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The first rains of autumn brought thunderstorms and a man Omera wasn't sure she'd ever see again.
Mando had returned to Sorgan.
Omera's smile couldn't be contained when she spotted him approaching from the woods.
"Who is it, Momma?" Winta asked from her side. The little girl gasped when she saw lightning flash in the Mandalorian's armor. "Oh! Mando!"
Thunder rumbled and Mando picked up his pace. Omera watched him wave to Stoke at the lookout and saw that he had his cape draped over his shoulder to cover the child in his left arm.
Thunder must be rough when you had such big ears.
"Winta, get some towels," Omera said as she grabbed her waterproof hooded cloak.
Her daughter quickly ran to the linen chest and Omera flicked her hood up before running outside into the pouring rain.
"Omera!" Mando shouted over a crack of thunder.
She was smiling so hard that her cheeks hurt. "Mando! It's so good to see you! Quick, come inside. You're practically a walking lightning rod right now."
"It's Din Djarin, actually," he said. Omera could hear the smile in his voice.
"Din," she repeated and gently tugged on his hand. "Come inside."
Omera ushered him into her home and thanked Winta when she saw her waiting by the doorway with an armful of towels. She was quick to shuck her cloak and hang it back up.
"Thank you, Winta," Din said as he wiped off his visor. He knelt down and allowed his boy to step on the floor himself. The little green child immediately ran to Winta with a squeal.
"Buddy!" Winta knelt down and gently hugged the child.
Omera heard Din laugh softly as he removed his cape. She took it from him to drape it on her drying rack by the fireplace and subtly looked him over for any changes.
There was an animal skull on his right pauldron now. He was a bit less stiff as well.
"You're a little taller!" Winta said as she ushered the child closer to the fire to warm his ears.
"His name is Grogu," Din said as he finished wiping himself off. "He's been trying to say a few words lately."
"Patu."
"One day I'll figure out what that means, buddy."
Omera couldn't stop smiling when she took the towel from him and wiped off everything he missed. "How did you learn his name?"
"I met a Jedi. She could sort of speak to him with her mind."
Omera's eyebrows raised. Din chuckled.
"I've been through a lot since you've last seen me," he said.
"Come sit. Tell me about it," she implored as she led him to her kitchen table. "Can I get you a straw? I just made some tea."
"No straw," Din shocked her when he sat down and hesitantly reached up to pull off his helmet.
He set it on the table and focused on taking off his gloves. Across the room, Winta was staring at him with wide eyes. Grogu squealed and babbled next to her.
Din blinked several times and cleared his throat before he met Omera's eyes. "I'm…an apostate. Grogu had been kidnapped and I removed my helmet to save him. I did it again when I sent him to train with another Jedi."
Winta gasped. "Kidnapped?"
Din nodded soberly. "Imperials were after him."
Omera swallowed at the sorrow in Din's gaze. "Imperials? But…"
"There are still remnants everywhere," he said.
"Stars, it's never-ending," Omera lamented.
"He's safe now, right?" Winta asked as she played with Grogu's hands.
Din took a deep breath and nodded. "He's safe. He returned from the Jedi very recently and saved my life again," he shivered as he recalled the Skorpenek droid stomping on his leg and how it had toppled off-balance when Grogu removed part of its joint.
Omera poured him a cup of tea and watched as he closed his eyes and sipped it.
When he looked at her again, Din briefly raised his eyebrows. "What?"
She shook her head and busied herself with adding honey to her own tea. What was on her mind wasn't exactly appropriate for Winta to hear. Omera cleared her throat and changed the subject.
"What does it mean—being an apostate?"
Din scratched the back of his neck and relaxed a bit in his seat. Thunder rumbled in the distance and he made a rueful face. "I'm not sure. I was told I'm no longer a Mandalorian, but I've met others who do remove their helmets. I can atone for it, but I must journey to Mandalore to do that. And I've been told the atmosphere is toxic."
Omera watched him drink his tea. "What will you do?"
"I need some time to think it over. I came here because it's the safest place I can think of."
"You're always welcome here, Din."
He met Omera's eyes with a grateful look.
Thunder boomed.
"It's really coming down, huh?" Din said as he watched the sky light up again.
"Will you be staying for long?" Omera asked him.
Din nodded. "Things have been nonstop lately and I want Grogu to have a chance to be a kid for a while."
"This storm should last through the night—you can bunk in front of the fire tonight and we'll set up the barn for you tomorrow morning."
"That's very kind of you. Thank you," Din said.
"It's no trouble."
Din set down his empty cup and ambled back to the door to watch the rain.
Omera couldn't take her eyes off his profile as he breathed in the petrichor scent of wet earth.
"It's been a while since I've seen rain like this," he said as he watched it drip from awning over the porch. Omera stood beside him and watched his lips relax as lightning flashed and illuminated the trees for a split second.
"You've been to so many planets, though," she said.
"Not that many temperate planets," Din crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. "It smells so good here."
"Bless the rains," Omera said.
He looked at her with a sideways smile as they finally heard the crack of thunder. "You like thunderstorms?"
"Momma thinks they're cozy," Winta piped up from her cushion in front of the fireplace. Din looked to Omera.
She shrugged. "Especially this time of the year when it's starting to cool down. It's nice to sit in front of the fire with a cup of tea to watch the rain," she nodded to Winta's perfect view out the doorway from her spot in front of the fireplace.
Din smiled and Omera swore her heart skipped a beat.
Oh.
He had laugh lines around his eyes. A dimple creased his cheek. He looked bright.
"The sound of rain just makes it even cozier," he said.
"The sound is the most important part," Winta agreed on the tail end of a yawn.
"Alright, Winta. Time for bed," Omera said. Her daughter sighed and nodded.
"Will you be here tomorrow?" Winta asked Din.
He smiled at her and nodded once. "Grogu and I will be here."
Winta patted Grogu's head and stood from her cushion with another yawn. She mumbled a good night to both adults and retreated to her room on heavy feet.
Din let out a soft laugh when Grogu yawned as well. "Looks like it's bedtime for him, too."
Omera bit her lips and crossed the room to grab some blankets from her linen chest. "Sorry I don't have a cot in here," she said as she handed him a stack.
Din took the blankets from her and shook his head. "This is fine. I'll keep the fire going."
Omera nodded and closed the shutters before collecting their cups to wash. The muted sound of the rain and the warmth in Din's belly had him feeling rather sleepy as he situated himself on the cushions in front of the fire. Grogu was already dozing.
Omera joined him in front of the fireplace. "I hope you don't mind if we sit and talk for a little while longer. I've missed you."
She smiled when he ducked his head bashfully to look at his fingers laced together in his lap. "I've missed you too. I've thought of you often."
Every time he wished he and Grogu could have a quiet life.
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
Omera watched as Din's shoulders relaxed. He quirked his lips to one side, his dimple deepening, and reached out to smooth a flyaway strand of hair behind her ear.
"I want to spend more time with you," he admitted.
Omera felt her cheeks warm and smiled almost shyly. Din's grin widened.
"You're very handsome, Din," she breathed.
He abruptly had to clear his throat and bashfully scratched the back of his head. Omera watched him bite both of his lips until they disappeared beneath his mustache. His dimple really stood out. It was such an adorable expression that she huffed out a soft laugh.
The storm began to wane as they quietly spoke of what Din had been up to since he'd last been on Sorgan. As he spoke of removing his helmet in a room full of Imperials—Omera was heartbroken at the crack in his voice when he described the crushing panic at being seen—she reached out and grasped his shaking hands.
Din took a deep breath and continued to tell her of Grogu's rescue. By the time he explained how he was labeled an apostate for removing his helmet, his eyelids were drooping.
"She said I'm no longer a Mandalorian," he whispered as he gently rubbed Grogu's ear when it began to twitch as the child dreamed.
"But you said you met Mandalorians who remove their helmets."
"That's the only reason why I haven't had a complete breakdown about removing my helmet. All of them were actually from Mandalore. I was a foundling."
"Have your ideals changed since you removed your helmet?" Omera asked.
Din shook his head. "No. I still follow the creed otherwise. I'm conflicted. It doesn't help that I also possess the Darksaber. Which makes me Mand'alor."
"What does that mean?"
"The sole ruler of all Mando'ade—my people."
Omera gaped at him. Din just shrugged.
She snorted softly when he yawned.
"How about we talk some more tomorrow while I set up the barn for you. You can tell me how you reunited with your boy," she suggested.
Din nodded and resettled on the cushions as Omera stood. She smiled at the picture he made lying on her largest cushions beside his little green son.
"Sweet dreams, Din," she said as she headed for her room.
"Sweet dreams, cyare," he said softly.
She'd ask him what that meant tomorrow.
After the fading storm lulled Omera to sleep, she dreamed of Din Djarin's brilliant smile and his lovely brown eyes.