xD
Prompt #30: Greef sees Bo and thinks she is Din's girlfriend and Din doesn't know how to deny it.
Continuity: This one-shot will integrate with my next fic, which will be a proper chapter-by-chapter fic, so stay tuned for that! :)
Spoiler warning: This is post-season 3, spoilers abound.
The skies were clear and the sun shown brightly over Nevarro City. The town square was bustling and full of chatter as the High Magistrate strode through the city with a purpose.
When a message from The Blazing Qartuum's owner (one of three restaurants in the city) had pinged his comm about a certain special visitor, Greef had immediately abandoned the mountain of datacards on his desk and set out for the restaurant.
Many townsfolk made attempts to distract him with friendly conversation but he would not be deterred from his mission and politely excused himself each time.
The whooshing rumble of a ship passing overhead caused him to look up and see a familiar looking Kom'rk starfighter engaging its landing sequence towards the port. Interesting timing.
He continued onward, glad he had left his elaborate cape and protocol droid behind in his office so that he could make better time.
Once The Blazing Qartuum came into view, Greef scrutinized the numerous outdoor round tables for his friend in shining Beskar. Upon finding him in the farthest corner table with his little green child sitting beside him, the magistrate couldn't help but smirk at the odd pair they made.
A curious thought occurred to him then, that the small family seemed to be missing a crucial member. Although it was not always a realistic ideal, at the very least, every child deserved to have a balanced family unit.
Absently, he wondered why Din hadn't realized this as well. Then again, if he had been raised by a single Mandalorian himself, it would make sense that he didn't, or wouldn't, see the need.
It just seemed a bit odd to Greef, since normally (in most cultures, human or otherwise), one would find a mate, then have kids. Din was doing everything in reverse.
Then again, Mandalorians seemed to live life entirely backwards. Their culture was just one big puzzle that not even all Mandalorians completely understood. Some wore helmets constantly, others didn't, some were born into the tribe, others weren't. Who could keep track?
The child whined plaintively, his dark brown eyes aimed up at his adoptive father. "Don't give me that look," Din replied sternly and pointed at the plate in front of the kid. "You eat those too, they're good for you, whatever they are."
Greef grinned at the exchange as he approached their table. "I thought this little one ate everything in sight," he said in way of greeting. "Has he gotten picky all of a sudden?"
"Greef," Din greeted with a brief nod before turning back to the kid. "Grogu just doesn't eat things that look healthy."
"Oh, those are Chando Peppers, straight from Chandrilla," Greef explained as he gave the kid a sympathetic look. "Maybe he just doesn't care for spicy food?"
"Maybe," Din grumbled with one last, pointed look at Grogu before turning his full attention on Greef. "Is there something you need help with?"
Still standing beside the table, Greef placed both hands on his hips comfortably. "No, I just caught wind of your visit and wanted to check in and see how you were faring. I hope the cabin has been a comfortable home-away-from-home?"
"Yes," Din answered with a nod. "My stay has been restful." He glanced to Grogu as the kid poked with distaste at the orange peppers on his plate. "We both needed a break, after Mandalore."
"Speaking of Mandalore," Greef replied curiously. "Did you notice that familiar ship fly over a moment ago?"
"Yes, I'm heading out with Grogu for a mission soon," Din answered. "Bo-Katan is here to visit and trade information. Since I'm working with the New Republic (unofficially of course)-"
"Of course," Greef added with a nod.
"-I'm privy to a certain amount of intel that she might find useful."
"I see," Greef replied with another nod as the wheels in his mind turned. He remembered Bo-Katan well; blue armor, red hair like fire, sharp, intelligent green eyes.
In fact, if he remembered correctly, she had been the one that Din had run off with in their search for that huge fleet they had returned with about a week later. Din had spend an entire week with that beauty in the same ship... If there wasn't at least something going on between them, well, then they were both just defective, he was sure.
With a tip of his head and a careful scrutiny that earned him nothing from Din's blank mask, Greef wondered aloud, "Are you sure that's the only reason for her visit?"
Din stared back for a beat, awkwardly silent until he seemed to find his voice. "I'm not sure what you-"
His blatantly pathetic reply was cut off as Grogu squealed with excitement and rightly leaped out of his pram. Greef and Din both turned to see the kid flip in midair, right into Bo-Katan's arms.
The Mandalorian woman caught him as if she had been expecting the child's enthusiastic welcome and proceeded to cuddle him as he cooed with delight. "It's good to see you too, kid." Although she wore her blue armor (except for that one silver pauldron), she didn't have her helmet on; a stark contrast to Din, who was never caught without his.
Greef watched carefully as her emerald orbs drifted over to Din when he stood from his chair and took a few steps towards her. "I'm glad you could make it, Bo." Raising a fist to his chest, he dipped his helmed head in some sort of respectful greeting.
Greef wasn't sure, but the formal greeting seemed to irk the woman slightly, judging by the subtle eye roll and barely audible sigh. "It wasn't easy, convincing the others to let me go."
She hid her displeasure well, though, behind a practiced smile that also appeared genuine... A smile that, perhaps, seemed almost reserved for Din and him alone. "But I needed a break from all the politics."
Din nodded silently, seeming both understanding and sympathetic. "How's your injury?" He gestured to her right hand. Although it appeared to be bandaged, she still used it without trouble to cradle Grogu. The child babbled with concern as he inspected the injury and no doubt applied some of his healing know-how.
"It's alright," she answered with a slight shrug. "Still aches from time to time. But thanks to Grogu, I can still hold a blaster." With her other hand, she ruffled the child's fuzzy head. "Thanks kid, that helps."
Grogu chortled back at her and Bo-Katan turned her attention back to Din. "What about you? How's that shoulder?" She moved into his space fluidly, as if she had done so many times, her free hand reaching up to touch his arm, near the bicep.
"Fine," Din replied simply. "My injuries weren't so bad."
Greef could hardly keep his jaw from going slack in astonishment. It was such an obvious cue that she was asking for some kind of physical reciprocation from him, a hug or a similar touch to her arm.
Sadly, maddeningly, Din either did not pick up on the cue or he refused to respond to it. Either way, his lack of a response would not do, and Greef made the immediate decision to intervene. The dense bucket head simply had no idea that the opportunity of his life was practically slapping him in the face!
"I can't believe it," Greef interjected with an obnoxiously high volume while giving Din a faux hurt expression. "You told me the lady was visiting but not that you two were dating. Shame on you Mando!"
"Uh..." Din's blank visor glanced to Greef then to Bo and back again. Comically, he seemed at a complete and utter loss with how to respond. "What?"
Conversely, the woman in question met Greef's gaze head on, a wicked smirk playing on her face. Far from appearing bashful about his suggestion, she actually seemed amused by it, which only confirmed his initial suspicions that she was indeed interested in the walking tin can.
Her eyes flashed with such a clever gleam that Greef had to wonder just what sort of dangerous creature he had suddenly unleashed. She obviously understood exactly the sort of game he was playing at.
Then there was Din, who appeared to not have even the foggiest idea what was going on. He really needed to get it together.
The outdoor seating area of the restaurant had gone awkwardly quiet after Greef's outspoken statement. Instead of allowing Din to fumble around further, the magistrate gestured at the chairs and waved dismissively at the other patrons, effectively urging them back to their former chatter. "Come, sit! I'll order some drinks."
As Greef crossed over to the counter where the server droid worked, he watched sidelong and listened carefully as Bo moved to place Grogu back in his pod and Din followed to take his seat once again. "Bo, about Greef-"
"It's ok, Din," Bo cut him off, humor lining her tone. "I can play along." Despite there being another chair at the table (and more nearby that could be easily pulled over), she opted to partially sit, partially lean on the arm of his, forcing him to ease back in blatant bewilderment.
"I'm not sure what you m-"
"Mando!" Greef interrupted again; if the man couldn't catch the hint and respond properly then he wasn't allowed to speak at all. "This reminds me..." He returned to their table with the drinks and gave Din a pointed look. "Please tell me you've shared that bottle with her already..."
"Oh?" Bo cut in curiously, fixing Din with a raised brow. "Holding out on me, Din?"
"Well, I..." Hesitating, or perhaps still at a loss, Din finally produced something coherent. "Just... waiting for the right occasion."
Greef frowned in response; it wasn't exactly the reply he had been fishing for, but he supposed it was progress.
He was seriously beginning to think he just needed to have a one on one talk with him and make him realize what an absurdly oblivious idiot he was.
The woman was inches away from practically lounging in his lap... And Din, heavens help him, was making a sorry attempt at melding with the chair in order to give her more space, either out of respect or confusion, Greef couldn't guess.
It nearly made him bark with laughter, to think how he had sent this man on numerous, highly dangerous hunts which Din had accomplished without so much as a twitch of fear, yet he balked under this woman's undivided attention like an inept teenager facing his secret crush.
"Defeating Gideon didn't seem like an occasion to celebrate?" Bo wondered idly as she sampled one of the drinks that Greef had set out in front of them; she clearly had no intention of moving, seeming completely comfortable despite the arm of the chair being anything but.
Din didn't move to touch his mug, in fact, he didn't move much at all. "You were busy. I didn't want to distract you."
Greef could not help his incredulous expression as he blinked at the silver helmet that had just uttered such a pathetic excuse. It was all he could do not to slap a hand over his forehead and slowly wipe it down his face in disbelief.
He waited with a bated breath for Bo to storm off in an offended huff, but instead, she tipped her head slightly and nodded... in understanding. "I was."
Greef blinked in astonishment and shook his head. What?
Bo set her mug down in a deliberate way and turned back to the man practically cowering beside her. "I'm not now."
"But I'm- about to leave," Din replied after clearing his throat, as if the words had caught there. "And I don't drink and fly."
Greef had never wanted to strangle the silver plated Mandalorian more than in that moment! He fought the urge to howl his thoughts to whole planet! Missions would come and go, but this magnificently patient woman was sitting right here, right now!
"Always setting a good example for the kid," Bo replied in such an amiable, lighthearted tone that it was impossible to detect whether or not she was even disappointed. She seemed to give up on her teasing notion and turned to give Grogu a perplexed look. "He's not eating."
It was almost a dire statement, as if alluding to something being very wrong with reality.
With her attention diverted, Din appeared to visibly relax. He sighed in what sounded like weary frustration. "He won't even try them."
Bo tipped her head again, with a soft, indulgent expression as she picked one of the peppers from the child's plate and took an experimental bite. She nodded, as if to some invisible entity. "Not bad. Tell you what kid," she said and gestured at his plate. "Eat one, and I'll eat the rest for you. Deal?"
Grogu chirped at her and watched with keen interest when she popped the rest of the orange fruit into her mouth. The child looked down at his plate with a new perspective, as if the idea of eating the peppers had jumped tracks from I'm not touching these to ok, maybe just one.
With great hesitance, almost as if the food might bite him, Grogu reached out for one. He paused to give Bo a questioning look, as if to confirm she would hold up her end of the deal.
She nodded with an encouraging smile and the child followed through, snatching the pepper and gobbling it down in an instant, probably just hoping to get it over with like an unpleasant chore.
The three adults watched in silence as the seconds ticked by, until finally, Grogu cooed with surprise and delight. Bo's smile turned complacent and she didn't seem at all bothered by the fact that the child reneged on their deal, suddenly deciding to consume the remaining fruit on his plate.
"How did that work?" Din wanted to know, his tone dubious and maybe even a little annoyed.
The two Mandalorians exchanged some light banter while Greef could only marvel at the family picture they made. Not only was the woman obviously interested in Din, she already treated his kid as her own, accepting the little green Womp rat as if it were the most natural thing to do.
Greef blinked and suddenly Bo was standing and Din was moving to stand. "Thanks for the drink," the woman said, smirking wryly as if to add covertly, and the game.
"My pleasure." Greef offered a slight bow before giving Din a curious look. "Leaving already?"
"This mission is time sensitive," Din replied and stepped forward to shake hands in farewell. "And I still have classified intel to share with Bo on her ship."
"Oh?" Although it was obvious that Din meant nothing untoward in his statement, Greef recognized and seized the opportunity to give the oblivious man a nudge in the right direction. "Want me to watch the little guy for you?"
Bo met Greef's gaze briefly, her smirk holding. She gave no indication that she intended to participate with his scheme, instead choosing to watch with amusement.
Din paused to glance between them for a beat, suspicious yet puzzled before finally asking, "Why?..."
Greef grinned and raised his hands emphatically before gesturing between them. "Well, so he doesn't interrupt your... Discussion."
Again, Din glanced back and forth as he either wasn't deciphering the suggestion or he did and wasn't sure how to respond. He was either blinking dumbly under that bucket or he was blushing furiously, Greef was sure.
"Thank you for the offer, High Magistrate," Bo finally spoke up with a barely restrained suggestive smile. "But I'm afraid Din is right." She moved into Din's space and gave his chest plate a playful tap with the knuckles of her good hand. "We don't have time for anything else."
All at once, it seemed like realization finally dawned inside that silver helmet, but still he said nothing in response. Bo hummed out some kind of amused sound and strode away, with Din only a step behind her as Grogu followed in his pram, momentarily forgotten and cooing with curiosity.
"Well, if you ever change your mind, the offer stands," Greef called after clearing his throat objectively. "I'll be happy to watch him anytime."
Din glanced back briefly enough to wave a hand, but his attention was finally focused on the woman beside him, as it should have been all along.
As they walked away, side by side, their hands nearly brushing, Greef noticed Bo's endearing expression whenever she looked at the socially stunted man. She clearly had feelings for him, him and his unlikely son.
It was a curious thing. That you could love someone despite having never even seen their face.
Maybe... Just maybe, that was the truest way to love? Knowing a person's heart before their physical appearance...
Huh. Greef shook his head and chuckled, amused and astonished.
Perhaps Mandalorians didn't have things so backwards after all.