Binary Skies

Chapter 13: Mistake and Mistaken

And Luke's trembling form wasn't helping matters any.

From the cockpit, Anakin waited in tense anticipation for whatever would happen next. As much as he wanted to help Luke, the father in him knew Luke and Nakari needed to learn to work things out for themselves.

Anakin and Padmé had also needed those lessons.

Luke was feeling increasingly worse for his reaction and for scaring her. "No, it wasn't you, don't apologize," Luke tried to amend. "I just...I wasn't expecting it and I'm still...I'm still getting over those particular scars..."

Luke looked away, feeling his guilt mount as he worked to control his shaking form. "I'm sorry I scared you...I didn't mean to..."

Nakari didn't respond right away; her emotions and her mind were still trying to figure themselves out. She didn't know what to say, or how, so instead of risking striking another raw nerve, she settled for a quiet 'it's okay' and a nod of her head.

Without waiting for a reply, Nakari retreated to the cockpit, and only then did she realize that upon her leaving the space earlier, she'd forgotten to close the door. Ergo, Anakin had heard everything.

Nakari blushed deeply as she took the copilot's seat, feeling strangely trapped. Anakin, for his part, was doing his best to allow her some space, but it was also clear that he wanted to say something. He looked like he wanted to help, and she wasn't sure he could.

However, after a long moment in which they'd both managed to settle down, Anakin surprised her greatly.

"Thank you," he murmured.

Nakari's brow furrowed and she turned to meet his gaze. "What?"

His lips showed the barest hint of a smile as he repeated his previous statement. "Thank you."

Nakari's frown deepened. "Why are you thanking me? We just had a...fight."

Anakin nodded once in acknowledgement of that fact and then explained. "I haven't seen Luke this happy...or to openly laugh and be so carefree in a long time." He paused, lips pursed thoughtfully. "Or ever, actually. Luke had never worn that smile he gives you until he met you that day in the hangar bay."

Nakari opened her mouth to reply, but nothing legible formulated, so she shut it again.

Anakin didn't seem bothered by that, however, and he continued his line of thought verbally. "Luke has been through a very traumatic experience, and while it's not my place to give you the gory details, suffice it to say he was captured and put through Imperial interrogation," Anakin made quotation marks with his fingers. "He still suffers from flashbacks of it, and he's having trouble moving on from what happened."

Anakin reached over and touched her forearm lightly. "It's nothing personal against you. Please don't judge him without all the facts, Nakari. It's unfair to him, and truthfully, to yourself."

Nakari knew he was right, but she couldn't think of that right now, and she didn't want company. She was dead tired, though, and so she had a plausible excuse to leave.

Standing with a small yawn that wasn't entirely faked, Nakari looked at him and then glanced away. "I'm bushed. I'll go get some sleep now."

"Okay," Anakin murmured, and she felt his eyes follow her until she disappeared into her cabin.

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When Nakari left, Luke buried his face in his hands and cursed his scars, his relapses, himself, everything. He ran his hands through his hair, pulling at the roots as he tried to get the expression that had been on her face out of his mind. He was horrified and ashamed of himself for how he'd reacted, and he wanted nothing more than to make it so he'd never lifted a hand against her. He hadn't hurt her of course, he'd sensed as much, but he could have.