Private Slow West

[Belok Karr]

"You might not want my armor too," he said.

Tadgh stood by the counter. His armour was a series of beskar plates attached to the body suit he wore beneath. The chest plate came off in one piece. The sound of it on the counter made it obvious it was quite heavy.

The pauldrons came next. The plates down the arms were taken off more carefully. They had electronic systems running through them, a pad of connections was left on the outside of his clothes. A mandalorian took great care over each and every piece of equipment.

It was rather an interlude and Tadgh looked distinctly embarrassed when he took the offered space.

"Erm. Got enough pain meds?"

 

[Lyla Emerson]

She rolled onto her side so that she was facing Tadgh, careful not to tangle the line of the IV that was in her hand. Pillows were nestled all around them, cocooning them on the relatively soft gel mattress. Once Tadgh was settled next to her, she tugged one of the blankets up and hung it over the monitoring station behind the bed, creating a makeshift tent.

The monitor cast them both in a pale, blueish-green light and she grinned back at him.

"High as a kite already, Tadgh. I think I'll be alright." She chuckled, nestling herself back into the pillows.

It was almost strange to see the man out of his armor. He wasn't small by any stretch of the imagination, but without the heavy beskar he looked so much less... bulky. Normal, Lyla realized, he looked so normal.

"How is your chest holding up?" She asked, biting her bottom lip. "You took a pretty solid hit back there..."

 

[Belok Karr]

He looked around them at their new surroundings. Tadgh hadn't thought she would actually make them a tent. He smiled, in fact he grinned.

His life had not been easy. Their creed was not an easy path, but it was still better than what had come before. Tadgh never wanted for sympathy. There were a billion refugees from a thousand wars spread across the galaxy.

A little whimsy and joy was very welcome. A placed a hand on her good shoulder, and settle back.

"Beskar took it. I'll need to check over the armor to make sure it's integrity held. So few armourers now to...

"...sorry. That wasn't what you were asking. Tend to worry more about the armor than my health. I'm fine. Just took the wind out of me. "

 

[Lyla Emerson]

She smiled at him when he caught himself, reaching over with her good arm to lightly tap her finger against his nose.

"I'm glad you're alright." She said with a quiet chuckle, shaking her head.

Her head nestled against one of the pillows, making herself more comfortable. "You should know that you're just as important as the armor though."

 

[Belok Karr]

"Hmm. No weapon works on its own," he agreed. He grinned and looked down at her finger, eyes crossing, before it was taken away.

"Think you'll manage some sleep on the journey?" he asked. "We're as safe as can be in the deep black. Can't track us whilst we're in hyperspace."

He was tired to the point of exhaustion. The first shoot out had been a taxing affair, dragging the rodian with one hand whilst shooting with the other.

 

[Lyla Emerson]

She sank her teeth into her bottom lip at Tadgh's question and then gave a small nod. Hidden away beneath the makeshift tent with Tadgh mere inches away from her, she felt safe.

So far, the Mandalorian had gone out of his way to help her and she'd come to trust him. If he had any say in the matter, she knew he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Smiling softly, she snuggled a little closer to Tadgh's chest and closed her eyes. "Sleep sounds... So good." She murmured quietly.

 

[Belok Karr]

He sighed softly as he heard her breathing change. It sounded very loud in the small room. The small space she had made within the room.

Tadgh looked down at Lyla. Her clothes were torn and bloodied. They would have to get her cleaned up in the morning. He felt more than a little responsible, even though he knew that was irrational. He hadn't volunteered her crew for the mission. Tadgh felt a lot of other things too. He drew his eyes away to see if they would stop. They didn't.

He tolerated Glen. In fact he had let himself become a little fond of the boy. It was easier to leave a barrier between himself and everyone else. To walk from job to job and leave each place completely behind.

Tadgh didn't sleep. One eye on her vitals on the monitor, he kept her close as she found some rest.

 

[Lyla Emerson]

As she drifted to sleep, Lyla naturally drifted closer to Tadgh's form since her body had started to relax. In such a small space, she ended up nestled against the Mandalorian with her forehead tucked into his chest.

She slept soundly that night, the medication and comfort of having Tadgh watch over her was more than enough to allow her to fully relax.

Her vitals held steady throughout the night, a testiment to Tadgh's care.

When she woke some time later, she made a soft sound in the back of her throat. Warmth enveloped her form, far more so than if she'd just been wrapped in a blanket. Her eyes fluttered open and she quickly realized that the warmth was due to the fact that she was pressed against Tadgh's form.

A blush colored her cheeks, but she wasn't sure why.

"Mmmn... Tadgh? How... How long was I out?" She murmured sheepishly.

 

[Belok Karr]

He had briefly considered trying to maneuver Lyla to put some space between them. She had been quite asleep when she had moved over onto his chest. Tadgh had been slightly worried she would wake up feeling deeply uncomfortable about being so close.

Lyla blushed, but she stayed where she was. He took that as letting him off for the hook for deciding not to roll her away. It had been pleasant; he hasn't let anyone get particularly close for a long time.

"A few hours is all," he said quietly. "You can...rest a little longer if you'd like?"

 

[Lyla Emerson]

A sleepy smile spread over Lyla's lips when Tadgh told her she could rest a little while longer. She must be dreaming, she realized. It was hard to imagine the mandalorian suggesting that they rest together for a little longer. Then again, it was hard to imagine his reaction for most scenarios. The helmet he wore masked his every expression, kept his face from telling what he was thinking.

When she tilted her head back to look Tadgh in the eye, it wasn't the familiar helmet that peered back down at her, but his face -- his extremely handsome face. She felt her cheeks heat up as the blush spread further across her face, turning a deeper shade of pink.

Still... the offer was too good to pass up. It wasn't like the real Tadgh was going to snuggle up next to her and let her fall asleep against him, after all.

The redhead gave a soft laugh and then leaned forward to press a feather-light kiss to Tadgh's cheek before she tucked her head beneath his chin, nestling herself closer to him. "Mmm... I'd like that." She mumbled sleepily, a faint smile curling at the corners of her mouth.

 

[Belok Karr]

"If you feel up to moving you could come back to my room?" Tadgh offered. He said it before he'd really thought it through. He was tired, having diligently watched over Lyla since she had fallen asleep.

Mask on or off, he never shirked anything he saw as his duty. The kiss had sent his insides doing a little flip and he wasn't going to admit that mispeaking was more down to that than his exhaustion.

"I mean back to the cabin you're using, if you'd think it was more comfortable," he said quietly, if a little hurriedly.

 

[Lyla Emerson]

Without lifting her head, Lyla murmured a quiet response, quite content with where she was at in that moment. "It'd be nice to stay with you. You're warm."

It was strange to say exactly what she wanted. So often Lyla put her own desires on hold and simply did what was needed to get by. Laying on the hospital bed with Tadgh though, she didn't feel as though such sacrifices were necessary. She wanted to spend more time with him, cocooned in his warmth and the security that it offered. Was that so wrong of her?

"Besides... I'm sure you could use some sleep yourself." She added with a shy smile.

 

[Belok Karr]

For Tadgh it was often a case of putting discipline and the ways of his people ahead of what he wanted. There were sacrifices to be made to stay on the path.

Tired as he was, with Lyla's soft voice, he wasn't going to say no to that. Technically he had offered first, but now he has given some serious through to what he had said.

Tadgh slowly unfurled himself and pulled a blanket down. He checked her bandage quickly and removed the line from her arm. The fluids were all in her system now.

"Come on," he said quietly, offering his arm. She would find his room, when they made it there, was covered floor to ceiling with weapons.

 

[Lyla Emerson]

Lyla glanced around the Mandalorian's room and couldn't help but laugh. It was exactly what she'd been sarcastically imagining in her mind when she pictures what a Mandalorian's room should look like.

She could walk well enough, but still needed to lean a little into Tadgh's arm to keep her balance.

"Well, there's certainly no mistaking who this room belongs to." She quipped, glancing up at him.

 

[Belok Karr]

"Sorry, it isn't exactly homely," Tadgh apologised. It had a rather cold feeling. The bare metal on the walls was rather stark. Weapons were displayed functionally, not as decorations.

There was a workshop table tucked against a corner, tools neatly laid out for working on his armor. The surface was well marked from bits of light welding.

He eased her down to rest. At least that part of the room warranted a little comfort. Tadgh was very gentle, despite how cold he could seem to. There was always a wall thrown up by the helmet. She had seen him, faceless, battle through squads of soldiers without slowing down.

"Face the wall a moment," he asked, finding something more comfortable than his armour's undersuit and mesh from a drawer.

 

[Lyla Emerson]

Lyla nodded to him and quietly rolled onto her side to face the bulkhead, tucking her hands beneath her cheek. Her eyes drifted closed as she listened to the sound of Tadgh changing behind her, nearly falling asleep all over again.

"You don't need to apologize, Tadgh. This is your space, no need to be embarrassed about it." She murmured sleepily, hugging an extra pillow to her chest.

The bed was far.more comfortable than the cot in the medical bay. She felt as though she was floating after so many years spent curled up on a mat in an engine bay. A proper bed was a blessing.

Nevertheless, her heart was starting to race. Any moment now, she knew that the Mandalorian was probably going to climb into the bed behind her.