I'm in the process of sorting through all my WIPs and I do have a few longer fics I want to finish up and post at some point, but in the meantime here's a quick fluffy one-shot I wrote a little while ago :) Enjoy!
Anakin Skywalker woke up the morning of June sixteenth with a smile on his face. He immediately rolled over to face his wife, who was still asleep. His wife. Even now, three hundred and sixty-five days later, it still took his breath away. He was married to the love of his life. They were going to spend the rest of their lives with each other, grow old together. Their first year of marriage had been the happiest year of Anakin's life, and he was sure his happiness was only going to continue to grow with every passing day. If it was even possible for his heart to get any fuller, which he honestly didn't think it was.
He scooched closer to Padmé and reached out to rest his hand on her cheek before leaning in to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. Her eyelids slowly fluttered open, and a smile grew on her face as she blinked and focused on Anakin. "Happy anniversary, my angel," he said softly.
Rather than rolling her eyes at the sappy nickname the way she usually did, Padmé just smiled wider and nestled into his chest. "Happy anniversary, Ani."
Anakin moved his hand from her cheek to her chin and tilted her head up, and then their lips were meeting in a slow, tender kiss. They kissed lazily for a few minutes, but when Anakin tried to deepen the kiss and started sliding his hands underneath her nightgown, Padmé pulled away and shook her head.
Anakin furrowed his brow in confusion. "What is it?"
"Nothing, just…I'm not really in the mood right now," she replied, looking apologetic yet firm.
"Oh. Okay," he said, crestfallen and a little hurt. She didn't want to have sex with him? On the morning of their anniversary?
It must have shown on his face, because Padmé leaned in to give him another kiss, though it was much softer and more chaste than Anakin would have liked. "I'm sorry, Anakin. I'm just feeling a little sick, that's all," she said. "But hopefully it'll clear up within a few hours, and then…"
Padmé trailed off suggestively, raising her eyebrows and smirking, and Anakin laughed, soothed by her explanation. "I'm sorry you're feeling sick," he said, wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling her hair. "Do you want me to run and get some medicine? Or I could make you soup?"
"No, that's all right, it's not that bad. I don't really like soup anyway."
Anakin stared at her. "You don't like soup? I didn't know that."
"Really? Well, I'm glad I can still surprise you even after a year of marriage," Padmé teased, and they both chuckled.
"I can't believe it's been a year already," Anakin said in wonder a moment later.
"I know. It feels like our wedding was just yesterday," Padmé said wistfully, smiling. "We're going to watch the video later, right?"
"Of course. I can't wait to relive the best day of my life."
She beamed and kissed him again. "Me too. I love you, Anakin."
"I love you, too."
But then the moment was ruined as the smile slipped off Padmé's face, and suddenly she was bolting out of bed and into the bathroom. Anakin heard her vomiting, and he got up to follow her, frowning. He knelt down beside her and wordlessly started stroking her hair, trying to offer some comfort.
When her nausea had passed, Anakin said, "Are you sure you don't want me to get you anything?"
Padmé shook her head. "I'm sorry for ruining our anniversary," she said, voice quivering slightly.
Anakin had been rather thinking that this wasn't nearly the romantic start to the day he'd envisioned, but he immediately felt guilty upon seeing the misery on her face. He gathered her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "You're not ruining it," he promised. "I love you, Padmé, and I don't mind that you're sick, because just being near you is more than enough to make me happy. Besides, it's not your fault you got a stomach bug today."
"A stomach bug?" Padmé echoed.
"Well, yeah." Anakin drew back slightly and looked down at her. "That's what it is, right?"
"Yeah, probably." Was it just his imagination, or did she hesitate slightly before agreeing?
He put it out of his mind and said, "What do you say we put on the wedding video now? And maybe have some breakfast once you're feeling up to it."
"That sounds perfect."
And so they spent the next hour snuggling on the couch in front of the TV, giggling (when Obi-Wan sneezed while passing over the rings) and tearing up (when they exchanged their vows) and generally reminiscing as they watched their wedding day all over again. Padmé ate a banana and a bowl of cereal and seemed to be feeling better, though she was still a little pale, Anakin noted in concern. After the video was over, they exchanged gifts; Padmé gave Anakin a fancy watch and he gave her a pair of earrings. After she'd finished exclaiming over them, he passed her an envelope and said, "This is for you, too."
Padmé opened it, expression turning curious as she saw not a store-bought card, but a piece of lined paper with Anakin's handwriting filling up both sides. "What's this?"
"Well, you know how bad I am at verbally articulating my feelings for you," Anakin began, and they both laughed, recalling his atrocious attempts at flirting when they'd first met. "So I decided to write it all down instead."
Padmé eagerly started reading, and Anakin felt irrationally anxious as he watched her. He'd poured his heart and soul into that letter as he'd struggled to explain exactly how much she meant to him, and now he was half afraid that she'd scoff at him for being a sentimental sap.
But he needn't have worried: Padmé's perusal of the letter was accompanied by several gasps, chuckles, and sniffles, and when she finally looked up at the end, there were tears in her eyes and she was beaming. "Oh, Ani," she said, voice thick with emotion, and she threw her arms around him. "That was so beautiful. I love you, too. I love you so much, Anakin. You're—you're everything to me."
"I love you, Padmé," Anakin murmured, hugging her tight and feeling a little tearful himself.
They stayed on the couch for another hour or two, cuddling and talking and kissing. Anakin was just about to suggest they make a picnic lunch to take to the park when Padmé pulled away from him, stretched, and said regretfully, "I hate to do this, but I think I'm going to go take a quick nap. I'm exhausted."
"But you've only been awake a few hours," Anakin protested.
"I know, but I didn't sleep well last night. I'm sorry," she said, pecking him on the cheek. "Plus, if I take a nap now, I won't end up crashing during dinner." They'd made a reservation for that evening at the restaurant they'd gone to on their first date.
Anakin gloomily watched her go into their bedroom and shut the door behind her. Both of them had taken the day off from work so they'd be able to spend it together, and now here he was, absentmindedly watching TV by himself in the living room while Padmé was asleep in their bedroom. He felt bad that she was sick, he really, truly did…but he couldn't help but wish it hadn't had to happen today of all days. Anakin was disappointed that their anniversary—their first anniversary—wasn't going the way he'd planned, and he felt guilty that he was disappointed, seeing as Padmé could hardly help that she wasn't feeling well.
He ended up stewing in these negative emotions for about an hour and a half until Padmé came back and sat down next to him again. "How was your nap?" Anakin asked.
"Very refreshing." Her smile faded as she studied him closely. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he said, trying to keep his expression neutral.
But Padmé saw right through him, as she always did. "Come on, something's bothering you," she said, frowning. "Tell me."
Anakin sighed and looked down at his hands. "It's just…today hasn't been going the way I'd hoped it would," he admitted after a minute. "Not that I don't like relaxing at home with you, but we do that all the time, and I just thought—I don't know, I wanted today to be special."
Padmé sighed, too. "I know. I'm so sorry, Ani."
He glanced up and saw that she was looking downcast, so he quickly took her hands and said, "It's not your fault. I'm not blaming you. And I'm really sorry you're sick. It's stupid for me to be the one complaining when you're the one who's not feeling well."
"It's not stupid. It's our first anniversary. Of course you wanted it to be special. I did, too." Padmé bit her lip, then said, "But, actually…I think I know how I can make it up to you."
"You don't have to," Anakin said, shaking his head. "It's not your fau—"
He was cut off as Padmé covered his mouth with her hand to shush him. "Let me talk," she said sternly, though she was grinning.
Anakin grinned too, then kissed her hand and moved his own hand up to tug hers away from his mouth, lacing their fingers together. "Fine, I'll be quiet. I promise."
"Good." Padmé cleared her throat, and her expression went from playful to serious, shy, and excited all at once. "I found something out yesterday, and I'd been planning to wait until dinner tonight to tell you about it because I thought it would be more romantic, but I think right now would be a better time after all."
Anakin looked at her curiously, wondering what it was she'd found out. Maybe she was up for a promotion at work? But that wasn't especially romantic. Maybe she'd been working on arranging a weekend getaway for the two of them and had just finishing solidifying all the plans?
"Are you ready?" she asked.
"Definitely. The suspense is killing me."
"Okay, okay," Padmé said, chuckling. Then she squeezed his hands and a wide smile broke out across her face. "I'm pregnant!"
When he'd woken up that morning, Anakin had wondered how he could possibly feel happier than he did in that moment, lying in bed and gazing at his beautiful wife whom he'd been married to for an entire year. He hadn't thought it was possible. He hadn't thought his heart had room for even one more drop of happiness.
He'd been wrong. Oh, he'd been so very wrong.
For several moments, Anakin could only gape at her, astonished and overwhelmed with emotion. "Really?" he managed at last, eyes filling with tears. "You're—we're—Padmé, we're having a baby?"
Padmé beamed at him. "Yes. We're having a baby, Ani." Anakin continued to stare at her in amazement for so long that eventually, smile faltering slightly, she said hesitantly, "Are you happy?"
Anakin was entirely unable to speak, but he nodded vigorously, tears streaming down his cheeks. Padmé's smile returned in full force, and he didn't know which one of them initiated the movement, but suddenly they were in each other's arms, crying and laughing simultaneously. The kiss they shared then was without a doubt the sloppiest one Anakin had ever experienced, but he couldn't have cared less.
They didn't say a word for a long time, not needing to verbalize the utter joy and elation and love they were both feeling. "So that's why you're sick and tired," Anakin said at last, smiling so widely the muscles in his face were starting to hurt.
Padmé laughed and cupped his face in her hands, wiping his tears away with the pads of her thumbs. "Yes, that's why I'm sick and tired. I should've just told you as soon as I found out yesterday and spared you from having a disappointing anniversary."
"Disappointing? Padmé, this is the best day of my life," said Anakin, resting his forehead against hers. "I love you, my angel."
"I love you too, Anakin." She leaned forward half an inch and kissed him once again.
After another few minutes, Anakin lifted her shirt up slightly and placed his hand on her bare stomach. "Hey there," he said softly. "It's Daddy. Can you hear me?"
"Ani, they don't even have ears yet," Padmé said, laughing.
"Mommy doesn't think you can hear me, but I think you can," Anakin told her stomach. "I think you already know that we're both out here and that we love you so, so much."
Padmé made a noise that was somewhere between a laugh and a sob, and she covered his hand with her own. "Just think. By the time our second anniversary comes around, there'll be three of us."
"Three of us," Anakin repeated, heart feeling like it was about to burst. "You, me, and our baby." He bent down and kissed her stomach, then straightened up again and kissed her on the lips. "You're going to be the best mom in the whole world."
"And you're going to be the best dad," Padmé said, leaning against him.
"You know, we're going to have a really hard time topping this anniversary next year," he said with a laugh a minute later.
Padmé laughed, too. "Well, by that point we'll be the exhausted parents of a three-month-old, so I'm sure just sending the baby off to one of our parents' houses and getting a good night's sleep will be the best anniversary present either of us could ask for."
"That's true." Anakin counted on his fingers, then said, "So the baby will be born in, like, March of next year, probably. How long should we wait before baby number two?"
Padmé shook her head in disbelief. "Seriously? We just found out our first baby's on the way and you're already planning out when to have the second?"
"Well, we agreed on two kids," he reminded her. "Even though I wanted three or four."
"Yeah, because you're not the one giving birth to them," she said. "Anyway, we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. It could turn out to be twins for all we know, and that's our two kids right there."
"Twins? Yeah, right. There's probably, like, a one percent chance of that happening."
Little did Anakin know how much Padmé would be teasing him for that flippant statement in a few months' time.