Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Din was, as he always seemed to be, alone at his desk laboring over paperwork. He had kept the same habit for over a year, of reading or writing a few words and then looking around his office for something else to focus on. There was never anything else to focus on. His office was plain and always too dark no matter the time of day. He had never bothered to put any decorations, hadn’t even put furniture in there, it all just showed up one day. A desk, a chair, a couch, a coffee table, and an armchair. Nothing on the walls, nothing even on the coffee table other than the papers that overflowed from his desk. All rich neutral colors like terracotta red or soil brown. He had been told he could work in the throne room but he didn’t like the idea of people being able to come and go freely while he worked. There was only a single window and it was placed at an odd height that bothered Din. That weird window, however, had become Din’s only solace from Mand’alor duties.

From the window, Din could see the young students of Luke Skywalker training in the palace gardens. His guilty pleasure was watching Luke teach, admiring his smile and sometimes catching a distant laugh on the breeze. Occasionally, it was the only thing keeping Din from throwing himself out of his office window. He had never chosen nor was prepared to be the Mand’alor and one simple misunderstanding caused the entire course of his life to change. He had really enjoyed not being known before, not having eyes on him at all times, and not having countless people vying for his favor. Ruling a still very fractured group of people on a still healing planet would’ve been difficult for even the most prepared person, such as Bo-Katan. In comparison, Din had been miles away from her when he picked up the Darksaber. Not matter how clumsy or awkward he felt his rule had been he allowed himself to be proud of what he had done so far. He had held onto Sundari for this long without more than a skirmish since they’d won it back from the Imperial remnants. The city was expanding so far that there were talks about establishing another one within the next year.

Part of what Din was most proud of, however, was hosting Luke Skywalker and his burgeoning revival of the Jedi Order. Luke trained his students on the Palace grounds, protected from all who would wish to harm them. Din was especially proud of that. He of all people knew what it was like to exist within a nearly extinct group and if he had to be burdened with all this power he might as well use it to help others. Luke gathered his students from the newest generation of Mandalorians who could call their ancestral planet home. A few came from foster homes or the local orphanage, or their families had noticed their sensitivity and brought the child to Luke for guidance. In one student's case, Luke sensed their force sensitivity while out in the market. He had 5 total students, including Grogu, and they ranged in age from about 7 to 10, excluding Grogu. They were all so small and had each known their own hardships. They treated Luke as a teacher, a father, and a big brother. Din deeply admired Luke for how well he treated them.

From the window, he could see Luke’s many facets as he taught his students. He could make the kids laugh and run around with them. He had the ability to make them listen and make them understand when it was time to focus. Din wished he could spend time learning from Luke like the children. Even if he was abysmally unconnected to the Force, he wanted Luke’s smile directed at him. Their interactions were far too limited. Pretty much the only times they interacted were when Din went to pick up Grogu at the end of the day. Luke would give him a summary of what they learned and how well Grogu did in the lesson. Din really never knew what else to say other than simple responses. And usually, Din had some kind of fire to put out or council meetings to attend, preventing him from staying too long to chat.

Din’s musings out the window were interrupted by a grand entrance into his office. Greef Karga greeted him with open arms and a wide smile. Din relaxed a bit at the sight of his old friend, eternally grateful it wasn’t something Mand’alor related. Pulling himself free from his desk, Din and Greef sat opposite each other on the couch and armchair in the corner of the room. A lively conversation began as they filled each other in on news from their two planets and two lives.

Somewhere along the way, Luke was mentioned. Din felt his hackles go up once Greef started talking about him. He wasn’t completely sure why he felt that way, or even what the nature of these feelings were. He could only recognize the feelings of being protective and guarded. Greef marveled at the small yet flourishing Jedi school and asked if there were any plans of expanding.

“Skywalker said he eventually wants a bigger school but he’s content with the kids he’s got right now.”

“You two seem rather familiar with each other,” Greef’s tone confused Din.

“He’s Grogu’s teacher,” Din waved his hand in a way he hoped was casual. Greef hummed and steered the conversation to other topics, but Din recognized a weird look in his eye.

A glint outside caught Din’s attention as Greef told a long-winded story. He tilted his head slightly enough to look out the window but still aimed to appear like he was listening. One of the many benefits of his helmet was its ability to hide where his eyes were pointing. Luke had a familiar beloved small metal knob in his hand and was baiting Grogu with it. It was hard to tell exactly what Luke wanted him to do but seeing him reach his little arms out to it warmed Din’s heart. The ball started to move back and forth in the air between them and Din surmised that the lesson was training Grogu to keep it steady despite his impulses. After a few messy attempts, Grogu successfully floated it at a metered pace from himself to Luke and back again. Luke’s face lit up like the sun.

“Y’know with that helmet, sometimes I can’t tell if you’re really listening to me.” Din immediately felt embarrassed, as if he was caught in an act.

“Sorry, a lot on my mind lately.”

“Well, I don’t blame you. I too sometimes find my head spinning after a day of high magistrate duties. It’s important to learn to separate yourself from your position, Din.” Din waved him off and they went back to bantering. After a while Greef had to take his leave and return to work, as did Din.

As the afternoon waned into evening, Greef’s advice stuck in Din’s mind. Like a wake-up call, he realized he was completely entangled with his position as Mand’alor and had been straying from himself for a long time. Even long after Greef’s visit ended, his words kept bouncing around in Din’s thoughts. He had been feeling like there was no reprieve from his duties because it was the only thing he was doing daily. His only breaks were catching up with Grogu at the end of the day before putting him to bed. Din grabbed a mostly blank piece of paper and began composing a schedule for himself with breaks baked into each day.

The day drew to a close and Din set out to start his first-ever break in his tenure as Mand’alor. He decided to spend it taking a leisurely walk around the palace. He had lived there for almost two years at this point and on his walk he came to realize that he had only seen about a third of the entire estate. He ran into a few people who he always felt he could never find when he needed them, allowing himself to chuckle at the thought. Din circled the entire palace and eventually ended up in the gardens. He was admiring the topiaries he had never paid any mind to before when he heard someone call out to him. Turning, he saw Luke and his gaggle of students waving to him. Din was a bit stunned but gave them a curt wave. Grogu babbled and began quickly waddling over. Din was sheepish for interrupting the lesson with his presence but he met Grogu in the middle and scooped him up for a quick hug. However, the other children raced over, soon surrounding him on all sides. They bombarded him with questions, clearly understanding he was the Mand’alor but also having the childlike, persistent curiosity that transcends things such as rank and status. He crouched down to their level and began trying to answer their questions. They poked as his arm, hung off his arms, one kid kicked at his heavy boot. It was a mini storm of adorable chaos.

After attempting to satisfy the students’ feverish curiosity, Din felt a little dizzy. Mercifully, Luke stepped in before the children started trying to fully climb on his armor. He told them that it was about time for their break anyways and that they could go play. With permission, the children were easily distracted and whizzed off to play further in the garden. Grogu went with them, having noticed that Luke had left the metal knob on the ground unattended.

“You’re a bit early picking up Grogu today,” Luke’s tone made Din feel as if he was asking a question.

“I decided to take a break, go for a walk.”

Luke nodded. “I may be wrong, but it doesn’t seem like you take many breaks.”

“A friend of mine made me realize I should start.” Din’s sheepishness increased tenfold as Luke looked at him with concern.

“... You haven’t taken a break in over a year?”

Din nodded hesitantly.

“Well, I’m glad you’re at least starting now.” Luke’s smile felt like it pierced straight through Din’s visor. Through his helmet, slicing into the beskar like it wasn’t even there. He was self-conscious of his expressions even though there was no way Luke could see them. Or at least he hoped there was no way, but he would be the first to admit he had very little knowledge of what one could do with the Force.

“Would you like to maybe, take a walk? Together?” Din held his breath as if Luke was a startled animal and a single movement would send him fleeing. Luke’s shining smile spread wider across his sun-kissed face.

“Of course, I would.”

The air escaped Din’s lungs.

“How about when you come to pick up Grogu later?”

Din felt a little deflated but also a bit stupid, having not thought about that of course Luke can’t just walk away from his band of students in the middle of the day. They said their goodbyes and Din waved to Grogu before returning to his office to finish the day. With something to look forward to, he was able to complete his paperwork much quicker than usual. With the extra time, he wandered around his office thinking of what to do. Passing the window, he saw that it was nap time for the Jedi students. Luke was sitting against the trunk of a tree, a sleeping kid’s head in his lap. He was looking up at the leaves with pure contentment, tracking the movement with his eyes and slowly smoothing his hand over the sleeping child’s hair. It was such a peaceful scene. Din felt a bit like he was intruding on a private moment until he abruptly realized that Luke was looking right back at him. He looked around a bit frantically hoping something else to be was the object of Luke’s attention. Regrettably, it was just him. Din hadn’t known he was visible from the window, thinking it was too high up for someone on the ground to see through. His breathing stopped when he thought about how Luke might have been seeing him this entire time. Luke probably thought he was immensely creepy and a stalker. Yet, Luke was smiling and gave a small wave. He felt like he had no choice but to wave back and move away from the window as fast as possible.

Leading up to their planned walk Din couldn’t stop thinking about how most likely this entire time Luke knew he was watching out the window. Maybe Luke would confront him. Din felt like he couldn’t swallow his nerves. This was a kind of anxiety he never knew before. How could something so small and petty make him feel like the sky was falling? He was well aware of his tendency to break social rules, but with Luke, it felt different. He felt a subconscious need to be perfect around him. Luke was so perfect himself, Din often felt like a constipated fool in comparison. Eventually, it was time to bite the bullet. Din thought about maybe apologizing, but then would that be an admission of guilt? He was exponentially more embarrassed when he felt a bead of sweat drop down his forehead to his cheek. When he got to the garden, Luke was chatting with a parent picking up their child. The sun was low enough in the sky to make Luke’s golden hair beam like it was made of sun rays. Din took a deep breath and decided to just go straight over to Grogu instead of interrupting. Grogu babbled excitedly and showed off a few things he’d been learning. It calmed Din’s mind to see his son.

“Hello Mand’alor,” Luke’s calm voice startled Din. “I just need a few minutes to see the rest of my students off and then we can go for our walk.”

Din nodded, hoping it seemed extremely casual. Once the last student was picked up, Luke turned to Din with a smile. They fell into step side by side and Grogu decided to toddle ahead of them. A long silence accompanied them as they began walking the perimeter of the garden.

“I find it very endearing that you check on Grogu through your window every day,” Luke popped the bubble of silence. Din took a beat too long to process. This was his saving grace.

“I just like to see that he’s doing well,” Din lied through his teeth. Of course, sometimes he was genuinely checking on his son. The nasty truth was that most of the time he was lost in thought staring at Luke’s freckled cheeks and drowning in his oceanlike eyes.

“I understand.”

“So, he does well? With the other students?”

“Oh yes, they’re all thick as thieves. Considering the mischief they get into already, I fear the kind of trouble they would cause if they didn’t like me as much. Though, sometimes I do worry how the group dynamic might change once the other children start becoming teenagers and Grogu continues being… Much as he is now.”

Din nodded. It was something he also worried about and he was assured that Luke shared that concern. Not only did it mean Luke was an attentive teacher, but also Din felt a little less crazy.

“I’ve thought about that as well, unfortunately, all we can do is wait and see.”

Luke hummed in agreement. Another blanket of silence fell upon them, but it was much more comfortable this time. They walked and watched Grogu as he explored the garden in contentment. Din tried to think of something to say. He wanted to talk, he wanted to get to know Luke more. There was a gnawing in his core to ask a million questions, to try and learn all he could as fast as he could. However, with all the thoughts spinning in his head he couldn’t find the right ones.

“May I question you a bit?” Luke looked at Din curiously. Din needed to take a minute to swim to the surface of his overwhelming thoughts before answering.

“Sure, on what?”

“On Mandalorian culture. As a guest of Mandalore and a teacher to young Mandalorians, I feel as if I should have a better understanding of the culture. It might help me connect better with the kids. If I can tie Jedi teachings in with concepts they’re already familiar with, that might make it stick better. Also, on a personal note, I would like to feel less like a black sheep.”

Din nodded, suppressing his surprise that Luke could ever feel out of place when he seemed to exist so effortlessly anywhere he went.

“Where would you like to start?”

“Well, to start, could you explain the Mandalorian Creed to me? I think I’ve picked up a bit just by living here for so long, but there are still blank spaces.”

Din breathed a bit easier, and confidently dove headfirst into his explanation. This was what he knew, backward and forwards, what he was passionate about. He could teach an entire course on the Way backwards and in his sleep. As he talked, he noticed Luke listening attentively. He was looking at him, clearly trying to take in every word. After Din had covered the basics, Luke began asking questions. Din’s chest swelled with something he decided to label as admiration. Before they even knew it, the sun was dipping down below the horizon. Grogu eventually slowed his exploration and sat down tiredly on the grass until the two men caught up.

“It seems like someone’s bedtime,” Din said with a fond smile.

“Oh! I hadn’t realized how late it’d gotten.” Luke chuckled sheepishly, looking around at the night that had grown around them. “Same time tomorrow?”

“I’d like that.” Din nodded, scooping up Grogu. They said their goodnights and parted ways. Din thought about their conversation as he headed back to his quarters, feeling full of contentment in a way he wasn’t familiar with. A small green hand reached up to his neck and suddenly he saw in his mind a third-person perspective of their walk. They looked so deeply interested in the topic of conversation and in one another. His heart went a second too long without a beat. Grogu cooed and Din realized that it was Grogu’s perspective he was seeing, being projected into his mind.

“... You’re getting too good at that Force thing.” Din tried to hide his thoughts of Luke away in a small corner of his mind, hoping Grogu couldn’t reach them. He didn’t want Grogu to see them before Din even understood their nature.

Walks in the garden became a daily routine, evolving over weeks into walks around the palace and the outer marketplace. Sometimes Luke would bring the students along to blow off steam. Those days were some of Din’s favorites. He got to see Luke teaching and mentoring up close. He actually got to know what he said and heard how his voice changed as he smiled or scolded. He felt the warmth of his presence like a summer afternoon. They both never missed a day.

Chapter Text

Though he had been loving his time on Mandalore from the beginning, Luke also still felt lonely and a bit outcast. The walks were an exciting new opportunity in two ways. The first, was to learn more about the people who hosted him and to regain some of the relationship he had with Mando during the reclamation. Luke now felt he could have an in-depth conversation with even a historian or anthropologist. It helped him understand his students better and their progress skyrocketed. Secondly, Luke took great pleasure in the relaxed way the Mand’alor now walked and held himself. He was cautiously out of his shell and that made Luke happiest of all. From their conversations, he began to gain access to the warm soft insides, ones that has rehardened after he became Mand’alor.

“Could I ask a potentially, very personal question?” Luke bit his inner cheek to hide his nerves.

“You can ask, I might answer.” The Mand’alor’s blunt honesty was something Luke had long began to find endearing.

“May I know your name? I feel we’re close enough to stop referring to each other by titles.” A long pause drifted through the topiaries. He had known this question was risky, but he was starting to regret it the longer the Mand’alor took to answer. In the back of his mind, he cursed the beskar for shrouding Din’s energy, making him hard to read through the Force.

“It’s Din. Din Djarin. You may call me by my name just between us… and the kid.” Luke tried hard to reign in the smile threatening to break across his face. He spoke Din’s name back to him.

“I’m very honored that you trust me with this, Din.” Luke bowed as a padawan would to a Master. “You can call me Luke.”

“Luke,” Din recited like a prayer. Luke’s own breath felt suspended in mid-air, hearing his own name distorted by the voice modulator. To think, they had fought together, side by side, back to back, yet they took a year and a half after all that to get on a first-name basis. Luke’s mind wandered back to when he first felt the sparks of fondness for Din. After becoming Grogu’s teacher, a day came when Din opened up about a dangerous mission. The mission to retake Mandalore. He was concerned about whether to leave Grogu in someone else’s care or bring him. Luke volunteered his skills as either a fighter or babysitter. Luke had felt warmth for Din building in the months previous. Grogu was incredibly fond of Din and often shared memories with Luke as they meditated, endearing vignettes that he greedily took into his heart. That warmth climbed to new heights during the Reclamation of Sundari. It was a bitter and long struggle. Three weeks pinned down by the Imperial forces. Their third camp in four days was discovered and in the ensuing squabble, Din saved Luke’s life. Back to back, they were, both wielding their respective sabers and blasters. A blast traveled towards Luke, seeking to strike him in the ribs in a moment he wasn’t looking. Din grabbed Luke’s arm on the opposite side and swung them both to where his beskar chest plate took the hit. It left Luke without any air in his lungs. Since that moment he could no longer deny his feelings.

Though Luke offered his help without expectation of reward, Din insisted. In the end, it was hard to deny practically a blank check from the ruler of a newly re-established planet. Luke knew there was only one thing he could ask. In exchange for helping to reclaim the planet, Mandalore would host the beginnings of the new Jedi Order. Two ancestral enemies, mutually defeated by the Empire, helping one another rebuild. Luke found it quite poetic, which only exasperated his blossoming crush on Din. Now a year and a half later, Luke was building a new kind of Jedi Order with his Mandalorian students.

Luke had been reaching out to Din for months, hoping he would get the hint. He was quite sure that even though Din was reaching back now that it was pure coincidence rather than a response. Luke believed the story of Din’s burnout catching up with him and discovering the necessity of simply taking a break. Having spent over a year on Mandalore, he knew Mandalorians were direct and expected others to be as well. So it wasn’t a surprise that Luke’s year of friendly waves and other subtle bids for attention were taken at surface value. He’d been brainstorming recently on how to be more obvious with his intentions to get closer to Din without scaring him off. Turns out, all he had to do was wait.

***

After meetings, especially long and difficult ones, Din, Bo-Katan, and Cara would stay and debrief in the room. Din had grown to consider Bo-Katan as much of a friend as Cara had become long ago. Sometimes Paz stayed to chat, but usually, it was the three. It helped Din process the information to be able to hash it out less eloquently among friends. However, sometimes their conversations strayed off course and they ended up talking about unproductive nonsense for hours on end. To be honest, that was practically what happened most of the time. During this session of shooting shit, Bo-Katan asked about Grogu’s Jedi training.

“He’s doing really well, Luke is an excellent teacher.”

Bo-Katan and Cara shared a look. Din picked it up, tilting his head in question. They didn’t say anything and attempted to continue the conversation but the look made Din feel unsettled.

“What do you guys know that I don’t?” Din pressed. The same look bounced between the two women.

“It’s just interesting that you and Skywalker are on a first-name basis now,” Bo-Katan answered, barely hiding her coyness.

“We talk quite a bit about, Grogu stuff. We’re,” Din gestured vaguely while trying to find the correct wording. “Familiar.”

“Alright,” Cara shrugged with a barely noticeable smirk. A couple of beats of silence passed between the trio.

“People are talking, Din,” Bo-Katan exhaled like she couldn’t hold her words back any longer. Unseen behind his visor, Din's expression lept to surprise. However, he was sure the two across from him could still read the shock in the air around him.

“Talking, how?”

“Talking like…” Bo-Katan clearly didn’t want to say what she was about to say.

“The council has been having secret meetings to discuss the possibility of the Mand’alor marrying a Jedi.”

Din looked to Cara for confirmation.

“I refused to attend them on principle,” Cara threw up her hands. “But Bo filled me in.” Din could only stare blankly at them. He had trouble deciding on which part to be the most angry about; the council going behind his back or rumors he was dating Luke dank farrik Skywalker. The first one felt a little undermining, secret council meetings had dethroned Mand’alors previously. However, he began to feel more defensive on the romantic rumors front. The heat of embarrassment made his armor feel tight and humid. He almost felt as if the beskar itself was heating to the point others could tell.

“Oh come on, you cannot be surprised about this,” Bo-Katan sighed. “You’re always taking romantic walks in the garden, going out to the market, you are always calling Luke in to be an advisor in every meeting you can.”

“Your googly eyes for him are even visible through the helmet,” Cara chimed in. Din felt like this was starting to become a bit of an intervention. Two of his closest friends sitting opposite the table both bombard him with ‘evidence’ of a nonexistent romance.

“Call the rest of the council,” Din ordered into his communicator. Cara stifled a laugh and Bo-Katan rolled her eyes.

Mandalorians elder and younger, helmeted and barefaced, filtered into the throne room. Very rarely did Din take to sitting on the throne for meetings, however, this time he was irritated and hoped the show of authority would work to intimidate some people. As everyone found their seat, Bo-Katan brought the meeting into session.

“I called this emergency meeting to address some, rumors, I’ve just heard.” Din attempted to project as much Mand’alor energy as he could. The council members quietly mumbled between each other, some more frantically than others.

“Would anyone like to own up to them?” Din cursed his wavering tone. He still wasn’t used to being in charge and felt he sounded more like a scolding teacher than a king. Surprisingly, three older council members stood. All three were helmeted, painted red, yellow, and green. Din recognized them from his covert years ago. The red painted council member spoke first who Din knew to be named Ibe.

“We have noticed your relationship with the Jedi Luke Skywalker growing more and more… intimate. This has caused concern for us members who lean more traditional in values.”

Din bit his tongue, a hundred comebacks already swirling behind his teeth, but he knew the more they spoke the more he would know. This he learned from his previous life as a bounty hunter; the more people talked the more they tended to end up showing their asses.

“As you may not know, being Mandalorian by creed only, many years ago the Jedi were our enemy. They scarred our planet long before the Empire did.”

Din snuck a hidden glance at Bo-Katan and Cara who both showed signs of well tempered irritation.

“So, Mand’alor, we were simply concerned about how those of us who know the histories well and keep them close to our hearts would feel if a Jedi were to become your co-ruler.”

As Ibe finished his statements, the yellow painted council member began their own. Din felt like he knew their name to be Senx.

“A Jedi influencing your rule would be akin to colonization. Many might not view it that way but it’s the truth.”

This bold statement got the entire room chattering and shifting. Even Din had to clear his throat of all the impolite words that he held inside. Unintentionally, the noise he made echoed through the chamber and all eyes landed on him without warning. Air was trapped in his lungs and all he could do was deflect.

“Does anyone else have opinions on this matter?” Din gestured to the rest of the council. Paz Vizsla stood after the three traditional council members sat. Din couldn’t help but silently pray for Paz to be on his side this time.

“For lack of better phrasing, I believe those concerns are a crock of shit.”

Din quietly clenched his fist in place of jumping up and celebrating. Bo-Katan stood from her chair, obviously jumping in to provide better phrasing.

“I second that. This is the same planet but a different Mandalore. We have the opportunity to forge a new path here and I don’t believe that a path lined with prejudice and paranoia will get us very far.”

Surveying the council members, Din noticed many more were nodding their heads to Paz and Bo’s words than the previous speakers. Feeling a surge of confidence and likely anger, he sat up straighter on his throne.

“Did everyone say what they needed to?”

Every member looked around the room, muttering and pondering to themselves if they had any more points to make. Once the room fell quiet again, Din stood and walked to stand at the head of the table. He looked across to everyone and leaned forward on a single hand placed on the table.

“Now I have something to say,” Din could feel the tension he created in the room as soon as he spoke. The anger was clear in his voice but he didn’t particularly care anymore. He was embarrassed that his personal life was being hashed out like petty politics. He was angry that an innocent like Luke was in the middle of this. He was pissed that he had to endure the circus of court life when he never asked for it in the first place. It all bubbled up and his once eloquent and concise thoughts spilled out on the table.

“My private life and relationships are never a topic of discussion at this table. Romantic, platonic, or otherwise. Would you ask a healer if their choice of spouse would affect their job performance? I don’t think so. Luke Skywalker is of no concern to any member of this council no matter what anyone perceives our relationship to be. Not now, not ever. If, what? 3 people? Get mad because I marry a Jedi? Let them. Because I’d actually be jealous that their lives are so vacant and simple for them to care so much. If this was really an issue, there would’ve been a bigger conversation about my son starting Jedi training over a year ago.”

Whispers passed between people, mouths moving but eyes not separating from Din’s presence.

“Do I make myself clear?”

The room nodded in sync. Din dismissed them and the council scuttled out of the room. Once it was him, Bo, and Cara, he huffed and sat back down.

“Let’s go badass Mand’alor!” Cara clapped him on the shoulder.

“You may have shut them up, but you definitely proved those rumors right their books.” Bo-Katan chuckled.

“Whatever, like I said, I wish my life was that simple to care.” Din stood and did his best not to stomp out of the room. He did allow himself to stomp a little bit down the hall, finding himself going in the direction of the garden. Emerging into the outdoor greenery, he scanned the area, looking for Luke. it only felt fair for him to inform Luke of the rumor mill surrounding them. If felt like it would cause much more trouble for him to find out on his own. When Din didn’t see him, he began searching further into the garden.

Chapter Text

Slowly and suddenly, creeping up like an animal with a deadly strike, Luke realized he had truly fallen hard for Din. There wasn’t a moment around Din where in his head he wasn’t chanting “Love me. Love me. Love me!” It was starting to become pathetic. Really, really pathetic. Keeping up his cool, collected Jedi facade became harder each day. It was easier with the students around or other people, but when they were alone Luke had to fight with himself not to open all his doors and let Din see every part of himself in hopes of Din doing the same. He’d caught himself rambling to Din more times than he could bear to think about. Though every time he caught himself and apologized, all Din had to say was ‘It’s alright.’

Today was a minor Mandalorian holiday, so he’d let his students go home early. Without them though, he really didn’t know what to do with himself. He sat in the garden meditating with Grogu, waiting for Din to show up to collect his son. The longer it took, however, the more Luke began to think Din had forgotten about the half day. He sighed with a small smile and opened his eyes to see Grogu had not been meditating along with him. Instead, the child was chasing a small flying insect. Luke indulged and watched him play for a few moments. He began wondering if Din was in a meeting that was stretching too long or if something else had happened. Should Luke go try to find him? Or would he just end up interrupting important business? He felt Grogu poke at him through the Force, pulling his attention away from his inner thoughts. Grogu babbled and pointed at a familiar silver Mandalorian making his way across the garden to them. Luke smiled as he watched Grogu waddle to meet Din halfway. Though it was usually hard to read Din, Luke immediately felt something prickle through his energy once their eyes met. It was strange and slightly warm. Or rather, embarrassment, and it was strong enough for Luke to faintly feel it despite the armor. Luke wondered what in the whole galaxy could ever embarrass Din. It was really interesting to think about. The unshakeable, steadfast Mand’alor had something that could embarrass him. Luke quietly became determined to figure out what it was. Din picked up Grogu once they’d met in the middle. Luke always loved seeing them together, it was a sight guaranteed to make him feel warm and fuzzy inside. Din looked up at Luke and nodded cryptically.

“Sorry for being late,” Din apologized curtly and then suddenly turned on his heel to begin leaving. Luke was instantly agape. Was Din bailing on their daily walk?

“Are we still going for a walk today?” He stood up and hurriedly tried to catch up, hoping his question didn’t sound too desperate. Din stopped in his tracks.

“Ah, um, yes… Now?” Din turned slowly and was startled by Luke’s sudden closeness.

“Now is good.” Luke smiled sheepishly. “Unless you have something to attend to though?”

“Um, no.”

“... Then, was there a reason you were just walking away?”

“... Weird day.”

Luke hummed in acknowledgment. Something was really bothering Din, and Luke really wanted to get to the bottom of it. They walked to the pond in the center of the gardens and Din put Grogu down to play in the reeds.

“Could we sit?” Din was hesitant to ask.

“Of course.” They sat side by side on the nearby bench, facing the pond and watching Grogu. Silence fell, and Luke tried very hard to be comfortable with it, but he was just so furiously curious. He tried to subtly read Din’s energy again but the beskar, like always, prevented him from going much deeper than surface level. Guess he’d have to find out the old-fashioned way.

“I don’t want to be too intrusive, but, I can sense that something’s bothering you,” Luke noticed Din’s body language stiffened. “And, I’d like to think we’ve become good friends and good friends ask when something might be wrong. So if you want to talk about it or maybe want some advice, I’m here.” Luke refrained from adding ‘for you’ to the end of his sentence, thinking it too much. Din took a few moments to think. He kept his gaze straight ahead, towards Grogu but seeing right through the child. Luke was taught that patience was a necessary virtue for a Jedi to possess, and usually, he fared pretty well at that. Right now, in this moment, he felt like a child wanting to wake their parents up on Boonta’s Day, unable to handle the anticipation.

“... I was just, in a meeting,” Din searched frantically for the right phrasing. Luke nodded as if to say ‘please go on.’

“And I was informed that there are… there are, rumors.”

“... About what?” Luke tried not to immediately fear the worst. The return of the Empire, Death Watch threats, or any number of enemies out for revenge. He tried to silently breathe and expel these fears before even knowing what was happening.

“... About, us,” Din sounded like he had to fight to get the words out. Unfortunately, his words were too vague for Luke to understand, so he had to speak more.

“Me and you?” Luke wasn’t sure if he meant the royal us, as in the Mandalorians, the planet, or the us that he was more closely a part of. Din nodded.

“What are people saying? Are they still upset about the Jedi school? People need to-” Luke was suddenly interrupted.

“They think we’re involved, romantically.”

Absolutely dumbfounded. Luke didn’t have the words or even the ability to think. On instinct, he laughed. Which he suddenly realized was a terrible reaction and cut it off abruptly by covering his own mouth.

“I’m so sorry,” his muffled apology was all he could say at that moment. Din sighed.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to get you into a mess like this. The- dank farrick, the council has been having secret meetings concerning the potential political fallout of our future ‘marriage.’ It’s ridiculous. Going behind my back over stupid rumors.” Din had rarely unloaded like this before. Though he was obviously trying to maintain some reservations, he was clearly having a hard time keeping all his thoughts inside. Luke thought about putting a reassuring hand on Din’s shoulder, but then thought against it, considering potential hidden eyes would take that as a romantic gesture.

Din shook his head. “I’m sorry Luke, apparently the entire planet thinks we’re… together.”

“... Is that so bad?” Luke’s thoughts spilled out loud. He hardly even realized he’d spoken before Din’s head turned towards him.

“Well, um,” Luke fought desperately to save his skin. “The Mand’alor being with a Jedi might encourage acceptance among your people. My students might feel safer and our groups could have an example of coexist on friendlier terms.” He had of course found himself daydreaming about a relationship with Din but never allowed himself to think it could become real. He didn’t want to scare Din off with his feelings. Luke adored their time together and didn’t want anything to come between them. Din’s silent contemplation worried Luke sick. Furthermore, he was still grappling with the notion of attachments and how they fit correctly into his new Jedi teachings. Though he boasted that it was an unhealthy attachment that corrupted a Jedi, that was simply a theory.

“I see your point.” A single phrase sent Luke’s heart into the sky. “I just- it might get really dramatic around here. And if it gets to a point where I could lose the throne then…” Din punctuated his sentence with an exhausted sigh.

“Woah, that’s like a worst-case scenario though. Right?” Luke was startled by the notion of revolution. Din responded with a tired shrug.

“Depends.”
“Depends on what?” Luke knows Din to be a man of fewer words, that was typically endearing, but in this situation, it was starting to drive Luke mildly insane. He had been reading the Palace Library’s books and stumbled on some about the war. Luke knew full well how brutal it was and didn’t fault the older generations for their reservations. But the nasty truth was, after the Purge there weren’t many elderly Mandalorians left. Luke still didn’t understand how deep the history ran through the Mandalorian people. No one was ever hostile when he took his students out to the park or market. In fact, a few people were incredibly kind. Though, Luke always kept the thought in the back of his mind that those who wore helmets might be hiding disapproving sneers or stares. Overall though, it seemed like the council might be overreaching.

“I wasn’t exactly the… first choice, to become Mand’alor. I think the council believes something like this is too big a risk when I shouldn’t have been Mand’alor in the first place. It should’ve been Bo-Katan. Everyone wanted it to be her. Every day I think about how I shouldn’t be here. If these rumors cause enough complications I could be challenged for the Darksaber. And then if I lose the fight I lose the throne.” Din sighed.<

“Even though I’m not the most thrilled to be Mand’alor right now, I don’t know if I trust anyone else… Bo isn’t of that opinion so it definitely wouldn’t be her challenging me, it would be a tradtionalist who might undo all I’ve done.”

Luke’s head was spinning at the complicated Mandalorian politics. He almost didn’t notice the self-doubt in Din’s words. The hidden hurt he was spilling out, likely not on purpose. Spies and hidden eyes be damned, Luke gently laid a comforting hand on Din’s forearm.

Din looked down at it suspiciously. “Are you gonna do magic on me?”

Luke couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s called being a good friend. I can stop if you want.”

Din shook his head, so Luke’s hand stayed.

“Din, I can’t pretend I understand every political intricacy of the situation, but I do know that you rebuilt this planet from rubble. Mandalore was resurrected by you. In my opinion, the people’s gratitude should outweigh their old prejudices.” Din hummed softly. “Never doubt yourself. You’re one the most fantastically brave and courageous people I’ve ever met. I believe you are the best choice for Mandalore and you can handle this.”

“... Thank you, Luke.” They sat in comfortable, contemplative silence for a few moments. The afternoon breeze seemed to wash away the stressful morning.

“I think…” Din paused like he was testing the water before diving in head first. Luke could be patient this time.

“That might be a good idea actually…”

“... I’m not following.”

“If we just… went along with it? Like you said, it could encourage coexistence.”

Heat rushed to Luke’s face. Just as quickly as it overcame him he was trying to shove it out of the way. He prayed he wasn’t outwardly blushing, that maybe Din couldn’t tell through his visor. Luke took in a breath and imagined cool water washing over him and pushing his embarrassing feelings out into the Force.

“Weren’t you just saying it could cause you to lose the throne?”

“Then you said you believed in me…” Din made a noise that kind of sounded like he choked. “And, well, it could also be useful to see who in the court actually disapproves and, then I could be better prepared for push back by knowing where it would come from.”

Luke began chewing on a cuticle, turning over the proposition in his head. Isn’t this kind of what he’d been wanting? Something deeper with Din. However, it wouldn’t be real. Could it maybe become something real with enough time? It was immensely tempting.

“Well, I suppose… We wouldn’t have to do much, people already believe it.” Luke’s mind was swarming with thoughts. He could hardly believe what was happening. Why was Din so willing to go along with this when he was the Mand’alor? Didn’t he have the power to shut down a silly rumor? Apparently not, considering his concerns of being dethroned. Luke didn’t dare permit the thought that Din might actually like this idea the same way he did. He pushed it away and out of his head with the rest of his feelings, attempting to maintain the cool Jedi exterior. He didn’t want to get his own hopes up or confuse real life for a daydream.

“Yeah, they believe it,” Din chuffed. “I, uh, didn’t do us any favors in that meeting.”
Luke looked at him sideways, waiting to see if Din would elaborate on his own. Din glanced over and seemed to pick up the implication.

“I might’ve, gotten upset at them and, defended you way too hard. Which then made it seem like I was over correcting…” Din trailed off.

“Oh…” Luke stuttered. Oh. Din defended him so passionately it only encouraged the romantic rumors? Luke would’ve done anything to have been a fly on the wall for that meeting. He felt honored, and kind of loved. Though, that was a ridiculous thing to feel right now.

“So, if I’m following, you think we should just go along with the rumors as a way to help Mandlorians and Jedi co-exist and identify potential enemies in court?”

“Uh, yeah, I think that’s it.”

Luke slapped his hands on his knees and stood. He turned and offered a hand to Din.

“Well, let’s get started then.”

Chapter Text

Din was relieved to have his soles hit solid ground again. Even more so considering the ground was home and that meant he’d get to do normal human things like sleep and shower regularly. A political trip to a neighboring system had unraveled into an encounter with more Imperial remnants. Even if Moff Gideon was dead for good, it seemed there were always more Imperial moles ready to stick their heads up. It felt a little weird to be homesick like he was. It was a tiredness that couldn’t be solved by sleep alone. He’d felt weight in his chest not knowing when he’d be home. Din could hardly pick what he wanted to do first now that he was home, but seeing Luke and Grogu standing ahead on the landing pad made the decision for him. His pace quickened and as he closed the distance, Grogu launched himself into the air to land in his arms. Din held him tightly as tiny green arms tried to hug him back.

The rest of the council approached to politely welcome Din back, all of them taking a place on either side of Luke, one step behind him. It felt weirdly formal, Din wasn’t sure why they were allowing Luke to be ahead of them when they ranked higher. He looked across them all before his eyes landed on Luke’s. The expression in his eyes jogged Din’s memory. They didn’t outrank Luke anymore, because the public believed he was courting him. His heartbeat traveled into his ears, echoing in the helmet. Din didn’t know what he should say, he didn’t know what couples said when they reunited. Well, he did know, but they weren’t actually a couple. He didn’t know what Luke would consider crossing a line. They were only friends. Close friends, but only friends. Din took a leap of faith. To uphold their facade, and obviously only for that reason, Din stepped forward and placed his forehead gently to Luke’s.

“Welcome home,” Luke serenely greeted him, though Din could still sense surprise at the gesture. The council seemed to buy it, all of them saying a welcome before returning to the palace. The word home played at Din’s heart. He had a home he was welcome in for the first time in so long. Before he could let himself get too emotional, he, Luke, and Grogu all turned to follow the council.

“How did it go?” Luke leaned close to whisper.

“Ran into some low level former Imperial skanah and a few of his buddies. Wasn’t bad, just annoying.” Din glanced over and could read Luke’s look of curiosity a mile a way.

“Skanah is like, fucker in Basic.”

“Ohh I’m gonna have to start using that one.”

“Don’t, you’ll just get yourself in trouble.”

“You know I love trouble,” Luke slotted his arm in the crook of Din’s elbow. Din took a silent deep breath to calm his thoughts and reminded himself that it was just to keep up appearances. He chose to focus his sight ahead of him and immediately regretted it. He had forgotten he was walking into a debriefing and that the last thing he wanted was to sit in a stupid chair and talk about stupid politics. Din hadn’t realized he had groaned until Luke responded to it.

“Find me after, we’ll do something fun.” Luke winked, and as he left with Grogu. Din stared after him, trying to shake the double meaning from his head.

***

Luke’s idea of fun was more of an excuse to get Din onto the sparring mat. In the Palace’s large training room, they stood facing each other. A few others scattered around the room, pretending to practice this or that but really everyone present was honed in on the upcoming match. Din brandished his beskar spear, adjusting his grip to find the perfect balance. Luke ignited his lightsaber and swung it in a way Din would describe as cocky if it was anyone else. He knew no matter how cocky Luke wanted to act, at least in battle, he could always back it up. He’d more than proven himself in the Reclaimation. They circled each other slowly, analyzing, calculating the first step. Luke swung his saber in more fancy flourishes and Din rolled his eyes.

“Why didn’t you pick up the Darksaber? I was hoping to see it in action again,” Luke bantered playfully, but his body was still poised like a predator. Din shrugged in response, not letting Luke’s attempt at distraction work. Luke held a hand up, curled his fingers and tugged at the air in a teasing manner. Din felt his spear jerk forward in his hands, hard enough to where he was just barely able to keep his grip on it, but he tightened his hold and planted his feet. The hint of surprise in Luke’s smile told that he hadn’t expected Din to stand his ground as well as he had.

“Cheater,” Bo-Katan rolled her eyes from the sidelines. Din and Luke each took a step to the side, beginning again to circle, assessing each other like chess players to their pieces. Luke continued swinging his saber, and Din decided to put an end to the showboating and charged forward.

Sparks began to fly like falling stars where saber and spear met over and over as they sparred. Bystanders flitted their eyes from Mandalorian to Jedi. From having fought side by side with Luke, Din knew his favorite method was to bait and switch. Luke often let himself fall to the mat, seemingly exposing the perfect spot to strike, until he twisted or turned or flipped in some insane way and suddenly his enemy found themselves pinned. Din knew not to take the bait, but it tempted him nonetheless. He would catch himself from thinking if he could just be quicker than Luke then he’d successfully exploit the vulnerability. This was one of those moments.

Luke was on his back, saber knocked aside in a previous clash. Din entered his space from above, just a tap to the side would signal his win. In the moments he reached out with his spear, Luke’s leg was hooking around his arm. The spear thumped to the mat, and Din was being pulled to the ground. Gravity slowed as Din felt himself spun around on his newly weakened center of balance, and his back hit the ground. Luke came up straddling Din’s chest, with a hand in the air and a victorious laugh.

Tired to the bone in the way that had endorphins pumping through his veins, Din didn’t have the energy to filter and think before acting. His hand grabbed Luke’s middle and he maneuvered his shoulders to buck Luke off. The Jedi let himself fall, laughing even harder. Din stood and offered a hand. As he pulled Luke to his feet he planted a keldabe kiss on the blond’s forehead. Both panting from the fight, they stood in a half embrace to catch their breaths. When Din pulled away he realized he should be embarrassed but Luke looked up with a wide, beaming smile.

“I knew you could fight but, kriff, it’s different when it’s against each other,” Luke exhaled loudly. “Been a long time since I had a good challenge.”

“I could tell you were holding back, cyare.”

Luke laughed loud and mischievously.

“What’s that word mean?”

“... Idiot.”

Another laugh broke through Luke’s grin. The surrounding Mandalorians looked at each other silently.

“Should’ve put credits on that,” Luke slapped a hand on Din’s arm. Din suddenly realized there was polite applause surrounding them. A few members of the council and court had gathered to watch during their session. Din saw many heads nodding in approval at Luke. This was good, he thought, Luke had proven himself worthy in the eyes of the court. Not all who presided in Sundari now took part in the fight to reclaim. Many stayed off-world, even hiding, waiting to see if victory would come. Those who did fight knew firsthand how good Luke was. The match worked as part of their plan, however, Din couldn’t help but feel it plunged his feelings even deeper.

***

Luke’s bare feet padded softly up to the door of the throne room. Looking up at the imposing dark wooden door, he wondered how the room looked at night time. He glanced around and with confirmation that no one else was near, he slipped inside. The cavernous hall felt different than usual. There were always people during the day. With no life bustling through the room, it felt so still. Luke walked down the center, passing tables where meetings and feasts were held. The tables were barren and heavy, having no purpose at night time. Luke curiously stepped up onto a chair and then the table itself. He had a new vantage point of the room now and slowly turned to take in every corner. His prosthetic hand twitched.

Luke’s eyes fell to the mural on the south wall. A mythosaur skull composed from gold and silver, blues, greens, and pale yellow mosaic framing the throne. It hadn’t been there when he left Mandalore after the war and he remembered how awestruck he was when he returned to see it. It was stunning when the daylight flashed across it, but Luke noticed a different kind of beauty in the light of the moon and stars. He silently leapt off the table and walked closer to the mural. It was soothing to come and watch the starlight glint across the colored glass. Each light was from a world, each world full of people. People that Luke could hear and feel, that he had to work hard to not be overwhelmed. Mandalore was his peace. With so much beskar muffled every Force signature behind it, he sighed with relief every time he could more easily push away unwanted sensations.

He also loved one specific piece, tucked in the corner. A Mudhorn, the symbol of Din’s clan. The mark to remind future Mandalorians whose rule the mosaic was created under. It warmed Luke’s heart to see the stamped reminder of the founding family now heralding Mandalore into her future. His hand shook as he touched the pieces and seeing it turned his stomach. Luke took a deep breath and relaxed his body. More twitching began and he sat down on the floor to ground himself. A large reason he had trouble sleeping, a phantom twitching of his lightning fired nerves translating into his prosthetic.

The opening of the door was a startling tap on Luke’s mind, bringing him back up from the depths of his focusing. He straightened his back and tried to sense who it was but their shape was a solid quiet spot in the Force. Not much to go on when living on the planet of armored people. Luke turned to see familiar unpainted silver beskar. Din was still armored and armed to the nines, as he always was, though it was odd to see so late at night and odd in comparison to Luke’s haplessly thrown a shawl over a tank top and sleep pants.

The two men stared across the long hall at each other. Luke felt a bit like he’d been caught even though he wasn’t doing anything wrong. He supposed sitting in the dark throne room at 3 in the morning was a little weird, but it wasn’t against the law. Din’s boots echoed as he closed the chasm of space between them. Luke stood where he was, fingers still tingling softly against the Mudhorn. Din stopped at Luke’s side, focus attuning to the mosaic pieces he was touching. Luke quickly dropped his hand to his side.

“Trouble sleeping?” Din said in almost a whisper. Luke simply nodded with a sheepish expression.

“I understand.”

They both stood side by side, admiring the mural in the silvery blue light flowing in through the massive arched windows. Luke felt a strong sense of peace. Glancing to his side, it was hard to tell where Din was looking. The visor pointed upwards towards the mural didn’t indicate much, the dark tint hid any evidence of him using his peripheral vision. Luke decided he didn’t care very much at that moment. The stars danced on Din’s beskar, reflected clearly in the well polished metal. Luke wanted nothing more than to stare forever. It looked like a whole new night sky was wrapped around Din.

Luke slipped his hand into Din’s, watching for signs of protest. None came and Din moved his hand to fit better against Luke’s. It was a mystery to Luke what Din was feeling but that made it all more exciting. Luke stepped closer to the side and softly laid his head against an armored shoulder. They stood in peace, staring at the mural and thinking of each other. After several steady minutes, Din gave Luke’s hand a squeeze.

“Come on, it’s late.” Din didn’t have to say anything else. Luke followed as he was led out of the throne room, down hallways and around corners. They stopped at Luke’s bedroom door.

He sighed reluctantly. He followed willingly, but he still didn’t want to go back to sleep. For Din’s sake, Luke opened his door. He softly muttered thanks and began entering. Luke was lightly tugged back by his hand still entwined with Din’s. A turn and a step closed the space and Din’s forehead was lightly pressed to Luke’s. He smiled at the gesture, still not completely understanding its meaning. Then he ventured further into the room, and decided, for Din’s sake, to try going back to sleep.

Chapter Text

Luke was sprawled in the short grass, clover and small yellow flowers brushing him as the breeze blew through them. He had been trying to meditate but the heat and humidity was itching at his skin. Already stripped to just simple shorts, he still felt the oppression of the heat. It was different from the dry, dusty climate of Tatoonie. It was humid, the air was heavier and weighing on his body. He needed to meditate. It was whole reason he came to this planet in the middle of nowhere. There was supposedly a Jedi artifact somewhere in the surrounding forest. His information was trustworthy, it had to be on this planet, but he was having a hard time connecting to it. He’d given his students a few weeks break for the winter holidays to allow himself to look for the artifact. There was hope it would aid in building a deeper curriculum for his students. As of now, all he was was strengthening control and ability of the Force. Which was more than the kids were getting anywhere else, but he felt he needed to add some philosophy or moral guidance. Strength and control were only tools that could be used for good or bad. Having been on the receiving end of malicious Force users countless times, Luke wanted more security that he wasn’t creating more. However, he didn’t want to simply recreate the old Jedi Order. He had many disagreements with their philosophies anyways.

Something inside Luke broke. His patience had been pulled too tight and snapped. Luke jumped to his feet and sprinted for the nearby lake. He’d promised himself a cool swim only after he made some progress, but he just couldn’t stand it anymore, especially when he happened to think about the snow that was dusting his home on Mandalore as he boiled in the rainforest. Leaping off a rock into the pale green water, he felt the heat fall away instantly. Ducking his head below the water, he found a peaceful quiet, and relief sank into his bones. Luke let his body drift gently back upwards until he floated on his back with his face gently warmed again by the sun. He felt himself fall into a fresh state of calm.

A gust of air hitting his face disturbed Luke minutes later. He opened his eyes to see that the sun was several hours further in the sky than it was the last time he had looked. He jolted, hands slapping around the ground until he realized he had drifted to shore and was beached in the sand. Luke turned towards the gust to see a familiar N-1 had landed nearby. There wasn’t enough time to get dressed, to dry himself off, or even to brush the sand away. Din was walking towards him with Grogu in tow, and Luke was lying on the ground in his underwear. He hoped the red spreading across his face would be interpreted as sunburn by the other man.

All at once, Luke remembered the second, more selfish reason why he had left home. Seeing Din stride towards him was enough to bring up all the warm, fuzzy, hot, magnetic feelings that had taken residence inside Luke. These feelings were something he shouldn’t have while pretending to be in a courtship with Din. It made him feel like he was taking advantage of the situation. Luke felt guilty for leaving, but he had hoped time away would allow the feelings to fade. However, seeing Din for the first time in a few weeks, they were returning stronger than before. As Din approached, Grogu scrambled out from the shoulder bag and scurried to Luke. With an embarrassed chuckle, Luke embraced his student. He avoided glancing up at Din for as long as he could before the man above spoke first.

“The kid was throwing a fit and wanted to see you, something jetti magic related maybe?” Din, as always, jumped straight into the topic at hand. No nonsense or greetings. Luke noticed that he sounded like Grogu had been bothering him for a good while; his voice showed the specific kind of tiredness that only parents express.

“That’s amazing, Grogu! You could sense me from all the way back home?” Luke was shocked at how much the child had been improving. Grogu nodded and babbled more excitedly in response. “I’ve just been trying to meditate and find an artifact, but it’s difficult. He probably felt that I was having trouble and wanted to help.” Luke explained, hoping to help Din understand. He knew most Jedi-related things went over his metal head, but he liked trying to keep him in the loop as much as possible when it came to his son’s education. Luke finally looked up and noticed Din’s head was tilted away to avoid looking at him directly. It made Luke curious. What was Din avoiding?

Suddenly, Luke felt even more self-conscious as he remembered his state of dress. More horrifying, he remembered his scars. Not many people had seen them and those who did looked at him with morbid curiosity and pity. He crunched up unconsciously, trying to make himself appear smaller. He put down Grogu and mumbled something about finding clothes before walking quickly to his camp.

Inside his little hut, Luke’s mind raced a mile a minute. He felt strange about his attraction to Din. On one hand, he knew it was odd to be attracted to someone while fully armored, not knowing how they looked at all. Well, he had heard weirder things from Han. On another hand, they both came from creeds and ideologies that favored solitude. It felt like acting on these feelings would be an uphill battle that Luke didn’t think would work out in the end. On top of everything, there was the courtship and politics of it all. By the gods, though, he could not stop thinking about it. Once Luke had brushed the endless amount of sand off himself and fully dressed, he joined Din and Grogu back outside. His mind, unfortunately still jumbled.

“Would you two like some tea?” Grogu babbled in a way Luke interpreted as a positive response, and Din simply nodded. Luke rekindled his little fire pit next to his bark hut and hung a kettle over it. The three settled around it and idly attempted to chat while the tea brewed.

“So, what’s this artifact you wanna find?” Din asked, glancing around Luke’s humble lodgings.

“Well, I don’t really know. My data says it should be a stone or crystal that can conduct and concentrate the Force. To me, it just sounds like a kyber crystal described by someone who never saw one before, but the sources are very fragmented. There are parts that say it contains a story- Well, the word they use is folktale. There could be a lot more to this thing than I can find just by researching, so I wanna find it.”

“So you’re just… going off nothing?”

Luke nodded with a shrug. “I’m following the Force.” Luke could practically feel Din roll his eyes in a good-natured manner.

“Maybe with Grogu’s help we could sense the artifact together!” Luke suggested to help redirect his thoughts. Grogu and Din looked at each other, and Luke could tell they were communicating in their own special way. A few shrugs and head tilts passed between them before Grogu plopped down across from Luke and prepared to meditate.

***

“Stay here, Grogu. We need you to protect the camp while we find the artifact.” Luke patted the top of Grogu’s head. Din initially protested leaving Grogu behind; however, they truly didn’t know what the environment around the artifact looked like. It could be an actively crumbling temple or in the heart of a swamp filled with carnivorous creatures. They came to a consensus that Grogu would stay at Luke’s camp, supervised by R2 who would keep an open comlink with Din. Luke and Din gave the child a few more goodbyes and asked him to be good for Uncle Artoo before actually setting off. R2 continued to protest the babysitting gig until the two men were out of earshot. Once the furious beeping faded, Din spoke up.

“I swear the kid only listens to you.”

Luke couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Oh trust me, it’s not always this easy.”

Their walk steadily turned into a laborious trek as they pushed deeper into the forest. The canopy provided some relieving shade, but the air was still thick with humidity. Luke began regretting his choice of clothing. He couldn’t even imagine how Din was feeling under a full flight suit, underclothes, and armor. Conversation fell away as they preferred to save their breath. Thick and glossy verdant leaves rustled all around them, moved by the breeze and colorful birds.

By midday, they stopped at a stream. Luke splashed his face with the cool water and filled his canteen. He sighed in relief as the water dripped down his face before quickly warming against his skin. Din quietly filled his own canteen beside him. A beat passed before Luke realized the most obvious fact in front of him. He smiled apologetically and turned around. From behind, he could hear the hiss of Din’s helmet disengaging. Luke’s heart jumped. It might only be a testament to the heat, but Luke couldn’t help but think about how much Din must trust him to take off his helmet without much of a thought or word between them. He heard Din sigh in relief much like he had and to hear his voice unchanged by the helmet’s voice modulator sent tingles up his neck. Luke became more aware of how his sleeves were sticking to his arms and the bands of sweat across his body. If Din could trust him, he could trust Din back.

Luke took a deep breath and shucked off his outer robe and tunic, leaving a black sleeveless shirt and leggings. His lightning scars decorated his arm like the surrounding vines crawling down tree trunks. His gloved prosthetic was more noticeable now as well. Though more exposed and harboring nerves, Luke was grateful for the relief removing the layers gave him. The light breeze could now hit his sweat-prickled skin and cool him off a bit. Luke tried to swallow the vulnerability as waited till he heard Din’s helmet reengage. Luke figured Din must have also been boiling because it took quite a few minutes until Luke heard a familiar click. When Luke turned his throat felt scratchy the moment he realized Din’s gaze was on his arms.

“So, onwards and upwards?” Luke offered, trying to break the awkward silence. Din nodded and waited for Luke to lead the way. Luke shoved his tunic into his satchel and tied the robe around his waist by its sleeves. The men continued forwards. They trekked side by side and Luke tried his best not to notice Din’s frequent glances towards him. Luke pushed himself to go faster through the brush, getting ahead of Din so he couldn’t see his bucket head in his periphery. He tried to breathe evenly and push his insecurities out to dissolve in the Force, but his exertion prevented him from focusing or breathing deeply enough. A gloved hand landed on Luke’s shoulder and startled him. Din stepped into his view and asked something Luke didn’t hear at first. Luke blinked and asked Din to repeat.

“We’re in no rush, you don’t need to push yourself. Let’s take a break here.” Din repeated when it was clear Luke hadn’t taken it in. His tone was reassuring, nonjudgmental. Luke didn’t think it matched up with the staring from earlier. Once he had stopped trudging, the fatigue all caught up with him and Luke slumped down against the root of a massive old growth tree. Din sat adjacently against another thick and twisting root. It was late afternoon and Luke had hoped for another river to come across their path as he gulped almost all of his remaining water. Once hydrated, he crossed his legs and began meditating to try and regain some composure and strength.

“You don’t have to prove anything out here.” Din’s voice snuck up on Luke out of the calming drum of the forest.

“Excuse me?” Luke cracked an eye open.

“Trying to push ahead earlier, it exhausted you. You don’t need to prove your strength or, power or anything like that to me. Especially in the middle of nowhere.”

Both of Luke’s eyes trained on Din. “I wasn’t trying to prove anything.”

“Then what was that?”

Luke held his tongue back from saying something especially bratty and snippy. “I could tell you were staring at my arms, I didn’t like it.”

Din’s helmet, as usual, showed little emotion and Luke was too tired to attempt to read him through the Force.

“Scars are very honorable to my Creed, I’m sorry my admiration read as judgment.” Luke swallowed, mouth suddenly dry despite the recent drink. He couldn’t think of anything to say, he just felt stupid.

“I’m sorry,” he hung his head in embarrassment. “People always comment on them, I don’t know… I shouldn’t have assumed you were judging.”

Din shook his head. “I’m the one apologizing this time, not you.”

Luke couldn’t help but crack a bit if a smile. “... Thanks. I don’t really see what there is to admire about them, though.”

“You survived something great; you were stronger than what caused those scars. That is what’s honorable.”

Luke looked at Din but his gaze went straight through him. His mind flew back to the fight with Palpatine and his father, when he got those scars. Back then, he was so much younger and inexperienced. A boy from nowhere Tatooine dropped in the middle of an intergalactic war. Din was telling that boy that he was stronger than Darth Vader and a Sith Emperor. Luke felt familiar phantom pains where his right hand had once lived. He removed his glove to remind his brain that it wasn’t there anymore. He noticed Din’s helmet tilt down to view the prosthetic.
Luke began to tell Din about that day. Everything he remembered, from the feeling of electricity to the smell of burnt flesh. Leather, gunpowder, steel wafting through the halls of the Death Star. How even occasioanlly he is brought back when the right combination of smells hits his nose. He purposefully avoids touching coins whenever possible, as they had a similar dirty metallic scent and he loathed how it stuck to his fingers. How he dreams about it, how he thinks about everything he could’ve done differently. How he fights a deep part of himself that tries to say he could’ve saved his father, and he was a failure. And finally he tells Din about how he talked to Anakin once. The young man’s ghost visited him in a dream. He told Din how it somehow made everything better and worse. That he got to see what an incredible man his father was, a man he would never know, and that the universe was capable to destroying a man like that.

Usually, when Luke recounted parts of his heroic journey, people were a lot more animated. To them, it was obviously just an exciting story. Din seemed to be taking it a different way. Like he knew this was Luke’s life, his real trauma and experiences, and not just a folktale.

“The smell of fire... It reminds me of Aq Vetina, and my parents.”

Luke devoured the information Din gave him. It was in truth an uneven exchange. One sentence for maybe the hundreds Luke had just spilled. But Din was a very guarded man. Luke understood the courage and value of that piece of information. It was probably something no one but Luke knew now. It tore into his heart, remembering how Din never joined when there was a campfire during the war, always lingering a few paces back. How after long days of fighting with bombs and smoke stuck in his nose, that he couldn’t handle anymore of the smell.

“Was your family Mandalorian?”

“No, I was a foundling, like the kid.”

Suddenly, the mystery of Din came crashing into a harmony of sense. The puzzle clicked into place, and Luke was awestruck at how much deeper he fell in love.

“After all that, here we are sitting in a musty forest,” Din brought Luke’s mind back down to the ground. They shared a laugh, the heaviness magically melting away. With a new lightness in his chest, Luke was able to easily fall into meditation and locate the artifact only a mile to the east.

“Okay, I know exactly where to go from here,” Luke steeled himself, preparing to get up and continue their journey.

“Let’s rest a bit longer,” Din suggested, not sounding tired at all. Luke was confused until he figured it out. It must have been extremely obvious he was dreading getting up again so soon. They exchanged simple banter until one of the two suns in the sky showed evening was soon upon them.

“I’ll call for someone to get the kid,” Din punched coordinates into his communicator. Luke hummed in agreement, feeling guilty that their trek had already taken much longer than expected.
The men set off in a new direction once they got confirmation Grogu was picked up and taken home. Stomping through bending ferns and being brushed by low, leafy branches. They began entering a denser section of forest. Luke moved to take out his lightsaber and begin cutting a path until Din stepped in front of him. The Dark Saber hummed to life and Din started a systematic slicing of the foliage. Luke felt a flutter in his chest, thanking Din for his chivalry.

“I’m armored, it makes more sense for me to lead in case something comes at us,” Din responded logically and gruffly. Luke chuckled.

“It can make the most sense and be a nice thing to do.”

Din simply grunted in response. It intrigued Luke, watching armored arms swing back and forth, the stretch of muscle under fabric in the spots not covered by Beskar. That a man so strong was still weak to simple kindness and thank yous.

They were both startled when the Dark Saber suddenly clashed against stone instead of the accustomed sizzle of plant material. Din paused and assessed the best course. He began carefully tearing away the vines to reveal the mossy wall. The stone was crumbley, having absorbed potentially millienia of moist from the environment. Running a hand across the surface disturbed the moss, reveling hundreds of cracks in the surface.

“Should we try to go around and find an entrance?” Din asked over his shoulder.

“Hm,” Luke looked over the wall and all that surrounded them, beginning to chew on his thumbnail as he thought. “We didn’t even see it until we were right on it, so that would suggest the rest of the structure is heavily covered. And cause of the coverage, no telling how big this thing is, so there’s also no way to know how long it would take us to carve around to a doorway. And, that’s even if there even is a doorway on this level. I mean, this could be the third level or something, and the lower levels have been covered by sediment building up over the years.”

“We make an entrance here then.” Din skipped ahead to the conclusion Luke was circling. Luke sighed.

“I don’t like it, but it’s so damaged. The thing’s coming down sooner than later anyway.”

Din nodded. He holstered the Dark Saber and began running his hands across the stone.

“Let me,” Luke stepped up beside him. He placed a bare hand on the warm moss, closing his eyes. He quickly found the weakest part of the wall and pointed it out to Din. Without another word, Luke stepped back. Din placed a heavy boot on the spot, marking it in his physical memory before leaning back. He let himself fall forward again, the succeeding gravity pushing him like a pendulum and put all his weight into landing his kick in the same spot. The wall buckled and easily came down in crumbling chunks and dust. Din shook the debris from his helmet and arms, and Luke felt that flutter return lower in his body. The display of strength stirring something familiar inside him. He shook his head as if he’d also gotten dusted and surged forward, trying to pushed aside the impure thoughts clouding his mind. Luke entered the structure ahead of Din, igniting his saber as a light source.

There was a strong pull in the Force, and Luke followed it like an animal tracking scent. Din followed, hand ready to draw his weapon at a moment’s notice. The inside of the structure was heavily covered in plants, pushing through cracks in the stone and taking shelter. It was much stuffied inside than out, damper smelling, with the floor covered in more squishy moss. They moved through several halls and rooms before coming to a broken staircase. Luke hopped up on the largest boulder and found a ledge that looked stable enough to grab on to. Using the Force to boost his jump, he easily reached the handhold and pulled himself onto the second floor. Turning around, he reached a hand down to Din, who was following his lead onto the boulder. Din jumped, using a single blast from his jetpack for help, and grabbed Luke’s hand. The man was much bigger and heavied than Luke, especially with the armor. Even with help from the Force, Luke struggled to pull him up for a few moments. He decided to just brute force it, and put all his Force and physical strength into the pull. Luke succeeded in getting Din up to the ledge, but lost his balance once he was no longer countering Din’s full weight. Luke fell backwards, pulling Din forward with him. Luke’s back landed hard against the stone, and even harder beskar landed on top of him, knocking out all the wind from his lungs. Din shifted to bracket Luke’s head with his arms, lifting his weight off of the other man. Luke felt burning hot all over his body, lying there face to face with Din on top of him. He’d had this kind of dream before, the memory concentrating that heat between his legs where inconviently Din’s knee was. Luke was frozen, trying to discern if this was indeed another dream or a crushingly embarrassing reality. A breath passed before Din made the first move to get up. He pushed back to sit on his heels, allowing Luke space to scramble to his feet.

“Maybe next time, I pull you up,” Din cleared his throat as he stood.

Luke agreed, pretending to brush dirt off his pants, praying the darkness covered his blush. He led them further into the second floor of the structure. Luke tried to let the feeling of the Force overcome his own emotions. He tried to ignore Din still trailing behind, instead bulleting them towards the artifact’s signature. They reached a large, central room. It looked like a great hall, with a hearth in the center and a throne at the back, sitting on a dais. A grand altar carved from stone sat near the hearth, completely empty. Din stepped intot he room first, running a hand over the altar stone.

“I feel like this is where something important like an artifact would be,” he observed.

“Yeah,” Luke followed. “But I feel it behind the throne, there’s another room.” They each took a side of the throne and began to circle it. There was a carved doorway behind it. Luke entered first with Din close behind. The room was empty save for the typical winding vines and moss of all the other rooms. There was another dais at the back of the room.

“There’s nothing here,” Din stated, glancing around.

“It’s under that platform, it’s hollow. Can you smash it like the wall?”

“I can certainly try,” Din grunted. With a boot in the middle of the dais, he again used his weight as advantage and was able to quickly break through. The stone crumbled to reveal a pale, pink glow. Din stepped back to allow Luke the first real look. When Luke did get a look, he was filled with giddy excitement. A holocron, a multifaceted geometric shape, similar to a heart. Luke picked it up, marvelling at the artifact.

***

With the artifact secured, the men made their way back to camp. Following the same path was easier and much quicker with the way already cut and stomped out for them. They stopped at the same stream from the day before.

“Do you want to sleep here, or try to make it back to camp?” Din asked Luke’s turned back, helmet off and wiping sweat from his brow. It was certainly late into the night, maybe even the small hours of the morning.

“I can keep going, and if we sleep here only one will actually be sleeping,” Luke replied, obviously antsy to get back. Tapping his toe on the soil, even looked full of kinetic energy. Din hummed in agreement, filling both their canteens.

“Okay, short rest, then we go,” Din concluded. He sat down on the root Luke had chosen on their last break here. Luke was restless, pacing with his eyes closed, mumbling to himself. Din watched with fond amusement as he chewed on a thumbnail like he did earlier. He sighed with a half smile, and put his helmet back on.

“If you’re not going to rest, then let’s keep going.”

Luke opened his eyes and looked at him sheepishly. The blond mumbled an apology, and they set off on the trail again. Din let Luke lead, selfishly indulging in the sight of his muscled calves and shoulders. He was never more thankful for Beskar’s Force-blocking abilities than when he was looking at Luke. His thoughts drifted back to when he landed the previous morning, seeing Luke in nothing but wet smallclothes. It was magnetic the way his gaze was always drawn to every part of Luke. It bothered him that with no one else around, he didn’t have an excuse to touch Luke anymore. He could get away with a hand on his lower back or a brush of his fingers through Luke’s hair when they were in public. It was apart of their cover after all.

They reached the camp as a sun was barely creeping over the horizon. Luke dropped his satchel on his pallet bed inside the hut and huffed in relief.

“I’m gonna get in the pond, you can come too,” Luke said while peeling off his shirt. His apparent shyness from earlier fallen away in favor of just getting cooler as soon as possible. Din turned his gaze away. He didn’t want Luke to feel judged like before with revealing his scars. It was immensely tempting to jump in the water, even more so after Luke sank in with a relieved sigh. He didn’t feel like it was a good idea, though, to be removed of all that was covering his feelings around Luke. In the end, Din decided to sit inside the hut, hiding away from Luke after over a day of exposure to his feelings.

When it came time to leave, Luke’s hair was still wet from his swim. He followed Din over to his N1 to say goodbye. Luke was going to stay a bit longer to study the artifact before returning to Mandalore. It made sense, but Din still knew he’d continue missing the Jedi. Din was surprised when Luke threw his arms around him in a hug. He hesitated to return it. Friends hugged, though, right? It was completely normal. Din wrapped gentle arms around Luke’s waist with the thought reassuring him.

“I’ll be back soon,” Luke said when they parted. “It’ll just be easier to study here, without distractions.” Din nodded.

“Grogu will miss you.”

“I’ll miss him too, and I’ll miss you, Din.”

Din couldn’t help but look away. Luke’s eyes were too bright, his smile too mesmerizing. His words feeding too much into Din’s crushing feelings.

“You too,” was all he could manage in reply. He watched Luke wave him off as he entered the stratosphere. Once he fully left the atmosphere, Din exhaled long and slow, resigning himself to being tortured by these feelings for the rest of his life.

Chapter Text

Sleep was Luke’s worst enemy. At the best of times, sleep was an acquaintance. At worst, Luke challenged how long a human being could go without sleep and still maintain life functions. Sometimes, even when he could fall asleep, it was an exhausting experience. He had dreams and nightmares that kept his mind from fully resting. Horrific things came to him, like memories of war or memories altered to be wrong and awful. He sometimes had a dream where he was an Imperial Prince who, under the guidance of his befouled father, slaughtered planets and civilizations with a bone-chilling smile. Along with the nightmares, however, were dreams. Luke never had an unproductive dream. Often, he connected with the ghosts of Jedi who’ve passed. Mainly his old Masters, Obi-Wan, and Yoda. Though grateful for these kinds of dreams, they kept his mind active and unable to actually sleep. 

Tonight, he had a nightmare of a corrupted memory. Reaching back to when he aided the Mandalorians in retaking their planet. He had blaster-scarred beskar at his back as he and Din defended their position. They were stuck in a crater, the same crater where Din saved Luke’s life and then Luke saved Din’s. They had to fight upwards from below, the worst possible point strategically. A bold stormtrooper with a jetpack jumped in with them and knocked Din to his back with two feet to his chest. Having been behind Din, Luke was slammed face-first into the dirt. He smelled blood and tasted scorched earth. Din was dragged off of him, up and out of the crater faster than one would think possible for a man weighed down by armor. Though missing the air from his lungs, Luke hurdled to claw his way up the side of the crater and follow Din’s captor. In the real memory, Luke crested the edge of the crater to see the stormtrooper reaching for Din’s helmet. With a primal scream and all the strength he had left, Luke grabbed the trooper with the Force and threw him miles into the sky. 

In the dream, Luke looked over the crater's edge to see Din lying in the dirt, suddenly battered and bloodied worse than seconds ago. Luke tried to scramble towards him but kept slipping on the slope. He was helpless as he watched the stormtrooper rip the helmet from Din’s head and finish the job. Luke gasped to consciousness with the image of Din’s wide eyes imprinted behind his own. 

After that traumatizing vignette, Luke decided to take a walk. He didn’t care about the time or how many hours he had until he’d have his students fighting for his attention and trying to pull each other's hair. He needed to just get up and do something with his body. He dressed as if he was getting ready for the day, knowing he might end up not getting back to sleep after what he’d seen. Stepping out of his quarters, he decided to turn left instead of his usual right. Newness was a great distraction. The hall he chose led to more guest rooms, expectantly empty. The hall curved, terracotta orange walls bending in a winding path. This section of the Palace was unusually built compared to the rest. Silver and dusky grey were replaced with amber desert hues. It faintly reminded Luke of the buildings on Tatooine, and he was grateful to have been given a room in this area. A small courtyard appeared on the left, with lush leaves and trees overgrowing like a jungle. Entering, Luke found a small pond in the middle that was full of frogs. He smiled, thinking of Grogu. The sky told him it was very late, hints of a sunrise appeared faintly among the stars. Wandering his way across the courtyard, he came to an archway leading to a large wooden door. There was one Mandalorian guard poised in front of it. Curiosity outweighed the feeling of being caught wandering. 

“Good evening, Master Skywalker,” the guard tipped his head in greeting. 

“Good evening,” Luke smiled and bowed his head as well. 

“Up late doing, uh, Jedi things?” 

Luke could tell the guard was young. Their helmet was painted a lush, lively green, not unlike the courtyard plants just in front of them. 

“Not really, just had a… weird dream and needed to walk it off.” 

“Oh, I know what you mean,” the Mandalorian nodded. “I have this dream all the time where an evil witch turns me into a frog on the day I’m supposed to be getting married, and I have to hop up to the altar as a frog!” 

Luke couldn’t help but throw his head back in laughter. 

“And sometimes the person I’m marrying is a giant frog and I feel embarrassed being a normal-sized frog.” They both shared another chuckle. 

“So, are you coming back to bed?”

The question confused Luke. His brows scrunched as he tried to puzzle out the meaning. Was this door another entrance to his quarters? If so, then he wondered why there wasn’t a guard at his other door. Before he could find a response, another Mandalorian approached. This one was taller and broader with a red-painted chest plate. 

“Shifts up," was all he said in a gruff voice. 

“Goodnight, Master Skywalker.” The previous guard bowed his head once more and left. 

“Do you need to enter your chambers, Master Skywalker?” The red Mandalorian asked. 

“I’m still deciding... I don’t think I’ll be able to fall back asleep, so I don’t know if I should even bother.” The guard grunted in acknowledgment, and suddenly Luke missed the much more personable green-helmeted one. The two stood across from each other in deep late-night silence, not a word or movement exchanged. Luke felt the oppressive weight of awkwardness and started searching for a socially acceptable way to leave.

“Excuse me if this is a stupid question, but I obviously haven’t gotten much sleep lately. Where does this door lead?”

“The Mand’alor’s chambers.” 

Luke blinked, and suddenly it all caught up with him. 

“Oh, um, no, thank you. I think I’ll go try to sleep again.” Luke moved to walk away, but was stopped by the guard’s response.

“Does the Mand’alor’s consort not sleep in his chambers?” Under the right circumstances, the answer would typically be yes. However, Luke and Din weren’t actually consorting with each other. Luke had wandered himself in a hole and was struggling to find a way out that didn’t end up with him entering Din’s bedroom. A teasing voice in the back of his head remarked at how he’d been wanting to join Din in bed for quite a while, and maybe he should take this opportunity. He tried to ignore it, but there really didn’t seem to be another way.

“... Yes. Sorry, I was going around to the other door out of habit.” Luke truly had no idea what he was saying. He was digging himself deeper and deeper. He was even fairly sure this was the only door. The Mandalorian guard lifted his fist to knock and the following sound was gratingly loud. Luke felt like he might get sick from embarrassment. A few moments later, the guard knocked again, shaking Luke to his core. He prayed to the sky that Din wouldn’t answer. A few additional moments passed before they heard a faint commotion behind the door. The door creaked ajar and a familiar silver helmet peeked out. Luke’s cheeks were on fire.

“Mand’alor, your consort requested entry.” Din looked directly at Luke. He didn’t say a word and opened the door just wide enough for Luke to duck in under his arm.

“Thank you, Taeld,” Din said groggily. Taeld nodded, and Din pulled the door shut. Luke stood frozen in the dark bedroom, wanting to take up as little space as possible. Once the door closed, the only light was from the moon outside, painting the room a cool pale blue. Din and Luke stared at one another for what felt like an hour. Luke used all his willpower to keep his eyes locked on the helmet and to not wander down to Din’s half-naked form. Who would’ve thought the Mand’alor slept nearly naked?

“What is going on?” Din asked abruptly. His tone thankfully indicated exasperated confusion rather than anger. 

“I was taking a walk and I didn’t know what this door was, and the guard started questioning why I didn’t wanna come in since I’m your, consort? Is that really what I’m called? Anyways, it would’ve been suspicious if I didn’t want to come in…” It wasn’t exactly concise, but Luke got the point across. Din took in his words and sighed. 

“You take the bed.” He wandered over to a pile on the floor and picked up a long-sleeve shirt and sleep pants. Luke swallowed as he watched the muscled expanse of Din’s back move as he headed to the ensuite refresher. Luke looked around in the dim light. He could see another door slightly ajar and a small bed covered with a mound of blankets, two green ears sticking out of them. He noticed it was sparsely decorated, save a settee, a dresser, and a modest bookshelf. Din came out fully covered in his sleepwear and immediately took residence on the settee. 

“Are you gonna sleep with the helmet on?” Luke asked in a whisper.

“It doesn’t bother me.” Din tossed a decorative pillow on the ground and arranged one from the bed behind his head. 

“No, I’m not gonna make you sleep on a couch in your own bedroom. Get up, Din.”

“It’s fine. You can’t exactly leave now.” 

“Well, I thought maybe I’d just wait a few minutes and then go back to my room.”

“I can’t exactly have my guards thinking it only takes me a few minutes.”

Luke blessed the darkness for covering his flushed face. Despite the embarrassment, he also couldn’t help but smile a bit. Din being worried about people believing he was a bad lover was amusing and a bit charming. Din looked settled on the couch, uncomfortable for sure, but like he was going to fight for sleep anyway. At this point in the night, Luke was wide awake. He silently walked around Din’s room. Looking at the freshly slept-in bed, Luke wanted to jump into it and feel the residual warmth sink into his bones. He restrained himself and walked over to the bookshelf. Many titles were in Mando’a, but a few were in Basic or Huttese. He pulled out the books in the languages he spoke, one by one, to look at the cover. He knew he was being silent, but Din stirred after a while anyway.

“Are you having trouble sleeping?” Din asked. 

“Weird dream. I don’t think I’m sleeping anymore tonight.” Luke tried to quiet himself more, hoping Din would go to sleep. Instead, Luke felt Din get up and walk over to him. 

“Do you, want to talk about it?” Din sounded unsure but sincere. Luke remembered the dream and almost forgot to breathe.

“... Not particularly,” was the answer he decided on. 

“I get dreams like that, too. Don’t be ashamed if you want to talk, but I also won’t pry.” Luke smiled softly to himself, feeling Din walk over to sit by him on the bed. 

“Please go to sleep, don’t let my restlessness keep you up.” 

Din shrugged. “I’m used to staying up with the kid. He has bad nights, too.”

“I don’t need to be looked after,” Luke said, looking at Din with a raised brow. Din’s helmet tilted in a familiar silent gesture. Luke knew Din was too caring of a person to leave him awake alone. Secretly, it felt nice to be considered like that. Luke bent down to glance at the bottom shelf and suddenly became aware of a burning hot energy through the Force. It had been there for several moments, he realized, but like a frog in boiling water, he hadn’t noticed it till it reached a certain intensity. A heartbeat jumping and skipping. He stood straight up again, and Luke turned in its direction to see nothing but Din, still on the bed. He looked no different than the moment before. Luke continued to stare, searching for the source of the energy. As he was looking over at Din, he realized this was the first time Luke had seen him without armor on. Suddenly, it clicked: Luke was sensing Din’s emotions, nearly completely unobstructed. Din was usually a quiet spot in the Force, most Mandalorians were, the beskar acting as a barrier. It wasn’t impossible to read an armored Mandalorian’s emotions, just difficult. The burning energy turned to something like confusion and self-consciousness as Luke looked at him. Luke hardly wanted to acknowledge what he’d felt, but now he’d made a bit of a spectacle of himself.

“... Why are you staring?” Din asked, ever bluntly. 

“... Force shit, I felt something from you.” He sensed something like shame and a little fear bubble up in Din’s energy. Usually, people didn’t feel this loudly unless under certain circumstances. Luke curiously stepped towards him.

“Your armor dampens your energy. I can’t feel anything from you on a regular basis. But, you’re not wearing your armor right now.” The feeling of being exposed flashed through the Force. Din cleared his throat.

“So you can, read my mind?” 

Luke couldn’t help but laugh a bit. “No, but I can sense your emotions as they radiate through the Force around you. I sense everyone around me, more or less, depending on how strongly they’re feeling or if their energy is hidden by something.” 

“Is that happening all the time?” 

Luke nodded. 

“No wonder you don’t sleep.” His tone was gruff and sarcastic, but deep empathy radiated towards Luke from inside Din’s chest. It caught Luke off guard, and if he was walking he would’ve tripped. He had a lifelong habit of putting everything else before his own human needs. He knew it, yet he still chose not to eat or sleep if there was something to be done. A bad, bad habit he couldn’t ever see himself shaking. And being sensitive to everyone’s emotions 24/7 didn’t help with the not taking care of himself part. He moved to sit down next to Din.

“Do you usually have strong emotions?” 

“What I usually get told is that I don’t even have emotions.” 

“Hm, maybe I’m feeling them so strongly because I’ve never felt them before?” 

Din hummed curiously. “So we’ve all been afraid you’re reading our minds for nothing?” 

Luke laughed, maybe a little too loudly this time. “You’re all afraid of me?”

“Afraid is a strong word. Lots of people are concerned that whenever you’re around, you can hear their thoughts through the magic stuff.”

“I usually tune everyone out; it’s just background noise. And I almost never intentionally snoop on someone’s feelings. The most I do is sense if someone’s lying. And it’s not mind-reading.” 

“Can you tell what the feeling is exactly?” 

“The Force is rarely specific. I usually have to consider other things like the context and the person’s personality to get a better idea of the specific emotion.”

“So, you can’t tell what I’m feeling?” 

“I can tell your heartbeat is faster than the average resting speed, and that your face is hot. Those are signs of a lot of different emotions, though, and since I’ve only sensed your presence a few times I don’t really have a baseline to compare it to. But considering the situation we’re in,” Luke scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “I would guess you’re embarrassed, or maybe just, disregulated? I have just barged into your bedroom and am keeping you from sleeping.” 

Din was quiet for a moment. “Right,” was all he spoke after careful consideration. Luke sighed.

“I’m so sorry about this!” He rubbed his hands over his face. 

“Luke, it’s okay. I was the one who told you to stay.”

Luke chewed on his bottom lip. “You’re right.” He stared into the middle distance for a few moments. At a passing thought, his mouth quirked up in an amused smile.

“Your guards would really tell people about our, erm, intimate life?”

Din exhaled long and slow. “People are curious about me, cause of this.” Din tapped his helmet.

“And they seem rather curious about us.”

“You have no idea.” The conversation fizzled into dead air between them. Luke looked around the room, back at the bookshelf, and then at the dresser with nothing on it. Though the silence was mostly comfortable, he still felt odd just sitting there. He studied Din in his periphery. His visor was now looking straight ahead, slightly tipped to one side as if trying to listen for something. Luke didn’t have to wonder long before he heard fusing in the connecting room. Din was up immediately, mumbling under his breath. Luke watched him enter Grogu’s room and close the door. 

Luke was almost knocked onto his back. Warm, fuzzy, loving fondness radiated from the direction of the nursery. Din must have taken his helmet off to soothe the child. Luke’s heart ached with the overwhelming feeling of it all. He felt the joy and peace filling Din’s heart, and the saccharine sweet happiness from Grogu. It was intense at the same time as being overwhelmingly safe. It was what Luke had felt as a well-loved child on Tatooine, and what he had to assume his Aunt and Uncle felt as well. A fierceness poking through the deepest love. Like a dragon with their young. 

Then it was muffled. The helmet was back on. Luke had to grab the poster of the bed to ground himself again. The nursery door opened, and Din came out with Grogu cradled in his arms. 

“He wants to see you too,” Din said in his typical gruff manner, tonally mismatched with his soft feelings. He handed the child to Luke, who scooped Grogu up in a hug. He felt a deeper connection to both father and child, now with a sample of their bond stuck in his chest. Luke felt his tiredness deeper now and scooted up the bed to prop his back against the headboard, playing with Grogu in his lap. A few seconds passed before Din joined him. They sat side by side, watching Grogu with Luke could only assume matching smiles. Few words passed between them, a more comfortable silence and quietness that Luke didn’t realize he needed. It wasn’t long after that Luke unknowingly drifted off into sleep.

***

Luke had woken that morning feeling better than he’d felt in years. A dreamless sleep had taken hold and washed away layers of exhaustion. Grogu was pawing at his hair, playing with the strands that fell over his face. He opened his eyes fast and with a funny noise to surprise Grogu. In the light of morning, he saw the child blinking back at him with a goofy smile. His chest felt full to bursting with adoration, only slightly influenced by what he felt off Din the night before. Luke played with Grogu on the bed for a few moments, twirling his fingers for the child to follow with his eyes and try to grab. Until Luke had the weirdest feeling that his pillow was moving. 

Luke froze, stone still. His pillow, much to his surprise, was stirring in its sleep. Luke’s cheek grew intensely hot from where it rested on Din’s thigh. He waited until the other man seemed settled before slowly sitting up. Din’s hand fell from Luke’s waist. Luke winced, hoping it didn't wake Din up. Looking over the bed, it was clear that the three of them had fallen asleep exactly where they were sitting the previous night. Before he could think too long about everything, silently, Luke slipped out of the bedroom. He didn’t dare look at the guard outside, yet his stomach lurched when he thought he saw red in the corner of his eye. 

Luke walked fast down the same halls he had walked last night. From the angle of the sun, it was clear they had slept late into the morning. Luke stumbled as he tried to think about what he had to do today. It wasn’t a class day, but he had lesson planning. That wasn’t too urgent right now. He had a meeting with the counsel, but that wasn’t till mid-afternoon. His mind raced to find something, anything to distract himself from the situation he’d woken up in. 

“Hey, Red!” 

Luke stopped in his tracks at his old Resistance call sign. He looked around for the source of the call. A smile broke out on his face as he recognized a former comrade in Cara striding over to him. A welcome distraction from his thoughts. He’d seen her in passing, but as a council member, she’d been much too busy to stop and chat much during their mutual residence on Mandalore. Luke returned her greeting, and she punched his shoulder. 

“I have a minute before my next meeting, got time to catch up?”

“I’m actually free right now, too.” Luke beamed. The perfect way to not think about cuddling with Din was to talk with an old friend. The two fell into step together, looking for a place to maybe sit and chat. Luke realized they were near the garden and led Cara to his favorite bench with the perfect balance of shade and sun.

“Sooo, I’ve been meaning to ask about you and Din.” 

Suddenly, Luke regretted sitting down with Cara. He called out into the Force for the strength to bear the following conversation.

“Has he taken off the helmet?” 

“Yes,” which wasn’t a lie. Luke had been in Din’s unhelmeted presence a few times, just blindfolded. And not anywhere near the realm of a romantic context. 

“So you’ve seen his face?”

“No…”

“Oh, so you guys are just freaky like that,” Cara cackled, and Luke fought a blush rising up his neck and cheeks. “I don’t wanna know what he looks like, I respect the Way. I’m just curious about the logistics, y’know?” 

Luke huffed a sheepish laugh and stumbled to find a response.

“Are you embarrassed? Mr. New Guy a Cycle is embarrassed?”

Luke forced a laugh and rolled his eyes. “Kriff, Cara, I was 19. And that’s on top of fighting an intergalactic war.”

“I’m not trying to shame you, I just didn’t think it would be a sore subject.”  

“It’s not sore,” Luke immediately tried to swallow the double meaning of his phrase. “Din is just a private man, I don’t want to share something about him that he might not want out there.”

“Okay, but like, the guards like to gossip, you probably know. And right now they’re saying they let you into Din’s room last night, but then you guys were super quiet?” 

Luke felt like he was going to cough up a lung. “... I use the Force to shield, um, noise. Just to be polite to anyone that might… hear...” 

“Wow… So you can control it even during-?”

“Yes! Yeah, I can.” 

“That’s insane, actually. But also, you took a sky dive from an airship in the middle of heavy fire.” 

Luke shrugged in a way he hoped looked confident and not still incredibly nervous. He felt like every nerve was on fire. It was almost torture to have to talk about Din in the same context he had been trying to lock away in the back of his mind. The thoughts were clawing their way up, flashing images that Luke did not want to be in public while he thought about them. He remembered he had actually used the Force before in such a way, the memories drifting around to replace the past lover with Din.  

“Okay, I’ll stop asking you about it. Just as long as you both treat each other right, that’s all I care about.”

“Thank you, Cara.” Luke tried to smile without grimacing. 

“And, admittedly, I have no idea whose side I would be on if you broke up. I knew you first, but Din’s also my boss, soooo…” 

Luke shared a more genuine laugh with Cara. Thankfully, they were now out of time. Cara gave him a goodbye as she went on her way. Once she was out of sight, Luke heaved the heaviest sigh, trying to let all the feelings dissipate into the Force.

 ***

Luke was reading peacefully in the garden after a long day of lesson planning. The sun was washing golden light over all that surrounded him. The plants, insects, and small creatures filled the space with rich life. Luke was engrossed in an old Jedi text, his hands stretched over the multi-thousand-year-old words displayed on his datapad. He was so entangled in his reading that a flash in the corner of his eye startled him, and only when he jumped did he see Din was close by. 

“Kriff, Din,” Luke clapped a hand to his chest. 

“What did you tell Cara?” Din was direct and deadly serious. Luke paled, remembering the conversation from the morning he had spent all day trying to forget.

“Did you tell her that you use the Force when we have sex?” 

Luke’s brain proceeded to short-circuit. It couldn’t seem to process the fact that Din was standing in front of him, saying the word sex. Not that he hadn’t thought about it, many times, many different ways, with Din specifically. Especially after that morning. That was all fantasy, though, never to be reality. It took longer than it should’ve for him to remember that Din was referring to the lie Luke had told earlier in the day. 

“...Not specifically?”

“What did you say, specifically?” 

“Well…” Luke recapped the conversation as best he could, purposefully leaving out the details about Cara teasing him for his teenage hookups, and emphasizing that he only claimed to use the Force for sound-dampening purposes.

“... Okay,” Din nodded, and began leaving. Luke stood quickly to scamper after him. Leaving the datapad abandoned on the bench.

“Are you mad?” 

“No, it was just… fucking weird. She was going on about all this crazy stuff. And, uh, I wanted to make sure we had our facts straight as well. Prevent contradicting each other.” 

“Oh, yeah, good point.” Luke walked alongside Din, not knowing where they were going. “What else did she say?” 

“... That in the Resistance you had a… reputation." 

Luke groaned in annoyance, running a hand over his face. “Din, I don’t think she’s our friend anymore, since she clearly takes too much joy in our suffering.” 

“She said you had a, particular liking for men with mustaches.”

“... That’s still true, unfortunately.”

“Hm.”

“But it has been a long time since I’ve seen someone. I’ve grown up in the last decade and a half. Contrary to popular belief, apparently.”

Din grunted in typical Mandalorian fashion. Luke looked the man up and down, trying desperately to find any clue on how Din felt. The night before, he had been spoiled by the touch of Din’s emotions. Powerfully earnest, in a way that still sent a shiver up Luke’s spine to remember. Being cut off from it now was almost grating, now knowing what was underneath all the armor. As they turned a corner, Luke saw the entrance to the throne room ahead. Din stopped at the door.

“To make things simpler, let’s not discuss our fake sex life with others.” 

“Right…” Luke trailed off as Din entered, leaving the door to fall closed behind him. 

Chapter Text

Din swirled the sparkling liquid in his dainty glass cup. He stared at it in confusion. Why would they push a glass into the hand of someone who couldn’t drink it? He sighed and set it on a nearby ledge. His armor was freshly polished, and an ostentatious fur lining was added to a heavy velvet cloak that replaced his usual tattered one. On the ride to Coruscant, it all felt like too much, but now he felt woefully underdressed. Everyone around him was glittered and gilded, impressively impractical. 

Luke seemed to fit right in. His mother had been a Queen, Din remembered. Luke’s sandy hair was braided on the sides, both ends meeting together with an elaborate gold, pearl, and blue jewelled hair piece. He’d grown it out the past year, and now it brushed the base of his exposed neck. His usual black plain tunic was replaced with a flowing set of white robes draped over a peach-colored layer. The sleeves fell off his shoulders to expose delicately powerful shoulders and freckled skin. It was torture for Din to watch him move around the room looking so obscenely beautiful. Din felt boorish standing next to him, which was why he encouraged Luke to mingle alone for a while. Sky blue eyes met him through the visor, and Luke sent him a reassuring smile. Din’s gaze was wandering up and down Luke’s body. The fabric of his robes somehow obscured and defined parts of his body in hypnotizing ways. It made Din want to grab at the fabric and tear it away to reveal what was underneath. To run his hands across lithe muscle and sun-kissed skin, to claim it as his. It made him think back to when he helped Luke look for that artifact. How he came upon Luke while he was swimming, dripping wet and exposed to the sun. He knew how Luke looked under there, and the thought gave him a possessive sense of satisfaction. 

Din cleared his throat. Those kinds of thoughts were getting more and more insistent lately. Especially since Luke had told Cara certain facts about their made-up love life. That exchange had jettisoned the thoughts to the surface of his mind, and they stuck there. He felt like a teenager again, like an exposed nerve where every look Luke gave him set everything off. He couldn’t stop catching himself thinking about Luke in deplorable ways every time his mind wandered. In the places he used to think about strategies and creative uses for weapons were scenes and images ripped from a naughty holovid. He felt the need to shake his head. He was simply confusing their agreement for reality, he thought, thinking of Luke like they actually had something. The worst part was it did feel real sometimes. When they realized the act was still up when no one was looking. The lines were blurring dangerously. 

Din blinked, and suddenly Luke was walking towards him with two other people. A brunette woman with a very similar face to Luke and a scruffy-looking man. He looked similarly out of place as Din. 

“Din!” Luke sounded happy. Din felt he could never hear Luke’s voice happily say his name enough. 

“I would like you to meet my sister! This is Leia, and her husband Han.” 

Din nodded and greeted them formally. He did it the way Luke had taught him, while saying he wouldn't have Din's conversations for him. With the way the night had been going so far, that had been a lie. 

“So you’re the one who's been monopolizing Luke’s time?” Leia crossed her arms, skipping all pleasantries. Han laughed and tried to reassure Din that she was only joking. 

“This is who looked after Grogu during the Reclamation.” Luke grabbed Din’s hand. Before he could determine if he was remembering the act or responding in earnest, Din squeezed his hand back. 

“He was honestly so good; he and Ben had so much fun together,” Leia continued, nicely this time. Then she leaned in a bit too close to Din and whispered. 

“Also, I know about this agreement.” 

Din looked to his left at Luke.

“She figured it out herself,” Luke explained softly. “She’s also Force sensitive, can’t lie to her.”

“I’m not going to say anything. Senators also love to dish out dirt. I know how the rumor mill can be. But either way,” Leia returned to normal volume. “You guys should bring Grogu back for play dates. Ben misses his little buddy.”

“Sure,” Din considered before agreeing. He figured since Grogu was familiar with them and they with Grogu, then it wouldn’t hurt. It might actually help the kid get some energy out on days he’s not with Luke. The four continued talking, and surprisingly, Din felt comfortable quickly. Din felt grounded by Luke’s hand entwined with his, gently squeezing occasionally. 

When Leia and Han had to leave, Din felt surprised that he was disappointed. They were by far the best people to talk to at this gala, and he was sad to have to return to the monotony. The Duke and Duchess of a nowhere never heard of by Din planet approached once the couple was free. Din usually had Bo-Katan fielding his interactions at public events; however, her spot as plus one had been taken by Luke since their “relationship” went public. Din had to thank the stars that Luke was good at it, arguably better. 

Luke complimented the Duchess, reaching forward to caress the large pendant she was wearing gently. It was weirdly touchy, even by Luke’s standards, and Din felt a surge of what he couldn’t admit was jealousy. The conversation was short, and the couple moved on. Din leaned his head to where it was just barely touching Luke’s temple.

“Have you been drinking?” He whispered, half-teasing and half-concerned. 

“Nope, just keeping up appearances. That woman is wearing a kyber crystal as a kriffing necklace.” Luke spoke out the side of his mouth with a calm smile still plastered on his face. Something smoldering glinted behind his eyes. 

“So, we’re gonna take it.”

“And I’m the one who can read minds.” Luke scoffed with a genuine smile playing behind the fake one. Luke detached their hands and made their way over to the refreshments table. 

“Babe, watch me do a shot!” Luke called back, gesturing for Din to follow. The plan was apparent, and Din felt something flutter in his chest at the pet name. Luke knocked back shots with ease, stumbling while standing still. Din placed a hand on the small of his back to keep him steady. Luke gasped, pretending to be distracted by something, and began melting into the crowd. Din did his best to follow. 

Luke was really good at acting wasted. Maybe he actually was at this point. Din couldn’t tell where those shots had actually ended up. He broke through the crowd after hanging back just long enough. Luke was laughing loudly and slouching on a settee with a group of other drunks. The Duchess was there, her head on Luke’s shoulder, and her husband was nowhere to be seen. Din noticed very quickly that her necklace was already missing. He approached the gaggling group and considered the angle he should play at. 

“Luke,” He chose an authoritative tone. 

“Hi baby,” Luke cooed with half-lidded eyes. Din just nearly lost his composure. 

“You’ve had enough, let’s go home.” 

The Duchess protested, but Luke sighed and reassured her he’d be in touch for some fashion advice. Luke stood and swayed, leaning into Din’s chest. Din had to wrap an arm around him to move back towards the entrance, and they began leaving quietly. Once out the door, Luke straightened and stood on his own. It was uncanny how quickly he snapped between drunk and stone-cold sober. They walked in silence to the ship, only beginning to talk once the door clicked closed out of caution.

Upon the sound of the lock, Luke produced the necklace from inside the glove covering his prosthetic. He had the same smile Din had seen on loth-cats after a successful kill. 

“You were actually drinking those. How are you still standing?”

“I think you know what I'm gonna say.” 

Din thought for a moment. “The Force?”

“Good boy.” Luke patted Din’s chestplate as he passed to enter the cockpit. The praise and touch set Din’s face ablaze under the helmet. He pushed the feeling aside, following close behind, determined to fly them home before he could fall into that intoxicating swirl of thoughts again. 

Chapter Text

After an agonizing week of being alone, Din internally rejoiced when his royal guard announced Luke’s return. He couldn’t help but quicken his pace to the landing strip, skipping steps and outpacing his guard. When Luke went on trips, it felt like the sun had disappeared from the sky. Din had grown used to his constant presence. Another artifact hunt had taken Luke off-world this time, and despite wanting to go with, Mand’alor duties couldn’t wait. He really didn’t like it when Luke left, but he couldn’t bring himself to be upset at Luke. If he wasn’t tethered to Mandalore by duty, then he would be back out there as well. Stepping into the sun, he stopped just as quickly as he had been walking, blinded by the sight of Luke.

Something was different immediately. Luke looked well rested for the first time Din had known him, nearly untouched by anything. The cool and calm Jedi exterior was softened to merely a professional facade. Luke allowed his inner light to radiate outwards and warm people with the rays. Din could tell Luke had found what he was looking for out in the great beyond, and he came to share it with Din. Luke noticed Din’s presence and beamed. They each began to walk towards the other, meeting in the middle. Din held out a forearm for a familiar, friendly greeting, but Luke threw his arms around his shoulders. Right, publicly, they were more than friends. 

Din could hear whispers, and as he hugged Luke back, he saw the workers in the landing port jabbering to each other. He rolled his eyes, still heavily annoyed by the culture of court gossip. He hated how people didn’t seem to understand that people can act all sorts of ways for all sorts of reasons, that not everything was a secret affair or treason. He also begrudged that people still thought of their “relationship” as news when it had been so long already. Din took his hand on instinct, and they began walking back to the palace together. 

“What’d you bring home this time?” Din teased.

“I actually didn’t find anything!” Luke’s excitement didn’t seem to match his statement. Din tilted his head, waiting for the other man to elaborate.

“I was far away from any civilization, far enough to where I couldn’t sense anyone. It allowed my mind to be clear enough to connect with my old masters and talk to them.” 

Din nodded. It definitely sounded productive. He knew if he could talk to figures from his past as easily, it would solve a lot of things. 

“What did you talk about?”

Luke turned his gaze away from Din.

“A lot of things… But mostly, attachments.” 

“Attachments?”

“To people. The Order was strict about no attachments, thinking that strong emotions were a gateway to the Dark Side. I’ve never really agreed with that, but also never had enough time to think about why.”

Din hummed in agreement. He sure still hardly understood the whole Jedi thing, but as long as Luke was talking, he would listen. 

“What’s your conclusion?” 

“Healthy attachments make us stronger. Unhealthy ones can lead you astray. I don’t want to teach our kids to never love anyone. Some of them have families, and they’ve grown so close with each other… I couldn’t ever bring myself to break those bonds. I can, however, teach them how to love people compassionately and empathetically.” Luke’s determination was infectious. Din decided that he would do anything to help Luke achieve his goals. 

“You got back at the perfect time. We have intel about an Imperial prison holding potentially Force-sensitive prisoners. We were just about to head out and follow the advance team.” 

“Out of the frying pan, into the fire,” Luke said with a determined smile. “Let’s go.”

***

The following skirmish wasn’t very eventful in Din’s book, except maybe at the end. The advance team had cleared what few guards there were. It seemed like the prison had fallen on the list of priorities for the local Imperial remnants; the computers were outdated and easily hacked, and the guards were poorly trained and not as loyal. Din and Luke lead the rescue. Luke followed the Force to find the main prison cell. Most cells were empty; potentially, the prisoners had been moved. Din didn’t want to think of any other reason. They got to a corner and paused. Din looked around with his blaster raised, checking for leftover guards. Luke gasped softly, causing Din to whip his head back. 

“End of the hall, they’re in there,” Luke whispered. The blond reached out to place a vice grip on Din’s shoulder. 

“Din,” Luke softly commanded his full attention. “They’re kids.” 

Without a second of hesitation, Din charged down the hall. Breaking down the door, there were seven guards surrounding a much larger cell. After an exchange of fire and fists, the Mandalorian and Jedi were quickly victorious. Din’s heart pounded in his ears as they worked to extract the prisoners, who, horrifyingly, were all small children. Righteous anger consumed Din as he took the most direct and destructive route out of the prison. He felt indestructible, or more like he didn’t care what happened to him. He wanted to draw all fire and attention to him, away from Luke and the kids. It worked for long enough, as he ushered everyone onto the ship, until he was distracted for just a moment as one small girl tripped on the steps. A blaster shot rang against the side of Din’s helmet. Shaking off the potential concussion, he threw the girl into Luke’s arms and charged towards the shooter. He didn’t end up remembering much after that, only that he got hurt and kept going until he collapsed on the floor on the ship after. He stayed on the ground until they reached home, drifting off a bit despite Luke repeatedly telling him to do anything but fall asleep. 

***

Din took off his helmet. It wasn’t the first time Luke had treated his wounds blindfolded. There were multiple times during the war where it could only be Luke. The Force allowed him to sense everything around him and move easily without sight, preserving Din’s Creed. The moment his helmet was off, Luke inhaled sharply, his lips pressing together into a thin line.

“Just a scratch, huh?” The blond scoffed. Din groaned in pain, exhaustion, and guilt. He should’ve realized the moment he started to take off his armor Luke would be able to sense the extent of his pain. He resigned himself to just start assuming the Force can do anything, as there wasn’t a time he remembered learning something the Force couldn’t do. Once he was fully unarmored, Luke asked permission to touch. Din nodded and tried his hardest not to let out any reaction. Deft and capable hands felt the slash on his waist, determining depth and severity. 

“I can use the power I have left, but it won’t be enough,” Luke took a cloth to wipe the blood from his hands. His tone was short, and Din could tell he was mad. 

“Don’t drain yourself, just patch it up normally.” However, before Din could finish, Luke was already pressing his hands to the wound again, channeling the Force to heal it. Din thought he would never get used to the warmth, pressure, and tingling that came with Force healing. He watched the wound start to close, as if invisible stitches were sewing it up. It stopped about halfway, as the soft, blue glow sputtered and faded. Din noticed Luke exhale tiredly, almost imperceptively.  

“You didn’t have to do that; you should be with the kids,” he grunted as Luke moved to grab the bandage wrappings. Luke huffed again, but didn’t respond. It was odd for Luke not to have something to say. Din got the same overwhelming feeling he recognized from childhood that he got when he was in big trouble. 

“I didn’t want you to worry…” Din felt the need to fill the air. Usually Luke was talking and Din was making noncommittal noises, but their roles had somehow switched. If Luke’s eyes weren’t covered, Din was sure he would be getting the glare of a lifetime. 

“I wouldn’t worry if I knew exactly what was going on and I knew I could trust what you told me.” Luke began gently wiping the remainder of the blood with a warm cloth. “You have two broken ribs under this as well, I can hear it affecting your breathing even without the Force. You should’ve let me help more.” The last sentence, Luke mumbled irritatedly as he picked up the bandages. 

“Then you would be hurt too.”

“Maybe, but also maybe not. You can’t predict the future, Din. Did you forget I fought for Mandalore with you? Did I not jump out of an airship and punch a droid for you?”

Din raised an unseen eyebrow. “For me?” Luke’s wrapping stalled for a moment, and he scoffed.

“You know what I mean. For you, for Grogu, for peace and justice and whatever.” Luke pulled the bandages taut quickly and a bit too tightly, causing Din to grunt in surprise and pain. He saw Luke’s mouth quirk up in the suggestion of a sadistic smirk. Din closed his eyes and let his head fall back onto the pillows, consciously evening his breath, trying with all his strength not to give away how the gesture made heat bubble in his chest. He briefly realized that masochism was not something he’d thought he’d ever be into, but maybe he was just into everything as long as Luke was involved. His crush was getting out of control. 

***

Luke was hunched over in his study, a dingy, crappy storage room that no one knew what to do with until Luke started his artifact collecting. He stared at the kyber crystal, now freed from the filigree of the necklace it was a part of. It was a mystery how it ended up an accessory, but the even bigger mystery was that it seemed dead. It didn’t respond to the Force at all. Even introducing it to Grogu did nothing when, usually, the kid had an uncanny ability to do impossible things out of nowhere. 

Luke was chewing on the end of his pen when the door opened, letting natural light touch his skin for the first time in maybe tens of hours. The person was a dead zone in the Force, compelling Luke to look up. His eyes met the familiar T-visor and silver Beskar. Din was carrying a platter that he unceremoniously deposited on top of Luke’s scribbled notes.

“You need to eat,” he stated with a gruffness that covered an obvious sincerity. Luke waved it away and started trying to rescue his notes from under the tray.

“You’re the one still healing. I’m fine.”

“It’s been days, I’m fine. You, however, are so hungry you’re eating a pen.” Luke let his pen fall from his mouth. 

“This thing is so weird,” he sighed. “I just feel like I’m missing something.”

“Eat, rest, then come back with fresh eyes.” Luke begrudged Din’s sound advice. He looked back and forth between Din and the tray. There was a steaming bowl of soup that looked so comforting, with crusty bread and a small saucer of sliced fruit. To top it off, there was a glass of blue milk, his favorite. Luke suddenly realized just how hungry he was and began digging in. Din lingered, slowly walking around the study. 

“Did you ever figure that thing out?” Din gestured to the holocron they’d both discovered several months ago. Luke flushed, and his words got caught in his chest. He still wasn’t ready to fully confront what had been stored in the heart-shaped holocron. 

“Um, I got distracted by other stuff,” was the pitiful excuse he could manage. Din hummed in understanding. 

“Maybe they’re related,” his finger pointed back and forth between the artifacts. Luke huffed a laugh. Din shrugged and kept exploring. Luke followed him with his gaze. He stopped at the wall where Luke hung up the art his students gave him. Din seemed drawn to one in particular of a stick figure Luke holding a little girl’s hand as another figure wearing Din’s helmet fought off a scribbly dragon. 

“That’s one of the newer kids’ works. The girl you tossed to me. She admires you.” 

“I don’t know, you’re the one holding her hand here,” Din’s head tilted as he spoke. 

“She talks about you a lot, but she’s too nervous to actually talk to you right now.” 

“... Do I scare them?” 

Luke's heart melted at the insecurity in Din’s voice. “No, no, they’re just uncertain of everything right now. It makes sense with all they've been through. You’re a hero to them.” 

Din nodded softly, digesting Luke’s words. Luke set his half-finished bowl down and walked over to join Din. He reached up and plucked another drawing off the wall that featured Din.

“This is Grogu’s.” 

Din’s gloved hand took the drawing like it was fragile and precious. 

“Can I have this?” Din asked softly. Luke couldn’t help a fond smile creeping across his cheeks. 

“Of course.” 

The room was full of heavy silence and an odd tension. Luke considered it, trying to feel for anything unusual in the Force around them. He looked over at his half-eaten meal and realized that Din really didn’t have to deliver it. That he didn’t have to stay and show interest in Luke’s things. That the king of the planet they stood on probably had better things to do than loiter in Luke’s dark, cluttered study. It really did hit Luke like a brick sometimes when he was face-to-face with Din’s unwavering kindness. It was almost like what he felt in Din’s bedroom. Luke thought back to the holocron, and he had to swallow to prevent his heart jumping out through his mouth. Din cleared his throat and startled Luke.

“Finish your food.” 

Luke felt something bubble inside him at Din’s commanding tone. He obeyed and sat back at his desk to finish his meal. It didn’t take long, considering Luke was still ravenously hungry. 

“Do you want more?” Din asked, grabbing the tray of empty dishes. 

“I’m good, thank you, Din.” Luke thought he noticed the slightest stutter in Din’s movements when he spoke his name. 

“You can thank me by being the one to yourself alive sometimes.” 

Luke laughed softly as he watched Din leave. God, he thought, this is gonna get complicated.

Chapter Text

Dreamy early morning in the palace’s training room, Din stumbles upon the most beautiful sight he’s ever seen. Today, there was a council meeting where Luke would propose a new school building and dorms for his students. Din spent all night thinking it over, not getting any sleep, worrying about what the more conservative councilors would say. He racked his brain for anything he could do to help Luke. However, no matter what step he took, it felt like the public opinion of Luke was slowly souring. He hadn’t been able to sleep, deciding to cut his losses and blow off some steam by training.

In the morning light, framed by sun rays just peeking over the horizon, was Luke. The Jedi was in a perfectly still handstand, only balancing on one hand. The other arm was pressed to his back, legs stretching towards the ceiling with the slightest bend in his knees. The loose tank top he wore was bunched around his chest, revealing powerful yet delicate muscles. His eyes were closed in concentration, or maybe meditation. Din did not have the brain capacity to find out or care. Luke’s hair was darkened by water, the smallest drops dripping periodically to the mat below. Din felt guiltily voyeuristic, watching as Luke’s chest expanded with each slow breath. How the light caught the moisture on his skin and made it glitter. 

Luke dropped from the handstand, gracefully as a leaf fell from a tree. Din stepped back to remain unseen, on instinct, as if he was back to being a bounty hunter stalking his next target. Now Luke’s back was to him, shoulder blades peeking through the tank top as he stretched. He made his way over to the climbing rope, but instead of hoisting himself up like everyone else, he wrapped the end around his hand. Luke used it to pull himself off the ground and twist until he hung upside down. He contorted around the rope, folding himself in half and stretching his free hand down to the floor. Each move was methodical, carefully chosen, and gracile. Luke then flipped around the rope several times in fast succession, moving in seemingly impossible ways. Din had seen him move before, as they sparred or fought true enemies, Luke had always been a smooth and slippery fighter. However, this was different. Now Din had his full attention on each detail, each flex of corded muscle under freckled skin. He even noticed each drop of water that flew from Luke’s hair. Din quickly retreated back to his bedroom to deal with his feelings in private. 

Later in the morning, once the palace was awake and humming with life, they met up as previously planned to walk to the meeting together. 

“You could’ve joined me,” Luke knocked his shoulder against Din’s as they made their way to the throne room. Din swallowed hard, hoping it wasn’t audible. He really didn’t think Luke had noticed him earlier. He cleared his throat. 

“I don’t like show offs,” he tried to dismiss the conversation.

“You seemed to like this show off,” Luke laughed. Din grumbled. It always irritated him when Luke flirted. It was adorable and endlessly charming, but Din couldn’t do anything about those feelings. It left him flustered and unable to control his thoughts. And unfortunately for him, Luke was a massive flirt. Even before their fake courtship and now even more so that it was expected.

“Do I not get to sit next to you?” Luke pointed at what he had assumed was his seat at the council table. Din’s nerves were singing against his skin, so much so he took too long to answer Luke’s question.

“Uh, no. To sit at the head of the table we’d… have to marry.”

Luke tutted curiously. 

“You do get to sit closer than usual since you’re presenting.”

“Good, I’m not next to all the old heads who hate me anymore.” Luke rolled his eyes and walked to his correct seat. Din tried to stifle a laugh, but it ended up still audible. Luke couldn’t help but beam at his success. Councilors filed in one after the other, taking their seats and muttering amongst themselves. 

***

The two councillors that came to sit on either side of Luke halted their conversations as they did, looking at each other as if Luke didn’t exist between them. Luke tried his best to keep the serene Jedi exterior intact. Looks like he still was surrounded by people who hated him. 

“Leading member Kryze now calls the council into session. We meet in support of our Mand’alor. Together we hold the good of Mandalore in our hearts. This is the Way.” Bo-Katan announced in the direction of Din at the head of the table.

“Kryze, you may proceed,” Din nodded. Luke felt his leg bouncing under the table as he waited for his turn. There were a few menial topics to brush through first before it was his time to speak. He dreaded the pushback he knew he was going to get, but hopefully it would be worth it in the end. Once it was, he stood, trying to dissipate his nerves into the Force.

“Master Skywalker, you may proceed,” Bo sank back into her seat as Luke rose.

“I am proposing a new infrastructure project. Since we have taken in more Force-sensitive foundlings, it is becoming increasingly impractical to continue to house them at the palace. They deserve more than what the palace can provide. This proposal is a new dormitory and school specifically for Force-sensitive students. It can be just like the other foundling dormitories, it would not only save time, but it would help my students not feel so different. There is a more detailed write up on everyone’s datapads.” Luke exhaled softly as he finished, feeling like he should say more but not wanting to ramble. It was quiet for a moment, enough time for a small breeze to pass, and then multiple people started talking at once. Bo-Katan stood to call on the speakers one by one.

“So, you want a Jedi temple here?” An unhelmeted man spoke first with a raised eyebrow.

“I am not proposing a Jedi temple, simply a place to house and teach.” Luke bit the inside of his cheek to stop a more quippy response. 

“It sure sounds like a Jedi temple,” another council member with a yellow chestplate scoffed.

“Unnecassary conjecture,” Bo-Katan droned from the end of the table, just barely successfully keeping her annoyance at bay. “Next speaker.” A helmeted councilor with blue and red painted armor stood next. 

“Would all your students live in this temple?” 

“Not a temple. And no, only the foundlings without homes. If they were to be adopted or their birth families found, then they would go live with their new family and commute to lessons. That is, if they so wish to continue them.” The councilor hummed and sat back down. Bo-Katan then called on a woman with curly hair and grey armor. 

“What do you teach your students?” 

“Irrelevant,” Bo sniped. 

“I respectfully object, we deserve to know what will take place in this new building we are funding.”

Luke forced his smile to stay up. “I teach self defense and self regulation. They train much like regular Mandalorian children, just with a focus on controlling and channeling the Force.” A chorus of murmurs passed over the room. Councilors continued throwing questions and quips. Luke countered to the best of his ability, but it was hard when clearly half the room had already made up their mind. His peaceful smile was definitely showing signs of cracking, but he never dropped it. Leia had schooled him the last week over many hours-long calls, never drop the smile. At the end, Bo called for a preliminary vote. Luke’s lungs deflated when it was a tie. The meeting concluded with the promise of a second vote at the end of the week. 

“I’m just gonna fucking decree it,” Din scoffed after everyone but his inner circle had left. “And fire all those skanah who voted no.” 

“No, you will not,” Bo pointed a scolding finger. “That makes the entire concept of a council system redundant. And it pisses them off.”

“They’re pissing me off,” Din huffed and crossed his arms. Luke couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Is he like this with you?” Bo-Katan turned to Luke. Luke allowed an amused smirk to grace his features at Bo’s constant aggravation. At least she had stopped challenging Din for the Darksaber. 

“He knows better.” It pleased Luke deeply to be able to flirt with Din more openly and have it make sense. He wished he could catch Din’s reaction to it. From what he knew, Din was chronically single, and there was nothing that got under that armor. He idly wondered if his comments flustered the older man.

“Of fucking course,” Bo blew a strand of hair from her face. 

“Maybe you should lead the meetings then, this guy is never well-behaved.” Paz jabbed a thumb over his shoulder at Din. 

“We had to add this whole taking turns thing because of him,” Cara snickered.

“I’m used to knocking heads for a living, not talking heads.” Din grumbled in defense, and Luke felt his heart spin at how adorably grumpy it was. 

“You’re too far into this Mand’alor thing for that excuse, my friend,” Cara walked around the table to playfully shove Din’s shoulder. Din complained, but there was a matching affection in the tone. 

“Okay let’s get out of here, leave Mr. Grumpy Pants alone for a minute,” Paz gestured for the Bo and Cara to follow. Luke made to follow as well, but Paz placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

“You should stay, put him in a better mood for the next meeting.” Because of the helmet, Luke couldn’t necessarily see that Paz winked, but it was audible in his voice. Luke laughed in a way he hoped sounded confident and not as winded as the comment made him feel. Paz was always the boldest of the group, even flirting with Luke during the Reclamtion. However, Luke had thought he’d toned it down the last year or so. As the three friends left, the room became much too quiet. 

“Sooo,” Luke hopped up to take a seat on the table next to Din, tucking one leg under himself. “That went, a way?”

Din’s helmet moved in the Mandalorian version of an eye roll. He was leaning back in his seat, knees falling to either side. The Darksaber rested on his belt loop adding a weight to his image. He looked casual yet powerful, regally unamused. Luke fought the urge to stare at his lap, wanting nothing more than to make it his new seat. 

“That was a load of bantha shit,” Din huffed. “What was the point of half of those questions?”

“To shake me, see if I’d crack,” Luke sighed. “Leia says half of politics is just trying to get your opponent to make themselves look stupid so you have an excuse to not listen to what they’re saying.” 

“I just… I don’t understand why they’re so against you.” Din exhaled, clearly tired.

“Jedi and Mandalorians have been enemies for a long time. And even though all that is over, these people just got their home back. They’re going to be extra cautious of anything they think will threaten it.” 

“You’re too… thoughtful. They see that and take advantage. You have to be more, I don’t know, assertive.”

“Well, I’m sorry. I don’t know what else I could’ve said,” Luke blustered. Din’s attitude was bordering on hostile. Luke wondered what was going on to raise his hackles.

“You could’ve, I don’t know, emphasized the children?” 

“I was trying not to, I thought it would get them more defensive." 

Din growled. In a lapse of better judgment, he tossed his datapad on the table with a little too much force, causing it to crack.

“Did that make it better?” Luke scolded in the same voice he used with his students. Din stood, suddenly stepping into Luke’s personal space. Luke’s gaze followed up the armored chest plate all the way up to the T-visor. He saw himself reflected in the beskar, and cursed how his want showed on his face. If Luke had both legs down, Din would be standing right between them, and the thought made heat coil in his abdomen.

“I didn’t get much sleep.” Din’s voice rumbled low in his throat. It had a scratchy quality as if Din had just woken up. Luke felt like he was being hunted, caught by Din and in the moments before he moved for the kill. Tension laid heavy over them, heat and heavy breaths passed between the two men. 

“Why are you so close?” Luke blinked up at Din, his breath leaving fog on the visor. A second passed before Din quickly backed away with a mumbled apology. The armored man grumbled something else not very coherent and fled the room. Luke was left with a flushed face and a pounding heart rate, wondering what had even just happened. 

***

Din took his time walking to the launch pad. He was early, so it gave him the freedom to stroll instead of hurry. It was nice, a small break before he headed off-world. This time Luke was coming with him, and it wasn’t a mission or anything dangerous at all. They were even bringing the students and Grogu. Not that Din didn’t enjoy the dangerous kind of fun, but it was definitely refreshing. When he’d passed Luke earlier, the younger man had given him one of his dazzling smiles. Din hoped that meant he forgave him for his attitude the day before. And hopefully as well for invading his personal space. It had all been too much, the lack of sleep, seeing Luke training that same morning, and the irritation from the meeting. It had all bubbled up and made Din react before thinking. He didn’t understand why these thoughts were so invasive now. It wasn’t right to think about a friend like this. Din had never thought of any other friends like this even when they showed their prowess in battle or smiled at him. It was weird, and he figured it was just simple confusion. As always when he got to thinking about this, Din chose to shove everything aside as he rounded a corner. His mind quieted when he saw Luke lit by the afternoon sun. 

Din halted for a moment. Luke was annoyed. Or more like, irate. He was tapping his foot on the asphalt as he talked, or argued, with a guard. Arms crossed over his chest. The younger man looked much more irritated than the day before. Luke’s students were laughing and playing a few feet away, being entertained by R2 spinning in circles around them. The plan was to take the kids to Coruscant and bring them to a newly opened museum exhibit on the history of Jedi. Din had expected the day to shake Luke up a bit, given his complicated history, but not like this or even before they got there. Din began to approach slowly, hoping to hear what the conversation was about before he was dragged into it. 

“That still doesn’t explain why you won’t let us on,” Luke smiled with gritted teeth. 

“It’s not right to let you take foundlings off-world without the Mand’alor present.” The helmeted guard was deadpanned and stern. 

“And why is that?”

“You might not bring them back, like your kind before you.” 

Suddenly, all one could hear was the scuff of Din’s boot as he froze mid step. Luke was shellshocked, darting his eyes over to Din at the sound. The guard turned and noticed the Mand’alor, acknowledging him with a bow. 

“You’re discharged,” Din kept his eye on Luke but spoke to the guard.

“Uh, you mean dismissed?” Their helmet tilted to the side.

“I don’t.” Din’s voice darkened, and he looked to the guard. He allowed his superior height to add to the intimidation. The guard was shaking, stumbling away as Din followed their movements with hunter eyes. His trigger finger twitched, wanting to reach for his blaster. But unfortunately, he had to be better than that. He turned to Luke. The man was pale, a slight crease in his brow. 

“Luke…” Din tried to reach for Luke’s hand, but he was shoved away. 

“It’d help us, huh?” A voice dripping in exhaustion and sarcasm bit into Din’s skin. With a swish of his robes, Luke was boarding the waiting ship. A wave to R2 signaled for the droid to lead the students to follow their teacher. Din fully deflated. Luke was mad, and he was mad at him. 

The flight to Coruscant was deathly silent. Din insisted on flying, no longer trusting those who worked for him. Luke stayed in the hull with the children, even though Din knew he preferred to sit in the cockpit. Din’s skin felt tight and uncomfortable. There was an aura of disdain that left a bad taste in his mouth. Tension thick as fog between them. It was different from the tension yesterday. Neither had really been mad. Well, Din had to admit he was a bit mad. He had been more exhausted than anything. And Luke had seemed annoyed but not angered. Din thought and realized he hadn’t really seen Luke angry like that before. Usually his endless kindness and patience was a thick barrier against that.  

They touched down on Coruscant and were greeted by Luke’s sister and nephew. Luke’s anger seemed to back away but not disappear when he greeted them. Din watched quietly, staying back like a kicked puppy. It was a sweet sight to have the students meet Leia and Ben, it made Luke light up a bit to see two big aspects of his life colliding. Din wished he could be the source of his bettering mood instead. The twins hugged and Leia bent down to sternly tell her son to behave before she left. 

Din led the group into the museum. They were greeted by a Twi’lek tour guide who gave them a map before leading them to the Jedi exhibit. The room was dome shaped, the ceiling made of a screen lit up like the night sky. Each planet or system of historical significance was enhanced with a small blurb displayed next to it. In the middle was a large display of kyber crystals that the kids immediately flocked to. As they approached, they exclaimed at how the crystals reacted to their proximity. Luke came to stand next to Din for a moment, watching the children chatter and gape. Din felt he should say something, but what even was there to say? 

“Are you-?”

“We’re not talking about it here,” Luke interrupted, face still as stone. Din nodded and resolved to keep quiet unless strictly necessary. They followed as some students broke off from the group to the other aspects of the exhibit. There was a large panel on the Clone Wars that drew the kids in. An embedded screen played holovids from the time, and the blaster noises and lightsaber clashes caught their attention. Luke kept the kids in his periphery, but stepped up to begin reading the scrolling text. There was a photo in the center of a man hunched over a strategy table biting his thumbnail, and another man who looked eerily like Boba Fett had a hand on his shoulder. Din watched Luke’s mouth quirk up in a smile. 

“That’s my Uncle Ben,” Luke shared with his nephew. “You’re named after him.” The dark-haired child tutted and moved on to something he found more interesting. Luke scoffed and quietly called the child an insult in Huttese. 

“You do that too, the nail biting,” Din observed, hoping, praying they could have a nice conversation and cut the tension. Luke exhaled a laugh and moved on, following the younger Ben. Perhaps not entirely, but the laugh did make Din feel a bit better. As they continued through the exhibit, Din could see that every moment a student wasn’t looking at Luke was a moment where distress was written across his face. He wished he could wipe it away, that he could smooth the creases between Luke’s brow with his thumb. They got to a panel that was painted a dusty sand color. It described the origin of one Anakin Skywalker and his life as it impacted the galaxy’s history. Din held his breath, knowing the heaviness of the memories that weighed on Luke. He looked at his face. There wasn’t much to read, still the same level of layered upset he’d been wearing the whole time. Luke looked to his right to see a holo video of Anakin fighting in the Clone Wars.

“He looks so young…” Luke breathed, maybe just to himself, but Din picked it up. This was too fragile a moment for Din to speak. He could’ve pointed out how Luke moved the same as his father, or how they had the same smug smirk when fighting. Din didn’t say any of that, though. It seemed too raw, too personal for him to touch. A Togruta man with golden skin hurried into the exhibit. He quickly made his way over to Luke and introduced himself as the curator. Luke greeted him in a measured, calm demeanor. 

“H- How are you liking it?” The curator stammered. Din figured it made sense he was so jittery. This man probably spent countless hours reading about Jedi and now was face-to-face with the last one. 

“The kids sure enjoy it,” Luke skirted the question. Din held back a chuckle; he could tell Luke wasn’t a fan so far.

“Ah, yes, these are your students from Mandalore,” the curator adjusted his round glasses. 

“Yes, the new generation of Jedi. Might make a good ending to all this,” Luke scanned the room. “Is there not a section on the Mandalorian-Jedi war?” 

“Oh, well, no. There was only so much space, and that whole fiasco was such a, as one could say, unfortunate misstep I thought it made a more cohesive experience to just avoid it.”

Luke tilted his head like a helmeted Mandalorian. “How so?” 

The curator fumbled over his words, unable to give a direct answer. With a stammer, he gestured to the kyber crystal display, changing the subject. Din huffed, it was weird they didn’t include that and then had the gall to invite the Mand’alor and the Mandalorian Jedi students. Then he wondered, no one had come up to him begging for his attention yet. That was usually what happened when he was invited to official things. Everyone wanted a piece of his royal favor. Then it dawned on him, they had only invited Luke. 

Din wasn’t sure how to feel about that revelation. It was nice of Luke to bring the students, but why did he bring Din as well? Was it just to make another public appearance as a couple? He realized he’d fallen behind the group and tried to catch up. The long stretching room held more displays and the children seemed drawn to everything all at once, fanning across the room. Din watched as Luke picked up Grogu so he could get a better look at a displayed holocron. Din watched, heart full of fondness for the blond and how kindly he treated his son. It was perfectly evil that the universe made a man so competent in fighting and his deep care for children, and then put him in Din’s path. It was impossible for Din to tell if he was more attracted to Luke on the battlefield or while carrying a child. Both set his heart ablaze in different ways. His two biggest weaknesses, as a Mandalorian, and as a father. But a good portion of his people still disliked Luke. He remembered something Paz had said during the war, that Luke was Mandalorian bait. Why was Din the only one taking it? 

They reached the end of the exhibit, where an interactive element was set up specifically for children. There was a wall with fake lightsabers of all colors, each tethered to the wall with a retractable cord. The kids swarmed it and began pretending to fight like the holovids they had just seen. Luke set Grogu down to join the group, and Din walked up to stand by him. 

“This exhibit is a load of bantha shit,” Luke whispered out the corner of his mouth. Din snorted. 

“They blame everything on Anakin, and anything else that makes the Jedi look less than stellar is erased. I’m going to be giving the kids a more accurate lesson once they’re old enough.” Din hummed, trying hard not to step on Luke’s toes or do something that stopped him talking. 

“That curator is as clueless as a dewback on spice.” Din couldn’t help the full laugh that sprang from him. He saw Luke’s face soften a bit, too, definitely proud of making him laugh. 

“Maybe you should bring them that holocron we found. Maybe they could help you figure it out?” Din felt betrayed by his own eyes telling him that Luke blushed slightly. 

“I, uh, I did end up figuring that out. I’ll tell you later.” 

Din nodded, excited that there would be a later between them. They watched the kids in a more comfortable silence until it was time to head home. On the flight back, Din was elated to see Luke duck into the cockpit once the kids were settled with snacks. They didn’t talk much more, but Din took it as an improvement anyways. 

***

Luke’s fist collided with the training dummy over and over and over. He landed blow after kick on it until the stitching looked like it might pop. Then he summoned his lightsaber. Getting a running start, he launched himself at the dummy and sliced it in two with a shout. 

“I think it’s dead now,” Din said from where he’d been watching in the doorway, an eerie copy of the day before. Luke’s chest heaved, sweat dripping from his brow. He rolled his eyes and grabbed a towel from the nearby bench. Din entered fully, coming to stand with Luke at the bench.

“What do you want?” Luke sniped. Din felt a nervousness prickling up the back of his neck. There was something in Luke’s eye that reminded him of a feral animal. 

“I wanted to say sorry for earlier.” 

“Wasn’t your fault,” Luke said dismissively as he returned to the mat to stretch. 

“I’m still sorry that happened. Paz has told the whole regime that comments like that will not be tolerated.” 

Luke scoffed and kept stretching. 

“If there’s anything else I can do…”

“I’m just tired, Din,” Luke finally fully looked at him. It showed on his features how emotionally exhausted Luke was. The dark circles, the permanently creased brow, the set frown. 

“Then take a break, let’s go sit in the garden.” Luke looked off into the distance for a moment. He seemed to be considering the offer and Din prayed to the Maker he’d take it. 

“I’ll meet you there after a shower,” Luke stated as he floated his stuff to his hand and headed out. 

Din waited patiently on Luke’s favorite bench. Tapping his finger against his knee. He tried to keep his mind occupied with thoughts that weren’t Luke-related, because as of now, they were either anxious or inappropriate. It had sent a spark up his spine to see Luke destroy the dummy, and he chastised himself for the feeling. 

Luke entered from the south side, making his way right to Din. He was a silver reflection in the evening sun, incredibly hard to miss even with the towering foliage. Luke sat beside him, hardly looking. A gentle wind drifted between them before either man spoke.

“I’m sorry for earlier, that wasn’t fair to you,” Luke rubbed at his wrist, where the prosthetic connected to his skin.

“I get it.” Din was afraid to make another misstep, and he did truly understand why Luke had been so upset. 

“That doesn’t mean it was right." Luke leaned his head on Din's armored shoulder. Din felt the heat on his skin as if there was no Beskar at all. He glanced around, there was no one watching, but maybe Luke was just covering his base in case someone walked up. That had to be it, Din thought.

“I was short with you all day. I know none of that was your fault.”

“I forgive you,” Din said quietly. He swore he felt Luke’s smile against his shoulder plate. 

“I forgive you, too.” They let a few moments pass in peaceful quiet, listening to the rustling of leaves and chirping of evening frogs. 

“You were gonna tell me about the holocron?” Din glanced over at Luke. That blush he felt couldn’t be real returned. Luke stayed quiet. Din let him, it had been a hard enough day already, and he didn’t want to push if Luke wasn’t comfortable. 

“It was… a story… or, more like a collection of memories from two people…” Luke began, breath slightly unsteady.

“Jedi?” 

“One of them, yeah,” Luke was wringing his hands. “Din, this is going to sound crazy.”

“I’m used to crazy.” 

Luke laughed hollowly. “... It was the stored memories of two people who loved each other. They were even married.” 

Din tilted his head. 

“And one was a Jedi, and one… was a Mandalorian. A Mand’alor, even. It’s dated from right in the middle of the Mandalorian-Jedi war. The Mand’alor’s name isn’t in any histories you have here. It seems they were erased. The Jedi, too, I couldn’t find sources of their life before or after.”

Din was eerily silent. The gears turned in his head. That meant, even in the darkest moments between their two groups, there was something bright and beautiful. There was something physical, tangible to show his people that Jedi were not inherently dangerous. That their differing creeds and lifestyles could not only coexist, but intermingle. 

“This is perfect,” he finally spoke. A smile was breaking across his face, audible in his voice. “We can release it to the public as an example of positive Jedi and Mandalorian relationships. It could help quiet the ones against building the school, and the vote can finally pass.” 

“But Din… Do we stop pretending?” Luke’s eyes were searching, piercing through the visor. 

“No…”

“...Okay?”

Din scrambled in his mind to find a logically sound reason. “It would be weird for us to release this and then suddenly break up. It would be a sign that it was all fake. We should wait until it’s released and people are used to the idea, until it becomes old news, then… ‘separate’ quietly.” 

Luke’s face was unreadable. Din felt like he had made no sense, but there wasn’t confusion in Luke’s expression. It was simply considering? Or maybe analyzing. There was practically nothing to show for any emotion. 

“We’ll work on it,” Luke finally responded. Din agreed, feeling a little embarrassed, but hopefully Luke was taking his behavior as coming from a place of surprise. The blond stared off at nothing, deep in thought. 

“I’m scared, Din.” Luke spoke in almost a whisper. “Every time I try to place roots here, someone is cutting at them. I try to build a school, the council keeps it locked in a stalemate. I try to take the students out into town, and people stare and throw dirty looks. I try to take them off world, and I’m accused of kidnapping. It feels like it’s getting worse, not better.” 

“Hopefully, this will help. And until then I’m going to make sure you and the kids are protected.” Luke didn’t respond, simply gazing into the sparkling water of the pond. His blue eyes were reflecting the setting sun, ablaze with a paradox of blue and red. He sighed again and stood. 

“Goodnight, Din, I hope you can get some sleep tonight.”

“You too, Luke.” Din listened to the soft sound of Luke’s footsteps leave the garden and cursed the Maker for such a complicated day.

Chapter Text

Light twinkled in the throne room, reflecting off the mosaic Mythosaur and painting everything a wash of blues and greens. Din was wearing the same cape as he did for the Coruscant gala, and Luke watched over the edge of his glass how it followed the Mand’alor regally. The last gala they attended as a couple was more leaning to Luke’s strengths, however, on Mandalore, Din was the centerpiece of the party. Luke was less interesting by a fair margin. That was fine with him, he tried to convince himself. Twice savior of the universe, destroyer of the Death Star, the last Jedi, and consort of the Mand’alor. None of those titles or achievements meant anything. It was a day to celebrate Mandalore; the second anniversary of the Reclamation. No matter that Luke was a big part of that achievement too. He downed the rest of his drink and moved to grab another. He let the alcohol affect him, because he did not want to be sober while he watched Din move about the room. People moved around him like he was a ghost. The cold shoulder burning his flesh harder than before. It was only a few days ago they’d publicized the holocron him and Din had found. Instead of curiosity, it had been met with resentment. Many it fake, or completely ignored its existence with the excuse of not supporting evidence. Luke should’ve expected it, but it still hurt a bit to have such a trump card reduced to nothing.

It was easier to just focus his eye on Din, with his freshly polished beskar catching every stray ray of light. There were almost no decorations, typical of Mandalorian utilitarianism. But the room simply being filled with people talking and drinking gave it a whole new atmosphere. Every time Luke tried to join in conversation with someone they were suddenly busy elsewhere or let the conversation fizzle. He chewed it over in his head. Maybe people were intimidated by his royal position. But that didn’t make much sense, he was only consort. And only pretending, though these people didn’t know that. As council members, Cara, Paz, and Bo were all tied up in conversations much like Din. 

It was much more fun earlier in the day. Parades and games, a festival throughout the open market in the center of Sundari. Luke had taken his students and watching them have so much fun it had warmed his heart for years to come. How he could tell how comfortable they were becoming, the slightly older students helping the new foundlings come out of their shells. Luke smiled into his glass remembering how Grogu dragged Din throughout the festival market, to everything shiny or colorful that could easily distract the eye. How Din indulged the child in every whim, because as Mand’alor, now he could. Grogu had shown Luke many memories of when it was just him and his father. On the Razor Crest, collecting bounties and trying to outrun Imperials left little time for toys or other childhood wonders. The kid had quickly become rather spoiled the moment Din realized he now had the ability to give him anything the brat desired. This late into the evening, Grogu and the rest of the children were soundly asleep, a soothing and peaceful spot in the Force. Thoroughly worn out from the excitement of the festival day. Luke wished he could curl up into bed just like them. It would be so much more enjoyable than watching all his friends have a good time while he wilted like a wallflower. He remembered the night he fell asleep in Din’s bed. How it was the soundest sleep he’d had since he was a child. How warm and cozy and right it had felt, laying together, watching Grogu lazily paw at their fingers. Luke wanted that again, and he wanted it now. 

Din looked so much more comfortable here than he had at their last political gala. The line of his shoulders slopped down, his weight casually favoring one hip instead of being a perfectly balanced statue. How he wasn’t so self-contained, hands playfully shoving or shoulders knocking against the others. Even with people outside his inner circle, Din was much more relaxed. Luke wished he knew what they were talking about, wished they would come over and include him. Tonight was their night though. The celebration of their planet and their people. Even spending nearly two years on Mandalore, Luke was still an outsider in many aspects. And half of that was by his own design. He didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes, or butt himself in to a culture he still didn’t fully understand. 

A heavy arm fell across his shoulders, nearly spooking him if he hadn’t felt it coming from ten feet away. Cara ruffled his hair, also into her cups by now. He looked sideways at her, a healthy flush on her cheeks and formal wear still appropriate but loosened. 

“Why are you being such a creep over here?” She teased. Luke scoffed with a smile.

“Why do you smell like you fell in the punch bowl?” 

“Avoiding the question, Red,” she sang. 

“It’s their celebration,” Luke shrugged. 

“But he’s your boyfriend, it’s your celebration too.” 

“Boyfriend sounds so juvenile,” Luke scrunched his nose. Cara barked a laugh. 

“So what is he, your lover? Paramour? Sweetheart?” 

“I think partner is sufficient,” Luke hoped his warming cheeks could be excused by the amount of drink he’s had. Luke’s mind wandered at the thought. They really were partners, not just in the fake romantic sense, but lots of things in the past two years they accomplished together. Saving the foundlings, raising Grogu, finding artifacts and stealing back a kyber crystal. It was so easy to be a team with Din despite a lot of their traits contradicting one another. His eyes followed Din as he was led by Bo-Katan to shake some hands. He quietly mused on their partnership with a smile as Cara chattered on about a new girl she was seeing. Finding comfort in the sound of his friend and the warmth of his thoughts. 

Until something soured in the Force. A ringing that grew gradually louder until it couldn’t be ignored. A crackle of danger and intent. Luke had only half a second of lead time before the source presented itself.

“Mand’alor Djarin!” A booming voice sliced through the air. Everyone stilled, musicians stopping, all conversations cutting short. The crowd parted as a fully armored Mandalorian approached. 

“You are unfit to lead. You allow yourself to be manipulated by the jetti. You ignore the history of our people and forge Mandalore’s path to ruin. I challenge you!”

The room was blanketed in held breaths. Din squared his shoulders. He ripped off his formal cape, tossing it aside. The Darksaber ignited as he approached his challenger. Paz followed close behind, acting as second. Luke felt an electricity crackle through his skin.

Luke grabbed Cara’s arm. “Is he allowed a stand in?” 

Cara’s head whipped back and forth. “I think so? What are you planning?”

“Just a little participation in Mandalorian culture." Luke unclipped his saber and marched to the center of the room. Maybe he was propelled by the alcohol, and maybe it was the adrenaline junkie inside calling out. He used the time it took to cross the room to try his best to disipate the worst of his intoxication into the Force. Din and his opponent were already slowly circling, stalking each other, weighing the odds. Luke stepped into Din’s space with a hand on his breast plate.

“Let me.” 

The surprise was palpable throughout the room, Luke could feel it ripple in the Force. Din looked down at him, something blazing behind the visor. A few pounding heartbeats passed before cool beskar pressed to Luke’s forehead. He breathed deeply, closing his eyes. When the metallic chill left his skin, Din gave him the floor. Luke looked over his shoulder at his opponent. The man was maybe half a head taller than Din even, towering over Luke’s lithe frame. That was a good advantage. Bigger they are, the harder they fall, was the adage. Fully armored, painted dark grey with metallic black accents. He held a heavy beskar spear, sharpened tip threatening in the light. Speed would be his advantage here, so Luke launched himself into the air to come down with the first strike. 

The game was on.

Sparks showered them both as metal met lightsaber. The less armored audience members gasped and clambered back. The heat against Luke’s skin exhilarated him. He fell down on facing his opponent’s back and rolled across the floor, popping back up just in time to dodge as the spear was thrust towards his belly. A flurry of movement followed. Luke tracked the spear, as the Mandalorian moved it more than himself. Standing solidly, pivoting on the same spot as he swung his weapon. Luke flipped, springing off the floor with his free hand, to once again come down on the man. Instead of blocking he wagered on a matching offensive strike, allowing a big enough opening for Luke to dodge and connect his saber to the man’s shoulder. He landed on the back side and rolled, popping back up just as quickly. The fight continued in the pattern for a few turns until the challenger’s frustration began to show. He began charging at Luke, leaving his planted spot, forcing the Jedi to block and dodge more. The Mandalorian was banking on his superior size and strength to brute force his way to victory. Luke knew it, and that was the piece that allowed him to stay at arm’s length. It wasn’t the most interesting fight Luke had participated in. The challenger’s moves were glaringly predictable.

Until a solid fist crashed into the space right below his ribs. Luke coughed and spit, blood splattering on the tile. He heard someone audibly cringe nearby. 

“Finally,” he huffed with a smirk. “I was starting to get bored.” Fighting back a wave of nausea, he shot forward again. The challenger abandoned his spear, letting if fall from his hand as Luke knocked it. He surged forward to engage them in hand to hand, but Luke slipped back. The lightsaber sizzled against the fabric of his undersuit where it just barely grazed. 

When the challenger launches a kick, Luke sees an opportunity open. He circles, trying to bait the action again to exploit it. The man growls loudly, growing more and more frustrated with Luke’s evasive moves. He rears up for another kick. Luke drops the saber and grabs the leg, using his whole weight to twist his opponent off balance. With the advantage of gravity, the move sends him straight to the floor. The whole room felt like it shook with the weight of the impact. In the flash of a second, Luke placed a boot on the man’s chest, zipping his saber back to his hand and pointing the end at the exposed underside of the Mandalorian’s helmet. 

His own heavy breathing seemed to be the only sound for far too long. Doubt crept in. Instead of proving himself maybe he just offended the entire gathered audience. Eyes darted up and met Din’s, Luke’s brows creasing in question. The man under him slapped the ground, signaling his surrender. A ruckus of shouts and cheers erupted through the hall. Someone crashed into Luke’s side, likely Cara by the familiar way she ruffled his hair. Everything was a blur in his periphery, the only focus on Din. 

Pushing through the celebrating crowd, Din made his way to Luke. Stepping off the challenger, Luke reached down a hand in offer to pull him up. The man shoved it away and was soon enveloped by the crowd as he struggled to stand. The snub hardly mattered as suddenly Luke was craning his neck to look up at Din as he pressed incredibly close. 

Din’s thumb swiped the corner of Luke’s mouth, brown leather coming away with a blood stain. Luke closed his eyes and leant his forehead to Din’s, their panting breaths syncing for one long moment. It was surreal. The blur and blending of noise and light and color washes away any coherent train of thought. The one thing that was right was the feeling of Din against him. One grounding force, holding him in reality. 

The spell was broken as their friends grabbed at them, shouting in celebration and disbelief. Luke laughed despite still feeling like there was hardly air in his lungs. What followed was a sea of people, spilling out the the throne room as they took the party to the halls and across the courtyard. Everyone was shook up with energy and needed to run or jump or dance. In the swirling mess of bodies, Luke found himself carried to the hall. He stumbled, full of contentment and smiling. A hand grabbed his elbow, holding him back from following the crowd. As they left, he turned come face to face with Din holding him back. Luke blinked up at him, breath heavy and intentional. No one was around anymore, the hall suddenly devoid of sound. Yet Din remained so close. 

“Thank you,” the older man uttered. His thumb coming back up to wipe at the corner Luke’s mouth as it had earlier. Luke felt he couldn’t still be bleeding. The gesture wholly unnecessary, a decision of contact. Luke felt his heart skip. He wondered for the first time if Din possibly returned his feelings. Maybe the fight had changed his opinion. Maybe Din was about to kiss him for real, without an audience, without the pretense of their charade. Luke dared to move in. Placing a hand on Din’s chest. The hand that had wiped his mouth flattened across Luke’s cheek. 

“I would do it again, as many times as needed,” Luke’s words felt like a vow leaving his lips. It felt like the planet had stopped spinning, everything holding its breath just for them. Waiting, anticipating one of them making the final move. The beskar felt hot against Luke’s skin, despite the objective fact that nothing was different this time. He felt the beat of his heart in his cheeks and ears and stomach. He was consumed with the overwhelming desire to kiss Din, but there was the fact of the helmet. Luke slipped his hand up to caress the exposed skin of Din’s neck. It was burning, rough with stubble under his jaw. It felt like plunging his hand into the rough heat of magma. Luke considered kissing him there, against his beating pulse. The way Din’s entire body tensed at the contact held Luke back. He didn’t want to ruin it by overstepping. He employed the type of patience he was trained for. Leaving himself open for Din to close the gap. 

“Goodnight, Luke.” 

Din was retreating, disappearing into the night that filtered through the hall. The echoes of the party returned to Luke’s ears, mockingly. Everyone was with someone, hundreds of someones, feeling apart of something. And Luke was stranded with his heart dripping in his open hands. Luke’s limbs felt heavy as they carried him back to his bedroom. Falling fully clothed onto the bed, he tried to reason with what happened with what he had wished would’ve happened. He felt hollow, like Din had walked away with his heart, leaving Luke an empty shell. It was probably for the best, to be rejected so soundly. Now Luke could force himself to move on. Grovel for the night and pick back up tomorrow, cleansed of the emotions that only seemed to hurt him. Luke closed his eyes and let sleep take him away.

***

The morning after the anniversary party, no one wanted to return to their jobs. There was another vote today on the school proposal, but everyone was slow getting there. Din rose late, settling to a simple breakfast with Grogu. Despite not having any drink, he felt a heaviness in his head and chest. He pushed his meal around, watching Grogu without actually perceiving. Last night had been intense. Memories of the fight flitted across his mind. He had been so close to falling to his passions. Resolve beaten away with each cunning blow Luke landed on his challenger. He only managed to get it together at the end, where he ran back to his bedroom. Escaping any real manifestation of his feelings. An anxiety filled him, he hoped against hope that Luke didn’t think he’d crossed a line. 

The fear only intensified once he was dressed and walking to the throne room. He wasn’t the first to arrive, startled by Luke’s presence at the table. The blond looked up and smiled. Din felt a twinge in his heart at the sight. Something about it was different. He nodded and took his place at the head of the table. The two said nothing as counclliors filtered in over the course of a half hour. Everyone groggy and hungover, but still forcing themselves to show up. Din blinked and suddenly Bo-Katan was calling the meeting to order, another and they were voting on the proposal. The numbers favored Luke by a slim margin, but still it passed. A better, more genuine smile breaking over his face as the last vote was counted in. The celebrating was saved until the meeting was fully dismissed and people quickly retreated to late lunch or a much needed nap. Cara broke the seal with a hearty high five to Luke. Paz and Bo following in their congratulations. 

“Last night was it! You really proved yourself,” Cara shook Luke’s shoulders as the blond laughed. 

“You’re an honorary Mandalorian now,” Paz smacked the table with his open palm. 

“This is really good,” Bo diplomatically agreed. “Now people see your heart is with us and not just your own ambitions.” 

“Really wish they could’ve seen that the last hundred times I did something for them,” Luke huffed playfully. Din felt like he was watching from above, completely removed from the scene. He was happy, he was really happy that their plan was working. But he couldn’t help but feel a wall between him and Luke had formed. Maybe that was a good thing. Now he could try to untangle his feelings from Luke, and get things back to normal. Anything seemed better than the strange ache in his chest that haunted his every waking moment.

Chapter Text

When Din took up the mantle of Mand'alor and decided to lead the crusade to reclaim their ancestral home, he knew it wouldn’t be easy. What he didn’t know however, was how terrible a task it would be. The discovery of an Imperial outpost erupted into a war. What was supposed to be the stamping of embers was a full blown firefight. Gideon had a much harder grasp on the planet than anyone knew or expected. Flash and fire, smoke rising, and shouts of surprise. The scouting party had expected mutated creatures and an unstable environment, no one had prepared to fight Imperial remnants. Many wondered if they could even be classified as ‘remnants’ anymore when there was a well-established army at the ready. Each passing day was filled with desperate planning. 

In the middle of a dragging battle, Din’s attention was stolen by a small ship breaking through the atmosphere, looking like it had traveled through time to be there. An old rebel X-wing circled the Mandalorian base ship, not shooting but not docking. Din demanded for his comm to be linked to the base ship’s assuming the X-wing was asking to land. He heard immediately the familiar voice of his son’s teacher who strangely sounded more like a general now. The Armorer argued, refusing to let him dock on grounds of him being a stranger to the Mandalorians. 

“Let him on!” Din shouted and began racing to his N-1. There had to be a reason Luke had shown up. Something must be happening with Grogu. Docking onto base, Din leapt from his ship in the same second he shut it off. Across the hangar, Luke was arguing with the Armorer once again. Din shouted his name to get his attention. The blond turned immediately and marched towards him without a second thought.

“Nothing’s wrong with Grogu, he’s safe with my sister,” Luke spoke before Din could open his mouth again. “Let me join the fight.” Din exhaled loudly, processing what Luke had said. 

“I can’t ask you to fight for a cause that’s not your own.”

“You’re not asking, I’m offering,” Luke argued. “Jedi fight for justice.” Din wanted to fight back but he couldn’t in good conscience object to someone else’s creed when he held onto his own so tightly. 

“... Who’s your sister?” Din turned his attention to Grogu, a silent acceptance of Luke’s involvement. 

“Senator Leia Organa,” Luke produced a coordinate tracker from his pocket and pressed it into Din’s hand. “This tracks their exact location.” His reservations were calmed by the information. He was able to know Grogu’s whereabouts at all times and a New Republic Senator was definitely heavily guarded. Din certainly didn’t like being away from his son and he didn’t like Luke putting him in the care of another, but he couldn’t abandon a war and much less bring his son into it. Din nodded.

“You’ll stay up here and help with strategies.” 

“What? I’m more valuable on the ground or in the air.” 

“I’m not putting you in the line of fire, kid. If you want to help, do it from up here.”

“Kid?!” Before Luke could protest further Din marched back to his ship and joined the infantry on the ground. He opened a quick private comlink with the Armorer and asked her to stop Luke from leaving the base ship under any circumstance. Lock up his X-wing, bar him from leaving the bridge, whatever she deemed necessary. 

***

Luke’s fingertips burned as he gripped the center console. Watching the battle unfold and being unable to do anything was eating him up inside. He itched to run to his X-wing and fly into the chaos but he knew there was a close eye on him. The Armorer stuck to him like glue, watching every movement like a hawk. It felt more like imprisonment than protection. Luke could understand Mando’s stance but he also couldn’t sit still. 

Red circles began lighting up the console. Everyone in the bridge blinked in disbelief as they saw hundreds of battle droids filing out onto the field just as the Mandalorians were carving out an upper hand. Luke’s blood ran cold. He excused himself to the refresher, attempting to project the aura of a scared man and not one who was planning an escape. The Armorer sent a green-painted Mandalorian to follow him. 

Once out of sight, Luke began formulating an escape. Looking over the hallways he recognized them from not too long ago. The memory of his first meeting with Din and Grogu entered his mind. Answering a call through the Force of a scared kid, and making sure he got home safely. He pushed it aside and steeled his focus on the task at hand. The Mandalorian guard allowed him to enter the refresher alone, leaving ample opportunity. Searching the room, he found a vent. After a struggle with the bolts, he finally got it open only to find it was too small for him to wiggle through. Switching gears, Luke closed his eyes and entered a quick meditation. He monitored the nearby hallways for Force signatures, his unhelmeted guard was the only one present. That didn’t mean fully armored ones weren’t out there, but Luke didn’t have the luxury right now to be certain. Then he attempted to plot a path towards the hangar. Thankfully, having been on the ship before provided some advantage. Inhaling deeply and then exhaling, he took the hilt of his lightsaber from his belt.

Luke waved a hand across the guard’s face, using the Force to distract his mind and make him think he never saw Luke leave. Luke walked quickly and quietly down back halls, keeping his guard up for the presence of others. A corner turned too soon almost spelled his demise. Two guards he hadn’t sensed, fully armored. Faltering for half a second, Luke continued walking confidently past the two Mandalorians strolling the opposite direction. He gave them a polite smile and a nod, praying in his head they didn’t know he was on the lam from their leaders. Two helmeted heads nodded back and kept their pace. 

Approaching the hangar, Luke immediately recognized R2’s sounds of alarm. Luke put a finger to his lips and R2 hushed. The hangar was open, allowing other ships to come and go. The few people in the bay paid him no mind, obviously unaware of the Mand’alor’s order. It seemed like a straight shot to escape as he hurried to his ship. Luke cursed as he jumped onto the X-wing before noticing that his ship had been belted down. Just a beat behind him, the sound of running boots came ringing down the hall. The Armorer entered with four other Mandalorians and marched swiftly toward Luke. He closed his eyes, taking in a deep, clear breath before turning tail and sprinting towards the hangar opening.

***

[Skywalker jumped!] 

Din whipped his head to the sky and saw a figure clad in black falling from the base ship. He shouted into his comm for one of the smaller fighter ships to try and catch the falling man. The urge to run and try to catch him on the ground crossed his mind but his better judgment reminded him that a fall from that height would just break them both. Din cursed loudly as he had to turn back to the droids marching towards them. 

From up on the hill they had the advantage of height, but the droids had the advantage of numbers. Glancing up at the still-falling Jedi he felt seasick at what would happen when he landed. Luke had no parachute, no armor, from the distance it didn’t even look like he had more than one weapon. As Luke plummeted closer to the ground Din yelled once again for someone in the air to do something. All the fighters were preoccupied being chased by TIEs, no one could do anything without bringing Luke into the crossfire. The Mandalorians around Din were shouting and screaming as they became aware of how close Luke was to the ground. Din’s veins ran cold as he realized even if Luke magically survived the fall, he was going to land right in the middle of the horde of battle droids, vulnerable and very very broken. He felt his feet carrying him into the wall of droids before he knew what he even planned to do. He just needed to get to where Luke would land and protect him. He’d figure the rest out later. Beginning to carve a path through the droids, Din looked up one more time to see Luke was aiming his feet towards the ground and he was now close enough for Din to see the determined smile on his face. Coupled with his decision to free fall, Din would’ve described the smile more as deranged.

The ground rattled and a dome of energy punched a hole into the middle of the droids. Din stumbled with the shockwave. Every droid turned to the sound, kicking into hyperdrive when they recognized their commander droid had been destroyed by the Jedi’s impact. With their backs turned Din cut the rest of his path to the middle. When he entered Luke’s space, he didn’t see an injured man in need of protection. What he saw was droids toppling and the sound of blaster shots bouncing off a lightsaber. Before he had a chance to step in and help he was stunned by the sight of Luke’s bare fist connecting with the face of a battle droid. Din winced at the thought of the pain but Luke had no reaction other than to use the droid’s altered balance to knock him over with an equally powerful kick. Din couldn’t help but marvel at the man before him, fighting with pure competence and skill. Luke was a force to be reckoned with and each droid suffered immediate consequences for stepping into his line of sight. It brought his mind back to their first meeting, when he felt heat rise inside as he watched a cloaked figure cut through Dark Troopers like blades of grass. Din found it all deeply attractive.

“I told you we’re fine on our own!” Din shouted as he moved to give Luke some cover.

“Looked like a different story from the deck!” Luke had the audacity to flash a cocky smile as he sent a droid’s severed arm flying past Din’s head. Din was grateful for the helmet hiding his face because his expression would’ve betrayed how grateful he actually was. As well as how equally scared and awed he felt. The comms started lighting up as everyone who saw what was happening began yelling and chattering in disbelief. Together Din and Luke began mowing down the horde and soon others came along to help clean up. 

Every time Din caught a glance at Luke he felt hot under his collar. Anyone with eyes had to admit Luke was a powerhouse on the battlefield and combat skills were always something to be admired for a Mandalorian. Once they’d taken care of the droids in the area, it seemed the human Imperial soldiers had either pulled back or been taken out by the rest of the Mandalorian forces. This skirmish had been won, but everyone knew the war was far from over. However, with a new weapon like Luke on their side, it seemed victory might be closer than before.

***

Din dove into his usual routine of walking the battlefield afterward, counting the fallen and alerting the medics to the injured. It was grim but necessary work, and as the Mand’alor he felt it was his responsibility to know the dead who he had asked for their sacrifice. He usually zoned out, flipped to autopilot in his mind, he wasn’t sure if he could take it all with full awareness. Today, thankfully, there were more simple injuries than deaths. Din was able to walk the field three times to ensure the most accurate count. Close to the end of his third lap his shoulder came in hard contact with another, snapping his mind from the fog. Looking up, he met eyes with Luke. For a moment, they shared a curious silence, both wondering why the other wasn’t with the rest. Somber realization came to them. 

Luke didn't say anything, but there was a feeling that rolled over Din. Understanding and trust. After a gentle hand on Din’s shoulder, he continued on. Din stood still. He felt like Luke had just phased right through him, through the armor, and stared into his bare soul. He wasn’t alone. 

***

Luke threw his head back in laughter, blond waves dancing in the air, shining in the firelight. Din was transfixed on the smattering of freckles across his smiling cheeks. Around the fire with the other soldiers he looked like he belonged. Cooking a rationed meal in a shitty camp between battles, trying to find anything funny or upbeat to talk about. Din supposed that made sense considering Luke’s years spent in the Rebellion. 

After the stunt Luke had pulled earlier in the day, he was surrounded by admiring eyes. Din decided to wander over towards the fire as close as he dared and listen in on the conversation. When he approached, everyone but Luke bowed their heads before continuing their conversation. Din couldn’t help but find it funny how Luke looked around confused at the gesture. He had purposefully omitted the fact that he was the new Mand’alor from Luke. He didn’t enjoy his new higher status and how he was treated differently because of it. He wanted to preserve how Luke viewed him as an equal for as long as he could. Or maybe not an equal, at least the father of his student. Swirling thoughts were interrupted by the conversation picking back up.

“How the hell did you survive that fall?!” 

“Oh, it’s pretty simple! As I was falling I focused on the spot where I needed to go and during the time I was in the air I gathered a, like a bubble of Force around me and then a cushion of Force on the ground to soften the landing.” Everyone around Luke stared blankly for a moment, not one catching the full meaning of what he had said. 

“You’re clinically insane,” a younger Mandalorian remarked. The rest followed with laughter and Luke joined them, unbothered by the comment. 

“That goddamn droid-punching  jetti,” Bo-Katan grumbled lowly as she passed Din. Only he had heard and it brought a chuckle to his lips. It was obvious Luke’s stunt today had completely obliterated Bo’s plan and she likely had to scramble to work around him. Din felt someone sidle up next to him.

“So, is he yours or…?” Paz curiously mused. 

“Get off it,” Din shoved his friend as he cackled. 

For the following skirmishes and battles, Luke joined the fight. After each one, Din and Luke passed each other on the quiet fields. There was no denying Luke had become an invaluable fighter and an important asset. They began winning more fights than they were losing and total victory was close enough to taste. 

At the end of another day, a good one where they gained a lot of ground, Luke was sitting staring off into the setting sun. Din was drawn to him. There was something about the way the light haloed his hair, something distant and contemplative in his eyes. 

“This would be a nice place to have a speeder race,” Luke said the moment Din sat down. 

“You don’t think the several mile wide craters would cause problems?”

“That’s what makes it fun.” There was a feral glint in his eye, not dissimilar to the one Din saw when Luke plummeted through the air a week prior. Din shook his head but didn’t add anything to the conversation.

“When I used to race, I felt close to my father. At least, to the man he was before… Y’know.”

Din nodded, unsure what to say in response. By this point in the war, he was getting used to people dropping facts about their life or trauma on him, being their fearless leader and all. No matter how often it happened, it was always awkward.

“Thanks, Mando.” Luke smiled at the sunset. Din tilted his head, confused since he hadn’t done anything.

“For what?”

“For listening, and for not trying to pry out more juicy details about him.” 

Din shrugged. “Never knew the guy, can’t say I’m too interested.” 

Luke turned to him with a confused look. “He’s completely uninteresting to you? Not even a little bit?” Din simply shrugged. It was hard to talk to Luke. Well, truly the issue was it was much too easy to talk to Luke, which made it hard for Din to not constantly spill his guts to the younger man. 

“Wow, that’s a new one,” Luke chuckled lightly in disbelief. 

“Was he famous or something?” 

“Yeah, he was Darth Vader.” The tone and weight in which Luke said his father’s name suggested he was indeed famous. 

“I don’t know who that is.” 

Luke doubled over laughing almost immediately. “You’re something else, Mando!” 

Later that evening, Din got a crash course from Cara on who Luke’s father was and the immense historical significance of the Skywalker family. He felt like a dumbass, but there hadn’t been much time to catch up on politics while struggling to keep his covert alive. Din tried to approach Luke the next day to apologize, but Luke launched into a conversation about flight strategies and Din couldn‘t bring himself to stop the man from talking. The next time they sat together for mealtime, Din tried to awkwardly mend his blunder. 

“Gar taldin ni jaonyc; gar sa buir, ori'wadaas'la.” 

Luke’s spoon paused on the way to his mouth. “Was that for me?” 

“I wanted to say that the other day, when you talked about your father. It means, nobody cares who your father was, just the father you will be.” 

Luke stayed frozen, big blue eyes blinking at Din. He felt exposed, like he said something stupid and any moment now Luke would laugh and point at him. Why had he done that? It wasn’t necessary to try so hard to make his child’s teacher feel better. He thought about fleeing, until Luke’s mouth curled in a sincere smile. Softer than all the other ones Din had seen, no ounce of humor or sarcasm in it. 

“Thank you,” Luke finally spoke. “I think I recognize one of those words. Buir?”

Din couldn’t help but huff a laugh at the pronunciation. “It means father.” 

Luke hummed, smile growing wider. “That’s what Grogu calls you.” 

“You’re good to him. He shows me, through the Force. How strong and protective you are, and how kind.”

Din felt like his skin was on fire. 

“And I think all of that is why all these people follow you.”

After that, Din really did flee. With a curt nod in thanks and an excuse, he left to his tent. He couldn’t let anyone see him melt at the sentiment. How he missed his son so dearly, and wished they could be together again. And that he hadn’t really known Grogu considered Din his dad until that moment. And Luke’s words on his leadership were just too much to bear at the moment.

Things were much easier with Luke around. People liked him, listened to him, and wanted to prove themselves to him. Which meant when Luke asked someone to do something it got done incredibly well and quickly. He was also a constant source of humor combatting the creeping dread of war. A ray of light calling them towards victory. His fighting skills were unbelievable and his strategy not too far behind. Even Bo-Katan admitted they were making better time than before Luke had shown up. 

That was until, like a cornered animal, Moff Gideon lashed out with the last of his strength. There had been rumors he was still on the planet, but nothing for sure until he made himself known. 

Din was running across a cratered field. At this point the ground had been pummeled by blasts and bombs to the point of craters and instability. The Purge had left craters on the surface, but they had nothing on the fresh scars being blown into the planet. Some craters Din could easily step over, but for others he needed to engage his jetpack or even route around entirely. He blasted at every flash of white plastoid he saw, trying to create a path towards where the air team told him Moff Gideon was posted. A few times the rubble under his feet didn’t provide enough traction or stability and he cursed each time he stumbled. One hard footfall landed him directly on a rock too big and too round to be ignored and Din found himself fallen on his side. Blinking away the stars in his vision, he groaned loudly, more out of frustration than pain. As he climbed to his feet, he realized he was facing a different direction than before. Just to the right as opposed to the dead center focus he had before. 

Directly in his new line of vision he saw a crater with its edge surrounded by stormtroopers, all shooting downwards. The familiar sound of a lightsaber deflecting blasts entered his ears and suddenly Moff Gideon didn’t exist to him. Somehow he mustered up more power than he’d had before and charged at the surrounded crater. With their backs turned, it was easy to pick off the troopers. Once cleared, he skirted the crater’s edge and reached his hand down to Luke. The blond looked in bad shape. A smoking shoulder gave away that he’d been hit and likely had fallen into this hole from the impact. Luke tossed his saber to his injured arm and grabbed Din’s hand with the other. The second Din began to pull him up he felt a sturdy boot on his back suddenly kicking him forwards. Din used his few seconds midair to attempt to push Luke out of the way so his beskar wouldn’t injure him further on impact. Din braced and rolled, avoiding a stunning blow from the ground. Luke, however, yelped in pain and Din cursed realizing he’d pushed him onto the hurt shoulder. There was no time for apologizing as bolts began flying towards the men in the crater. Din shot back and did his best to help Luke up. If he stayed down he was an easier target and had a harder time defending himself. No matter how hurt he was, he needed to keep standing as long as possible. Din held him up, linking an arm through Luke’s uninjured one. After a few minutes, Luke was able to balance on his own and stumbled to cover Din’s back. His back pressed so firmly to Din’s that Din knew he was using it to hold himself upright. 

There was no telling how long they were trapped in that pit. Stormtroopers kept coming in droves, one to fill each hole the two men created with their counter blasts. It could’ve been hours just as much as it could’ve been merely seconds. Din over and over again used his armored body to intercept blaster bolts that would’ve hit Luke and was starting to feel the damage. The armor protected him from many things, but the repeated heat and impacts began to take a toll. He made the mistake of looking over his shoulder to check on Luke and suddenly he felt his lungs being kicked out his back. Two muck covered trooper boots impacted his chest and Din launched backwards. A bold stormtrooper had jumped into the pit with them and sent both men to the ground. Luke’s following shout of pain was muffled by the dirt. 

Before Din could lift himself off of Luke, gloved hands gripped his ankles and he was being dragged up and out of the crater. The trooper’s jetpack did most of the heavy lifting and without time to think Din was several feet away from the crater’s edge. His blaster was lost at some point in the struggle and he fumbled for the Darksaber. A shadow darkened his vision and it took him too long to realize the stormtrooper was reaching to take his helmet.

Din felt the bass of Luke’s scream in his bones. The trooper, that just a second ago was standing over him, was shot into the sky with unimaginable force, creating a wind that blew dust across Din. He felt like he would never be able to catch his breath again. The stormtrooper arched in the air and plummeted hundreds of feet to the ground, landing with a sickening crunch. Din looked at Luke and they locked eyes. Luke’s breath was labored and the blasted shoulder was looking worse than before, now caked in dirt and inflamed from overuse. A heavy breath was shared by the two men in unison before Luke’s eyes began drooping shut, wanting desperately to close. The last thing he did was attempt a smile at Din before he collapsed, unconscious. 

Fear sliced through Din’s heart. He scrambled up and over to Luke’s limp body hanging on the crater’s edge. He ripped a glove off and held his hand underneath Luke’s nose. There was breath, but it was too shallow for comfort. Din took Luke into his arms and began plotting a path back to camp. The goal of Moff Gideon completely forgotten, saving Luke was Din’s only priority. 

When Din’s mind returned from disassociation he was sitting outside a med tent and coming to the realization that underneath his armor there were bandages around his midsection. He knew Luke was inside, mere feet behind him, separated by a canvas partition. He groaned in discomfort when he stood but he knew he had experienced worse. Entering the tent, he was grateful to see only a handful of people inside being treated. Luke was easy to spot, a bare face among helmets. Din made his way over slowly. He was elated that Luke was awake and that he was smiling weakly while thanking the nurse attending him. His blue eyes quickly trained on Din and his smile grew in strength. 

“Mando, how’re you doing?” Luke asked as the nurse peeled back his bandages to check on the wounded shoulder.

“Been better, been worse,” Din shrugged. “How are you?”

“Been better, been worse,” Luke chuckled. “Thank you, for everything you did out there. I think you truly saved my life.”

Din was grateful for the cover of his helmet hiding a growing blush. He simply nodded in response to Luke. Spying the blasted shoulder, Din was relieved to see a burn slathered in bacta gel, not too deep and already showing signs of calming down. The nurse finished changing the bandage and scurried away to attend to other patients.

“Take off your chestplate.” The sudden request rocked Din’s mind. Luke gestured to further emphasize what he wanted.

“... Why?” Din’s skin burned like he’d been left exposed in the sun all day.

“So I can heal you,” Luke said as if it was obvious. Din hesitated but stepped closer and removed the chestplate of his armor. Luke hovered his hands above the fabric of his flight suit, silently asking permission to look underneath. Din elected to zip down the front himself and lift his undershirt to expose his own bandages. Luke laid both hands on the area and his eyes fluttered closed. Din couldn’t help but stare while he could be unseen, transfixed on the details of Luke’s face. The pain of his side slowly melted away and Din sighed in relief as he stopped leaning to compensate for the injury. His heart stuttered as blue eyes opened again and the healing hands peeled back his bandages to reveal almost untouched looking skin. 

“... Was that your… magic?” Din fumbled with the words as his eyes stayed locked on Luke’s. Luke chuckled and his smile felt like it penetrated right through the beskar helmet.

“It is. I’ve been teaching Grogu some similar healing techniques. He insisted after telling me how often you get yourself into trouble.”

Din couldn’t help but feel a little exposed by his son. He grumbled something about kids saying the darndest things and it earned him another laugh from Luke. 

With the last remnant cleared, Mandalore was officially reclaimed for the Mandalorians. There was a three day long party, dancing, eating, and drinking until it all ran out. Din didn’t partake, he was busy dealing with the fact that he had no clue how to set up a society from nearly scratch. Bo offered many times to take over, but despite his reluctance to rule, something told him he needed to stay. Maybe it was Luke’s words rattling in the back of his mind. How people followed him because he was strong and good and kind. Close to the end of the third day, Din could sense that Luke was getting ready to leave. 

“You’ll always be welcome here,” Din looked down into eyes like calm, still lakes. Luke smiled softly. 

“I think I’ll take you up on your offer one day. There are just… some things I have to do first.” 

Din nodded. He understood the hesitation to stay in one place. He dreaded having to stay in Sundari for the foreseeable future when he had been on the move for a majority of his life.

“I think Sundari will make a great place for a Jedi school one day,” Luke’s smile widened at the thought. Din hummed in agreement. After what they’d gone through together, he knew he would never be able to deny Luke of anything he wanted. If he wanted to reestablish the Jedi Order, Din would give him everything he needed. Luke exhaled tiredly.

“If you want to visit me, call first. Don’t quite know where I’ll be.” Din nodded.

“Wherever I am, though, you’re always welcome too.” Luke’s sincere smile brought warmth to Din’s chest. Luke departed in his X-wing and Din felt something inside him fly away with the ship.

“He’s like Mandalorian bait,” Paz prowled up next to Din, joining in watching Luke leave. 

“You need to stop objectifying him,” Din deadpanned, annoyed with his friend’s continuing comments.

“But it’s true, greatest warrior in the galaxy and you say he’s good with your kid.” 

“He’s… great with Grogu.”

“Exactly!” Paz released a punched out ‘oof’ as Din elbowed him in the stomach. It earned him a week of teasing for being jealous, but Din didn’t care. He felt a possession over Luke he couldn’t quite explain. The man was his son’s teacher, he of course wanted to keep him around for Grogu. But that wasn’t quite it. None of that matter, however, as now he was in charge of a desolate planet and a tired people eager to rebuild it. And that thought was so terrifying. However, in the depths of that darkness, he could feel a light. A guiding star telling him everything would be okay. Because he was good and kind. Because he was a good father, and he cared. And Din named that star inside him Luke. 

Chapter Text

Luke woke with a start. A heavy leather glove crushing his mouth and nose. In the dark of the room, two figures stood behind the one pinning him down, all armed to the teeth. His training kicked in as he tried to scramble free. Kicking, writhing, and attempting to scream, Luke was consumed by the instinct to fight. He moved to use the Force to throw his attacker but felt nothing. A new terror entered as he tried again, and again, and again. In the darkness he could barely see, but with the right move of his arms he soon realized they were cuffed. Now relying on his legs, he began trying to twist out from under the attacker. He earned himself a hit to the temple that caused stars to bounce around his vision. A leg was freed in the scuffle and Luke lodged it against the breastplate and kicked with all his might. The attacker fell back, and the other two drew their blasters. He quickly reoriented himself on the bed to a crouch, ready for the next attack.

“What do you want?” He asked, projecting as much calm as he could while panting in fear.

“We want jetti to stop messing in our affairs.” The left most assailant answered. Luke tried to determine if he recognized the voice but it was quickly clear they had a modifier in the helmet. All three were painted matte black, no identifiable features one would expect. 

“Your cursed order stole children, ripped families apart. Now, you’re doing it again.” The middle one, who was rising to their feet, added. Luke was taken aback, his mouth floundering as he couldn’t find a response. Luke cursed the cuffs around his wrists. He was nearly defenseless. Unable to call his lightsaber, or do anything except hand to hand. Before he could find the words to attempt to reason with them, the middle attacker surged forward again. 

The fight was agnozingly unfocused. Luke had nothing to ground himself in, the Force completely gone. It felt like floating through open space without a tether. He was scrambling to kick and scratch and bite at anything that came near him. Teeth collided with beskar at stung through his gums, feeling like he definitely chipped a tooth. It was scrappy, like a classic Tatooine cantina brawl. A successful kick relieved one of the three of their helmet, allowing Luke to scratch at an eye. The other two pushed forward, keeping the exposed attacker shrouded in darkness and anonymity. It was clear to Luke that these three weren’t very experienced, but taking away his biggest strength tilted the playing field more in their favor. One of the three grabbed him by the hair, yanking him close to their body to attempt better restraint. His face came in contact with a symbol painted on their chest that he hadn’t noticed in the chaotic dark before. There wasn’t time to identify what it was, the image falling to his hindbrain in favor of survival. He also saw his saber clipped to their belt. Despite the ripping pain from his hair, he twisted himself to align another kick to their ankle. Their hold released as they cried out. Luke grabbed blindly at his lightsaber, the clip releasing.

Luke stumbled and rolled towards the left side of the room as he attempted to dodge a blaster shot. The clumsy movement caused his ankle to buckle under him and sent blinding pain up with every attempted step. His lightsaber rolled with him, and he clambered to ignite it. It was awkward, not just from the cuffs but also from the screaming terror in his entire body. The pain from his head and ankle and ripping heartbeat all commanded his attention. The urgency tripping him up as he fumbled for the button. It probably looked ridiculous, but living took priority. Green light filled the dark room. All three attackers stilled. Luke fumbled again and was able to cut the cuffs. 

As metal clattered to the ground, Luke felt overcome with the return of the Force. He dropped the saber and fell to his knees. For so many years he had felt it, a constant buzz from the universe reminding him that he was alive and a part of something bigger. It crashed over him like a nauseating tidal wave. With the stunning effects, he couldn’t do much more than scream in pain and anger. The glass exploded from the windows as all three attackers flew through them, bodies limp as dolls. He figured he did that, but it was hard to tell what was a Luke feeling and what was a Force feeling. The Force was consuming, swirling, beating against his bones. Blood dripped drop by drop onto the stone floor and he stared, trying to remember what was going on. He didn’t know where the blood was coming from, he wasn’t completely sure it was even his own. Luke tried with all his strength to stay awake. Was he fighting just now? The telltale pounding behind his skull suggested he was hit. It would probably be bad if he fell asleep. His heart was ripping through his chest, breath staggered and inconsistent. He had to get up, had to go tell someone, to get help. The Force was ringing in a high pitched ring he’d never heard before. Luke flinched when the door burst open. He prepared for a fourth attacker, another armored figure rushed at him. He tried to block, to scamper away, but the pounding in his head made everything hazy. He shouted without knowing what he was saying. Luke threw the man with the Force. More came through the door, helmet after helmet in the darkness. There was shouting and yelling and Luke couldn’t tell what was happening. He attempted in vain to protect himself, Force throwing people and furniture. But then there was the noise of a shot, and something pricked the back of his neck. 

 And then a small amount of moonlight hit one of the intruders, and the armor was singing silver instead of deathly black. 

Din was there, it was going to be okay. It was okay, everything was okay now. Luke was feeling very tired, all his limbs felt prickly like they were falling asleep. Luke couldn’t tell if he was thinking his affirmations or mumbling them out loud, but a heavy glove caressed his cheek. He let himself slip into the warm feeling, leaning into the touch, and his mind slipped away into the welcomed abyss of unconsciousness. 

***

When Luke came back he shot up with a gasp. His body ached and whined against the movement, but he couldn’t help analyzing his surroundings. He was in what looked like an unfinished hospital room. Sundari’s newest hospital facility was operating at half capacity while construction finished, but why was he here? There were sheets over the windows, covering the fact they had no glass yet. It brought Luke to think of the last time he saw glassless windows. Memories rose to the surface, bubbling like acid. He flinched at the feeling of movement on his other side. Snapping his head, he saw a man with dark curly hair and wide brown eyes. He was dressed in a matching dark grey shirt and pants, loose but not baggy. One could tell he was well built but didn’t fancy showing it off. Even in his freshly woken haze, Luke noticed how attractive this man was. Maybe he was a nurse. Luke thought it was just his luck to have the worst day and a hot nurse seeing him like this. Then his eyes wandered down and saw that the man was wearing Din’s mudhorn signet around his neck.

“Luke,” Din’s voice was shy, curious, and so familiar but so different unfiltered through the helmet. Luke snapped his eyes shut.

“Oh my stars, I’m so sorry!!” He shouted and ducked his head down to the blanket.

“Din, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” Luke’s brow hurt from holding his eyes so tightly closed but he didn’t dare loosen them. He repeated his sorrys several times, like chanting a prayer of apologies. A weight sunk into the end of the cot, and a strong hand began to rub his arm.

“Shh, it’s okay,” the timbre of Din’s voice sent shivers up his spine. There was a new gentleness, so transformed from anything else Luke had heard from him. 

“It was my choice, I wanted you to see.” 

Luke slowly raised his head, still not daring to open his eyes. “Din, you didn’t have to do that. Why would you do that?”

“You were scared of it…” A wash of some new emotion came over Luke. His breath stilled, and he waited, desperately hoping Din would elaborate. 

“You were scared of the armor. I didn’t want you to be scared again when you woke up.” 

Luke laughed in disbelief. A little too loudly. He still refused to open his eyes, and his ears refused to actually hear what Din had said. It didn’t make any sense. Luke wasn’t worth that. He wasn’t worth breaking the Creed. He felt loopy, perhaps he was on a lot of painkillers, but he felt compelled to reach forward and take Din’s hand in both of his. Squeezing Din’s hand grounded him and the Mandalorian didn’t protest. Luke leaned down to press his forehead to the back of the hand. Centering himself in darkness and grappling with reality. Luke sat up again after a few breaths, keeping a hold on Din’s hand. It was comfortable, it felt safe. And then he opened his eyes.

Looking at Din’s face felt like someone was crushing Luke’s heart in their hands. He was achingly handsome, like he was sculpted from a dream. Yet there was a charming roughness. The mess of rich brown waves, the untamed stubble along his jaw. There were dark circles under those heartfelt eyes. A determined crease permanently etched between his brows. There was the smallest peek of grey at his temples and fine lines that told of lots of hidden smiles. Luke felt selfish drinking it all in, but he couldn’t stop.

“Din,” Luke only noticed how dry his mouth was when he attempted to speak again. “I am… I’m really honored. But I… I’m not worth all this. Am… Am I the first person to see your face besides Grogu?” 

“No, this isn’t the first time I’ve shown my face.” 

“Oh?” Luke leaned forward a bit, rabidly curious. 

“Before we met,” Din took a deep breath, still obviously a bit uncomfortable without his armor. “Grogu was captured by Imperials. Me and a few others infiltrated the base where he was being held. My armor is pretty recognizable so, I had to go without it to sneak in.” 

Luke nodded, trying to commit every feature to memory.

“That day, I realized that there are some circumstances where not even the Creed is not as important as people I care about. Last night reminded me of that.” Din’s eyes locked with Luke’s, there were smoldering embers behind the soft seal brown irises.

“You care about me?” 

Din did something akin to a huff and a laugh at the same time. “You think I don't?”

“Well, I guess- I don’t know,” Luke fumbled the words, feeling like a ball of burning energy. “I guess, I didn’t think I mattered that much to you… I mean, we’re friends, I think. And we’re pretending to be more, but… I don’t know, my head really hurts right now.” 

“I’m sorry about that,” Din’s brows upturned sympathetically. “Tranquilizers can do that to you.” 

Luke stared blankly into Din’s eyes. “What?” 

“It was the only way to get you to stop attacking us.” A breeze entered through the sheeted windows, and memories came trickling back to Luke. 

“I’m so sorry…”

“Don’t apologize, no one’s upset with you.” 

“I just…” Luke began trying to tell Din everything that had happened. The attackers, what they said, what they looked like, what they did. They needed to figure it out, the who and why of what happened. Din listened quietly, his hand twitching a few times. When Luke told him about the anti-Force cuffs, Din’s entire body stilled. A deadly serious look passed across his features.                  

“I don’t know who would even have that technology…” He trailed off. A beat of silence passed before Luke jolted up. “Was anyone else attacked? Are the kids alright?” 

“Everyone’s fine. They just went after you,” Din was speaking through a clenched jaw. He was angry now. Without any armor to hide it, Luke felt the full force of the acrid, bitter, white hot anger bubbling in Din. 

“The cuffs…” Luke rubbed his wrist absently. “It was horrible. I was completely cut off. And then when I got them off it all came rushing back and… Din, it was paralyzing. I would never wish that on any living creature in the universe. I was so out of it, and when you all came in to help I just saw the same armor and my mind couldn’t tell the difference.” 

Din rubbed his hands and shushed him softly. Reassuring him soundly that everything was okay. Luke had never felt so incredibly safe. 

“Was there anything unique about them?” Din’s jaw was set at a tense angle. Pushing past his feelings to figure out the facts. 

“They were all black, beskar, I couldn’t sense them. Um…” Luke tried to conjure up memories, but his hindbrain reeled in fear at them. “There was… One of them had a symbol on their chest. Like, three lines, maybe claw marks?”

A sharp stab of fear shot from Din’s chest. “That’s… Death Watch.” 

“Death Watch? I’ve heard that before.” Luke chewed on his lower lip, trying to flip through his memories.

“It was Death Watch who… saved me, brought me in as a foundling… They opposed the old government of Mandalore… But… Why would they attack you?” Luke could tell Din’s gear were turning. He had never known Din was such an expressive person under the mask. If the situation wasn’t so serious, he would be amused at how every muscle of his face moved with every emotion. 

“I don’t know, it was dark, and they got away,” Luke clenched his fists. “I let them get away.” 

“I’d rather them get away than hurt you more.”

“But I should’ve had them!” Luke threw his hands in the air. Both hands were clasped firmly by Din’s. Luke felt butterflies rise in his throat at the sudden contact. It wasn’t new, but it wasn’t necessary as they were alone. Luke was generally a touchy person, but Din decidedly wasn’t. At least in the years Luke had known him. 

“None of this is your fault,” It was clear from his voice Din was trying to hold back the fire from his voice. 

“They said something to me!” Luke remembered, sitting up straighter. “That… They didn’t want “jetti” messing in Mandalorian affairs. That I was going to restart the old Jedi Order and steal their children…” 

Din exhaled like he’d been holding his breath for a long time. He looked down at their conjoined hands, absentmindedly rubbing his thumb over Luke’s knuckles. It made Luke blush to watch. Luke reasoned that since he had almost died, Din was probably just scared and sentimental. Things would go back to normal once everything was figured out. The other day he had been so clearly rejected, Din couldn’t have changed his mind so quickly.

“I need to tell the others,” Din’s voice was lower, begrudging. “Bo is going to have a hard time with this.” 

Luke tilted his head, questioning.

“She was a lieutenant in Death Watch. They were founded to oppose her sister, the old Duchess of Mandalore. It had nothing to do with Jedi, but now… I can only guess but, it seems people are appropriating the symbol for a new cause.” 

“An new Anti-Jedi cause…” 

“You were right,” Din sighed. “The other day, you were right. This isn’t working the way we thought it would.” Luke held his breath, hoping he wouldn’t hear what he thought he would.

“Maybe we should end it…” Din delivered the killing blow. 

“That’s giving in to what they want,” Luke felt defensive. It hadn’t ever been real, he wondered why he felt the need to fight for this fake relationship. Even more so after Din had turned him away. He tightened his grip on Din’s hands. 

“But if being together is putting you in harm’s way-” Din started. 

“I have lived my entire life in harm’s way,” Luke interrupted. “The moment I was born I was a target. Ben sent me and Leia away to try and protect us but we still suffered. We both lost our families and were thrown into an intergalactic war as teenagers. Backing down isn’t ever going to solve anything.” 

“Luke-”

“I’m not finished,” Luke’s face was determinedly set. “We fight this, and we end this together. That is how we win. That is how we assert ourselves to these psychos and show them change is here whether they like it or not. And that is how we secure a better and more accepting future for our children.” 

If Luke didn’t know any better, he would say Din looked starry eyed. Fear melted to resolve, swirling in the Force around them. Luke breathed it in, savoring the rarity of Din fully vulnerable. He didn’t know when, if ever, he’d see it again. Din’s hold on his hands tightened in response. His brows furrowed in responding determination, the tension in his jaw lightened. He held Luke’s gaze captive. 

“Okay, we stay together.” 

Luke couldn’t help the wide smile creeping across his face. 

“It’s actually… been nice,” Din’s face softened even further, looking away in embarrassment. “Having someone by my side all the time. Knowing… I can always go to you.” Luke moved forward ever so slightly, attention rapt on Din’s face and words. His smile was uncontrollable. Was what he thought was about to happen really happening? Had he so profoundly misunderstood the other night?

“It has,” Luke tried to lean back to have Din’s full gaze on him again. He watched as Din chewed on the inside of his cheek. He was clearly thinking of something, and it took all Luke’s self restraint to not try to figure it out with the Force. 

“I have… friends,” he started clumsily. “I didn’t used to. Bo, Paz, and Cara… Having people I trust and can rely on for anything. It’s all new to me…” 

Luke hummed encouragingly, desperate to see where this would lead. 

“But you,” Din looked at him for a moment before retreating his gaze again. “It’s different…” 

Luke’s heart was beating in his throat. He wanted to grab Din by the shoulders and shake him, to demand he spit it out already. Luke didn’t want to dare hope Din was about to say he reciprocated his feelings, but the hopeless romantic in his soul was cheering for it. He dared not say anything, but tilted his head again, silently urging Din to continue.

“You are… I’m… We…” Din huffed in frustration. It was adorably endearing, filling Luke with the urge to kiss him all over his face. 

“I’m not good at this,” Din seemed to give up.

“Hey,” Luke risked a gentle hand on Din’s cheek. “It’s okay, just say what you feel even if you think it’s not correct. There are no wrong emotions.” The other man’s eyes fluttered closed. An intense heat radiated off his skin. The feeling of stubble prickling Luke hand was exhilarating. It took all his better judgment to keep his thoughts on the conversation and not roam over Din’s irresistible good looks. The urge to touch, feel, grab every inch was powerful. Din leaned subtly into the touch, his breath quickening. 

“I care a lot about you,” he started, speaking a little too fast. “It’s a different kind of caring than how I feel for the others. I don’t know why, or how, or what it is. I thought maybe I just thought you were attractive and I was weird and lonely and I was confusing all that into our friendship. But last night… I’ve only ever been that scared when it was Grogu being hurt.” 

“Din,” Luke spoke slowly, carefully, afraid he’d scare the other man off. “I think that’s called love.” Pieces seemed to click together behind Din’s eyes. He looked intensely at Luke, processing, considering his words. 

“I know what you’re talking about,” Luke scooted closer, his knee knocking against Din’s thigh. “There are so many different ways to feel love, it gets really confusing. You love your friends, but that’s different from the love you feel for Grogu. I love my sister, but it’s different from how I love Han or my students. The first time I ever fell in love it was with my best friend at the time, and that was confusing. I didn’t know when the type of love I was feeling changed, or why.” 

Din huffed a weak laugh. “You’re using your teacher voice.” 

Luke chuckled. “Cause I’m teaching you something. And you can’t try to get out of this by being funny.”

Din subtly rolled his eyes, head moving along as if he still wore the helmet. He rubbed a thumb over the synthskin of Luke’s prosthetic. A flash of adventurous spirit compelled his touch up past the wrist, onto Luke’s real skin. 

“I guess, it’s what you said…” Din kept his eyes tracing his thumb, touch following the central vein up Luke’s forearm. “You’re my best friend and… I fell in love with you.” 

Luke was no longer able to contain his excitement. A giddy, boyish smile was stuck to his face, and he couldn’t sit still anymore. It was like a dream. He never thought Din would ever say something like this to him, much less actually feel it. And Luke could tell Din really, truly felt everything he said as it sang around them in the Force. 

“Can I kiss you?” Luke asked, biting back his tongue from surging forward and kissing him anyways. Din looked confused, tilting his head. 

“Why?”

“Because I love you too.” 

Din’s face flushed almost impossibly pink. He still refused to hold eye contact, his gaze flitting back and forth between Luke’s eyes and anything else. It was a mismatched view, to see a grown man so flustered like a teen during their first kiss. Luke swallowed. Maybe this would be Din’s first kiss, if he ever stopped being embarrassed and answered the question. 

“I don’t know… how, I’ve never-”

“I can teach you,” Luke answered much too quickly. If he wasn’t so full of kinetic energy he would have half a mind to be embarrassed at how desperate he was. Din’s eyes were wide, swirling with hesitation but also holding a deep want. He leaned forward just a hair, seemingly stopping himself, fighting against his instincts. Luke waited with bated breath, running his thumb across Din’s cheek. He didn’t want to do something before Din was ready, so he was patient. Din moved again, a little further, just a breath away from Luke. His eyes fell to Luke’s smile, looking wantingly and curiously at his lips. Luke felt exposed, watching with a hunger. His tongue quickly peeked out to wet his lips and the motion seemed to be just the encouragement Din needed. 

Both men moaned into the otherwise chaste kiss. It was the overwhelming relief of tension, the shattering of something built up over so long. Something completely new but familiar. Luke slipped his hand from Din’s cheek to curl around his hair and the movement made the other man groan. Every subtle move Luke made earned him a moan or a sigh. It was obvious Din hadn’t ever been kissed or even touched like this before. The thought excited Luke. To be the first to pull every noise and reaction from such a usually stoic, no nonsense man. Heat pooled in his lower abdomen. It had unfortunately been a while for Luke as well, his nerves igniting after being dormant. Luke swiped his tongue against Din’s lips, curious to see the reaction. The older man’s face crinkled in confusion, but his lips parted anyway. Luke teasingly swiped his tongue inside, even letting his teeth scrape against Din’s bottom lip. This earned him a new sound as Din growled deep in the back of his throat. Din’s hand on his wrist moved to crush the front of Luke’s tunic in his hand, pulling the blond closer, and tilting his head in to delicious new angle. 

Luke’s lower back strained at the position, leaning at the same time upwards with his head and forwards with his torso because of their differing heights. He snaked a hand from Din’s hair to the front of his shirt and pulled, allowing both men fall back onto the bed. There was a moment of awkward adjustment for their legs, but Luke found himself completely enveloped by Din’s body. Din’s hand on Luke’s tunic slipped down to his waist, the other holding himself up to avoid crushing the smaller man. The kiss grew deeper and hungrier with each passing moment. Hands curiously and passionately finding new places to touch and feel on each other. Luke adjusted his hips, his leg moving to brush up between Din’s. A moan ripped from Din’s throat, shaking and surprised. 

“Was that okay?” Luke whispered, opening his eyes to look at Din’s expression. He was breathing heavily, trying to intentionally slow it down. His eyes blinked rapidly and he exhaled.

“Yeah, just,” Din cleared his throat. “A lot.” 

“Do you need to take a break?” Luke carded his fingers through Din’s hair, gently and reassuringly. Din nodded. Luke’s insides were screaming as they parted, but he was rewarded for his patience before, he could do it again. Din moved to stand by the bed. 

“I should probably,” Din cleared his throat. “Go… The sooner everyone gets this new information the sooner we can figure it out.” 

“Yeah,” Luke nodded, head still light and airy. Din looked at him and turned towards the door. His boot scuffed on the floor as he stopped, thinking for a moment before spinning back to Luke. Din came to the end of the bed, his hands falling to rest on the frame. Luke watched as strong palms curled around the frame, wishing they were back on his body. 

“We’re… something?” Din’s tone was searching, hoping for Luke to name the situation. The blond couldn’t help but give a Cheshire smile.

“Do you want us to be something?” 

Din nodded sheepishly. 

“Then yes, we’re something,” Luke made a shooing gesture. “We’ll figure out the specifics later, just go.” 

With a determined nod, Din left. Luke fell back on the bed, head spinning. It was hard to reason with what had just unfolded. All of his dreams came true because of one of the worst things that could’ve ever happened. He clearly had a target on his back, but none of that seemed to matter when he was remembering that kiss. 

Chapter Text

Nothing had really changed for everyone else, but everything was differently charged between Din and Luke. When Luke was deemed well enough, he went back to the Palace. He still didn’t move as well as before; a bruised rib kept him a little feeble, and he couldn’t put all of his weight on his ankle. He semi-limped into the middle of a strategy meeting, all heads whipping towards him. The group was much smaller than the usual council. Luke guessed not everyone could be trusted, some even being suspects for their outwardly anti-Jedi views. He searched silently for a seat, and Bo stood, offering hers. The gesture shocked the blond.

“Shut up,” she grumbled despite Luke having not said anything. He took the seat, directly next to Din. Maybe the others could sense a difference after all. Or maybe Din had told them.

“I guess this isn’t a very formal meeting then,” he observed. His skin and bones were singing being close to Din again. They hadn’t really seen each other since he’d woken up in the hospital. Far too much was calling Din’s attention away.

“No, this is an actual figure shit out meeting,” Cara responded. 

“Can we go back to the topic at hand?” Bo huffed from over Luke’s shoulder. 

“I searched into those anti-Force cuffs you said they had, and look at this,” Bo-Katan spun her datapad around for the table to see. “They are really similar to some of the tech we recovered from that prison. Where the Force-sensitive foundlings were held. I wouldn’t be remiss to even say what we have is a prototype of what they used on Luke.” Everyone leaned in, eyes wide and brows scrunched. At least, the ones who had their faces exposed did for sure. Luke felt a pit in his stomach at the implication. 

“We’re still collecting data, but it doesn’t look good,” Bo finished. Luke took the datapad from her, zooming in on the evidence side by side. He couldn’t find a single thing to say that would contradict Bo’s theory.

“Unfortunately, it would make sense. The stance that they’re broadcasting to us is anti-all things Jedi-related. Yet, they’ve only targeted Luke,” Paz added. “With the school, they dragged the vote, but didn’t outright attack the people who voted in favor. They haven’t targeted the kids that we know of either. If it’s the Imps who ran the prison behind the new Death Watch, they’re gonna be mad at Luke for taking something from them. Maybe even the whole Jedi prejudice is an excuse to go after you personally.” 

Luke swallowed hard. Everyone was looking at him. His thoughts were swirling, fear tickling the back of his throat. It felt like too much, too deep to dig out of. Him even being there right now was putting everyone in danger. Suddenly, he felt a lot less confident about the target on his back. 

Din’s boot softly knocked against his heel under the table. Luke looked over to see Din’s attention fully on him. The fear softened slightly, a small smile crawling across his lips. A reminder that he wasn’t fighting alone.

“That attack can’t be their only plan, they’re gonna hit again, harder and soon. Maybe even with more Force combatting tech,” Din’s authoritative voice commanded attention. “They’re trying to disorient us firs,t then sweep in for the kill. Their goal is to spread terror, weaken us with fear so we’re easier to fight.” 

Everyone nodded, knowing Din spoke from deep-seated experience. A Child of the Watch, now grown up to fight against them, it seemed. The meeting disbanded with everyone assigned a focus. Paz on bolstering defense, Bo on gathering intelligence, and Cara on strategy. Luke was told in no uncertain terms to do nothing but rest. He knew he wouldn’t listen, but agreed anyway. Din placed a hesitant hand on Luke’s lower back. Luke leaned into the touch, looking over to the older man. 

“How are you?” Din asked in a soft voice.

“Couple of bruised ribs never hurt anybody,” Luke joked. The tilt of Din’s head prompted him to be a bit more honest. 

“I’m okay, really,” Luke placed a hand on Din’s chest. “I’m very close to being back to normal.” 

“So, you’re back here now?” 

Luke hummed in affirmation.

“Then, would you… Maybe, sleep in my room tonight?” 

Luke couldn’t help but beam and agree.

After the meeting, Luke felt the need to see his students. Not only because it had been a while as he healed, but also because he now knew more of what the rescued foundlings suffered. The children all at once glommed onto him, each saying how much they missed him and were scared for him. Except for Grogu, who babbled hurriedly with outstretched hands. Luke couldn’t help the tears breaking through. He hugged back each of them, squeezing the little lives protectively. A tiny hand pawed at his pocket. One of his students, a little Twi’lek boy, was grabbing at the dormant kyber crystal in his pocket. He hadn’t realized it was still in there, in the pocket of the random robe he picked up from the floor this morning. He’d taken to carrying it around before the attack, trying to see if being around a Force user for long enough did anything. The boy looked it over intensely, like he was trying to figure it out. 

“That’s a kyber crystal,” Luke scooted to face his student. “It’s what powers a Jedi’s lightsaber.”

“I know this one,” the boy stated matter-of-factly. 

“Have I told you that fact before?” Luke chuckled.

“No, I know this one,” the boy urged. “The bad men made us break it.”

Time rapidly slowed as Luke struggled to fully digest the meaning behind his words. He hesitantly asked the boy to elaborate, and several other children joined in. Luke sat very still, nodding encouragingly while fighting back the rising bile in his throat. He had never asked the foundlings from the prison to speak of their experience, and maybe a bit selfishly, Luke hadn’t wanted to hear it. But now he was hearing it, in juvenile bluntness, no words minced. Luke gave each student a hug, assuring them that he was proud of them for sharing and that he was safe to talk to. Then he had to excuse himself.

The heavy wooden doors splintered with the force of Luke opening them. It was just Din left, standing by the throne, talking to a random courtier. Their helmeted heads whipped towards him. Luke marched to the front, robes billowing behind him like a dark gathering cloud of righteous anger. 

“Call everyone back, the entire council,” he commanded. Din gestured to the courtier, who ran off quickly.

“What’s going on?” Din approached cautiously.

“I just learned some new information about the prison,” Luke's hands flexed at his side. “From the kids.” Din didn’t make a sound, yet still his realization was palpable. Luke chewed on his thumbnail while they waited for the council to gather. A gentle hand on his shoulder guided him to shift his weight off his ankle. Luke hadn’t realized he was putting pressure on the injury, the dull pain unnoticed in favor of the anger, but Din had noticed. Luke tried to breathe through his emotions, dispel the worst of it in the Force. He wondered if this was the same anger his father had once felt. The urge to lash out and act on it is tantalizingly close to Luke’s reach.

“Those bastards!” Paz pounded his fist on the table in reaction to Luke’s information.

“Has that ever been done before?” Bo-Katan seemed the only one brave enough to speak at the moment. 

“I don’t think so. Siths ‘bleed’ their crystals, but this doesn’t seem to be the same thing. These ones are just, nothing. They’re dead completely. They used the combined power of these kids to overwhelm it so much it was shocked to death.” 

“What is even the use of a dead kyber crystal?” Cara queried.  

“Many months ago, I met a woman who was wearing one as a necklace,” Luke said, placing the crystal on the table. “Since then, I’ve done some research into it. Apparently, rich people in the Core Worlds find Jedi-related things valuable for collecting. Considering they’re such a rarity now that I'm the only known Jedi left. I didn’t make the connection until one of the children told me that they were familiar with this crystal specifically.” 

A murmur passed around the table. 

“And how can you be so certain that is the truth?” A councillor in blue armor asked.

“Because the children just told me themselves,” Luke tried to hide his exasperation, knowing he wasn’t doing a good job of it.

“Well, are we certain that we can trust the word of a child? Kids make things up all the time. Maybe we should bring them in to hear it ourselves.” A chorus of nods and mumbles followed. Luke dug his thumb into his fleshed palm.

 “A child, this boy is 6 years old, felt safe enough with me to describe the literal forced labor and torture he endured. And the first thought in your mind is that he’s making it up. I had thought your Creed was focused on protecting children, no matter where they came from. Gar taldin ni jaonyc; gar sa buir.” In spite of his fury, Luke couldn’t help but feel a little proud of his perfected pronunciation. 

“Mand’alor, please try to control your consort,” a voice dipped in contempt piped up. The signature sound of a lightsaber igniting filled the silence of the room. Din stood slowly from his throne, one heavy boot after the other thudded on the stone floor. He crossed the room, Darksaber light reflecting off his silver beskar. Din reached the council member and extended to saber across their chest. 

“Do you know what this is?” Din’s voice was dark. 

“A threat?” The councillor answered in challenge. 

“A lightsaber,” Din corrected. “One of the most important objects to our culture, and it's half Jedi.”

Everyone turned as a chair scraped against the floor. 

“Forged by my ancestor Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian inducted into the Jedi Order.” Paz laid a sly hand on his blaster as he spoke. 

“That was thousands of years ago,” the councillor sputtered. Din leaned in close, supporting himself with a hand on the chair back.

“Then doesn’t that show that there is no real Mandalore without our alliance with Jedi?” The Darksaber clicked off. Bubble of tension popping in the room. The councillor stood and attempted to challenge Din for the saber, but was promptly kicked in the shin by Cara next to him.

“Now that was just out of mercy,” she smiled. 

“Our Creeds are not so different,” Luke offered a hand to the fallen councillor. Trying to show goodwill and balance despite his burning hatred. He swallowed it when his hand was slapped away. Curiously similar to the last challenger for the throne. 

“The Jedi Order of old was deeply misguided. I do not wish to restart it in the same way. But it is important for these children to be educated in the power they possess, or else they may hurt someone or themselves with its misuse. At the core of it all, Jedi use their strength to protect the innocent. How is that so misaligned with the Mandalorian Way?” Luke urged the room, but mostly to the challenging councillor who perhaps was the last one in disagreement. The councillor looked around the table, seemingly searching for allies and finding none. Only being met with stares and shrugs. 

“Well, when he puts it that way,” the councillor’s neighbor at the table and seeming former ally conceded. 

“This is another disaster on the same scale as Duchess Kryze,” the councillor spat as he marched out of the room. Din nodded to Paz, who whispered into his comlink. Luke assumed that the councillor was followed, but he didn’t quite care about one man right now. Not when there was a sea of heads who had diametrically opposed him only weeks earlier, chattering in enthusiastic agreement. Was it really just his speech that had gotten him there? No, Luke thought, he had done a lot the past few years. Taking in foundlings, learning the language, fighting a challenger to the throne, and participating in important cultural events. And falling in love with the king of Mandalore. He realized that he was steeped in Mandalorian culture, head to toe. It hit him all at once as Bo-Katan took over talking. Though he’d said it first, Luke truly realized how compatible his version of the Jedi way was with the Mandalorian Way. 

With a new game plan worked out, the council was dismissed from their impromptu meeting. Luke was still piping mad, but it was salved by the fact he was doing something about it. A comfortingly solid presence came up behind him, and Luke let himself lean back into it. 

“Thank you,” he closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around Din’s middle. “You didn’t have to threaten the guy that much, though.”

“Agree to disagree.” Cool beskar rested against Luke’s hairline. “You should go to bed, you’re still healing,” Din spoke just above a whisper. 

“I guess it is a bit late.” Luke hummed. “But you’ll come join me when you’re ready?” Luke looked up pleadingly. 

“Yes, cyar’ika.” 

Luke began to feel the full weight of his exhaustion as he made his way to Din’s bedroom. He chucked his robes to the floor, crashing into the pillows and sheets in just his underwear. A laugh bubbled up from his chest as he remembered in disbelief all that had happened that day. As he felt sleep taking him, it felt like for the first time in a long time that he was no longer fighting an uphill battle.