Another one! Let me know what you think :) 

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When we arrived back to Coruscant, my heart felt heavy.

With each passing moment as we approached our home, Anakin grew more distant. I could feel him keeping an eye on me, making sure I was okay after the whole ordeal. But as the days passed, his jokes, his touches, his smiles became fewer and far in between. And he didn't sleep a wink. As if he was transitioning back to the somber war general most people knew him to be. I already missed the spirited, attentive man I had grown accustomed to.

Once we had landed back in the temple's ship bay, the four of us stood at the ready waiting for the ramp to open so we could descend back onto temple ground. Not even seconds after the ramp touched down onto the floor below, Anakin strode forward. However not before allowing his hand to brush against mine gently as he passed by, sending tingles up and down my arm. I watched as he subtly shook out the flesh hand that had made contact with mine. But he didn't turn around to say anything to the rest of us. I stood there with a small frown, watching him disappear into the depths of the temple.

"Oh, the angst is palpable." I heard Ahsoka say sarcastically from next to me. Her eyes were also following her master with a smirk as she nudged me with her shoulder. "He tends to get like this when we come back to the temple. Don't worry."

Obi-Wan then approached and placed a large hand on my shoulder. "Well, I suppose this is it, Kels. Thank you again for your help. We could not have done it without you." He said with a smile that caused the skin around his eyes to crinkle.

"Thank you." I replied, returning his warm smile. "Hopefully....it won't be the last time." I added in a hesitant voice. Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow, giving me a look that neither confirmed nor denied my optimism. I saw Ahsoka smirk from the corner of my eye as she looked at Obi-Wan with a knowing expression.

"Well, I am certain this will not be the last time we cross paths." He said with a wink. "Now, if you'll excuse me, there is much to discuss with the council." The warmth in his features dropped. I knew it was due to the unsavory allegations against the banking federation. He then gestured towards Ahsoka, beckoning for her to follow him.

"Bye, Kels! See you around." She chirped with a quick smile and two finger salute. I chuckled and returned the gesture.

"Bye...good luck." I called after them softly, feeling my heart sink as they walked away. On to the next adventure.

Meanwhile, I had nowhere to be.

I slowly descended the ramp, watching Obi-Wan and Ahsoka disappear in the same direction Anakin went. With a deep sigh, I scanned the room. Various temple guards were milling about, directing incoming and outgoing ships. I noticed a group of senators discussing in the corner, waiting for a silver ship next to them to fuel. Business as usual.

With nowhere else really to go, I decided to head back to my living quarters. When
I eventually made it my room, I tossed my bag on a vacant chair and looked around. It was as if I had never left. There was even still the pile of clothes on my bed from when I frantically tried to pack. I sighed to myself, realizing I hardly even wore anything I had crammed into my bag. I'd have to figure out a way to return the clothing Ahsoka had given me back to her.

I sat down on my bed, gnawing at the inside of my cheek as I considered what to do now. It felt strange to just carry on as usual after the past few days. Doing so would almost make it feel like none of it ever happened. Like I had imagined it. A figment of my darkest nightmares and brightest dreams.

I flopped backwards on my bed and turned my head to the side to glance at the clock. The dinner shift in the kitchen must be just wrapping up. I wouldn't be much help today; I'd go back to work tomorrow.

I wondered what Anakin might be doing right now. My heart lurched at the thought of him. Maybe I could go find him? Shaking my head softly, I banished that thought. What was I going to do, barge in on a council meeting? Venture into the private halls of the temple and knock on his bedroom door? I didn't even know where it was.

Realizing the best and only thing I could do for the night was stay put, I tried to distract myself with listening to music and scrolling the holonet. And eventually, the events of the past few days caught up to me and I fell asleep.

However, it wasn't exactly a restful sleep. I was haunted by flashbacks of Rayme holding a blaster to my head, the feeling of falling to my death, and the twisted faces of Rayme's men checking me out like a piece of meat. But eventually, the memories were pushed to the side as the recollection of kissing Anakin eased my nightmare-induced anxiety. The warm, gentle sensation of his lips...how they seemed to be drawn to mine like a magnet. It was enough to allow for an hour or two of peaceful sleep.

When my alarm went off the next morning, I rolled onto my back with a groan. My eyes burned with exhaustion as I slowly opened them. The morning light was pouring into my room, and I realized I had fallen asleep still fully clothed. Shutting off my alarm, I forced myself to sit up as I rubbed my tired eyes.

Not allowing myself to collapse back into bed, I dragged myself over to the bathroom. I gingerly removed the bandage from my eyebrow and was delighted to see the bacta patch had worked wonders. The wound had closed and all that remained was an angry looking pink line. My lip had even healed significantly thanks to Anakin's care.

A shower was very much needed. So, I hopped into the water and allowed for the warm stream to soothe my sore muscles. It felt incredible. Although the bathroom in the casino was beautiful, there really is nothing like your own shower. Humming softly to myself I massaged my favorite honey-scented shampoo into my hair and then proceeded to cover my entire body in jasmine-scented suds. I exited the shower feeling like a new person.

I quickly got ready for the day and exited my room. With each step I took towards the kitchen, I felt my spirit dim. This wasn't the place I wanted to be, but I guess it was the place I belonged. When the door slid open to reveal the familiar sight, I made my way over to my usual station. However, it was occupied by Rala.

"Rala, hey!" I said, a genuine smile forming as I approached her. She quickly spun around, holding tight to the knife in her hand. She looked at me with wide eyes and I noticed flour dusted across her cheek.

"You're back!" She exclaimed, returning my smile. My eyes darted to the knife she held in her hand, she quickly took notice and set it down on the counter, shooting me an apologetic glance. I chuckled softly and shook my head.

"I am." I confirmed, slipping an apron over my neck. "How are you?"

"Oh good...just busy." She said with a soft sigh. I looked behind her and noticed all my morning produce prep had been finished. The realization then dawned on me.

"Wait...Rala, did you take over my station while I was gone?" I asked, my eyes then landing on the flour sprinkled over her clothes, "along with the baked goods?" Guilt flashed through my system. I hadn't even stopped to consider the burden I would be putting on my fellow staff members while I was out. Not only did Rala have to man her usual post baking breads and pastries, but she also had to take on my responsibilities.

"Yeah, but it was no big deal." She replied, waving her hand casually, "I just had to come in a little bit early to complete the prep."

I felt horrible. How could I be so selfish?

"Rala, I am so sorry. I didn't realize my absence would fall on your shoulders..." I confessed with a frown.

She waved off my apology. "I'm happy to help. And I knew you'd come back soon enough."

"I don't deserve you." I mumbled, shooting her a bashful smile.

"Well, that may be true." She said with a wink.

"Thank you." I said firmly, hoping she knew how much I meant it.

"Well seeing as your morning prep is finished," she said and threw a glance over her shoulder at all the work she had done, "you can join me for breakfast to make it up to me."

"Lead the way!" I replied with a grin.

Moments later, Rala and I were settled at one of the long empty tables in the dining hall. It was early enough that only a few people were milling about. We each had snagged some bread and jam from the kitchen, and I watched as Rala happily slathered a slice with butter and cloudberry preserves.

"You know I have actually grown to appreciate the early mornings." She said, taking a bite and chewing carefully. I cringed internally, wondering how early she must have been getting up the past few days to finish my tasks. "It's peaceful in here...before the morning rush. And plus, I get to have a real breakfast."

"Yeah, it's kind of nice." I hummed, looking around. There were a few temple workers wiping down tables and setting them for breakfast. In the far corner a lone Jedi sat scrolling through a holopad.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, where were you?" Rala asked hesitantly.

I paused, not sure exactly what to say. What exactly could I say? I decided to just stick to the truth. "Canto Bight." I answered. Her eyes went wide, and she set down her bread delicately into the plate in front of her.

"Wow, what were you doing there?" She asked with awe in her expression. Canto Bight has a reputation for glitz and glam across the galaxy.

I decided to continue telling the truth, however I'd choose my words carefully. "I was there for the derby. My father was a fathier trainer, he taught me a lot growing up. So, a friend needed my help."

"Sounds exciting." She said with a genuine smile. I noticed her eyes flick to the mark on my eyebrow that still hadn't completely healed.

"Well, it was, until I caught a fathier hoof to the head." I said with a casual chuckle, pointing to my injury. My first lie. I didn't like how easily it rolled off my tongue.

"Yikes." She muttered, her face scrunching in pain.

"I've had worse." I replied, waving off her concern. I was glad she wasn't around to witness my gruesome broken nose and black eye after the night at the Outlander.

She opened her mouth to reply but the words never came as I noticed her attention being drawn to something over my shoulder.

"Who is that?" She asked in a hushed tone. I turned to follow her gaze and sure enough, Anakin Skywalker had just walked into the room. My heart twisted at the sight of him. He wore his usual black robes, and I noticed his hair was still damp from the shower. However, what really captured my attention was the dark shadows beneath his eyes.

Of course, he was one of the abnormally early-risers. It now made sense why I never really saw him at breakfast service with the rest of his fellow Jedi. He strode through the hall and over to the table with light breakfast items to hold over temple residents while the kitchen was preparing a more elaborate breakfast.

"Anakin." I whispered, tearing my eyes from him and back to Rala who was still watching him. I realized this was potentially the first time Rala had ever noticed the handsome Jedi. After all she was new, and he isn't the most frequent visitor of the dining hall.

"You know him?" She asked me, shooting me an incredulous look.

"Um...not really." I replied. My second lie.

"He's gorgeous." Rala said with a smirk. I swallowed hard but nodded in agreement. It took every ounce of control to not turn around again and watch him.

"He's the temple's golden boy. One of the best Jedi there is." I explained.

"Golden boy, indeed." Rala said with a dreamy sigh, still watching him over my shoulder. I carefully observed Rala and noticed her gaze began to widen as whatever she was focusing on began to approach. "I think he's coming over." She then muttered, reaching across the table to tap my hand in excitement. And before I could respond, I felt his presence right behind me.

"Do you ladies happen to have any more brown bread back there?" I heard him ask in a smooth voice that caused the butterflies in my stomach to stir. I could practically hear his charming smile.

"Yes, of course!" Rala chirped, immediately rising from her seated position. "Let me go get that for you." And before I could protest, she was already rushing away. As soon as she was out of sight, Anakin sat down next to me.

"Hey." He said softly, dropping his overtly warm demeanor as his eyes darted across the room to make sure no one was noticing us.

"Hey" I replied in a quiet voice. His blue eyes then landed on my face, scanning my injuries.

"How did you sleep?" he asked me. I wondered if I looked as tired as he does right now. However, I didn't want to spend our few moments alone telling him about the nightmares of Canto Bight that kept me awake, or how the memory of his kiss was the only thing keeping me sane at the moment, or how I missed sleeping next to him so much it hurt.

"Fine." I said. My third lie.

"Liar." He replied, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"Just readjusting." I said with a deep sigh. His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he gave me an intense look. "You look tired." I said after a few moments of silence.

"I didn't sleep." He replied in a low voice.

"Nightmares?" I whispered gently. He gave me a tight nod and I felt my heart sink. Instinctually, I reached out for him, gently grazing my fingers across his hand that was resting on his thigh under the table. Looking up at him, I noticed the tension lines between his eyes ease up as he let out a shallow breath. He then moved his pinky ever so slightly to hook mine, anchoring my hand close to his. The gesture made my heart skip a beat.

We sat there for a few moments in comfortable silence. A quiet understanding between us that this small amount of contact was enough...for now. So, I relished the feeling of his warm, strong hand against mine. Anakin opened his mouth to say something but closed it when his eyes darted past me.

"Just pulled this out of the oven." I heard Rala's bright voice call out. Immediately Anakin jerked his hand away and stood up. I tried to keep myself from frowning.

"My lucky day." Anakin replied with a smile, his natural charisma returning. I tore my eyes away from the Jedi and watched as Rala approached. Her cheeks were flushed as she held a basket of fresh bread. She was so sweet I couldn't even be irritated with her for interrupting Anakin and I's moment...if you could call it that.

Rala stopped in front of us and held out the basket to Anakin with a smile. He then plucked a piece of brown bread from the steaming assortment.

"Thank you." He said with a quick smile. "I'll see you ladies around." And without even looking at me, he turned around and walked away. Rala let out another sigh as she watched him, and after a few moments she walked over to the small breakfast spread to drop off the rest of the bread.

"He must not have looked very hard, there's a ton of brown bread over there." Rala said with a chuckle as she returned and resumed her seat across from me.

"He must have been distracted." I replied with a shrug, trying to hide the warmth that flashed across my cheeks.

"I guess so." She agreed with a chuckle.

Rala and I continued our breakfast, chatting about what happened at the temple while I was away and commiserating over our disdain for being put on service. It felt good to have someone to talk to about silly, mundane things. However, the entire time I was acutely aware of the presence of a certain Jedi a few tables over.

The rest of the day went exactly as to be expected. I hadn't missed a beat in the kitchen and aside from Glynn inquiring about my general wellbeing, it felt as though I never left. And that feeling fucked with me. I could almost convince myself that Canto Bight was a dream, and none of that ever happened. But then my skin would tingle at the very real memory of Rayme's brutality and Anakin's gentle touch; and it would bring me back to reality, assuring me I hadn't gone crazy.

I wandered back to my room after a long day with my head in the clouds. To my dismay, I didn't see Anakin for the rest of the day. Or Obi-Wan or Ahsoka. I wondered what their next step would be given the information I secured for them. I desperately wished I could be a part of it...somehow.

But I had zero visibility into what any of them are doing. So, I continued on with my usual nighttime routine, and before I knew it, I was in bed drifting off to sleep. However, sleep never fully took over as the same violent memories played over and over in my mind. With a groan, I yanked a pillow over my head, attempting to physically snuff out the unsettling images dancing through my brain. I was reminded again of how sleep was also hard to come by after the incident at the Outlander club.

I should probably talk to someone...or at least get my hands on some sleeping pills.

I had resorted to counting sheep. I had gotten to number seventy-four when I heard a sharp knock on my door. I jumped slightly as the sound rang through the silence of my room. But quickly, I scrambled to my feet and crossed my room to the door. Hesitating for only a second, I pressed the button and slide the door open. My breath hitched when I saw Anakin standing there, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked angry.

"Why aren't you in the training room?" he asked me, stepping forward so the door could slide closed behind him.

I felt my eyes widen. Shit.

I snapped my head over in the direction of my clock and sure enough, it was a half past midnight. Shaking my head softly, I wasn't sure what to say. I had assumed that after he had missed the last few without warning before we left for Canto Bight, our training sessions had ended indefinitely.

"You still want to train me?" I asked, surprise coating my words.

"I thought we agreed. Until you can land one solid punch, we will keep going." He replied in an irritated tone. So, I guess the time I grazed his cheek didn't count.

I craned my neck back, getting a better look at the dark bags under his eyes. He looked exhausted. I was sure he hadn't slept in days.

"Anakin," I said softly, brining my hand up to gently trace my fingers over the dark shadows. His eyes fluttered shut at my touch and his crossed arms fell to the side. "You need to sleep."

Training could wait.

He let out a deep sigh and opened his eyes with a firm shake his head. But fatigue still clouded his gaze. "No. That uppercut of yours is still an issue." He argued.

Ignoring him, I grabbed his hand and began to pull him towards my bed.

"Seriously Kels, you need a lot of work." He mumbled but allowed me to guide him across the room without protest. When we finally made it to my bed, I turned towards him.

"Take this off," I demanded softly and pointed towards his Jedi robes, "and get in bed."

He gave me an unsure look. But to my surprise, he slowly shrugged off his robes leaving them to crumple in a heap on the floor. I realized he must be really desperate for sleep if he didn't put up more of a fight or even have a sassy response. Instead, he was silent, his shoulders sagging from lack of sleep as he bent down to remove his boots.

I sat down on the edge of my bed, my butterflies increasing as I watched him shed his layers of clothing. His eyes flicked over to me once he was down to just his tunic and pants. I thought back to Canto Bight and how he'd sleep shirtless with just a pair of cotton pants. I assumed that must be how he was most comfortable.

"You can take that off too." I said softly without thinking, pointing to his tunic. He shot me a warning look, but I noticed the corners of his lips twitch upwards into a smirk.

"Settle down, Remlik." He said in a cocky tone. And there is the sass I had grown to expect from him. I felt my cheeks heat.

"I didn't mean-" I stumbled over my words, the crimson in my cheeks surely intensifying. "I just know how you prefer to sleep that's all."

"Oh, so you know my preferences in bed now?" He asked, his smirk growing as he pulled his shirt over his head. I could tell he enjoyed watching me squirm.

"Shut up before I kick you out." I mumbled with an eye roll and tried not to stare at his toned torso. I had to turn my head away so he couldn't see my blazing hot skin.

Anakin scoffed, but then kept his mouth shut, not wanting to test me. As if I would ever kick him out. But I was enjoying being the one in control for once.

"Come here." I eventually said with a light chuckle, laying back onto my bed and scooting to the far end to make room for him. I watched the muscle in his jaw twitch as he eyed the open spot on the bed. His eyes then made their way back to my face, and he gave me an intense look, all signs of jest gone. With a soft smile, I gently patted the bed next to me.

He eventually obliged and lowered himself onto the mattress next to me. My bed was considerably smaller than the massive one we shared at the casino. So, his shoulder brushed against mine as he made himself comfortable. The skin-on-skin contact made me shiver but feeling him so close immediately had my eyelids growing heavy.

We laid like that in silence for a while, my mind getting hazier and hazier with sleep as the minutes passed. Until eventually, I felt Anakin shift to his side so that he was facing me. I turned my head to look at him and felt a warmth in my chest as I took in his closed eyes and slightly parted lips, allowing soft puffs of air in and out.

I would have sworn he was already asleep if I didn't then notice his arms slide towards me, interlocking around my midsection. Without even thinking, I shifted so that my back was now pressed against his chest and my head rested where his shoulder meets his arm. His hold around me tightened and I felt his face nuzzle into the back of my head, breathing deeply.

"You smell like honey." He murmured.

I smiled as the familiar warmth and safety overtook my senses. Nothing felt better than being held by Anakin.

"Go to sleep, Skywalker." I whispered softly, snuggling further into him.

And not even a minute later, we were both out cold.