It was almost funny.
They tried to be discreet, but even the blind would be able to see how infatuated the Nabooian Senator and Jedi Knight were with each other.
Anakin's face fell when he saw the seating plan. Ahsoka had been placed beside the Padmé in her Master's place. Though the woman took her hand with a smile to lead her to their seats, Ahsoka noticed the slight tension in her posture as she cast Anakin a look over her shoulder.
"Wait, Senator," Ahsoka said before she really considered how she should go about this. It was a crowded room, dozens of cameras flashing pictures of the established politicians taking their places around a grand table.
Padmé looked worried for a second, "What's wrong, Ahsoka?"
"My Master should sit with you," Ahsoka blurted out, "He's your main security guard. I'll swap with him."
Before Padmé could get over her shock to reply, Ahsoka pulled her hand from her grip and made a beeline for her Master who looked just as surprised.
She tried to avoid his questioning gaze as she passed him, instead allowing his gratitude to pass along their bond seamlessly as she sat in his seat.
Both Anakin and Padmé were trying- and failing- to smother their smiles as they took their places side by side.
Ahsoka chewed her lip subconsciously. It felt like a crime to even imagine Anakin and Padmé being something other than friends, and yet she knew it was true. There were so many signs that point to them being romantically- or at least intimately- involved.
The first sign was the obvious flirting.
Across the Senate banquet table, her montrals could pick up the vibrations of Anakin's hushed words as he spoke into the Senator's ear, making her smile and nudge his arm playfully.
Anakin said something else- an eyebrow raised in question- and Padmé's cheeks flushed in response.
Whatever they were talking about, it wasn't about Banking Acts or the war.
The Togruta sighed, still ignoring the middle-aged man beside her as he rattled on about the economy on some far away planet that she had never been to.
At events like this, she and Anakin usually had a fun time laughing and joking with each other about which politician had the most ridiculous piece of headwear.
Now, it was him and Padmé quipping remarks between each other, and Ahsoka was stuck with an old man who was now looking her up and down like a piece of meat.
In her attempt to turn her body away from his gaze, her eyes met Anakin's, and a flutter of concern passed along their bond. She tightened her shields a little, smiling brightly and giving him a small wave to brush him off.
If this would be the only night of the year when Anakin got to enjoy a public meal with his lover, she wouldn't ruin it by moping about and complaining.
"I'm going to escort Senator Amidala back to her apartment." He told her after the banquet was over, cheeks reddened by his two glasses of blue wine. "Wait here for me; I won't be long."
She had agreed instantly, bidding Padmé goodnight and promising Anakin to stay inside where it was warmer. The dress the Senator had loaned her was modest, but not thick.
Nobody seemed to bat an eyelid at the Jedi Knight escorting an esteemed politician to his speeder with a gentle hand against her back.
That was another sign of their romantic involvement.
To the public eye, Padmé was single. She was an intelligent woman who earned far more than most people did on Coruscant, and would never need a man in her life, and yet she had never had any flings in the time Ahsoka had known her.
Of course, men- and some women, had tried to flirt or dance with Padmé, but she always declined. Afterwards, Anakin would always stay a little closer than necessary. If that didn't scream secret relationship, Ahsoka wasn't sure what would.
After forty-five minutes of twiddling her thumbs and pacing the length of the ballroom, dodging cleaning droids and the few ridiculously drunk men who were loitering around, Ahsoka ended up calling a cab.
She left a message on Anakin's commlink to say she was back at the Temple- as he didn't answer the two times she tried to call him.
Getting ready for bed, Ahsoka wondered if he would ever admit to her that the feelings he held for Padmé were much deeper than what would be considered orthodox for a Jedi.
Would she ever feel that way about somebody?
It was close to two in the morning when the light outside her room flicked on, and she heard her Master's heavy footsteps fall to a stop in front of her door. Light seeped into the dark room as he cracked the door open, "Snips?"
She said nothing, keeping her eyes closed as she heard him make his way across the room. A small sigh escaped her when he laid his hand over her head, his thumb rubbing her montral gently.
He didn't say anything for a short while. He was probably deciding if he should try to make up an excuse as to why he had never come back. Ahsoka hadn't worried when he didn't show up- she knew he was at Padmé's. He would just never admit that to her.
It might've been selfish, but Anakin's lack of trust in her hurt. They were Master and Padawan. They trusted each other to watch their backs on the battlefield, so he should know that he could trust her with this. She would never breathe a word to the Council.
Uncomfortable with the silence, Ahsoka rolled over to face the wall- Anakin's hand falling away from her skin. She heard him take a deep breath before standing up, soft footsteps crossing the floor before the door opened.
"Goodnight, Ahsoka," Anakin said as the door closed behind him.
Padmé woke up in her apartment to a heavy thump.
Snapping upright, she immediately noticed that Anakin's side of the bed was cold.
The noise came from the living room- had Anakin already heard it and got up? No, he would've woken her too, if only to tell her to hide.
Fumbling for the blaster kept next to her bed, Padmé tiptoed out of the bedroom, not even bothering to put on her warmer dressing gown over her night dress.
The living room was in darkness as she crept around the corner, and Padmé could hear her heartbeat in her ears as she whispered his name into the large room.
"Ani?"
At first, there was no response, and then Padmé heard a strained groan from behind the sofa.
Panic crawling up her throat, she flipped on the light and rushed inside, not yet letting go of the blaster. Around the back of the sofa, she was greeted with the terrifying sight of Anakin on his hands and knees, sweat sheening across his bare back.
He was hyperventilating, his eyes wildly unfocused as she dropped to her knees beside him.
"Anakin?" She asked worriedly, putting the blaster down and clasping her husband's face between her palms. He was sweating like it was summer on Tatooine, his skin red and blotchy. "Anakin, can you hear me?"
"Padmé..." he managed to grab a hold of her wrist in his flesh hand, but his grip was weak.
"What's wrong?" She asked, her eyes rapidly scanning his body. He had only just recovered from his injuries rescuing General Secura. Had the Jedi Healers missed something? "Where does it hurt?"
His eyes suddenly rolled, and his arms gave way. Padmé just caught him, though his weight pulled her down too. Anakin was now splayed on her lap, his hair sticking to his forehead and her nightdress.
"Anakin!" She shook him hard, her fingers fumbling for his wrist. His pulse was so fast, she couldn't even count it. "Ani, wake up!"
Then, he rasped, his metal hand grabbing her night dress so tightly that she felt it rip. Anakin's entire body curled inwards, and he let out a sob of pain that sounded so unlike him that Padmé felt her stomach drop. Something was seriously wrong with him.
"Wait here, love," she said, shifting him off her lap even when he protested. He wasn't strong enough to hang onto her. "I'm gonna call for help, Ani, just wait here."
"No-" he tried to push himself onto his elbow but fell, another broken sob falling past his lips. "Padmé, please-"
"I have to call someone," she said, hurrying to the kitchenette where she always kept a spare comm, "You're worrying me."
She returned to his side, "Just breathe, love, I'm getting some help."
"Padmé..." his eyes met hers, and they were bloodshot- his pupils blown wide, "Don't... we can't- the risk!"
"Who should I call then?" She asked with a bite in her tone. Anakin had always been terrible at reaching out for help, and it wouldn't surprise Padmé if his stubbornness killed him one day.
"You're ill, darling," she emphasised, though she couldn't bring herself to dial for a medical frigate. Even delirious, Anakin was right. They were putting themselves at a lot of risk by calling for help, but he still needed someone. She thought for a moment, "How about I call Ahsoka?"
Anakin's body seized again, and he grabbed her hand tightly, "Can't let her... see me like this..."
"I'm sure she's seen you much worse than this," Padmé said softly.
"Don't leave me."
"I'm not leaving you," she assured him.
She found the girl's frequency, having saved it to her commlink some months ago. She couldn't help but worry about how this would look.
Ahsoka would travel to the end of the universe for her Master, but how would she feel about finding him and Padmé in their sleep clothes on the floor of her apartment at 0300?
Apparently, Ahsoka was a light sleep- just like her teacher. She answered after the second ring, "Senator Amidala?"
"Hello, Ahsoka, hi," she stumbled over her words- which was unlike herself. Padmé took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, I know it's an awful time to call. I just- I don't know what happened-"
"Is Master Skywalker okay?" Ahsoka asked suddenly, a slight tremor in her voice.
Padmé was momentarily frozen. How did she know he was here? Did she already know something? Anakin had said himself that it was too risky to tell her. She would either tell the Council or try to protect their secret and get herself in trouble. It wasn't worth it.
"Senator?" Ahsoka started to sound more worried, "Are you there? My bond with my Master feels... fuzzy. Is something wrong with him?"
"Yes," Padmé liked her lips, begging herself to gain some composure, "I don't know what's wrong with him, but he... I didn't know who else to call."
"I'm on my way."
She was there within ten minutes. Padmé reminded herself to chaste Anakin later for teaching his student to drive so recklessly at night, but in the moment, she was just glad that Ahsoka was there, even if she was in her pyjamas.
The girl didn't even lift an eye marking when she arrived at the apartment. She was remarkably calm as she looked her Master over, rolling him into the recovery position with practised ease. How many times had she performed first aid on Anakin before?
"Snips..." Anakin mumbled, more lethargic now. "Don't feel good..."
"It's okay, Master," Ahsoka replied gently, "We'll get you sorted out."
She sat back on her heels and looked at Padmé, "Master Che thought something like this would happen. It looks like withdrawal from the stuff Wag Too gave him on Maridun. He'll be okay, but it's probably best for him to go to the Halls."
Padmé rubbed her forehead. Of all the nights for something like this to happen, it had to be tonight when Anakin was in her apartment.
"I would call Obi-Wan, but he's on a mission. I'll have to call the Healers and ask them to bring a transport." Ahsoka stood up, brushing off her knees, "If anyone asks, we were having a sleepover. Got it?"
Padmé was surprised. Ahsoka was going to lie to Master Che? She'd only met the Healer a handful of times but knew from what Anakin had told her that she was a ferocious woman.
She nodded, though Ahsoka's attention was on her Master, smoothing back his hair. His breathing was raspy, but he appeared settled. Though his eyes were open, the Master and Padawan appeared to be having a conversation through their bond- no words passing between them.
Padmé fiddled with the hem of her nightdress. She didn't want to invade their private conversation, but she didn't want to miss her chance before the Healers arrived.
"Thank you, Ahsoka," she said quietly, the Togruta breaking her concentration to look at her. "I didn't- you didn't have to do that for us."
A smile broke across her face, "Anakin's got me out of trouble a lot of times, Senator. I'm just returning the favour."
Ahsoka had been waiting for fifteen minutes.
It wasn't a relatively long time to wait, but with Master Windu tapping his foot impatiently, it felt like a lifetime.
She sensed Obi-Wan coming up behind her, "Maybe we should just get started."
Sighing, she knew her Grandmaster was right. Anakin and Ahsoka had been on leave for a week and her Master hadn't stayed in the Temple for longer than an hour across the entire period.
But he had promised to watch her spar against Master Windu today.
"Has he commed you?" She asked quietly.
"No, young one," Obi-Wan said after a moment of hesitance.
She knew Anakin wasn't just simply stuck in traffic. He would've called if he was running late. No, he had forgotten altogether, likely not even checking his comm because then he would've seen all the missed calls.
"Let's spar, Tano," Windu said, taking his position on the other side of the mat.
Ahsoka activated her lightsaber. This training session had been arranged because Master Windu was experienced with the reverse grip, and though Obi-Wan had been teaching her this particular reverse grip form, it was good to practise on different opponents.
Anakin had been ecstatic about the match when she first told him.
"Begin," Obi-Wan declared, and Ahsoka lunged forwards.
For the first few minutes, she was focused. Sweat dripped down her forehead as she concentrated on targeting Master Windu's weaknesses. He was fast like Anakin but also meticulous like Obi-Wan.
It didn't take long for him to catch her off guard, sweeping her feet out from underneath her and then Ahsoka was staring at the fizzling end of his lightsaber.
"I'm impressed," Master Windu said, outstretching a hand to hoist her upright. "You might benefit from a second lightsaber, Padawan Tano."
She could feel the smile stretching across her face as she retook her position. A quick glance at the bench where Obi-Wan was seated revealed that Anakin had not yet arrived.
"Begin," Obi-Wan declared, and Ahsoka let Master Windu make the first move this time.
The spar went on for longer, Ahsoka utilising her acrobatics to kick off Windu's chest to put distance between them. He fought well in close-quartered combat but stumbled when she sent a small blast of Force energy towards him.
She wasn't sure how long they went on. She could feel her muscles tiring and Master Windu had succeeded in getting her to yield at least three more times. As midday approached, Anakin still hadn't shown up.
Ahsoka tried to hide her disappointment as the training session carried on.
At some point, she gained the upper hand, pushing Master Windu backwards with a series of moves that were not part of the traditional forms. Improvisation was Anakin Skywalker's middle name, of course.
Just as she was about to knock him to the ground, a beep caught Ahsoka's attention. It was her commlink, signalling an incoming call. She turned her head, unable to ignore the distraction.
She saw Master Windu's elbow flying towards her face and then felt nothing.
Anakin came back to the Temple that evening, whilst Ahsoka was still nursing the protruding bump on her forehead with an ice pack and Obi-Wan was checking her for a concussion every thirty minutes.
"Gods, I'm so sorry, Ahsoka," she saw Anakin rush into the room, his loud voice only worsening the pounding in her head. "It completely slipped my mind that it was today. I'm so sorry."
"She has a headache, Anakin," Obi-Wan chastised, his tone implying he was less than happy with his former-Padawan.
"Oh, Snips," Anakin kneeled next to her, gently moving the ice pack aside, "That looks nasty. Did Obi-Wan take you to the Healers?"
"It's just a bump," Obi-Wan said, making tea in the kitchenette- if the sound of the whistling kettle was anything to go by. "I've been with her since it happened. I cancelled my meetings."
"My comm was switched off," Anakin put the ice pack back over her head, standing up as if she wasn't there. "You should've come and got me when she was injured."
"I didn't know where you were," Obi-Wan insisted, walking into the living room with a tray, three cups of tea wafting steam. Ahsoka appreciated the gesture, but all she really wanted was to go to sleep. "What was I supposed to do? Should I have tried Senator Amidala's office?"
"You could've tried her comm," Anakin hissed out.
"Masters," Ahsoka whined, "Please, just stop arguing. It's hurting my head."
"I'm sorry, Snips," Anakin sighed, sitting next to her.
"You'll be staying here tonight, Anakin, correct?" Obi-Wan persisted.
"Fine," Anakin gritted out.
Ahsoka hissed and attempted to pull her arm away, but Anakin only tightened his grip.
"It's okay," he hushed softly, reaching for another piece of gauze soaked in an antiseptic solution. The wound to the back of her arm had been left uncovered for too long- he didn't want it to get infected. "I'm almost done."
"It thought it was just a scratch," she managed through gritted teeth, squirming slightly but managing to keep her arm still.
It was late on Coruscant, the duo likely being the only Jedi in the Temple still awake- despite the guards, of course.
Ahsoka and Padmé had only got back a few hours ago, and after ensuring his wife was comfortable and settled with double the amount of security than normal, Anakin had returned to dote on his Padawan.
Arguably, despite the assassination attempt being on Padmé's life, his student was decidedly more shaken up than the Senator.
Anakin blamed it on stress. He knew how it felt to have visions of a close one being hurt. Ahsoka had dealt with the guilt of Padmé getting shot, and then the paranoia of chasing down the assassin. The young girl must've been exhausted.
"Senator Amidala has invited you to sleep in her guest room tonight," he told her, surveying the wound by tilting her arm towards the light. It was nothing that a bit of bacta couldn't fix, but he always hated seeing injuries on his Padawan. "I'll be staying there too- as added security."
"Do you think Zero employed someone else to finish the job?" Ahsoka asked quietly, her concern evident in the Force.
"It's just a precaution," he told her, smoothing out a bacta patch over the wound. It would bruise and be sore for a week. He'd have to cancel their sparring sessions for something less strenuous whilst they were still stationed at the Temple.
"Is it okay if I respectfully decline her invite?"
Anakin blinked at his student. It wasn't like her to be unsociable, especially amongst people she knew.
"Is everything alright?" He pressured.
"It's fine; Padmé lovely," she quickly backtracked, mistaking his concern for irritation, "I just... I'm really tired. I don't think I'm up for more security duty."
Sighing, Anakin put down the bandage that he was about to wrap around the bacta patch. Over the last several months, he had learnt all of Ahsoka's tells. She might be trying to hide how she really felt, but he could see right through it.
"Snips, I know you feel like things didn't go as well as they could have, but you did a good job." He started slowly, "Padmé's alive, you're alive, and the bounty hunter is in prison. You did everything right. I'm proud of you."
She ducked her head, her lekku darkening ever so slightly from the unexpected praise. Anakin took her silence as an opportunity to wrap the bandage around her arm in order to keep the bacta patch in place. Ahsoka had a bad habit of picking at the edges of dressings.
"Three inches."
He finished tying the knot and glanced at her, "What?"
"The assassin missed by three inches." Ahsoka lifted her head, her eyes shining with tears. "She could've died, Master. You should be yelling at me."
His eyes widened, and it suddenly sunk in why Ahsoka had acted so withdrawn since she returned to Coruscant.
She felt as though Anakin should've been blaming her for the attempt on Padmé's life.
"Ahsoka," he put a hand on her shoulder, making sure it was her uninjured arm. "I'm not angry at you, not in the slightest."
"B-But you should be." She uttered under his intimidating stare. Anakin tried to soften his expression. "You care about her."
"I do," he admitted, simply because Ahsoka already knew it was true. "And I care about you as well. The only thing that matters to me is that you're both safe, do you understand?"
He hoped this would be the end of the conversation.
"What if you had to choose?"
His jaw tightened. This was his worst nightmare coming alive. How was he supposed to choose between his wife and his little sister?
"Don't ask me that, Ahsoka," he managed to keep the edge off his tone. "It is not Jedi-like to think like that. One life does not hold any more value over another."
"But I should've taken the shot instead." Ahsoka whispered, "I should've jumped in front of her. That's what you would've done."
"Enough," he snapped, his tone much harsher than he intended. Ahsoka drew back, her shields tightening on impulse.
Anakin got up from the sofa, feeling the urge to pace. He knew that if he didn't calm down, he was only going to make this worse. He didn't want to yell at Ahsoka, especially if she hadn't done anything wrong.
He dialled a memorised frequency into his commlink, tugging at his hair as he waited.
"Anakin."
"Obi-Wan," he quickly got to the point, "I need you to come and stay with Ahsoka tonight."
He expected his former-Master to immediately question him and demand the reason why he couldn't take care of his Padawan on his own, but the Force must've taken pity on him because Obi-Wan just sighed.
"I'll be there in an hour."
Anakin watched as Ahsoka stood up, not even glancing at him as she turned towards her room. He ended the comm call and debated following her. He didn't want to leave her like this- he should at least apologise.
"Snips, I'm-"
"Save it, Master!" She whirled around, catching him off guard. "Go to Padmé's, I don't care! I know that you'd rather be there than have to babysit the Padawan you never wanted!"
Anakin was stunned. They stared at each other. Ahsoka's chest heaved from her outburst. Anakin should've expected it, but it still startled him. Was this how she really felt?
"Why are you still here?" Ahsoka shouted, her voice cracking, "Leave, Anakin!"
He swallowed, knowing that she was crossing a boundary but unwilling to start another argument.
"I'll be back tomorrow morning, okay?" Gods, his voice was so weak. "We'll go out for breakfast, and we can talk. I promise."
Ahsoka scoffed, "Don't make promises you can't keep, Master."
She turned around, and Anakin didn't know what else to say. She slammed the door to her quarters behind her, and the sound made him jump.
