Pet Names

Love

    Din had exited the club with the bounty being dragged behind him just in time to see Imogen shove her vibroblade through the man's throat. He paused in his step, assessing the other man as he pondered stepping in, but instead he resigned himself to observing until it looked like Imogen really needed the help.
    "Awe," the second man cooed at Imogen, and Din's fist clenched. "Mommy has claws," he teased, and Din was shocked when Imogen hissed at him. Clearly the man was shocked as well, his eyes widening, but apparently for a different reason. Din saw Imogen's glare falter for a moment, brow furrowing, before it was restored. "I thought the Empire had sent the last of your kind away to Kessel," the man continued to taunt her, and Din forced himself not to tilt his helmet in confusion at the words. "Maybe I'll bring you in with the kid, see if they pay extra," he growled before lunging at her, and Imogen quickly dodged. Din was forcing himself to remain calm, despite his instinct to go in and fucking destroy the man who threatened his clan. Imogen slashed at the man, but he was too quick and her hit didn't land. The man lunged again, and both Din and Imogen saw too late that it was a fake out, the man pulling back and leaving a long cut along Imogen's forearm. She dropped the blade in shock, and Din's chest seized at her pained yelp.
    The man laughed at her, and Din stepped forward, prepared to kill him for Imogen, but she shocked him when she lunged, face first, for the bounty hunter. Her teeth were quick to tear out his throat, and Din froze in shock at the sight. She spit the blood out onto the body after it had fallen, and reached into her pocket, probably to grab her comm link. Din finally approached her, gently grasping her uninjured arm. She startled, whipping around with teeth bared, but instead of attacking him, she relaxed once she realized who was touching her.
    "It's okay," Din breathed, arms aching to embrace her after witnessing the fight. "I have the bounty, let's get back to the Crest," he urged her, keeping the gentle grip on her arm as they walked back to the Razor Crest, Din pulling the quarry behind him. Imogen said nothing the whole walk back, the only sound escaping her was a whimper of pain every once in a while when somebody would brush against her as they walked past, since Din was on her uninjured side the people would brush right against her wound.
    As soon as they were on the Crest, Din froze the bounty in carbonite, and then forced Imogen to sit on her cot. He grabbed some bacta spray and bandages, as well as a towel, before kneeling in front of her. He gently pried Ruu'Eva from her grasp, noticing how she tensed when she was no longer touching him.
    "Let me see," he demanded, and Imogen numbly held out her arm. Din took off his gloves, swiping the towel over her arm to clean off the excess blood before just holding it there for a couple moments, applying pressure so he could at least slow the bleeding before putting bacta on the wound. Imogen gasped at his bare fingers on her arm, and Din deliberately ignored the fact that his bare skin was touching her. He knew he'd dwell on it later, but for now he was only focused on caring for Imogen. "Do you need anything else? Are you hurt anywhere else?" he asked, and Imogen shook her head before freezing.
    "I-" she cut herself off, averting her gaze. "Water, and a bowl," she murmured, and Din lifted her uninjured arm to place it on the towel.
    "Hold that there," he commanded, and Imogen dutifully did so as he grabbed her a cup of water and a bowl as she asked. He placed it next to her, and then returned to treating her wound.
    Din pulled the towel off her arm, quickly applying the bacta spray and then beginning to wrap the bandage around it. Imogen shifted slightly as he did so.
    "Stop squirming," he said, and Imogen froze once more. Din quickly finished, tying the bandage in a knot before he moved to sit next to her. He didn't even think as his hand moved to cup her cheek, and his heart swelled when Imogen immediately pushed into his touch. "Are you alright?" he asked, and Imogen paused for a moment, thinking.
    "I-I hate that," she murmured, turning away and taking a large gulp of water, swishing it around her mouth before spitting it out into the bowl. "It's disgusting, I hate doing it, I did it once but I was so much younger and they were trying to sell me and I hate it, I hate it," Imogen rambled, tears welling up in her eyes, and Din returned his palm to her face, swiping a thumb across her cheek to wipe at a tear as it fell.
    "Hey, it's okay," he soothed her, and Imogen shook her head. Din brought his other hand up to cup her neck on the other side, forcing her to look into his visor. "Yes, it's okay, you did what you had to to protect yourself and Ruu'Eva," he said forcefully, and Imogen shrugged slightly before leaning forward to rest her head against his pauldron. Din sighed, gently lifting her and standing, heart breaking at the dejected look that came onto her face at his leaving.
    "I'll be right back," he told her, quickly climbing up to the cockpit and taking off most of his armor, leaving him in a thick long sleeved shirt, dark, slightly baggy pants, and his helmet. He deposited his armor in his room before returning down to the hull, where Imogen sat in the exact same position he left her in, Ruu'Eva having toddled over to his bed and curled up. Din approached Imogen slowly, yet she still startled when he sat down next to her again. His hands came to cup her shoulder and the back of her head, and Din pulled her to his chest. Imogen immediately relaxed against him, a few tears falling from her eyes and onto Din's shirt. "It's okay," Din murmured to her, scooting back so he could lean against the wall. "You're okay, cyar'ika," Imogen let a tiny sob escape, and Din moved one hand so his arm encircled her waist, the other going to stroke through her hair. "It's okay," he repeated, and Imogen began to cry in earnest.
    Eventually Imogen's hiccupping breaths subsided, and her eyes slid closed, falling asleep nestled against the Mandalorian's warmth.

Mando'a Translations
Kih iviin - Slow down; literally "small speed"
Cyar'ika - Darling; beloved