A/N: Quick side note for this fan-fic: Padme did NOT tell Anakin how she felt on Geonosis, but I can assure you she will later in this fic. Here we go, and on with the story!
Padme looked out across the glistening, frozen lake as the sun seemed to illuminate it in a crystal-like glow. The newly fallen snow created a knee-deep blanket across the usually green-filled hills lining the rim of her Lake Country, and while this particular change in weather was a bit surprising to the people of Naboo, the Senator couldn't help but have her attention elsewhere.
A few days prior, she had sent an invitation out to Anakin, inviting him and Obi-Wan to join her out in the hills of Naboo for a, how could she say, a "get-away". As the days progressed from when the Jedi had returned from Geonosis, it was declared that the Clone Wars had officially begun and war was soon to rage. In her own mind, Padme was in no way thrilled with this declaration seeing as she wasn't one to usually turn her first solutions towards violence. Nonetheless, the Senate had been rather keen on letting the Separatists know just what they were getting themselves into with the Republic. Now, with a full army of clones at their disposal, Padme knew it was only a matter of time before the battles began to spread through the galaxy.
Her invitation had simply been a means to get Anakin and Obi-Wan's mind off the soon to come war; a simple gesture from a friend. That's what she continued to tell herself until the day she had received a transmission in return from the young Jedi, gladly accepting her offer. While she was told the Council wasn't super keen on letting Obi-Wan's Padawan leave for Naboo when war was just around the corner, his Master had apparently swayed their opinions enough that allowed him a few days away.
That's what had Padme slightly worried.
She was hoping for both Anakin and Obi-Wan to show, hoping to ease the bit of tension that still remained between her and the young Jedi. Since Anakin had declared his love for her the last time they were in the Lake Country, she had tried to get things back to the way they were between them, even if things would never quite be the same. Anakin understood this enough and tried to hide his disappointment, but even at the times he thought she hadn't been looking, she could see the pain flash across his eyes before quickly disappearing behind his Jedi mask.
At the battle on Geonosis, Padme had looked up to him in the carriage only to see him look straight forward, his features firm and calm like any Jedi should be. Even so, she could still see that flicker of doubt behind his piercing gaze.
In that moment, her heart had yearned for her to speak up and give in to the desires she truly felt towards the young Jedi, even if it were against her better judgement and his code. Despite him being incredibly handsome, Anakin was a good person with a wise sense and a bravery she had only ever witnessed before in a Jedi. His emotions were not always kept in the best check, but even so, he never shut her out. She was sure this was one of the reasons their friendship had been kept alive, even if he thought his feelings weren't reciprocated.
She had never gotten the chance to let any words slip past her lips before the cart had pulled forward and into the large arena where Obi-Wan was already chained to one of the podiums. Padme had turned her gaze forward, and the two had only spoken during the battle and after on the ship, her feelings still bubbling in her chest waiting to be released.
Anakin had returned to Coruscant soon after while she came back to Naboo. A few weeks had passed before the winter months on Naboo had rolled in, along with the blankets of snow and cold winter winds that would always follow it in toe. Nonetheless, the scenery was still beautiful and quite a sight to see the usually blossoming planet covered under a snowy sheet.
Now, the Senator worried if she had made the right decision in inviting Anakin to come and stay with her. Padme was already aware that Dormé would remain with her in their Lake Country house seeing as she was still her loyal handmaiden, but that slight flicker of doubt remained in the back of her mind knowing it would mainly be her and the young Jedi that would remain together for the next few days, seeing as Obi-Wan had politely declined her offer to stay on Coruscant.
Padme tightened her hold on the robe wrapped around her as a light breeze blew in through the open balcony. Holding back a shiver, Padme turned her back to the ice-covered lake and walked back into the comfort of her household. Weaving her way back through the halls, she arrived in the kitchen to see Dormé setting two cups of caf onto the counter.
"Oh, Lady Amidala, I'm sorry I didn't see you there," the handmaiden exclaimed as Padme stepped up to the countertop. "I thought you might do well with a hot drink."
"Thank you, Dormé," Padme replied, taking a slow sip of her caf. "And as I've said before, when it's just the two of us, you may call me Padme if you prefer."
"I'm sorry, I'm just so used to your other titles," Dormé answered with a sheepish smile. Taking a seat at the side table set by one of the grand windows, the handmaiden gestured for Padme to join her. "I believe the young Jedi you invited should be arriving any minute now."
Seeing as Padme only nodded, Dormé let a light grin take over her features. "Are you nervous to see him again?"
"Why would you say that?" Padme asked, a bit too quickly. She took a large gulp of caf to ignore Dormé's raised brow.
"Well, and correct me if I was mistaken, but I thought you mentioned something about the boy harboring unrequited feelings for someone," Dormé teased lightly, eyeing the Senator as a light blush overcame her face. "And something about it being a bit hard to see him again in doing so."
"Nothing's changed between us, Dormé, I can assure you of that," the Senator lied between her teeth. "I just don't know if he's perhaps lost interest - not that it matters much, though. We never would have worked to begin with."
"Is that what you tell yourself?" her handmaiden asked, brow furrowing a bit at seeing her Lady's denial to her own feelings. "You must have seen the way he kept looking at you!"
"Regardless of the way he feels, I am still a Senator and he is still a Jedi!" Padme returned with more force this time. "My feelings for him can't get in the way of - "
Suddenly realizing the mistake she had made and letting slip in her wording, Padme clamped her mouth shut and took another long sip from her caf, even if it's bitter taste wasn't as appealing as she had thought of it a few minutes prior.
Dormé only smiled at her friend across from her. "It is not a crime to be in love, Padme. Whether you truly love this boy or not is entirely your choice, including whether you tell him of your feelings or keep them hidden away."
"What is there to tell?" Padme muttered under her breath, though she knew Dormé could hear her quite clearly. "That I've been dying a little inside everyday since he came back into my life? That even if we were to keep it a secret, I'd still love him behind it all? That aside from the fact I'm a politician who works with the Senate and he's training to be a Jedi Knight I still have feelings for him?"
"I think it sounded fine just like that," Dormé returned with a returning smile even as Padme shook her head and stared down into her cup. "But like I said, it's your choice if you tell young Skywalker or not. I can tell just from watching him around you that the boy loves you dearly, so if you have any doubts there, I really wouldn't worry."
Her handmaiden reached out across the table and gave her hand a gentle and comforting squeeze. Her warm smile always seemed to make Padme's spirits lift, and she could feel a spark of confidence in her chest that warmed it at the thought of telling Anakin how she truly felt for him.
When Dormé released her hand, Padme looked back up to see her handmaiden looking out the window, seemingly lost in thought. Deciding to take a turn at the tables, Padme smirked and asked, "So, do tell me Dormé, what do you think of Gregar Typho?"
At the mention of the name of her head of security, a light blush encased Dormé's cheeks as she took a long sip from her cup and tried to find a reasonable answer. "He's certainly a good man - quite intelligent, good set of training skills - "
"Quite handsome and conveniently always seems to be right by your side?" Padme teased. Her handmaiden's face burst into a furious blush, but she refused to open her mouth on the subject again.
Padme simply found it amusing that Dormé encouraged her to tell the young Jedi coming to stay with her how she really felt towards him when she herself refused to give in to the real thoughts she had on her head of security.
"I hope you'll enjoy your stay here again," Padme exclaimed as she led Anakin back into the room he had stayed in during his previous visit to the Lake Country, though this time a foot of snow lay covering the ground. "I know the weather has been a bit different lately, but I hope it won't affect much."
"Not at all, M'Lady," Anakin replied, setting his bag down beside his bed. A warm smile spread out across his face as he looked out over the lakeside view. Padme could feel her heart flutter at seeing such a smile grace his handsome features, but she quickly looked away before he could catch her staring.
"Make yourself comfortable, and I'll be back up in a few minutes," Padme called as she headed for the door. "And while you're here, please, no formal titles. You're not here on orders to protect me from an assassin this time."
Anakin only smiled and nodded his head again, his eyes taking in every bit of her face. Before he could finish, Padme could already feel the heat creeping into her cheeks. Turning on her heel, she made her way back down the hall towards her own room and clicked the door shut behind her.
This was going to be a bit more difficult than she thought.
Trying to calm her racing heart beat, Padme took a steadying breath and tried to compose herself. Walking further into her chambers, she sat down on the edge of her bed to unjumble her thoughts and get them back in order. She wasn't ready to tell him. Not yet, at least.
Out of the corner of her eye, Padme caught sight of a falling ball of white. Turning to face the window, a small smile spread out across her cheeks as she rose back to her feet and walked towards the glass, watching as a fresh snowfall began to flutter down from the sky, speckling the window with drops of water.
In the back of her mind, Padme vaguely wondered if Anakin had ever seen snow before, let alone the cold weather that winter brought along with it. As if on cue, Padme turned her back on the fresh snowfall as a light knock came from her door.
She opened it to find Anakin with a slightly worried expression on the other side, his brow furrowed in slight confusion.
"Is everything alright?" she asked. He seemed tense suddenly and looked back over his shoulder at the large balcony window standing just a few yards away.
"I, um, just wanted to make sure everything was alright," Anakin said with a slightly wary tone. "I've read about this kind of weather before, especially on a neighboring planet called Hoth. The temperatures there are terrible with all of the snow and ice, and I'd frankly much rather you stay inside than get stuck out there with something like this."
Padme couldn't help the silly grin that overcame her lips, nor could she help the small laugh that accompanied it. Looking back towards her window, she could see the gentle snow still tumbling down from the sky, causing no more than just a few gusts of wind every now and then.
"Ani, I can promise you, winter on Naboo is nothing like that," Padme reassured as she stepped out into the hallway. Gesturing for him to follow, she walked towards the balcony doors and pulled them open, a sudden gust of wind staining her cheeks a rosy pink as she stepped out into the afternoon snowfall.
Leaning against the edge, she turned around to see Anakin still waiting inside, a suspicious look furrowing his brow in both confusion and curiosity. He had never before seen snow, nor had he felt it's delicate touch. If anything, he was more rather concerned with the beautiful woman standing outside in it, covering herself with a thin robe that did nothing to ease the cold temperatures that whipped against her skin.
Padme seemed to pay the breeze no mind and motioned for him to join her. Snow was already sticking to her mane of curls, and while she tried her best to hide it, it was rather chilly out and her choice of outfit didn't do much against the winter winds.
Hesitantly stepping forward, Anakin stepped out into the bright, white world of winter, his sense of the cold already settling in as he shivered. He had left his thick, Jedi robes back in his bedroom, and his regret was almost instant.
Nonetheless, he continued to step out into the cold weather as Padme moved aside for him to join her. If he hadn't seen her as an angel before (which he had), he certainly did now. With her rosy cheeks and soft smile, and the way her eyes seemed to twinkle against the falling snow around them, Anakin couldn't help but think of her as the most beautiful woman in the galaxy. There was no doubt in his heart about that.
Padme, while her eyes were trained forward, could see Anakin looking at her intently out of the corner of her eye. She was vaguely reminded of the last time they had been in this situation together; out on the balcony, overlooking the lake while she remained calm and composed while he had looked at her as if she were a goddess.
The events that had occurred afterward was the one that had truly planted itself in her memory that she knew she would never be able to shake.
Padme was slightly disappointed when Anakin rose to his full height and sighed, leaning down against the rail of the balcony and looking out over the crystal lake. Even though he was still shivering from the cold, he kept his face passive and put-together; unlike the internal war he was facing with the girl he knew he wasn't supposed to love standing right beside him.
"Is this your first time seeing snow?" Padme asked, trying to break the tension between them.
Anakin looked over at her with a tight smile. "If by that you mean my first time attempting frostbite, then yes."
Padme chuckled and shook her head, her smile widening as she fiddled with a loose string of her robe. "So you've never had experience in it?" The words had escaped her lips before she could realize how stupid she sounded.
Anakin only found it amusing and released an airy laugh. "I grew up on Tatooine if you remember correctly," the young Jedi teased. "All I've ever experienced is dry with heat, along with the occasional sand storm."
Padme nodded her head, understanding quite well that the desert planet he grew up on hadn't had much of a change in weather, unless it was another heat wave or severe drought.
Still, Padme found herself feeling a slight pang of pity that the young Jedi beside her had never before experienced what a real winter's day felt like, especially not one on Naboo.
A sudden thought occurred to her, and she couldn't help the mischievous grin that spread out across her face.
Anakin caught sight of it out of the corner of his eye and turned to face her again, this time curious as to why she suddenly had a certain glint to her eyes.
"What?"
"How would you feel about heading down to the lake later on?" Padme offered, an idea stirring in her head.
Anakin frowned for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. "Alright then," he answered simply, oblivious to the plan forming in front of him. "But unless you're planning on taking an ice bath, I'm not sure exactly how much there is we can do."
Padme chuckled again and turned back to the balcony doors. "Just leave that to me."
Padme stood down by the lake's edge and knotted the last string of her ice skates, making sure they were tightly secured around her ankles as she adjusted them around her feet.
While it had been a simple idea, Padme thought it would be rather surprising to any passer-byer to see a Senator from Naboo dragging a Jedi out into the center of the frozen ice to attempt a yearly tradition she had usually done with her family.
From a young age, Padme had found a love on the ice as she could skate and twirl with considerable ease. As such, the Senator was already aware of the challenge it would be to convince her Jedi friend he could do just the same with a bit of practice.
Admiring the knot she had tied in her skates, Padme took a moment to adjust her appearance. Dormé had helped into a much more suitable outfit for the cold weather, and for that she was grateful. It consisted of a simple knee-length hooded cloak with embroidered designs running up and down its sides, ending in a pair of light stockings that disappeared beneath her skates. Her hair had been pinned back into a simple braid that fell down the curves of her back and was tied together with a silky, red ribbon, a design her mother had used on many occasions on their skating outings.
Looking back up and out over the lake, Padme took a deep breath of the chilling air and watched as a puff of smoke exhaled with her chilling breath. Her attention from the lake was snapped away when she heard someone hiss "Kriff!" from behind.
Turning to see Anakin fumbling to get to her through the snowy pathway, she couldn't help but chuckle as he tried to maneuver his way around to her. With a long thick cloak encircling his body and a secured belt to hold it together, he still seemed to be unconsciously shivering, though he paid it no attention as he almost slipped once again for the fifth time.
"Come on, Ani, hurry up!" Padme called, a teasing grin spreading out across her face. Anakin sent her a half-hearted glare, but he couldn't help the small grin that pulled back as his eyes took in her figure. It didn't matter what she wore, she still looked like an angel from the heavens.
Finally getting around the last pile of snow, he trotted down beside her and looked out over the lake, panting slightly from the work it had been to get down to the shore in the first place. "So, care to tell what we're doing here?"
Instead of replying, Padme reached into the satchel she had brought with and pulled out a large pair of black boots, each with blades on the soles of the feet. Her mischievous smile had returned as Anakin eyed them suspiciously.
"What am I supposed to do with those?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow and still not catching onto what activity they were about to commence in.
"It's called skating," Padme answered as she sat down on a nearby boulder, patting the rock and motioning for him to join her. Handing him the large boots, she explained how he was supposed to put them on and tie the knot in the top to keep them in place. When he managed to get his fingers caught between the laces while tying his knot, Padme had held back the urge to fall to the snow with laughter, but merely settled for helping him secure his skates before getting to her feet. "You ready?"
"For what exactly?" Anakin asked again, though this time his expression had turned from confusion to a hint of worry.
"Come on, I'll show you!" the Senator exclaimed with excitement. Grabbing Anakin's hands and ignoring the urge to take note of how perfectly they fit with hers, she pulled him to his feet and helped him steady himself in the snow.
Tugging him towards the lake's edge, Anakin didn't have a second to react before Padme had pulled him out onto the ice. While she had taken to the surface with a delicate ease, Anakin clung to her hand as his legs almost gave out from underneath him, the slippery surface creating indented lines with each wobble he took.
Extending his other arm to try and steady himself, he heard Padme giggle beside him. The sound was angelic to his ears, but he was correctly occupied trying to steady himself while attempting to not receive a face-full of ice.
Padme rounded out in front of him and took his other hand with hers. It was odd to hold onto his metallic hand now beneath the surface of his glove, seeing as the leather was near freezing cold to the touch. Even so, she didn't let go and a beaming smile overtook her rosy cheeks.
"Just try to relax a little," Padme explained as Anakin almost fell straight onto his back before steadying himself again. The two had barely gone any farther out onto the lake, but Anakin already appeared to have broken a bit of a sweat. "Now, push out a bit with your feet like you're gliding."
"And how am I supposed to do that exactly?" Anakin hissed between clenched teeth as his eyes darted down to his wobbly legs. The skates had almost buckled in underneath him at this point.
Padme could see his frustration, but her smile still held its place. "Here, I'll show you."
Releasing her hold from around his hands, he went to grab her arm again for support, but she managed to dodge out of the way before he could do so. Again, she held back the urge to fall to the surface with laughter at seeing Anakin hold his arms out like some sort of bird while his knees wobbled to the extent she was shocked he hadn't fallen yet.
Pushing off with her feet, Padme began the small and simple routine she had created to show her mother. She glided along across the ice, her movements smooth and put-together as her feet carried her away. In the middle of her skating, Padme turned her body and twirled through the air, landing with an ease that looked as if she could have used the Force.
His mind went completely blank as he watched her eyes close with a beautiful bliss. Her delicate grace and swift movements could have matched that of a Jedi, her skates carrying her across the ice in a practiced dance. Anakin caught his mouth hanging open in the shape of an 'o' as he continued to watch her with utter amazement. How could someone so beautiful even exist in a galaxy like this?
Anakin's eyes darted across her face as he watched her lips pull up into a gracious smile; one he had seen many times but never tired of seeing. Even as she opened her eyes again to turn back to him, his gaze never left her face.
"Care to give it a try?" Padme called to him as she skated back in his direction. She was mildly grateful for the winter breeze, seeing as her cheeks were already so pink she was sure Anakin wouldn't be able to tell the difference between it and the blush breaking out across her face as she had caught him staring at her with utter amazement.
"All you have to do is simply push your feet and glide," Padme explained as she came up to Anakin's side again. "Everyone falls at first, and even if you do, you just have to get back up again."
Anakin nodded his head as his piercing stare didn't leave hers. Ever so hesitantly, he extended one foot forward and did as she instructed: push and glide, push and glide, push and glide.
With small but steady movements, the two had managed to remove themselves from the side of the shore and were heading farther out to the center of the lake.
"There you go, Ani, you're doing it!" Padme exclaimed as a wide grin took over her face yet again. Anakin couldn't help the smile of his own break out across his face, but he knew it wasn't from the fact he was skating; more so it was towards the beautiful girl still gripping his hand in a tight hold.
He would be content if she never let it go.
His moment of peace was suddenly broken as he felt something catch beneath him.
The tip of his robe had struck itself just beneath the blade of his skate, and before he could comprehend what was happening, Anakin could feel himself tumbling backwards, his hand still tightly gripping Padme's with his own.
He heard her gasp as his feet completely came up from underneath him. It was only a matter of time before -
THUD!
Anakin met with the slippery surface as everything seemed to come down in steps in one swift motion: first his bottom, then his back, before finally the air was knocked from his lungs as he managed to save his head in time before meeting with the crystalized surface.
A body fell on top of him as he closed his eyes, her shriek of surprise following his. Anakin's hand was still tightly wrapped around Padme's, though his now mechanical arm was secured around her waist, holding him down to his body.
"Oh my goodness, Ani are you alright?" Padme's voice asked from above him. His eyes were closed, but he still didn't miss the sudden worry that overcame her voice. Anakin couldn't help himself as a small grin tugged back on the corner of his lips.
A small chuckle escaped before he opened his eyes and his airy laugh turned into one where he was practically doubling over.
Padme, still hugged tightly against his chest, couldn't help her own break of laughter as she joined in with him, laying the top of her head against his chest. With every rise and fall she felt of him trying to regain his breath, she couldn't miss the way her chest hummed at the sound of his heart beating against her ear.
Even with the cold winter breeze, his body against hers sent a fuzzy warmth through her with each passing second she lay over him. All too soon, it felt like he managed to regain his breath once more and his outburst of laughter had turned into a content smile.
Padme was once again vaguely reminded of a situation they had been in like this. By the waterfall's of Naboo, in the open plains all along the grassy hills, she had never felt more at peace then, the sun shining down on them as Anakin had rolled them down through the grass, her landing on top of him as the two had burst out laughing at their rather childish behavior.
It seemed the Jedi beneath her seemed to have the same memories running through his mind.
From where he had tugged her against his chest, Padme looked up to his face to see the reminisce of a smile still in place, his dark eyes taking in every inch of her face.
She didn't pull away as Anakin slowly removed the hand from around her waist as he raised it to cup the side of her cheek. Nor did she pull away when he did the same with the hand gently holding hers with his.
Moving it to the side of her neck, his cool touch sent a shiver down her spine, and she could have sworn she saw the hint of smirk quickly flash across his lips in doing so.
She knew she shouldn't lean in and let him on further.
She knew she should just pull away and get back to her feet and the two could continue like nothing had happened.
But in all her honesty, Padme didn't want that.
Her heart pounding in her chest to the point she knew he could feel it through her cloak and through his robes, she felt a sudden warmth swell through her chest as his deep, desire-filled eyes quickly darted from hers and down to her lips.
Throwing caution to the wind, and not waiting for him to make the first move this time, Padme leaned into his touch and bent towards his face, her lips a mere hair's length from his. Anakin's eyes widened, and for a single moment the Senator was worried she had made a fool of herself thinking she could show him just how she felt in return.
Before she could pull away or let any other passing thought of her feelings for him cross her mind, the Jedi closed the remaining distance between them and pressed his lips against hers. Soft and warm against her own, Padme closed her eyes in bliss and let her fingers trail across the ice and up towards the nape of his neck.
Anakin slowly moved his lips against her own, hesitant and worried that she would pull away again from his embrace. When she didn't but instead initiated the kiss further, he released a light moan from the back of his throat as her fingers laced through his hair. Tugging her ever closer, even though they were practically and quite literally on top of one another, Anakin let his passion for Padme flow through the kiss, letting her know just how much she truly meant to him.
As the Force would have it, though, the two still needed air, and with much reluctance, they parted their lips from one another. Padme's eyes fluttered open as she looked down into Anakin's, his eyes swimming with so much love and passion she was surprised he had refrained himself from pulling back in the first place.
The words had slipped past her lips before she could stop them in a hoarse whisper.
"I love you, Ani."
The young Jedi's eyes widened as his lips parted, words lost to him as he heard the feelings he harbored for her since the moment they met finally said back to him.
"I thought we had agreed not to fall in love," he muttered back, his eyes never leaving hers as his gloved thumb gently stroked her cheek. Even though his statement sounded hesitant to believe her, the emotions swirling behind his eyes certainly said otherwise.
Padme slid one of her hands up from behind his neck to repeat his motion and cupped his cheek. "Then I just wanted you to know that I truly…deeply…love you-mph!"
While he tried to remain passive and not let his feelings get out of play, Anakin could not resist the small grin that pulled at the corner of his lips, an airy chuckle escaping. Before Padme could finish her small speech, Anakin pulled her down to reconnect their lips once more, this time with a fiery passion he didn't hold back.
With the flurries of a new snowfall surrounding them, Padme couldn't help but be thankful that Anakin still had no knowledge on how to skate as she pressed her lips back against his, her own smile tugging upward.
Without his clumsy fall or the winter weather that had settled over Naboo, she was hesitant she would have gotten the chance to truly tell him how she felt. Nonetheless, her heart sang with a new warmth that she could finally show her feelings to the boy she held so dearly to herself.
After all, they always say that frozen hearts will melt away.
Hey y'all!
This was my first attempt at an Anidala fan-fic, and I really hope you guys enjoyed it! I hope it wasn't too confusing saying she hadn't yet professed her feelings, so I hope I wrote that part out okay and everything.
Anyway, I hope y'all really enjoyed, and if you have an feedback for me regarding this fan-fic, please be sure to leave a review if you'd like! :)
And, as always to all the lovely readers out there, I hope y'all have a wonderful morning, afternoon, evening, or night!
-Summerwinds