𝗙𝗔𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦 | anakin skywalker

✰ 9: anything that you ask

A familiar three knocks sounded at Akya's door. She put the trinket she was playing with down onto her dresser as a smile made its way onto her face. She then walked to the door, greeted with a face she hadn't seen since Geonosis, as he was taken straight to the medical bay and was allowed no visitors. Even after that, he was kept busy for a while— now, it had been fourteen rotations, two weeks, since she'd last seen him on Geonosis. Akya assumed they were fitting him for a prosthetic, which took a long time to develop.

"Anakin," she said, her smile turning into a toothy grin.

"Take a look, Akya," he said, holding up his right arm. The sleeve of his robe fell down to his elbow and the entirety of the Padawan's new mechanical arm was revealed. It was made of slim, light pieces of metal along with exposed wire and what Akya knew were neural transmitters from his fingers all the way to where the arm connected to his elbow. Anakin flexed his fingers slowly, looking from the hand and then to her. "They let me assist in the design."

"Can you feel?"

"Well enough," he said, holding out his hand for her to take.  She did so, running her finger over his dark metal palm. "They said it would become more sensitive as time went on.  Something about... neuron connection."

"That makes sense."  She pulled him into the room by his hand and he smiled, walking toward her..  "Come, sit," she said.  Akya then took a couple more steps toward her bed and they sat down. Their silence was a bantha in the room, ignoring their actions from the weeks before, as well at their apparent feelings for each other. Akya wasn't really sure how to start the conversation, even though she knew she had to.

"It's wonderful to see you again," she said, slight awkwardness in her voice. She traced circles on his palm, not looking up at him.

"Akya, not a day has gone by when I haven't thought of you," he said, his voice low as if telling a secret. Akya looked up at him, unsure what to say. "And now that I'm with you again, I'm in agony." He put his other hand on top of hers. He still had the same warmth. "The closer I get to you, the worse it gets."

Akya tried to hide the longing that painted her face. But it was no use.

"The thought of not being with you.... I can't breathe. I'm haunted by the kiss that you should never have given me. My heart is beating, hoping that that kiss will not become a scar." Akya looked down at their hands. "You are in my very soul, tormenting me. What can I do? I will do anything that you ask."

Akya took a deep breath. She used the hand not holding onto Anakin's to wipe an oncoming tear from her eye, keeping it from rolling down her cheek. She couldn't have this. She couldn't. And now, of all times, Anakin comes to her room and confesses these great feelings, when she is at her most vulnerable. She's missed his company dearly. Perhaps she's thought about him in just the same way, and she was too afraid to say anything. It was wrong for her to feel this way. Wasn't it?

"If you're suffering as much as I am, please, tell me," said Anakin, both fear and longing riddled in his glassy eyes.

"You said you'd do anything," she said, finally looking up. "Did you mean it?"

"Anything," he nodded, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Akya looked down at their hands once again, then back up at his stormy blue eyes. "Then kiss me, Anakin. Kiss me, and don't stop."

Anakin took his hand off of Akya's. He then put his left hand onto her cheek and held it, their faces magnetically drawn to one another. Then their lips interlocked for the first time in ages, and it was bliss. He did as she asked, and didn't stop for a very long time.