DISCLAIMER: I don't own Star Wars, Anakin, Obi Wan, or Ferus Olin. However, I do own Emilia Jenner and Tesoro Wei.
I've known the one and only "Chosen One" Anakin Skywalker since I was nine, almost ten; he was ten, almost eleven. We were both Padawan Learners at the Jedi Temple, and I met him the very first day when he stood by himself when we were doing lightsaber practices. I went up and introduced myself. "Hi, my name's Emilia," I said to him. "What's your name?"
"I'm Anakin," he said. I shook his hand and we were best friends since then. My master, Tesoro Wei, was the cousin of Anakin's master, Obi Wan Kenobi.
What was so special about Anakin and I's relationship was that we had the same birthday. He was exactly one year older than me, which I used to think was pretty cool.
Last month I turned nineteen, and he turned twenty. He couldn't stop babbling about this Senator he's so in love with. He's been talking about her since he was ten, but now since she's on Coruscant Anakin's gone crazy.
"Relax Ani," I said. "You haven't seen her for ten years."
"I know," Anakin said. "But…she's just special."
I developed a teensy weensy crush on Anakin when I was fourteen, after Anakin stood up for me and sort of punched a teenage guy on the streets who tried to pickpocket me when we were walking down to a diner on Coruscant. Thank goodness Obi Wan and Tesoro said they would "meet us there" otherwise we would have been punished for losing control of our anger.
Now, Anakin and I were sitting on the couch in his quarters going over the facts of the mission on Corellia that Jenner and Obi Wan just came back from. And of course, Senator Amidala comes into the conversation. I've learned to put up with it since I was TEN, but I get really fed up with him about it sometimes.
"You're not going to see her for like another month, Ani," I assured.
I was the only one who Anakin allowed to call him Ani. He hated it at first, but he learned to put up with it after awhile.
"I'm going to wash up before Tesoro and Obi Wan come with Ferus Olin," I said, standing up.
Anakin groaned. "Why does Ferus Olin have to come?"
"Because," I said quickly. "He's a strong Jedi."
I went into the bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror. Pale blonde ringlets, twin cobalt blue eyes, and glowing pale skin (which I hated…why couldn't I have a light tan like Anakin?).
I splashed water on my face and brushed a comb through my thick my bouncy curls. I tied them into a braid down my back and smoothened out my Jedi robes as I heard Obi Wan, Jenner, and Ferus enter.
I walked out of the bathroom. "Hi," I said shyly to Ferus. "I'm Emilia Jenner."
Anakin smirked and rolled his eyes.
"Nice to meet you," Ferus said smoothly. "I'm Ferus Olin."
"I'm Anakin, by the way," Anakin said sarcastically, "if anyone cares."
"So we came to discuss the case on Corellia, did we not?" Tesoro reminded us, brushing a piece of his dark hair behind his ear.
We all sat around Anakin's coffee table and discussed notes.
After a long, hard, few hours of babbling on and on about the mission, we finally wrapped up the note swapping. "I'm heading down to Tabari's tonight to investigate around that area. Anyone care to join me?" Ferus asked.
"Sure," I said.
"I guess I will, since I don't have a choice," Anakin said.
Tabari's was a really good bar/nightclub. I've only gone there once for a rowdy engagement party for my good friend.
Three hours later, Anakin and I washed up to go to Tabari's. It was late at night, and the club was way downtown where all the bars were.
Tabari's was a one-level bar, with a huge circular bar in the middle, and neon-tiled dance floors surrounding them. All across the walls were flat screens viewing Podraces, holonet news, and other wild galactic sports. The disco balls across the room glittered with shimmering colorful lights.
"So remind me why we're here again?" Anakin groaned.
"Bounty hunters," Ferus replied, sliding onto a barstool. "This particular bar has had fourteen bar fights in the past two months, and nine of them have injured, one of them took a life. So since I just back from a big mission, the Council is cutting me some slack and giving me a simple case."
I smiled like an idiot. Ferus was kind of cute, you know? Even though we're both Jedi, and we couldn't be together even if Ferus WOULD like me which would be pretty impossible, there's no reason I couldn't think he's cute. I don't crush on guys easily. I've known Ferus for 3 years, even though we've only met twice not including the time this afternoon. And I love Anakin. I don't crush on him. I don't have a giggly, stupid, flimsy schoolgirl crush on Anakin, I love him. And he will never know…which hurts me. But I've learned to put up with it. I've loved him for four years, since I was fifteen.
I've been best friends with Anakin since I was almost ten. We've done sparring thousands of times together. We've shared memories together. We've played hide and seek in the rooftop gardens before. We've studied the planets together.
"You're smiling a little too much," Anakin whispered in my ear. I thwacked him on the shoulder.
"You guys drink?" Ferus asked us.
"Nope," Anakin replied. "Emilia couldn't drink for her life."
"Please," I said to Anakin. "I could drink black Vespucci if I wanted to?"
The bartender chuckled and filled a shot cup of black Vespucci, an apparently strong vodka drink…nothing I couldn't handle.
I took the shot cup and stared down into it. It was thick, black, and looked a little gritty. Yuck. It reeked of alcohol that almost intoxicated me just from the scent.
"Here goes," I moaned regretfully. I swallowed it quickly.
It tasted horrid. Its pungent taste bit at my throat and felt like a razor just slit my neck open. Its tangy aftertaste suffocated me with overpowering bitter intoxication.
I gagged on it. Anakin burst out laughing.
"Let's see you try it," I rasped ruefully.
The burning Vespucci had a negative effect on me. My eyelids felt like huge weights, and everything within eyesight started to get all fuzzy. I'm not going to lie, all of the alcohol I've ever drunken before this was light Athenian wine, and this was the first time alcohol had taken a negative toll for me.
"Anakin, I can't see anything," I said, my vision shifting between blurry and black-and-white, making me dizzy.
"Oh boy," Anakin said. "I'll walk you home, Emi."
I stumbled off of my barstool and teetered on my feet.
I hardly noticed when Anakin scooped me up and carried me out of Tabari's.
Anakin waved to Ferus and said, "Thanks for inviting us Ferus, we have to go now!"
No P.O.V.
It's not often you see a strong, tall Jedi carrying a fair-haired, beautiful, intoxicated Jedi bridal-style into the Jedi Temple.
Luckily, it was late enough at the Jedi Temple that most of the Jedi were in their quarters or at a meeting, so Anakin and Emilia slipped in unnoticed.
Tesoro and Obi Wan were visiting Tesoro's father, who was Obi Wan's uncle, who was on Coruscant for a few days, so Emilia had the quarters to herself for the night.
Emilia squirmed out of Anakin's arms when he tried to lay her down in her bed. "I'm not tired, Ani," she whined.
"You need to rest," Anakin persisted.
"No," Emilia pouted.
She stood up and started to teeter.
Anakin caught her and pulled her back upright.
Emilia, still intoxicated, tilted up to her tiptoes and brushed her lips against Anakin's.
Anakin was surprised. "Emilia, you are REALLY drunk—"
Emilia kissed him again, gently, but passionately.
This time, Anakin kissed back.
Emilia put her hands around Anakin's neck. Anakin cradled Emilia's back and kicked the bedroom door closed behind him.