Author's Note: Thank you for being so patient with me. If any of you read some of my other stories, you've probably guessed I have this little rotation going on between all the stories I'm currently juggling (I must have some sort of death wish or something because I constantly give myself too much work to do). I hope you enjoy this chapter. I love exploring Anakin's relationships, not just with Padme, but with Ahsoka and Obi-Wan as well, because they are so integral in his life. And I'm a sucker for Ani/Obi bromance :) Enjoy! xx
"Oh, for fuck's sake! Just do it already!" Ahsoka groans in frustration, as I sit at the kitchen counter, staring at my phone.
It's been three days. Three days since my date with Padme at Max's. Three days since she gave me her number. Three days since Padme had kissed me. Three days – and I've done nothing.
Honestly, I can understand Ahsoka's frustration. I'm annoyed at myself, as it is, because really, I should have called Padme by now. I really want to see her again – like, really, really, really badly, but the thought of calling her has me freaked out to the max.
It's pathetic, and it's irrational, but it's also the truth. It's not the actual act of asking her out again that has me so fucking terrified. No. It's the fact that I want to. The fact that I'm basically head over fucking heels for this girl that I've known all of – what – a week? What the actual fuck? I literally can't stop thinking about her.
Her smile, her eyes, her sweet voice, her tinkling laughter. She's everywhere.
I can't concentrate in my classes.
I almost sliced off my fingers at the workshop yesterday because I was daydreaming about her.
And, the amount of times I've jacked off to thoughts of her just in the last three days is insurmountable – my dick is actually sore.
This has never happened to me before.
But, I don't want to look desperate. They say three days is the cut off, right? That's the optimum amount of time you're supposed to wait until you call a girl, right? (Sex and the City taught me this – I don't watch that rubbish, fuck no, but Ahsoka's been binging on it lately, and sometimes, and I mean when I'm procrastinating, I go out into the living room and watch it with her, and that's what Carrie Bradshaw preaches, so I'm going to take it as the gospel). So, as far as I'm aware, I'm well within the time frame of appropriateness.
Ahsoka just thinks I'm weak.
"Fuck off, Snips," I snap at her. "Don't rush me."
She rolls her eyes and then, with a mischievous smirk, reaches across the counter and snatches my phone. "Fine. If you're such a pussy, then I'll do it!" She opens my phone – I really should change my passcode; the number of unwanted selfies of Ahsoka is getting beyond ridiculous by this point – and it takes me all of a minute before I realize what's happening.
"Hey!" I roar, leaping off the stool and sprinting around the bench just as Ahsoka dials Padme's number and puts it on speaker. It begins to ring as I make a lunge for her, but she evades me smoothly, racing around the other side of the bench with a mad laugh. I dive across the bench, and tackle her to the ground, pinning her down with my weight, as I try to take back my phone. She's quick though, and holds it up above my reach, all the while grinning at me.
"I'm gonna fucking kill you, Snips, you piece of – "
" – Hello?" a silvery sweet voice echoes through the phone, and we both pause, looking up at my phone, which is held up high above Ahsoka's head. "Who's this?"
I swallow, blink a few times, then rip my phone out of Ahsoka's grip and push myself to my feet and rush to my room, shutting the door. "Uh – Padme. Hi. It's…um… it's Anakin." I stutter pathetically into the phone, taking it off speaker and hoping that she didn't hear my crass language.
"Anakin. It's so nice to finally hear from you. I thought you'd forgotten about me." I can practically see that little teasing smirk of hers, can hear it in her beautiful voice, and it makes me laugh.
"Forget about you? Impossible! I could never forget about you, Padme," I venture to flirt. God, if only she knew how often I've thought about her, how often she played out in my every thought, my every action, both sleeping and awake.
She laughs, and it's such a gorgeous, melodic sound, that even through the speaker, I feel my entire body light up. I react to her so easily, it's kind of alarming, because I've never felt this way about any other girl before. Ever.
"Well, that's comforting."
I suddenly feel incredibly guilty for taking so long to call her. An image floods my mind of her, sitting by her phone with this sad little frown, and it tugs at my conscience, so I decide to remedy the situation. "I'm sorry I haven't called you sooner. I've just been really busy at work and with classes." The lie rolls smoothly off my tongue, and while I feel bad about lying to her, it's better than admitting that I'm just weak. No. This is a much better excuse. More plausible, in any case.
"Hmmm... that's what all the boys say," she remarks with a little laugh that goes straight to my sore groin. "Maybe you'll just have to make it up to me." Well, fuck. She's flirting with me. And, it's fucking hot as hell. How is it that this petite slip of a girl can make me so hard it almost hurts, even when she's not in the same room as me?
"I think I could do that," I counter smoothly, willing my dick to stand down so that I can concentrate on keeping up my gentlemanly act, rather than blurting out a whole list of filthy things that instantly spring to mind.
She laughs again, and it does nothing to calm my growing erection, which twitches and nudges the zipper of my jeans. "I'll believe that when I see it," she challenges, and I laugh into the phone, falling onto my bed so I'm lying on my back, staring up at the ceiling. She's so easy to talk to, it's incredible.
Grinning, I decide to make my move. "Fine. I'll prove it to you. Sunday. You and me. Mini golf."
Padme makes this little startled noise. "Mini golf?" Does she sound… impressed? I fucking hope so. It took me ages to come up with a suitable date idea – actually it was Ben who suggested something like this. His first date with Siri had been at Randall's Island not far from Central Park, and apparently it was really nice. I trust Ben on things like this – Ahsoka, not so much. I mean, out of the three of us, he's the only one who's been in a long term relationship. I've never dated, and Ahsoka had a short relationship in high-school that didn't last very long. So, Ben is the guru in my eyes. If he says mini-golf is a good date idea, then I'll take his word for it
But, of course, I'm going to take all the credit for it.
"Yes. Mini golf. You'd better bring your A game, Naberrie, because I'm basically a professional here."
"Oh, really?" she chuckles in my ear, and I can just imagine her lifting one of those perfectly sculpted eyebrows at me, her brown eyes dancing with the challenge. "That's some mighty big talk, Skywalker. Are you sure you can back it up? After all, I've been known to score a few hole-in-one's in my time."
Her comment makes me smirk. It's refreshing how quick she is. I love it. "Well then," I concede. "Looks like it'll be a good match."
"I hope you're up to the challenge. I don't like to be disappointed, Anakin."
I throw my other arm – the one that's not holding my phone to my ear – behind my head and grin like the idiot I am. I've got it bad.
Really fucking bad.
It's almost too easy to say the smooth counter-argument that's dancing on the tip of my tongue. "I never disappoint, Padme." The innuendo rings loud and clear, and I wait for her to respond, expecting her to throw some shade, some of that witty banter I find so fucking sexy. Instead, I hear her breath catch in her throat and then a soft little giggle tickles my ear.
Fuck yes!
I've embarrassed her. I've caught her off guard, and there's not a doubt in my mind that she's thinking about it, about me...about it with me. It amuses me to no end. I feel a strong sense of masculine pride, that I can cause such reactions out of the very well-put-together Padme Naberrie. I bet she's blushing, all cute and pretty and adorable, and I actually have to reach down and squeeze my dick hard through my jeans to keep myself under control.
Fuck, I want to see her, want to see what I'm doing to her. I want to see her all flustered, blushing and aroused because of me. Is it too forward of me to start FaceTime?
Probably.
It suddenly grows quiet, almost awkward, and I'm suddenly worried that I've scared her away. Shit.
Clearing my throat, I decide to change the subject. "So, how was your weekend?" Much safer ground, for the both of us.
"Fairly productive," she informs me. "I went to Sola's promotion dinner at her firm on Saturday night and then volunteered at the soup kitchen on Sunday. How was yours?"
I run a hand through my hair, a little sheepish. I mean, my job is nothing fancy. I'm a trainee-mechanic at a garage downtown. It doesn't pay a heap, but it's enough to get me by. Besides, I love it. I love fixing things and working with engines. It's the main reason I'm studying mechanical engineering – eventually, my dream is to design military aircraft. Because of my studies, I mainly work weekends only, save for some exceptions, like this coming Sunday (which I specifically asked to have off so that I could take Padme out on another date).
I explain my job humbly, but not ashamed either, and she listens, actually sounding interested, or at least pretending to be, which I appreciate. My dreams are far less… humanitarian than hers are – she wants to bring peace to all nations, I want to build planes. Even in my head, it sounds weak.
"Aircraft, huh? Wow. That's a rather… big dream," she remarks, her voice lit with intrigue. Once again, it's one of those moments when I really wish I could see her face, look into her eyes.
With a weak laugh, I nod my head. "Yeah… I've wanted to do that since I was a kid. I've always been fascinated by planes. I hope to get a pilot's license someday, too."
"So then, that must mean you were one of those nerdy little geeks at school, weren't you?" she teases me.
"And if I was?" I retort quickly. "At least I wasn't a spoilt little daddy's girl who got everything she wanted."
For a moment, I'm worried I've offended her with my jab, until I hear her tinkling laughter in my ear, and I literally sigh in relief.
"Are you making fun of me?"
"That depends," I quip with a smirk. "Are you making fun of me?"
"Absolutely."
Never would I have thought that being teased...over the phone no less. would be such a fucking turn on, but as I glance down at my jeans and see the tented bulge between my legs, caused by my erection straining against its confines, I realize that obviously, it is. Or, at least, she is. She affects me like no other woman ever has. It can't just be because she's so beautiful, either, because I can't even see her, and I'm as hard as fucking granite. I mean, I've been with plenty of beautiful women. I mean, fuck, the number of times I've slept with Aayla, and she's one hot piece of ass, I'm not going to lie. And, yeah, they turn me on. But, it's nothing like this. Not even close.
Everything Padme does sets my nerves on fire. I can't control my reactions around her. It's her wits, her fire, her body, and her soul… I want to see her so badly it fucking hurts. And, as shocking as this revelation is, I have to admit I want to do more than just sleep with her. I want a relationship with her. An exclusive relationship.
Ben's gonna lose his shit.
A soft sigh reaches my ear. "I'm sorry, but I've got to go to tutoring now, Anakin," Padme says sadly.
I frown. Damn it. "Oh, okay then."
"What time on Sunday? So that I can make sure my 'A game' is ready to go."
"3 pm," I tell her with a laugh. "And, be prepared to lose, as well."
She scoffs. "Aren't you going to be a gentleman and let the lady win?"
Shaking my head, I snort through my nose. "I'm not a gentleman."
Her beautiful laughter fills my ear once again and sends these delicious shivers down my spine – I'm not even kidding, I've actually got goosebumps. What? "Fine. Game on! I'll see you on Sunday, then."
"Yeah, can't wait," I nod. "See you then, Padme. Bye."
"Bye, Anakin."
She hangs up, and I flop my arm up beside my head, staring at the ceiling, this ridiculous grin plastered on my face. I'm seeing her on Sunday. Yeah, that's like six days away, but I'm so over the moon that I'll probably be elated about this all week.
I hear Ahsoka knock on my bedroom door, and I grumble a curt, "Come in," because I know she'll want to pester me about my conversation with Padme, and I'd rather get it over and done with so I can deal with the issue in my pants while thinking about Padme. Fuck it, Ahsoka will probably make it disappear altogether, though.
She stands in the doorway, and I twist my head to look at her. "So? How'd it go?" she asks with a sly grin.
"Great. We're seeing each other again on Sunday." I tell her happily, the smile still plastered to my face.
"Look at you! You're fucking smitten, Skyguy," she gestures to the way I'm smiling, all stupid and giddy, and I can't say I disagree with her.
"What of it?" I challenge her, raising my eyebrows.
Shrugging, she simply shakes her. "Oh, nothing. I just never thought I'd see the – ohmygod!" she breaks off, her eyes growing wide in horror, and I sit up, suddenly, wondering what the hell she's going on about. "Ew, that's gross! Oh my god, I can't believe you're… while I'm – " She's staring directly at my crotch, this look of pure disgust on her face, and she quickly shakes her head, averting her eyes.
Feeling vulnerable and uncomfortably exposed, I shift my body so she's no longer eyeballing my erection, which thankfully is disappearing rather rapidly. "Uh – " I muttered awkwardly, rubbing my hand over the back of my neck.
Well, this is really fucking awkward.
Ahsoka, it seems, agrees 100% and backs out of the room, keeping her eyes on the ceiling. "I'm just… heading out. I'll be back in… about… oh, say five years." She shuts my door, and I hear her leave the apartment, and I lie back down, putting my hands over my eyes. I probably won't be able to look Ahsoka in the eyes for the next two weeks after this.
But, on a positive note, at least my erection has disappeared.
For now.
Now that I'm alone, I realize I really, really need to talk to someone about this. I shouldn't be feeling the things I'm feeling this early on. It's just not… normal! I mean, the way I'm acting, it's like I'm in love with her or something.
No. That can't be it. I don't even know her all that well. Obviously, it's just my dick reacting because I haven't gotten laid in a few weeks…
Actually, now I think about it, I haven't had sex...not once...since I met Padme. It's going on three weeks, now. Three whole weeks, and I haven't had sex. No wonder I'm acting so fucking psycho! No wonder the sound of her voice makes me harder than a rock. It's just a bodily reaction, that's all. Nothing else. Simply biology.
There's a little voice in the back of my head, mocking me, but I ignore it. I won't accept any other answer to why she affects me so. I just…can't. There's nothing emotional about this at all. It's all physical. Emotions are messy, and they only cause pain and heartbreak and suffering. It's much easier when it's just this.
The familiar sound of Ben coming home next door jerks me out of my thoughts, and I decide to go over and see him. He's the only person I feel I can talk to about this. And, as much as he enjoys paying me out, he knows me better than anyone. He gets me. Still, I make sure I take over a carton of beer. There's no way I can talk to him about…this sort of thing, unless there is alcohol involved.
It's clear he's just come home from work, as he's still dressed in his pressed, light grey suit – sans jacket – crisp white shirt underneath with the top two buttons undone, brown dress shoes and a dark grey and blue striped tie, which has been loosened. He's mildly surprised to see me when he opens the door, even more so when I grin at him and thrust the beer carton into his hands. He eyes it suspiciously, before raising an eyebrow at me. "Anakin," he says slowly. "Don't tell me you haven't done your laundry again."
I chuckle. "Actually, I've been very proactive with my laundry lately. Thank you very much." Ben still eyes me curiously, as though there's some ulterior motive for me being here. I put him out of his misery by answering his questioning stare. "Ben, can't a guy visit his best mate and have a few beers without there being an agenda?"
He smirks. "It's you, Anakin. There's always an agenda."
Taking the beer back, I haul it under my arm and flash him a hurt look. "Fine, then. Don't take my beer. Buy your own."
Ben frowns. "Hey, I didn't say I didn't want it. Free beer is free beer." He steps aside, allowing me entrance, and I brush past him, taking care to knock into his shoulder deliberately, making him sigh. "Must you always act like a child?" he asks, a bemused smirk on his face.
"Must you always act like an old man?" I shoot back at him, before dumping my beer on his kitchen counter, taking one out and flopping down on his sofa, resting my bare feet up on the coffee table. It annoys him when I do things like this, when I mess up his oh so organised apartment, but I can't help it. It's just too goddamn easy to annoy him, and I almost take pride in being such a smartass – it's gotten me this far in life and hasn't let me down yet. Besides, it's hilarious to see Ben get all fussy about his couch cushions being messed up, or me putting my dirty feet all over the furniture. Sometimes, I tilt some of his artwork that adorns the walls ever so slightly off centre when he's not looking and watch with glee as he struggles with himself not to fix them up whilst I'm still there, and it's so fucking hilarious that it kills me every time.
Yeah, I'm a real bastard like that.
"Make yourself at home, by all means," he drawls sardonically, eyeing the way I'm sprawled out on one end of his couch.
Taking a swig from my beer, I smirk at him. "Thanks. I will."
Ben just shakes his head, and then goes off into his bedroom, and then walks back out into the kitchen again, then goes to the bathroom, then comes back out and starts fiddling around with things in the cupboards. What is he doing? Can't the guy ever just relax?!
"Ben!" I call out to him, and he pops his head up from underneath the kitchen sink, glancing at me curiously. "Chill out, man! Sit down. Put your feet up. Have a beer."
His thick auburn eyebrows furrow into a frown, and he crosses his arms at me. It's moments like this when I wonder if Ben really is an old man, with how he treats me sometimes. Rather patronisingly so. Though, admittedly, I can't exactly blame him. I'm a first-class pain in the ass. "Just because you can unwind at the drop of a hat, doesn't mean we all have that ability, Anakin," he scolds me.
I shrug nonchalantly, brushing off his comment. "You should try it sometime," I advise, with all the pretence of wisdom. "Might help you relax a bit."
"Are you calling me uptight?" he asks, slightly amused by my comment.
I grin impishly and take another sip of my beer. "Absolutely not."
Shaking his head in defeat, Ben fully undoes his tie and takes off his shoes, carrying them off to his room, then returns, takes a beer and sits on the couch opposite me. I smirk, victorious, as I watch him lie across his couch, resting his sock-clad feet up against the armrest.
"You're a bad influence, Anakin," he tells me, though it's not an accusation as such, merely a statement of fact.
I shrug. "I just take pleasure in the simple things in life," I inform him. "You worry too much."
Ben rolls his sea-green eyes. "You don't worry enough. Sometimes, I wonder how you managed to get on the Dean's list. Did you even go to class today?" He gives me a once over, noting my casual attire of faded blue jeans and an old maroon sweater over the top of a white t-shirt. His eyes then drift up to my hair, which I know is an absolute mess, because I haven't been bothered to tame it all day.
"Nah," I reply with a lazy shake of my head. "My workshop was cancelled, and I couldn't be fucked going in for just one lecture."
"And how is it that you pass?"
Grinning, I flash him a wink. "I might a lazy fuck, Ben, but I'm a smart lazy fuck."
He mutters something under his breath and rolls his eyes at me, clearly not impressed by my habits, but it's nothing new. "So, if you didn't go to class, what did you do all day?"
A wide smile pulls at my lips. "I called Padme." My mood considerably lightens at the memory of our first phone conversation, what I deem to be a rather big step forward, because I rarely call anyone. Only Mom.
The sigh he releases is almost comical, and he shakes his head in complete exasperation. "Finally! It's about bloody time!"
"Hey," I tell him with a frown. "You know I'm not good at this sort of thing." I'm new at this whole dating thing, and it's daunting and confusing as hell, and I'm so out of my comfort zone it's not funny. I don't need Ben to ridicule me for it.
"Did I hear that correctly?" he eyes me in shock. "Anakin Skywalker is not good at something?!" He clasps a hand to his chest in mock surprise, clearly amused with himself.
Not me. I'm far from amused. "Fuck off," I fall for his taunt, narrowing my eyes. "You know what I mean. You should be proud of me, actually. Because, I scored another date with her!"
He eyes me curiously. "There must be something wrong with this girl," he teases instantly, but even though he's only joking, I feel a rush of defensive protectiveness overwhelm me, and I scowl at him. How dare he even think of insulting Padme!
"There's nothing wrong with her," I snap. "She's flawless!"
Ben holds his hands up in surrender, clearly amused by my reaction. "Alright, alright! I didn't mean it like that. Bloody hell!" When I don't say anything and keep up my fierce exterior, he sighs and drops his hands. "From everything you've told me about her, I'm sure she's wonderful. But, she must have some questionable judgement, Anakin, if she's dating you."
The dig crumbles my defences just a little and I smirk. "Trust me," I concede honestly. "I'm just as surprised by this as you are." Honestly, I'm still shocked that she agreed to see me again. That she wants to. Even after I took three days to call her. I don't know what exactly that I've done to win her over so far, but I fucking hope it continues to work, because I don't want to stop seeing her. Not ever.
"So," Ben asks as he sits up, crossing his legs. "Did you take my suggestion?"
Nodding, I sip my beer again. "Yeah. She loved the idea. I owe you one," I add seriously, because it's true. Without Ben, I probably would've been stumped for a date idea. Mini-golf actually sounds great – something fun and competitive and different.
"Don't worry about it," he dismisses my comment with a wave of his hand. "I'm happy to help."
Biting down on my lip, I tap my fingers impatiently against my leg. The reason I came over here in the first place was to talk to Ben about Padme, but now that I'm here, I'm suddenly nervous as hell. I mean, it's pretty pathetic really. And, knowing Ben, he'll probably tease me about it for weeks (because I would do the same to him, let's be honest here).
Ahsoka's right. I really am weak. And, pathetic.
Biting the bullet, I sigh and hurriedly blurt out, "Icantstopthinkingabouther." It all comes out as one word, all strung together, and I'm not really that surprised when Ben tips his head at me in confusion and asks me to repeat myself.
Inhaling deeply, I give it a second shot. "I can't stop thinking about her," I say again, much slower and more deliberate this time. Once the words leave my mouth, I brace myself for the onslaught of taunts that he'll no doubt hit me with, but it never comes. Instead, he simply stares at me, a small smile on his face and remains silent. I don't want him to be silent. I want him to tell me how wrong it is for me to feel like this…already.
With a huff, I decide to probe him. "I'm serious, Ben!" I cry out. "I literally can't stop thinking about her. Day or night! It doesn't matter. It's…it's so fucking distracting. Look!" I hold up my left hand, where there's a nice, thin slice through the side of my index finger. "I almost chopped my hand off at work because I was thinking about her! What's wrong with me?!" I scan his face for some sort of resolution, seeking an explanation for why I feel this way.
Shaking his head, Ben only sighs. "There's nothing wrong with you, Anakin," he tells me quietly. He's regarding me with an almost endearing expression, and it confuses the fuck out of me.
"Yes, there is!" I argue, hotly. "There must be. I've only been on two dates with her and already I'm acting like… like – "
" – like you're in love with her," he finishes with a knowing smile.
The word love makes me falter. No. I don't love her. I can't love her. It's not… it's just not possible. There's no way I could be in love with her after two dates. No fucking way in hell. Just the thought is utterly ridiculous.
"No. I'm not in love with her," I respond firmly, once I've gathered my thoughts.
"It sounds like you are to me," Ben reasons diplomatically, placing his beer down on the coffee table and clasping his hands together. "I felt the exact same way after I met Siri, you know."
That surprises me. Ben hardly ever talks about his ex-girlfriend. They had a…difficult ending, a few years ago, when she'd been offered a huge job opportunity in London. They'd been fighting about it for weeks, until Ben decided he needed to let her go and live her own life. It had taken him a while to recover, and even now, he still refrains from mentioning her whenever possible. I know better than to broach the topic. So, it's surprising that he's the one to bring it up.
"R-really?!" I splutter stupidly.
He nods sadly. "I was smitten as soon as I saw her. Every day I thought about her, and every night I dreamt about her. I couldn't help it. Didn't take me long to realize I was in love with her. I mean, who wouldn't be? To me, she was the most perfect woman in the world…" his voice trails off, and he closes his eyes at the memory, and I watch him sadly, because I know how much it hurts him to think about her.
Yet, the way he's talking hits far too close to home for my liking. To me, Padme is the most perfect woman in the world; there's simply no other competition. She outshines them all. If Ben had thought the same about Siri, and he'd been in love with her, then maybe... just maybe I am in love with Padme...? I have to think about this.
"I've never been in love before," I tell him. "I don't do that. I don't fall in love. I just…"
"Sleep around," Ben finishes for me and I give a feeble nod.
He shakes his head and smiles at me. "Everyone has the ability to love, Anakin. It's what makes us human. And you haven't even slept with her, have you?" When I shake my head, he grins, all knowing and annoying. "So, it has to be emotional. It can't just be a physical thing for you."
"But…so soon?! I hardly know her, Ben. Not – not really."
"Sometimes, when you know, you just know," he says, shrugging his shoulders, as though it's not a big deal. "It's not an exact science. What do you want me to tell you? That it's bad to be in love with someone? Because it's not. It's actually the most wonderful thing you can ever experience in life. It's painful and it's hard sometimes, but the feeling of loving someone and of them loving you in return…" he looks away, out the window. "It's one of life's greatest treasures."
I ponder his words quietly, and a silence exists between us. He's seriously making me rethink everything I think I know about myself.
Like, seriously.
Maybe he's right. Maybe I am in love with Padme. What other explanation could there be for the way I feel about her?! She consumes my thoughts every waking second and every sleepless night. I see her face when I close my eyes, I hear her voice and her laughter when I'm alone. I dream about her lips on mine, the feel of holding her hand clasped tightly in mine, the beautifully intoxicating scent and silky softness of her skin, her breathtaking smile, the way she says my name…
"What do I do?" I suddenly ask, lifting my head up slowly, at a complete loss about all of this.
It's then that Ben smiles widely at me, making the skin around his eyes crinkle. "Embrace it," he tells me wisely, and it's this that reaffirms I made the right decision in coming to Ben. "Let yourself love her. Who knows, she may even learn to love you in return...But, y'know, I told you that you'd finally met your match in Padme. Seems like I was right." Ben grins, delighted to be right for once, and winks at me.
I can't help but agree with him. He's right. Irritatingly so, but still. So, instead of firing back my usual cocky retort, I surrender with a beer salute and a smirk, because...
The thought of Padme being in love with me has me grinning like an idiot, and I can't bring myself to stop. Instead, I decide to break up this sappy, sentimental conversation, because I suddenly feel my masculinity slipping away, and I may need to punch a wall just to feel like a man again.
Besides, that's quite enough of getting in touch with our 'feminine side.'
"I'm surprised you've stayed single all these years, Ben, if you can spew out romantic crap like that," I jest. "You must have a thousand girls dropping their panties for you on a daily basis."
He rolls his eyes at me. "I'm not you, Anakin. I don't care about dropped panties as much as you do."
"Yeah, right," I fix him with an amused stare. "You're a handsome, single guy in the prime of his youth, living in New York City for fuck's sake! Don't try and tell me you don't care about dropped panties!" I give him a pointed don't-fuck-with-me look that has him raising his eyebrows, unimpressed. "Get real, Ben...you're telling me that you don't have your sights set on anyone? Come on, you work with heaps of women! No sexy receptionist caught your eye?"
He blushes furiously and swallows. "Well…now you mention it, there's this one girl…Satine Kryze…she works in advertising…"
I sit up a little straighter at this sudden divulgence of information. I was only teasing him. I hadn't expected him to actually be interested in someone. This is just getting better and better. "This Satine...Nice looking girl?"
Ben fixes me with a secretive smile. "Very nice," he says, and I grin at him.
"What are you waiting for then, Mr Romance…go up to her and start talking about love and life's greatest treasures and all that shit. She'll be crawling into your bed in seconds."
He deadpans. "Oh, yes. Because that's so very romantic. Honestly, Anakin," he shakes his head at me in exasperation. "You could learn a thing or two about real romance, you know."
I throw my arms up behind my head casually. "Nah. That's what I have you for."
Ben opens his mouth, about to retort, but decides against it and merely shakes his head, muttering under his breath. Just then, my stomach decides to make itself heard, and I yawn. "Fuck, I'm starving. Wanna get a pizza?"
Flashing me a sly grin, he nods. "As long as you're paying. You did say you owed me, after all."