Chapter Text
It had been two long years, yet their relationship remained stagnant, showing no real signs of improvement. Anakin stubbornly refused to delve deeper into their connection, though much to his dismay, it seemed to have a life of its own. The initial encounter in the force had left a lasting impression on them both.
Once, Ahsoka had been engrossed in her training session with her friend, Barriss Offee, when Anakin suddenly materialized out of nowhere. Startled, Ahsoka swung her training saber at him, but he swiftly caught her wrist with his hand, preventing the strike from landing. Barriss stood there, utterly astonished, witnessing Ahsoka's suspended arm, frozen in mid-air.
The incident posed a challenge when it came to explaining it away to Barriss. Ahsoka and Anakin were bound by strict orders from the council to keep their bond a secret. In fact, to maintain the secrecy, Master Plo Koon was officially designated as Ahsoka's Jedi Master, rather than that of Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, at least on paper.
Since that incident, they found themselves unexpectedly crossing paths at the most peculiar moments. One such occasion occurred while Ahsoka was diligently engrossed in her studies. Out of nowhere, Anakin materialized before her eyes. Naturally, he couldn't resist provoking her, leading them into a heated argument that escalated to the point, that Ahsoka had impulsively hurled a textbook in his direction. However, a tinge of sadness lingered within her as she recalled how he mysteriously vanished before the rather thick textbook could make contact with his head.
Another instance unfolded when Ahsoka had just returned to her quarters. To her surprise, Anakin emerged from her refresher, draped in nothing but a flimsy towel around his waist. Droplets of water dripped from his hair, down his chest. A sudden rush of warmth had flooded her cheeks, causing a noticeable blush to spread across her face. She had turned around in embarrassment, making apologies until their connection was broken.
Then, there was now.
Ahsoka felt warm arms wrapped around her body. Soft but hard, warm and inviting. Protective, yet possessive.
"Hey," she whispered slowly waking, her was voice barely audible as the arms drew her closer, their embrace tightening around her. Somewhere between the realms of dreams and reality, Ahsoka slowly opened her eyes. "Anakin?"
"Mmmmm," he murmured, his sleepy reply barely audible. Nestling against her lekku, a shiver coursed through her at the touch, catching her completely off guard.
"Anakin!" Ahsoka nearly shrieked, untangling herself from his arms. "What are you doing in my bed?"
Anakin, now more alert, scanned the room in confusion. "Snips, what the hell! You're in my bed!"
"No, I'm not!"
In that moment, they both felt it—the undeniable hum in the Force that connected them.
"Why the hell were you reaching out to me in your sleep?" he accused.
"Me?! You're the one who was reaching out to me!" She shot back.
Ahsoka quickly covered herself with the blanket, attempting to hide her half-naked form, clad only in a sleep tank and underwear.
Anakin, on the other hand, lacked the same sense of modesty. He forcefully pulled back the covers, leaping out of bed, wearing nothing but his sleep shorts. His chest showcased hard, defined muscles and a chiseled abdomen.
Ahsoka tried to ignore the tingling sensation that enveloped her, knowing that body had been pressed against hers just moments ago.
Anakin’s body, like hers, had changed since they were children. His muscles were harder, his gangly legs filled out and toned. He was also now, a great deal taller than her, which only seemed to infuriate her further.
“Like what you see?” He asked, with a cocky grin, wiggling his eyebrows at her suggestively.
Ahsoka rolled her eyes, “Don’t be disgusting.” She glowered at him.
Anakin pulled out a towel, from thin air, though Ahsoka knew it must have been from his side of the bond. Movements like that only seemed to entrance her, with a burning curiosity on further ways they could explore their bond. Yet she was always met with reluctance from his end. Anakin constantly found excuses on why he didn’t want to, or why they shouldn’t explore this further.
“I’m hitting the refresher.” Anakin told her, swinging the magical towel over his shoulder.
“No you’re not, that is my refresher and I NEED a shower.”
There rooms where identical, meaning if this bond didn’t break, he would use her shower and she would loose out.
“I am technically in my room, and that is technically my refresher.” He told her stubbornly.
She sat up, still clutching the blanket to her chest, Anakin’s eyes dropping at the movement, before returning to hers. A slight flush spreading across her cheeks. “Aren’t you a gentleman?”
“No I’m not Snips, I need to wash your cooties off me.” He told her with his trademark smirk, before he slammed the door behind him.
“You’re such a child.” Ahsoka murmured, falling back onto the bed, pulling the blanket over her head.
“Heard that!” He yelled through the wall.
“You were meant too.” She retorted throwing her pillow at the door.
* * *
Anakin stood underneath the water, the cold liquid doing nothing to cool his feverish skin. He’d developed a hard-on, which he was attributing to morning wood, not the fact that he’d just been pressed against Ahsoka mere moments before. No, that was not it.
Morning wood was normal. Completely, biologically normal. And it didn’t have anything to do with the half naked Togruta laying in his bed. Nor did it have any connection to the tantalizing outline of her hardened nipples beneath her top, or the way he had felt her eyes rake over his body…
His cock twitched at the thought and internally he swore with a mix of desire and frustration. Anakin tried to push the thoughts out of his mind, reminding himself, he definitely didn’t see her that way. She was annoying, Ahsoka consistently had to be right, she was a pain in his ass and she looked really good in his bed..
Taking a deep breath, Anakin tried again to focus on the cold water cascading down his body, hoping it would help him regain control.
But the more he tried to distract himself, the more vivid the images of Ahsoka became. Her playful smile, her mischievous eyes, the way she challenged him in every duel and every conversation.
As his hand encircled his cock, guiding it to release, he was most certainly not, thinking of Ahsoka.
Leaving the refresher, Anakin wasn’t surprised that an empty room greeted him; the hum of their connection had long faded away. Yet, what caught him off guard was the unexpected pang of emptiness he felt at her absence, no matter how annoying she was.
* * *
As Anakin stepped into the Jedi library, he found himself surrounded by towering shelves filled with ancient texts, scrolls, and holographic data cubes. The serene ambiance and the scent of aged parchment hinted at the vast knowledge contained within those walls. However, Anakin was overwhelmingly bored by the sight of it.
“Right on time.” Obi-Wan said, the table before him and Ahsoka littered with open text and scrolls.
“I thought I was late?”
“That is what I meant.”
Disregarding his Master’s comment, Anakin nonchalantly settled into a chair, leaning forward and snatching a haphazard book from the table. Flipping through its pages absentmindedly, he couldn't help but inject a touch of mischief into his voice. "So, what fascinating subject shall we delve into today? The art of efficiently dispatching a Rancor, perhaps?" Ahsoka couldn't help but roll her eyes, her quiet exasperation evident from across the table. Anakin, undeterred, continued his playful enquiry. "Or maybe we should explore the enigmatic realm of Dathomirian dark magicks and their potential use against our enemies?" He punctuated his words with a mischievous wiggle of his eyebrows, genuine curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
“We are researching the bond, as we always do.” She glowered at him in frustration.
Obi-Wan sighed, trying to maintain his composure amidst the chaos that was Anakin Skywalker. "Please, let's focus. The bond between you and Ahsoka is a crucial aspect of your training. It is not to be taken lightly."
Anakin's mischievous grin faded slightly, Ahsoka could sense through their bond that he wasn’t done, his words spoke differently though. "Of course, Master. I apologize for my earlier distractions."
He sat in silence, for only a minute, before tossing the book aside and grabbing another, much older one in its place. He opened it, dust falling from its pages. “Oh this must be good, look how old it is.”
Ahsoka glanced up at him then, noticing what book he had grasped in his hands. “Oh that ones no good. It’s about how to destroy a bond, not deepen it.”
Anakin hands froze, as he met Ahsoka’s eyes. “You mean to say, I have in my hands the very book that can grant me my freedom?” He asked enthusiastically. A real smile spreading across his lips.
“Anakin.” Obi-wan said exasperated, “Please be serious.”
“Oh I am being serious.” He replied, his eyes intently scanning every page with intent.
Ahsoka couldn't help but feel uneasy and concerned as she watched Anakin eagerly flip through the ancient text. She knew what lay in those pages, because unlike her bond mate, she actually did do research.
“Anakin…” Obi-Wan warned, but it fell on deaf ears.
“Wait, wait here it is.” Anakin coughed, clearing his throat, beginning to read. “A Force Dyad is like life itself… blah, blah, blah…” he said skimming the information he didn’t want. “Wait yes, can be severed by the death of the other.” Anakin abruptly dropped the book onto the table with a loud thud.
The sudden sound making Ahsoka startle in her chair.
“Yes Anakin, if you had paid attention in our last lesson you would have already known that.” Came Obi-Wan’s tired voice, but Anakin once again tuned him out.
“So all I have to do is die and I’ll be free of her? Sign me up..” He meant his words to be sarcastic, but they had come out more bruising than he had intended.
Ahsoka's suddenly got to her feet, the movement caught Anakin off guard, causing him to instinctively rise from his seat as well, his body tensed for a potential confrontation. He braced himself for a verbal assault or even a physical one, knowing he had pushed her too far this time.
However, what he didn't anticipate was the pain he witnessed in her eyes, mirroring the hurt he had caused. The scowl on her face softened, replaced by a vulnerable expression that pierced through his defenses. In that moment, Anakin realized the weight of his words and the impact they had on her. Regret washed over him instantly, but before he could say anything else, she stormed away and exiting the library.
“You will make this right.” Anakin could not only hear his Master’s disappointment but feel it coming off him in waves.
Anakin sighed, sitting once more, amongst all the books he had no interest in reading.
* * *
The absence of Ahsoka throughout the day weighed heavily on Anakin's mind, though he tried to convince himself otherwise. He convinced himself that he didn't feel guilty, that he was fine with her absence. As the evening approached, Anakin found himself sitting alone at the dinner table, his appetite nonexistent. He pretended not to notice her empty seat, pushing away any lingering thoughts of their unresolved conflict.
Exhausted from the day's lack of distractions, Anakin retreated to his bed, hoping to find solace in sleep. However, as he closed his eyes, he couldn't escape the nagging thoughts that plagued his mind. Tossing and turning, he resigned himself to a sleepless night, unable to escape the thoughts he desperately tried to suppress.
As the bond crackled and surged, Anakin sensed its approach just moments before she materialized on the bed beside him.
"Damn it," he muttered, rolling onto his side, his back facing her. He tried to create distance between them, to escape her presence.
He braced himself, anticipating her sharp retort, but to his surprise, nothing came. No biting remark escaped her lips, she didn’t groan or roll her eyes. She didn’t even move.
The room fell into an eerie silence, and as Anakin reached out to her through their bond, he encountered an impenetrable barrier shielding her thoughts. It was a formidable wall, but their connection remained unbroken.
Then, a faint sound reached his ears—a stifled gasp for air, a muffled sob smothered by her pillow.
She was crying.
Anakin’s heart stuttered briefly. Not believing what he had heard, but then he heard it again. Rolling back to her, he saw Ahsoka, curled into a ball facing away from him.
“Ahsoka?” He reached for her, his hand barely touching her shoulder and making her flinch, Anakin’s heart dropped further.
“D-d-don’t.” She sobbed, moving further away from him.
His own words, reverberated through the bond. “So all I have to do is die and I’ll be free of her? Sign me up..”
“S’oka,” he hadn’t called her that since they were younglings, barely out of training sabers. “I’m sorry.” He moved to her and this time she didn’t move away.
“I will die one day, Anakin.” Her words laced with a fierce surety. “You just have to be patient.” She told him before releasing a loud gasping sob.
Her words struck him like a thunderbolt, a devastating blow that threatened to shatter something hidden deep inside of him. Without hesitation, Anakin instinctively pulled her into his arms, his actions so sudden that it caught both of them off guard.
He hadn’t imagined a world without her in it. Because he would be the one right? He would die before her.
For her.
“I didn’t mean… I wouldn’t…” tears threaten to spill from his eyes now, but he inhaled deeply trying in vain to keep his own emotions in check.
Her shields were open now, and wave after wave of pain flowed towards him. Pain he had caused.
“Ahsoka, I didn’t mean it.” He held her tightly to him.
“You don’t have to play nice now… I know what you really think Anakin.”
“You’ve got to know, I didn’t mean it, S’oka.” He pulled her in, impossibly close. “I know I’m an kriffing asshole sometimes, I say some stupid... But I swear, I didn’t mean it.”
She turned to face him, in the dark. There faces inches away from each other. Her breath tingling his lips. Anakin’s arm was still swung around her protectively, tracing soothing patterns on her side.
“I don’t believe you, you’re just saying that because I’m crying.” She hiccuped.
“When have I ever tried to spare your feelings?” He asked, his question eliciting a genuine laugh from her. “Ahsoka,” Anakin leant his forehead against hers, before continuing, “you annoy the absolute crap out of me.”
An authentic smile spread across her lips, “Wow, thanks Skyguy. You really know how to make me feel better.”
“No I mean it, you really annoy the crap out of me.” His fingers dug into her sides then, making her squirm with laughter.
“Stop, stop! You’re tickling me.” She gasped, but Anakin’s playful assault only continued. “Please, please stop.” She laughed.
She grasped his hands pulling them back around herself, settling back in their original position.
“Anakin?”
“Yeah?” He murmured into her lekku, sleep slowly enveloping him.
“You annoy the crap out of me too.”
Anakin smiled, pulling her tighter against him, protectively, as slowly sleep pulled him under. An absent thought, danced in his mind just before he fully succumbed to it.
For her.
