Chapter 2: Voyage
by dreamingofani
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Juls. Good times. Watch out for those fences.
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You!
You've got me where you are
It's all for you.
-Our Lady Peace-All For You
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Anakin watched in awe as Padmé stepped out onto the landing platform. She was wearing a velvety scarlet dress that trailed behind her. Thin straps criss-crossed across her back and met at the base of her neck. Her silky brown hair had been straightened and let down to frame her beautiful face. She looked so tempting, Anakin thought. Almost... devious and sinful, in an attractive kind of way. Breathe in... breathe out...
She came up to him and he led Padmé... no, Senator Amidala. Senator, as long as Obi-Wan was still watching. He led her to the starship, all the while struggling to breathe and fighting the overwhelming urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her like mad.
They reached the ship and he took her delicate hand to help her aboard. He released it quickly, and followed after her in silence. As long as Obi-Wan is watching, they thought. Anakin sat down in the pilot's chair and Padmé seated herself in the chair next to him.
As long as he's watching...
Anakin set the controls for Naboo. The ship rose up into the sky, away from Coruscant, far away from the Senate and the Jedi...
Anakin and Padmé both rose from their chairs at the exact same instant and flew into each other's arms. He pulled her up against his body as close as he could, his hungry lips devouring hers completely.
"We-" Padmé was able to say before their lips returned to his as they kissed with all passion and abandon, her tongue freely tasting the sweetness of his mouth.
"Should-" she tried again, but was pulled back into their little world, the world where nothing else— not Jedi, not politics— mattered. Their little secret place where they could kiss for days on end and nothing could stop them. It was just Ani and Padmé in this world, as it should be.
"Talk!" she finally let out breathlessly. It took all her might to pull away from him, to dive out of the sacred world. Their moment burst, like a little bubble too high in the sky.
"What is it, Padmé?" he asked uncertainly.
"We should talk," she repeated. "About us."
"Oh," Anakin sighed with reluctance. "I'd much rather just kiss you..."
She ignored him. "What are we going to do? When I told you I loved you, I didn't really expect to be living the next day..."
"Oh so now you regret it?" he replied bitterly, a hint of anger in his tone.
She walked closer to him and stroked his cheek, but he pulled away from her touch.
"Do you regret it Padmé?" he asked again. "I need to know."
Her eyes welled up with tears. "Never..." she whispered breathlessly.
"Then what's the problem?" he asked.
"I'm worried about you. What if the Jedi find out?"
"Screw the Jedi!" he exclaimed. "They don't matter! I could care less what they think. It doesn't matter, it never will, because I love you more than anything. You are the only important thing. Now, and forever."
She felt her knees weaken at his proclamation. All she could do was stare into his loving, earnest eyes. All else seemed to melt away as she stared intently into those shining blue eyes. She could feel his honesty, his love, his pain. Padmé felt as though she was gazing through the window to his soul. She ran into his awaiting arms. Anakin held her tightly, wanting never to let go. He stroked her soft hair and looked into her eyes. Nothing needed to be said, or could be said, for that matter. Padmé knew from his eyes that he was being truthful, and Anakin knew without asking that she loved him just as much as he loved her.
All their insecurities, their problems and their pain, simply faded away in the embrace as they fell back into their little world.
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Anakin sat fiddling with the controls in boredom. He turned to Padmé to say something, but found her curled up in her chair, completely asleep. Anakin just stared at her for a moment, simply taking in her arcane beauty. The fabric of her red dress gently flowed to the floor. Her hair was spread across her back, and Anakin smiled at the way she clutched the side of her chair like a pillow. He stood and walked over to her. Ever so gently and reverently, he lifted her out of the swiveling chair and into his arms. He nearly lost control, not because he couldn't lift her, but the sheer sensation of holding her, supporting her warm body, feeling the soft rub of her skin against his nearly drove him mad with an overwhelming love.
He started to walk towards her chamber, and she unconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck. He smiled and looked down upon her face, her closed eyes, her rosy cheeks and her oh-so-kissable lips. He couldn't stop himself, and he planted a little kiss upon them. She smiled in her sleep.
Anakin opened the doors to her chamber with the Force and he walked in. He carefully laid her on the soft bed and wrapped the blankets around her. He sat beside her bed and held her soft hand for a while, before standing to leave. He placed one last kiss on her forehead and muttered against her skin, "I love you, my angel."
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Padmé awoke from her peaceful slumber to the sound of blaster shots and the hum of a lightsaber. Only one thought crossed her mind as she jumped out of bed.
Ani!
She ran down to the other end of the ship, where the noises were coming from. She opened the door, ready to jump on Anakin's attackers, or kick them, or something...
But she looked in and stopped. She let out a sigh of relief and leaned against the door frame to watch, completely breathless.
Anakin was standing in the middle of the room, wielding his blue lightsaber. A small droid hovered above him, shooting random shots at the Jedi. His tunic and cloak lay on the floor next to him, leaving him in only his brown pants. Padmé watched in adoration as he flipped around the room, rapidly swishing his lightsaber to deflect the shots. His bare chest and muscular body flashed before her eyes, and the blue light of his saber reflected in the metal of his arm.
How can one man be so good-looking? she wondered.
She was even more amazed when she realized that his eyes were closed, yet he never missed a shot. He moved around the room in perfect rhythm, acting purely on instinct. She spent the next few minutes simply watching him in awe.
Finally, the droid ceased fire and shut off. Anakin hooked his lightsaber back on his belt and looked up to see Padmé with a smile on her face.
"I love it when you do that..." she whispered into his ear before pulling him in close and kissing him for nearly the hundredth time that day.
Whispered I love you's filled the air as Anakin settled down in the pilot chair again, preparing to land on Naboo.
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A/N: Hmm that was pretty fluffy. So was chapter one. Expect that for a bit longer—they haven't even gotten married yet! And maybe a little steamy. But not TOO steamy, I hope. Let me know if I'm crossing the line.
And of course, please review. You don't even have to write a long one! More soon, I swear. I have more time to write now that it's Spring Break. Wahoo!
