Broken Soul | Din Djarin

chapter fifteen: part of the crew

"Lora, come on!"

You look up from cleaning your blaster to see Ari standing in the grasslands in the distance, waving his arms to get your attention. His dark cloak flaps in the wind while his hair flies around his face.

"Come on!"

"Calm down, I'm coming!" You laugh as you holster your blaster and run after him through the grass.

"You're so slow!" He's laughing as he watches you make your way through the grass. He turns and continues into the grass, his laughter fills the air as he leaves.

"Well, leaving me behind isn't the best way to get me to catch up!" After a few more paces, you turn and search for him in the tall grass, watching as the ocean of yellow waves in the wind.

"Ari? Ari, where'd you go?"

His head pops up from the grass in front of you, his giant smile covering his face. Mischief glistens in his eyes and you take a step back from him. You've seen this look in his eyes before.

"Ari... don't do it," you say, amused warning in your voice. His form slowly advances in the grass and he's started to giggle like a child.

"Ari, don't." You try to suppress your laughter at the sight of his head hovering above the grass and he takes it as an invitation to lunge for you through the grasses.

He slams into you and you shriek in laughter and surprise as your bodies roll down the hill.

"Ari!" You can't hide your laughter now as your rolling slows, and the two of you come to a halt with you laying on top of Ari. His arm is wrapped protectively around your waist, holding you to him.

"Ari!" he teases, mimicking your voice in an unrealistic high-pitched tone.

You gasp in a mocking fashion, slapping his shoulder. "I do not sound like that."

"I do not sound like that." His smile grows even more as he continues teasing you in the high-pitched voice.

"You better watch yourself, Jedi. Or I'm going to have to kick your ass again." You smirk down at him as you run your hand through his wavy hair, brushing it out of his face as you admire him.

"Mmm, you know how much I love getting beat up by you," he smiles teasingly as he pushes a stray curled strand of your hair out of your face, tucking it behind your ear. His hand cups your cheek, tracing the cheekbone with his thumb.

You hold his face in your hands, admiring his beautiful green eyes as they sparkle in the sunlight. A small smile spreads over your face as your eyes travel over the features of his face, trying to memorize every detail. The joy rises in your chest as you stare at him and you're not sure if you'll ever feel this kind of joy with anyone else.

Somehow, Ari has turned the horrible chaos of your life into a whirlwind of smiles and laughter.

He raises his head to peck you on the lips, making your smile widen. You kiss his face in return, riddling his skin with kisses that travel over his face. He hums with glee as you rain kisses over his face, ending your travels with a soft kiss on his lips.

Ari looks up at you, stroking your hair as his eyes fill with emotion. "Alora."

"Hm?"

"I'm in love with you."

You pause, eyes widening at his words. Ari can see a glimmer of fear in your eyes, but it quickly subsides when you smile lovingly down at him.