" finale "
Standing up from Kuiil's grave Lana felt her heavy heartbeat in her chest. Din placed a final rock to cover him up, resting Kuiil's helmet on one large stone to mark it.
Din offered her his hand, as they turned away from Kuiil's final resting place. "What do we do now?" She asks him.
When they walk to the open ramp of the Crest, Din finally gives her an answer. "I wanted to know if you would like to rest for a little in... Sorgan." His voice became softer as he said her home planet.
Lana dropped his hand laying down in the cot against the wall begging for some sleep. She rests her head on her forearm looking at Din and the child. Din pulls up a bucket from the side of the ship to sit beside her. "I know you didn't want to go back."
"Let's just do it. We can rest for a couple months, I can see Omera. We don't have to worry about people coming after us anymore. I know I said I wanted to get out of there, but it's an opportunity for us to raise the child even if it's just for a little bit."
Din nods, glancing to the child. "Sorgan it is. I'll go put in the coordinates and get us into hyperdrive. Then, I'll be back here." He stands up to leave the cargo hold of the ship.
After traveling for a few days, Din informed Lana they were almost to Sorgan.
She sat in her chair beside Din watching as the trees she grew up in once again came into her field of vision.
As the Crest landed, Lana felt excited they were finally going to stay somewhere for a couple months without having to pack up and leave every day or so.
She went down into the Cargo hold and packed her pack that she had brought with her the first time Din and her left Sorgan. Lana and Din had a few bags with them all that they could carry from the Crest before they made the short trek to Lana's home village. The baby followed in his floating cradle behind them recognizing the familiar woods around them.
As they arrived, they were greeted by the entire village knowing exactly who they were. Omera came from the back of the crowd, smiling and almost having tears of joy fall from her eyes. Lana dropped her things and ran to hug Omera. She felt the tightness of her arms wrap around her making her miss the way she hugged her like this.
"We've missed you dearly." Omera says pulling away. "We have a lot to catch up on." she says winking at Mando behind her.
"Get the speeder and let's get their things brought back." Omera directs Stoke and Caben.
A little while later, Omera and Lana are seated outside Omera's home on her porch. They're facing the beautiful sunset overlooking the village sipping from their cups. "That's a bit of a story. And you stuck around with him through all of that?" Omera asks after Lana explained the lengthy story of what occurred while she was gone.
"I always knew I wanted something more than this farming life. But it wares and tears on a person after a while. I knew I needed to come home to my roots and rest for a little while."
"I see, I see. What's the deal with you and Mando then?" She raises one of her brows.
Lana giggles while rolling her eyes. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh c'mon, you expect me not to assume there's something going on. You two never left each other's sides, you were basically raising a child together and there's just nothing going on there?" She asks.
"Okay, okay, I guess there is a 'something' going on. I just can't explain it, it's just there." Lana takes another sip.
Lana directs her vision to her old home that Din her and the child would be sharing while they were staying there. Din was bringing in the final box to their home, Lana can hear his low grunt from the inside. She looks over near the middle of the village where the children are playing around with the baby.
The child is so excited around the other children again. She could hear his loud giggles as the child ran around him. He throws his arms out to reach for them smiling ear to ear.
"Well, you don't have to tell me anything, I have a mother's intuition with you." She smiles crossing her other leg over the other.
Din walks out from the home to spot Omera and Lana on the porch. Lana gives him a small wave to bring him over to them. Din briskly walks to the ground in front of the porch, rubbing his neck and groaning slightly. "You know, I could have helped." Lana giggles.
"No, no. You've been through enough the past couple of days." He says pulling his hands over his chest.
"Well, it's about that time. I'm going to fetch dinner. I'll see the two of you in a little bit." Omera stands from her spot. She walks down giving Din a small smile before walking the other direction from them.
"Come here." Lana gestures him. He follows her hand and stands in front of her. He looks down into her soft hazel eyes.
Home.
"Sit down." She says softly.
Din drops his weight in front of her, with his back to her, resting his back on the chair between her knees. He stretches his shoulders before resting against the chair. Lana lifts her hands to meet the base of his neck and rubs the fabric above his skin.
Din drops his head to allow her to relieve his stress built up in his neck. The two sit in silence for a little while, watching the setting sun darken the village around them. Lana hums quietly, but loud enough for Din to relax himself under her touch. Lana gives him a final roll of her knuckle over the base of his neck. She rests her hands on his shoulders drawing her face to the side of his helmet.
"We should get some dinner, I'm sure the child's hungry. I can bring him up here and feed him and you can eat in the house." She says leaning her temple against where his would be under the helmet.
He pulls a hand to touch hers on his shoulder. "I'll help you with the child, I'll just eat later."
"You need to eat Din." Lana protests.
"And I will. I want to try to act like a family even if we aren't like an average family." Din sighs.
"Okay, Okay. Let's go get him then, it's getting dark." Lana turns her head to give him a small peck on the curved metal of the cheek of his helmet. She taps his shoulder urging him to stand up. Din has to stay still for a moment, his heart began beating out of his chest. Even if he couldn't feel it, his cheek burned for her.
"Yeah... yeah let's go."
When the three got their servings, the sun was already set. The only light in the village was the small lanterns lighting up the passageways. The child is siting calmly in Lana's arms as they walk through the doorway of their home.
Lana sets the child down in his highchair next to the small table. Lana finds herself sitting next to the child pushing her chair in. Din sets his plate in front of the child and in front of Lana. "Thank you." Lana looks up to him as he's sliding a chair out from the other side of the table to be across her and next to the child.
Lana dropped her hair scarf from her head to set it on the chair next to her. She looks back up to Din who is already gently feeding the child. She loved hearing his little excited coos each time Din got closer with a piece of bread.
Lana smiles taking a small bite, she pushes a small groan out. Oh, how she missed her villages cooking. Din catches a hold of this. "Wow, you really like that soup huh?" He laughs slightly.
"The food on your ship wasn't exactly incredible you know." She giggles taking another sip.
Din rolls his eyes under his helmet, smiling slightly. He was a Mandalorian, not a chef.
Lana's hand laid out on the table, using her other to feed the food into her mouth. Din drops his hands below the table. He slightly tugs at his gloves to reveal his bare calloused hands. He pulls them up to the surface of the table, covering her hand with his.
The child was finally asleep, Lana and Din had struggled to get the little guy to sleep after dinner, he fussed whenever they would try to put him down. Eventually, he tired his little body out and eventually slumped.
Din was sitting on their cot, removing his boots and other portions of his armor, getting ready for a good rest their first night back in the village. He tilted his head to the doorway, Lana was standing in the doorway, looking at her father's old hut.
Lana thought about her father again, but this time in a different light. She missed him more than anything, but she realized he would be so happy to see her now. She had a family. She had someone she loved and an adorable child. She felt her tears well up slightly, letting them fall from her face.
Din heard her soft sobs, he lifted himself from the cot slowly. He looks to the chair where her hair scarf rested. He lowered his arms to lift the soft material, looking at the gleaming gold in the light of the lantern.
He walks up behind her, her arms are covering her chest and she's wiping her hot tears off her face when his chest covered in his beskar slightly touches her.
He wraps his arms around her, letting his hands rest on hers over her own chest. Din holds the fabric in his bare hand, dragging his thumb over the embroidered flowers which wrap around it. Din lifts his free hand to push her hair behind her ear and rests his temple to hers.
He holds her until her tears stop, it isn't long, she found comfort in his touch. Din swayed her slightly as they stood together.
Eventually, he found the right time to lift the scarf to her eyes. She doesn't question his motives. Din moves it to completely cover her eyes, he pulls it to the back of her head and makes a knot with the remaining fabric.
Din shakily brings his hands to his helmet. He takes a deep breath before slipping off the helmet. All the village was silent, all the lights were out, the villagers were getting set for a long day of work ahead of them.
Din lowered himself to set his heavy helmet on the ground quietly. He lifts himself up, touching her upper arms to turn her around to face him.
"Lana." He speaks, no modulation, his bare voice. She lifts her hands to her face, gasping. "Din..."
Reluctantly, she pulls her hands forward waiting to rest onto his face.
She finally runs into his jaw, slowly draping her fingertips over the sharpness of it. She draws over the stubble on his chin, slowly working toward his nose, then his forehead, finally, his soft helmet hair.
"Is this... allowed? I mean is this okay with The Way?" She asks innocently brushing through his hair.
"As long as you can't see me."
Lana loved the sound of his voice without the helmet modulations his voice. She wished the beskar could leave for a little bit just so she could always hear it.
Din lifts his arms to pull her closer to him, farther in the home. Lana drops her hands to his shoulders. Din wishes he could see her eyes, he got to see every feature of hers beside her bright eyes.
Din brought a hand under her chin to lift her face to him. He brought his face closer, to barely graze over her lips. Lana feels his hot breath on her lips. She had never kissed anyone before, Din was the only person she had ever been so close with.
Din slowly presses down to meet hers. Lana doesn't react at first, she didn't exactly know what to do, she was nervous. She naturally got a hang on Din's movements with her lips, following his lead.
She lifted one of her hands to reach into his hair, not losing her lips on his. she felt his curls that stayed close to his head, dragging her hand in them as they continued.
Eventually, Lana needed a breath, she didn't know how long they had been kissing but when she pulled a way she took in a gasping breath.
Din backed away slightly to see her swollen lips and he rosy pink cheeks. She was biting her lip, her hands rested back on his shoulders to keep her balance.
"I love you Lana." He says pulling her closer to him again. The two rest their foreheads together taking a break for each other. Lana couldn't believe she kissed him, she always thought the day would come where she would kiss someone and nothing made her more nervous. With Din, everything felt okay. She was nervous but comfortable.
"I love you Din." She smiles.
Din and Lana finally got what they both wanted.
A family.