Star Wars - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Odd Bounty ❯ A Choice Made ( Chapter 14 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

His wife?

He claimed her as his wife?

That was a shock yes but as she lightly traced his face she couldn't see anyone else.

She only saw him.

She would only ever see him.

"Thank you for saving me Din."

He lightly caressed her cheek. "You're worth rescuing. I see that now."

Taking a deep breath, she shook her head. "I'll always be a Veile, Din but I choose to be a Djarin now."

His eyes widened in shock, his hands landing on her shoulders lightly. "Telana? Are you...You're sure?"

She nodded her head quickly, gracing him with a brilliant smile.

"Yes, I want to be Telana Djarin. I want to be your wife. I will always want to be yours."

 "Telana Djarin. My wife."

She giggled, gently brushing her fingers through his hair as he cupped her cheeks and kissed her softly.

"Din Djarin...my husband."

She had accepted the claim.

The bond was complete. She was his wife now.

And she would be his until the end.

"I like the sound of that."

He lifted her up with a laugh, tears spilling down his cheeks as he spun her around. She clutched at his shoulders, dropping his helmet in shock before dissolving in laughter as she slid into his embrace, nuzzling her face into his neck. Her own tears soaking the into his skin.

He suddenly felt much lighter than he had felt in years. Because of her.

"My wife."

It had been an uphill battle for them both from the beginning. He had hated everything about her so viciously...only seeing her as a droid and not this beautiful gentle woman in front of him. She wormed her way into his heart and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Fett was right.

She had found every single one of his weak spots and with her gentle touch and innocent eyes...filled them with the purest kind of love and kindness. His heart was hammering against his ribs as he held her in his arms. 

His wife.

His face hurt from how widely he was smiling.

He was whole now.

"Din, your helmet!"

"Its fine. Pure Beskar's not going to dent just by being dropped."

The small bag flitted into his thoughts and he set her on her feet with a gentle kiss before pulling it from his belt.

"I have something for you."

"Oh?"

"Mandalorians don't use rings as they tend to cause issues with our armor so the Armorer made this for you to wear."

He pressed the bag into her hands and when the object tipped into her palm, fresh tears fell from her eyes.

Her hand reached up and traced the mudhorn symbol on his pauldron before putting the necklace in his hands and turning her back to him, moving her hair to one side.

His hands were actually shaking as he unclasped the chain and draped it around her neck. The skin of her neck was soft and the few tendrils of her hair that touched his hand had felt smooth like silk. He connected the clasp before leaning forward to press a kiss to her collarbone causing her to shiver.

Din stepped around her and gave a soft sound at seeing the mudhorn symbol resting just above her cleavage.

'You are now a clan of two.'

"A clan of three."

She looked at him confused.

"Clan of three?"

"We have a lot to talk about, cyar'ika."

She put her hands on her hips, "Well you can start with telling me what that means."

He laughed, running his hand over her golden tresses. 

"It means darling," He tilted her head up and pressed another kiss to her lips, breathing against her lips, "Cyar'ika." He was finding it hard not to kiss her.

"Oh." She shivered bringing a hand up to trace the necklace.

"What is this?"

"A mudhorn. Its my clan symbol."

"'A clan of three?'"

"I have...or had a foundling before I met you. The kid...his name is Grogu. He's special."

"What happened to him?"

"He's still alive but somewhere safe. He has...abilities. Special powers that have made him a target for the Empire. He's being trained by a Jedi currently. Its safer for him this way. At least until he learns to control his abilities."

She wraps her arms around him, "You miss him though."

He pillows his head on hers holding her close. "Yeah, I do miss him but you make it hurt less."

"I hope I get to meet Grogu someday."

"I think he'd like you. You're kind and soft and gentle. Beautiful."

She leans up and kisses him on the cheek. "Your beautiful too, Din."

His cheeks turn red and he chuckles. "I think you mean handsome."

"You can't be both?"

"Well, beautiful is usually used to describe a woman...like you." He winked at her.

She grinned cheekily at him, "Well, what if I want to call you cyar'ika too?"

"You could just call me Din."

She shook her head, "No. Cyar'ika it is."

"Then its agreed. You'll call me cyar'ika and I'll call you mesh'la."

"Mesh'la? What does that one mean?"

He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.

"Beautiful."

She throws her arms around his shoulders, "I like that one...a lot."

His hands settle on her hips, "Oh?"

"But I like 'husband' better."

"So do I."

/  -  /  -  /  -  /

It was nearly dawn when they walked back to the house. 

They had shared one last fervent kiss before he slid the visor back into place.

She giggled, tracing over where she now knew his lips were.

"So most Mandalorians don't remove their helmet, right?"

"Yes."

"How do they kiss?"

He laughed, stopping her and gently pressing his helmet against her forehead.

"Its called a Keldabe kiss."

She touched her forehead, "So you kissed me before you left the last time?"

He paused a moment, thinking back on that night and shook his head. "Apparently I did. I didn't think about it."

She pushed his shoulder, "Well you definitely have to make up for it."

Din gently touched her chin, "I'll make up for it every single day from here on out. Mesh'la."

Telana lifted his still ungloved hands and pressed a kiss to each palm, pulling a gasp from him.

"I like the sound of that, cyar'ika."

/  -  /  -  /  -  /

Beler was shocked to find Din with Telana. Even more shocking was the fact that Telana was holding his hand and he wasn't pulling away.

He tilted his helmet at the doctor. "Beler. We need to talk."

"I see that. Come in."

Telana smiled, pulling him in after her and he shook his head chuckling. "Slow down, Tel."

"You haven't seen the inside of the house yet. Lusli helped me clean it up. She's also been teaching me to sew and crochet. I just finished the curtains."

He eyed the curtains...they were a simple lacy design but well made. "Its a good job. You took to it quickly."

"She said I am a natural."

"So I take it you spoke to this person in your covert?" Beler interjected.

Din nodded, watching Telana sit down in a small blue velvet chair and his mind wandered in that instant.

The sound of children laughing filled the air and he was rooted to the spot.

The thought of having children with her was a heady one...but one he found himself wanting more than anything.

"Din?"

The doctor's voice shook him from his thoughts, "Yes?"

"Well, what did she say?"

"The Armorer said that my claim was real but since Telana was not aware of it, she was to be given a choice."

"A choice? What choice?"

"Whether or not she wants the claim dissolved or to keep the bond."

Beler studied his daughter and noticed the necklace she now wore and ice flashed through him.

"Telana, dearest...what are you wearing?"

She smiled brightly, touching the symbol, "Din gave it to me."

"What does that mean?"

"I accepted the bond, father."

Beler rushed to his feet, "No! Telana, no! Do you know what this means?"

She sighed heavily, setting the lace aside leveling a serious look on him. "Yes. I do, father. It means I'm his wife now. I'm not completely naïve, father. I care for Din, immensely and he cares for me too. I want this. I want him."

Din let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding and moved over to lay a hand on her shoulder. "I should have come to you first but this was Telana's choice."

"What about Berun? What happened to your dinner?"

Mando tilted his head in confusion before it suddenly made sense. "You gave Berun permission to propose to Telana, didn't you?"

Beler turned away, "Yes."

"Father! Why?"

"Din is a bounty hunter, Telana. He will be gone most of the time. You will be left alone during that time. I...I did not want that life for you."

She laughed prettily, "I'll have you, father and when the time comes, Din and I's children will fill the house with love and laughter. So I won't be alone."

The doctor sat down hard, his eyes filling with tears and he wiped a hand over his face. "Telana...I...cannot agree with this."

She knelt down in front of him, reaching up and cupping his face, "Father, its my choice and I am happy with it. I finally found what you and mother had. You told me many times that you would have fought through hellfire and ash to be with her again and again. I would make the same journey for Din. I love him."

"I just got you back, my dear and now you will be leaving me again."

Din shook his head, her confession rattled him to the core and his chest felt as if it would explode.

'She loves me.'

"I'm not going to take her away from you, Beler. She can stay here...with you. It would be safer for her here anyway. Only a few people know about this location and I know for a fact that Les and Lusli wouldn't give her up for anything."

"Do you love her?"

"What?"

Beler walked closer to him and leaned in close. "Do you love Telana?"

Did he?

They had only known each other for a short time and half that time he had been cruel and hateful to her. Thinking back on the first time he had seen her face and his heart stuttered. Her eyes had drawn him in, the wide glittering sapphires had been like a siren song calling to him. So innocent but so beautiful as they stared at him, freezing him to the spot. She had been so scared.

He remembered her hand lightly touching the wound on his side before touching her wounded shoulder.

'Hurt?'

And then she showed her strength and it had floored him, making his blood run hot as he watched her tear through those troopers. Being Mandalorian meant he could acknowledge and admire strength when he saw it. Oh and he admired that strength up until the moment he saw the mechanical parts that worked beneath her skin. Then his old hatred bubbled to the surface and he let it control him.

'Attraction and hate war within you...Attraction for the woman and hatred for the droid...'

But then that damn panic attack and her arms had felt soft and comforting around him, not the cold, unyielding steel of a droid but the warm embrace of a woman. And the feel of her lips against his hands as she tempered his rage...it had slowly chipped away at his hatred. She had irrevocably changed him.

'Why do you hate me?'

And he had let it all pour out, tearing her apart and she hadn't deserved any of it.

But then Heryns took her from him and when he saw the arm laying there...her arm...it was then that he realized why he lashed out at her.

He had been afraid. Wholly terrified of the strength of his attraction to her but now...

'She is much more than a droid.'

'She is mine.'

Telana Djarin.

'My wife.'

Din chuckled, reaching out for Telana and she gave him her hand and he pulled her forward, placing it on his chestplate over his heart.

His other hand tangled in her hair and he pressed his helmet against her forehead.

"I love you, Telana."