Building Attachment

Chapter 23

POV: Anakin Skywalker

I lifted myself from on top of Ahsoka and pulled her onto my lap. I wrapped my arms tightly around her shoulders and stroked her back as she cried it out.

It hurt me, deep within my soul to see her like this. It took a lot to bring Ahsoka to tears. She wasn't one to give in to anything without a fight. Especially her emotions.

What hurt the most was realizing that... I was the cause of her pain.

The possibility of Ahsoka returning my feelings for her simply never occurred to me. I always thought she deserved so much better than me and to be a great Jedi one day. However, her whole scene after I told her I was leaving made it quite difficult for me to deny her feelings.

I looked over my shoulder to my comlink, crushed and broken on the floor, and then back to my sobbing Ahsoka.

In all our time together, I had never seen Ahsoka act like that. She had been so desperate. So afraid. She was so unwilling to let me go, I didn't doubt that she would have done anything to keep me from leaving.

If I had known I would hurt her this badly by leaving her and resigning as her Master, I never would have done it. The thought of leaving my padawan forever was unbearably painful for me.

I closed my eyes and held her tightly as I imagined all the pain she must have been feeling.

After a few more minutes, I felt a soft purring sound and felt it vibrate through my skin, causing me to slightly jump.

I looked down and found Ahsoka, asleep peacefully in my arms.

She looked so exhausted but also relieved as if a huge weight had just been lifted off her shoulders.

She took in a deep recovering breath as I wiped away the tears that were drying on her soft orange skin with my flesh hand.

I knew I should get up and get things done, but I really didn't want to. All I wanted to do was hold her in my arms like this forever. I loved the feeling she gave me when I was with her, and I loved being so close to her. Her presence was so soothing and beautiful, even when she was asleep.

After what must have been at least an hour, I carefully lifted Ahsoka from the floor, placed her on my bed, and then pulled away.

I chuckled as she reached her hand out in search of my presence as I pulled away.

I leaned down over her and placed my hands on the bed to both of her sides as I slowly kissed her lips.

She smiled and then murmured something similar to my name. I giggled at her unconscious actions and then left her to rest.

POV: Ahsoka Tano

All I could do was cry and cry as Anakin picked me up and held me in his arms. All the built-up tension from hiding my feelings for so long, and the intense blow of raging emotions that kept jumping to different places was just too hard to keep in.

I slowly began to calm down as I continued to vent through my tears. I wasn't sad, I was relaxed and happy as if I just won a huge and important battle. I had won. Anakin was staying with me. I had barely processed the fact that he was leaving by the time I convinced him to stay. It all went too fast.

The hardest thing for me to wrap my head around was that he loved me. Anakin loved me. After everything I did to try to get over my feelings for him.

I snuggled into Anakin's chest, basking in the warmth of his love and protection, and smiled as I finally felt at peace.

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I opened my eyes feeling rested and refreshed. I looked around and realized I had fallen asleep.