Hi! This one was a little difficult to write, but I hope ya'll like how it turned out. 

I'd be curious to know what you would do in Kels's situation in this chapter. Lemme knowwww! 

<3

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Anakin's POV

Watching her with him was fucking maddening.

The way his hand so easily found hers and guided her through the crowd looked too natural. I wonder if he knew how lucky he was, being able to parade her around without a single fucking worry. Zeroing in on his fingers intertwined with hers brought a sharp tightness to my chest that I knew I couldn't completely blame on my very-recently punctured lung.

I amend my previous statement; he should be very fucking worried.

I was brought back to the night of the banquet at the temple. I had every intention of pulling Kels aside and calmly explaining everything to her. What she thought she saw between Padme and I, and exactly why there is no future for us...despite how much I care for her.

It was supposed to be a rational, level-headed conversation. She deserved that from me.

However, watching her with him had me seeing red. Hearing her laughs from across the room as he spun her around on the dance floor, seeing his hands on her bare back thanks to that fucking dress, and when I saw him pull her close and she didn't stop him...I had to stop him.

Because right or wrong, the only word that echoed over and over in my mind was mine. She is mine.

As usual, I didn't think things through. I couldn't fucking control myself. I had to pull her away. And instead of talking to her like a rational human being, I kissed her. I think deep down I had hoped the kiss would communicate all the conflict and desire I was unable to articulate. But instead, I just came off as a hot head who can't control his gods damned hormones.

She had every right to be frustrated with me. I understood why she pushed me away, even though it kills me.

But she has me losing control. Because despite knowing I have no claim over her, she has managed to make a home in my heart.

It had been months since we had last spoken but I still couldn't get her out of my head. It was as if my mind was punishing me for finally doing right by her and ending things. Her absence from my life caused a physical discomfort that I couldn't shake. I missed her. More than I ever intended to.

Everything was darker, more difficult, more exhausting without her.

Following that night she confronted me about Padme, I had returned to the training room every night at midnight on the dot in hopes that she'd be there. I did this for over a month, and she never showed up.

I was ecstatic when we were assigned a mission off-world. I needed to get out of the temple and away from the constant temptation of Kels Remlik. I avoided the dining hall like a plague because I knew that if I saw her, I wouldn't be able to leave her alone like she requested. I needed physical distance put between us if I were ever to respect her wishes.

And I had been able to keep myself away for months. But of course, the second I am back and pissed off, I run to her.

No. Fucking. Control.

I kept my mouth shut as I trailed Kels through the mass of celebrating race attendees, I was already on thin ice with her and didn't want to risk upsetting her precious little mechanic. 

The crowd began to thin out as we made our way from to warehouse and to the cantina. It was an odd feeling to be out and about in civilian clothes. I was used to the heaviness of the Jedi robes, but as long as I kept my gaze down and my hood up, no one here would know who or what I am.

My fingers brushed ever so slightly over my lightsaber tucked into my waistband. I never liked to be too far from it, but I'd have to resist the urge to use it tonight.

We eventually stopped in front of a rough-looking cantina. I didn't like the idea of
Kels going inside, but at least I could keep an eye on her. What was this guy thinking bringing her to a place like this?

I scoffed darkly; I suppose I'm not one to talk when she ended up kidnapped by a war criminal under my watch.

So, I kept my head down and tried not to draw any attention as we stepped inside.

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Kels's POV

The pungent smell of sweat and alcohol immediately hit me as we stepped inside the cantina. I couldn't stop myself from scrunching my nose at the scent. Blake glanced in my direction and smirked.

"You'll get used to it." He said with a chuckle. I forced a smile and nodded.

Seconds later, a commotion rang out nearby from a group of men huddled by the bar. Their shouts pierced through the background music and usual bar clatter. The entire room tensed.

Blake's hold on my hand immediately tightened and at the same time, I felt Anakin press against me from behind. He put his hand on my hip, pulled me away from the men and back into him protectively. Causing me to slip from Blake's grasp.

My breath hitched in my throat at the feeling of being enveloped by Anakin, and I couldn't deny the butterflies that tickled my chest at the feeling of his strong grip on my hip. Blake noticed I was jerked away from him, so he turned with a concerned expression that faltered once he saw who had pulled me away.

It all happened so quickly, and just seconds later it was revealed that the angry-sounding shouts from the men were actually just them laughing and giving each other a hard time. There was a collective exhale.

"They have a table over this way." Blake said, eyeing Anakin's hand on me before lifting his gaze up to mine and smiling tightly. He nodded his head in the direction of his friends who were waving at us from a table towards the back.

"Cool." I managed to choke out with an equally forced smile. Blake nodded and motioned for me to follow him before turning back around.

"I don't like this." Anakin whispered in a clipped tone, still holding onto me. His breath danced across the skin on my neck and made me shiver.

"You're overacting." I said in a firm voice, pulling away from him to follow Blake. Cringing internally because I already missed the feeling of being close to him. But I kept pressing forward.

We wove through the crowd and finally made it to where Blake's friends were seated. They quickly made room for us, and I took a seat on the booth across from Blake as Anakin slid in next to me. A few of Blake's friends shot Anakin intrigued looks but didn't ask any questions.

The conversation immediately centered on Reed's victory, who sat next to Blake, clutching a large, golden bottle with a woozy look. I chuckled softly at the sight of him, he clearly had been indulging in the celebration. Blake's eyes met mine and we exchanged a knowing look as he nudged his friend with his shoulder.

"Griz said I drink for free tonight." Reed slurred, swiveling is head in Blake's direction.

"I can see that." Blake said with a laugh, grabbing the bottle from his friend and taking a swig himself.

I saw Anakin shift forward in my peripheral vision, suddenly interested in the conversation.

"Congrats on the win, Reed. You deserve it." I said, shooting a warm smile towards to clearly inebriated racer.

"Thanks, darlin'. Glad Blake brought you along to witness it." he said with a wink, snatching the bottle back from Blake mid-drink, causing the liquid to spill all over his chin. Reed then filled an empty glass that sat in front of me.

"Woah, easy there." Blake said with a laugh. He pulled up the sleeve of his t-shirt and used it to wipe at his face.

"Interesting tattoo you've got there, Blake." Anakin then said, eyeing the tattoo that was now exposed on Blake's arm. It was the first time he had spoken since we sat down. I turned my head in his direction. His hood still covered most of his features, but I could see his eyes staring Blake down with an expression I couldn't quite read.

Blake froze, his eyes snapping up to meet Anakin's. They held each other's gaze for a few seconds before Blake cleared his throat and pulled his sleeve back down.

I gently tipped my head to the side, looking between them. I felt like I was missing something here.

"It's old and meaningless." Blake said in a firm voice, his jaw set in determination.

Anakin sat back casually, a smirk playing across his lips. "I don't know...a tattoo like that typically means something very specific." He said in a voice that feigned innocence.

Blake remained still; eyes locked on Anakin. A clear tension hung between them.

"Okay...guys..." I said softly, laughing awkwardly in an attempt to ease the tension. I placed a hand on Anakin's arm next to me and gave him a warning squeeze. He was clearly antagonizing Blake, and I wasn't going to allow that to happen. The last thing I wanted was an altercation.

However, this interaction has piqued my interest. I'd have to ask Blake more about his tattoo at a later time.

"Hm..." Anakin mused, "Perhaps I'm mistaken." He casually lifted the same arm I had just squeezed and nonchalantly laid is behind me across the back of the booth.

Blake's jaw clenched and he exhaled slowly through his nose. Anakin clearly had managed to get under his skin with the tattoo comment. And Anakin's cocky expression told me he knew that too.

"So, when's the next race?" I asked the first thing that popped into my mind that would change the subject.

"Not sure we'd want to discuss that in front of a fucking republic errand boy." Blake said in a low voice, shooting Anakin a defiant look.

Oh no.

"Hey, I don't thi-" I began in a hurried voice, trying to catch Blake's gaze.

"Brave little mechanic." Anakin taunted, cutting me off with a dark laugh. He then brought his hand that was hovering over me onto my shoulder, gently rubbing the skin with his gloved fingers. His contact left tingles in its wake, but I quickly leaned forward. I wasn't going to be a pawn used to piss off Blake.

"Must be hard seeing her choose to spend her time with a little mechanic, huh?" Blake asked, a harsh smirk pulling at his lips.

I felt a knot in my stomach form. I don't know what I expected, but I had hoped it wouldn't be this.

"Kels is free to do as she pleases." Anakin said with a tight-lipped smile, but I could feel his muscles tense next to me.

"Right." Blake said with a scoff. "Because you clearly fucked things up with her."

"Blake." I warned in a sharp voice. I appreciated his attempt to stand up for me. But this was the last thing I wanted to be discussing. Up to this point, I hadn't told Blake about what happened between Anakin and I. It felt too sacred to talk about. But I was sure he had been able to put together some of the pieces.

Blake sat back, muttering something as he reached into his pocket for the pack of cigarettes.

"Didn't quite hear you there." Anakin said with a fleeting smile before his expression went dark, "Speak up."

Blake chuckled and angrily pressed a cigarette between his lips before quickly lighting it. He inhaled deeply and as he exhaled a cloud of smoke, he leaned forward.

"I said," He began in a clear voice. "Arrogant fucking asshole." He annunciated each word.

"Yeah, that's what I thought you said." Anakin said in a scarily calm voice. He then flicked his hand ever so slightly and the glowing ember at the end of Blake's cigarette tumbled down onto Blake's bare arm, pressing unnaturally into his skin. He swore and hissed through his teeth as he quickly batted the ash away. This caught the attention of a few of Blake's friends who were sitting next to us.

"Anakin!" I exclaimed and swatted him on the arm before jumping forward towards Blake. Fueled by guilt, I crouched down and grabbed his arm, cringing when I saw an angry-looking red mark left behind.

"Really is a dangerous habit, smoking." I heard Anakin say from behind me. Blake shot daggers in his direction, but I ignored him.

"I'm sorry." I mumbled, gently grazing Blake's skin around his burn. "He's being incredibly rude." I shot Anakin a dirty look over my shoulder. He met me with a cold stare.

"There is absolutely nothing you need to apologize for." Blake muttered, his eyes watching my fingers on his forearm.

"He's just...He hasn't slept in a few days." I said softly, biting my lip. My instinct was to defend Anakin despite his clearly petty, uncalled for behavior.

"Please don't make excuses for him, Kels." Blake pleaded softly. I looked up and saw that same sense of yearning in his eyes that I had seen before.

"I-I'm sor-" I began but was cut off when I saw a large, silver-ringed hand clasp Blake's shoulder. We both looked up in the direction of the hand. It was attached to a large Nikto man who was looking down at us.

"Is there a problem here, Blake?" The man asked in a rough voice. I noticed that the rest of Blake's crew stopped chatting and were all now looking at the man.

"No, sir." Blake said in a tight voice, shaking his head firmly.

"Hello, Griz." I then heard Anakin say in a sarcastically sweet voice. Now everyone's heads snapped in his direction. Despite his hood still being drawn over his head, he was looking straight at the Nikto man, giving a clear view of his face which held a sly smile.

There was a heavy silence between Anakin and the Nikto man, or should I say Griz. And as my heartbeat picked up, I was struck by the urge to go to Anakin. But I stayed still.

Griz tiled his head to the side in curiosity, crossing his arms as he observed a seated Anakin. And then suddenly, realization washed over his features.

"We don't want any trouble, Skywalker." Griz then said, holding his hands up in surrender. I heard whispers break out at the mention of Anakin's infamous last name.

"Relax," Anakin said with sharp scoff before leaning back against the booth. "I'm off duty. Won't be taking a look at that illegal gambling ring you've got going on in the back room." He said with a wink.

Griz gave him a hard look which Anakin held. And finally with a sigh, Griz nodded but brought his hand down to visibly squeeze Blake's shoulder again. I saw Blake's jaw tighten, but he remained still.

"You should join me for a drink at the bar, it's on the house." Griz then said.

Anakin studied the Nikto man's face before shrugging himself. "You know what...why not?" he then said and gracefully stood from his seated position. His hand gently brushed my shoulder as he walked past me and followed Griz to the bar.

Once the two were out of earshot, the table burst into frenzied conversation.

"Okay, who the fuck invited a Jedi?" Reed said, his voice cutting across the noise with a hiccup. 

All eyes landed on me, and I felt my cheeks began to heat up. I opened my mouth to profusely apologize, but Blake squeezed my hand and cut me off.

"I did." He admitted. He was then hit with a flurry of questions all demanding why he would do that. He held up his hands and cringed in response. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It was a bad move, I know." He conceded.

"Well, tell him to fucking leave." Reed then demanded, shooting his hand out in the direction Anakin went with Griz.

Blake took a deep breath and then his gaze landed on my face. "You know what, gladly." He said and quickly stood up before I could get a word out to stop him. 

Standing up quickly, I watched Blake walk towards Anakin who was speaking with Griz at the bar with purpose. I took a step forward to follow him but then thought better of it. 

I don't want to be involved.

So instead, I resumed my seat in the booth and let out a shaky exhale. I tore my eyes away from what was sure to be an impending disaster and focused on Blake's friends. Most had returned to their conversations, but I could feel Reed's eyes on me. When I met his gaze, he tilted his head to the side and let out another hiccup.

"So," I said, cutting through the awkward silence, "what the deal with the anti-Jedi stuff?" I asked him, genuinely curious. I thought everyone saw them as the galaxy's protectors.

"Are you serious?" He asked in disbelief.

"Um, yeah? Doesn't everyone love the Jedi?" I asked in a hesitant voice, feeling the heat creep back into my cheeks.

"Girl..." Reed began with a hearty laugh. "Where do you live?"

"The temple..." I replied, my face twisting in confusion.

"Wait, are you a Jedi?" He then asked, quickly recoiling from me.

"No, no!" I said quickly. "I'm just a chef...a no one really."

"Hmm," Reed said, considering my response before he shrugged and continued speaking, "The Jedi council and the senate doesn't give a shit about anyone or anything below the surface of the city. But living in the temple, you wouldn't know that."

"Yeah, if I have to hear one more senator sitting pretty up in their penthouse praising democracy and the Jedi while their own people starve and struggle to make a single fucking credit, I'm going to lose it." The man next to Reed chimed in.

"Propaganda bullshit. They're trying to convince us this war is a good idea." The girl next to me added with an eye roll.

"The taxes and inflation imposed by the senate have made it impossible to find work. And when we resort to other ways to make money, they send the Jedi after us." Reed said with a deep sigh, gently fiddling with the gold medal around his neck.

I bit my lip and felt my shoulders slump. I felt guilty for being so ignorant towards the plight of the regular citizen of Coruscant. People who, in reality, are just like me. Another reason why I needed to get out of the temple more often.

"That's horribly unfair." I said in a soft voice.

"You're telling me, sweetheart..." Reed said, giving me a smile that didn't quite mask the sadness in his eyes as he took another swig from the bottle in front of him. "But enough of politics tonight. I'm here to celebrate!" He called out, earning a round of cheers from the rest of the table.

With a smile, I grabbed my glass and held it up in cheers before downing the rest of the drink. I sat quietly for the next few minutes, listening to Blake's friends toss stories around and give each other shit.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed until I heard a commotion coming from the bar. Dread filled my stomach and when I snapped my head in the direction of the outburst, my suspicions were confirmed.

Anakin held the collar of Blake's shirt tightly in his metal grasp and swung him around so that his back slammed into the bar, flinging a row of drinks onto the floor with a loud crash. A woman sat next to them shrieked and scurried away from the scene, drawing the attention of the nearby patrons. Immediately, I was on my feet and rushing over to them.

"Watch your fucking mouth when you talk about her." I heard Anakin seethe once I was close enough to make out their conversation. Even from here, I could sense the rage laced in every word.

"Oh, don't act like you care now." Blake shot back. "Where the fuck were you when she was a gods damned mess months ago, huh?" He said with a furious expression as he brought his hands up to push Anakin away, hard. Anakin took a steadying step backwards at the force but didn't let go of Blake.

"You have no idea what you're talking about." Anakin growled.

"Anakin!" I exclaimed, skidding to a stop once I had reached them. "Let him go!"

They both didn't acknowledge my presence.

"You don't give a shit about her." Blake spat, a dark chuckle rising from his throat. "You don't give a shit about anyone in this room. You only care about keeping senators cozy in their surface apartments and appeasing greedy war lords."

The fire in Anakin's eyes surged and I could almost feel the heat form here. His hands then crept up to Blake's neck and I watch in horror as his fingers quickly encircled his neck.

"Mind your fucking tongue, mechanic." Anakin said in a tone that even scared me. Blake's eyes went wide, and he brought a hand up to pull on Anakin's unmovable grip.

I had to do something, so I lunged forward and grabbed onto Anakin's arm. His eyes momentarily flicked towards me. "Stop, Anakin. Right now." I demanded in desperate tone.

The muscle in Anakin's tensed jaw flickered and with a frustrated exhale, he threw Blake from his grip. Blake stumbled away, grabbing a nearby barstool to steady himself.

"Are you okay?" I asked him in a shaky voice, turning my back to Anakin.

"Kels-" I heard Anakin say softly from behind me.

"You need to leave, Anakin." I said spinning around to face him. His eyes widened ever so slightly at the clear anger written across my expression. 

"Yes, go back to serving your precious senate you fucking slave." Blake shouted in a hoarse voice; his fingers splayed across his neck.

As soon as the word slave left Blake's mouth, I froze before slowly turning to face him. Blake had managed to hit on the one thing that could possibly enrage Anakin more than anything. And I couldn't deny the flash of anger that also went through my body. I took a step back from Blake and gave him an incredulous look.

Anakin absolutely radiated with furry behind me. And by the hint of panic that appeared on Blake's face, I could tell Anakin was eyeing him like an apex predator sizing up his pray.

"Say that again. I dare you." Anakin said in a menacingly low voice. Blake swallowed hard but stood straight and squared his shoulders. I gave him a pleading look and shook my head, begging him to just shut up.

"You are a slave." Blake doubled down with a sneer.

And before I even could register what was happening, I was pushed to the side and Anakin was on Blake with incredible speed. He brought his flesh fist up and slammed it across Blake's face. There was a sickening crunch and blood immediately began to gush from Blake's nose.

Blake groaned in pain but made his best attempt to shove Anakin off of him. When Anakin brought his arm up again, I lunged for it. I managed to grab it before he was able to do any further damage and used all my strength to pull him away, knocking him off balance.

"Anakin, please. Stop!" I begged him, trying to stop my eyes from watering. He snapped his head in my direction and took in my horrified expression. His fiery gaze softened slightly and he stepped away from Blake, instead focusing on me as he brought his hands up to grasp my arms.

"Never, ever try to break up a fight, Kels." He said in a serious voice as if he only just now realized how close I had been to his flying fist.

"What?" I asked in disbelief. Was he really trying to lecture me on safety right now? "This is hardly the tim-"

"You are fucking insane." I heard Blake shout. I didn't finish my thought and spun my head in his direction and saw him holding up his hand to try to catch some of the blood pouring from his face. He took a wobbly step forward and immediately one of his friends intercepted him.

"Not a good idea, man." I heard his friend mutter as Blake spat blood onto the ground.

"We have a no fighting rule, Skywalker. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Griz then appeared from around the bar, giving Anakin a wavering look. "Both of you." His eyes then narrowed on me.

I could feel Anakin tense up, and before he could say anything to make this situation even worse, I cut him off.

"Okay, okay. We'll go." I said quickly, taking a step towards the door and pulling the irate Jedi with me. "Right, Anakin?" I asked him, giving him an imploring expression. "Please?" I then added in a shaky whisper only he could hear.

He gave me a hard look but eventually nodded, allowing me to continue pulling him through the crowd and to the door.

"Kels?" I heard Blake call out in a strained voice. I looked over my shoulder and saw him looking at me with a wrecked expression. The guilt squeezed my gut.  But first and foremost, I needed to get Anakin out of here.

"I'll come by your uncle's place later, okay?" I said to him, trying to keep my voice steady. I knew in this moment I needed to placate him to avoid any more drama. He sighed deeply but nodded before one of his friends approached him with a bag of ice and forced him to turn away from me.

I took that as my cue to finally get out of here. Anakin allowed me to pull him out of the cantina and then it was just the two of us, alone on a dingy city street.

And even though I should be mad at him, the only thing I wanted to do was pull him close.

So, I decided fuck it, and threw my arms around his neck.