A Midnight Swim
"I have an idea," Padmé said, looking out on the moonlit lake from the bedroom at Varykino. "Let's go swimming."
"Now?" Anakin asked. He was stretched out on the bed, still dressed in his Jedi clothes.
"Yes, now. It's an amazing, warm night. The water should be like a bath." She walked over to the bed and sat beside Anakin.
"I didn't bring a bathing suit," Anakin said.
"Silly," Padmé said with a nudge. "We don't need bathing suits." Anakin looked puzzled for a moment.
"You've never been skinny dipping before, have you?" Padmé asked with a grin.
"No, I can't say that I have…"
"But you do know how to swim, don't you?" Padmé realized Anakin grew up on a waterless world but had hoped the Jedi had at least taught him how to swim.
"Of course," Anakin said, sitting up and drawing up his shoulders. "I'm pretty good at it too. You'll see." He gave her a smirk that made Padmé feel warm all over.
"Well, let's go then," she said, touching her fingertips to his chin.
They went out into the night, Padmé carrying a small glow lamp to light the way. Anakin wore a long robe tied at his waist and Padmé was clad in a patterned piece of soft, gauzy fabric tied around her body like a sarong. He carried a pair of large towels in his arms.
"Nobody's going to see us, are they?" Anakin asked as they walked along the sandy shore of the lake.
"Not unless Artoo and Threepio finish with the millionth diagnostic we gave them," Padmé said with a giggle. "The servants are probably long asleep by now anyway." She stopped and set down the lamp. Anakin set down the towels next to it. "Here's a good spot." Padmé pulled some pins out of her hair and shook her long curls loose. Then she unfastened the fabric knot at the back of her neck, letting the fabric fall to her feet. She walked toward the lake, looking back at Anakin, who stared at her in awe, his robe still on.
"Come on," she said with a beckoning gesture before diving headfirst into the blood warm water. She surfaced and watched as Anakin shed his robe and jumped in beside her. He splashed water all over her.
He surfaced, laughing. "Hope I didn't get you too wet."
Padmé splashed water back at him. They kept playing like children, splashing each other, playing games, and racing across the lake. After winning another lap, Anakin floated on his back and said, "You're right, this is nice."
"I told you." She swam close to him and kissed him on the cheek. The both floated on their backs, side by side, looking up at the bright moon and the stars shining above them.
"Why can't the whole galaxy be this peaceful?" Padmé mused.
"Maybe not everyone is lucky enough to be where we are right now. If the whole galaxy was like this and if it was as happy as we are, there would not be any wars."
"I think you're probably right." Anakin knew better than anyone that there was a great deal of injustice and misery in the universe; Padmé could admit to herself he knew even better than she did in spite of all of her experience helping those less fortunate.
"I hope we'll make things better for everyone, soon," Anakin said.
"Me too."
They continued swimming together silently, taking in their enchanted surroundings: the moonlight, the stars above them, the distant lights from towns nearby. Then Anakin whispered teasingly, "So, am I the first man you've gone with for a naked swim?"
Padmé's mouth opened in a shocked "o" and her eyes widened. "Anakin Skywalker, that's not a proper question to ask your bride!" She added an indignant splash at Anakin's laughing face for emphasis.
"For your information, I would go alone. Or with other girls," she said.
"Oh, that's an intriguing vision," Anakin chuckled.
"Ani! What am I going to do with you?!"
"I can think of quite a few things," he said devilishly.
Padmé looked away, trying hard to hide the grin that came in spite of her exasperation. One thing she's learned about Ani is that it often didn't take very long for him to think about…that. And she had to admit to herself it wasn't as though it hadn't crossed her mind such things would be the inevitable conclusion to the evening.
But not yet.
"Let's go in and dry ourselves in front of the fireplace," Padmé suggested.
"After you, my love," Anakin said, waving his natural hand toward the lake shore. They swam to the shoreline and walked out of the water. They dried themselves with the towels.
Anakin playfully slapped her bare rear. Padmé laughed and slapped his back. Wrapping their towels around their bodies, they picked up their other items and walked back into the retreat house. Padmé looked forward to a blazing fire, glasses of blossom wine, and having Ani all to herself the rest of the night.