sith_happened | Office hours [all day]

"Rory," Anakin said, trying to get her to meet his eyes. "Rory, look at me."

She raised her eyes from her feet to his eyes somewhat reluctantly.

He reached out and ran his thumb over the knuckles of her hand. "I was a Jedi," he said. "And after the war began, there wasn't a lot of room for negotiation. We led armies into combat and our enemies were doing their very best to try to kill us all. I got hurt, yes, but I was one of the lucky ones, Rory. The Temple echoed by the end of it."

Rory swallowed, looking down at her hand. "I just don't like it, that's all. I don't like fighting and I don't like people I care about getting hurt and I don't care if that's what war is. Doesn't mean I have to like it, even if it was decades ago for you."

Anakin gave her hand a squeeze. "I know," he said softly. "I won't talk about it if that makes it better for you."

"No, by all means, talk," she said, ignoring the way her body was reacting to his hand holding hers. She was going to date normal boys, and he was just a friend who was consoling her because she was being hysterical. "Just don't expect me to be all Aeryn and calm about it."

"I wouldn't," Anakin said, not making a move to let her hand go and trying valiantly to ignore the evil little voice in his head that was telling him to give Rory a hug. "You're you and you didn't grow up with this kind of experience being normal."

"But I've been here a year and a half," she said softly. "This should be normal to me. People getting shot, friends getting kidnapped, and so on."

Anakin's other hand had snuck up to hold Rory's other hand. "It shouldn't be normal for you," he said, pulling her a little closer. Master of the mixed signals. "I'll bet money no one gets kidnapped at Yale."

"God I hope not," she murmured. "Let's hope there aren't vampires or anything, either."

Yes, she still had a few issues from that. Funny how all of this had sort of made them resurface.

Both of Anakin's thumbs were running over Rory's knuckles now, trying to calm her down a bit. "If there are, I'll fix that for you," he promised. "None of them will be Angel's relatives this time."

"I have my own stake," she reminded him, closing her eyes and ignoring the voice that was telling her to keep her resolve.

"I know you do," Anakin said, "But you're not going after these hypothetical vampires on your own."

"I'm a big girl and don't need people defending me from things just because I'm scared of them," she said quietly. "I have to grow up about this sometime."

Anakin's grip on her hands tightened. "I've written the book on foolhardy," he said, "and going after a deadly, armed enemy who's stronger than you are on your own? Isn't just a little bit stupid."

Anakin? Getting overdefensive about a completely made up threat because it might hurt Rory?

Naturally. It's Anakin.

Rory raised her eyebrow. "And you're one to lecture on this point."

Anakin met her eyes squarely. "I'm exactly the one to lecture on this point. I've done all the stupid things so you don't have to."

"I'm so glad you've seen fit to decide what I should experience," she said, frowning.

Anakin released her hands. "My mistake," he said coolly. "I didn't realize being killed was on your list of freshman must-dos."

"I'll never learn to do anything if I always have people trying to do everything for me," she replied, frustrated more at the sudden lack of contact than anything else. "If it's not you protecting me, it's someone else, and you know what? I can shoot things now. I can use a stake. I can plot things out and I'm a pretty good strategist. I'm not a little girl who needs to be watched over. Which isn't to say I'm dumb enough to not want backup or that I'm not intensely bothered by conflict, but I'm trying to show people I'm a damn adult and no one is letting me."

Anakin was suddenly--and not very pleasantly--reminded of a similar rant he'd given Padmé a million years ago.

Suddenly he felt very old.

He moved further back in his chair and gave her look.

"By all means, yell about it," he said. "That's terribly adult."

"I wasn't yelling," she replied. "And honestly, are you one to talk to me about the volume of my voice? Really?"

"Whining about how mature you are isn't going to impress anyone," he replied flatly. "Believe me. I tried it."

"Then stop treating me like a baby, because I haven't had to bring it up except when I've felt like I'm being treated like some helpless little girl," she replied, crossing her arms.

"I took you to the clinic last week because one of our best friends used you as a punching bag," Anakin said softly, staring at the floor. "I'm sorry, but protecting you is always going to be part of who I am. I don't think you're helpless. I know there are scary parts to the universe that won't respond to coffee or witty banter."

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes

Re: Visit Anakin after classes