Chapter 11
Obi-Wan was an early riser. Padme was not. She enjoyed coming awake slowly, thinking about what her day would hold, and reliving the previous day's events. Lately, her days were sort of blurring together wtihout any significant occurrences. She and Obi-Wan had settled into a comfortable daily routine.
Awaken, shower, dress, eat breakfast together accompanied by small talk of a variety of subjects, usually based on her experiences or his. They would clean up together, and then he would go his way, which was usually the comm station to check on the Holonet's latest news, and she would go to the library to find a datatext she hadn't yet read.
They would meet back in the kitchen for a light lunch, when Obi-Wan would relay the latest news from Coruscant. In the afternoons, they would play a game together, either sabacc or demolition. Padme won a hand of sabacc sometimes, but she was never sure if Obi-Wan had allowed it, or she had actually earned it. When she asked, he would just grin and shuffle the deck.
Evening meals were made together and the conversation often turned to Anakin. Padme was finding it easier to talk about him as time passed, and she appreciated the fact Obi-Wan was a good listener. He understood and was sympathetic, which brought about another painful realization: She should've trusted him and confided in him long before she had. Maybe...just maybe things would've turned out differently.
Padme had grown accustomed to her new life more quickly than she would've believed. It wasn't as bad as she initially thought it was going to be, although she knew in the back of her mind, one day - everything would change.
The young woman sat in the refresher early that morning staring at the temperature gauge in her hand. For some reason, she had gotten up early - almost like her body was telling her something was happening. And indeed it had. Or it was about to.
98.8. Two weeks and two days into their commission. And now she was faced with something she had been both dreading and anticipating.
With a tremor in her fingers, Padme set the gauge on the counter and finished her morning routine, choosing to allow her long hair to hang loose. She picked out the fuzzy tunic Obi-Wan seemed to like, and some warm leggings, and went to find him.
The library was empty, as was the comm station. It was too early for breakfast. In fact, for Padme, it was too early for anything. She checked his bedroom just in case, and wasn't surprised to find it empty, the bed neatly made, not a single thing out of place.
There was only one area he could be she hadn't checked.
Padme looked through the transparisteel outside the patio which stored the tub and sauna and saw nothing but snow and mountains. She then walked through the common room and peered through the transparisteel at the front of the house.
Only one word could adequately describe what she saw, and it was - mesmerizing. Padme hid behind the non-transparent part of the door so he could not see her, not that she didn't wish to interrupt him, but that she was fascinated. She had been married to a Jedi for two years, and never had she seen anything like this.
Obi-Wan was on the front portico. Most of the previous evening's snowfall had been cleared away, allowing him room to perform the routine Padme hadn't been aware of until now. Again, his chest was bared to the elements, as were his feet. The only thing he wore was the sleep pants he preferred.
He began with a kneeling position, eyes closed, facing the eastern skies as the sun rose and shined upon him, setting his copper hair aglow. After a few moments, he rose slowly, stretching his body to his full height. The Jedi then began a series of moves, which to Padme, looked like he was performing hand-to-hand combat, although there was no opponent. Not a visible one, anyway.
The routine continued and escalated before it changed, ending with a series of leg sweeps, kicks, jumps, and backflips that would not be humanly possible to anyone other than a Jedi.
Following the set obviously designed to work his agility, Obi-Wan added his lightsaber. It's blue blaze became a blur as did his body when the exercise sped up. Padme was barely able to follow him as Obi-Wan's blade swept to and fro, in and out, arced high and low, sometimes appearing as if were just a continuous circle about his head. She closed her eyes for a few seconds to adjust her equilibrium, but opened them just as quickly. She didn't want to miss anything.
The exercise was slowing now, his body shimmering with a fine sheen of sweat, the sides of his hair dampened with exertion, his chest heaving. He then began gathering his clothing, picked up his boots, and was going to come in soon. Padme didn't want to be caught spying on him, but she couldn't move.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was a virile representation of an adult Jedi Master, and he was about to have sex with her.
Padme's mouth suddenly went dry, and the tremor was back - only this time it was creeping up her spine. Obi-Wan finally saw her standing there gawking at him and wiped his forehead with a towel. Then he smiled and her heart fluttered.
Must be due to anxiety over what was going to happen, she decided.
"Good morning," he said as the door opened. "How long have you been up?"
Padme ignored the question. "What was that you were doing?"
Copper eyebrows shot up. "That? Just my morning katas," he said so nonchalantly, Padme almost laughed. What he had done was remarkable, but she wasn't about to say that outloud.
"Why are you up so early? Is everything okay?"
This was it. She couldn't avoid it any longer. "It's time," she said simply.
His brows furrowed and Padme prayed he would understand. She wasn't sure she could explain any further. Please, let him understand.
"Oh," he said with dawning clarity. "Oh," he repeated more solemnly. "Uhm...let me shower, and I'll, uh, meet you in your bedroom. Or mine. Would you prefer mine? Yours is fine, or maybe the sofa?"
No, not the sofa," he argued with himself. "Too many windows. Your bedroom is fine. If that's okay with you."
A smile slowly crept over Padme's face. He was nervous too. Possibly just as much as she was. Maybe Breha was right. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all.
