Masked Love

X

"You took off your helmet?" I asked the obvious question.

His arms wrapped back around me. Pulling me close but keeping enough distance to avoid me seeing his face. "I trust you." He said simply. I took a deep breath. nodded my head. The only response I could come up with. There were no words I could say that wouldn't come out as a nervous mess.

"You scared me there for a second." He said quietly.

I hummed in response, "I haven't done something like that in a long time. Took a lot out of me is all."

"The child...I saw him do the same thing before we met." Mando stated, "Is he like you?"

I looked down at my hands. I was waiting for the day Mando noticed he was like me, "I cant really say. But the force is strong with him. That I can sense."

We both fell silent again. Looking out into the fire. I felt my eyes begin to grow heavy as my body began to finally warm. I was getting way to comfortable with the Mandalorian. Yet I kept telling myself it was nothing. It all meant nothing. But a part of me felt I was just lying to myself.

"I'm thinking of leaving the kid here." He said breaking me out of my thoughts. My head perked up, but no matter how hard I fought it my eyes still kept hovering closed. I forced myself the best I could to keep focused on what he was saying. Fighting off the exhaustion.

"He could be safe here. Away from the Empire or any hunter." Mando continued. It didn't feel right leaving the kid. At least to me. Except a part of me knew deep down that he was right. This place was safe, and as long as I was around him...he wouldn't be.

"You could come with me...if you wanted to that is." He asked quietly. I wanted to say yes immediately. Run off on whatever random adventure the journey would bring us. I imagined it as my eyes began to slowly close shut. I couldn't fight the sleep any longer, however. Before I could give him a response my eyes closed and my head fell back against his chest.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

Days passed as the three fighters settled down in the village. Mando and Cara sat outside Omera's hut. The two watched as the child played with the children. Learning slowly what was social acceptable to this group of kids. Omera walked out of the hut handing a cup of spotchka to Cara.

She turned to Mando with a smile, "Can I set you something in the house?"

"Uh thank you. Maybe later." he responded. Omera nodded her head as she looked out to the children.

"He's very happy here." She said with a laugh. She turned to him giving Mando a small playful smirk, "He fits right in." He knew she was hinting that he did as well. Knowing how understanding she had been about his armor and the rules that followed it.

Cara kept her sights ahead. Raising her eyebrows as she tried to stifle the smile that was emerging on her lips. She could see how fond Omera was of Mando. Knowing she wanted him to stay as well.

"So, what happens if you take that thing off?" She asked him. Taking a sip of her drink and turning to him, "They come after you and kill you?"

Mando turned his head. His gazing following towards the child. Then it flicked up to the hut right across from Omera's. Through the open door he could see Amara sitting quietly by herself. Her legs crossed over each other as she closed her eyes. Doing her morning meditation.

"No. You just can't ever put it back on again." Mando answered quietly. Not looking away from Amara. He said that but he knew he was pushing it with her. Finding every loop hole he could just to have a second of normalcy with her. No masks. No helmet. Just them. Even if he never saw her face he saw himself getting more and more attached.