The Tragic Jedi | Anakin Skywalker

𝓢𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓮 𝟗𝟒

Astrid cradled Luke in her arms as she peered down at him with a smile. Luke immediately quieted as he gazed up at her with wide, unblinking blue eyes. A smile began to blossom on his pudgy face as he reached towards Astrid with his small hands. Astrid let out a little laugh as Luke grabbed ahold of one of her fingers in his small fist.

Astrid's gaze flicked up to where Anakin now sat on the edge of her bed two feet away, and her smile faded away as she watched Anakin gazing down at Leia in his arms with nothing but adoration in his gaze. Anakin brushed a strand of Leia's dark brown, wispy hair behind her ear as he watched her sleep peacefully in his arms, a soft, fond smile on his face.

He looked up at Astrid then, as if sensing her gaze on him through the Force, and for a moment everything around them disappeared as if they were the only ones in the entire galaxy, caught as they were in each other's gaze.

Slowly, so slowly, Anakin leaned towards her until their lips were but inches from each others, and Astrid's heart hammered in her chest as he hovered there, eyes cast downwards. Their deepening breaths filled the air before Anakin finally captured her lips in his. He kissed her gently, his mouth moving against hers in a slow manner, and Astrid sank into him. If not for Luke in her arms, she would have twined her fingers through his bronze hair.

When they finally broke apart for breath, Anakin rested his forehead against hers.

"We're a family now," Astrid spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb the tranquility and happiness that had descended on the room. "We can finally live the life we always wanted... together."

Anakin huffed a laugh as he shifted to press a kiss between her brow before dipping his head to press a kiss to her jaw. He murmured against her skin, "And where will this life be? I do hope you don't say a desert planet. I've had enough of desert planets."

This time, Astrid was the one to laugh, and she answered with a smile, "Well, seeing as Tatooine is a no-go and my planet and Alderaan were blown entirely to smithereens--" Her smile faded slightly at this, but didn't vanish entirely "--the only decent planet I can think of is Naboo." She drew away to peer up at his azure eyes as she said with a demure smile, "We can live by a lake or in a meadow, or maybe in the mountains. They have everything on Naboo."

Anakin leaned forward to lean his forehead against hers once more as he answered with a smile, "Whatever the lady desires, she shall receive." But then his smile faded, and he told her quietly, "I am sorry about your home planet and your family, Astrid. I--I tried to protect your family-- the small part of me that had been Anakin Skywalker, that is-- but I know that had been fruitless in the end."

"It's in the past," Astrid murmured, sadness echoing in her chest. She tilted her head till their noses were barely brushing against each others. "Nothing can be done about it now."

She could still sense his guilt and sadness through the Force, so in an effort to reclaim his earlier exuberance and sooth his sorrows, Astrid captured his lips in hers. Her eyes fluttered closed as he deepened the kiss, and she found herself losing herself in his touch. She was drunk with happiness. 

Suddenly, someone cleared their throat from the door, and Astrid and Anakin jumped apart, both of them startled because they'd been too enraptured in each other to sense the other person's arrival through the Force. 

They looked to the door to find Obi-Wan standing there. He gave them a bemused smile before he walked into the room, and Astrid noticed he was holding what looked to be ointment in his hands. 

"I'm glad to see you awake and well," Obi-Wan remarked as he approached her bed, and Astrid's cheeks stained a soft pink. 

Anakin gently took Luke from Astrid's arms to place the twins back in their cribs to sleep. Obi-Wan crouched down beside her bed as he told her, "This ointment has medicinal properties that will help heal the bruising in your legs." He handed her the tin. "I'll let you do it."