baby steps

Chapter One

(A/N This story is also cross posted ao3 under the same name)

I—Giggle

The Mandalorian had no idea what to do with the kid, who currently sat playing with the little metal ball. He was sitting in front of the panel of switches spinning the ball in his tiny green hands. He looked up at The Mandalorian and popped the ball into his mouth.

"No," he reached for the kid and pulled the ball from his throat before the little one could swallow it. "No," he pocketed the ball. He pointed at the kid just as his ears flattened and curved. "We don't eat things like that. Understood?"

The Child cooed and waddled closer to the edge of his little platform. He was looking at The Mandalorian unblinkingly. "What?"

All he got in an answer was a soft cry and little hands on his arm. The Mandalorian adjusted the controls. The Child toyed with his sleeve and made another little sound. He had no experience with kids, he didn't know how much the strange 50-year-old baby understood or what he wanted.

The Child prodded at one of his fingers wrapped around the controls. The little one cooed again and The Mandalorian let him take one of his fingers in his tiny grasp and just hold it.

He gently tapped the kid's chest and got a giggle in return. He did it again. The Child's face scrunched up as more laughter came from his mouth. He started to rub the fragile chest of the little womp rat. He was so little. So easily breakable.

The Mandalorian much preferred that look of joy and contentment to the one of fear he'd seen before.

II—Feeding

The Razor Crest was a pretty small ship all things considered, with the bare bones of comfort. The Child examines his ration bar on the cold floor and looks around. The Mandalorian wished he had more comfortable things than a chewy, stale ration bar.

He doesn't know why he keeps talking to the kid, he doesn't understand much—or just chooses to ignore The Mandalorian. "I'm sorry. I wish I had more but you have to eat."

The kid ate that frog but other than that he has no idea what he should feed him. Ration bars will have to do. He crouched down and took a bite of his bar hoping the kid would get the idea. He didn't.

He even dropped the bar and looked up at The Mandalorian. He stepped up on the bar, not even heavy enough to do more than crack it down the middle. The Mandalorian gave up and picked the brat up and held him in the crook of his arm. He got a new bar and cracked off the corner.

He held it to the baby's lips and prayed that for once The Child would make something easy. "Come on," he urged, gently bouncing a little, fueled by some deep instinct."Eat."

The Child nestled against his arm sighed, clearly content. The Mandalorian was stubborn, perhaps too much for his own good. He nudged the kid awake and persisted with the bit of ration bar. The Child stared up at him and eventually relented and at a piece before pressing his lips together and closing his eyes.

No matter how much The Mandalorian tried he couldn't get him to eat anymore but one piece was good enough, right?

III—Tantrum.

The Mandalorian wanted to be a little bit further from the Hell-hole they just escaped so he kept driving his ship forward as the hours passed. The Child sat on his lap trying to touch everything. The kid has been awake for hours on end. He knows enough about kids to know they get tired.