AHSOKA
My eyelids flutter open.
I roll over sleepily, expecting Anakin to be there, but the space next to me is cold. I yawn, stretching out on the empty bed. "Anakin?" I call, figuring he's making breakfast or something. I listen for the sound of running water to indicate he's in the shower. Silence.
"Anakin?" I call again. But our apartment is dead quiet.
I stumble out of bed, checking the living room, refresher, kitchen, dining room, his bedroom, the balcony, hallways, closets, but I find nothing. My heart starts beating and my mind starts racing with possibilities. "ANAKIN?!" I call louder. I start pacing, throwing on my jacket. I'm about to head outside when he comes in.
"Anakin Skywalker!" I yell angrily, running towards him. He scoops me up easily in one arm, setting down bags indicating he was shopping on the counter and throwing me playfully on the couch with a laugh. "Hey, Snips." He says. He leans over. His lips send violent shivers down my spine as they find the indent under my jaw. His mouth on my skin is so warm, and feels so good….I smile.
He pulls away slowly, his glove leaving snow on my face. In fact, he's covered in it.
"ANAKIN IT SNOWED?!" I scream. I smile and make a bolt for the door. I throw the door open right as Anakin picks me up again. I struggle in his grasp angrily, growl and try to turn over, kicking his gut and hips. He starts carrying me back to the living room. I scream and bite his wrist. "Ahsoka!" He scolds, lays me back down, and prys my teeth off his hand. "If you're blood temperature rises or lowers, you die." He snaps. He starts stripping off his jacket. "Well, then, find a way to keep it normal." I retort. "Also, you owe me. I nearly had a panic attack when I woke up and you weren't next to me."
His expression softens. "Sorry, Snips. I was picking up a prescription that the droids thought you would need today…." He walks to the counter and pulls a box out of the grocery bag. "That's awfully big for medicine." I say. He chuckles in response.
ANAKIN
I help her with the medication. It takes a long time. One arm, inject the medicine into her skin, rub ointment over the spot, bandage it with special bacta tape. Other arm, heavy pain medicine that makes her really tired, use this ominous tool and watch as it pushes a micro chip into wrist, and listen to her whimper in pain and cover the incision with a large cuff with a screen that shows her blood temperature. Kiss her nose and wing shapes and hold her hand through the process of doing similar thing at her ankle and neck, except this time the cuffs will either heat her up and cool her down or pump in more medicine if needed.
She falls asleep in the middle of me doing the final step, which simply includes lecturing her about what to do and not to do while hooked on this things.
It gives me just the time I need.
I race to the bags I the kitchen and pull out another, (much smaller), box. I didn't buy her a Life Day gift yet, this is more of an 'I believe in you', gift. I pull out a simple charm, angel wings and a halo. White and gold and metallic instead of shiny. Simple and beautiful.
Tears well up in my eyes, because although this could be a gift that shows who she is to me, an angel, it also reminds me that she might not survive this winter. But I wipe them away.
I gift wrap it as best as I can. Ahsoka, of course, has always been better at wrapping gifts then me, and the wrapping paper in crinkled and patchy and over taped and awkward, but I don't care. I sign it, From: Skyguy, To: My angel, Ahsoka
It's cliche, but I'm proud enough that I place it smack-dab in the middle of our tree skirt. The red package reflects the faded white lights.
Ahsoka wakes up a few minutes later. He eyes find the gift within seconds. I pick it up for her, carrying in to her and bowing down as I gracefully place it in her hand, saying, 'Your Highness,', which makes her laugh. She comments on my wrapping as she shreds it. The room goes silent as her fingers pull of the top of the lid.
Her face lights up. "Anakin…" She breaths, pulling out the charms. She stares at them, turning each of them in her hand and reading the golden calligraphy on the back. When I count my blessings, I count you twice. And on the other, Snips and Skyguy.
She hugs me like I would disappear completely if she didn't hold on tight enough. She starts crying, sobbing about how she never wants to loose me and I mean everything to her. I rub her back and hush her, whispering the same thing against her lekku.
She finally pulls away and let's me do the 'honor' of taking off the diamond shaped beads at the end of her braids and reattaching these ones. All the meanwhile she can't stop thanking me. "Anytime, Angel." I say softly, rubbing her shoulders easily since her back was turned to me. She closes her eyes and a peaceful sigh escapes her lips. My stomach turns and my entire body feels light at the very sound of her voice. My impulses lead my lips the way it wants to, and I'm slowly kissing the back of her lekku, my hands draped around her shoulders in a hug. She rubs my arm, her head leaning back and finding its place between my shoulders and neck. I murmur that she's the best friend I could ever have asked for, and she smiles and reminds me not to let Obi-Wan hear that. I laugh and lean back so my back is on the couch, still kissing her lekku. My legs slide up so my knees are bent at her sides, and she snuggles against me. I stop finally. Everything inside me is screaming in protest, but I'm tired. She sees and turns on me.
"ANAKIN!" She says as my eyes start to close. "What about the snow?"
I pat her head with laughter. "It'll be there in a few hours, Snips." I close my eyes again, ignoring her grumbling words I can't make out. I just enjoy this moment, here with her.
Eventually she strips off her shirt after I ask if her stomach hurts. Once again I'm caught off guard by the sight of Ahsoka's bare skin and stomach, and even though I hate to admit, my eyes linger on her sports bra and breasts. I push it aside as she lays back in between my legs and I lay one hand on her stomach. The other hand slowly turns the charms, reading both inscriptions.
"Ahsoka." I say quietly. She turns off the lamp, letting the Life Day lights shine spotlights on us. "Hmmm?"
She grabs my hand and caresses it against my cheek onto of hers, catching tears on her palm. "Anakin, I won't leave you." She whispers. I let out a pathetic sob.
She turns over so she's laying on top of my chest. Her face in my neck, her fingers in my hair. "Shh….Anakin..don't cry….."
She comforts me until we both are tired and I'm done crying. She falls asleep fairly quick.
"Sleep good, Snips." I murmur.
My final thought before I fall asleep is this.
I think I'm falling for Ahsoka.
AHSOKA
Anakin and I walk down the hall. (Anakin dressed me like a marshmallow to start out with, but I managed to drop a few of the jackets so I can actually look decent. Plus, he's wearing a hoodie and a cloak over that, so if my cuffs start beeping he'll just have to sacrifice one of those.) I'm thinking about earlier today. We were on the couch after he gave me the best gift I've ever gotten, those beautiful angel charms. He called me 'Angel' as he put them on, and not even a minute later he was kissing my lekku. He was so passionate, and his lips were so soft on the sensitive flesh...but he pulled away and said I was the best friend he could ever have.
Normally I would be pissed, blaming him for sending mixed signals. But I could nearly hear him wince after he said it… And I love him too much to ever be mad at him. (Unless if he keeps me from snow, which is the opposite of what he's doing at the moment.)
We make it out of the doors. The freezing cold wind hit me suddenly, and my I feel like I was stabbed in my stomach. I reach for Anakin, letting out a yelp. My cuffs instantly pump warmth throughout my entire body, but Anakin's already shoved me back inside. I catch my breath. "Chill!" I shout as he so obviously prepares to take me to the medbay. I hold up my hand and he stops. "No beeps, the cuffs just have to take a while to steady my temperature." I explain, even though my heart is beating out of control. If I really did have I problem with being too cold, I would just drop dead.
"Are you okay?" He asks, concern in his eyes as he frantically searches my face for any sign of pain. I roll my eyes. "I'm fine." I walk past him and into the snowy buildings.
I quickly make a snowball and chuck it in Anakin's direction. He laughs and I turn to see snow dripping down his chest. "Seriously, Snips?" He chuckles softly, his voice turning to that deep monotone. "Just get over here." I laugh back. He's at my side and he drapes an arm over my shoulders.
"So where are we going?" I ask.
"Dinner." He responds. "Your pick."
I smile. "Thanks."
I knew that I should say something about how nice he was to me today, getting me those angel charms for my padawan braids, helping me with the medicine and now taking me out to dinner. But I know that one reason he's doing it is because everyday could be my last.
We end up finding an actual nice place on Coruscant. Someone takes off both off our snowy coats, leads us to a two person booth next to the window, and hands us our menus.
Anakin honestly looks like it's too much to be two feet apart from me. But I instantly say, "I'm fine."
ANAKIN
Ahsoka looks out the window with a small smile. I swear my heart melts at that, she's so adorable….it's all I can do to keep my composure.
I haven't talked to Padmè since the week before Ahsoka got sick, so it's been almost exactly a month now. Padmè never had time for me anyways, and when she did, she just forced me to have sex. She pushed her limits a lot. Even when Obi-Wan 'died', she didn't say a word of comfort. It was Ahsoka who tried to make me feel better. To Padmè, I was something of a masculine slave. She disregarded the idea that I have any feelings whatsoever. But Ahsoka cares. The only problem is, unlike Padmè, Ahsoka will probably follow the code. And, at the moment, we're nothing more than best friends. I don't want to ruin that.
"Anakin?"
I snap out of my trace. "What?"
A waitress stares at me with annoyance. "Coffee." I get out. "Thanks."
She nods and walks off.
"You okay, Anakin?" Ahsoka asks.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
She stands up and sits back down next to me. "There." She murmurs as we both huddle together, staring at the same menu. We enjoy ourselves in silence, Ahsoka looking dreamily out at the snow and me chuckling as I try to get her to decide what to order. By now, the sun has gone down. City lights and the few starts visible shine on the snow, and I understand why my padawan wants to get lost in that instead of in this restaurant.
AHSOKA
As stupid as it may be, I just want to fall asleep right here next to Anakin, staring out at the winter scene and listening to his heartbeat and soft music. He seems to get that as my eyes start to close. Of course, it's probably that fact that the disease makes me tired the majority of the day, and so he's most like used to it.
"Snips, decide what to have and then sleep." He kisses my forehead.
"Tea." I whisper back. He laughs, "that's not an option," but I fall asleep before he can say anything else.
The entire left side of my body is warm, and I move closer to the source with a tired moan. I remember that I feel asleep in the restaurant, and I know that I should open my eyes and sit up. But the rise and fall of Anakin's chest and his fingers stroking my arm keep me where I am.
I hear the sound of plates being set on our table. My Master thanks our waitress again.
"Wake up, Snips." Sudden chills run through me at the feel and sound of Anakin's lips as they find my skin again.
I know that things are changing. I used to look at him like brother, then a best friend, and now, every tiny thing he does turns me on. Every time he pulls away I want more. And it has gone through my head a few times to tell him since, if I did die without doing so….but then again, if I do live….
I open my eyes.
Me and Anakin eat our dinner, this time finding things to talk about.
We walk back to our apartment hand in hand, even in our gloves our hands are warm.
Anakin gracefully carries me to my bed, and, (after I told him I was feeling a little cold), layered blankets over the two us.
"Sleep good, Skyguy." I say.
"Sleep good, Snips." He pulls me in against his chest by my waist. I fall asleep once for the third time today next to Anakin.