One Endless Night - A Mandalorian Fanfic

Chapter 11

Hello all!! It's Christmas at my house so a present for you all! Happy holidays everyone! However you spend them I think we can all agree it has been an insane year. With Covid as bad as it is I am not seeing anyone in my family so I spent the day writing.

Happy Reading!

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Yara tried not to notice how Mando's hand rested against her low back as he guided her out of the hut towards the fire. The villagers had built a massive bon fire using sections of the fence they no longer needed. In the morning there would be a lot of clean up to do, but for now they were making food, passing around Spotchka and celebrating their victory.

Cara was surrounded by people who were laughing and talking with her. A small cheer went up as Mando and Yara reappeared out of the darkness. Yara smiled at their excitement and pure joy. They had done a good thing here.

As the villagers closed in around them she felt Mando take another step closer to her so he was right at her back. He ignored the praise and appreciation of the villagers, his whole focus on getting her to the fire and warmed up.

Mando directed her to a seat near the fire and the kid appeared beside her chattering excitedly. Yara dropped down onto the ground beside him and smiled into his face. "Hey kiddo, we're all okay," she promised him. "Are you okay?" She asked, looking over him. He cooed up at her, his eyes shining with happiness.

She turned to scoot over to make room for Mando to sit with her and the child but he had already disappeared. She frowned up at the crowd of villagers, craning her neck to spot his shining armor. He was soaked too. He needed to warm up just as much as she did. He came back a moment later, holding two plates of food. He handed one to her without a word and set the other down in front of the child who cooed excitedly.

"Thank you," Yara said, eagerly digging into the food.

Mando nodded once, suddenly feeling awkward. Should he sit with them? Should he leave? He shifted his weight. She was warm, had food and would dry in front of the fire. The kid was okay and happily eating as well. He really didn't know what else to do. He turned and stepped back into the shadows.

It was warmer by the fire and despite his assurances to Yara he was cold, but he didn't know how to just sit next to her and talk. He wasn't sure he should. He remembered all too clearly the way she had felt in his arms. Back in the hut when he had wrapped her up in the blanket it had taken every ounce of his self control to not gather her into his arms and hold her.

He couldn't do this.

She and the child were taken care of so he stepped back into the shadows and disappeared from sight.

Yara took a bite of food and moaned. It had been a while since she had eaten. She remember then that Mando also hadn't eaten in just as long and turned to tell him she would stay away from the hut if he wanted privacy. But when she turned around Mando was gone.

She frowned. Had she said something? She didn't think so. It was hard to judge with Mando. He didn't seem comfortable in large groups and things had felt intense for a moment back in the hut. She took another bite and let her eyes run over the edges of the crowd of excited villagers. Despite the fact that the Raiders had retreated she didn't think Mando would leave her and the child alone. Just in case they came back.

It took some time, but eventually she spotted where the firelight reflected off something that should have been a shadow. The beskar may have protected them from the blast, but its shiny surface reflected light and made it hard to hide.