A/N: So, I have been having anxiety all week about this big assignment I submitted a few weeks ago. Was so sure I failed. But I got my marks back and I did really really well and I'm so happy right now that I've decided to share that joy with you, and update! :D This is a one off thing, though. I have two assignments due on Monday, and it's currently Friday, so this is the last update I will do on any of my stories until they are done and submitted :)

So... Here is the infamous shopping trip :D


Chapter 27

"I can't believe I actually wanted to do this," Padme groaned as she was ushered inside Agent Provocateur by her best friend. The only intimate's shop she'd ever been in was Victoria's Secret, and whilst she'd thought she'd seen some risqué outfits before, she now realized how incredibly naïve she had truly been. This particular lingerie boutique was in a whole different ball park.

A hot flush rose in her cheeks as she surveyed the inside of the store, her eyes widening in shock when she noticed an array of whips, paddles, and chokers, and she quickly averted her gaze on a gasp, feeling unbelievably naïve and innocent. She wasn't unfamiliar with such things; she'd seen Fifty Shades of Grey with Dorme, and whilst she had been quite disappointed with the calibre of acting, it was the first time she'd really given any thought to bondage. And, it didn't sit right with her. It just wasn't her scene, and she simply couldn't understand how being whipped or hurt in any way could possibly be considered pleasurable, regardless of what her best friend had told her otherwise. Dorme was far less shy about experimenting in these sorts of areas, and while Padme wasn't the least bit interested in such things herself, she definitely admired her best friend's daring nature.

Catching the look on her friend's face, Dorme grinned impishly. "You're so adorably innocent," she cooed, and Padme shifted uncomfortably, suddenly feeling like a teenage virgin again. "Don't worry, P. We'll start small." Taking her by the shoulders, Dorme steered Padme away from the more lewd options in the store towards an area that looked much more inviting.

Lace...And, lots of it.

She released an audible sigh of relief. Leather and ropes and chains intimidated her. Lace she could handle.

A store assistant approached them, obviously picking up immediately on Padme's innocent vibes and smiled warmly at her. Padme couldn't help but gape at the woman. She was gorgeous, with her pale skin, dark hair, bright blue eyes, and deep ruby red lips. She had the perfect hourglass figure, showcased in a sheer white blouse tucked into a tight black pencil skirt, her black corset clearly showing underneath. Padme knew she had no reason to be self-conscious; she knew she was attractive. But, the sensual, exotic beauty of this store assistant sudden made her a little jealous.

"Hello. Welcome to Agent Provocateur. How may I help you?" she asked pleasantly, beaming at the pair of them.

Dorme spoke first, a sly grin on her face. "My friend here wants to pop her lingerie cherry, so to speak."

Padme frowned at her friend's choice of words and shot her an unimpressed look, but Dorme ignored it. The shop assistant, Melanie, smiled warmly at her, in a friendly, yet somewhat patronizing way, which only made Padme feel more like a naïve teenager instead of a twenty-four-year-old woman. Still, she couldn't deny that she was new to this sort of thing. It was a fitting term, in any case.

"Oh! How exciting!" Melanie exclaimed. "What's the occasion? Do you want to spoil yourself, or is there a special someone you want to buy for?"

Blushing, Padme bit her lip and nodded, as she thought about the last time she'd worn something even slightly sexy for Anakin, the blue number her sister had given her for Christmas. Even the memory of the way he'd looked at her wearing it was enough to make her nipples tighten underneath her blouse, and she felt herself grow hot. Yes. She wanted to see that look on Anakin's face again...that look he reserved just for her. She wanted him to stare at her like that again, like he was starved of oxygen, and she was his only air supply. And, seeing as she'd ruined her sister's gift, it only made sense for her to upgrade.

"Its…uh…a surprise," she explained timidly. "My boyfriend is visiting – he lives in Chicago, and we hardly get to see each other. And, I never really wear things like this, so I thought I'd surprise him."

Melanie nodded her head in understanding and winked at her. "Well, you've definitely come to the right place. I'd suggest you stick to this area though – " she gestured to the racks around them. "Over there is all the BDSM stuff and, from the look of you, I don't really think that's what you're after, Honey," she added with a kind smile.

Padme shook her head immediately. She was right. That was definitely not what she was after.

"Do you know what you're looking for exactly?" Melanie asked. "Do you have anything in mind? Are you after sets, or do you want something a little different, like corsets or slips or things like that?"

Sharing a side glance with Dorme, she shook her head. "Not exactly. I don't really know what there is to choose from."

"That's alright. Well, I'll just leave you to browse around. If you need help or anything, Honey, just let me know."

Padme thanked her and then turned to peruse the items before her. It was overwhelming. It had been foolish to think that just because some things were made of lace, that they were somehow less promiscuous, but she was wrong. There was everything she could think of and more; bras and panties, thongs of various degrees of skimpiness, slips, babydolls, playsuits and teddies. Over on a table nearby was a collection of lacy garters, suspenders and stockings. Then, towards the back of the store, her eye caught a glimpse of an entire wall dedicated just to vibrators. She stared, open-mouthed and wide-eyed for a moment, feeling more naïve than ever before.

Dorme caught her expression and smirked at her, raising an eyebrow in question. "What's that face for?"

Swallowing, Padme gestured over to the wall. "I didn't know they sold… those things, here," she offered weakly.

Her best friend merely laughed at her. "Oh, P, you're so cute. Of course, they do. I got my Rabbit from here, you know."

"Oh."

"You should think about getting one," Dorme continued, seriously. "I mean, for when Anakin's not around. You could even incorporate it into your little...Skype sessions if you wanted," she added cheekily.

"Dorme!" she gasped, her face flushing in embarrassment.

"Alright, alright, calm down," Dorme shook her head in amused exasperation. "It was just a suggestion. Right. Let's get to work." With a firm nod, she began sorting through the different items on the racks and shelves and picked out a variety of different combinations in her size for her to try on. Padme let her take control; she had far more experience in this area, and simply watched, intrigued.

"Yes!" Dorme exclaimed suddenly, withdrawing a black, lacy number from amongst the racks. "You've got to try this one!"

Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, Padme took the garment from her and held it up for inspection. Really, there wasn't much to inspect. From Padme's perspective, it looked like a scrap of sheer, black lace that was almost transparent. When she brought the material up to her fingers, she could distinctly see her skin through it. Her eyes widened. "What is it?!"

"A teddy," Dorme replied with a chuckle.

"You can see right through it!" Padme pointed out, slightly horrified.

"Yes. That's the point."

"Why would you even wear it then? It's not like it's going to cover anything up."

Shaking her head, Dorme smirked. "My god, P. That's what you wear lingerie for. It's all in the tease, Honey. Give them enough to make them want more. It'll look so hot on you, trust me. You're trying it on."

Frowning, Padme returned her gaze to the material in her hand, fingering it absently, full of apprehension. "I don't have a choice, do I?" she muttered quietly, her lips curling into a small smile.

"Nope," Dorme grinned, and Padme sighed but nodded her head and took the rest of the items from her friend before heading off to the dressing room. Even they had a sensual, erotic feel to them; thick, dark red velvet curtains that closed off an individual boudoir, with a large, ornate mirror and a plush pouf.

She closed the curtain and stripped out of her clothes until she was just in her underwear, kicking them into a pile over in the corner, before assessing the situation. The first option was a bra and bikini panty set in bright, red lace. Swallowing her hesitation, she decided to try it on first – it was the most comfortable choice there, and hopefully, it would give her enough confidence to try on the black number.

Once she was dressed, she gave herself a once over in the mirror. She had to admit, she looked good. Though not voluptuous by any means, with her modest 32B bra size and her slender hips, the low cut of the bra and all the extra padding gave her never-before-seen cleavage, and the little frills that flared out around the sides of the panties gave her the illusion of curves. The red lace set off her dark hair and eyes and gave her fair skin a smooth, milky creaminess instead of the pasty paleness she personally often felt when around Dorme or Anakin.

With a nod, she opened the curtain and peeked around the gap, searching for Dorme. Her best friend was chatting with Melanie , the store assistant, and only looked up when Padme called out to her. With a smile, she entered the dressing room and gave her a once over. Padme played with the thin strap of the bra with nervous anticipation.

"You look hot," Dorme appraised after a moment, a proud grin on her face. "Red suits you."

Padme blushed at the compliment, blinking shyly up at her best friend. "You think so?" She'd never worn much red before.

Dorme nodded her head firmly. "Absolutely. Do you like it?"

Turning back towards the mirror, Padme raked her gaze over her reflection, critiquing her appearance. It was bolder than anything she'd ever worn before; mainly plain, cotton t-shirt bras and cotton briefs. Nothing lacy and definitely nothing red. Yet, she didn't feel out of her comfort zone. "Yeah, I do," she confessed after a while, unable to hide the smile on her face. "It makes me look…"

" – sexy," Dorme finished for her with a wink, and Padme let out a shy giggle. "It's alright to admit it, you know. There's nothing wrong with wanting to look sexy."

"I know," Padme conceded.

"Good. Now, put that in the yes pile and try on the next one."

Padme smirked after her, as she left the dressing room. Next, she tried on a sheer slip of dark smoky blue with a matching thong. It was figure-hugging and clung to her breasts, hips and waist, finishing just under the curve of her backside, which made her feel slightly daring. Apparently, from what Dorme had told her, slips were a sort of sleepwear, much like a nightgown. Padme had never been a fan of nightgowns; they always bunched up underneath her armpits and made it uncomfortable. She much preferred shorts and baggy tees. But, she couldn't help but imagine what Anakin would think if she decided to sleep in this. A sly grin curled her lips at the thought. There wouldn't be a whole lot of sleeping going on. And, Padme wasn't sure if she minded that at all.

It was another yes from Dorme, and so she put the slip into the appropriate pile. In the back of her mind, she was a little horrified by how expensive everything was, and she was hit with a brief moment of panic at her father discovering she'd spent his money on lingerie. Shaking her head, suddenly embarrassed, she quickly tossed that idea from her mind. That was the last thing she wanted to think about right now.

After she tried on a few more things, she was finally left with the last item; the black, lace teddy. For some reason, Padme was far more apprehensive about this particular item than anything else she'd tried on so far. Perhaps it was because it was so skimpy, or maybe just because she'd never even seen what it looked like before, but either way, she was nervous. Putting on a brave face, she carefully pulled it up her body and fastened the straps around her neck. It was awkward to get into, but once it was on, it acted much like a one-piece swimsuit.

Only, when she lifted her gaze to the mirror, she realized it was possibly the skimpiest swimsuit she'd ever seen. It was so high cut at the front that it hardly covered her at all, and when she turned around, she saw most of her ass was exposed. The material was so sheer that she could distinctly see the colour of her nipples through the fabric, and she blushed at the sight. It was separated into two pieces of narrow material that covered her breasts and met once more just under her navel, held in place by a single thin strap across her breast bone. The rest of her skin was bare.

There was something about wearing black that made Padme feel…sensual. And yet, she still felt rather embarrassed. The outfit left absolutely nothing to the imagination – there were no illusions of luscious curves, she couldn't hide behind padding or frills. It was just her; her slight, petite frame, slender waist and hips, small, pert breasts. It made her feel bizarrely self-conscious, even though she knew it was silly of her. A part of her wanted to throw on a baggy shirt and pair of sweats, to cover herself up. But, there was this smaller, stronger side of her that encouraged her to be confident.

"Have you got it on yet?" Dorme called through the other side of the curtain, interrupting her thoughts.

Swallowing, she tentatively pulled back the curtain and allowed her best friend to step inside.

"Holy shit!" Dorme exclaimed as soon as she saw her, and Padme winced at her words, shrinking inside herself. She bowed her head as her best friend surveyed her.

"I know," she muttered quietly. "I look hideous, don't I?"

Dorme made an irritated growl and exhaled sharply through her nose. "Padme!" Her voice cut sharply through the air, and she had no choice but to look up. "Shut up before I slap some sense into you." Her rough threat made her eyes widen, and she stared at her friend, slightly incredulous. "You are a beautiful, sexy-ass woman, and there are so many girls who would kill to look like you do right now! Don't you dare go all self-conscious on me!"

Nodding her head, Padme swallowed timidly. Her best friend had a point, to be sure. Padme was blessed with her naturally slim build and blemish-free ivory skin. Lots of women would love to have such features, so it was almost selfish of her to feel this way. And yet, she couldn't help it. It was so far out of her comfort zone that it made her a little uncomfortable. She didn't have the confidence to pull off something like this.

"You – you don't think it looks… silly?" she asked shyly, fidgeting with the top a little.

"No way!" Dorme beamed widely at her. "P, you're an absolute babe! Anakin's gonna flip when he sees you in this. Trust me!"

A small smile crept upon her lips, and she giggled a little, as she imagined Anakin's expression. She'd never worn anything this scandalous before – her blue chemise and panties from Sola were rather tame compared to this – and it was sure to shock him. "You really think so?"

Dorme shook her head and sighed in exasperation. "Honey, that boy is so completely infatuated with you, it's not even funny. I've seen the way he looks at you – like you're some sort of goddess or something. To him, you're the most beautiful, stunning, sensual woman in the world. So, you need to act like it." She gave her a firm look. "Be confident. Own it. Ok, just… pretend I'm Anakin for a second, alright? Just, give it a go. He's me. You're standing in front of him, wearing this. He knows you, he loves you. He's seen you naked a thousand times. There's no need to be shy in front of him, is there?"

The logic reigned true. There really was no reason to feel self-conscious in front of Anakin. He showered her in affection every moment he got, constantly telling her how beautiful he thought she was, even when she didn't feel it herself. Besides, she couldn't deny the little tremor of excitement that pulsed in her blood at Anakin seeing her in this. She could picture his response so clearly in her mind, it was almost as though he really was there with her, and her anxiety slowly melted away. Lifting her chin, she straightened her shoulders and turned back around to the mirror, giving herself a confident, sultry smile. Then, for an extra boost of confidence, she reached up and pulled her hair out of its messy bun, letting her tangled curls cascade over her shoulders. It was amazing what a difference just a look could make. Suddenly, the woman starring back at her was a completely different Padme; no longer shy, sweet, and innocent, but sexual, vivacious, and bold. As though she had awoken her inner vixen.

And, she liked it. It gave her a sense of empowerment that she decided to run with.

Dorme wolf-whistled, and Padme turned around, flashing her a suggestive smirk. "Well, well, well… look at you! Damn, P, you're one sexy lady! Anakin is one very lucky man!"

Grinning wickedly, Padme returned her gaze to the mirror and appraised herself. "Yeah," she nodded, firmly. "I am, aren't I?"

"Hell yeah, you are," Dorme agreed with a proud, smug, smirk.

She flicked her hair just a little and rose herself to her full, yet still diminutive height, meeting her reflected gaze with steadfast concentration. "I feel…sexy," she confessed quietly into the room. "It's like I'm a different version of myself, still me… just – I dunno… I'm more powerful, somehow. You know?"

Her best friend nodded her head and gave her a fond smile. "I do. That's the power of lingerie, Honey. Men think it's for them," she broke off and shook her head in amusement. "As if they care. They'd rather us not wear anything, let's be honest." She moved up behind Padme and put her hand on her shoulder. "Look at you, right now! You're strong, you're confident, you're sexy. And, that's what lingerie does, Padme. It's all for you."

Padme couldn't deny the truth in her best friend's words. She felt so liberated right now, like she could do anything she wanted, and it was such a wondrous feeling. It was all about her; Padme liked the way she felt wearing something so daring. It gave her a newfound confidence she'd never possessed before. And, of course, having Anakin appreciate it would only make it so much sweeter.

With this in mind, Padme dressed back into her clothes and took all three items up to the counter. She tried not to think about how much it was costing her to feel confident, rather focusing on the look on Anakin's face when he saw her new purchases on her. It made her skin tingle with anticipation – she couldn't wait for him to be discharged from hospital. She left the store, clutching her bag, a bounce in her step and her head held high.

It was after midday when the two of them arrived back at the apartment, and Dorme decided to join Padme in her day off. The two of them stripped down to their sweats, made some coffee, and then plopped themselves down on the couch with a jar apiece of Nutella and a spoon, watching reruns of Sex and the City. Padme hadn't spent a lazy day like this with her best friend all semester, and it was definitely a much needed break. After everything that she'd been through – not just yesterday, but since before Christmas, she needed this. Just a single day where she could do nothing and just spend it with Dorme, like they used to do before relationships and men and graduation took over their lives.

The more she thought about it, the more amusing the entire situation became to her. Clearly, she and Anakin had the worst luck. Ever since they'd gotten together, they'd been thrown into test after test, and even though each time, they managed to survive and survive together, Padme was still exhausted. All she wanted was a simple life with Anakin, yet lately, her life had been anything but simple. If it wasn't her father's disapproval of their relationship, or Anakin's tormented past as a child, it was pregnancy scares or suddenly resurfacing ex-boyfriends, or even just the constant separation. They'd basically faced everything. And, they'd survived.

Surely, that had to account for something.

It spoke volumes about how committed they were to their relationship, to each other. If they could overcome all this, then she knew that they were in it for the long haul. Permanently. It brought an affectionate smile to her lips.

"You're definitely Carrie," Dorme announced suddenly through a mouthful of Nutella as she stretched out next to Padme, her long legs entangled with her friend's much shorter limbs.

Padme flicked her a confused look over another spoonful of Nutella. "What do you mean?"

Shrugging, Dorme grinned. "You're Carrie. You're a disaster magnet, P. Just saying."

"Gee, thanks," Padme scowled, crossing her arms with a huff.

"I'm only speaking the truth. I mean, look at all the shit you've been through this school year. And, you're still sane. You deserve some sort of credit for that."

Smiling, Padme shook her head. "It's not that. Just, when you love someone as much as I love Ani...You do anything to make it work. You don't give up when things get hard. You just try harder, y'know? There's always a silver lining."

Dorme nodded her head and reached over to take her hand, giving it a quick squeeze. "I'm glad you and Anakin have worked things out. I didn't really want you two to break up. He's too much fun to tease."

Padme returned her friend's encouraging squeeze. She knew what Dorme was insinuating behind her snarky humour. Though she wouldn't admit it, Padme knew her best friend had been worried about her. Dorme was just too proud to say so. They shared a knowing smile before turning their attention back to the television.

"Who're you, then?" Padme asked with a teasing smile, through a mouthful of creamy chocolate.

With a sly grin, Dorme flipped her hair and fixed Padme with a sultry glance. "Samantha, of course."

Padme scoffed. "Yeah, right. You think you're Samantha, but deep down, you're Charlotte. You want to find your Prince Charming and live happily ever after in a big mansion."

Eyes twinkling, Dorme winked at her. "Everyone has a bit of Charlotte in them. Nothing wrong with that, P."

Returning her grin, Padme nodded her head in agreement. Though, she found that she didn't have any need for a Prince Charming or a big mansion. She had Anakin, and whilst he was far from perfect, he was all she needed. She didn't want a big house, or fancy clothes. All she wanted was Anakin; his love was all she required.

When it was time for her to go back and visit Anakin, she made sure to remember to stop at McDonalds on the way and buy him his Big Mac, large fries and a large mocha frappé, as requested, and indulged in a caramel frappé herself, for they were simply delicious, and she couldn't resist. The wide smile on his face when she rocked up to his ward with his food was all worth it; he shone with deep gratitude.

"Ah, there she is! My Angel bringing me the cure for my ailments," he announced rather dramatically when she approached him, and Padme rolled her eyes, but kissed his cheek tenderly nonetheless before handing him his food.

"Here you go, you big baby," she teased, as he eagerly took his frappé from her and slurped it down quickly, until he moaned and screwed up his eyes.

"Ow," he pressed his fingers up to the bridge of his nose and pinched.

"You gave yourself a brain freeze, didn't you?" She lifted an eyebrow in pure amusement.

He shook his head stubbornly, flashing her a cheeky grin. "No. Not at all."

Padme exhaled through her nose in a scoff, watching him wolf down his burger in about five seconds, and was worried that he was going to give himself indigestion. "Ani, slow down. It's not going to jump off your lap, y'know."

He fixed her with a pointed look and swallowed thickly. "I'm starving, Padme. All I've eaten today is some measly oatmeal and an egg and lettuce sandwich." The way his face screwed up in disgust made her laugh. "Give me a break, will ya."

She beamed at him. "Well, you're the one who gave yourself a brain freeze," she reminded him, but he chose to ignore her. As he ate, she drifted her eyes over to his right arm, which was now positioned in a cast and no longer in a sling. His fingers protruded from the end of it as it rested on his stomach. Having never broken any bones herself, she was intrigued by it, and reached out tentatively with her fingers, testing the slightly rough texture of the plaster against her fingertips. It was thick and impossibly hard. She wondered how heavy it was. Whether it was hurting him to be stuck in such an odd position – his arm at right angles to his shoulder.

"I always wanted one of these, y'know," Anakin commented, as he picked at his fries. When Padme stared at him in confusion, he smiled and continued. "Almost all the kids at school had one at some stage. They were the coolest things out there. Like a badge of honor. People would write on them and sign them. It was the height of popularity." He laughed and shook his head.

"And, now?" she arched an eyebrow.

He smirked. "Now, I'm thinking I was an idiot to want one. My elbow is so fucking itchy, and I can't scratch it. Do you know how frustrating that is?! I'm gonna go insane, Angel, I can feel it."

His dramatics made her giggle, and she shuffled closer to him, pinching a fry before ghosting her lips over his. "Don't worry, Ani," she purred in his ear. "Once you're discharged, I'll give you a different itch to scratch."

It was unusual for her to be so bold and flirt so blatantly, but ever since her lingerie trip, she felt emboldened, powerful, and wanted to harness this newfound power and use it. Anakin, it seemed, definitely appreciated it, for his pupils dilated just a little and his tongue slipped out from between his lips and wet them.

Swallowing hard, he smirked up at her proudly. "Who are you, and what have you done with my sweet, innocent girlfriend?"

With a wink, she chose not to respond to him, and instead, captured his lips with hers in a heated kiss. It felt good to tease him, to torment him the way he so often did with her. She enjoyed the feeling it gave her of being in control of the situation for once, of being the one to make him blush and grow all flustered. Thank you, Dorme, she grinned to herself.

"A girl always has her secrets," she whispered to him when she pulled back, and he grinned at her wolfishly, clearly liking this newfound side of her.

Just you wait until you see what I've got in store for you, Ani.