Remember What We Were

Twenty-Two

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"This isn't working," Anakin muttered in frustration. He had been trying to get Padme's attention but after ten minutes of throwing stones the way the Gungan Prince had in The Princess and the Gungan, he had run out of rocks.

What I get for reading fairytales! He thought in disappointment. Anakin stared up amt the balcony. Force jumping would be easy, he thought, but it wouldn't be as romantic.

Nothing about this is romantic! She'll probably think I'm crazy!

"Aw, karabast!" he exclaimed, not minding the fact that he had let out a Lasat profanity.

"Anakin? Anakin is that you?"

Anakin looked up to see Padme leaning over the rail of the balcony. A puzzled expression crosssed her face but then she smiled. "What are you doing?" Anakin felt his face grow red and he was thankful that the darkness hid his blushing features. "Oh, just taking a walk."

Padme laughed. "At night?" Anakin nodded. "It's actually a beautiful night tonight," he said, looking over the skies. Then he remembered what the Gungan prince had said in the story.

"Would you care to join me on this lovely night, my fair lady?"

Padme laughed. "Are you quoting The Princess and the Gungan?" she asked with an amused smile. Anakin returned a charming grin back up at her. "That depends. Would you think that's sweet and endearing, or weird?"

Padme pretended to think about the question. "Hmm... Very sweet. Very endearing." Anakin stared at his boots in silence. "So... Uh, would your answer be yes?" he asked bashfully.

Padme leaned further over the balastrade. "How am I supposed to get down?" Anakin looked around for a solution until he found one in a vine that was growing up the side of the Naberrie residence. "How's your climbing?"

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Padme lead Anakin through the sea of roses to the willow tree at the garden's perimeter.

They sat against the stout trunk of the tree, taking in the cool night air. Anakin held Padme's hand and wove his fingers between hers, not wanting to ever let go.

"I don't want this to end," he said, looking down at their interlocked hands. Padme lifted her head from Anakin's shoulder. "It has to, Anakin. You know that," she said wistfully. Anakin shifted his body so he was directly facing her. "All I know is that I don't want to lose you!" he replied with tension in his voice that shocked both of them. He backed off.

"I've lost so much already..." he said in a softened tone. Padme leaned closer to him, setting a comforting hand on his back. "Ani, what happened?" she asked with a concerned voice. Anakin fought back tears before answering.

"I went to Tatooine to find my mother but... I was too late..." he said although speaking the words was almost painful for him. Padme brought a hand to her mouth. "Anakin, I'm sorry."

Anakin shook himself out of his sorrow. Dwelling in it only made the wound deeper. "It doesn't matter now..." he said, hoping to end the subject right there. Padme stared at the grass for a long minute while crickets chirped wildly in the garden.

"Anakin?" she began slowly, her eyes fianlly fixing in his. "Have you ever known you were doing something wrong, but you did it anyways because it felt right?" she asked as she closed the space between them. Anakin found himself lost in her chocolate brown eyes. He nodded.

"That's how I feel every time I look at you."

Anakin leaned forward until his lips pressed against Padme's. He rested his prothstetic hand just above her collar bone. The nerve sensors on the hand's fingertips felt the warmth of her soft skin. Anakin felt his heart beating out of his chest as he savored every moment he spent kissing her.

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Once Padme had climbed back up to her balcony, she leaned of the railing with a faint smile.

"Goodnight, my handsome Gungan prince."

"Sweetdreams, Princess."

A/N- Yes I stole lines from Aladdin ;)

Anakin watched her enter her room and felt a grin growing on his face. The smile stayed on his face all the way back to his room. As he dropped onto his bed, he drifted off to sleep with nothing on his mind except for how much luckier he was than the Gungan Prince.