The days slipped slowly by, like sand through an hourglass.

The distant morning bells chiming in the spiralled tower near to the gates of the nearby city, tolling the dawn of each new day.

With the passing of each one, easing the pain (both physical and emotional), for Lysa, until she was far more able to bare it.

For with every new day, Lysa felt far more like herself again. The hard memories of what had happened in Nar Shaddaa still there, like the dull ache in her shoulder, but it seemed to diminish slightly with every second, every minute, every hour that passed her by.

The nights however had been far harder.

During the day Lysa could easily be distracted by Grogu, or by Din. Or by keeping herself busy, tidying the cabin, making food to feed the three of them.

But the nights felt far more difficult to bear.

For that was when the ghosts of her past haunted her, slipping into her dreams and lingering there until she would be woken to the feeling of Din pulling her close, whispering words of comfort into her ear, pressing kisses to her hair…

Soothing her in a way no other person ever could.

Several times over the past few days Lysa had woken, sweat beaded over her collarbone, breathing hard, terrified. And she had burst into tears almost instantly, still more shaken by everything that had happened than she cared to admit.

Lysa knew that despite all he had done to her, what he had put her through…the guilt of taking Crix's life like she had, still sat heavy on her soul, gnawing at her from the inside. Her subconscious bearing most of this burden.

But each night that passed, Din was there, helping to ease that pain with just his presence.

There was no kissing between them now, no touching, nothing more than his strong arms wrapping around her when the nightmares drew in.

And by the fifth day Lysa, when dawn had broken, Din had eaten an early lunch with her and Grogu and muttered something about needing to go into the city. And, feeling well-rested and at ease, Lysa had smiled and told him to go. Reassuring him that she would be fine.

And she was.

That weight lifting from her shoulders bit by bit with each new dawn.

Lysa knew that in a couple of days she would feel well enough and steady enough to venture out herself. Yearning to get back to doing what she loved the most and carry on with her deliveries. But without her old landspeeder, this would likely prove difficult.

But nevertheless, if Lysa couldn't bake for the purpose of selling her wares she would indeed bake to feed the two people she cared most about in the galaxy.

Smiling to herself now, as she kneaded the sweetbread dough between her hands.

"So…how is she?" asked Greef Karga, as he reclined in his high-backed chair behind his huge desk, eying Din with interest.

The tall Mandalorian was standing before him now, with Grogu at his side, who was sat up in his hover-pram, both eyes firmly on the poit nuts that sat in a dish on Karga's desk.

"Better," uttered Din in a low voice. "Her fever's gone. Her shoulder is pretty much healed over, and all the other bruises are beginning to fade.

"No," said Karga with a shake of his head. "I mean how is she? For her ex-boyfriend to put her through all that…someone she thought cared about her..."

"She's getting there," Din replied. "I think she's still getting used to the idea that he's finally gone. And that she can finally breathe again."

A smile twitched at Karga's lips. His brown eyes were warm.

"Well at least she's got you," he said, staring up at Din. "You know it wasn't all that long ago that you stood here asking me about that Crix guy. Back then, I didn't quite know what your MO was. Thought he was just some guy that had pissed you off. And then I saw you with her, and saw the way she looked at you."

Karga's smile widened.

"That's when I knew that you were both smitten with each other," he said jovially. "But neither of you wanted to admit it."

Behind his beskar, Din felt his face flush. And grateful his old friend wasn't privy to that now, Din merely grunted out an acknowledgement.

"So…." said Karga, his smile widening into a grin as he raised both eyebrows. "You gonna admit it now?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," replied Din smoothly, but even he couldn't help the smirk pulling at his lips.

"Pfft," scoffed Karga. "You can't fool me, Mando. I know you love that girl, you've just got to tell her, that's all."

Din rolled his eyes, folding his arms across his armoured body and shifting his weight onto one foot, before he changed the topic.

"I came here to thank you for coming to Nar Shaddaa the other day. You and the Marshal," tutted Din. "But if this is just going to be a lecture-"

Karga quickly raised both hands either side of his head in good spirits.

"Alright, alright. Easy," Karga chuckled. "You're welcome."

But Karga now offered Din a serious look, glancing him up and down. "I knew I had to follow you when I saw you leave like that. 'Cause when it comes to saving the people you care about…well…you're like a wildfire, Mando. And it feels like no force in this galaxy is going to stop you."

Din ruminated on Karga's words for a long moment, before letting out a huff of air through his nose.

It was of course true. Perhaps Din did let his emotions and his anger get the better of him when it came to Grogu, and now Lysa. But Mandalorians were known for their loyalty to those in their clan. Their family.

And was that not what Lysa was to him now?

Din certainly felt like she was family. His feelings for her having multiplied tenfold since getting back from Nar Shaddaa.

Relieved with knowing that she was safe in his arms once more. Where she was supposed to be. And where Din wanted her to be forever more.

His heart now seemed to ache for every moment he was apart from her.

Needing to feel her closeness. To feel her heart beating near to his own.

"So how about the Stinger?" muttered Karga, sliding the small bowl of nuts across the table towards Grogu, who he had noticed had been almost salivating over them. "You saw that it handles well. Still interested in borrowing it?"

The small green child immediately jumped from his pram, landing on the table and began to shovel the small orange poit nuts into his mouth by the handful.

Din let out a sigh.

"Can we put it on ice for now?" murmured the Mandalorian. "I'm not sure heading off-planet right now would be what Lysa wants."

"I dunno," said Karga with a shrug. "Maybe a vacation would do you both some good."

Din ignored his friend before pursing his lips for brief moment, giving a frown behind his helmet.

"You got any landspeeders?" he asked, changing tack all of a sudden.

Karga gave a shake of his head. "Nothing I'm aware of at the moment."

"Lysa needs one to get around to make her deliveries," said Din with another sigh. "I can tell she wants to get out there again."

"Surely you earn enough for the both of you to get by on?" said Karga with a curious frown stitching its way over his brow.

"I don't think she'd want that," replied Din shifting his weight back onto his right leg. " I know that she enjoys it. People enjoying what she makes. Her parents owned a bakery on Naboo when she was a child and she's grown up baking and selling sweet breads and cakes all her life."

"Well then, it sounds like its not a speeder she wants…" commented Karga, raising a single eyebrow.

But Din merely frowned, staring back at Karga with a confused look crossing his face.

At his silence, Karga continued.

"Surely she wants a little store of her own," he explained. "I actually met her for the first time on a walk-around of the city. While she was looking around a place last year, just before Life Day."

Lysa had of course told Din this. Telling him how she had been planning on opening a shop on the outskirts of the city when Crix had taken all of the money she had spent years saving, merely gambling it away spitefully.

Din did not respond, with Karga offering him a knowing look.

"I'll keep an eye out for a speeder for you."

The sky had grown dark by the time Din climbed the porch steps leading up to his small cabin set in the middle of the dusty desert flats.

As the door slid open before him, he was greeted with a warm glowing light and the delicious scent of freshly baked bread.

Stepping quietly in the room, with Grogu padding along behind him, Din turned the corner to see Lysa stood against the counter with her back to them, humming softly to herself as she glazed the very top of a round loaf of bread with a small brush.

Din couldn't help but smile now as he watched her, long golden hair, brushed and perfect-looking, hanging down her back over a long cream tunic dress which was belted and nipped in at the waist.

Dank farrik.

To Din she was perfection.

Like nothing he had ever seen before.

Since the loss of his own parents at such a young age, Din had never considered himself to be the sort of man who would settle down, find a family of his own.

And yet forty years on, and here he was.

He now had Grogu. A son of his own. Something he had never thought he would have.

And now…there was Lysa.

The woman who had come into his life from nowhere. And become all that Din yearned for, from the moment he woke up, until the moment that sleep took him again.

Karga had been right. Din had been smitten with her from their very first meeting just outside.

She was everything he had ever wanted, despite not even realising it for so much of his life.

Completing him entirely.

Lysa turned now to wipe her hands on a clean cloth on the counter beside her, suddenly catching sight of the pair of them. Her beautiful eyes widening and her face breaking into a delighted smile.

"I didn't even hear you come in," she said warmly.

But before Din could even say a word, Grogu had approached and given a happy croak, before bouncing into the air and landing in Lysa's arms.

She gave a laugh.

"Caught you!" she said playfully, pulling the small green child into her and nuzzling her nose to his as he peered up at her gurgling cheerfully. "I missed you both."

She lifted her gaze to Din as he approached her.

"How was the city?" she asked in a kindly voice. "Did Falzar at the market say anything? I remembered today that I owe him five credits. He must be cursing me-"

But Din gave a shake of his head.

"No one said anything," he replied honestly. "I can go back and pay him tomorrow if you need me to?"

But Lysa too shook her own head, sending her blonde hair cascading back over her shoulders. "No, he might have forgotten. I might try and head into town later in the week anyway. Try out that speeder bike."

She raised her eyebrows tauntingly, causing Din to huff.

Din still had the speeder bike they had borrowed from the Jawas weeks ago, parked around the rear of the cabin. But if he was honest, he was not keen on the idea of Lysa riding such a vehicle over the harsh lava flats to get into the city.

A landspeeder was safe and far slower than the bike that was for sure.

"Well at least let me give you a lesson on it first," said Din in a gruff voice. "Those bikes go a lot faster than a landspeeder."

Lysa pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes at Din playfully.

"Fine," she said with a smirk. "Spoilsport."

Din narrowed his eyes at her and tilted his helmet-covered head her way, giving a goading grunt.

"Mi-tahhhh," sighed Grogu suddenly, in Lysa's arms, settling his tiny head against Lysa's chest.

"I guess it's bedtime," Lysa said to Din in a whisper. "I could go for an early night too."

And as though on cue, Lysa gave a yawn of her own, attempting to muffle it behind her hand.

"Want me to-" she offered, but Din had it covered, extracting Grogu from Lysa's grasp and carrying him towards the door to his Sleeper.

"I'm on it," he responded in a low voice, as Lysa smiled after them.

By the time Din emerged from putting Grogu down, the lights in the living space were already dimmed and Din could hear Lysa washing up in the Refresher on the far side of the room.

Certainly ready for sleep himself, Din had headed to his own Sleeper, the door sliding open before him. Before beginning to remove the plated beskar armour from his person.

Piece by piece he dropped it to the floor in a neat pile, sitting himself down on the edge of the bed to wait for Lysa before removing any more layers - like his tunic, pants, or most importantly, his helmet.

And a few seconds later, there she was. Looking like a vision, her tunic now unbelted and unbuttoned at the chest. Golden hair flowing around her like a halo of light.

But it was her smile that caused Din's heart to constrict within his chest as he looked up at her.

That smile that, for days, had been absent. And faint on the rare occasion it had lingered upon her lips.

But here it was now, in all its glory and warmth, washing over him like a welcome breeze on a summer's day.

Dank.

Din knew that wherever Lysa was, was where he wanted to be now. Never wanting to leave her again.

She entered the room, closing the door behind her with a swwffftt.

The shutters on the window were not yet closed. And in the pale starlight that now illuminated the otherwise shadowy room, Din watched from the corner of his eye, as Lysa undid the remaining buttons on her long dress. Before removing it from her person and hanging it over a small stool at the very foot of the bed.

And with nothing but a short, thin slip covering her perfect body, she pulled back the covers and climbed into bed.

"You ok for me to-" she questioned in a soft voice, nodding towards the button situated just below the shutters.

Din gave a nod and just a second later the room was shrouded in complete darkness. Allowing him the opportunity to remove his tunic and helmet in the privacy so demanded of him by his Creed.

But if Din was completely honest, this act felt frustratingly pointless to him now. More than it ever had before.

For he knew how he felt about Lysa now. And her not seeing his face, after all that had happened between them, especially after almost losing her in Nar Shaddaa like that…well, it felt futile.

Now Din wanted to give himself to her fully, wanting her to truly understand how much she meant to him. And how much of himself he was willing to give to her in return.

But before Din could think on this any longer, his thoughts were disturbed by Lysa speaking.

"Do you think my basket might fit on the back of a speeder bike?" she asked in a quiet voice.

Din gave a huff, now free of beskar and his wool tunic, leaving him in just his dark pants.

"Might be a little precarious," he replied, coming to lie on his side to face her now in the dark.

He heard her shift against her pillow a little.

"I really want to try and get back to making deliveries in a few days," she said in a gentle voice. "I feel like it would do me good….getting back out there. Being busy again."

Din understood. Of course he did. But that didn't stop him feeling protective over her.

"Want me to be your chaperone?" he asked in a light tone, harking back to those two occasions when Lysa had asked Din to escort her through the marketplace.

He could hear her smiling now, even in the dark as she shifted closer to him.

"I think I'll be fine," she said, nudging her nose suddenly with hers. "Thank you though."

And with that, Din felt her ghost her lips over his for the briefest of seconds, before kissing him gently.

A warm sensation seemed to fill Din, from the top of his head, right down to the tips of his toes. And beneath the covers, Din's hand found Lysa's waist, pulling her body flush with his own.

He deepened the kiss as Lysa did too, her lips tasting of the sweetest honey. A taste Din had been craving for days now. His addiction.

But their kiss now was not like the heated ones of one week past.

This was gentle and sweet, and filled with the purest love and affection for one another.

After a long few moments, Lysa finally pulled away, smiling into Din's lips. And he knew now that if he were to have looked upon her face he would have seen a blush there, gracing her cheeks.

Din stared at her in the darkness, both of them silent now as the seconds ticked by.

It was Lysa that was first to break through the quiet.

"Thank you," she said again gently. "For….for saving me."

A frown line grazed Din's brow, but he didn't say anything as Lysa continued.

"For the first time in my life…" she uttered, before pausing for the slightest of seconds, her words hanging in the air like a swirl of sand. "...I feel…free."

Lysa reached up, her fingers grazing down Din's cheek.

"I-"

Din swallowed hard, his breath stilling in his lungs as he waited…waiting for Lysa to finish her sentence…

…but he felt her drop her face from his now, and glance downwards, before she looked up once more, her nose brushing his…

…the ghost of those words fading away without him able to do a thing to stop them.

"Night, Din," she whispered softly, pressing herself into him and tucking her head beneath his chin, snuggling herself close.

And Din felt himself give another hard swallow, as he pulled her into him, resting his bearded chin on top of her head.

But it was several minutes more, long after he had felt Lysa succumb to sleep, that Din even attempted to close his eyes.

His heart aching painfully for those unspoken words, still clinging to the air between them.

Those words that still needed to be said.

With Din knowing now, that he needed to be the one to say them.

Thanks to Freya2Xana, chipiam, smichale and aprilkay7 for reviewing the last chapter.

I love these cute little chapter. Am I the only one?

The next chapter: Din has something to say to Lysa...

Please review! :)