Chapter Text
The diner was nearly empty. For good reason, it was nearly 2 a.m. and any sane person would be in bed sleeping, not sitting in Dex’s with a nerf burger, staring suspiciously at the only other customer.
She hadn’t seemed to notice him yet. The girl was pouring over a textbook, scribbling notes in a binder, downing what looked to be her third coffee by the other cups littering the table. Her blue and white braids kept getting in her face and falling in her way, a sight that amused him every time it happened. She threw them over her shoulder for the third time when Anakin finally decided to join her. At the very least he could offer some company.
She paid no attention to his shuffling to discard his trash and pack up his laptop. He had stopped trying to get anything done half an hour ago anyway.
The girl (no older than fifteen or sixteen, by the looks of it) lifted her head suspiciously when he approached. Her first instinct seemed to be to find Dex, hidden away in the kitchen, still making enough noise that it was apparent he was still there. “Hey kid,” He started. “Can I sit?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“That skeptical of me?” He joked with a smile.
“You’re a strange man in an empty diner, talking to a teenage girl. So yes, I’m skeptical.” She gripped her cellphone in one hand, and upon realizing she was genuinely scared of something happening, tried to reassure her. She didn’t particularly look scared of him, though, more like she was ready to punch him in the gut at a moment’s notice.
“It’s okay, I was just gonna offer some company. And ask what you’re studying, see if I can help.” She glanced back towards where she could actually see Dex now, catching his eye once. He nodded- DId he know the man? Slowly, she moved aside her textbook to make room for him on the opposite bench. “Thanks.”
She returned to studying. “I’m Anakin. What’re you working on?”
“Ahsoka. Algebra two.” She took another gulp of coffee, probably cold and probably half sugar. If she wasn’t careful she’d be awake until the sun rose and Dex switched out with another employee. “I’m fine with everything but algebra and I have a final tomorrow.”
“A-” He looked at her with some sort of disbelief. “You have a final tomorrow, and you’re just now studying?” He was last minute, but even that was a bit much for him.
“I’ve been studying for the past week. And I still only understand a third of what I need to know.” She slammed her head into the textbook. “And I forget when I slept last,” Was muffled by the pages.
“Okay, head up, let’s get to work.” He began pulling the book out from underneath her and her head snapped up in a moment.
“What?”
“I got A’s in my algebra classes, it's not like I have anything to do. And I’m pretty sure you’re gonna have some sort of problem if you drink any more coffee.” He flipped the book around to face him. Highlighted with scribbled notes in the margins (mostly angry ones, he realized) was a section on functions.
“You’re in algebra two and you don’t understand functions?” Anakin deadpanned.
She scoffed and smacked his arm, playful or serious he couldn’t decide. “Way to make me feel good, now just help me. They don’t make sense.”
Anakin sighed and grabbed her notebook, flipping to a page near the back to begin scribbling a cheat sheet and definitions. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that textbooks give awful definitions. First thing you do is either find a kid’s explanation online, or find someone to make one for you.” He smirked. “That would be me.”
Ahsoka chuckled and leaned back in her seat, bringing her knees up to her chest and waiting for Anakin to continue.
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The sun began to rise when Ahsoka finally shut her book.
“You have just saved my grade,” She gushed, stuffing books in her orange and white backpack that reminded Anakin of a traffic cone. “I could actually pass tenth grade.”
“So you’re fifteen?” He asked out of curiosity.
Ahsoka didn’t spare him a glance. “If you want to not look like a creep, maybe don’t ask teenage girls for their age. And no, I’m fourteen.”
“You skipped a grade?”
“Started early. I turn fifteen in the fall.” She rose from her seat. “Now it’s just to pretend like I haven’t been up all night,” She said, dumping her trash and heading for the door. People already began walking down the sidewalks at the early hour of five a.m.
“Well then, good luck today, kid.” Anakin clapped a hand to her shoulder and started walking in the opposite direction, towards home where he’d have to explain to Padme why he was out so late- no, early.
“Thanks for your help!” She yelled, running towards downtown.
Anakin chuckled. She was an interesting kid, that was for sure. At least he knew she could handle functions now. And who knows? Maybe someday he’d meet her there again. Another midnight study session, perhaps, or an opportunity for her to meet Padme. He had a feeling they’d get along well.
As luck would have it, no more than a week later, she sat at the same booth at ten o’clock, pouring over another textbook.
Anakin smiled and prepared for another long night.