THEN

"I can go on my own Mando," Vala repeated as the ramp of the Crest lowered to the plush forest floor. "It won't take me longer than an hour."

"No, we go together." He said striding ahead, the kid's cradle floating after.

After a few less-than-gentle reminders to Mando that she still had things she needed to replace, he had been kind enough to find a market for her. Naturally, it was the one farthest from any normal routes in the sector.

"Better for who?" Vala hissed to herself. She knew she was grumpier than she should have been. Getting off the ship had become a rarity in the past few weeks. To be somewhere warm and lively was nice but…she had hoped to go to the market on her own. For a moment of quiet, a moment of relief.

They had been stuck on the Razor Crest staring at one another, pointedly trying NOT to talk about the towel incident, for far too long. The tension was nearly unbearable. The brief moments she stole in her bunk, hands sliding down her pants and teasing at her nipples, did nothing to stave off the haze she kept sliding back into.

Mando only made the situation worse. He was quieter and more withdrawn than ever. He only spoke to ask her the occasional probing question and when he got a satisfactory answer he would dive back into his lengthy silences. She tried to make conversation where she could, filling the silence while they worked or cleaned. Mando rarely said anything back. The one time he had, she had been talking about a combustible ore native to the planet they were on. His interest had startled her. Her shock dissipated when he asked if it could blast through dura-steel.

'A weapon, of course.' Still, she found it comforting to know he—occasionally—listened to her.

Even the Child had grown tired of the confinement. He was increasingly grumpy. Upon waking he would cry, his usual games left him annoyed, and even the lullabies Vala sang that soothed him previously were met with bored looks now.

Mando led them down the path to town. "No sightseeing. No chatting up anyone and don't talk about the kid or me or the ship." He said firmly.

"Mando I've been on the run long enough to know how to blend in." Vala chuckled, "I imagine it's not a common occurrence for you considering all the light you catch."

"My armor is a part of my religion. To wear it is an honor." He said not slowing his stride.

Vala couldn't help but smile. His pride had to be the most charming, and dangerous, thing about him; though it made her sad that his sense of humor was still nonexistent. "No insult meant. Merely an observation."

"Don't forget what I told you on the ship either."

"I will keep an eye out for any ner-do-wells and avoid them…Besides yourself of course."

"Very funny." He said dryly.

The market ended up being even smaller than she hoped. It was nothing more than a handful of stalls crowded in the dusty square of a dying town. Vala guessed if she stretched her arms and spun, she would hit every stall.

'Best make the most of it.' She told herself forcing a smile. It would be a while before Mando let them shop for more than necessities again.

Working through the vendors she found herself relishing in the interaction it all required. Before being stuck in Mando's generator room she had hated shopping. Now, it seemed she craved every little word she could get from the vendors. To her surprise, the market brought out Mando's talkative side too.

"We have soap." He said at the first vendor.

"You have soap and it's terribly drying." She sniffed the small pink square the vendor offered her.

"We could have made these with electrical ties." He noted as she passed her credits over for hair ties.

"And rip my curls out?" She said incredulously. "No thank you."

"I have plenty of shirts you could have borrowed." He told her as she shoved two new blouses into her bag.

"Despite having no one to appreciate my sense of practical fashion besides you and the kid, I still care about how I look, Mando." She growled her patience growing thin.

With Mando simmering at her back, Vala managed to get a fair price on most of the items she wanted and enough spices to keep their meals interesting, all before she had gotten to the last vendor. An older round woman sat behind the counter. She was crowded with baubles, mostly wood carvings, leather trinkets, and old household items—junk for the most part—but a few things managed to catch Vala's eye.

Mainly the children's toys. Vala stopped at the stall and picked through the small assortment showing each to the Child waiting to get a reaction. He chattered excitedly over a small shifting cube and a set of magnetic blocks. Vala didn't bother haggling over them; instead, she dropped the credits with a smile. She was just about to ask where they could find the gun shop when a small leather-bound journal caught her eye. It was a dark blue and fit neatly into her hand with a small pen strapped to it.

"What do you need that for?" The Mandalorian asked glancing over her shoulder. "You already have a data pad."

"Which has nothing on the feel of real paper underhand." She explained passing the little round woman the credits she owed. "Ma'am, where's the gun shop?"

The gun shop was a small crooked building stuck between a bakery and a butcher. The sign, Riew's Gun Shop, hung on by a single chain, the other clinking softly in the wind. It gave Vala the impression that if the door shut even slightly too hard the whole building would slide against the butcher and sink in on itself.

Mando seemed to leer at it. "I could give you one of mine." He said as they walked up to it. "It will be better than what you'll get here."

"I'm sure it's not that bad inside," Vala replied calmly adjusting the bag on her arm.

Inside, the shop was just as crooked and worn down. Bowed shelves lined the walls stacked with parts and cleaners and oils in no particular order. A fog of dust hung inside the shop so thick Vala could feel the press of it against her skin. The blasters sat on the far back wall with a crumpled clerk leaning on the counter in front of them. He started at their entrance, an air of surprise around him.

Vala smiled at him and turned to the blasters. Most of the weapons were older models from the wars, which she expected considering the size of the town. She ran down the line. Each blaster seemed more disappointing than the last. Rusted parts, missing attachments, dented barrels. She was sure Mando was going to be right until she hit the last row. A DC-19 stealth carbine sat inconspicuously amongst the other lesser carbines. Vala gestured to the clerk to pull it out.

It was in decent condition. Not too worn with no rust and no damage. A miracle considering its age. And more importantly, it was the gas variety, meaning the blaster shots would be invisible.

"3,500 credits," the clerk huffed lazily.

Vala barked a laugh. "3,500? For this? That was what it was worth when it was new. I bet you haven't even changed the original gas cartridge and the grip is worn to hell. I couldn't even get parts to fix it in town. 800 credits."

"Best I'll do is 3200."

Mando materialized at her side. "Get a different one, the shot capacity isn't worth it."

"I'm not interested in it for its shot capacity," she said quickly.

"Then take one of mine," Mando shot back. "These haven't been taken care of, they're more likely to jam than fire."

The clerk shot up straight. "All my products are cleaned and quality tested." He huffed the jowls of his neck shaking.

"That's quality tested?" Mando asked jabbing a finger at a rifle with a rusted slide.

The clerk's eyebrows nearly hit his hairline. Collecting himself the clerk turned back to Vala and asked suspiciously, "Do you even know how to shoot little lady?"

Vala clenched her jaw and took a calming breath. "600, because you've insulted me."

The clerk only shrugged. "Have to ask. 3000. It's a rarity."

Mando crossed his arms. "No, it isn't. It's old, outdated, and impractical. It'll need parts and modifications. You'd be lucky to get 800 for it." A rush of pride hit her at his words. The clerk, on the other hand, was unimpressed and made a show of ignoring him.

She heard Mando's anger, the intake of breath under the modulator, and grasped his inner elbow before he could open his mouth and get another jab in. He froze under her touch. As her heart began to pick up pace she reminded it sternly that Mando was no one special.

When Mando exhaled and clenched his fist, she sent a thank you to the heavens. Weapons were a part of his religion and she imagined this wall of neglected armaments insulted him to his core. Not to mention the state of the shop. If there was one thing Mando valued as much as his religion it was probably organization. Everything had a place. She wouldn't be surprised if he was biting his tongue bloody under that helmet.

"I'll also take that pistol and two holsters. 1300 credits for all of them."

The clerk turned to her; his rumbled face pulled into a scowl. "4200 with the pistol and holsters."

Vala glanced at the carbine, the clerk, and Mando's tensing arm and thought. The carbine, as Mando had said, was impractical. It only had ten shots per cannister but those ten shots could be used to great effect. It was familiar too. Something she desperately needed after the loss of her own arsenal.

Taking a deep breath, Vala locked eyes with the clerk and tried to reach out, to feel the dull pulse of his mind. "You don't get much business, do you?" she asked as she extended her senses. Before the clerk could open his mouth to protest, she continued, "If you did, I don't think this old carbine would still be here. I imagine we're the first customers you've seen this month. Am I right?"

The clerk's jaw tensed. "I'm not doing less than 4000 for everything." He said through gritted teeth.

She leaned closer her tone softening. "Yes, you will, because you need it don't you?" She feels it set, the line she was looking for, whatever it is.

The clerk's eyes slowly went dull and he nodded like a drunk.

"You need a sale and 1300 is a fair price," Vala said.

"It is." The clerk mumbled.

"So, you will take 1300 credits."

He nodded again. "I will." The clerk took the holsters and blasters and slid them over to her like a zombie. Vala passed him the credits, carefully maintaining the soft expression she had adopted. From his cradle, the Child babbled noisily and Vala passed him the second toy she had bought to quiet him.

"It was a pleasure meeting you," she said, and tugging at Mando's arm she led him out of the shop leaving the dazed clerk behind. "I'm ready to head back." She let his arm slide from her grip and tucked her purchases into the last bit of space in her bag.

Mando didn't seem to hear her. "How did you manage to get him to lower his price like that?" He asked voice tight. He stood dangerously still. Vala wondered if she had frightened him, it wasn't the first time someone had seen that little trick and thought her a danger. In reality, it was mostly useless, working on only the dullest of the dull and a few simple-minded animals.

Shrugging, Vala tried to disarm with a smile before walking on. Mando followed a moment after, the sound of his steps cautious against the hard-packed earth. The weight of his gaze hung from her neck as heavy as the pack on her shoulder all the way to the forest path.

"Vala," he stopped, "what did you do to him?" Mando questioned again.

Turning to face him she adjusted the bulky pack at her side. "Nothing, he was desperate for a sale!" She blurted. "And, besides, I'm a beautiful woman. Who would say no to me?"

"I've said no to you," Mando said matter of factly.

"Well, you don't count. You're a Mandalorian, I don't think you or your people care about what I or anyone else looks like when you're working." She mused readjusting the strap.

Mando indulged in another long silence. Vala started to wonder if he had turned to stone under all his armor when he stepped in front of her and took the bag off her shoulder.

"Let's get back to the ship," he said stepping past her. "You two need to eat."

Vala blinked at the insult, the first he had ever laid at her feet. "A-Are you calling me cranky?"

He kept his gaze straight ahead and ignored her.

"You know Mando if you were nicer, I could help you get cheaper prices next time." She said following after him.

"Only when you tell me how you did it."

The Child gave another dissatisfied string of babbles and Vala wondered if he was imitating the curses she and Mando mumbled under their breaths too often. She scooped him into her arms. He calmed immediately and when she looked down, she saw he was watching her with a curious expression.

"His loss, huh?"

The Child didn't respond. He just cocked his head and stared at her in silence all the way back to the ship.

Din watched as Vala set a stew over the campfire and asked himself, for the hundredth time, if he was going insane. The clerk back in town had been stubborn and abrasive. Din had dealt with his type a thousand times over but he had never gotten them to lower their prices like she had.

Beautiful woman.

He didn't care to stop his eyes from roaming over her. She had changed into a new white blouse and a simple green skirt that stopped just above her boots. The idea wasn't far-fetched. She was beautiful. With curls that fell past her belt, smooth skin, a bright smile, and generous…assets he imagined most people would agree with the assessment. It helped that she was kind and smart and patient.

'Maybe that is enough,' Din told himself. He added it to the list of things about her that would, no doubt, forever perplex him and turned back to his work.

Disassembled blaster in hand, he set to cleaning and reassembling it to ease his mind. The methodical process, the sunlight, and the fresh air all helped him to put the gun shop to the back of his mind. The mound of mistreated weapons on the wall bothered him. They should have been taken care of, respected, so they could do the job they were made to do. The carbine Vala had bought was one of the luckier ones but it too needed extensive care in his opinion.

Sliding the last few bits of his blaster back into place he glanced over to see Vala had moved. Lounging with legs at her side, she was disassembling her carbine with practiced care. Part of him knew her patience with him was thin, that he shouldn't bother her more than he already had. But another part whispered that she wouldn't mind, that she might enjoy his presence. That part of him had been growing louder and louder lately. He thought of the warm weight of her hand on him and rolled up his tools.

Vala was turning the gas canister over in her hand. "Dampeners are shot." Din crouched beside her and picked up the offending piece.

Nodding she said, "Fixable, I hope. Gas pack isn't out yet at least."

The scent of her new soap, sweet and floral, hit him. Glancing over, his eyes followed the ties of her shirt along her chest and Din licked his lips. He dropped the dampeners and pulled the canister from her hand gently. "There's maybe a shot or two left. Why did you want this thing?"

"It's similar to a Nightstinger rifle but lighter and easier to fix." She took the canister back from him, her fingers lingering a hair longer than they needed to. "Higher shot capacity too."

"Nightstinger," he pondered, "that was an Imperial weapon, had invisible bolts."

"It was. Rare now, but, I had one." She set a cold gaze on him. "On my ship. That you got blown up." When it became clear Din didn't intend on responding she went on. "Luckily, for me," she pulled a small pouch from her belt, "I have four canisters that look like they'll fit."

"Expensive."

"Very. I could barely afford them."

He pursed his lips and then asked, against his better judgment, "Beautiful woman?"

"Oh, no, I stole these," she laughed, "right from under a squad of imps. Much cheaper that way."

Din couldn't stop the chuckle that bubbled up his throat.

Vala leaned back eyes narrowing as a grin trekked up her face. "Well, that's something I've never heard before."

Clearing his throat, Din rose. "I might have dampeners that fit this model."

"Really?" She brightened, her radiant smile back in place. "I can pay you for them or you can take it out of my share."

"It doesn't matter."

"No," she said quickly, "I have to give you something now. We can't keep owing each other. Being in debt is worse than the towel thing will ever be."

For the first time in a long time, Din's brain stuttered. He worried about how the incident had made her feel. For weeks he expected to wake up and find her with her bags in the hold demanding to be dropped off. In caution, he had tried to give her space and further bury the want that welled inside him. "I wasn't-I didn't," he paused, "I didn't want you to get hurt. I'm sorry if I offended you."

Vala waved him off. "Oh, please, don't be so serious, I was just tired of dancing around it. No offense was taken I assure you. In fact, it was nice to be protected for once."

The words brought a flood of warmth over him. "Okay…good." He eyed Vala's smirk, her glimmering eyes, and felt himself calm. Slowly, an idea came to form in his mind. An idea he wasn't sure would help ease his ache but something of an apology.

"I'll get the dampeners," he said and walked off before she could protest.

Vala hoisted the Child over the pot and let him stir the stew. He smiled wickedly as the spoon smacked against the metal side. Vala smirked, pleased with his improved mood. It seemed they were all starting to relax, much to her relief.

Helping him to pour his bowl, she set the Child on a blanket and let him try his hand at feeding himself as she prepped two more servings. Her stomach twisted at the divine scent. She had splurged in the village she knew, but the local vegetables and meats had been too tempting to pass up.

"They'll fit," Mando shouted as he descended the ship. He held the dampeners out for her inspection as he grew closer.

"Thank you. Bowl's there for you. I'll keep him here while you go inside." She moved to take the parts but Mando's fist closed over them first.

"I'll reassemble it while you feed him," he told her.

She couldn't even ask if he was sure out before he whirled around and settled over the carbine. He undoubtedly had been thinking about the carbine since they left the shop. Leaving him to the task, Vala turned to her own to find the Child tipping the entire bowl into his face.

"Slow down," she hissed lunging for him. "You're going to choke." The Child merely belched and tried to submerge himself again. She laid the bowl in her lap and spoon-fed him, much to his displeasure, feeding herself at the intervals where she made him chew. After one spoonful she understood why the Child had tried to drown in it. It was delicious and she had to remind herself to be a good role model.

Mando's shadow fell over as they polished off the meal. "I see you're teaching him to slow down," Mando said from above her.

"Forcing more like." That earned another chuckle which warmed her cheeks. "Your bowl by the fire."

"Are you done?"

She nodded.

"Then I'll eat later, come over here."

Placing the new toys in front of the Child, she rose and joined Mando. He presented the carbine to her with open palms. "The grip needs replacing and it could stand to have some more updates but it'll fire. I even lined up some targets for you."

Vala took the carbine in hand and aimed into the forest to find cans lined along trees and tucked atop branches. She took aim. A can sparked and went flying into the forest as the bolt hit its mark.

"Just as good as your old Nightstinger?" he asked arms folded over his chest.

"It has its pros and cons but it is a decent replacement." She passed the weapon over to him. "Why don't you give it a try? I can spare a canister for your enjoyment as payment for the dampeners."

"Not fair in value but if it'll make you feel better, I won't complain." He said taking carbine. He fired two shots, each sparking against a can. "Not bad," he began turning it over in his hands, "not much stopping power though. Gas is out."

Vala pulled a replacement from her belt and began reloading it. Mando, hands on his hips, tapped a finger on his belt. "If you like this, the pulse rifle might interest you too." He pulled the rifle from his back and passed it to her. "Have you ever used one before?"

"No," she sat the carbine down and took up the rifle. It was heavier than she was used to and longer. She steadied herself before firing. The can she shot disintegrated. Whistling, she turned the weapon over in her hands. "This is beautiful, recoil is stronger than I'm used to, but the stopping power is incredible."

Mando moved behind her, lifting the gun back into her arms. "You need to adjust your stance. Like this." He moved her with the lightest of touches. With his hands ghosting over her arms and back and hips, Vala's heart surged. "Try now." He kept one hand on her back, fingers splayed wide.

Focusing on his instructions, Vala hit another can out of a high branch. He was right. The recoil was significantly easier.

"Good, again."

She aimed again, fighting back the haziness that was building in her mind, and hit another can.

"Again." She put another one in her sight.

"You said it was nice," he whispered suddenly, "being held." Her shot went wide.

The pace of her heartbeat ramped up to a drum.

"Vala?"

She couldn't stop herself from squirming. "I believe, I said being protected was nice."

Mando again adjusted her grip and nudged her feet back in place. "Does that mean you didn't like it?" He asked voice deep.

She licked her lips and willed her heart to leave her throat. "I did like it," she said softly.

He pressed closer at her words, his beskar cool even through her clothing. "I liked it too," he admitted into her ear.

"I would've been surprised if you didn't," she said trying to calm herself. "These things are only natural, especially since we've been in a tight space for months. I think we just need…relief."

"Relief." Mando purred the word as his hands fell to her waist sending a shock up her spine. "How do you suppose we get that?"

The implication of his question burrowed into her chest and made a home. She steadied her breathing before answering. "It depends on what you want, what you like."

"I like seeing you holding my gun."

Vala leaned back into him the sharp edges of his armor barely noticeable over the tingling warmth his touch elicited.

"Silence," he said, "surprising."

"I don't want to ruin the moment." Vala lied lowering the rifle. With his touch stocking a fire low in her belly, she hadn't even thought of making a joke. "I know you don't care for my humor too often."

Mando crossed his arms over her tighter. "I think you must be confused."

"Confused?"

"Yes." He said finally. "I enjoy listening to you talk."

Her heart leaped and her pussy throbbed in time. "Really? You keep such a space between us."

Mando stilled. "I scared you, on Pzob."

The memory of him towering over her returned. She had tried to stab him and, not even a moment later, had thought about letting him take her against the side of the ship. Not that he needed to know that. "That was a long time ago and, besides, I don't know a sane person who wouldn't be afraid of a Mandalorian looming over them," Vala remarked leaning even more into his touch. The vibration of his chuckle echoed in her.

His hand drifted over her hip. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Laying a hand on his, she pried herself away and handed his rifle back. "Then we need to make some rules. To keep things simple."

"Simple?"

She nodded. "Simple."

Mando watched her for a moment before nodding. "Meet me in cock pit tonight, after the kid's asleep." He said it like an order. A throb of want shook her.

Vala swallowed her desire. She needed a clear head, needed to make sure they were careful, smart. A lot could go wrong if they weren't careful. "Okay."

Mando turned and left her without another word. He began breaking down camp as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn't just propositioned her. Or had she propositioned him? It was a blur. Shaking her head, Vala forced herself to focus on breaking down the camp promising to end the haze that night.