It never rained on Nevarro.
In all the time Din had been on this planet, he had never once seen the rain fall.
That was until today.
Din had been woken in the early hours of this morning by the sound of rain clattering on the flat roof of his cabin.
And all day since, the rain had been constant, soaking the warm, dusty ground all around them, the pleasant petrichor rising to meet Din and Grogu's noses.
Although Lysa had promised to resume her delivery of sweet breads and fruit from today, Din couldn't hold it against her if she didn't want to venture out in weather like this.
Lysa had of course been on Din's mind since their meeting yesterday at her broken down speeder. And despite how tired he was, he seemed to have been running on adrenaline ever since, finding it hard to sleep, his mind constantly on her.
But Din knew he had to stop.
Lysa wasn't his. A woman like her likely never would be. For what kind of life could Din give to her? One where he kept his helmet and armour on, never showing his true feelings to anyone.
Grogu had been the first person in his lifetime he had ever shown his true self to. Not just what was behind the mask, but what he kept closed off inside his heart.
On Concordia, Din had been taught that the ancient ways of Mandalore were the only rules to live by. And yet those same rules had stopped him ever getting close to anyone.
But now there was Lysa.
Din could feel himself yearning for her.
She had let him in, lit up his life for a few short moments. And Din had known, from that moment, he was done for. His heart, hers.
And it killed him to think that she would never be his in return. Instead she had Crix. Making it clear how she had felt about the thuggish man, defending him to the end.
But that didn't stop Din from thinking of her. Imagining himself with her. Holding her…touching her…
When the rain had woken him at 3am, Din had laid there listening to the sound. A slick of sweat sitting on his collarbone, imagining her in the stillness and the humidity of the night. Longing for her…desperately wishing she was there with him in the dark.
It had taken all his strength to keep him from touching himself at the thought of her, instead remaining still, his breathing shallow, staring up at the darkened ceiling, his muscular arm resting up over his head.
He needed to stop this.
Now, well into the evening, the rain remained as persistent as ever. An accompanying rumble of thunder even sounding overhead.
At their scrubbed wooden table, Grogu, having just finished a dinner of bone broth with extra dung worms, gave a small, frightened whine.
"It's ok," said Din shifting in his seat to rub at Grogu's tiny back as the pair stared out of the large window at the rain falling. "It's just a thunderstorm. It'll be over soon."
Grogu peered up at his beskar-covered father looking worried, as the fire burning away in the grate behind them flickered and snapped. The first time Din had lit it since moving here.
The sky had already darkened a little despite it not even being that late.
But still catching up with sleep after their week away, Din knew that neither of them would be long for their beds at this rate.
Though for a long while that followed, the pair sat in silence, watching and listening to the rain fall from their cosy space inside their cabin.
These were the moments Din appreciated having a place of his own. A place where could sit in the quiet with his child and not worry that they would be disturbed.
But, as if on cue, a second noise appeared from nowhere, rumbling towards them, a noise that was certainly not thunder.
A sound drawing closer and closer…
A familiar clattering…
A grumbling old engine…
A landspeeder.
Din gave a frown of disbelief as he craned his neck to look out of the left of the window..only to see Lysa Kane's little speeder heading down the track toward them.
It was late and way past a good hour to be making any deliveries.
What was she doing here?
Before he even knew quite what he was doing, Din stood quickly, heading for the door, his battered old cape swishing behind him as he went.
Grogu at the table gave a chirp of interest, his large eyes following his father as he disappeared from sight.
Din stepped out onto the shelter of the porch and watched as the landspeeder came to a stop just a little way from the cabin, and the familiar figure of Lysa Kane stepped out, pulling off her visor and wincing against the falling rain.
Today she was dressed in a navy blue short tunic with matching breeches, and thrown over the top was a dusty mottled grey cloak.
She looked soaked through to the skin, but still managed to flash Din a smile in spite of the rain.
"I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner," she shouted over the rainfall apologetically, running around the back of her speeder and lifting up the lid of the basket at the rear. She pulled out a small wrapped package which she quickly sheltered beneath her cloak as best she could, before lightly running back over towards Din.
"With the rain…" she explained, glancing skywards and letting out a heavy sigh. "...well…..it's been a long day."
She came to stand in front of him, teeth chattering, and hurriedly handed him the package of fruit and breads. Even from here Din could smell the mouth-watering scent of Lysa's home baked items.
"You didn't need to deliver to us tonight," said Din, looking up at her. "I didn't expect you to come all the way here with the weather the way it is."
Both he and Lysa suddenly looked skyward as a loud clap of thunder rumbled overhead, before they hurriedly turned back towards one another.
Lysa suddenly gave Din a warm, almost-yearning look.
"But I promised you I'd come today," she said in a loud but kind voice, grimacing against the rain.
Her hair, although moments ago had been half dry, covered by her helmet, was now soaking wet. And her cloak looked sodden and heavy.
But yet she remained smiling up at him, shining like something sent from the heavens.
"You should come inside," Din said firmly. "Wait until the storm passes. It's not safe to be out on the lava flats with the weather the way it is."
Once more Lysa looked skyward as if on cue another crash of thunder rumbled above them.
She looked for a moment a little unsure, before the sight of lightning forking across the sky followed by another boom of thunder, made up her decision for her.
She gave a hurried nod and at once Din stepped aside to let her pass.
Thanks to J-James, aprilkay7, ReRe00, smichale and chipiam for reviewing the last chapter. Your comments really give me a little boost, so thank you. I really do appreciate it.
Was this one ok? Are you liking the dynamic between them so far? How would you guys like to see it all play out?
Please review!