Chapter Four
Padmé awoke the next morning and as she sat up, felt an incredible rush of adrenaline.
Anakin Skywalker was still asleep in her living room.
She quickly brushed her teeth and wrapped herself in a blue cloak. Padding softly out of the bedroom, she fought the incredible urge to peek at the sleeping knight on her couch. She made her way past him, but after pouring herself a glass of nectar in the kitchen, she crept back over to the couch.
Padmé trembled slightly, as the figure on her couch was not much different from the one she'd spent all night dreaming about. Anakin was indeed still asleep, his bare chest rising and falling with rhythmic breath. His arms were slightly cut in all the right places and wavy blonde hair framed his permanently tanned face and forehead. Padmé finally forced herself to stop gawking and suppressed a giggle at his light snoring. She turned to look at the holochron in the kitchen. 0800-- time for him to wake up.
"Enjoying the view from up there?" Anakin asked sleepily.
Padmé jumped about a mile. "I thought you were asleep!"
Anakin blinked his crystal blue eyes, and looked up into hers, wondering how long she'd been standing there. He grinned at her.
"I was. But as I'm sure you noticed, I'm not wearing a shirt and since you can't seem to control your saliva glands--"
Padmé's mouth fell open and she slapped the grinning Jedi on the arm. "How can you be such a smart aleck so early in the morning!" she cried. "You're horrible!" Anakin laughed and caught her small hand in his own. "I'm just kidding." he whispered, lightly kissing her hand. Her indignant glare finally softened into a smile as she settled onto the back of the couch.
How her eyes shined when she smiled. Anakin liked to think that they didn't shine for anyone but him. He smiled back at her.
"Now there's a face I could handle waking up to every day for the rest of my life."
Padmé blushed fiercely. She didn't know how to respond, but fortunately, the comm buzzed. She flashed Anakin a shy smile, then quickly moved to answer it. Anakin grinned with satisfaction as he rose from the couch. This had the makings of a wonderful day.
"Good morning, Master Kenobi..." Padmé answered. "Yes, he's still here, and he's awake, but only just... I'm sure he'll be back shortly. As soon as he puts on his shoes... Alright, I'll tell him. Yes, you're welcome. Goodbye."
Anakin emerged from the kitchen, where a glass of nectar had taken the awful taste of morning from his mouth. "What does he want?"
"For me to tell you that--"
Aye! How she wished he would put on a shirt! Well, not really, but he was becoming a serious impediment to her speech.
"To tell you that you have a holomeeting with the Council in one hour." she finished.
"Stangit." he mumbled under his breath. "Well, I guess that means I'll be leaving early again."
Padmé smiled. "Sometimes you can't help these things."
"Yeah, but if I could--" he trailed off. He called a small analog holocron to his hand from across the room. Using the Force, he brought the second hand to a graceful stop and handed the clock to Padmé.
"-- I'd stop the whole galaxy-- and stay right here." He drew near to the small figure standing before him in a blue cloak. He would never understand how she managed to look that good after being up less than half an hour. He brushed a strand of dark hair from her face. Padmé inwardly shivered as his fingers touched her cheek. She gazed at the holochron and finally whispered,
"I think you broke my clock."
She smiled and he grinned back, amazed with her. He had dropped his guard, just for the sake of being sweet, and all she could say was, 'I think you broke my clock.' Women. Even so, he shook his head and grinned. "I'm good at fixing things." he answered. "Guess I'll just have to stop by later and see what I can do."
Stang, there was that look again. He knew he had to get out quick or he wouldn't be going anywhere. He sighed and called his saber to his hand from the table.
"Although there are worse fates," he began. "I must depart, or else I could easily stand here all day." He picked up her blanket from the couch and she took it before he could fold it up.
"Thanks for letting me sleep here again." he smiled.
"You're welcome." she smiled back, following him to the door. "But you'd better go. And run! Because if anyone catches you in the hallway half-dressed--"
"I'll tell them it was your idea." he finished with a smirk.
Padmé rolled her eyes. "You will not! Get out."
Anakin playfully winked at her. "See you tonight?"
Force, he was charming. She tried to glare at him, but found it impossible. Her lips parted in a smile. She would have never put up with behavior like this from anyone else! Of course she'd never invite anyone else to sleep on her couch at night either.
"Yes, tonight. At the banquet!" she replied. He grinned and started down the hall.
"Wait, Anakin!" she called in a sharp whisper. He quickly turned around, glancing behind as he trotted back to her with inquiring eyes.
Padmé also scanned the hall for officers. She smiled nervously as she looked into his crystal blue eyes. "About last night..." she began. Then suddenly, she reached out, and cradling the left side of his face with her hand, pressed her lips to his cheek in a soft kiss just above his lips. For the first time in twelve hours, Anakin was speechless. His bright eyes widened in surprise.
Padmé shrugged with a mischievous smile. "I changed my mind." With that, she winked at him, and closed the door, leaving a dumbfounded Anakin in the hall with a goofy smile on his face. He pumped his fist in the air and then took off down the corridor. "This is going to be a great day!"
"Did I just kiss him?" Padmé leaned against the door in disbelief of her own actions. If word of this got out, she would never hear the end of it! But somehow, it didn't bother her at all. "What have I begun?" she mumbled aloud, trying to push a giddy smile from her face. She sank her face into the blanket he had slept under. It smelled wonderful. She strolled back into her room. Oh well. She would have all day to think about him-- it.
Obi-Wan frowned as his padawan raced into the suite. Anakin barely said hello before slipping into the fresher to avoid an inquisition. Typho noticed Obi-Wan glaring at Anakin's feet just before he disappeared into the other room. Typho looked at the Jedi Master, one eyebrow raised. Obi-Wan didn't look at him, but gruffly whispered,
"He's not wearing any shoes."
"What?"
"He's not wearing shoes, which means he either left them there as an excuse to go back, or he was doing something other than putting his shoes on five minutes ago when I called."
"Obi-Wan, I don't think--"
"He's going to get caught, Captain." Obi-Wan interrupted, "Then he'll be expelled from the Order and it will be my responsibility. I've got to talk to him."