Saga The Quiet Interlude (Conversations Series. Anakin/Ahsoka friendship.)

Title: The Quiet Interlude
Author: karebear
Timeframe: between the Clone Wars movie and Revenge of the Sith
Characters: Ahsoka, Anakin
Notes: Third in the ?Conversations? series (After The Things We Don't Talk About and All The Things She Said)


?For a moment your eyes open and you know all the things I ever wanted you to know.?
- Keane


She hugged her knees close to her chest and stared into the distance, her eyes focused on an impossible tall assembly of scrap metal towering at the horizon. He, by contrast, sat on the edge of the precipice, swinging his legs out into the empty air, unable to sit still even now.

He isn?t sure how long she?s been here, but she hadn?t been surprised when he?d joined her, near an hour ago. It?s his place, their place now.

He?s been drawn to these scrapyards since his first week on Coruscant, a haven of forgotten things.

?You have to tell,? she finally says, her voice small and pleading. It?s the first time she hasn?t tried to order him around. She still won?t look at him.

For a moment, the suggestion ignites the familiar terror, and he almost lashes out. But this is Ahsoka, he reminds himself, and the strange constriction of his throat slowly dissolves. He can trust her. His heart rate slows, but his reaction hasn?t gone unnoticed.

Ahsoka hasn?t moved, but somehow it seems she has retreated even further into herself, pulling away from him.

?Does anyone know?? she finally asks, so quiet he has to strain to hear the words.

He shakes his head, finding a point in the indiscernible clutter far below to stare at. ?No one.? No one. Not even Obi-Wan. He?s spent so much of himself keeping the secret, for weeks, and months, and years. The effort physically hurts, sometimes. He forces himself to look at her, though she still won?t meet his eyes. ?Just you,? he corrects himself.

A small smile plays on her face, and he realizes how long it?s been since he?s seen one, how much he?s missed it.

?Don?t worry,? she says quietly, her voice light and teasing, but serious all the same. He can feel the weight behind the words, reaching out to him in the Force. ?I won?t say anything.?

He puts his hand over hers. Her fingers feel warm and fragile, pulsing with the blood that pumps beneath the skin. She doesn?t pull away. For a long while, he doesn?t say anything. Then, when their fingers have twined together and rest safe against the cool of the metal beneath them, he says it out loud.

?Thank you.?

She nods, and lets her muscles unlock, her legs swing out next to his. She synchronizes to his motion, and he can?t tell if she?s doing it on purpose or not. Their movement creates tiny breezes, stirring the still wind into their own private storm. It flutters against their pants legs.

?What?s it like?? He meets her eyes for the first time, and they stare back at him with that same familiar open curiosity.

?What?? He doesn?t have to ask.

?Loving somebody,? she clarifies needlessly. ?What?s it like??

?It?s...? he stops, and shakes his head slightly. How could he explain it? Not because it hurts, not because he?s scared, but because loving somebody is what makes him not hurt and not scared, and how can he put that into words? ?It?s unbelievable,? he finally says.

She nods again and doesn?t press further, but she seems satisfied, and he thinks maybe she understands a little better. It was the right word. Unbelievable, like the Force. Unbelievable, unexplainable, but still true, the truest thing in their world.

He pushes himself to his feet, trusting the Force not to let him fall as the scraps of abandoned junk sways beneath him. ?Come on,? he holds his hand out to help Ahsoka stand. ?Let?s get back to the Temple.?

She takes his hand and walks with him.

 

very cool

 

Awww..that was sweet

It's nice to see Anakin trust someone else with his secret...whether he intended for Ahsoka to find out or not.

I'm enjoying the bond that is forming between them.

Great job on this

 

Wow that was really so sweet. I love how he realizes he can trust her with such things and how through her innocence she understands what even he can't fully comprehend. Another beautiful piece of work I really hope there will be more in the future.

 

Awwww! This was a sweet moment! I haven't even seen CW yet, but I already love Snips to death! This was perfect!

 

I'd honestly never thought about Anakin telling Ahsoka about his marriage or that he would even need to. I guess it never crossed my mind because I'm so used to that being the ultimate secret for the utmost important reasons, but I love what you've done with the concept here. I also very much like the way their physicality mirrors the emotional nuances they go through throughout the conversation. I can't even imagine how that news must have hit her, but their relationship is enough at this point that she's tied him intrinsically. It's a poignant, quiet moment that's wonderful to see.