A/N: So, here's the next chapter. It's shorter than I intended, because I was originally going to write one long chapter including the hockey game, but I decided to split it in two. More updates for you that way, considering my updates are pretty slow of late (though, to be honest, I'm pretty proud of myself now). I enjoyed writing this chapter... it's full of fluffy and adorkable cuteness. The next chapter is currently underway, so hopefully an update won't be too far away. Anyway, I hope you like this! :)


On Sunday afternoon, Anakin flew back to Chicago, much to Padme's disappointment. It had been so nice having him around for the whole week, even if he was an invalid, given that they could never spend this much time together as it was. She'd thoroughly enjoyed his company, enjoyed taking care of him, enjoyed rolling over in the mornings to see him dozing beside her peacefully in bed. Now, she was going back to an empty bed each night, and she couldn't help but feel a little lonely.

At least she still had Dorme. Her roommate had returned once Anakin had left, which Padme was eternally grateful for. So was Dorme, it seemed, for as soon as she entered the apartment, lugging her bag over her shoulder, she dumped it on the floor, kicked off her shoes and flopped down on the sofa with a dramatic sigh. "Fuck, it's good to be home," she'd exclaimed, and then the two of them ordered Chinese takeout for dinner and watched reruns of F.R.I.E.N.D.S, like any other Sunday night spent between two best friends.

It was as she listened to Dorme complain about Trey, that she realized just how lucky she truly was. Although, she and Anakin weren't the 'perfect couple' and definitely had their own problems, which they were working through together. But, at least, at the end of the day, Padme knew that Anakin loved her – even if he sometimes went about it in the wrong way, he loved her unconditionally. And, that was a rarity.

Poor Dorme was being played so hard by a boy who didn't even deserve her, and it only made Padme feel angry and sad. Apparently, Trey was seeing other girls, and even though they'd never discussed if they were exclusive or not, it had cut her best friend deeply to find this out. Dorme was strong though, and brushed it off casually, but Padme could tell her best friend was truly hurt. As she listened, horrified that someone could treat her beautiful friend so terribly, Padme decided that she needed to put her plan into action. Now.

"You're so lucky," Dorme muttered glumly as she picked at her Chinese food with her fork. "At least, with Anakin, you know exactly what's going on. I have no fucking clue with Trey."

Padme didn't know what to say to that. She couldn't relate, but she felt immense pity for her dearest friend. "You deserve someone who truly appreciates you," she said honestly, giving Dorme a weak smile. "You're an amazing woman, y'know."

Dorme laughed sarcastically and shook her head. "You're about the only person who thinks so."

She wanted to both cry and punch her friend in the face. Instead, she opted for her third option. "What are you doing Friday night?"

"Staying at home and watching Magic Mike XXL with a bottle of wine," Dorme grimaced. "Or three bottles. Like what every other lonely, single girl does on a Friday night. Why?"

Shaking her head firmly, Padme pursed her lips into a thin, determined line. "No, you're not. You and I are going to a hockey game."

"We're doing what?" Dorme quirked an eyebrow in astonishment, her mouth falling open slightly in surprise.

"One of my friends is on the BU hockey team, and he's playing Friday night. I said I'd come watch him play, and I'm taking you with me. You like hockey, right?"

Dorme nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yeah, I do. But, who's this friend anyway? You've never mentioned him before." Her brown eyes narrowed, suspiciously.

With an air of secrecy, Padme just shrugged, a sly smirk on her face. "Oh, he's a new friend. You haven't met him…yet," she added, waggling her eyebrows just a little, mischief dancing in her eyes.

Shaking her head, Dorme groaned and fixed her with a firm glare. "Why do I have the feeling that you're setting me up?"

"Because I am," Padme said happily, with a firm nod.

"Padme…"

"What?"

"You know I don't like set ups," Dorme reminded her, petulantly. "They're so... awkward."

Padme assured her with a confident smile. "This one won't be, I promise. Tyler's a great guy!" It seemed that her roommate needed more than just her vote of confidence, for her expression was still sceptical. "Look, Dorme," she put her foot down firmly, telling it exactly like it was, which she knew would get through to her friend. "You can either stay home and feel sorry for yourself, or you can come out with me and have a good time. It's your choice."

With a bemused grin, Dorme just shook her head. "Alright, alright. I'll come with you. Honestly, though," she added with a laugh. "You have the most hilarious 'fight me' face I've ever seen. It's like a kitten trying to be a lion."

Sticking out her tongue, Padme fished her phone out of the pocket of her sweatpants and sent a quick message to Tyler, asking how to get tickets. He responded instantly, his enthusiasm apparent in his use of excessive exclamation marks, and he told her that he'd get it all sorted out and get back to her on it. She sat back in her seat with a profound sense of satisfaction. Her plan was coming along nicely. She just hoped it would go off without a hitch.

For the rest of the week, Padme was busy with her upcoming assessment pieces, something she'd had little time to attend to while Anakin had been staying with her. Of course, she'd tried to focus on her studies, but any time she did, Anakin would watch her with that look in his eyes that she just couldn't resist, and more often than not, studying was forsaken for lovemaking. It wasn't her fault…well, not entirely. How was she supposed to she focus when he was looking at her like that – like she was his entire world? Especially after everything that had happened between them. Things were looking up between the two of them, and studying had been pushed aside for the week in favor of strengthening their relationship.

At the time, it had been more than worth it, even necessary. Only now, she regretted her choice of priorities. Her workload was so immense that she even had to resort to skipping classes to stay home and write her assignments. Just last night, she had stayed in the 24/7 library until 3:00 in the morning to finish an assessment piece; something she'd only ever done once before. When she'd arrived back at the apartment later that morning, Dorme had made her waffles and bacon for breakfast in an attempt to make her feel better, along with a very strong cup of coffee, but Padme was far too tired to eat, and instead, went straight into her room and crashed on her bed – still in her clothes. She was so busy in fact, that she hadn't been able to speak with Anakin the whole week, only exchanging a few brief texts in the evenings before going going to bed.

Residual stress from Anakin's car accident and their almost break-up, coupled with Padme's hectic assessment calendar, left her close to having a mental breakdown. Zits began to break out on her face, and she was drinking so much coffee that her hands were literally shaking. At one stage in the middle of the week, Dorme had almost taken her to the emergency room, fearing for her health, when she'd come home after classes one day to see her roommate in a right state, shaking all over from the combination of stress and caffeine overload.

The only thing that kept Padme going was the thought of watching Tyler's hockey game on Friday night with Dorme. Not just because she needed the break, but because it had been a long time since she'd done something fun with Dorme. And, it would be fun, going to the game together, and they both needed a bit of fun in their lives at the moment.

Anakin Skyped her on Thursday night, while she was working on her laptop, and she quickly answered the call, her entire mood brightening upon seeing his face. He looked well, arm still in his cast, but his eyes soon narrowed in concern as he glanced over her appearance.

"You look awful, Angel," he told her, honestly.

She glared at him. "Thank you, Anakin. That's exactly what a girl wants to hear from her boyfriend who's supposed to love her."

Holding his hands up in surrender, he tried to placate her with a warm smile. "I do love you, Angel. It's because I love you that I'm telling you this. Are you alright? You haven't called me all week." His eyes grew soft with concern, and he leaned forward just a little, watching her carefully, as though she was going to break.

Padme huffed and rubbed her temples. Her head was pounding with a severe headache, and she was crashing fast from the four large size dark roast coffees, with an added shot of espresso at dinner, from Starbucks she'd consumed during the day. "Just busy, Ani," she supplied, wearily. It took all of her effort to lift her head up to meet his loving gaze, and even then, she had to rest her chin on her hand to keep it there. Then, through a yawn, she muttered, "I was up until 3 am in the library this morning finishing an assignment, and now, I'm crashing from the four large coffees...plus one shot of espresso...that I've had today." She tried to hide her trembling left hand from his view, but she knew she wasn't successful when his mouth flattened with a grimace.

Focusing in on her hand, Anakin's eyes then widened in astonishment at seeing her trembling, and he muttered a quiet, "Shit," under his breath at her admission. It only made her brows narrow and her lips pursed into a thin line of irritation.

"It's all your fault, y'know," she hissed at him, her utter exhaustion making her cranky and unreasonable.

"How is it my fault?" Anakin raised his eyebrows at her in confusion, slightly insulted by her accusation. Padme knew she was being unfair, but she couldn't help it. She was exhausted, overloaded on caffeine, and in a pissy mood because of it, and Anakin was, unfortunately for him, the person she decided to take it out on.

Rolling her eyes, she scowled at him through the screen. "If you hadn't kept distracting me last week, Anakin, then I wouldn't be so far behind!"

He frowned, a pout forming on his lips, and he exhaled sharply through his nose. She could tell, just by his demeanour, that he was trying his best not to react to her aggressive tone, but it was clearly difficult for him. "Hey, I wasn't the one throwing themselves at me every damn second," he reminded her. With a small chuckle, he shook his head, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smirk. "I had more blowjobs last week from you than I've had in my entire life." He arched an eyebrow, a teasing half smirk on his face.

His honest remark made Padme flush red and instantly feel ridiculous, and a little ashamed at her own behaviour, because it was true. She'd been so caught up with looking after him, and caring for him – sexually and otherwise, that she'd forgotten to study. It was her own fault, and she knew it, too, but she couldn't help herself. Perhaps it was because they'd been apart for two months, or because she felt guilty for almost breaking up with him, or the fact that he was injured and in pain and she wanted to make him feel better, but he was right, she had been all over him the entire week. It was uncharacteristic, even for them, to be so sexually active.

Still, Padme felt the need to defend her actions. "W-well," she stammered in embarrassment. "It's not like we could…y'know, do it properly. So, I had to make some necessary… adjustments… "

Anakin threw his head back and laughed heartily, beaming at her, eyes shining with amusement and just a hint of arrogance. "I am not complaining, Angel, believe me," he winked at her. "I'm just pointing out the facts."

Padme crossed her arms and snorted, blowing the stray hairs haloing her forehead out of the way. "Okay, okay. So, I brought it on myself. Still, you could at least be a little sympathetic to my dilemma."

Growing serious, he flashed her a loving smile. "I'm sorry you're so stressed out, Angel," he said, sincerely, and ran his left hand through his hair, mussing it in a way that only made him more attractive. "I wish there was something I could do to help." Then, his eyes brightened, and his face lit up in a wide grin, suddenly struck with an idea. "If I was there, and had two working arms, I'd give you the best full body massage you've ever had in your life."

That piqued her interest, and she quirked an eyebrow at him, curiously. "I didn't know you were a masseuse, Ani. More secret talents?"

"Uh-huh. I'm an excellent masseuse, Babe," he countered with a wolfish glint in his eyes. "You know how...good...I am with my hands." He shot her a knowing look and then winked.

She grinned at him cheekily. "Mighty big talk there, Skywalker. You prepared to back up that claim? I mean...you're going to have to prove it to me when we see each other next, y'know."

"Deal." His grin was feral, and he flashed her another wink.

They were silent for a little while, just basking in each other's presence. Padme tied her hair up in a messy bun on top of her head, fully aware of Anakin watching her movements with this sweet, fond smile on his face. When she caught him staring at her, she tipped her head to the side. "What?"

He just shook his head. "Nothing. It just amazes me sometimes how beautiful you are."

Her cheeks flushed hotly, and her insides quivered at his words, and she wanted nothing more than to reach through her laptop and kiss him senseless. Instead, she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and drew her legs up to her chest as she sat on her desk chair, leaning her head forward to rest her right cheek on her knees. "How are you feeling, Ani?" she changed the subject before she became too emotional.

Shrugging his shoulders, he muttered, "M'alright. Ribs still killing me though. You should see me trying to dress myself… it's like a dog trying to put on pants."

Even though she felt sorry for him, Padme couldn't help but laugh at the image. "Oh, dear. You poor thing. Couldn't you get Rex or your roommate to help you?"

Anakin scoffed and rolled his eyes, his nostrils flaring at the absurdity of her suggestion. "Oh, yeah, I'm sure he'd just love that. Because every guy wants their best buddy to get all up close and personal with their junk," he said, his face blank in a deadpan, which only caused Padme to laugh even harder.

"Oh, my poor baby," she simpered, eyes flashing with mirth. "However are you going to cope?" She clicked her tongue and shook her head at him.

His eyes suddenly flashed and his expression turned to one of mischief. "I could always ask Aayla to help me…"

As soon as he mentioned that name, Padme's face turned sour, as she remembered Anakin's beautiful, exotic, voluptuous, female friend. Even though she knew Aayla, and she knew there was no need to feel threatened by her, her blood began to boil. Perhaps it was because she was so tired, either way, her jealousy spiked.

"No." Her eyes narrowed, and she gritted her teeth as her immediate response spat out of her like a curse, and Anakin's face fell instantly, eyes bulging just a little, slightly frightened.

"Babe, I was just joking," he said with a weak laugh.

Padme's scowl only deepened. "It wasn't very funny," she muttered, her whole posture now tense.

Suddenly, his smile grew comically wide, and he shook his head. "You're so fucking cute when you're jealous, Babe. Oh my god," he spluttered between fits of laughter.

She couldn't deny that she was jealous, so she didn't respond, just rested her head on her knees again, sulking sullenly. It was silly, the way she was acting, but she wasn't in the mood for his teasing. Even though it was a joke, the very thought of Aayla Secura (or any other woman for that matter) seeing Anakin in anything less than a pair of regular shorts made her squirm with irrational anger. He was hers and only hers.

"Padme…Angel," he called to her softly, and she lifted her head up slowly. "I promise you, Babe...I'll only ever let you handle my underwear." With a small nod, she gave him a weak smile, which he returned with a soft eyed expression. "Good girl."

"… You're mine, Ani?" she asked in a small voice, her eyes tearing up.

His body language softened as he regarded her, and the look in his eyes left her with no doubt of the truth of his words, as he echoed her sentiment. "Of course, Angel. Only yours." He leaned forward and brushed his fingers of his left hand gently across the screen, as if brushing her cheek, then sat back in his chair and ruffled his hair again. "So, I saw my psychiatrist for the first time, today."

The change of subject made Padme sit up straight and shook her out of her blues. "That's great, Ani!" she cried, incredibly pleased for him. "How was it?"

"Weird," he said with a half-shrug. "My psych is this tiny little Indian man…Dr. Yoda. He speaks in weird, jumbled up phrases, but he's good, nice. He just asked me a bunch of questions – about Mom, and you, and Obi-wan. We haven't even talked about my childhood yet."

Padme hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe he's just trying to get to know you better. Form a connection or something."

Anakin nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah. Probably. I'm seeing him once a week at the moment. We'll see what happens from here. But, I've got a good feeling about it."

He was so confident and optimistic about the whole thing, not a hint of hesitation or uncertainty about it, and Padme had never felt prouder of him. Her beautiful, emotional, damaged boy was truly growing up, and oh, what a wonderful thing it was to witness, to encourage and share in.

"I'm so proud of you, Ani," she told him, lovingly. "Honestly. It's so great that you're doing this."

Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, he flushed slightly and blinked up at her through his long eyelashes, all humble and modest. "All credit goes to you, Padme. I don't know what I'd do without you."

As sweet as his words were, Padme always grew nervous when he said things like that to her. He shouldn't be so reliant on her. Of course, she would always support him and help him, it was in her nature to help those who needed it, but his dependence on her set off alarm bells in her head. She didn't say anything though. It would only ruin the mood, and she didn't want to upset him, or fight with him after everything that had happened.

Suddenly overwhelmed with exhaustion, she yawned, screwing up her face, and rested her palm in her hand. Only now did she realize just how tired she really was. As much as she wanted to keep talking to Anakin, she needed sleep.

Anakin seemed to pick up on that and bent closer to the screen, so that she could only see his face. "You look beat, Babe. I'll let you get to sleep."

Nodding her head absently, she gave him a tired smile and whispered, "Good night, Ani. I love you."

"Love you too, Angel. Have fun at the game tomorrow night. Tell Tyler I said 'hi'."

"Yeah, I will. It should be great," she nodded with as much excitement as she could muster in her weary state. "Dorme's not as thrilled about it as Tyler and I are though."

Anakin chuckled. "That's because you're setting her up."

"True..." she yawned again and shook her head a few times, in an attempt to concentrate. She really needed sleep. "Ani, I'm about to fall asleep in this chair right now, so I'm gonna go. I'll talk to you tomorrow, alright?"

"Alright. Sweet dreams, beautiful. Love you."

Disconnecting the call, she stumbled over to her bed, slid under the covers, and promptly crashed. It was the best sleep she'd had all week.