Far Away

Home Again

A Pre-ROTS One-Shot

Padmé was worried.

Her husband had been gone for days now. Weeks.

She hadn't heard anything of him in that time.

As Padmé scurried home through the dark streets of downtown Coruscant in the pouring rain, she pulled the hood of her cloak over her mane of curls, keeping the rain away.

Padmé never liked the idea of scavenging downtown Coruscant, but she had to in order to shop the markets there. It was always dark. Always sketchy. She felt like she was vulnerable to everything, especially being a senator. It was a good thing Anakin wasn't back to know where she was. He hated when she took a trip downtown.

After being pestered by several creeps on the sides of her who she was sure were all criminals of some sort, Padmé finally made it to town and home again.

Stepping off on the balcony from her ship and walking inside, she breathed a sigh of relief as she slid her hood off of her head and released her curls. She shrugged her cloak off and laid it over the back of the couch, thinking it brushed against something that wasn't supposed to be there, but she didn't bother to look back to see what it was.

She needed to fix her hair.

Scurrying off to the washroom, Padmé met eyes with her reflection in the mirror and saw her hair and what it really looked like. She grimaced and ran a few drops of oil through her hair to tame it. The rain usually poofed it up.

Finally satisfied with her hair, Padmé walked out of the washroom, pleased with herself and stepped into the living room, going about her business until...

"Hey, Padmé," an all too-familiar, voice mumbled. But something was different about it. It was less pronounced and out-there, more... weak.

Padmé jumped back, the voice startling her at first. "Anakin," she breathed, smiling. She ran over to him and caressed his jaw with her delicate fingers, beaming. "Oh, Anakin, why didn't you contact me and let me know you were alright -- wait -- what's this?" she asked, pointing out the dried blood over his bottom lip. A split lip. She knew what it was, but she wanted him to spill, to tell her what it was from.

"Just a little souvenir," Anakin mumbled, grinning. And was that grin tempting alright.

Padmé looked away, turning her head in the opposite direction. "You're doing that thing again."

"What thing, Angel?" he asked softly, turning her back towards him. Padmé shivered in his grasp, sensitive to everything he did or said. She was just getting used to it all again.

"The thing where you're all..." Padmé fooled with his collar, playing with it. "... cute and flirty."

Anakin laughed, and Padmé sighed, the sound of his laugh satisfying her heart. "I thought you said I always acted that way."

"You're correct," Padmé said, nodding, "and I'm surprised no one has found out about us yet considering you even do it in front of other people."

"Hey, what you mean by that? Thats not true!"

"Um, Anakin... you blush whenever I walk up to you at the Senate building."

"What?! No!"

"Yes!" Padmé laughed and stood, pulling Anakin up to a sitting position. "Can you do me a favor, Ani?"

"Anything for you, Angel."

"Could you... I don't know..."

"Kiss you? Sure." Anakin leaned forward and met his mouth with Padmé's, tipping his head slightly and pulling her down towards him.

Padmé pulled away for a split second, breathing, "that's actually what I was going to ask you."

"No," Anakin whispered.

"Yes." Padmé smiled and leaned down to kiss him again, but Anakin stopped her.

"Wait," he whispered, meeting eyes with her. "I thought I heard something."

Padmé gasped, her eyes wide. "What? You heard something?"

Anakin looked toward the balcony, and so did Padmé.

"Made you look," he smirked, pulling her back towards him.

"Anakin," Padmé scolded.

But Anakin just laughed and kissed her again. Both he and Padmé were just glad to be together again, sure of each other's safety.

❤