Rex walked up to Akira's small apartment, a canister of soup in his hand. His entire body was shaking, and his jaw was clenched. If Akira seemed up to it, he was going to talk to him. He'd promised Cody, and he was right. He had to talk to him, or he'd always wonder. He knocked at the door, taking a deep breath. Whatever he did or said… it would end his harping once and for all.

The door swung open, and Akira stood before him in his lounge clothes, a glass of wine in his hand.

"Rex, come on in." Akira greeted, stepping aside. Rex entered, and trailed after Akira into the living space where a giant pile of maps lie on his table. He sat on the couch, Rex across from him.

"How are you feeling?"

Akira shrugged, "I'm ok, just missing out on rest and its getting to my head. Is that for me?" Akira asked, pointing to the canister.

"Yes, I admit I didn't make it, but its the best I could get the mess to make."

"Well I appreciate it all the same." Akira smiled and set it on the counter.

"Working on a project?" Rex asked, trying to get comfortable, to work out how stiff he knew he was coming off.

"I'm familiarizing myself with the surrounding systems. I don't know as many as I'd thought, and I want to be more helpful in planning."

Rex looked at the maps, his hands clenched between his knees.

"What's wrong?"

Rex swallowed, Akira's eyes were trained on him. "What makes you think something is wrong?"

"I can sense your fear, you're afraid. Why?"

Rex sighed, "I'd like to get into that a little later."

Akira searched his face, and Rex looked away, his mind reading jedi powers making him feel raw and exposed in the chilled room. "If there's something I can ever help you with, Rex, I will. I hope that is what brought you here, but I don't want fear to drive you away. I'm here to help you."

Rex bobbed his head, cringing inwardly. He was being so professional… A mentor.

"How about a glass of wine, hmm?"

Rex was about to object, but Akira was already pouring him a glass.

Rex drank it was a shaking hand, and then another before loosening up, moving to sit next to Akira and help him with his maps. They were of various separatist planets, and Rex recognized them. He told him of each planet he'd visited and pointed out their weak and strong points. He told him of the unexpected pros and cons of each landscape, his slender fingers skirting along each map. Akira was excited by this, asking questions, combing through maps and taking notes on each. He listened to Rex so carefully, his eyes alight with what he was learning, with Rex's expertise. He poured Rex another glass of wine. Then another. His head was getting foggier, but with each glass he felt more like himself, more protected from his own thoughts.

Akira's lids looked heavy as well, his hand working a little harder to find the table with his glass.

"I knew you were good, Rex, but I didn't think you'd been to so many of these places, fought on so many of these battle fields."

Rex took a sip of his wine, "I just go where they tell me."

"Don't be so modest, your cleverness has weaseled you and the 501st out of many, many situations that seemed hopeless. Anakin has told me of your quick thinking and bravery, I'm honored to have you by my side, Rex."

Rex looked over at him, and his blue eyes were trained on him, his eyes, his lips. Rex's heart fluttered, his lips parting. He took a deep breath, the smell of caff wafting off of him, mingling with the wine on his breath and the must of his cologne. It made his stomach flutter, and Akira's lips parted ever so slightly. His face had never been this close to anyone else's, and the short distance between them was electric, drawing him in.

And he kissed him.

Akira flinched so violently under his touch that Rex instinctively pulled away, falling off the couch and onto the floor with a thud. Akira was staring at him with wide eyes, frozen on the couch.

"Sir," Rex stuttered, standing, and swaying. He staggered toward the couch, the room spinning. He could speak clearly when he was drunk, getting up was always the part he struggled with.

"Rex… what..."

"I-I don't know, its the wine, I'm sorry-" He stammered, his wine sodden brain trying to drag itself through the issue at hand.

Rex turned, his fingernails digging into the back of his neck, trying to explain. He hurried toward the door, his hands out to catch the door frame. Akira stood trying to follow him out, but Rex didn't give him the time to think, slamming the door behind him.

"Rex, wait!"

Rex took a shaking breath. He was going to be terminated.

Who could he talk to? Cody was away with Kenobi…

Anakin.

Anakin was with Padme, if anyone understood, it'd be someone in a forbidden marriage. Rex pretended he didn't know for Anakin's sake… but he'd be involved too many times for Anakin to truly believe he was clueless.

He staggered to Anakin's quarters, which luckily weren't far from Akira's. He assumed Akira was either downing the rest of the bottle or looking for shoes to chase him with, and Rex preferred not to find out. He didn't want to see him, to see his horrified face again. He leaned against Anakin's door frame, knocking on the door.

Anakin answered, his eyebrow quirked.

"Rex? It's past midnight."

"I've done something terrible, sir. I need to talk to you. Please."

Anakin let him inside, turning on the light. Rex sagged, tears in his eyes.

"What did you do?"

"I-" Rex hesitated. He didn't know if he could stomach the same, disgusted face from Anakin, too. "I don't think I can tell you."

Anakin crossed his arms. "You woke me to tell me something, and now you can't tell me?"

"Sir, I'm afraid." Rex had never uttered those words in his life, not out loud.

Anakin's eyes widened, and he put his hands on his shoulders. "You have nothing to be afraid of here. Let me help you."

"I'm going to be Court Martialed, or terminated," he whispered.

"What did you do?" Anakin pressed, his grip tightening on Rex's shoulder.

"I-I- I kissed General Kutae."

Anakin's eyes widened. "What?"

Rex gripped Anakin's tunic, "I was drunk, I am drunk... I didn't mean anything by it."

Anakin crossed his arms. "What made you kiss him?"

"I-" he stuttered, "I'm in love with him, sir." Rex cried, shaking. He lost his footing and staggered, Anakin grabbing him by the arm.

"Shh, Rex, its alright."

"Its not! He's revolted by me now, and I'm going to be court martialed or reconditioned. I've humiliated myself and the 501st."

Anakin pulled Rex up onto his feet with a firm hand. "Listen to me. That is not true. Every clone is a person, Rex, every clone feels the things that you do. Just like everyone else, some clones like men, some women, some none at all, and some both. Every clone feels fear, wants to feel love and comfort. That's why you're all so close, is it not? There's nothing wrong with your feelings, Rex."

"Akira-"

"Akira isn't angry or revolted. He's not going to Court Martial you or tell anyone. He's working through some issues of his own, so he's going to need a little space to get his thoughts together, but that doesn't mean anything."

"Anakin, I didn't want this to happen-"

"It doesn't matter what you wanted. Its happened now. I'll talk to him tomorrow. You give Akira a day or two, and then go and talk to him."

Thanks for reading, please review! Up next, Rex and Akira finally sit down and talk.