2.3k words

✦

Love

✦

(Y/n)'s POV
I finished my food, satisfied with the quality and the quantity, "That was exactly what I needed." I said with a heavy exhale. I was so bloated by the end of it from the oils and grease that I was convinced people would think I was pregnant just by looking at me.

Anakin still hadn't eaten anything, even when I offered some of my food to him, he declined. He seemed satisfied with his two drinks, one of them being water. Thankfully he didn't have a second alcoholic drink like I thought he would, I was concerned he'd get drunk or buzzed and leave me to drive back to the temple.

That wouldn't have been a very good first date. But it seems he knew that already and decided to be responsible tonight.

Speaking of him, he's been extra quiet after our conversation about the council and their secrets. Even when I looked at him now, his expression was blank and his eyes were locked on the middle of the table. Mentally, he was anywhere but here, "Anakin?" I waved my hand in front of his face to gain his attention. When he finally looked at me, I smiled, "Where did you go?"

He exhaled slowly, sounding like he had been holding in his breath, "Did you like the food?"

"Yes, it was amazing thank you, but what's wrong?" It was obvious something else was on his mind.

He shifted in his seat nervously, "I feel like I made a really big mistake." He said low. I had to scoot closer to make sure I heard him.

My heart sunk into my stomach, assuming the worst, "What do you mean? You don't think we should have done this?" I asked, sadness clear in my voice.

His eyes widened and he placed his hand on my knee underneath table, reassuring me with his touch that I was wrong, "What? No, it has nothing to do with you, I promise. You, us—it could never be a mistake." He tightened his hold on me.

"Then tell me what's wrong. No secrets, remember?" I placed my hand over his. Whatever it is he did, we can find a way to get through it, together.

He looked away from me, but not before I noticed the shame in his eyes. He sighed before he began, "When you went missing—the first time," He clarified, "Ahsoka and I enlisted the help of Mother Talzin. It was her who told us where to find you, but she would only help us if I made her a promise," As he spoke, his thumb trailed designs on the back of my hand. I knew it was his way of calming his nerves, "I find her son who is on the brink of death and I return him to her. Her son is Darth Maul, the one that killed Qui-Gon."

I don't know what I was expecting to hear, but it wasn't this, "You're not going to do that, are you?" I'm grateful I was found, but if the stories I've heard about Darth Maul weren't pleasant. He's a Sith, a dangerous fiend who finds joy in other peoples misery. Him being out in the galaxy wouldn't bring anything good.

Anakin leaned back in the booth, his eyes trialing to the ceiling for a brief second as he placed his next words together, "I already did it while you were in the infirmary."

My lips parted, though my words remained stuck in the back of my throat. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know how to react, I didn't know what this meant.

"He was nearly dead and barely a man, and he was out of control. Screaming and yelling in pain, cursing Obi-Wan and all the Jedi. I almost killed him myself then and there, it would've been so easy to, but Mother Talzin had made threats on what she would do and the misery she would cause everyone I care about if I didn't bring him to her." Anakin spoke with his own misery in his voice, he held a deep regret. I could sense it from him, "So I knocked him unconscious and took him to her. She made a promise he wouldn't be a nuisance to us, but I can't help but think that that's not a promise he is going to be willing to keep even if she had every intention to."

"You did what you had to do." I reassured him. Of course I was nervous, who knows what Darth Maul, a Sith Lord would do now that he's been saved. But from what I heard, Anakin didn't have a choice, he made the only decision he could make and it was out of love.

He nodded, glancing down at our hands that became intertwined, "I know, I know. But I can't stop thinking about it. What if he comes after Obi-Wan?"

"Then we warn him, if he knows Maul is out there then at least he can be on his toes." If Obi-Wan doesn't know then Maul has the benefit of the element of surprise.

Anakin sighed which then turned into a heavy groan, "He's going to hate me for this."

"I don't think it's possible for Obi-Wan to hate you Ani."

He faced me and for the first time in the past hour, he was able to smile, "I thought you'd be angry."

"Oh I am," I nodded slowly, holding an expression of frustration, "You should have talked to me or even Obi-Wan about this first, but what's done is done. Let's not dwell on it for now and try to finish the night on a good note."

Instantly he brought his hands, covering his face like he was embarrassed, "Oh my god, this is supposed to be a date and I'm doing a terrible job talking about Maul and the island and the council—"

Just as he has some to me countless times, I pressed my finger to his lips to shut him up, "First dates are used to get to know each other and I feel like we already know each other pretty well. We both love what we do and in all honesty, I'm just happy to be here with you. I don't care what we talk about."

He brought his hands down and he had a look in his eyes that was all too familiar to me. Love, "I wish I could kiss you right now."

"There's a speeder with your name on it, let's go and find somewhere to have a little alone time."

🤍

Anakin tilted the speeder upwards and we went higher and higher. Higher than the other speeders crossing the sky, higher than the tallest building and almost higher than the clouds. But he stopped before the atmosphere became too thin.

"Do you remember the first time I took you up here?" He asked, leaving the speeder at a steady pace so it would hover, but not move.

"Briefly," I said, looking at him while his gaze remained fixated on the stars above us, "You wanted to show me the stars."

"I wanted to kiss you." He admitted.

My breath hitched in my throat, I adored and hated that he made me feel this way. It felt good but it also felt overwhelming and scary, "But—we were so new back then. You wanted to kiss me even then?"

He wet his lips with a smile, "Yeah I didn't understand it much, everytime you'd frustrate me I'd just imagine kissing you and—" He paused and cleared his throat, "It's that moment that has me convinced that I've felt something for you for a lot longer than I cared to admit. I was just too busy being an asshole to you to pay attention. For that I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize Anakin. Neither of us were very nice to each other." Although for me it was only a reaction to the way he had treated me.

He turned in his seat to face me, his smile was gone and replaced with a solemn expression, "No I need to. I'm sorry for how I treated you. I know I made you feel unwanted and hurt your feelings more times than I could count. I was so deep into the war that I saw a lot of people die and it scared me." He ran his fingers through my air, brushing it behind my ear, "So when I met you, the first image I had of you was you lying dead in a battlefield. I reacted horribly but I just didn't want to see anyone else get hurt or worse."

Sadly one of his greatest fears came true, I've gotten hurt a lot more now that I had before, but it wasn't his fault. Most were of my own doing, "Lucky for you, I'm a survivor." I echoed his words from inside of the bathroom.

He cupped my cheek, "Lucky me is right. So can you forgive me for the way I was?" Was? He still is his usual annoying self, but at least now I consider it to be charming.

"Of course I forgive you." I said like him asking was the most absurd thing in the galaxy, "You've made up for it in so many ways."

What he did next was something I'm sure he wished he did all that time ago when we were up here, he kissed me. I love you, I love you so much I don't know what I would do without you.

I smiled into the kiss, I love you more.

He ended our embrace and laughed softly, "Impossible. No one could love anyone as much as I love you, it has to be rare."

I almost cried. I can't even put into words how much I love this man. Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would end up here. The universe has a funny way of putting people together, it took me and put me in my worst times and then gave me him to make up for it, "Marry me." The words left my tongue before I knew what I was saying.

He blinked in surprise and my eyes widened. Oh shit what did I just say? "What?"

"Um it's a nice night out tonight," I awkwardly cleared my throat, "The stars are—starring." Starring? I'm going to kill myself. I'm going to jump right out of this speeder now and save myself any further embarrassment. "Okay I'm just gonna—" I placed a foot over and he grabbed ahold of me and placed me back in my seat.

"Sit down," He knitted his brows together, then slowly tilted his head as he gazed over my expression without saying much. Every second it took him to speak, there was an increase in my heart rate, "Did you just ask me to marry you?"

"No," My voice came out higher than I intended, "Maybe, I don't know."

"Well," He leaned his face closer to mine, "Do you want to marry me?"

I'd be an idiot not to. "It's a nice thought, but I don't know how that would happen. Marriage requires paperwork and if anyone ever saw it then they'd know and who knows what the council will have to say or what they would do."

He placed his finger on my cheek and moved my face so I would look at him. I hadn't realized that I was looking at anywhere but him, "It's a yes or no question (Y/n)."

"Yes." I breathed.

He smiled wide, his eyes shining brighter than any star in this sky, "Good, because I want to marry you too."

"But—"

"Sh," He silenced me, "Don't think about the council, don't think about our oath. Just think about you and me. Only you and me. We can do whatever we want, don't worry about the how or the secrets. I'll take care of it all."

Just when I thought I couldn't love him anymore, I was proven wrong, "Are we really going to do this?" I was smiling and laughing because the moment felt so unbelievable. This isn't where I thought the night would end.

Anakin reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He opened it and revealed a ring. My eyes widened and I nearly forgot to breathe, "I was already planning on it, you just happened to beat me to it." He revealed, "So let's make it official. (Y/n), love of my life, the most beautiful burden I could ask for—will you make me the happiest Jedi in the galaxy and be my wife?"

I crashed my lips to him and hugged him tight. Maybe we're crazy for doing this, there's no saying what the repercussions would be, but I didn't care anymore. I don't want waste anymore of my life with uncertainty and living it in a way that pleases others. I want to be selfish, I wasn't to be happy.

I deserve this. We both deserve this.

Yes.

✦
I don't want hear "oh my god, already?" We're in chapter 81 y'all I can't push it anymore than I already have. Plus c'mon, they've been in love for quite some time and like I always say; when you know, you know. Also I've done A LOT of proposals, I wanted to do this one differently. I like the idea of them being spontaneous and in the moment. It felt like a nod to the original story. ❤️