Chapter Text
The soft wail stirred the whole house.
Din’s eyes forced themselves open, blinking against the dim light, and for a moment he was utterly disoriented. It took another moment for the sound of a crying child to register, and then the arms that were wrapped tight around his waist. A soft and wakeful sound came by his ear as Cobb shifted. Then the arms tightened further and a scratchy beard pressed to the back of his shoulder.
“Mmmph.”
“Need ‘t… up,” Din muttered, his voice hoarse from sleep. He pried Cobb’s arm off from his waist and pushed up, then batted back the sleepy attempts at getting him back. “A second.”
“Ugh.”
It was early. Din rubbed at his eyes and glanced out the front entrance of their home, but the suns weren’t even presenting themselves yet, barely a sliver of light on the horizon. The stars twinkled above instead. With a sigh, he walked to the child’s room, and where the sound grew louder and louder.
“Kid…”
Grogu continued to wail, even at the sight of Din. Instead, his shuddering gasps became desperate whimpers and he stood with his hands grasping at the bars of his crib. “Pada!” he cried, a garbled and growl-like sound. “Aba--”
“I’m here.”
Din swept the child up into his arms, and Grogu pushed into his chest as though his life depended on it. He trembled and shook as he cried, big wet tears falling, and Din let out a soft sigh before tucking the boy’s head beneath his chin. Little hands grasped at his collar and around his neck as Grogu tried to get as close as he could. Din turned and started back towards the bedroom, and as he stepped through, the light was turned on.
“Nightmare?” Cobb muttered, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“They’re vivid for him.” Din sat on the edge of the bed, whimpering child cradled, until Cobb patted Din’s side of the bed. Din pushed himself back and with sleepy eyes, Cobb turned to face them, arm slipping around Din’s waist. He tugged him in closer.
“What’s got you scared?” Cobb asked, voice thick this early. He reached out to run his fingers over Grogu’s back.
Hallway. Men in white. One in black. Afraid. Afraid. Alone. So, so alone.
Din drew in a sharp breath, the feeling settling throughout his entire body. He squeezed his eyes shut and held Grogu tighter as his own guilt began to seep in. Cobb looked up at him with furrowed brows, “Din?”, and Din only shook his head.
“When Gideon had him,” he whispered.
Cobb sat up. “Did he show you that?” he whispered back. “Your… bond. Force bond.”
Din took another breath, startled by the image appearing in his mind’s eye at all. He still struggled to conceptualize exactly what existed between him and the child -- this… relationship, that Din couldn’t see or feel, until Grogu wanted him to. What the jedi had described as a forceful but loving attachment to Din, one-sided but powerful. And since Gideon’s cruiser, Grogu had decided to use this bond to its fullest.
Telepathy that only worked as long as Grogu wanted to listen, for starters.
“I think so.” At his words, Cobb slipped both arms around Din, and Din let himself lean into his lover. Grogu began to calm down. Still shaking and sniffling, but calmer. They sat together in a small group until the suns began to warm the air.
“C’mere,” Cobb murmured.
Grogu was hesitant to let go of Din. Even for Cobb. But the baby looked at Cobb, then made a soft noise and looked up at Din. Din smiled and nodded, and finally Grogu let go, reaching out for Cobb. Cobb took him with ease and the kid burrowed against his shoulder with claws digging into Cobb’s shirt.
“I’ve got you, too.” Cobb stroked his fingers over Grogu’s head. “I’m just as scary as your Daddy, huh?”
Grogu settled against Cobb with his face nuzzled into Cobb’s collar. Din managed a smile, but it faded. The vision left him more shaken than he wanted to admit. He didn’t want to be back there, either. He didn’t want to think of being on that cruiser, held in place by a Dark Trooper and—
“Hey.” Cobb tugged him in close. Din slumped into him. “I know. It hurts you, too.”
Din drew in a breath. “I couldn’t protect him. I couldn’t—“
“You’re the reason he’s safe now.” Cobb reached for his hand. “The reason you’re both here. With me. Exactly where you should be.”
Din drew in a breath. He looked up at Cobb, who cupped his cheek before pressing into a soft kiss. Din shut his eyes and leaned in, for a moment letting himself melt into the kiss, until Cobb parted. He pressed another to Din’s forehead. And when Grogu let out a whine, Cobb chuckled and pressed one to the top of his head, too. “Not forgettin’ you.”
“Thanks,” Din whispered.
Cobb stole another kiss, this one quicker, before he began to get up. “Nothin’ chases bad dreams away like some good breakfast, kid,” he said. “If you learn anything from me, it should be that.”
Din smiled as he watched them leave. The kid gave a happier squeak, beginning to babble, and they disappeared from the bedroom and into the kitchen. For a moment Din sat alone in bed and listened as Cobb started breakfast. Their same routine, seamlessly adjusting to Grogu’s nightmare, continued on.
He wouldn’t rather be anywhere else.
As delicious spiced scents began to waft in, Din got up to join the rest of his clan.