I put my things away neatly, trying to keep everything folded. It didn't take very long, but Ani was already in the sitting room by the time I was finished. He never unpacked anything until he wore it.
"Finally you're finished." He joked.
"I think I finished quite quickly, actually. I'm exhausted, though." I said, leaning back onto the couch. "I'm tired too. Should we turn in for the night?" He asked considerately.
"I would prefer it, if you don't mind." I smiled tensely. I felt a little bad, I knew he wasn't as tired as I was, but I couldn't stay up any longer. I stretched my arms out, barely rubbing Anakin's shoulder.
"It's fine." He smiled, leading me by the hand to our bedroom.
"That's really thoughtful of you, Ani." I ran a hand through his hair. It had grown since we'd seen each other last. We laid, facing one another.
"Did you like my hair?" He asked, noticing how I fanned through it. "It grew a little."
noticed. I do like it." I said, lingering my fingers on his cheekbones before laying my hands under my head.
He leaned over and kissed my forehead lightly. "Good night, Padmé." He smiled.
I laid my head down on his chest and felt his arm wrap around my shoulders.
"Good night."
I could feel his drift into sleep as I found myself succumbing to it as well.
The sun had risen in the sky, sending tiny rays of light into our room. I slid Anakin's arm over me and snuck silently from the bed. I knew he'd be up soon after; he always seemed to be up to get up when he sensed I wasn't there.
I stretched and yawned quietly, trying to assure I wouldn't wake him. To my surprise I saw him blinking into the shards of light that pooled behind me.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" I asked, a little embarrassed.
"Oh, no. I just felt you leave." He stood from bed, stretching upwards. A loud yawn escaped his mouth.
"Sorry about that. I just couldn't sleep any longer. I didn't mean to make you get up with me." I explained, straightening our bed. "But then again you always wake up with me." I said, casting a playful glance in his direction.
"Yes, I do. But you were lucky to wake me this morning." He said, reaching to grasp my hand.
"Really now? Why is that?" I led my hand into his.
"Because you should get dressed, because we're going on a walk." He smiled, drifting his fingers through my palm and out of reach.
"That's a lovely idea, Ani." I smiled, stepping into the closet and changing into one of my afternoon dresses.
"I'm glad you think so." He said, smiling at my outfit.
"Do you like it?" I asked, flattening out the wrinkles in it's white fabric, adorned with tiny flowers.
"I think it's beautiful..." He breathed, pressing out the wrinkles in his own Jedi robes.
A thought appeared in his head, reminding him of something. He turned and smiled bashfully as he picked up a basket. "Sandwiches." He motioned to it.
"That was rather nice of you." I said, placing a blanket inside. "It will be just like I remember it." I added, gazing over to him.
It was refreshing to be there, together. And like Anakin said, while we were there it became as though we were the ones who lived there. I wished so much I could be relieved of my senatorial duties sometimes, so that maybe that would be possible.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked, straightening our blanket before sitting down. I noticed the far away look in his eyes.
"You know how beautiful I find it here." he remarked, eyes fixed on the furthest cloud.
"I do, your right." I said, placing a hand on his back.
"It's so different from anything - or anywhere- I've ever known. I wish we could stay here, forever. And I know you do too." He said, lying back to stare up at the sky.
"Yes, but logic tells us that cannot be. Besides that fact, it would ruin any ideas for a vacationing spot if we lived where we always vacation, you know." I didn't want to disenchant him, but also part of me worried that he might take it further than just dreaming.
"Logic tells us many things, but it does not tell our hearts not to dream, not to wish...not to be in love." He laid my hand on his heart. The steady beat propelled through my hand, his own hand was warm and smooth. He seemed so blissful here, in the field.
He propped himself up on his elbow. "And sometimes logic is not the sanest way to solve our problems."
I wore a confused look. "Of course it is, Ani. The very nature of the word is thinking. It doesn't mean to necessarily be rational, just to apply logic to what you do or say." I had taken a professional tone accidentally.
"If that is so, Padmé, then how are we where we are?" He asked, his deep blue eyes swirling with thought.
"That is a question I cannot answer with anything but the fact that what we did, following our hearts, was what was logical. There were circumstances neither you nor I could control, the Jedi council and my senatorial obligations in point, that were influencing our ability to show our feelings." I pushed a tuft of hair behind his ear as I spoke.
"Then feelings are not applicable to the rules of logic, that is safe to say." a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"I do believe you are right." I agreed, grinning down at him.
"That's a first." He let his smile grow. "Well, logical or illogical, I wish nonetheless that we could live here." His eyes drifted again out to the clouds and the land.
"I know, and I would like nothing better than for it to last forever, the way you are so enlightened here." He laid his head down in my lap and I caressed his hair.
"I'm happy wherever we are, regardless." He sighed, relaxing some. "Here my thinking is calm, it's like you're always by my side, holding my hand." he shut his eyes peacefully.
"I am usually wherever you are." I commented, looking down at him. Everything about him seemed more vibrant than I had noticed. The relaxation and lack of anxiety I could see on his face put my own heart at ease.
"Yes, but..." He said, thinking of how to word his idea. "But it's different somehow. It feels as though I have nothing to worry about, and I can see how tranquil you are here as well. That's also security for me." His eyes were open, looking up into mine.
"I can see that in you, but if you had what you have here all the time, if would not be as extraordinary as it is now." I enjoyed talking like this with Anakin. He had such brilliant ideas, and such trouble expressing them when not feeling completely at rest.
"That is also true." He sat up, resting back on his hands.
"But sometimes I wish...I wish we could tell everyone we're married. It seems selfish to keep what we have a secret." His face looked dreamy, thinking such complex thoughts.
"They wouldn't understand this, Anakin. They'd simply see a rule being broken, not the happiness or the love coming from what had to happen."
His face glowed with excitement at my understanding. "I knew you'd see that too."
Our talking went on something like that for the remainder of two hours. When it finally drew to a lull, we were both dancing around the prospect of returning home. I knew neither of us wanted to go back, it just seemed to be the most perfect scenery to lay with each other in. It just didn't feel like that on Corsucant. I mean, sure, we felt a magnetic attraction wherever we were together, but here it was almost magical. It seemed like all of our senses were alert and tuned in. It was as though I found everything about him more beautiful.
"I do believe we should start heading back, Ani." I said, looking up from where I rested in his arms.
He groaned in displeasure. "Padmé, do you really think that's necessary?" He shifted his weight, moving me gently with it.
"I think it is, Anakin. We should get back before we fall asleep." I giggled, craning my arm up to lean around his neck.
"If you insist." He agreed, a tone or reluctance in his voice. He helped me up then set about packing the blanket back into the basket, crumpling it and shoving it in.
"Ani..." I scolded, furrowing my eyebrows together in mock disappointment. "You've got to fold it nicely." I took it out and folded it carefully, tucking it back in.
"That, Padmé, would take grace which I see that only you possess." He smiled, joining our arms together.
"I posses grace, do I?" I nudged him with my shoulder.
"Of course. Grace, talent, superiority." He jested, casting a sideways glance to me.
"Ah, yes. The latter of that, I already knew." I smiled back, returning his glance.
The sun drew high in the sky, casting a warning that it would fall eventually into night.
And soon, the fields were a distance away from us as we made our way into the house, then onto the balcony.
"Did you enjoy that?" He spun me into him by the arm. I giggled a little, pressing myself into his chest. "Yes, I did." I closed my eyes and rested my head on him.
"I did as well..." Our noses pressed against each other's. "And we still have two days of it." He added. I opened my eyes, looking deeply into his.
"I remember when we were married here, how beautiful it was." My voice seemed dreamy.
"It was, it is. I remember everything about that day, that moment." He stared off into the water.
I sighed, following his eyes out to their landing place. "I remember how nervous you were." I smiled inwardly.
"I was not the only one nervous, if I remember correctly." He said with a hint of mocking.
"I was terrified." I chuckled.
He pulled back to look at me. "Why were you so frightened?" Concern replacing mocking in his tone.
"I was marrying you, Anakin. In secret, no less! I had taken a risk with you that I had sworn not to allow myself to take, spoken words I had sworn not to speak. And it made it scarier that they seemed the most natural thing I could be doing. I made a life altering choice." I smiled and spoke slowly, remembering the feelings that had flooded to me on that day.
He cradled my face in his hands, his height making our eye level a little awkward.
"That was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard anyone say." He said before sweeping me into a kiss. When he broke it, he stepped back and wrinkled his face in deep thought.
"I was anxious and frightened as well, but mainly I was nervous." He said, taking both my hands, breath coming in tiny puffs. "I was nervous that you might reconsider, that you'd think you were making a mistake. I was scared that your feelings you confessed to me were only said because there was that impending threat of your death. I was scared that you'd come to some kind of realization that what we were doing was irrational and you'd turn away from me." His face was reddened and his chest heaving with excitement at getting these words out from his mouth.
My own face was flushed, small tears welling in my eyes. I clung to him, pulling myself in by the cloth of his robe. "Ani..." I managed, nestling deeper into his chest. We stood there, one perfect person. One of his hands in my hair, one on the small of my back.
"I never looked back after I told you I loved you. It was death that made me tell you, but life did not make it less of the truth." I placed a hand on his face and he leaned into it.
Authors note: This maybe the end, I'm not sure. It depends on if I get some kind of inspiration or something. I'm not sure. So we'll just see...
