Author's Note: I'm enjoying writing this so much, can't you tell? I don't think I've ever updated this quickly ever. IN any story I've every written. Anyway, enjoy this chapter. A little background into our gorgeous couple, as well as some quiet romance because god knows they need it after 18 months apart.
Please review! :)
look into my eyes, that's where my demons hide
...
"Honey, I'm home!" Padme calls out, as she opens the front door. After a long, boring day at work, all she wants to do is kick off her heels, order Chinese takeout and curl up on the sofa with Anakin, watching trashy reality T.V. until they fall asleep. Her husband, it seems, has other ideas, for he appears from out of the kitchen, a wide grin on his face, blue eyes sparkling, and an apron around his lean waist, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Hey, beautiful," he greets her cheerfully and approaches her in three long strides, cups her face in his hands and lays a sweet kiss on her mouth. "How was work?"
She makes a face up at him, and he chuckles at her expression. "Long," she grumbles, shrugging off her coat and bending down to take off her black, three inch pumps. Her feet almost sigh in relief at the feeling of standing on solid, flat ground again, and she wiggles her cramped toes. "How was your day?"
Anakin shrugs nonchalantly. "Pretty good. Went for a run this morning, then went to the gym. Stopped by the commissary on the way home and picked up a few groceries. Spent most of the rest of the day catching up on all those episodes of the Game of Thrones I missed while I was away," he winks at her, and she rolls her eyes. He is borderline obsessed with that show. "And...I made dinner."
So, that's why he's wearing an apron, Padme thinks to herself with a smile. "Oh, Ani…" she beams up at him with loving eyes. "You didn't have to do that, Honey."
He bends to kiss her cheek, his hand settling on her waist. "I wanted to surprise my beautiful wife," he whispers tenderly in her ear, and it makes her giggle with giddy affection.
How did she get so lucky to call Anakin Skywalker hers? He's so sweet and romantic to her, a perfect husband if there ever was one. It's not uncommon that he does things like this, just little things, little gestures that only reiterate just how much he loves her. He's been doing it since they were fifteen, surprising her with flowers in her school locker, or little love notes during class, or bringing her chocolate and tampons when she was on her period.
When they got older and he got his license, he would take her out for ice-cream in the middle of the night at Dairy Queen, or drive them up to Lookout Pointe near the lake, and they'd lie in the back of his Toyota truck, watching the stars. They'd made love for the first time, when they were sixteen and nervous and shy, taking each other's virginity, up there under the stars, in the back of his truck. He'd been so prepared, with blankets and candles and pillows and, even now, so many years later, it still brought the most loving smile to her lips at the memory. In that same location, two years later, he'd gotten down on one knee at sunset and proposed to her with his grandmother's engagement ring, and there'd been no doubt in Padme's mind about her answer. Six months later, they'd married in a simple but sweet ceremony in her parent's backyard with just close family and friends to help them celebrate. Everyone said they wouldn't last, that nineteen was too young to get married. Yet, here they are, still as in love as they were when they were fifteen, even more so, if that is possible, and Padme knows that it will never go away. She and Anakin are going to last forever.
"Come," he says, taking hold of her hand, and he pulls her into the dining room. It's arranged beautifully, with three tall candles flickering in the center of the mahogany table, and there, in front of her seat, is a bouquet of twelve, fragrant, long-stemmed, red roses. Her eyes grow moist at the sight, and she lets out a choked sob.
"Anakin…" she turns to look up at him, and her heart flutters in her chest at the way he's looking at her, like she's his only focus, the only thing that matters to him in the entire world. It's a look she'll never get tired of seeing.
He gives her hand a squeeze, and then pulls out her seat, before helping her sit down with his hands resting gently on her shoulders. She feels his breath hot and heavy on her neck as he nuzzles adorably into her hair, fingers digging into the tense muscles of her shoulders. "You just sit here and wait patiently, Mrs. Skywalker," he hums in her ear, nipping her earlobe gently, and it causes her to shudder. "Dinner will be ready shortly."
On the way back to the kitchen, he pauses to turn on the iPod Touch on the silverware chest across from the table, and soft jazz music begins to play in the background. He flips the light switch off, and golden shimmers of light from the candles flicker and dance across the walls and ceiling, setting the romantic ambiance for their meal.
True to his word, he reappears a few minutes later with two laden dinner plates and places one before her. It's grilled steak, baked potatoes with butter and sour cream, and a fresh, garden salad, and Padme smiles fondly to herself; of course, her husband is thrilled to be back with his beloved grill, the wedding present he received from his stepfather Cliegg and stepbrother Owen. He thinks of himself as some sort of master chef when he's outside grilling, and it's both hilarious and endearing at the same time. In the center of the table is a basket of garlic bread, fresh out of the oven, and her mouth immediately waters at the smell. Anakin then retrieves a bottle of red wine and pours her, and then himself a glass, before sitting down opposite her at the table.
He raises his glass of wine, and Padme follows him, a little surprised by his action, as he beams across the table at her. "To my beautiful wife, for making me the happiest man in the world. I love you, Angel." Her cheeks flush crimson from his bold declaration as they drink to his toast and dig into their meal.
"This is lovely, Ani," she tells him through mouthfuls, as sincerely as she possibly can, because she didn't expect this at all, and the surprise is overwhelming. "Really. You're so wonderful to me."
The endearing smile he gives her in return makes her almost light-headed with love. "You deserve it, Sweetheart. You have to deal with me being gone for months at a time. We missed celebrating our third anniversary, and I want to make it up to you, in every way that I can."
Padme runs her fingertip around the rim of her wine glass coyly, a wicked idea coming to her mind, and she let her tongue sneak out to wet her lips, thrilling at the way his eyes darkened as he caught her action. "I can think of many, many ways you can make it up to me, dear husband," she purrs across the table, a blush on her cheeks and fluttering her eyelashes suggestively.
His grin is feral. "You know, I bought a cheesecake, your favourite, for dessert, but I think I can think of something much better to…indulge in… can't you?"
With a husky laugh, she winks at him. "Mmm, I can indeed."
