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Beskar was heavy on his arms. His pauldrons — one with a mudhorn, the other plain, smooth and shining — seemed to weigh down on him with the weight of a starfighter, the same heaviness as his jetpack on his back and his chestplate, the same heaviness as the vambraces on his wrists, the same heaviness as the Razor Crest if he dared to lift it.
It was the weight of a friend. A partner.
A father.
Grogu toddled in front of him, The Force lifting rocks and making them dance in the air. Pride swelled in his chest, an unseen smile spreading across his face.
Love was the thought boring into his head, embedding itself and refusing to leave, filling and filling and filling his heart until it seemed like it ought to burst.
Love.
Many Mandalorians had never known their parents. Their biological ones, at least. They were adopted; their clan became their mother, their fellow Mandalorians their fathers, their armor a part of them, their weapons their children. They were bound together by the Code, not by blood, and a binding of choice was greater than a binding of birth.
Love.
Grogu's binding of birth was The Force. His binding of choice might have been to the Jedi. But it was not.
His binding of choice was love.
Love.
Like the love beating in his chest.
Love.
Grogu looked up at him, smiling.
Love.
"Hey, kid," he said, his voice rough. He rested his hand on top of Grogu's head. "Looking for frogs?"
Grogu cooed at him, his smile widening. Another rock lifted, larger, revealing a couple large bugs crawling around beneath it. Grogu reached out and grabbed one of the shelled bugs, crunching down on it. Din winced, imagining the flavor, but Grogu was happy, so he was happy too, he supposed.
Din Grogu, now. He smiled at the thought.
Love.
Like the love for his clan, his mother.
Love.
Like the love for his mentors, his fathers.
Love.
Like the love for his peers, his brothers and sisters.
Love.
Like the love for the small creature in front of him.
His son.
Grogu reached up towards Din, and he picked him up. Grogu was small and fragile in his arms.
Love beat harder, faster, in his chest.
Love meant closeness. Love meant protection.
Love meant family.
Love meant… love.