Anakin's hand went instantly to the elegant weapon secured to his hip.
The man across from him looked relaxed, amused.
"Mm, and what are you going to do with that, Anakin?" Ben asked, a playful grin finding its way onto his sharp features.
Anakin stared at him, thinking about it for a moment.
"How did you know I was a Jedi?" He couldn't really help himself from asking.
Ben, calm as ever, allowed himself to exhale a short breath and relax further back into his chair, even going as far as to cross his legs.
"You weren't exactly hiding it, were you?" He tilted his head, seeming to ponder that. "You showed up to a party with a lightsaber. And, Anakin, really? Did you actually just put a shawl over your Jedi robes? Quite sloppy, if I do say so myself." He paused. "Your Master is going to be very disappointed."
"You don't know anything about my Master-" Instantly, Anakin's voice was teetering on the edge of anger, threatening to fall off into rage.
"Oh, I'm sure I do." Ben chuckled, running his fingers through his beard casually.
He was toying with him. Wanting him to lose himself in his emotions.
"Listen, buddy, I don't know who you are or-"
"I told you, my name is Ben."
"That's not what I meant."
Ben just looked at him, amused as ever.
"You think this is funny?" Anakin asked him, annoyed at the look on his face.
"Yes, actually. Though, young one, I can assure you that you have nothing to fear of me. I didn't come here tonight to harm you or your precious Padmé Amidala." Ben paused. "And, if my memory does serve me, which is does, you were the one who approached me."
Anakin stared at him. He allowed himself a moment to think it over, and… Yeah. That's pretty much how it happened.
He moved his hand slowly from his hip, away from his lightsaber.
It was quiet for a few moments, the only noise the incessant beats of foreign music echoing throughout the large, decorated hall.
"Who are you?"
"Anakin, we've been over this several times now-"
"Full name. Are you from Coruscant? You said-" He looked away for a moment, suppressing his emotions before continuing. "You said you were sure you knew something about my Master."
"Mm, yes. I probably do. And no, I'm not inherently from Coruscant. I've been there. I frequent it."
"How?"
"Well, first I get in a ship, and then I fly there-"
"How did you know my Master?" Anakin was beyond annoyed at this point.
He was the human embodiment of an eyeroll.
"Oh, I'm familiar with mostly everyone who frequents the temple, in one form or another."
"Why?"
"You know, Anakin, it is rude of you to ask so many questions on our first date. You're supposed to ask me to tell you about myself." Ben explained, raising his brows at the man across from him.
Anakin was at a loss for words.
He didn't know where to start with this one.
It's like the man was getting sassier by the damn second.
"Well?" Ben looked at him expectantly.
He was smirking now.
Anakin looked away, hands balled into fists.
"Tell me about yourself."
The words escaped him like air at the bottom of the ocean; painfully and filled with regret.
The Jedi snuck a look back up at the man across from him.
He looked smug.
"I think you've learned enough about me for tonight, don't you?" Ben smiled warmly, uncrossing his legs and sitting up. "Tell me about yourself, Anakin. I must admit, I'm painfully curious."
A server walked by, dressed mutely for this party, most likely to blend in so everyone knew she was but a humble servant. Ben reached up, snatching two champagne glasses filled moderately with a bright blue liquid, right before thanking the woman and giving her a wink, which resulted in her almost tripping over a chair as she walked away.
Ben offered Anakin one of the glasses, grinning.
"Okay, first of all: no. And second of all: gross." Anakin muttered, hating that he'd just witnessed that.
"Jealous it wasn't you?" Ben's response was quick, as though he'd had it prepared. Or maybe he just did that on purpose.
Anakin's eyes went wide, because, yeah.
"No." He lied.
A couple seconds passed before Anakin was back on his bullshit.
"Do you work in the temple? Are you a librarian or something?"
Ben took a sip of the blue liquid, setting down Anakin's unwanted glass on the table.
"Anakin, really. Enough with the questions. You're beginning to sound desperate." Ben's lips started curling into a sly smile at the edges. "Well, that started a few minutes ago, but who's counting?"
Anakin looked downright offended. He might as well have dropped his jaw, leaned back, and placed a hand on his heart.
"Okay, rude. I'm supposed to be weary of you. I'm supposed to question you. You are very suspicious and I'm not going to let my guard down."
Anakin looked at Ben, expecting some kind of witty response.
He spoke up again when he didn't get one.
The silences between them weren't uncomfortable.
Anakin had just become annoyed with the silence.
Or maybe he just wanted to talk to Ben more.
"I should take you back with me so I can question you more."
"Already inviting me back to your place?" Ben chimed in, right on cue. "Mm, and will there be handcuffs involved?" He heard him ask, voice almost a purr.
Anakin took the bait.
"Yes, how else would I restrain y-Oh. No! Not what I meant."
Ben laughed.
His crimson chuckle sent things fluttering in Anakin's chest.
"Wow. You're lucky you're pretty." Ben voiced, seemingly admiring the young Jedi in front of him.
"You can't even see my face."
"Don't need to."
"Stop staring at me."
"You first."
Anakin hadn't even realized he'd been.
He was so lost in those stupid pale eyes and those golden locks of his that he'd forgotten what he was even mad about in the first place.
He forced himself to look away, fixing his eyes on a nearby group of people, all bickering away about fashion and Padmé and what Padmé was wearing and who she was supposedly dating and-
"Did Padmé pick out that mask for you?"
Anakin was grateful that Ben broke the silence.
His thoughts weren't something he enjoyed getting lost in.
Ben's eyes were another story, however.
He happily fell into those.
"Yes."
"Hm, white. Interesting. Would you have chosen a different color for yourself?" Ben asked.
"I don't know… Maybe something darker? I'm not exactly looking to stand out."
Ben looked pleased with his answer.
"Perhaps the light is but a mask for you."
"What?" Anakin was sure he must've heard him wrong.
"I said, 'perhaps the night is almost up for you.'" Ben repeated, which, yeah. Made much more sense.
"Why would you say that?" Anakin asked anyways.
"Because you've yawned four times in the last two minutes?"
Anakin nodded, yawning once again at just the sound of the word, covering his mouth with one of his hands.
When had this chair become so comfortable?
Ben caught Anakin's yawn, moving his own hand to cover his mouth.
"I'm sure being a Jedi is tiring." Ben added, tilting his head a little as he watched Anakin carefully.
"It is! First, they stick you on some ship and expect you to know where everything is, which is-Force, so, annoying. And then they get mad when you get lost a few systems from your destination and all the while your lightsaber's digging, burning into your skin, just begging to be used-"
Anakin stopped himself.
What the hell was that?
Before he could think on that anymore, which he really needed to-
He looked up at the masked man, who had a soft smile playing on his lips. Catlike. Full of curiosity after hearing the Jedi's statement.
"Go on."
That was Anakin's chance to backtrack as quickly as he possibly could.
"I really shouldn't. I'm so grateful to the Jedi, the council. My Master. He basically raised me from when I was a small boy. I am, truly, grateful for all the Jedi have given me."
"Of course you are." The catlike man started, an absent finger teasing around the rim of his champagne glass. "What else could someone ask for?"
Instantly, Anakin thought of a lot more things that he could ask for.
"Well, I wouldn't say that. The Jedi lifestyle isn't for everyone. It isn't actually as great as it's thought to be."
"Oh?"
The man leaned forward, setting his drink down on the table in between Anakin and himself before leaning back in his chair, crossing his legs and joining his hands, resting them on his thighs.
If he wasn't interested in what the Jedi was saying, he wouldn't be able to tell. He was seemingly all ears, ready to listen to anything Anakin wanted to tell him.
He would describe the man's behaviour as endearing, if anything.
"Yeah. You know, we basically aren't allowed to show any kind of emotion. Attachment is forbidden altogether, which I think is utter bullshit, but that's the way it's always been. I guess there's no changing it now."
"And why not?" Ben asked him.
He seemed genuine.
"The Council makes it so we can't change anything." Anakin explained.
"And who put them in charge? Why do they get to make the rules? The rules you have to follow."
Anakin paused. He thought it over for a second, before opening his mouth to speak again.
"Well, they-"
"Anakin." Padmé was suddenly next to him, grabbing onto his arm and looked distressed.
Immediately Anakin was on his feet, pushing his shawl out of the way and grabbing his lightsaber.
"We need to get out of here." Was all the former queen said before Anakin had an arm around her, scanning for the nearest exit and quickly locating it.
Why hadn't he sensed her distress?
He had her to the exit in the next few seconds, pushing her out the door first and following her quickly.
Anakin looked back to where he'd been sitting to see if Ben was still there.
He wasn't.