Summary: An AU version of how Luke discovers he has feelings for Mara

Disclaimer None of this is mine! None! The characters belong to George Lucas and Timothy Zhan.

So this is an AU L/M story. It is my idea of another way of how Luke and Mara confessed their love to each other, but with most of the focus on what Luke was feeling. It was inspired by the song "My Confession" by the amazing Josh Groban. If you have not heard it, I highly recommend it.

Ok, so enough of my rambles. Enjoy!

My Confession

Luke Skywalker was not entirely sure of when he first fell in love. One moment his life was normal, and then the next he was seeing one of his best friends in a whole new light. He wondered how he could have been so blind. The more he thought about it, the more he came to realize that he always had feelings for her. He had merely kept them suppressed because he knew she only saw him as a friend. However, he would suppress his newfound love because their friendship was something he would not jeopardize, no matter his feelings.

Yet, each time they were together, he could not help but steal quick glances at her. Over time, he began to notice things about her that he had never paid any attention to before.

He discovered that there were flecks of gold hidden in the depths of her emerald eyes. He noticed how her hair shined when the sun hit it just right and wondered if it was as soft as it looked. If he scrutinized her closely, he saw that she tended to twirl a lock of hair around a finger while she was reading. During their many arguments he watched her prop a hand on her right hip as she tried to get her point across, all the while imagining how it would feel if his hand replaced hers.

However, every time he caught himself observing these small details, he would mentally reprimand himself. No matter what he was feeling, he had to keep up the charade of friendship. If he lost her friendship, he was not sure what he would do.

But then something happened that would change their relationship forever. They had been out on a mission to bring down another ruthless crime lord. They may have been separated from the rest of their group, but they had been confident that they could handle the situation. That was before they had walked straight into an ambush, and in the few minutes of crossfire that was exchanged, Mara was shot.

As she fell to the ground, his heart seemed to stop. He did not even remember dispatching the rest of the adversaries. All he remembered was the burned flesh and the pain in her eyes. In that moment he forgot all about the mission. All that mattered was saving her. He called for help on the comm link, and then called on the Force as he tried to heal her.

Hours later, she was in a Med Center hooked up to machines and monitoring devices. It had been a very close call; the blaster bolt had missed her heart by a few inches. But according to the Medics, the odds were mostly in her favor.

"Luke, everything is going to be fine. Dr. Wyxl said your healing trance greatly improved her chances," Leia said gently, wanting to reassure her brother.

"She shouldn't have even needed the trance!" Luke protested. His eyes once again traveled to Mara's still form in the hospital bed. "I should have been paying better attention. I should have been keeping a better eye on our surroundings. I should have been able to block that shot!" He buried his face in his hands, choking back a sob.

For a moment, Leia did not know what to say; she had never seen Luke like this. But then something occurred to her that could possibly explain everything. "You love her."

Luke jerked his head up, looking at Leia with wide eyes. "I…" His eyes traveled over to Mara once more. "I do. I love her."

Leia smiled "Then tell her."

A few days later, Mara was awake and on her way to a full recovery. When Luke entered her room, she was sitting in a chair by the window watching the sun set. She was wrapped in a robe to ward off the slight chill in the room, and her hair was mussed from lying in a bed for three days. But in Luke's eyes she had never looked more beautiful.

He stopped a few paces behind her chair, knowing she was aware of his presence. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm tired and sore," Mara replied without turning around. "But I am alive."

"Thank the Force," Luke murmured softly. But he forgot just how good Mara's hearing was.

"No, it is thanks to you," she said, finally turning around. "The doctor told me that if you hadn't put me in that trance and used your own powers to help heal me, I would…" she trailed off as she swiped furiously at her eyes. "I would have died," she finished softly.

Luke was shocked to see that she was crying. Mara never cried. He went over and knelt in front of her. "Mara, what's wrong?"

"When I was…shot, there was so much pain…and then there was this light. It was one of the scariest…I thought I was going to die."

Luke placed his hand over hers, trying to provide some form of comfort. "But you pulled through."

"Because of you," Mara pointed out. "The only reason I am still here is because of you. You saved my life."

"I have saved your life before," Luke said. "Just as you have saved mine."

"I know, I know. But for some reason this feels different."

Luke looked down at the floor, his heart jumping in his chest. He knew why this situation felt different to him. It made him realize just how much he cared for Mara; how much she meant to him. He did not know what he would do without her. He realized that he no longer wanted to only be her friend. No matter the consequences, he wanted things to change between them, and he hoped it would be for the better.

He brought his gaze back up to Mara's face to find that she was starring intently at him, almost waiting for him to take the next step. It seemed that she knew what was in his head and in his heart because the same feelings were within hers. Yet, she needed to have him take the first step. For once, she needed him to be the strong one.

And he was willing to do that. For her.

He removed his hand from hers and brought it up to cup her face. "Mara, I love you."

Mara smiled as a single tear escaped from her eye. She too reached out a hand to cup Luke's face. "I love you too."