In which Anakin almost screws everything up.

The worst date ever

After only five minutes, Anakin could tell that it had been a very bad idea and that it was going to be the worst date ever. They had met, embarrassed and silent and when he had come closer she had taken a step back, blushing furiously. It had been a mistake apparently; he wasn't going to assault her, he had approached because that was just the normal distance he put between him and other people. But he should have expected it; they didn't know anything about each other after all. However, it wasn't even that stupid error that made him realize that the date was going to be a total failure. It was the oppressing sensation that she came from a totally different galaxy. Her big, brown eyes pierced him and probably found him guilty. He was really conscious that his clothes looked cheap and that she didn't appreciated his leather jacket as the girls back at the Institute. His hands were a little wet and he had noticed that she kept on looking at the little oil stain on his right index.

She doesn't like you, Skywalker.

Padmé had to admit that she kind of liked Anakin. True, he was a little cheesy and little bit too physical for her. He had tried to kiss her, hadn't he? But he was also cute and he seemed sincere in his displays of affection. She also found kind of sexy his callous hands and the little oil stain he had on his right index. Clovis's hands were so well cured that she had almost wanted to ask him where he got his manicure done.

They chatted a little, wandering in the streets near the imposing building that was their university.

"So, you study politics?" he asked, eyeing her curiously.

"Yes, Intergalactic policies and Republic law" she explained proudly.

"Oh" Anakin fell silent again. She what?

Padmé waited an answer for a few seconds. In Padmé's world, people congratulated her and made her a thousand questions after she had explained what she studied. But Anakin didn't seem to be like anyone in Padmé's world. He didn't seem to like talking, either.

"I want to be a politician one day" she went on.

"Oh" he said again "For the money?" he asked.

Padmé's eyes widened and for a moment she looked like he had slapped her. Then she giggled, much to Anakin surprise.

"For the greater good, actually" she answered humorously "You could say I'm an idealist"

"Are you?" asked Anakin, wishing his voice didn't sound so desperate. Idealist. He remembered Obi-Wan using that word in some of his lectures. Something about a dead philosopher saying something about the reality or the rationality or something..

"Are you making fun of me?" she asked, smiling.

"Not at all, Miss" he answered quickly, grateful that at least she was smiling "I'm just wandering what an idealist is"

Padmé nodded, as if she was taking seriously the stupid, plain question Anakin had asked.

"Are you sure you are not a philosophy major?"

Anakin laughed "Don't ever tell this to Obi-Wan" he chuckled "He would die if he had to teach me."

"Why?"

"He says that I'm the most superficial person he knows" he explained.

Padmé shrugged. Superficial? Was she really dating a superficial guy? She had anything against people from Outer Rim. But superficial guys?

"He says that I see the world in black and white" continued Anakin, surprised that he actually had bothered to listen to Obi-Wan so carefully "And that I'm too emotional to have principles"

"He likes you, though" reflected Padmé. Superficial?

Anakin laughed again "Yes, the old man has a soft heart"

She laughed too.

"But how do you know him, then?" she asked curiously.

"Who? Obi-Wan?"

"Yes, I mean… he's not your professor, then?"

"Oh, it's a long, boring story…"

"Well, we have time, you know" she insisted, frowning.

Anakin made a dismissive gesture, his eyes dark.

"Really, it's just boring" he smiled at her, hoping that she would just drop the subject. Really, in his past there was nothing that could really interest Padmé. Make her cry, yes, or make her run away. Interest? Not really. And besides, Anakin was starting to hope that the date wouldn't be a total disaster, there was no reason to ruin everything with the sad story of his life; he proposed to get something to drink. She followed her into a students' bar.

"I've never been here" she admitted, looking at the rustic furniture. Anakin froze, looking almost afraid of her reaction. He had chosen the bar because he knew that the prices weren't too high and he would be able to offer her the drinks.

"I like it though" she added quickly, probably noticing that the boy's jaw had hardened with worry. Anakin relaxed and went to get their orders. But Padmé had noticed something else. A spark in his eyes, something like a dark shadow that just felt like danger. The girl shivered with something curiously similar to pleasure; she had always despised those stupid girls who fell for the wrong guy making up excuses for his violent behavior and yet.. there she was, fascinated by a sexy boy who seemed just able to burn to entire galaxy up. She shook her head; Anakin hadn't made anything to make her think that he could really be dangerous. And she had probably imagined to see that glint, just because she was expecting him to be like that. Blaming herself for her prejudicial mindset, thinking your father has brought you up better, Padmé looked distractedly at his figure. She blushed. He had a great ass, Dormé was totally right.

The evening went on smoothly and Padmé was starting to feel a bit tipsy. She had insisted in offering the second round, claiming that she was for fair opportunities and there was no point in letting the man paying for everything. To be honest, she had noticed that he didn't seem to have a lot of cash on him and she really didn't want to embarrass him.

"So you went to the Principal today?" she asked cheerfully "What crimes have you committed?" she giggled.

Anakin jolted in surprise: "How do you-?" he stopped. Of course, she was in Obi-Wan's office. Anakin wondered how he could have forgotten, seen that in the shower he had replied the scene several times in his mind.

Padmé giggled again and took another sip of her pink drink.

"Well, I did something very stupid if you want to know" he began, wandering if the beautiful girl in front of him was starting to like him or if she was just plain drunk.

"So-o?"

"You know, I had this exam last week…" he paused, making eyes contact and grinning. She was smiling too, her eyes bright with mischief and curiosity and her cheeks reddened by the hot room and all the alcohol she had drunk.

Probably both.

"And it was very, very difficult.." he continued, lowering a bit his voice, as if he was on the verge of confessing a murder. She moved closer and Anakin had to fight the urge to kiss her. She smelled like flowers.

"And I was a bit pissed off, so I wrote something on the paper"

"The answers, maybe?" she laughed.

"Yeah, thank you" he mocked "Other than the answers."

He fell silent, still grinning.

"And so? Oh c'mon!" she protested "just tell me already!"

"Go fuck yourself"

Padmé froze. What had he just told her?

"Pardon?"

"Go fuck yourself" repeated Anakin "I mean, that's what I wrote… on the exam, I mean"

Padmé stayed very still for a few seconds and then she started laughing in a way that was little befitting of a well-mannered young lady. She had wished so many times to just say something like that to her teachers. Really. Go fuck yourself, I don't need to know everything by heart just to get another 99.

Anakin was laughing with her, thinking that her reaction was totally worth the forty minutes he had spent listening to crazy, old Yoda lecturing him. Man, she was beautiful.

"And what did you get?" she asked, after a while.

"What do you mean?"

"The grade, what grade did you get?" Padmé knew that she shouldn't be asking. Grades were a private matter and in a university like theirs, people could them really personally. But, for some reasons, she wanted to know if Anakin was clever, other than completely crazy. She was starting to like him a lot. Maybe she was just drunk and he was a total idiot and a superficial guy, but he was sexy.

"Oh" Anakin looked taken aback "One hundred cum laude"

"You must be kidding me" she hadn't expected that "You insult the professor, and he gives you the maximum?"

"Well, I got a disciplinary note, you know?" he grinned "But yeah, apparently this time my demonstration was better than perfect Olin's" he added sharply. Why was he always talking about that asshole?

"Olin who?" she asked.

"Oh, just the most horrible guy in the whole universe" explained Anakin with contempt "Who thinks he got to be the perfect math genius just because he doesn't have any human relations and he has a permanent stick up his ass-"

But Padmé had started to laugh again "No, I meant Olin like, Ferus Olin?"

Anakin stopped, assaulted by the distinct feeling that he had made another, big mistake.

"Don't tell me, he is your cousin" he sighted.

"No-" she giggled again.

"Your fiancé?"

She glared at him at the innuendo, but his smile just grew wider and she smiled back.

"No" she repeated "We attended the same elementary school".

"I'm sorry for you" he said quickly.

She laughed again "He was actually a nice kid, you know?"

"Oh yeah, I can imagine" he agreed sarcastically "Did he tell you that your operations looked like the devil's offspring? Because that's what he said about my math". Padmé chuckled at such a fierce response. Something about his expression told her that Anakin took mathematics quite personally.

She finished her drink with a last sip.

"You know, the teachers said that Olin and I were just the same" she said.

Anakin moaned in disbelief : "Yeah, sure" he said, making her giggle again.

"It's true!" she insisted "They said that we were very bright children.."

"Yes, but you are also beautiful"

Padmé fell silent, blushing. Ok, he was cheesy. But she couldn't help but feel flattered by his compliments and his attentions. And he hadn't made any attempt to take her to bed, she considered. She was not a prude, despite all the things that Dormé said, but really one date was just not enough.

"Shall we go outside?" asked Anakin. Padmé nodded and started to collect her jacket and bag.

"Wait a minute" he stopped her "I need the toilet" he explained, taking his wallet out of his pocket.

"I'll be right back" he added and she chuckled, wondering if he was afraid that she would just run away in the time he was using the bathroom.

Padmé eyed his wallet and, after just five seconds, she decided that he wouldn't really mind if she took a look. She opened it and saw some cards and papers. He just had five credits left and some coins –she had been right to insist offering the second round. His name was really Anakin Skywalker and he was born in Tattooine twenty years before –in the Outer Rim indeed. He was really studying mathematics and he was on full scholarship –she felt a rush of admiration in her stomach. There were some business cards of place he had been, one of them from a mechanics shop. He had told her that he worked part-time as a mechanic and she had found cute the pride he clearly took in telling her so.

She liked him. And he seemed worthy of it.

She smiled at herself, packing everything back into the wallet. She was putting it where Anakin had left it when she saw it.

A condom. Padmé felt the familiar flush of rage gathering in her stomach. He was so dead, she thought. So what? He had presumed that she'd just have sex with him that same night? Was he planning to just exit the bar and ask "your place or mine, honey"? As if, Padmé considered angrily.

When Anakin approached the table he could feel that something had changed. She wasn't smiling anymore and when he moved closer she just turned and hold her bag closer. Now, that was confusing. He took his wallet, hoping that once outside she would go back liking him.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. He would just kill Ahsoka and hide her corpse in the woods. No, better he would plead guilty and explain the situation: they'd just let him go. Snips and her stupid best friend. He had completely forgot that he had condoms in his pocket. She had seen it, he could tell that. Shit. He was so fucked, now. Girls never liked when boys took condoms at dates, except when they wanted to just do it and boys hadn't taken any protections.

But he didn't want to! Well, ok, of course he did, he just didn't want to let her understand that he wanted to.

He followed her outside the bar, speeding up to catch with her furious pace.

"Padmé!" he called, taking her wrist.

"What?" she snapped, forcing him to let her go. Man, she was at least an head shorter than him and she could look scary.

"I'm sorry, it's not like it seems-" he started.

"The answer is no if that's what you are thinking-"

"But I didn't plan to ask!" he said, sounding almost desperate; then, considering that a phrase like that could very much sound even worse "I mean, I didn't think we would-"

She looked at him defiantly: "And you just take protections with you just in case?"

"No, I swear I just took them because Ahsoka had asked me-"

"Ahsoka?!" Padmé looked like she was going to hit him. Ok, offering and explanation that started with a female's name was not a very good idea.

"She's like my sister!" he added quickly.

"Your sister asked you to bring condoms?"

"Yes! No!" He exclaimed "I mean, she wanted to take them, so I just… she's not really my sister.. but yes!"

"Couldn't she just buy them?" Padmé couldn't tell if she found more pathetic the fact that he brought condoms at a first date or the excuses he was making up.

"They weren't for her!" he snapped "They were for her friend! Ahsoka is fourteen!"

"You told me!" she shouted, taken aback by the fact that he seemed more preoccupied in defending his little friend's honor than offering Padmé a plausible explanation. Ok, she was offended –and a little jealous. They stared at each other, both red and bothered. They both couldn't believe that he had screwed this up.

"Look" he started "I really like you"

Padmé rolled her eyes: "I'm not the girl you are looking for!"

"No I mean, I really like you!" Obi-Wan was right. He couldn't express himself in any comprehensible way.

"You remind me of my mom" he tried again, before he could stop himself.

"What?"

Nice shot, Skywalker. Now she thinks you are a serial killer.

"I mean, you remind me about something she told me about" he breathed "Angels or something" he concluded lowering his voice blushing. He was a total idiot. They should give him a prize. A degree in idiocy, really.

Padmé couldn't believe that somebody so rude could be so cheesy –and at the same time some kind of cool math genius that, for some moronic reasons, she liked.

"You…" she stared "Thank you". She was a total idiot: thank you?

He went closer to her: "I really wasn't planning anything tonight" he added with a weak voice.

She glared at him. The whole story was so crazy that it might as well be true. Padmé had taken some criminology courses for her free credits and she thought she could detect a lie when she heard one. Anakin seemed sincere. And he looked even prettier when he pouted.

She didn't say anything but didn't move when he took another step further close to her. Probably, she was exaggerating. And she was probably mad because Dormé and Bail were right and she was wrong. And despite everything, she liked Anakin.

"I really like you" he repeated, almost whispering.

She shivered a little, feeling him so close. But she was angry. His lips were full and they seemed soft. Maybe not really. Maybe she just wanted to screw this up, so she could go back to her life. She opened her mouth a little, unconsciously expecting a kiss. She didn't need a boyfriend.

"You are beautiful, Padmé" he murmured, stroking lightly her cheek. She closed her eyes.

One hour and forty minutes later, Anakin was grinning like a total idiot to his reflection on the underground. He had kissed her. Like, really, really kissed her. A good, long French kiss that had made him pretty uncomfortable. Ok, she had slapped him, too, but then she had kissed him again. She liked him. Even if he was a total idiot and a cheap immigrant with serious problems in expressing himself.

More or less at the same hour, Dormé looked at her friend intensively: "You know, if she really starts dating Skywalker I'll be left alone"

Bail shook his head "You wouldn't, you are just being melodramatic" he said simply "And what are the chances of those two really getting together, anyway?"

Dormé shrugged "You never know, she is stubborn enough to marry him just to prove a point"

"That's true, but he would notice probably"

"Well, and maybe we are just being acid and they will fall in love"

"Umh, they could get married by the lake on Naboo"

"And have a little Skywalker"

"Maybe twins"

The two friends laughed together, waiting for their brave Padmé to come back broken hearted and whining.

But Miss Naberrie didn't catch with her friends, and just went back to home. She was tired and probably grinning like an idiot. She had seen Anakin's expression and even if she was flattered, she very much hoped not to have the same look on her face. She just texted Dormé that she wasn't coming and that she had indeed escaped Skywalker's bed (and that she was regretting it a little). The she turned off the phone before her friend could obsess her with her questions.

So here we are :) I promise all of this has a plot that will develop –eventually. Thank you :)