Chapter 25
The Ties That Bind
The sound of the birds chirruping greeted the dawn as the sky began to lighten several hours later. The golden rays spread out across the clouds and drove away the darkness, sliding into the pre-dawn shadows and eliminating them. The light slipped through the open windows of the lake cottage, lighting the rooms and illuminating the two sleeping figures in the upstairs room.
Padmé's eyelids fluttered as the gentle heat of the new day settled on her face and turned her head away. She murmured softly in her sleep, tucking her head more comfortably against her human pillow. She paused after several seconds, her eyes opening slowly to be greeted by an expanse of muscular chest. She blinked once. Anakin. A slow smile spread across her face and she lifted her head.
He was still sleeping, his face turned towards her, his body curled protectively around hers. She was careful not to shift her legs, acutely aware of the bare knees tucked between hers, her nightdress bunched around her thighs. Any movement on her part would probably wake him up. Leaning herself on one elbow, she took the opportunity to study him. He was peaceful in sleep, his features relaxed. Whatever was on his mind, swirling in his thoughts, didn't seem to bother him in sleep. She reached up and gently stroked his cheek with the backs of her fingers, feeling the arm around her waist tighten. She leaned forward, placing a tender kiss on his lips. She pulled back and saw his eyelids fluttering. She could hear his thoughts, the slow acknowledgement of her kiss as it registered in his mind. His eyes snapped open, widening as he found her so close.
"'Morning, Ani."
"'Morning, Angel." He reached up, gently cupping her face, smiling clear to his eyes.
She turned her face, placing a gentle kiss in the center of his palm. "Did you sleep well?"
He ran his thumb across the curve of her cheek bone. "I went to sleep with an Angel in my arms and woke up to find her curled up next to me. What do you think?"
She smiled, melting against him as his arms came around her again, rolling so that she was pinned under him, their legs twined together, their bodies aligned from chest to hip. Her breath caught in her throat as his head came down and he placed a kiss on her bare shoulder. "I wish I could wake up like this forever," she gasped, her hands sliding up his bare chest.
He pulled back. "Why can't we?"
"Well, if you're not ready to take your trials we can't get married." She lifted one hand to gently trace a path from his shoulder to his neck, "If that's the case, I highly doubt Obi-Wan will allow you a cuddle buddy."
He laughed, his equilibrium seeming to have been restored. "Good point. Speaking of Obi-Wan, I should probably do my morning meditation."
She wrapped her hands firmly around his neck as he made to move, shifting her legs so that she had him trapped. "Can't you skip them for one morning?"
He blinked, suddenly frozen atop her at their intimate position. "I... Uh... You have something else in mind?"
She looped one hand gently around his padawan braid, her smiled seductive yet mischievous. "Maybe."
"Uh..."
She tugged his head down and he went willingly, kissing her with a restrained passion she found appealing. Anakin had found some form of control. She shifted her weight suddenly, rolling him over so that she was atop him and sat up, straddling his hips as she looked down at him. She could see his accelerated heartbeat, feel the desire flowing through his body. It thrilled her, her own answering in kind. "I have a surprise for you."
Anakin swallowed convulsively, unable to speak. *Angel, you're killing me!*
She leaned down, her body draped like a blanket across his, "I warned you," she told him softly. She could feel every inch of his body pressed against hers and it thrilled her to no end. Then, without warning or even thinking about it, she rolled off him and onto her side of the bed, quickly gaining her feet as she slipped from the covers.
Anakin didn't move. Padmé looked down to find his hands clenched in the sheets, his eyes closed. She could feel his internal struggle, hear his thoughts. [i]That didn't just happen[/i].
"I beg to differ."
His eyes opened to find hers and she could read the barely leashed passion in the depths. "You didn't..."
"Oh but I did. Get up, love, it's time for your surprise."
He groaned, rolling away from her, "I've had enough surprises for one day."
She laughed, picking up her pillow and throwing it at him. "Fine, stay in bed. I'm going to grab my swim suit and take a dip in the lake."
His head came around sharply. "What?"
"I'm going for a swim. If you're guarding me, you'd better find something to wear."
Anakin seemed to see what she was wearing for the first time and sat up on the bed, unable to pull his gaze from the off the shoulder nightdress she was wearing. "Uh, Angel?"
She spun once, affording him a view of more skin than he'd ever seen, his eyes widening in shock. She laughed. Keep staring at me like that Skywalker and I'm going to drag you back into bed and not let you out."
He swallowed hard. *That sounds so very appealing, Ami, don't tease.*
She grinned and swept from the room. "Your colors are showing, Anakin. Get dressed, we've much to do today."
Anakin watched the door close behind her and fell face-first onto the mattress, burying his face in the sheets. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. Padmé didn't act like this, so blatantly teasing and taunting. But she was. He fought to breathe, to find the control that had seem to come so easy with their first kiss of the morning, but it had vanished. He pushed himself off the mattress and stared at the door, his body tight with anticipation. Whatever she had planned he only hoped it didn't kill him.
The Ties That Bind
The sound of the birds chirruping greeted the dawn as the sky began to lighten several hours later. The golden rays spread out across the clouds and drove away the darkness, sliding into the pre-dawn shadows and eliminating them. The light slipped through the open windows of the lake cottage, lighting the rooms and illuminating the two sleeping figures in the upstairs room.
Padmé's eyelids fluttered as the gentle heat of the new day settled on her face and turned her head away. She murmured softly in her sleep, tucking her head more comfortably against her human pillow. She paused after several seconds, her eyes opening slowly to be greeted by an expanse of muscular chest. She blinked once. Anakin. A slow smile spread across her face and she lifted her head.
He was still sleeping, his face turned towards her, his body curled protectively around hers. She was careful not to shift her legs, acutely aware of the bare knees tucked between hers, her nightdress bunched around her thighs. Any movement on her part would probably wake him up. Leaning herself on one elbow, she took the opportunity to study him. He was peaceful in sleep, his features relaxed. Whatever was on his mind, swirling in his thoughts, didn't seem to bother him in sleep. She reached up and gently stroked his cheek with the backs of her fingers, feeling the arm around her waist tighten. She leaned forward, placing a tender kiss on his lips. She pulled back and saw his eyelids fluttering. She could hear his thoughts, the slow acknowledgement of her kiss as it registered in his mind. His eyes snapped open, widening as he found her so close.
"'Morning, Ani."
"'Morning, Angel." He reached up, gently cupping her face, smiling clear to his eyes.
She turned her face, placing a gentle kiss in the center of his palm. "Did you sleep well?"
He ran his thumb across the curve of her cheek bone. "I went to sleep with an Angel in my arms and woke up to find her curled up next to me. What do you think?"
She smiled, melting against him as his arms came around her again, rolling so that she was pinned under him, their legs twined together, their bodies aligned from chest to hip. Her breath caught in her throat as his head came down and he placed a kiss on her bare shoulder. "I wish I could wake up like this forever," she gasped, her hands sliding up his bare chest.
He pulled back. "Why can't we?"
"Well, if you're not ready to take your trials we can't get married." She lifted one hand to gently trace a path from his shoulder to his neck, "If that's the case, I highly doubt Obi-Wan will allow you a cuddle buddy."
He laughed, his equilibrium seeming to have been restored. "Good point. Speaking of Obi-Wan, I should probably do my morning meditation."
She wrapped her hands firmly around his neck as he made to move, shifting her legs so that she had him trapped. "Can't you skip them for one morning?"
He blinked, suddenly frozen atop her at their intimate position. "I... Uh... You have something else in mind?"
She looped one hand gently around his padawan braid, her smiled seductive yet mischievous. "Maybe."
"Uh..."
She tugged his head down and he went willingly, kissing her with a restrained passion she found appealing. Anakin had found some form of control. She shifted her weight suddenly, rolling him over so that she was atop him and sat up, straddling his hips as she looked down at him. She could see his accelerated heartbeat, feel the desire flowing through his body. It thrilled her, her own answering in kind. "I have a surprise for you."
Anakin swallowed convulsively, unable to speak. *Angel, you're killing me!*
She leaned down, her body draped like a blanket across his, "I warned you," she told him softly. She could feel every inch of his body pressed against hers and it thrilled her to no end. Then, without warning or even thinking about it, she rolled off him and onto her side of the bed, quickly gaining her feet as she slipped from the covers.
Anakin didn't move. Padmé looked down to find his hands clenched in the sheets, his eyes closed. She could feel his internal struggle, hear his thoughts. [i]That didn't just happen[/i].
"I beg to differ."
His eyes opened to find hers and she could read the barely leashed passion in the depths. "You didn't..."
"Oh but I did. Get up, love, it's time for your surprise."
He groaned, rolling away from her, "I've had enough surprises for one day."
She laughed, picking up her pillow and throwing it at him. "Fine, stay in bed. I'm going to grab my swim suit and take a dip in the lake."
His head came around sharply. "What?"
"I'm going for a swim. If you're guarding me, you'd better find something to wear."
Anakin seemed to see what she was wearing for the first time and sat up on the bed, unable to pull his gaze from the off the shoulder nightdress she was wearing. "Uh, Angel?"
She spun once, affording him a view of more skin than he'd ever seen, his eyes widening in shock. She laughed. Keep staring at me like that Skywalker and I'm going to drag you back into bed and not let you out."
He swallowed hard. *That sounds so very appealing, Ami, don't tease.*
She grinned and swept from the room. "Your colors are showing, Anakin. Get dressed, we've much to do today."
Anakin watched the door close behind her and fell face-first onto the mattress, burying his face in the sheets. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. Padmé didn't act like this, so blatantly teasing and taunting. But she was. He fought to breathe, to find the control that had seem to come so easy with their first kiss of the morning, but it had vanished. He pushed himself off the mattress and stared at the door, his body tight with anticipation. Whatever she had planned he only hoped it didn't kill him.