The Sweetest Taste | Chapter 19 - "MANDO!"
When Din Djarin meets a beautiful cake seller from Nevarro, do you think he’s just going to stand back and let her suffer at the hands of her abusive boyfriend? After a lifetime of heartache and pain, Lysa Kane realises she’s not on her own any more and finds an unlikely friend in the Mandalorian. And Din Djarin does not like men who treat women like that, not one tiny bit. Friendship/comfort and maybe something more…
Masterlist
Chapter 19
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It took Din, and the others, six long days to try and track down the Mandalorians.
With their mission a success, Bo-Katan had asked if him had wanted to join them on Mandalore for a while. But with his mind firmly on other things, Din had politely declined.
“Well if you ever need to talk you know where I am,” Bo-Katan had told him pointedly as he had made for his N-1 with Grogu, ready to go back to Nevarro.
Din had thanked her, with a gracious nod of his head.
“And if you want my advice-” she had told him. “...just give her time.”
And with that she had gone, walked away leaving Din with those words to ponder on his long journey home.
It had been good to get off-planet for a few days. The thrill of a challenge and new adventure taking his mind off Lysa’s decision not to go with him.
Not that he had stopped thinking of her for barely a second.
But now, after arriving home, along with a good sleep and some breakfast, Din and Grogu found themselves here. In amongst the tall civic buildings of Nevarro, taking a stroll through the busy cobbled streets with Greef Karga.
“-and that’s when I knew he’d done it. I had the Marshal send him on the first express ship to the New Republic Prison Complex the next morning,” muttered Karga, as they walked side by side, with Grogu floating in his pram beside them.
After being away for a few days, Din always considered it good form to check on how things were doing when it came to his now-home planet.
But he was pleasantly surprised to find out that the new Marshal had been doing wonders for the morale of the City and its inhabitants. Working on cracking down on crime and improving communications between the local and not-so local tradespeople that flew in and out of the now-bustling city.
“Y’know, while we're on the topic of trouble, I’m actually glad I bumped into you,” Karga continued, with a raise of his brows. “A little birdy told me that your name is on the hit list of quite a few of the scum propping up the bars around here all of sudden.”
He looked to Din.
“So you wanna tell me what you’d done to deserve such an honour?”
His comment was wry and sarcastic, but there seemed to be genuine concern behind it.
Din gave a long sigh, scuffing his boots slightly as he walked. His hand lingering on the hilt of the blade at his belt, absent-mindedly.
“I thought I was doing the right thing” he began, giving a shake of his beskar-covered head as his helmet glinted in the afternoon sun. “...helping out a friend.”
Karga stopped, giving a knowing smile, as Din slowed and turned to look at his old friend.
“That friend happen to be a baker by any chance?” Karga muttered, suddenly giving a nod at something over Din’s armoured shoulder.
Din turned suddenly to look at what Karga was gesturing at, seeing a familiar face chatting to a stall-holder across the way.
Lysa.
Today she was dressed in a pale cream belted tunic dress that fell to the floor, with that same old large wicker basket swinging from the crook of her arm. Her hair was down, flowing behind her, catching the warm sun, making her look like a mirage to him.
A feeling of painful longing washed over Din.
A feeling that he tried to suppress as best he could.
Lysa was talking to the stall-holder with a small smile painted across her lips, her face bright and inviting. Like the warmth of the sun on a cold day.
“Well?” came Karga’s voice from his side as came to stand beside Din. “You gonna go talk to her?”
Din gave a huff through his modulator. “I don't think she’d want to see me.”
But Karga at once let out a tsk. “What? A strapping guy like you?” he said in a tutting voice. “Nonsense. “I’ve seen plenty of women over the years try and throw themselves at you, Mando. I doubt she’d be an exception.”
Din continued to watch as Lysa purchased four large bags of flour, before moving onto a fruit stall nearby, her hips hypnotically swaying beneath her long skirt as she walked.
She still hadn't seen him standing across the square from her, and for that Din was thankful.
“It’s not-” he began, giving another shake of his head and huffing more audibly this time. “I upset her and I just don’t think she’d be ready to talk to me again.”
Din noticed Karga stare up at him for a long few seconds, before he turned back to look at Lysa giving a shrug of his robed shoulders.
“Well maybe I might go and introduce myself,” he said suddenly, with a smirk playing across his bearded lips.
And before Din could do anything to stop him, Karga had strode forwards, over towards the heart of the Bazaar.
“Karga!” hissed Din, through gritted teeth, his eyes suddenly widening, watching as his friend cut a path through the small crowd and approached Lysa.
“Excuse me, Miss,” Din heard him say from where he was standing, with his same old booming tone.
At once Lysa turned to him, holding a horned melon which she was squeezing to test its ripeness. Din saw her eyes widen suddenly, and she gave a deep bow, her gaze finding the floor.
“High Magistrate,” she said quickly, her tone modest.
But Karga merely smiled her way.
“We’ve met before, right?” he said in a friendly tone, giving a small frown as though remembering. “You were looking at that little store for lease -the one on the corner of Orizo- I think it was just a couple of days before Life Day last year.”
Din saw Lysa give a hurried nod, as Din watched them, desperate to run and yet somehow rooted to the spot.
“Yes, we did,” she said with a humble smile.
“So…did you get it?” Karga asked, making conversation.
Din noticed Lysa flush at these words, and instantly lose eye-contact with Karga.
“I…um…” she gave a swallow. “My savings couldn’t quite stretch to it in the end…”
But Karga who blatantly wasn't there for mere idle chit-chat, moved the conversation on quickly.
“I think you know my old friend, Mando,” he said suddenly, gesturing with his hand and turning his head, gazing over to where Din stood.
In that second Din could have killed him.
Lysa lips suddenly parted as she turned her head, seeing Din suddenly for the first time.
But Karga oblivious, or perhaps not so oblivious, to the awkwardness between the pair, merely raised a hand and beckoned Din to join them.
“MANDO,” he yelled in a jovial manner, causing more than just a few market-vendors and customers to turn to look at him. Not that he wasn't already noticeable, standing there in full beskar armour.
Din gave a swallow, knowing he would have to go over. For what would it look like if he walked away from her now?
Din looked quickly to Grogu, only to see that his son, who had obviously already clocked Lysa, was already four of five feet ahead of him, zipping speedily over Karga and the blonde woman in his hover-pram.
The Mandalorian could feel his heart start to thump inside his ribs, and his palms become suddenly sweaty.
How was it that he could stay cool when it came to violence or the horrors of this galaxy? But put him face to face with Lysa and he just crumbled to pieces?
He approached slowly, watching as Lysa took a deep breath, tucking a strand of long golden hair behind her ear almost nervously.
“And this little one you must know too,” said Karga as Grogu arrived with them.
Immediately, Lysa smiled at Grogu, stroking his tiny cheek with her two fingers as Grogu gurgled up happily to her.
But she looked up quickly as Din came to stop a couple of feet away, completing the circle.
Her smile diminished a little but didn't disappear completely.
She looked apprehensive and a little nervous - very unlike the Lysa he had last walked through the marketplace with all those weeks ago.
From here Din could just about see the last of the faded bruise poking out from her collar, but he didn't doubt there weren’t fresher ones hidden beneath the layers of fabric she was clothed in today.
This raised Din’s hackles a little as he thought of Crix and what Lysa had continued to allow him to do, just by agreeing to stay with him.
But he immediately softened again, as his eyes met her green ones.
To him she was perfect. Skin smooth and creamy, if not a little tanned by the sun. Hair golden like the sweetest of honeys. And between her brows sat a small vertical frown line that lingered there even when she was happy and smiling.
When Din pictured her face in the darkness of the night when he couldn’t sleep, that frown line was always there, helping to fully form the image of her in his mind.
One day Din would press his lips to that space just above her nose. To that frown line. A simple thing like that was what he longed for these days, above anything else.
The simplicity of being able to touch her…
…hold her…
….kiss her.
To treat her exactly how she should be treated. Like something angelic…something that should be loved and cherished.
But the masked Mandalorian shook himself from these thoughts suddenly, dragging his gaze back to Karga who was speaking - even though Din had barely heard him.
“Mando and I go way back,” Karga commented conversationally, leaning in towards Lysa slightly as he spoke. “You should have seen his armour before all this beskar though. Like he’d picked his way through a scrap heap-”
“Maybe if you’d have paid better for some of the bounties I collected for you-” snipped Din, in a low voice.
But Karga gave an easy wave of his hand, cutting Din off.
“Let’s not talk old business now,” he said with a chuckle, before turning fully to Lysa. “I have to be getting on. Lots of things to attend to today. But it was lovely to meet you again.”
And with that Karga reached for Lysa’s free hand, pulling it to his lips and pressing a kiss to her smooth knuckles neatly.
He offered her one last charming smile before patting Din suddenly on the back.
“I’ll see you soon, Mando” he said in a low voice, uttering the next part just loud enough for Din to hear as he passed behind. “Don’t do anything I wouldn't do.”
Din clenched his jaw in annoyance and embarrassment.
It was typical Greef Karga to do something like this. Wouldn't be the first time he’d double crossed him.
Din paused for a long moment as Karga disappeared off through the crowds before turning back to Lysa.
She was staring up at Din now, mouth open as though she was going to say something, but quickly closed it again, obviously changing her mind.
A silence fell between the pair, Din desperately searching for something to say.
“Sorry about Karga,” he said finally. “He thinks that being High Magistrate means he can bother anyone he wants to.”
But Lysa just smiled at this. “It’s ok. I wasn't busy,” she said in a kind voice, glancing down to see that she still had the horned melon in her hand. She turned and placed it neatly back on the pile over her right shoulder. “Just picking up some supplies ready for the week.”
Grogu at the couple’s side gave a chirp, eyeing the fruit on the stall behind her, his eyes suddenly becoming very round.
“I’m sorry, I haven't bought any fruit yet,” said Lysa sweetly, noting his hungry look and tapping the top of Grogu’s ear affectionately, as she stepped back a little, allowing the child space to see what was on the stall behind her. “What do you want? I can get you some of these yellow berries-“
She bent low next to Grogu and began following his gaze, pointing at the fruit on the table one by one.
But Din gave a quick shake of his head.
“I’ll buy him the fruit,” he said in a firm tone, shooting a reprimanding look to Grogu, who merely ignored his father. “You don't need to do that for him.”
But perhaps his tone was too stern sounding, for Lysa looked up at Din suddenly, her smile faltering and her cheeks turning pink.
“O-Of course,” she said, sounding utterly embarrassed, standing up straight and taking a sudden step away from Grogu. “Sorry.”
But it had never been Din’s intention to tell her off for buying something for his son.
“No, I just meant-” he began, but Lysa gave a lick of her lips, shaking her head.
“I get it, it’s fine,” she said offering him a small understanding smile, she blinked a little and turned herself half away pointing down the long strip of stalls. “I’ve actually…um…I’ve got to go get some pitted beans from Trefden’s stall before they sell out….so I’ll see you around….maybe.”
She looked to Grogu and gave him a final smile before turning and making to head off.
But before he even realised what he was doing, Din opened his mouth.
“Lysa, I-”
But he faltered, as she immediately turned back to him, her chest rising and falling hard beneath her dress.
She almost looked expectant now. Not like someone looking for a grand gesture, but like seeing the person you love on your wedding day after their veil was lifted.
Her perfect marsh-coloured eyes met with his behind his beskar, and for a moment it was like the entire world stood still around them.
Din noted, in that second, how plump and parted her lips looked. How her beautiful her hair was caught in the sunlight behind her. How her pretty eyes darted back and forth across his helmet, as though searching for him.
To him she was a goddess. And nothing more perfect had ever existed.
Lysa waited patiently, but when no more words from Din came, she merely smiled sweetly, and took in a shaky breath before turning away again. And with that she was gone, swept away within the crowds.
Din merely closed his lips once more, his mouth dry, as he swallowed with difficulty.
Even if he had had something to say planned. He knew he would never have been able to say the words.
For here he was, a bounty hunter, a Mandalorian, and not a young one at that, lost for words, awed by Lysa.
And despite knowing that she wasn't his…he couldn't help but dream about what life would be like if one day she was.
And as much as Din knew that he should forget about her. Respect her choices. Just walk away. He knew that that was now impossible. He was too far gone.
But what Din Djarin didn't notice as he stared after Lysa Kane, was a surly-looking Quarren stood in a brown leather robe, leaning against a wall on the far side of the square, watching him.
The Quarren punched in a number into his wrist comm before lifting the device to his mouth, uttering just four words, his eyes still locked on Din.
“The Mandalorian……he’s back.”
………………………..
@its5-15wakeup @thecraftyartist @crazypaine @walkingintheheartbreaksatellite @marysucks-blog
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