#( . I HAVE NO LIGHTSIDE!ANAKIN ICONS OML ???

[skysaunter]

@tapalslegacy 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 :: “Dad, what does love feel like?”

              𝚂𝙺𝚈𝚆𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝚁’𝚂  𝚃𝙷𝙾𝚄𝙶𝙷𝚃𝚂  𝙷𝙰𝙻𝚃𝙴𝙳  𝙰𝙱𝚁𝚄𝙿𝚃𝙻𝚈 ,  his heart skipping a beat as a sudden surge of panic lanced through his chest.  blue eyes shot up, snapping from the assortment of outer-rim delicacies laid before them to sweep across the temple gardens — silent, still, and empty.   𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐄.   yes, they were still alone.   relief washed over him, but the reprieve was thin, fleeting.

         ❝cal. . .❞   the jedi knight’s voice was low, an amalgamation of warning and affection, but the weight behind it was unmistakable.  ❝you know what i said about calling me that.❞  despite the edge of reprimand, a warm, frightening softness spread through him.     dad.     the single syllable resonated deeply, a secret joy, even in its danger.  he exhaled slowly, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the garden once more.  ❝what if someone heard?❞

the thought gnawed at him.       the consequences were unthinkable.   the rare moments he could steal away from the front lines to visit cal—those precious intervals of peace—would vanish.  it wasn’t just the time that was at risk, but something far darker.

anakin didn’t dare imagine what might happen if someone overheard.  he couldn’t.  the alternatives were too grim.  one misstep, one careless word, and everything could unravel.  it wouldn’t end well.

      not for cal.  not for him.  not for anyone.

because if there was one fragile, unwavering tether holding anakin skywalker to the light, it was cal kestis.  the boy he had pulled from the brink of death, whose very existence now served as a bulwark against the creeping shadows festering in his own heart.   cal was more than a beacon; he was a 𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘.  in the unrelenting darkness of the clone wars, cal’s presence was a bright flame that could quiet the insidious whispers in his mind, the only thing that could still the rising tide threatening to pull him under.

anakin set down his utensil with deliberate slowness, his thoughts still simmering as he turned to cal.   ❝love is. . .❞  he paused, wrapping a hand around his chin, the words coming as if dredged from a place deeper than he expected.  ❝it’s everything at once—the best and the worst.  it’s warmth, safety, happiness. . . but it’s also scary.  because once you have it, you’ll do anything not to lose it.  and that’s the hard part—it’s a responsibility.  but when it’s worth it, you’ll fight for it.  even when it’s terrifying.❞