hello friends! long time no chapter! it had been quite a while since i had the motivation to write but i finally pushed myself to do it and tadaaa a new chapter!

thank you if you're still following the story and I hope you'll like this chapter!

"Why won't you look at me in the eyes?"

Taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan finally met his partner's concerned look.

"It was the Chancellor."

Blinking, Anakin froze.

"What?" he asked, confusion and surprise laced in his tone.

"The attack, the Chancellor ordered it," pushing his hair out of his face the Jedi sighed, "The guards didn't think I'd make it so they were surprisingly chatty."

His mouth opened but his tongue failed to launch any words. Closing it, Anakin then braced himself for the upcoming wave of anger whose roar already echoed in his mind.

Cold fingers brushed against the warm flesh of his left hand, cooling his heart before he could be caught in the blaze of his own emotions.

Glancing down at his partner, he paid a closer look at the older man's expression and turned livid when the sky blue orbs confirmed the conclusion he had come to after connecting the dots.

"Please tell me you didn't know," he pleaded, "Tell me you didn't go on your own if you knew."

Giving the younger man's hand a soft press before letting go, Obi-Wan then offered him a tired smile.

"I had to make sure. I'm sorry, Anakin."

The roaring rage returned, deafening as the young Knight processed the implication of the other man's confession.

Out of all the questions swirling in his mind, one stood out, the need for its answer coursing through his veins.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Inwardly begging for his lover to present him with a sudden twist that would explain his decision, he watched his hope crumble to dust.

"It wasn't worth the risk," started the Jedi.

Clenching his fist Anakin forced himself to keep quiet and hear his lover out.

"The Chancellor values you but we don't know when that could change. You're the Chosen One, Anakin, despite what you think your word has weight. He must have found out about the investigation Master Windu and me were conducting."

Frowning as it was the first he heard of it, Anakin crossed his arms, urging himself to remain quiet until Obi-Wan finished talking.

"Do you remember what you told me after your last meeting with him? After he revealed to you he knew about us?"

He nodded.

"I had a hunch he would try to take me out of the equation during my next mission."

The chairs trembled as Anakin released some of his anger into the Force.

"You already started to doubt him, I'm confident he sensed that. If I told you about my suspicions who would you have believed?"

"You obviously," he responded through gritted teeth as he started pacing.

"The Chancellor knew that. More than that I am an obstacle to his agenda, he can't use you if you're too busy worrying about me..."

Sensing his hesitation to continue, the Knight stole a glance in Obi-Wan's direction before silently urging to keep going.

"And my death would benefit him. Killing two birds with one stone, if he blamed it on the Council you would be too angry to even question it and I would no longer be in the way."

"And I would play right into his game," huffed Anakin.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want to risk him finding out you knew," he paused, "And you would have never agreed to let me go."

"Karked right I wouldn't have!" he responded, voice vibrant with a turmoil he clearly didn't control as well as he thought.

Groaning in frustration, Anakin eyed the wall, tempted to give it a punch to blow off some steam.

"I never would have let you go and I would have been right. I don't even know what they did to you, but I-"

Cutting himself off before he started another angry rant, he focused on his partner and sought the words he had previously struggled to say so many times.

"I know I am the Chosen One, and I know that no matter how valuable I am the Jedi Council is still wary of me but kark it Obi-Wan I don't care about them!"

Closing the space between them in a hurried stride, he knelt in front of the copper-haired man.

"Don't you get it?" he asked, nearly pleading, "I need you."

Grasping his lover's hands, he kissed them and, locking eyes with beloved sky-colored orbs, finally set loose the words that had been stuck on the tip of his tongue for weeks.

"I need you," he repeated, conviction steeling his words as he confessed what he wished would've been said under different circumstances, "More than I need the Jedi, more than any titles or victories and most importantly I need you to survive this war."

Moving his flesh hand to the nape of his former master's neck, he kept his hold light as he pulled him closer, "What you did was foolish, you should've told me. We are a team, we protect each other, how can I protect you when I don't know these things?"

Brushing his thumb against the pale skin of his lover's neck, he kept going, "My entire future gravitates around you, when we win this, I don't want to stay in Coruscant."

Giving his lover a few seconds to process his sudden announcement, he then breathed in and steadying his voice, delivered his final wish.

"I want to leave the Jedi and build a life with you."

*gasp* He finally said it!

D.

xoxo