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Ahsoka shivered slightly as she watched the family reunited with each other.
The Empire had been stepping up their efforts to obtain Wookie slaves recently, and whilst she couldn’t understand why, she could hinder their every attempt to do so.
“Commander?”
“How many times Rex.” She chuckled, tearing her eyes away from the scene, to look over at him, “I’m not your Commander anymore… call me Ahsoka.”
Rex looked so uncomfortable every time she asked, but then again, being literally made to be a solider would leave you with some odd hang-ups.
Like acting so formal all the time.
“I know for a fact that you haven’t eaten in a little over a day Co… Ahsoka.”
That… she had to admit was true.
“Alright Rex,” She sighed, “Lead on.”
Rex smiled and Ahsoka felt her heart flutter.
Was this love?
The warmth that she felt when Rex stood beside her?
Was that what love felt like?
When she first left the Temple, she had missed Rex most of all. She missed the times when they were younger and carefree… well, as carefree as you could be during a war.
Now she was all grown-up, with all the trauma that came with it.
And the unfortunate crushes, that she could no longer play off as Rex being the only person that she trusted at the moment.
……………………………………………………..
They had finished the meal and were heading back to the ship when Rex cautiously asked, “Did you ever think what your life would have been… without the war? Without everything that happened?”
“I would probably have become a Jedi Knight and then Master.” She had already considered this many times, “Like so many before me…. What about you?”
“We were created for war, remember?” Rex shrugged, “I simply wouldn’t exist.”
It was clear he had also thought about this.
“What if you did exist and the war didn’t happen?” She probed, “No Kaminos ruling your lives… what would you do?”
“… I don’t know.” Rex whispered, “That, I’ve never thought about.”
“Maybe you should find a hobby?” Ahsoka carefully broached the subject, “In between running around for the Resistance?”
“At the moment, freeing my brothers is my hobby.” Rex glanced over at her, opening his mouth to say something else, only to stop and look away.
With Rex looking away, Ahsoka took the time to admire him a little longer.
It was almost as though her feelings grew stronger in their time apart. She didn’t know how she was supposed to continue just being his friend, when every time he smiled, her heart skipped a beat.
She bit back her sigh and resigned herself to a life of pining.
Like Grand- Padawan like Grand-master she supposed.
Had Master Kenobi spent his nights thinking about Cody during the war? Nobody could miss the looks the pair gave each other, but had anything ever been done about it?
Probably not.
Master Kenobi was practically the definition of the perfect Jedi after all.
“We should head back to the ship.” She heard Rex sighed, breaking the slightly awkward silence between them, “Some rest will be good for us.”
Ahsoka just nodded and found herself annoyed at herself for it.
Should she say something?
Get an answer, even if it wasn’t the answer that she wanted.
No, she told herself as they headed back towards the ship, she couldn’t ruin what they had. Rex was the single most important person to her, and she wouldn’t ruin that because of her own selfishness. She shook her head a little harder than necessary, waving off Rex’s concerns when he gave her a curious look.
Their hands brushed against one another’s, and Ahsoka just knew that she was blushing ever so slightly.
Should she just go for it?
They would probably have to separate soon anyway… what difference would it make if they separated out of awkwardness?
She could do it.
She wanted to badly, needing Rex to know how she felt. After all these years, she felt like she couldn’t handle another second of it.
“You know, I don’t need the Force to know what something’s bothering you.” Rex broke the silence, giving Ahsoka a questioning glance to which Ahsoka simply shook her head, “Ahsoka, please- “
He stopped when Ahsoka turned to face him, bringing her hands up to cup his face and pulling him closer, sealing their lips together.
At first, Rex froze at the sudden move, before he was returning the kiss just as eagerly, his calloused hand resting on the back of her neck, deepening the kiss.
The tingling feeling in Ahsoka’s stomach spread throughout her body, filling her with elation, moving her hands and arms until they were wrapped around Rex.
When they finally pulled apart from one another, neither of them could stop the daft smiles from appearing on their faces.
“I love you.” Ahsoka whispered, smirking when Rex’s cheeks turned a little bit red.
“And… I love you too.”
Ahsoka gave him another peck on the lips, before pulling him into a tight hug.
……………………………………..
The rest of the walk back to the ship, the two stayed crowded close to each other, finding that they unable to separate, holding hands, linking arms, holding each other the whole walk, giddy the whole time.
Yes, they would have to separate at some point in the future.
But they had tonight.
For now, that would be enough.
“Rex?”
“Hmm?”
“… I love you.”
“I love you too.”