Chapter 26
The Ties That Bind
Padmé was waiting for him, dressed in a robe of dark blue, as he descended the stairs. A towel slung around his neck, bare save for the shorts he'd made yesterday, he felt a little over dressed. He doubted it would last. She was smiling her approval. "You know, I really like those shorts..."
"If the ending of that sentence has anything to do with removing them, please don't."
She laughed. "What kind of a woman do you take me for? I was simply going to say you should wear them more often."
He blushed. "Padmé, what's going on?"
She cocked her head up at him as he stopped in front of her. "What do you mean?"
He waved his hand to encompass the both of them. "Your shielding has improved, I can't hear your thoughts anymore. The teasing when we woke up this morning. I don't know how much I can take before I'll be unable to control myself."
Her features sobered. "Think of it as a test of your control, Anakin."
He stared after her as she stepped towards the terrace doors. A test of his control? If she kept it up he'd- wait, wasn't that what Master Yoda had said? He'd have to deal with his emotions and thoughts by himself, without her help. Was this then, part of his trials? He groaned as she disappeared, closing his eyes. Something told him he was right, that this was another part of a test. But why now? There were no masters to administer the test, no one to watch and see if he'd fail or succeed. He fought off the questions. He had a gorgeous woman who wanted to take a swim with him. He'd focus on that for now and ask her again when they came back inside. For now, he was going to enjoy himself. He quickened his pace, heading for the doors and following her outside.
Catching up with her at the lowest edge of the terrace where it dipped towards the water, he solicitously took her towel and placed it with his before holding up his hands in a silent offer to take her robe. She smiled, unbelting it and allowed him to pull it from his shoulders. Bronze skin met his gaze as he allowed his eyes to wander. The bathing suit was revealing, little more than two scraps of cloth covering her chest and hips. He swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry. "Wow."
She smiled, moving to the edge of the terrace where there was no rail. "Such a compliment." she teased. Then she leapt.
"No!" Anakin ran for the side and breathe a sudden sigh of relief as he saw her swimming away. He'd thought it was shallow. So much for that. Carefully adjusting his trunks he leapt in after her. The water was cold, slicing against his skin and he came up quickly, gasping for breath.
Padmé was treading water, laughing, a few yards away. "Did I mention this is your wake up call?"
He grinned, swimming towards her with sure strokes. He'd made sure to learn how to swim since leaving Tatooine, one never knew when it would come in handy. "Really? Well then I'm glad you didn't just grab a bucket and soak my bed."
"Our bed, you mean," she smiled, nodding her head towards a small island about 150 yards away. "Think you can make it that far?"
"I'm game if you are."
She grinned. "Jedi, you're so cocky."
He didn't say anything, simply started swimming. Their strokes were sure and strong as they kicked away from the island towards the smaller one. It looked, from this distance, little bigger than a hovercar. They didn't speak as they swam, concentrating more on keeping their pace. The sun came up over the hills, striking the water and turning it almost transparent to the lake floor. Anakin reached the island first and stopped, unable to stand, as the water was deep, even up close to the islands and tread water. Padmé quickly joined him, looking like a sylph, a water creature he'd heard legends about. Her hair was plastered to her head and body and she dunked herself, shaking her hair so that it trailed down her back. She came up smiling. "I wonder if it's still here."
He looked at her questioningly and she motioned for him to follow her. With slow strokes she swam around the left of the island and stopped by a series of large trees, one hanging out across the water, a long, knotted cord of synth rope hanging from its branches. She grinned. "Wanna give me a push?"
"This is your surprise?"
"What, ex-Queen's aren't allowed to have a little fun every now and again?"
Anakin laughed. It wasn't what he'd been expecting, not by a long shot. After her behavior, he'd almost expected to be seduced. "Looks like fun, but I've never been on anything like that before."
She swam up to the base of the overhanging tree where hand and foot holds were carved into the trunk. Worn with age and water erosion, they didn't look firm, but they held her weight easily enough. Anakin watched her climb, enjoying the view. "So where do we go if we get tired and have to rest before swimming back?"
She looked down at him as he began to climb the trunk. "There's a flat stretch on the other side where there's a beach. There's a shuura fruit tree over there too. It never gets picked and they're in season."
"Sounds delicious."
"Delicious or not, can't you climb any faster?" she stepped off the trunk onto a large branch, just wide enough for one foot.
Anakin felt a sudden surge of fear. If she fell...
"I'll be fine, Anakin, there's a branch overhead to hold yourself up, see? Hurry up would you."
He chuckled. "You sound more like a child than a grown woman."
"I just don't want to crawl out on that branch to grab the rope."
He stepped onto the branch behind her and stopped. "Oh. If that's all it is..."
Padmé grinned as the rope rose gracefully to her hands. "I knew you'd come in handy for something."
"Sure sure," he advanced towards her. "I bet I could have leapt and grabbed it."
"I don't want to be treating you for rope burn."
"Spoil sport."
Padmé laughed, wrapping her hands above one of the knots and took a deep breath. "Here's hoping it's as strong as it used to be." With that she leapt off the branch, swinging out over the water in a graceful arc. At the furthest point from the tree she let go and splashed into the water with a shriek of excitement.
Anakin laughed, catching the rope as it came swinging back, the end weighted with something that looked metallic. He watched as she sputtered, coming back to the surface with a smile on her face. "Try it!"
"You sure about this?"
She nodded, swimming to the side so she'd be out of the way. "Trust me!"
He almost laughed. Famous last words. Fighting down the surge of fear he felt at being so out of control, he wrapped his hands around the rope as he'd seen her do and leapt off the branch. Like a pendulum, he swung outwards, the wind tearing at his body. He yelled as he let go, dropping head first into the lake. He clawed his way to the surface and tossed his head to get the water out of his ears. Padmé was laughing and he managed to get a breath of air before she dunked him.
He sputtered as he came up, water streaming from his mouth. "Padmé!"
She grinned, swimming away from him. "Lose something, Skywalker?"
He blinked and turned bright red as she held something above her head. His shorts. "Padmé!"
She laughed, swimming further. "You'll have to catch me if you want them."
Anakin wasn't amused. He swam back to the tree and anchored himself before reaching out to the Force. Concentrating, he lifted her from the water. She screamed, laughing and telling him he wasn't playing fair as she sailed back towards the tree. Anakin dropped her back into the water in front of him, grabbing his shorts from her hand as he fell and ducked under the water. The shaded area had little visibility under the water, and for that he was glad. By the time Padmé came back to the surface he'd slipped back into his shorts and knotted them tightly. That wouldn't happen again.
"Spoil sport," she spluttered, throwing his own words back in his face as she reached out and clung to him, fighting for breath. She coughed up water and Anakin instantly put an arm around her, sorry for not giving her a warning. He hadn't meant to harm her.
"Sorry Angel."
He was quiet as she slowly regained her ability to breath.
"I could go for that beach right about now," she finally said, "you?"
"More than ready."
She smiled, "We can go overland if you like. This island has about ten large trees and little else besides the beach."
"No, that's alright. If you promise not to steal my trunks again, I think I can swim."
She pouted, her eyes sparkling. "Oh, alright. I promise I won't steal your shorts again. Come on, I'm starting to get hungry."
"Should we go back then?"
She shook her head, droplets of water flying everywhere. "There's a shuura tree, remember?"
He didn't have a chance to respond as she dove back under the water and began kicking towards the other side of the island. He shook his head and began to follow. What a way to begin the day, Padmé was certainly full of surprises. A smile kicked up the side of his mouth. He couldn't wait until she decided to spring another one on him.
The Ties That Bind
Padmé was waiting for him, dressed in a robe of dark blue, as he descended the stairs. A towel slung around his neck, bare save for the shorts he'd made yesterday, he felt a little over dressed. He doubted it would last. She was smiling her approval. "You know, I really like those shorts..."
"If the ending of that sentence has anything to do with removing them, please don't."
She laughed. "What kind of a woman do you take me for? I was simply going to say you should wear them more often."
He blushed. "Padmé, what's going on?"
She cocked her head up at him as he stopped in front of her. "What do you mean?"
He waved his hand to encompass the both of them. "Your shielding has improved, I can't hear your thoughts anymore. The teasing when we woke up this morning. I don't know how much I can take before I'll be unable to control myself."
Her features sobered. "Think of it as a test of your control, Anakin."
He stared after her as she stepped towards the terrace doors. A test of his control? If she kept it up he'd- wait, wasn't that what Master Yoda had said? He'd have to deal with his emotions and thoughts by himself, without her help. Was this then, part of his trials? He groaned as she disappeared, closing his eyes. Something told him he was right, that this was another part of a test. But why now? There were no masters to administer the test, no one to watch and see if he'd fail or succeed. He fought off the questions. He had a gorgeous woman who wanted to take a swim with him. He'd focus on that for now and ask her again when they came back inside. For now, he was going to enjoy himself. He quickened his pace, heading for the doors and following her outside.
Catching up with her at the lowest edge of the terrace where it dipped towards the water, he solicitously took her towel and placed it with his before holding up his hands in a silent offer to take her robe. She smiled, unbelting it and allowed him to pull it from his shoulders. Bronze skin met his gaze as he allowed his eyes to wander. The bathing suit was revealing, little more than two scraps of cloth covering her chest and hips. He swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry. "Wow."
She smiled, moving to the edge of the terrace where there was no rail. "Such a compliment." she teased. Then she leapt.
"No!" Anakin ran for the side and breathe a sudden sigh of relief as he saw her swimming away. He'd thought it was shallow. So much for that. Carefully adjusting his trunks he leapt in after her. The water was cold, slicing against his skin and he came up quickly, gasping for breath.
Padmé was treading water, laughing, a few yards away. "Did I mention this is your wake up call?"
He grinned, swimming towards her with sure strokes. He'd made sure to learn how to swim since leaving Tatooine, one never knew when it would come in handy. "Really? Well then I'm glad you didn't just grab a bucket and soak my bed."
"Our bed, you mean," she smiled, nodding her head towards a small island about 150 yards away. "Think you can make it that far?"
"I'm game if you are."
She grinned. "Jedi, you're so cocky."
He didn't say anything, simply started swimming. Their strokes were sure and strong as they kicked away from the island towards the smaller one. It looked, from this distance, little bigger than a hovercar. They didn't speak as they swam, concentrating more on keeping their pace. The sun came up over the hills, striking the water and turning it almost transparent to the lake floor. Anakin reached the island first and stopped, unable to stand, as the water was deep, even up close to the islands and tread water. Padmé quickly joined him, looking like a sylph, a water creature he'd heard legends about. Her hair was plastered to her head and body and she dunked herself, shaking her hair so that it trailed down her back. She came up smiling. "I wonder if it's still here."
He looked at her questioningly and she motioned for him to follow her. With slow strokes she swam around the left of the island and stopped by a series of large trees, one hanging out across the water, a long, knotted cord of synth rope hanging from its branches. She grinned. "Wanna give me a push?"
"This is your surprise?"
"What, ex-Queen's aren't allowed to have a little fun every now and again?"
Anakin laughed. It wasn't what he'd been expecting, not by a long shot. After her behavior, he'd almost expected to be seduced. "Looks like fun, but I've never been on anything like that before."
She swam up to the base of the overhanging tree where hand and foot holds were carved into the trunk. Worn with age and water erosion, they didn't look firm, but they held her weight easily enough. Anakin watched her climb, enjoying the view. "So where do we go if we get tired and have to rest before swimming back?"
She looked down at him as he began to climb the trunk. "There's a flat stretch on the other side where there's a beach. There's a shuura fruit tree over there too. It never gets picked and they're in season."
"Sounds delicious."
"Delicious or not, can't you climb any faster?" she stepped off the trunk onto a large branch, just wide enough for one foot.
Anakin felt a sudden surge of fear. If she fell...
"I'll be fine, Anakin, there's a branch overhead to hold yourself up, see? Hurry up would you."
He chuckled. "You sound more like a child than a grown woman."
"I just don't want to crawl out on that branch to grab the rope."
He stepped onto the branch behind her and stopped. "Oh. If that's all it is..."
Padmé grinned as the rope rose gracefully to her hands. "I knew you'd come in handy for something."
"Sure sure," he advanced towards her. "I bet I could have leapt and grabbed it."
"I don't want to be treating you for rope burn."
"Spoil sport."
Padmé laughed, wrapping her hands above one of the knots and took a deep breath. "Here's hoping it's as strong as it used to be." With that she leapt off the branch, swinging out over the water in a graceful arc. At the furthest point from the tree she let go and splashed into the water with a shriek of excitement.
Anakin laughed, catching the rope as it came swinging back, the end weighted with something that looked metallic. He watched as she sputtered, coming back to the surface with a smile on her face. "Try it!"
"You sure about this?"
She nodded, swimming to the side so she'd be out of the way. "Trust me!"
He almost laughed. Famous last words. Fighting down the surge of fear he felt at being so out of control, he wrapped his hands around the rope as he'd seen her do and leapt off the branch. Like a pendulum, he swung outwards, the wind tearing at his body. He yelled as he let go, dropping head first into the lake. He clawed his way to the surface and tossed his head to get the water out of his ears. Padmé was laughing and he managed to get a breath of air before she dunked him.
He sputtered as he came up, water streaming from his mouth. "Padmé!"
She grinned, swimming away from him. "Lose something, Skywalker?"
He blinked and turned bright red as she held something above her head. His shorts. "Padmé!"
She laughed, swimming further. "You'll have to catch me if you want them."
Anakin wasn't amused. He swam back to the tree and anchored himself before reaching out to the Force. Concentrating, he lifted her from the water. She screamed, laughing and telling him he wasn't playing fair as she sailed back towards the tree. Anakin dropped her back into the water in front of him, grabbing his shorts from her hand as he fell and ducked under the water. The shaded area had little visibility under the water, and for that he was glad. By the time Padmé came back to the surface he'd slipped back into his shorts and knotted them tightly. That wouldn't happen again.
"Spoil sport," she spluttered, throwing his own words back in his face as she reached out and clung to him, fighting for breath. She coughed up water and Anakin instantly put an arm around her, sorry for not giving her a warning. He hadn't meant to harm her.
"Sorry Angel."
He was quiet as she slowly regained her ability to breath.
"I could go for that beach right about now," she finally said, "you?"
"More than ready."
She smiled, "We can go overland if you like. This island has about ten large trees and little else besides the beach."
"No, that's alright. If you promise not to steal my trunks again, I think I can swim."
She pouted, her eyes sparkling. "Oh, alright. I promise I won't steal your shorts again. Come on, I'm starting to get hungry."
"Should we go back then?"
She shook her head, droplets of water flying everywhere. "There's a shuura tree, remember?"
He didn't have a chance to respond as she dove back under the water and began kicking towards the other side of the island. He shook his head and began to follow. What a way to begin the day, Padmé was certainly full of surprises. A smile kicked up the side of his mouth. He couldn't wait until she decided to spring another one on him.