"Soooo... when are we leaving?" You asked as you strolled behind Mando, your hands folded behind your back.

"You're not coming." Mando replied plainly.

"What? I thought we were doing this together!" You retorted out of shock.

He let out an exasperated sigh and slowly turned to face you. "There is no 'we'. I saved you from enslavement, now it's time for us to go our separate ways."

"So you're just dumping me here and taking off? Is that what you do to everyone who isn't your bounty? What kind of guy are you?" You huffed, crossing your arms over your chest.

His silence was intimidating. It made you feel like you had overstepped your boundaries.

"Listen. I work alone. I don't bring people along just for the fun of it." He finally spoke.

"Sometimes working alone isn't the best option." You were quick to argue. "You saved me, so I owe you. I can help you catch those bounty hunters!"

He seemed to recognize that you weren't willing to back down. He sighed and shook his head. "Fine, but only this once. After this is over, we go our separate ways. You got that?"

You managed to contain your excitement and nodded. "Crystal clear." You replied, a smile tugging on the corners of your lips. 

Mando turned and continued towards his ship, with you following a distance behind.

***

The villagers had offered a place for you and Mando to stay, but he insisted on spending the night in his ship. You couldn't complain, his ship was much nicer than most of those huts. Plus, it provided shelter from the frigid temperatures.

You were laid out on the floor, absentmindedly watching him interact with the child. They seemed to have a bond with one another.

"Why do you want to come?"

His voice startled you and you quickly blinked to bring yourself back into reality. Hopefully he hadn't noticed you staring... "What?"

"Why do you want to come with me? I thought you would've wanted to get away from this life and settle down, now that you're free. Live the life you never had."

You chewed on your lip for a moment. It wasn't that his question had made you uncomfortable, it was just a question you really didn't have an answer for. "I'll be honest." You said as you sat up and crossed your legs. "I've never lived on my own before. The thought of it terrifies me. I guess the best way to explain it is... I just want to be useful. To be needed. To be wanted. I want to be surrounded by people who actually enjoy me being there without them asking for something in return. You know what I mean?"

He was quiet at first. You could feel his gaze on you and wondered what he was feeling right now. So many emotions could be hidden under that helmet. You wanted to see them for yourself.

"I do." He replied. His voice had become softer, relaxed from its usual sternness. The change was subtle, but still noticeable.

The child noticed his mood shift and cooed softly.

Mando sighed. He lifted the child, gently holding it against his chest as he stood up. "Alright kid, it's time to go to sleep." He placed the child in makeshift crib that was padded with a few blankets, making sure it would be warm and comfortable.

You found yourself smiling at his attentive nature. Very fatherly-like. "Seems like you really care about that little one."

"He's grown on me." Mando replied. He checked on the child one more time before quietly stepping away. "I'm going to turn in for the night. Wake me if something happens."

"Alright." You said, not being able to contain the smile that was now tugging at your lips. "Sleep well."

He simply nodded. Just before he left, however, he glanced over his shoulder at you. "You never told me your name."

You briefly blushed out of embarrassment and chuckled. That was true, you hadn't told him your name yet. "It's Y/N. I guess you didn't hear my master shout it when he stormed into the bar, heh.."

"Oh, right." Mando said. He was definitely embarrassed under that helmet of his. The thought of what his face must look like right now made you giggle. "Goodnight, Y/N." He turned to leave again.

"Can you tell me your name since I told you mine?" You asked.

He disappeared into a small room without answering, leaving you in silence once the door had shut. You sighed and gathered some blankets so you could make a makeshift bed. Maybe you would get an answer out of him some other time.

———

Sorry for the shorter chapters. I haven't had much motivation to write longer ones, but they should get longer as the story progresses.