Disclaimer: Star Wars: The Clone Wars and all characters wherein are property of George Lucas and Disney. I claim no authorship or ownership over the characters, plot, etc.
He wakes in the dark to find himself alone. The space next to him is cold, the down comforter gently cast aside, his bedmate gone some time ago. Out of habit, he reaches for the lightsaber resting upon the bedside table but decides to leave it behind as he rises and pulls on a pair of light cotton pants before padding toward the living room.
A candle on the dining table flickers, its glow casting light into the shadows. Moonlight streams in through the large glass windows, and the droid R2-D2 slumbers in one corner, sporadic beeps and whistles burbling quietly forth.
She is perched upon the steps of the small courtyard, carelessly observing the rare cessation of traffic and trade and politics in the city scape. A light fog hovers lazily in the twilight sky, masking all but a few stars, their soft glow shimmering ever so slightly through the haze. She knows he's there. She can sense his presence.
He places his cloak around her slender frame, and she settles into its warmth, breathing deeply of the rich, ashen scent of her husband.
"I couldn't sleep," she whispers, pulling the cloak tighter.
He sits on the steps beside her and takes her soft, warm hand in his cold, hard mechanical one and begins tracing the lines of her palm. They don't speak, yet there is everything to say and still nothing at all.
"It's so… hard," she finally speaks.
"What is?"
"This," she pulls her hand from his and waves it feebly. "Us."
"Oh…"
"It hurts. The sneaking around. The sleepless nights when you're away. Not knowing if you'll come home." Her breath hitches. "If you've been killed…"
He stares at the smooth marble steps, not knowing how to respond.
"I just… I don't know…" she trails off.
"I did not want this life for you," he says as he rises and begins pacing before her across the courtyard. "You deserve more than what I have to offer."
Padmé says nothing as she continues to stare across the skyline.
"When I saw you with Clovis, when he held you in his arms…"
"Anakin…"
"No," he interrupts. "Let me finish. I realized there, in that moment, that he could give you everything I can't. Power. Prestige. Stability. Everything I cannot give but would gladly offer if I could." He turns toward her once more and waits until she finally looks at him before continuing. "And I think that is why I lost control. It hurt knowing I'm not what's best for you."
"Oh, Ani. You are what's best for me. I can't imagine ever loving anyone more than I love you."
He crosses the distance between them and pulls her into his arms, hugging her tightly against his chest.
"I just wish we could escape it all. Live in a world where there is nothing but our love. No politics. No plotting. No war."
"This is what matters, Padmé," Anakin smiles as he places the palm of his hand lightly upon her chest and brings hers to rest upon his. She can feel the slow steady thrum of his heart. "You and me," he whispers. "Nothing more."
She leans into him, tucking her head beneath his chin. He sighs and gently kisses the top of her head.
For this moment, however brief, they can simply be. They cling to it, afraid that it will slip quickly from their grasp and fade with the growing light of the new day.
*Author's Note: This story is what happens when your husband binge watches the entire Star Wars: The Clone Wars series and you catch bits and pieces of Anidala's relationship, among other details. (Ahsoka is awesome by the way. Totally love her!) I like what they did in the series to help grow and elaborate more on Anakin and Padmé's relationship, and I felt as though the voice actors did a far more convincible job of selling the love story.
I'm not sure I'll be writing much else for this particular fandom, but it's nice to be able to contribute in some small way. This was just a little something that popped into my head, and I decided to follow the plot bunnies.
Thanks for reading!