Anakin Skywalker AU Romance

Chapter Thirty-Six

Kyah's heart raced as she spun around, grabbing the hand off of her arm and twisting it up the unknown attacker's back until she had them in a deeply uncomfortable position, pressed up against the wall.

"Kyah! Kyah it's me." Anakin's voice filled her mind like a calming blanket and she immediately released him from the tight hold.

"What are you doing?" She asked with a note of anger as she smacked his shoulder in frustration, "If I'd twisted your other arm like that it would have come right out of the socket again." She crossed her arms over her chest as he turned around to face her, rubbing his shoulder with a wince.

"Well I wasn't expecting you to react quite like that." He defended quietly.

"You know that I don't like to be touched without warning." She snapped and could see the guilt on his face.

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he shrugged, "I'm sorry, I do know better." He nodded, "Honestly, I hadn't thought this far ahead. I just knew I had to see you, and I didn't want any prying eyes around when I did." He shrugged and Kyah felt the last of her anger fizzle out.

She leaned against the wall behind her and roughly rubbed her eyes as she groaned audibly, "Sorry." She mumbled, "I'm not myself at the moment." She said quietly and dropped her hands to her sides as she looked up at him through half lidded eyes.

Anakin nodded, understanding her reasons. His brow creased as he raised his gloved hand and ran his thumb across her cheek, "Were you crying?" He asked and Kyah felt a stab of anxiety as she remember her words to the council.

She nodded a little and felt her face crumple before she hid behind her hands.

"Oh Kyah." Anakin breathed as he struggled with the overwhelming urge to hold her, but forced himself to wait, because touch might not be what she needed in that moment.

She hiccuped as she struggled to get enough air and the tears came in a flood. All the emotion she had been forcing down, all the pain she had been forced to relive, it was coming back to her now.

She took her hands away from her face long enough to reach for him and that was all Anakin needed to see. He rushed forward, holding her head against his chest as he placed soft kisses against her hair.

"It'll be alright." He said gently and felt her shaking her head.

"You don't know that." She pushed back enough that she could see him, running the collar of his robes through her fingers, "I could be banished from the order tomorrow, have to throw away everything I've worked for, and never see you again." She felt fear swell in her heart as the worst case scenario played through her mind.

"Not a chance." Anakin said as he took her face between his hands, drying her tears as they fell, "If they banished you, I'd go too." He declared and Kyah's eyes widened.

"What?" She breathed and pulled his hands away from her as she took a step back, "I—I never asked you to do that Ani. I don't want you to do that." She stuttered in confusion and panic.

"Why not?" Anakin asked, a pang of hurt ringing in his mind. He thought she would have been happy with his decision.

"Because you're too important to the republic." She said, catching him completely by surprise, "This war won't simply stop because I'm no longer in it. I'm not blind to that. The Jedi need warriors like you if they have any chance of winning." She explained and he was touched by her faith in him, "Plus, what kind of life could I offer you?" She shrugged. "I have no family, few connections, no assets or money." She shrugged as anxiety squeezed her chest again and she wondered what she would do if it came to that.