That week was the most wonderful of Akya's life. She decided to train with Anakin for a little while longer before showing the Masters her skills. Each day, they worked on something new, and by the end of the week, Akya could feel Anakin from anywhere in the temple, and was finally beginning to move things with the Force. Small things, of course— cups, pencils. They often got time to themselves, as Anakin enjoyed lingering in her room even after lessons were finished. She'd even begun showing him her little good luck charms; things she'd never shown anyone.
"You really believe in all this stuff?" he asked her, examining a Loth Cat's foot on a chain.
"I like to," she replied.
"Why? Where did you even get it all?" He seemed to think it was childish. Perhaps it was, but these things brought her joy.
"I became a Jedi Initiate at a late age," she explained. "I had no family, so I was very glad when they took me in, but these were all I had. They brought me hope and luck at a time where I had none. I needed to believe in them."
"And you still do?" He put down the chain.
"Maybe not," she said. "But they've always given me confidence, so I like to keep them with me. This one's my favorite," she said, pulling her necklace out from under her tunic, the one with the sun-shaped pendant. "It's the only thing I have from my mother." She took it off and handed it to Anakin, who examined it with great interest.
"It's beautiful," he said.
"Thank you," she replied, watching him stare at the way it reflected the light of the nearby window. "Did you ever know your mother?"
"Of course," he said. "I was ten years old when I was taken into the Jedi Order. My mother..." Anakin looked down at the floor. Akya waited for him, allowing him to take his time in forming his answer. "We were slaves, on Tatooine," he explained. "They let me go, but not my mother." Anakin handed her back the necklace, but still didn't look into her eyes.
"Tatooine?" Akya repeated, clasping it back on.
"Yes," he said.
"Anakin, I lived on Tatooine," she said.
Anakin looked back up at her, brows scrunched. "You did?"
"Yes," she said. "Until I was eight years old."
"You were taken in two years before I was. Where did you live?"
"I moved around a lot," she said. "But not far. I lived around Mos Eisely. It wasn't a nice place."
"I was in Mos Espa."
Akya's thoughts went to Tatooine. The two spaceports were not far from each other, and Akya had been to the town once or twice. "How could we never have met?" she said in disbelief.
"Maybe the Force needed us to wait," he said.
"Maybe," Akya agreed, looking back at him and his blue eyes.
"What happened to your parents?"
"I don't know," said Akya. "I don't think I ever knew them for very long. All I can remember is being on my own. When I was really small, people would take me in, but I never stayed for very long." She played with her nails as she spoke. "What about your mother? Is she still on Tatooine? Have you seen her?"
"I haven't seen her since I left," he said. "But she's still there."
"I hope one day you get to see her again."
— ★ ✰ ☆ —
Once ready, Akya went to the Masters and revealed her newfound skills. When the Council asked how she had found these abilities after all these years, she answered a partial truth.
"Master Plo Koon told me to meditate on the Force. So I did, for hours, and finally, I felt something. I felt the Force begin to surround me, and I began to feel things I've never felt before. I've been waiting to show you until I thought they were just strong enough for me to begin training."
The Council decided to start her training right away. Every morning she was to report to personal training, usually scheduled with a different Master every time. Her favorite exercises included Master Yoda, who had her put a blast shield over her eyes and dodge training probes' blasts with a lightsaber. If she closed her eyes, and thought for a moment, she could tell you where any Master in the building currently was, as well as people she was close with, like Kei Lo.
She also learned to use the Force to implement other fighting skills, such as pushes and pulls during battle. They had her fight with a sparring droid often, and her skills honed in quickly— Akya had always been a fast learner.
She owed it all to Anakin— even though they weren't meeting every morning anymore, they saw each other often. He'd often stumble across her in the Library or the Archives, and Akya wasn't sure if it was just chance, or if he followed her around on purpose. Either way, she didn't mind. She liked him.
Anakin's company brought her peace.
"Every constellation has a name," Akya told him one night as they poured over a book, sitting on her bedroom windowsill. "But people find new ones all the time. Every planet sees a different night sky, but here on Coruscant, you can barely see any stars because of all the light."
"One day you'll see the stars again," he said. "We can go to places with night skies so full, it's like a city in the clouds."
"I hope so," she said.
Anakin looked up at her and smiled. She didn't seem to notice his stares as she read the pages of the book, but soon, she saw his grin out of the corner of her eye.
"What?" she finally asked.
"You're so beautiful," he told her.
Akya looked at him and smiled, hoping her cheeks weren't turning red. She waited for him to say more, perhaps because she wanted to hear it, perhaps because she did not know how to reply.
"I would stare into your eyes forever if I could," he continued. Their faces got closer. Akya then realized what she was giving into, and pulled her face away from his.
"Anakin, don't," she said, pleading into his eyes. "Don't do this to me."
"Do what?" he asked.
"Don't make me give in to my feelings," she said, closing the book. "You know we can't. We can't do this."
"Why deny our feelings?" he said passionately. "Why hide something we know is true?"
"Because it's forbidden, Anakin. We are not allowed to be together." The words coming out of her mouth were the opposite of the ones in her head. She wanted him so badly. "We are Jedi. I haven't even finished my training, Anakin. I can't take this risk."
"No one will know," he said.
"I'm sorry, Ani."
"I know you have feelings for me, Akya. I can sense them. I feel what you feel." He put his hand on her cheek, and his eyes longed for her to come closer. But instead, Akya took hold of his hand, took it off his cheek, and kissed it. She then put it back into his lap.
"I can't," she said. If he kept acting so recklessly with his feelings, then she was going to let hers out, too. There were too many. Too many she was never supposed to have. "I don't want to live a life without you in it, that much is true. But it can't be like this. We have to stay friends, and friends only."
Anakin looked back down at his lap. Akya waited for his reply.
"I understand," he said, playing with the edges of his robes.
"I truly am sorry, Ani," she said, trying to at least make him look into her eyes.
"I think I'm going to go," he said, standing up. Akya did the same, following him to the door.
"Anakin," she said, right as he was about to put his hand on the handle.
He didn't turn around. "What?"
Akya put her hand on his shoulder, pushing him slightly to turn around. She wasn't sure exactly what she was doing, but, it seemed right to stop him from leaving. Finally, Anakin turned. She put her arms around his neck and brought her face up to touch his, their lips quickly melting together as if they were made to kiss each other. It was perfect. It was bliss.
It was a mistake.
"That's all I can give you, Anakin," she said quietly, finally breaking away. He didn't want her to stop. But she knew they had to. And that it could never happen again. "No more."
"Goodnight, Akya." His face showed no reaction to the kiss they shared. He took a deep breath and stepped out the door without another word, and without looking back. She finally closed the door behind him, then laid on her bed. She thought about that wonderful mistake for the rest of the night.
a.n.:
ah, the start of it all. they're sooooooooosososo. omg. i love them so much actually. forbidden love!! my favorite trope ever!!! they're so cute!!!
anyways, i hope you loved this as much as i do. don't forget to vote!! ☆ ♡ ♡
molly