A/N:
Depending on your reception to this, I may continue the story. Although, if you'd prefer that this ending remains ambiguous for the greater story, say so in the reviews. I wrote this mostly on a whim after getting some divine inspiration, and wrote it all in one sitting. Thusly, there's the good chance that some of the characters aren't acting as they would in cannon, or possibly in a cliche manner (The way Padmé is acting in this short isn't exactly what I'd like for her character as a supposedly strong, independent, placid individual. She feels too Mary Sue, I think.) Keep that in mind as you read.
A Small Change
Chapter 1
The clear night sky of Coruscant was cast in a silvery glow as the four local moons passed by on their distant orbit of the city-planet. This dim, omnipresent luminescence covered the planet's near-infinite skyscrapers, each seemingly covered in transparisteel glass and reflective durasteel. On one such skyscraper, in the rounded shape of an egg featuring several terraced layers, a small, yellow speeder veered off from its path in the speeder lane nearby and docked within.
Within one of the many suites, a large, dark bedroom with more than a handful of furniture contained a sleeping woman. Her beautiful face, covered by curly brunette hair and featured with large, pink lips, lay on her right arm on the left side of the plush bed, facing the the closed and shuttered transparisteel window. The velvety, purple sheets covered the rest of her petite, presumably clothed body.
At the foot of her roofed bed stood a small, wooden chest, locked with a padlock between the top and the body, and reaching three-fourths the height of the cushiony bed next to it. Across the room, to the right of the door from her perspective, stood a book case some two and a half meters high, filled to the brim with various datapads and dusty leather-bound flimsiplast books. To its left, a dresser with a velvet-cushioned resting chair lacking a back, and a meter-high mirror against the wall. On both sides of the chair, which was resting below an enclave of the dresser, were four pairs of small cabinets, each with a shining bronze handle. Spread across the dresser's top was a neatly arranged series of perfumes, lipsticks, nail polish, and more; all with various colors or scents in neatly regimented sections and arranged by some pattern. On the far left wall, opposite the expansive glass of the right wall, was a closet of some kind, with the classic duel pair wooden doors with bronze handles on the two middle sections, the right one having been recently opened, revealing a dark interior.
Suddenly, the woman's face scrunched up in confusion before her eyes opened, revealing her light-brown irises. She sat up immediately, staring at the door as she remained silent and motionless. The faint sound of her quickening breath was the only noise that filled the room despite the seemingly fast-moving speeder lanes in front of her window.
The next instant, the door opened to reveal the dark shape of a tall, masculine figure. His, presumably a male, broad shoulders were covered in some black leather vest and brown shirt. The same brown shirt extended down to cover the whole of his torso and seemingly ended at his mid-thigh after passing by a black utility belt. His legs were covered in a similarly brown trousers, ending with a pair of polished, black, military-grade boots with three straps across the front sole. His right hand was covered in some black leather glove and remained open, palm down. His left hand, uncovered by anything, was similarly open, plainly revealing his bronzed, calloused skin. Resting atop his head and cascading down to just above his shoulders were dark blond locks, haloing his similarly tan head and neck. Almost shining through the darkness within this illuminated halo was a pair of soft, bright blue eyes.
"Ani." she faintly whispered, just barley loud enough to be heard by him.
He bowed his head in mock sorrow, "I'm sorry for waking you milady."
Despite her rapidly quickening breath, she smiled and ordered, "Get over here, now!"
The figure visibly smiled and walked in, revealing in the silver glow of the room his chiseled face and muscular body, a small silver cylinder resting on the right side of his hip and bouncing with every long stride. She practically scrambled out of the bed as he neared, revealing her deep purple velvet pajamas. She was almost coming to a sprint in two strides before they clashed in the middle. Their arms were wrapped around each other before an instant could pass, each burying themselves in the other as they held each other close. Both seemingly held back tears, some breaking through and shining brightly in the night.
Through ragged breaths she said into his chest, "Gods, have I missed you!"
Through the muffle that was the hair he buried his face in, he replied with equal difficulty, "Not nearly as much as I've missed you."
They separated, only enough to look into each other's eyes, seemingly lost in their depths. Slowly their faces neared until, with their eyes coming to a complete close, their lips met. This chaste meeting grew more and more passionate for each second which passed, evolving into hungry, lustful kisses. Before long, their lips separated, each breath as deep as the endless city beyond, as if they had run a marathon, and they rested their foreheads on each other. Together they gave wide and loving smiles as they lost themselves into each other's eyes once more.
It hardly took them a second before they went to work removing each other's clothing, the man working on her top at the bottom seem while nipping and kissing at her neck and shoulder. All this while she was working on removing the belt at his hip while simultaneously biting into his ear and kissing his neck and chin. Before long, they were in bed in little more than what they were born with, doing as married couples often do.
XXX
Some hours later, seemingly deeper into the night, the man from earlier stood roughly at parade-rest, his hands clasped firmly on the small of his back while his legs were shoulder-length apart, while on the balcony. Behind him was the open air living room, a single beige-cushioned couch and a similarly cushioned pair of chairs resting in the middle of the purple rug with a low, wide, glass table, standing on a single cast iron stand which spiraled from the middle in the direction of the glass and the floor, resembling an ancient tree in appearance. Green and indigo drapes were tied off on each side of the threshold to the wide balcony, several short gold-colored ropes tying up the drapes at several places along the rounded wall within arm's reach. Directly behind the man was a closed, bright durasteel door, both sides coming together at the middle. To the left from his rear direction would be a dark, barely illuminated staircase, a black shroud concealing everything beyond a meter from the threshold. To the right of the door, a small kitchenette with a raised island connected to the wall dividing the areas. Within were a myriad of devices common in most upper-class kitchens, and more than a handful of cabinets containing a wide variety of foods and kitchenware, no doubt.
The man himself was covered in a black, velvet sleeping shirt and brown pair of loose pants. The shirt, featuring three buttons at the top near the uncollared neck, was left mostly unbuttoned, revealing a good portion of his upper chest. His eyes remained closed as if in deep concentration, his face similarly placid, as he delved deeper into the Force.
The faint sound of footfalls soon filled his ears as someone seemingly tip-toed down the steps. A faint smile graced his face as the figure of the woman broke through the darkness and into the silver light. Her eyes immediately focused on him as she paused for just an instant. Then her face bore a mischievous smirk as she continued to attempt to move silently towards him with slow, measured steps. Before long, she was a little more than half a meter from him, and she reared back slightly, almost ready to pounce. As she jumped up to get him, he turned in the blink of an eye and pushed his hands forward to catch her as she quickly began to descend on top of him, giggling like a schoolgirl. Once he caught her, he pulled her close and spun her around, going in a full circle before kneeling down, putting himself above her. He gently laid her down on the floor, all while bashfully smiling at her while she still laughed.
As he slowly neared her face, he asked, "You know you can't surprise a Jedi."
"Worth a shot." She replied while raising her head herself, closing her eyes slowly in anticipation of what was to come.
Mere millimeters apart, he stopped and, while keeping his eyes closed, he responded, "Gonna need to do better than that."
He then pulled back, pulling her up with her arms as he rose. She quickly came to her feat, a deep pout marring her countenance as she let her eyes remain downcast in mock disappointment. He laughed softly and, using his right, prosthetic index finger, he raised her chin just enough to make eye contact with her. Before long, her pout was replaced with a smile, as seductive as it was loving. Then, just before he could comprehend was going on, she jumped in and kissed him on the lips for just an instant before pulling back, a satisfied grin now adorning her features.
"Gotcha!" she replied arrogantly.
Before she could do anything else, he pulled her in close and pulled their lips together, hunger and desire lacing every movement. As he pulled back to continue his previous activity on her bare shoulder, she put her hand on his shoulders, stopping him instantly.
"Hold on." She said shakily, already out of breath, "We do need to talk."
He pulled back, the pout now on his face as he replied dejectedly, "You get me all excited then-"
"Don't worry," she interrupted, placing her hands on his cheeks as she smiled, "We'll pick up where we left off once we're done."
He then picked her up bridal-style, carrying her quickly to the couch amidst her constant chuckles, and set her down on his lap once he took a seat.
"Alright," he started while pulling her closer with his hands at her waist, "Let's get started."
"Stop!" she playfully ordered while lightly slapping his chest with her right hand, allowing it to get caught by his much larger one while over his heart, "This is serious."
His brow furrowed and lips thinned as he said confidently, "I can be serious."
"Ani…" she began more seriously.
He rolled his eyes, "Alright," then set her down next to him, keeping his right arm around her waist while her hand remained over his heart, covered by his left. All the while her left hand moved up to begin softly stroking his cheek, causing him to nuzzle into the delicate touch for just a brief moment.
She began slowly, choosing each word carefully, "I think we should start talking about the nightmares you're having, what they might mea-"
He sighed heavily, "Come on Padmé. Let's not do this now when I just came home."
"No Anakin," she replied defiantly, "I'm not going to ignore this."
She continued with a concerned tone, "I'm worried about you, and I'd wish you'd talk to me about them."
"Talk about what?" he responded defensively, "It isn't a problem or anything. Jedi don't even have nightmares."
"Don't do that to me, Anakin." She said strongly, hurt lacing its way through her tone, "Don't shut me out. Don't you trust me?"
"Of course I do!" he replied breathlessly, as if he'd taken a punch form a wookie, "I trust you with my life."
"Then trust me with your problems." She near begged.
"We're a team," she began to explain, "When we got married, we made a pact, a solemn vow. That we share everything. That a problem for one of us is a problem for both of us. That we bare every burden together. That we work together!"
She quieted after her speech, Anakin seemingly unable to respond before she could continue, "How can I let you help me overcome my obstacles when you won't let me do the same for you?"
"Because," he began, seemingly desperate to explain to her why, "how can I possibly burden you any more? How is it fair that I make you worry any more when the HoloNet says I died again? How is it fair that you need to worry about me and my problems when you have an entire Senate, a whole galaxy to worry about?"
A small smile graced her face as her thumb rubbed back and forth across his cheek, "Because you matter to me more than everything else."
He ducked his head, a small smile of his own spreading across his face, "I love you too much to make you suffer more."
She leaned in more, and said, desperately trying to get her point across, "But you make me worry by not letting me in! All I can do is think the worst when you won't confide in me, when you won't trust me."
"This marriage," she said as if giving a lesson, "is built on lies and secrecy towards everyone else. Don't let that secrecy get between us. It will only push us apart."
She pulled her left hand down to rest atop his over his heart, gripping it as she continued, "The only way we can have a long and happy marriage is if we work together."
A long, pregnant pause followed where neither said a word, the only sound being the passing speeders beyond and soft breaths between the two lovers.
Said silence came to an equally abrupt ending when Anakin said, "How do you do that?"
Her brow furrowed and she tilted her head to the side slightly as she asked, "What do you mean?"
He looked back into her soul's mirrors as he replied lovingly, "How is it that you can make me feel like an idiot and still make me love you more?"
She rolled her eyes, "Typical Anakin response."
He appeared dissatisfied with that response, as evident with his scrunched up face, and he replied, "I thought you liked my wit."
"Oh honey." She said with a big grin, then leaned in for a chaste kiss.
She continued after the peck, "You don't have any wit."
His eyes narrowed, and if it were not for the slightly upturned lips, one might say he was angered as he said sarcastically, "Funny, Angel. Real funny."
"So about that dream-" she pushed on.
He sighed again, prompting her to respond angrily, "Anakin."
"I'm sorry." He said sincerely, "You're right. I need to be more open."
He tipped his head back, as if thinking, while she continued to gaze at him expectedly, waiting for his response as he gathered his words, "I was dreaming of…well…you."
"Ani." She whined, which he quickly responded defensively with, "No, Padmé, I'm being serious. You were on a medical cot, and it was white all around you. You were giving birth, I think, I-I don't know. You were moaning in pain though."
He looked off in the distance for just a moment, "Deep, deep pain."
He looked down to see her eyes had widened considerably, prompting him to bring his eyebrows together and open his mouth, only to be cut off with, "I was pregnant?"
"Yes." He smiled at the thought, "You were pregnant."
A wondrous smile began forming on her face as she asked, "With our baby?"
"I would hope so." He responded obviously.
She glared at him, causing him to continue as if he wasn't interrupted with, "You were screaming for me. I-I don't think I was there."
Before she could form any questions he pressed on, "It all changed, then, to somewhere else. I think it was the Chancellor's office. I was there, kneeling before someone with a black robe. The room look destroyed. We were talking, I think, I don't know. I couldn't hear anything there."
He took a moment to wait before he continued, Padmé latched onto every word, her mouth agape in horror as he pressed on, "Then I was walking up the steps of the Temple, the five-oh-first behind me. Then…fire. Fire and chaos and…death."
He paused again, collecting himself before continuing, "Then there was this…noise. Something raspy, mechanical. Kinda reminded me of Grievous."
"By the Force." She whispered, shocked at all that had been revealed.
"I don't know what it means." he said dejectedly, "I don't know if it's just a dream or if the Force is telling me something. If it's a vision…"
"Ani," she said strongly, commanding his attention as she brought both hands off his chest and onto his face, forcing him to look at her as she continued, "I don't know either, but you need to tell someone about this. Maybe Obi-Wan-"
"No." he responded quickly, "Obi-Wan'll ask too many questions. He'll wonder why you're in my dreams, and why you're screaming for me."
Her voice softened, "Then tell him the truth."
Before he could reply, she put her right index finger at his mouth, stopping him, "The whole truth. He should've known from the beginning."
He lightly gripped her hand with his left, pulling it off while saying, "How will that look on him if his old student is expelled from the Order? What future will he have if he reports it, and he'll have to report it."
She stared at him, the look in her eyes silencing him once more, "You and I both know we can trust Obi-Wan with this secret. You've said yourself you love him like a brother."
"I do." He said with certainty.
"Then you can trust him."
"Besides," she said offhandedly, "You need someone to talk to about your married life. I don't think I would last if I couldn't talk to my handmaidens about us."
He appeared as if he was going to say something, but chose otherwise, a look of confusion gracing his features as he questioned, "What have you guys been talking about?"
"Oh, nothing," she said while looking at her nails, then the traffic outside, "Just, you know. Jedi and their lightsabers."
His left eyebrow rose as he responded, "I hope you're being literal."
She appeared to think about it, then answered slowly, sage-like, "From a certain point-of-view."
He rolled his eyes, turning to rest his full back against the comfortable cushions, "Great! You're starting to sound like him too."
"So you'll tell him?" she inquired.
He sighed in defeat, "Yeah. I'll tell him first thing tomorrow."
She smiled brightly, "Thank you, Ani."
He returned the smile, "Anything for you, Angel."
Slowly, they neared again, their lips meeting in the middle in a seemingly innocent embrace. The next instant, they became more ravenous for each other, both clinging to the other as if their lives depended on it. It would seem they wouldn't be getting much sleep this night.