A/N: Told you I'd update quick, right? Told you I'd be committed. Didn't I? HLP, making good on promises yet again *pats self on back*
I'm interested as to what people think of this chapter. A few have already pointed out a slight problem with Anakin's sudden appearance... Nothing is ever smooth sailing for my two babies. I like making things difficult and watching them overcome the obstacles and grow together, don't you?
My beta thinks I'm a Sith with all my cliffies. But they're good, right? Sorry, not sorry, about the last one :D Enjoy xx
She froze, eyes growing wide. That voice. No…it couldn't be. At first, Padme was too scared to turn around, afraid that her ears were playing tricks on her, and she was too fragile to be let down like that right now. It wouldn't be the first time.
Swallowing her irrational fears, she slowly turned on her heel, her eyes trailing up from the canvas shoes, the long legs covered by dark denim, the woollen navy sweater that stretched across the broad chest, the light grey knit scarf slung round his neck, until she reached the face of the man in the doorway. Instantly, her gaze was captured by the beautiful, achingly familiar blue of the eyes that she loved so much.
Anakin.
There he was. Firm. Solid. Real. In all his adorable gorgeousness. Padme was too stunned to speak, her eyes hungrily drinking in every inch of him. It had been so long, so terribly long since she'd seen him, and all she could do was stare. He was smiling at her, a teasing, smug sort of smile that lit up his eyes. A dark grey duffle bag was slung over his shoulder, and in his hand was a large bouquet of bright, yellow sunflowers. Her favourites. The sight made her beam up at him, eyes growing moist at the sight.
Anakin was here.
"Ani…?" she said in a small voice, as though she still couldn't believe what she was seeing, as though, if she blinked, he'd disappear again.
He grinned impishly at her and flashed her a wink. "So, she does speak."
Padme ran to him and threw herself into his arms, crashing her body against his so forcefully that Anakin stumbled as his arms came around her waist, lifting her up off the ground. Her arms constricted around his neck, and she buried her face into his chest, tears raining against the soft, thick wool of his sweater. She inhaled him deeply, getting lost in his scent, in the feel of his body against hers, of his strong arms wrapped tightly around her waist. It was like nothing else in the world. That feeling of coming home surged through her so powerfully that all she could do was sob in blind euphoria. Padme didn't think she'd ever felt so happy than how she was feeling at that moment.
They remained in that close embrace for several minutes, and Padme never wanted to relinquish her hold on him. Now that he was here, she wasn't about to let him go. Anakin gently lowered her back to the ground and nuzzled into her neck, inhaling her scent, pulling her body even closer to his. He pressed a line of soft kisses there, making his sweet way up her neck, before he pulled away just enough to smooth his lips over her cheeks, her forehead, her nose. Padme curled her fingers up into his hair and laughed softly, unable to keep the mad grin off her face.
"Padme," he muttered reverently, bending to press his forehead against hers. "I've missed you, Angel. So, so much." His blue gaze pierced her soul as he skimmed his nose along hers. Exhaling deeply, he breathed warm air over her mouth, and she parted her lips instinctively, as though trying to absorb him. Time stood still. She really, really wanted to kiss him, but she also didn't want to stop looking at him. It was the most beautifully difficult situation to be in. How could she choose?
Instead, she brought her hands out from his hair to cup his cheeks affectionately, smiling at the feel of his smooth, firm skin under her touch. "You're here," she whispered with giddy affection. Her fingers mapped the hard line of his jaw and the ridges of his cheekbones, as if reiterating her statement. Anakin was here! In Boston. In her arms. It was too good to be true.
Anakin chuckled quietly, running his hands up and down her sides. "Of course," he told her simply. "It's Valentine's Day."
A sob burst out of her, and she desperately sought out his lips, kissing him almost painfully in her eagerness to taste him, to feel his mouth on hers once again. She was unable to stop the moan that escaped her from the contact, as she gripped his face tightly in her hands and pressed herself against him as though she couldn't get close enough to him. Anakin smiled against her mouth as he returned her kiss with mirrored passion, one of his hands sliding up from her hips, along her spine, to cup the back of her head, tilting her up to further delve into her mouth. His lips were chapped and slightly rough from the cold weather, but Padme didn't care at all, because they were Anakin's lips, and she was kissing him again, and it was the greatest feeling in the world.
"I love you," she muttered when they broke away, their lips mere millimetres apart as though it was impossible to have a further distance between them. "I love you, and I missed you and – oh, Anakin. I love you." She kissed him again, and again, unable to stop herself. She couldn't get enough. The taste of him, after being apart for so long, was driving her wild, and she wanted nothing more than to remain fixed to his lips forever. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else existed. For the time being, it was just them, her and Anakin, as the rest of the world disappeared behind her closed lids.
Their blissful reunion was interrupted by poor Dorme, who had unfortunately exited the bathroom to find the couple embracing in the doorway.
"Okay, get a room before this becomes awkward," she quipped dryly, and Padme pulled away at the sudden voice, startled and embarrassed. Her cheeks flushed, and she bit her lip as she turned to face her roommate, but Anakin kept his arms around her, having no intention of moving.
"Nice to see you, Dorme," he smirked, giving her a wink. "Might just take you up on that advice."
Padme hit him softly in the chest, scolding him playfully and shook her head whilst Dorme groaned uncomfortably. "Ugh, I'm leaving. You two lovebirds have fun. Try not to break the bed."
If possible, Padme blushed even deeper, cheeks going red, and she buried her head in Anakin's chest as Dorme forced her way past them. Once she was gone, Anakin took a step inside, Padme with him, and shut the door. It was then that he finally released her from his tight embrace and shrugged his duffle bag off his shoulder. It fell to the floor with a dull thud. A massive grin broke out on his face, a smile so raw and beautiful that it made Padme smile back at him, full of affection, as he thrust his arm out towards her, holding the bouquet of sunflowers.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Angel," he said happily.
Padme took the bouquet from him and clutched it tightly to her chest, beaming uncontrollably. He was so charmingly sweet, so thoughtful. It was amazing how he managed to make her fall deeper in love with him every time they were together.
"Anakin, they're beautiful. Thank you," she replied, voice thick with emotion. She headed into the kitchen to find a vase to put her flowers in. "I feel terrible. I didn't get you anything." His arrival was a complete surprise, she hadn't been expecting to see him, let alone buy him a gift.
Chuckling, Anakin followed her and moved up behind her, his arms coming around her again as he pressed his body tightly against hers. "That's okay," he assured her in a low husky voice, nipping seductively at her earlobe and sucking gently, making her shudder. "I can think of something you can give me." His voice was dripping with intent, and there was no denying what he was insinuating. Her body reacted to him immediately, as his hands traced soothing circles over her belly, sliding underneath the hem of her sweater to assault her skin with his hot touch.
It was tempting. Oh, it was so very tempting. But, despite how much she wanted it, wanted him, she untangled herself from him and turned around, placing the vase on the windowsill. "Ani…" she began to protest but he silenced her with a quick kiss, swallowing her words.
"Let's do something," he insisted, keeping his hands on her hips. "I want to spend the entire day with you. Whatever you want. I don't mind."
The offer made her smile sadly. "I'd love to, Ani, but I can't. I've got classes all day today."
Anakin shrugged nonchalantly. "So? Skip them."
"I can't," she frowned, annoyed that he could even suggest such a thing. He knew she was in her final semester. He knew how busy she was – it was mainly the reason they had been apart for so long. "They're important."
"More important than me?" Anakin pouted at her, childishly.
Padme rolled her eyes at him. Not this again. He was so melodramatic sometimes, and it could be both endearing and frustrating all at once. "Don't start this again, Anakin. You know how busy I am right now. I can't afford to skip classes."
He only frowned, eyebrows furrowed in irritation, and he crossed his arms over his chest, adopting a more defensive stance. "I flew here from Chicago at some ridiculous hour of the morning to surprise you, Padme. God forbid you'd actually want to spend time with me."
Groaning, she pressed her fingers to her temple. Why did he have to be like this? "It's not a matter of wanting, Ani. I'm so glad to see you, really, I am. You have no idea. But…" she paused and sighed. "I can't skip class. Not now. They're too important to miss this close to graduation."
Anakin huffed sullenly, staring down at the ground and tapping his shoe idly against the floor. "I skipped classes for you," he muttered under his breath.
"Anakin!" Padme cried out in exasperation. She couldn't believe he was doing this right now. She didn't want to argue with him – she didn't even have time to be standing here, having this conversation. She needed to head off to class. "I didn't ask you to do that. I didn't ask you to come here. That's completely different!"
"Well, I'm here, aren't I?" he retorted angrily, gesturing around rather dramatically. "I came here because I love you and miss you. Because I thought you'd want to see me. But, obviously, I was wrong."
"Oh, please, Ani," she shook her head in disbelief. "Stop being so melodramatic."
"Fine," he resigned in reluctant defeat. "If you're so busy, then I guess we'll have to do something tonight instead."
Happy that he had finally accepted how important her classes were, Padme smiled, about to reply when she was hit with a pang of disappointment.
Her function. It was tonight. Damn.
Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, because Faculty Balls were a common thing, and everyone was permitted to bring a partner. But, this event was a Women in Politics function. Strictly women only. No males. No partners. Only women. Sighing deeply, Padme realised that it was, actually, the worst possible timing. Anakin had turned up in the sweetest of romantic gestures, and she couldn't even spend time with him.
It was horribly unfair.
And, what was worse, she had to explain that to him. When he was already reacting badly to her not wanting to skip classes.
Great, she thought to herself. Just perfect.
Taking a deep breath, she met his gaze firmly, determined not to waver and spoke. "Anakin… I'm busy tonight. I've got a…function...to go to."
He narrowed his eyes at her, eyebrow twitching dangerously, and Padme prepared herself for his explosive reaction. "What kind of function?" He demanded.
"My Women in Politics dinner," she explained as kindly as she could. "It was meant to be on Tuesday, but they postponed it till today." Padme bit her lip, waiting for his response.
Anakin paused and chewed on the inside of his cheek, pensive and a lot calmer than Padme had anticipated. He shrugged. "Well, I'll go with you then. I'll be your date."
"Well…" She began, feeling sick in her stomach at having to disappoint him like this. He'd done all this for her, and she couldn't even give him what he wanted – what she also wanted. "That's really sweet of you, Ani, but...see, the thing is, well… It's an all female event. No dates allowed. So… uh, I can't bring you."
The silence was almost deafening as Anakin stared at her with wide eyes, blinking slowly as he absorbed what she was telling him. She shrunk under his gaze, feeling like the worst girlfriend in the world. Was she? Most girls would gladly forgo their plans to spend Valentine's Day with their significant others. Did it make Padme a bad person that she prioritised her degree, her career over spending time with Anakin? A snide voice in the back of head said, yes, but she ignored it. No. She wasn't a bad person. It was just bad timing. An unfortunate situation. But, it was only until the end of the semester. She'd promised Anakin that it would be different, better once she had leapt over the hurdle that was her graduation. It wasn't fair of him to expect anything more of her right now.
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
She winced at his curse, the soft tone of his voice sharp and dangerous, like the edge of a steel knife. He was hurt. She could see it in his eyes. Biting her quivering bottom lip, she placed her hand gently on his forearm, trying to soothe him with her touch. "I'm sorry, Ani," she informed him, completely sincere, and trailed her hand up his arm to cup his cheek. "I feel awful."
He exhaled deeply, eyes fluttering closed for a moment, before he opened them again. They were a pale shade of blue, almost cold. She didn't like it. "Let me guess. You can't skip that, either?" He asked, icily.
She shook her head. "No," she muttered miserably. "It's a chance for me to meet people in the field. Future possible employers will be there, and heaps of important contacts." She blinked up at him, trying to express how much this meant to her, wanting him to understand. "I could land a job after graduation from this function. I can't miss it."
He scowled and flicked his eyes to the ground, and Padme knew better than to press him. "Typical," he snorted rudely. "There's always something, Padme. You're always too busy."
He was mocking her, and she glared at him in anger. He was being entirely unfair. It wasn't her fault that he was here, when she had such a busy hectic schedule. And yet, he was trying to make her feel guilty about it. It wasn't right. And, she wasn't going to stand for this.
"You're not being fair, Anakin," she scolded him, crossing her arms over her chest and standing up a little taller. "There's a reason I haven't been able to see you since I've been back. I am busy. I'm not making this up. Unlike you, I am almost graduated. I have things to prepare for – interviews, job applications, business functions, not to mention all of my assignments. It's not fair for you to just turn up here, unexpected, and demand me to stop everything in my life to spend time with you."
"So, you don't want to spend time with me." he huffed, glaring at her pointedly.
She pressed two fingers to her forehead. He really was acting like a child. It was times like this when Padme was fully aware of the age difference between them; she was twenty-four, almost twenty-five, and yet Anakin had barely turned twenty. "That's not what I'm saying. If you had told me you were planning this, I would have been able to tell you about this function. I mean, Anakin, it's a Thursday! You could have come on the weekend!"
Anakin ran a hand through his hair, suddenly sheepish. "I just…I just wanted to surprise you," he muttered sadly, and his sudden innocence softened Padme's frustration.
Stepping closer to him, she curled her arms around his waist and smiled up at him. "I know," she whispered and stretched up on her toes to kiss him quickly. "It's very sweet of you, Ani. Really. You don't know how much it means to me that you're here right now."
His fingers reached out and stroked her cheek tenderly. "It's all pointless though. I won't even get to see you."
Suddenly, an idea hit her, and she grinned slyly up at him. "Well," she began, and Anakin lifted an eyebrow at the change in her voice. "You could always come to my classes with me. They don't check attendance. No one would know."
Anakin stared at her like she'd gone crazy. "Why would I want to go to one of your classes?" he asked, clearly confused. "I mean, no offense or anything, but I have no interest in politics. Whatsoever. I wouldn't even understand what's going on."
Padme gasped, feigning insult. "I thought you said you wanted to spend time with me!" She grinned cheekily.
"Well, yeah," Anakin rolled his eyes at her. "But, I was meaning something a little more… Fun? I'd be bored out of my mind in your politics class. It'd be like if you came to one of my math classes."
She stepped even closer, pressing her breasts against his chest and winked at him, causing his eyes to darken the way she loved. "I could make it worth your while," she drawled suggestively, eyeing the way his Adam's apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed.
"I'm listening."
Grinning at her victory, she slowly waved her hand over the rise of his buttocks, before slipping her hand into the back pocket of his jeans, grabbing a rough handful of his firm backside and pulling him into her. "Well, you see, Mr Skywalker. I have a two hour lunch break after my first class. There's a lot that can be achieved in two hours, don't you think?"
Anakin smirked darkly, eyelids hooded, pulling her up by her hips so she was pressed flush against him. "Miss Naberrie, are you bribing me with sex?"
"Maybe…Is it working?" She purred.
The grin he flashed her was practically wolfish, before he claimed her mouth, kissing her roughly, and she melted into it. "So, what time is your class?" He asked her when they pulled apart, suddenly a lot more enthusiastic for her idea.
She twirled in his arms to see the time that flashed on the microwave. "In fifteen minutes. We'd better go."
Stepping out of his arms, she opened the cutlery drawer and found her missing house keys, before taking Anakin's hand and tugging him towards the door.
"I hope you understand what I'm doing for you," he teased, as she locked the door. "I expect to be rewarded, Angel."
She whirled around, a feral grin on her face and laughed. "Oh, don't you worry, Ani. I plan on rewarding you very, very thoroughly."
They walked, hand in hand, through the snow-trodden campus and for the first time in two years, Padme was actually glad to leave the house on Valentine's Day. It filled her with a sense of pride to be able to show Anakin off like this, letting everyone know that he was hers, and she was the luckiest girl in the entire world.
Unfortunately, by the time she got to class, it was too late for her to grab a takeaway coffee, and so she had to settle for waiting until her class was finished. As she filed inside the small auditorium, a rush of strawberry blonde hair raced up to her, giggling excitedly.
"Padme!"
Once her eyes had focused on the sudden appearance, she saw it was her friend Teckla standing before her, bouncing on her toes, her bright green eyes flicking back and forth between her and Anakin. Padme smiled at her friend; she'd met Teckla when she'd been a freshman last year. Although only twenty-one, Teckla was tackling some advanced classes in political science and had gravitated towards Padme, seeing as she was one of the top students.
She was a pretty thing, small and slim, with a kind, oval face, freckles over her nose and cheeks and long strawberry blonde hair that fell straight to her mid back. Her sweet, excitable nature had drawn Padme in from the start, and they'd soon become fast friends. Teckla was one of those people it was simply impossible to be unhappy around – she oozed happiness from every pore of her peaches and cream skin.
"Hey, Teckla!" she greeted her friend. When the girl continued to stare blatantly at Anakin with a look crossed between intrigue and awe, Padme chuckled and squeezed his hand. "This is Anakin. Ani, this is Teckla. She's my little protegé."
Teckla beamed and took Anakin's hand, shaking it with ardour. "Ohmygosh, it's so wonderful to finally meet you!" she gushed, and Padme watched the interaction with a smile, as Anakin grew accustomed to such eager attention. It was a far cry from the sarcastic relationship he shared with Dorme, yet he grinned down at the exuberant girl anyway. "Padme's told me all about you. I feel like we're friends already!"
Anakin chuckled good-naturedly. "All good things, I hope," he snuck a side glance at Padme, who smirked and mouthed, Never, earning her a wink.
"And, you flew all the way here," Teckla continued, her eyes growing wide and almost moist at the thought. "That's so sweet! Padme, you lucky girl! I wish my Tommy could come home…" her voice trailed off sadly, and Padme gave her a sympathetic smile. Teckla's boyfriend was in the US Navy, and he had been away at sea for six months now. They'd been high-school sweethearts and were possibly the most adorable couple Padme had ever seen; whenever he was on leave, he'd fly straight back to Boston, and she'd met him several times. He seemed like a nice guy, and he was very affectionate with Teckla. Padme never, ever, complained to Teckla about how much she missed Anakin when they were apart, because she knew, no matter how much it was killing her to be apart from Ani, her poor friend had it much worse.
Padme reached out and squeezed her hand affectionately. "Hey, it won't be long now," she assured her. "Three weeks, right?"
Nodding her head, Teckla sniffled, then flashed her a brilliant smile. "Yeah. I know."
The trio walked inside and took a seat somewhere along the middle row. Padme sat between Teckla and Anakin, with Anakin on the aisle seat in case he decided he was too bored and wanted to leave. As her professor began the lecture, Padme eagerly took out her laptop and began incessantly typing notes. That was, until she realised that bringing Anakin here was probably not a good idea.
God, he was so annoying.
Whistling and tapping the tray table with one of Padme's pens, fidgeting in his seat, sighing heavily and muttering under his breath about how bored he was. It was driving Padme to distraction. How was she supposed to concentrate when she had to listen to his childish behaviour? At one point, she jabbed him sharply in the ribs with her elbow and hissed at him to "shut up," and he'd grumbled, rubbed his side gingerly and sank lower into his chair.
Three hours couldn't end fast enough. It was normally a struggle for Padme to sit through this class, but she hadn't had a coffee fix, and her brain was working over time trying not to doze off. When her professor finally concluded the last summary slide of the lecture, Padme hastily shoved her laptop into her satchel and she, Anakin, and Teckla quickly left the auditorium, eager to stretch their legs and indulge in caffeine.
"I've got another class to go to," Teckla explained once they were out in the walkway. "I'll see you tonight though, right? You're coming to the dinner?" Her green eyes pleaded at her insistently, rocking back and forth on her toes.
Padme smiled. "Of course. I'll see you tonight."
Clapping her hands together gleefully, Teckla let out a cute little cheer. "Yay! Can't wait! I'm only going for the free wine and cheese," she grinned cheekily, before wrapping Padme in a tight hug. "Nice to meet you, Anakin." She turned to him and he nodded his head, returning her enthusiasm as best he could.
"You, too."
With a final wave, Teckla skipped off down the hall, her hair swishing from side to side, and Padme watched her retreating form with a smile and a shake of her head. Being around Teckla reminded Padme of how she had been when she was that age; so full of life and joy and optimistic about everything. Now, the weight of her encroaching graduation had sucked most of that spirit out of her until she was nothing but a bundle of stress and anxiety. Only Anakin's presence seemed to calm her down.
"Wow," Anakin chuckled as he reclaimed Padme's hand, the two of them walking in the opposite direction. "She's very…enthusiastic."
Padme laughed in agreement. "Yeah, she's very energetic. It's refreshing." She was suddenly overcome by a large yawn, and realised just how much she needed a vanilla latte. "Speaking of energetic," she muttered. "I need coffee. Thanks to you," she teased, poking Anakin in the ribs playfully, "I didn't have time to buy one earlier."
Anakin shrugged, smirking down at her. "Hey, don't complain to me. I've been up since 4 am. Chicago time. I need coffee more than you do."
Slinking her arm around his waist, she leaned into his side. "Well then, I guess we'd better fix that. I don't want you falling asleep on me when I'm giving you my…sincere appreciation." She stretched up and kissed his cheek.
"Trust me, Angel, there's no way I could ever fall asleep on you." He captured her lips in a sweet kiss, and the two of them made their way over to the library, where the coffee cart was.
As they approached, Anakin expressed his need to go to the bathroom and Padme directed him to the nearest set of restrooms, which were inside the library before joining the end of the queue.
"What do you want?" she asked him as he walked away.
He waved his hand flippantly. "Just a cappuccino."
Padme reached into her satchel to retrieve her keep-cup and when she pulled it out, she ran head first into a very solid back. The man in front of her gave a startled groan, and Padme shook her head, staring up at the back she'd bumped into.
"I'm so sorry, Sir...I didn't mean to– " she began to apologise, before her voice broke off suddenly, as she recognized exactly who she was talking to. The man before her was tall, with dark hair and green eyes and a long, straight nose. She knew that face very, very well. It was the last face she'd ever expected, or wanted, to see.
"Padme?!"
She swallowed hard, her mouth opening and closing stupidly as she tried to form words, but her throat had gone dry. No. It couldn't be him. She didn't want to see him. If Anakin came out and saw her talking to him, there was no imagining what he would do. She shot a quick glance toward the library. Still, he was in the bathroom, and she was being rude.
With a weak, forced attempt at a smile, she nodded her head. "R-Rush…" she began, trying to make her voice sound cool and collected, but it came out as a high-pitched squeak instead. "F-fancy seeing you h-here."
