𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

    "Thank you, Chancellor," Anakin nods respectfully, eyes glancing at the slight scowl on Astrid's face. Her legs were crossed and her arms rested on her thighs, despite her respectful posture, Anakin could tell she was getting frustrated. "The Council doesn't seem to think so."

    Astrid lets out a silent huff, running her finger through her hair. She hated this office, it sent chills down her spine. All she wanted to do was get this briefing over with and go home, but clearly, things weren't going her way.

    "They would be foolish to not see it," the Chancellor says with a fake smile. Astrid saw it, but Anakin was too blind to see it that way.

    Astrid finally had enough. With the kindest voice she could muster, she said, "not to intrude or anything, but I have some errands to run after this so could we please start the briefing?"

    The Chancellor looks at Astrid for the first time since she arrived. Something in his eyes darkened when seeing her, but he hid his facial expression well. He nods, "of course, my dear. I don't mean to hold you up."

    Anakin looks at Astrid in disbelief. He could fathom why she didn't like the man, after all, Palpatine treated her so well. Astrid ignored his gaze, smirking slightly as an idea came to mind.

    If Anakin wanted to be such a little asshole, then she could just ignore him. It'll drive him up a wall and she'd enjoy it very much.

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    "WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" Anakin asks from his spot in the kitchen. His eyes were glued to the small duffle bag in Astrid's hands. It would be a lie to say his heart didn't begin to race a little bit. Obviously, he knew better than to think they were breaking up because Astrid wouldn't have just left like that. It was the fact that if she was staying over at someone else's place, he wouldn't get to sleep without his arms around her. He wouldn't be able to protect her.

    "Padme's," Astrid shrugs, grabbing her datapad from the couch and stuffing it in the duffle bag gently. She doesn't even look up when she grabs her keys and heads towards the door. "I'm going to be staying the night there so don't wait for me."

    Anakin let out a small sigh, clearly, she was still upset about the mission before. He wanted to stop her from going so badly but he refrained. That would only make Astrid attempt to distance herself from him–in his head he knew that he would always find a way to be with her.

    "Alright, bye, sweetheart," he calls out, praying for some sort of response, "I love you."

    Astrid's hands freeze on the handle of the front door knob. She couldn't just ignore him, that would be too mean. Looking back, she sees Anakin staring at her with longing eyes in the kitchen. 

"I love you too."

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    "HE DID WHAT?" Padme exclaimed, dropping her fork on her plate. The loud clunk drew a ton of attention from the people in the restaurant around them. Astrid smiles at them awkwardly as they begin to turn their attention away from the two of them.

    She turns back to the Nabooian who sat straight in disbelief. Astrid sighs, fiddling with the fancy pasta that sat untouched on her plate, "yep." Truthfully, the girl didn't know if she was making this too much of a big deal. Maybe he truly was just trying to protect her. Astrid's eyes reach Padme's welcoming ones, "I just feel kind of bad for ignoring him, you know? I mean you should've seen his face when I swerved his kiss."

    Noticing the small frown on Astrid's lips, Padme reaches over the table and holds the younger girl's hand, "Hey, I promise you're not in the wrong here and you're not blowing it out of proportion. Anak– sorry, Ash needs to know what he did was wrong. So stop frowning, it causes wrinkles."