Din woke to the soft clink of claws against beskar, a small weight wriggling on his chest. Blinking, he shifted a little and looked down. "Grogu?"
"Eee!" The kid chirped, tapping his claws on Din's helmet again.
Din smiled, and let go of Fett's robes to cuddle Grogu close to his chest, leaning down to touch his forehead to Grogu's in greeting. "Hey, kid. I missed you."
"Patu!" Grogu said indignantly, his little ears twitching.
"I know, I left you behind." Din said, rubbing the kid's back gently. "That wasn't very nice, was it?"
"Ahh."
"I know." Din said, cuddling Grogu close. "I know. I'm sorry." Guilt simmered in his stomach.
Grogu nestled into Din's chest, gripping Din's robe with his little claws, tucking his face into Din's neck. "Patu."
Din smiled, stroking one of the kid's ears. "Were you good for Auntie Peli?"
"Aaaah." Grogu squeaked indignantly, burrowing his cold little nose into Din's collarbone.
Din chuckled. "Okay."
"Djarin?"
Din startled a little at the sound of Fett's voice, the soft rumble sending a shiver of arousal up his spine. Fett shifted a little underneath him, groaning tiredly and letting go of Din's hand to stretch his arms above his head, his biceps flexing. Blushing, Din looked away and stroked one of Grogu's ears. Taking a shallow breath, he tried to ignore the fizzling heat in his belly, the disappointment that flooded him at the loss of Fett's touch. Blissfully unaware of the direction of Din's thoughts, Grogu made a contented snuffling sound and mashed his face deeper into Din's neck.
"Morning." Fett mumbled, pressing his face against the top of Din's helmet.
"I'm pretty sure it's afternoon." Din replied, smiling.
Fett snorted. "Probably." He tucked Din more securely into his side with a muscled arm, making a softly contented noise when Din eagerly wormed closer, taking Grogu with him.
"You gonna introduce us?" He asked, his voice a low rasp against Din's ear.
"Right." Din smiled as Grogu peered up at Fett, his ears twitching curiously. "Grogu, this is Boba Fett. Fett, this is Grogu."
"Nice to meet you, kid." Fett said softly.
"Patu!" Grogu chirped, showing off the few teeth he had in a sunny smile. He nestled further into Din's chest contentedly.
Fett chuckled, the vibration raising goose bumps on Din's arms. Din shivered a little, curling the fingers of his free hand into Fett's robes, his thumb brushing the scarred surface of Fett's skin. Fett's robes had shifted a little in his sleep, revealing a thin patch of wiry dark chest hair, and Din had to resist the urge to slip his hand underneath the other man's robes and run his hands over those little hairs, to press closer to the warmth of his skin.
His traitorous mind supplied images of Fett's body leaning over him, his chest hair tickling Din's skin as he pinned him to the bed, his large hands on Din's arms. Fett's powerful thighs settled between Din's legs, his mouth on Din's neck, their hips pressed together.
Din flushed bright red behind his helmet. Get it together, Mando.
"Get any sleep?" Fett asked, letting Grogu grip one of his fingers and examine it curiously.
"I - yes." Din said. Still blushing slightly, he watched Grogu poke at the raised scars that covered Fett's hands. "I - I did."
Fett hummed, watching Grogu with a soft expression on his face, the corner of his mouth curved up in a smile. A sudden rush of affection filled Din's chest at the sight of Fett and Grogu together, driving thoughts of Fett's body out of his mind.
They look good together, he thought wistfully.
Upon deciding Fett could be trusted, the child started chewing contentedly on the offered finger.
Din sighed and attempted to dislodge Grogu. "Grogu, no."
"I don't mind." Fett assured him.
Din shook his head. "He needs to learn he can't just bite everything. A few weeks ago he tried to eat a poisonous lizard and he was sick for days." He sighed deeply, shuddering. "There was so much vomit."
Grogu let out an offended squeak, his little ears twitching. "Ah!"
Fett laughed. "Handful, is he?"
Din snorted. "You could say that."
Grogu squeaked again, releasing Fett's finger and tapping his claws on Din's helmet.
Din smiled, stroking Grogu's head gently. "But he's a good kid." Grogu preened happily, leaning into Din's touch.
"Yes." Fett's voice was soft, contemplative, almost - sad, a deeper emotion lurking behind his words. Din wondered what it meant.
Has he ever spent much time around kids before? Fett had never mentioned having a child, but then again, Din didn't often mention Grogu to others, either, at least not around strangers he didn't fully trust.
Maybe he doesn't trust me. The thought hurt, a sharp pang of sadness clawing at his ribs.
No. He thought stubbornly, swallowing past a lump in his throat. I don't believe that. There were secrets between them, things Din had kept to himself. The shame and guilt he'd carried since Morak, since breaking the Creed, the fear of returning to the tribe and facing exile from his people, of being cut off from the covert. Fett doesn't know I'm an apostate, Din thought guiltily, but it's not - it's not because I don't trust him.
Admitting he'd broken the Creed, taking the helmet off for good and accepting a life as an outcast - it's what I'm supposed to do, he thought, but - I can't. Not yet. He would have to return to the covert soon, admit his transgressions and surrender the armor, now that he was no longer one of the tribe, but - I can't. Not yet.
Fett won't trust me anymore, once he knows the truth. Din thought heavily. Fett won't want to be friends anymore once he knows I'm an apostate.
As if sensing the morose direction of Din's thoughts, Fett curled his fingers around Din's bicep, the pressure of his calloused fingers reassuringly solid. He rested his other hand on Din's hip, his thumb brushing Din's belly through the thin fabric of the medbay robe. Din swallowed hard, his heartbeat picking up as heat bloomed in his stomach. His cock twitched.
Stop it. He told himself sternly. Grogu is right here.
"How do you feel?" Fett asked, rubbing his thumb gently up and down Din's belly button, the warmth of his touch bleeding through the fabric.
"Better." Din said truthfully. The pain in his leg had receded, the ache more manageable than it had been when he first woke up in the medbay. His head still throbbed, but the nausea had faded during his nap.
"Good." Fett hummed. "Hungry?"
Din shrugged, wincing a little as his sore body protested the movement.
"I'll take that as a yes." Fett said, rolling his eyes. "What about you, kid?"
Grogu looked up at Fett and offered him a toothy grin. "Patu!"
Fett chuckled. "All right. I'll get something for us to eat." He let go of Din and levered himself off the cot with a groan, tugging his boots on.
Feeling oddly bereft, Din wrapped both arms around Grogu. The cot felt too large without Fett's bulk beside him, the sheets cool against Din's legs. He shook away his disappointment, feeling foolish.
"Grogu likes frogs." He said, watching as Fett fixed his robes, re-wrapping the black fabric tighter around his chest and securing it with his belt. "And spiders. Any meat, really. I think he's carnivorous."
"Ahh." Grogu chirped, eyes bright. "Froo?"
"I think I can scrounge up some frogs." Fett said, smiling. He slung his gaderffi over one shoulder, the broad muscles in his shoulders rippling underneath his robes. Din flushed bright red behind his helmet, trying to ignore the prickle of arousal in his gut at the sight.
Enough. He dug his nails savagely into his palms, releasing the pressure a moment later, red crescent marks blooming on his skin.
"Patu." Grogu hummed happily, wrapping his little claws around Din's index finger.
"Thank you." Din said softly, looking up at Fett.
Fett smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling softly. "Happy to help." He replied, turning and leaving Din alone in the room with Grogu.
Din let out a long sigh, turning his attention back to the kid. "Well kid, looks like it's you and me."
"Aah." Grogu's ears twitched as he chewed on Din's finger contentedly. His pointy little teeth scraped against Din's calluses, a soft pressure that barely hurt. It was strangely soothing, reminding Din of nights spent rocking Grogu to sleep on the Razor Crest, singing the kid to sleep as he soothed himself by chewing on Din's fingers. The memory sparked a pang of bittersweet nostalgia.
Things were so much simpler back then. Din thought wistfully, swallowing past a lump in his throat. Find a job, stay away from the Empire. Just me and the kid.
It wasn't just the two of them anymore, and they could never go back to those days on the Razor Crest. At the time Din had been overwhelmed with stress, trying to figure out what to do with the kid. Lying awake at night, he'd scoured the Holonet for information about raising small children of undetermined species, worrying about whether Grogu was getting enough to eat, whether he felt safe, whether he was sleeping all right in the makeshift sling Din had fashioned for him.
Din still worried about those things, but it was different now. He had help, a support network to rely on for childcare and advice, the stability of knowing that the kid was safe from Imperials for the time being. Peli seemed to take her honorary role as Grogu's aunt very seriously, Omera could always be contacted in the middle of the night for advice about toddler mood swings, and Vanth's vast experience as Mos Pelgo's resident babysitter came in handy when trying to establish a bedtime routine with the kid on the nights Din wasn't on a job.
Still, it was less complicated when I only had Grogu to worry about. Din thought ruefully.
Grogu huffed a little, sensing that Din's attention was elsewhere. "Ah?"
Din smiled as the kid released his finger and reached out to Din with both hands. "Not enough cuddles, huh?"
"Ah - ah." Grogu agreed, gurgling happily as Din tucked him securely into the crook of his elbow and scratched the top of his head gently.
"So, what kind of trouble did you get up to while I was gone?" He asked, smiling.
Grogu waved a claw imperiously, as if to say who, me?. "Eee."
Din snorted. "Didn't steal any treats?"
"Patu!" Grogu insisted indignantly. "Ahhhh."
Din rolled his eyes. "Auntie Peli spoils you."
Grogu just hummed, closing his eyes and resting his head on Din's shoulder.
"I'll have to tell her no more candied frog eggs." He mused, sinking further into the cot.
"Patu." Grogu protested sleepily, his ears dropping sadly.
Din sighed. "All right, all right. Just not right before bedtime, okay?"
Grogu chirped happily, nestling into Din's collarbone.
As if I could ever deny Grogu anything he wants. He thought. He would give Grogu a million frog eggs if it meant the kid would be safe and happy.
"I love you, kid." He murmured, stroking the fine hairs on top of Grogu's head.
"Lovooo." Grogu agreed, reaching up with a claw to tap Din's helmet, the beskar chiming softly.
