"Do you think anyone has ever told him that his laugh is sort of creepy?"
Obi-wan and Qui-Gon sat together on a bench, arms folded as they watched Anakin sitting at his makeshift desk. A pale yellow glow was cast on everything in the tent, a common housing situation for those on the battlefield.
The Emperor sat back in his chair, feet kicked up on the table, holding multiple parchments in his hand. Every now and then, he would let out a low, guttural laugh, bringing his free hand up to cover his mouth as if he didn't want anyone else to hear.
"What's he reading, anyways?" Obi-Wan asked, tilting his head towards the older General but keeping his eyes on Anakin.
"That's the unbelievable part," Qui-Gon replied, giving the auburn-haired man a sideways glance before looking back at the Emperor. "It's a letter from Empress (Y/N)."
Obi-Wan sat up straight, looking at his friend in disbelief.
"You're telling me he got a letter from the Empress, and didn't burn it immediately without reading it?"
"Oh, believe me, he tried. I just barely got it out of his hands before he did. The messenger who delivered it said it contained a request, so I made him read it. But now, he's read it three times. I can't stop wondering what's in it."
Obi-Wan shared a glance with Qui-Gon before pushing up off of the bench, taking a few slow steps towards his superior.
"What's so funny, Anakin?" He asked, feigning being casual.
Anakin looked up at him with a smirk.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
Obi-Wan looked disbelievingly back at Qui-Gon, before turning back to the Emperor. Noticing their eyes on him, waiting for an explanation, Anakin waved the papers in the air.
"A few weeks ago, (Y/N) got ambushed in the Bracca sector and completely fell on her ass," he snickered, glee evident on his face. "Apparently some little ginger freak saved her life."
"Oh? And you find that funny?" Qui-Gon said, forcing a pained and exasperated smile on his face.
"What? Obviously, it's hilarious!" Anakin said, holding his arms out in defense. "Oh, come on. I'm only laughing because she's fine. I know it would be bad for the Empire if she were to suddenly die."
He paused, before adding -
"Wishful thinking."
Qui-Gon covered his face with his hands, taking calming breaths as Obi-Wan began to laugh along, reading the letter over the Emperor's shoulder.
"I can't believe she told you all of this," Obi-Wan said. "I'd never give someone who bullied me so much a letter filled with ammunition against me."
"Yeah, me either!" Anakin said, turning to face him. "That's why it's so great. There's no record of me doing anything even half as stupid."
Qui-Gon could hear (Y/N) in his mind now, saying something along the lines of "every history book written about your entire reign will be a record of you acting stupid."
"You know, it's because she actually respects you, Anakin. Are you seriously telling me you've never noticed how carefully she pays attention to your abilities? She's probably going to ask you to train her into a stronger fighter."
"That's exactly what she's doing," Obi-Wan said, skipping ahead to the end of the letter. "Though I can't fathom why she'd ask you over Qui-Gon."
"Maybe because I'm a stronger warrior than Qui-Gon?" The Emperor scoffed. "She went to the strongest place first - I suppose she's not as stupid as I give her credit for."
"She's trying to connect with you," Qui-Gon emphasized, taking the parchment to look it over. "You should put the same effort in. We both know you could learn a thing or two from her, as well."
Although, this form of oversharing seems to be a bit of manipulation, as well, Qui-Gon thought to himself. She's a clever little thing. With Anakin's ego, this is more likely to work.
Anakin scowled at him, snatching the letter back and folding it up carefully.
"Whatever. I'm going do it, but only because we have to return to Ra for the biannual senate meeting - I won't stay there for long. Being around her makes me nauseous."
"Whatever you're comfortable with. I'm sure she will appreciate your efforts."
"Oh, don't worry," Anakin said devilishly, a grin reappearing on his face. "She's going to wish she'd never asked."
__________
True to the letter she had sent to Anakin, it had been a few weeks since (Y/N)'s run in with the Togruta girl in Bracca. Since then, she had taken Cal to Kamino, dropped him off to go through their training program, and returned to the Capital. She looked forward to seeing his progress, and eagerly awaited his arrival in Ra. In addition, days had passed since her letter was delivered to the Emperor's camp, with no word in response.
Now she laid in bed, the twin suns not yet risen, blissfully sleeping off the bruises she had sustained jumping from the train. Nearly healed, they colored her skin with greenish-yellow splotches, a palate of tender spots in muted display. Her sheets wrapped around her legs, cool silken fabric soothing her skin.
The Empress could have slept for hours more, and probably would have, had the sound of distant arguing not pulled her from her dreams.
"My lord, you cannot go in! She isn't dressed for the day!"
Who isn't dressed for the day?
"It's already the crack of dawn. How much more time does she need?"
"You'll be running in on her in her nightgown. Please, Your Highness, this is unacceptable!"
The voices grew louder as footsteps echoed down the hall. The loud, confident steps of heavy boots, followed by rapid, frantic, lighter steps behind them.
"Unacceptable? The woman I'm legally and ceremoniously married to? I'm within my rights to see her completely naked if I want to."
Married woman? Who are they talking about? The only married woman on the hall is m-
(Y/N) shot up in bed, realization dawning on her just as Anakin barged through the door. While it's true that she was in a nightgown, the tie around the chest had come slightly undone, and her legs were exposed all the way up the thigh.
A moment passed of the two staring at each other, neither saying a word.
Anakin's eyes seemed to scan her from head to toe, taking in her tousled hair, unlaced gown, and exposed skin. When he thought about it, this was the first time he had seen her without her hair styled, fully put together in some elaborate outfit. She appeared as if she had been pulled from vivid dreams, her under-eyes ever so slightly puffy. He wondered if they had been pleasant - he couldn't imagine someone who looked so angelic could suffer anything different. Staring at her now, he pretended not to acknowledge that he'd always found her to be attractive. Though, he'd never much given himself the time to think about it. Having a beautiful wife, pure-hearted and warm, was for men who could afford much more luxury than he. Men who weren't ruthless conquerors, or murderers. Men who led by anything other than brute force. And yet, she sat before him, bewildered and raw beneath his gaze. It froze him in place, the act of standing in tarnished robes before her feeling like a grave sin.
And he, the same to her. Though he was fully dressed, he had come to her with hair unruly, a casual but hollow look in his eyes. Reddish-purple eye bags graced his otherwise olive skin, indicating a lack of sleep that seemed to be a routine issue for him. His robe had been tied on sloppily, one lapel higher than the other, and it was clear he hadn't bothered to comb out his curls before appearing at her bedside. She wondered if he had stayed up again that previous night, staring into her bedroom window. Of course she had noticed him doing this, as very little could slip past her. But she pretended not to - it was one of the only times he would look at her with attention undivided, completely unashamed. She would have been lying to herself if she were to say she didn't like catching his eye.
He had returned from the war front the day before, preparing dutifully for the senate meeting, but she hadn't seen him until this morning. Truthfully, she wasn't sure that he had even seen her request - she half expected him to burn it upon receipt.
"Get up," he ordered, swallowing thickly as he shifted his eyes away from his wife.
Padme appeared behind him, mouthing an 'I'm sorry' to the Empress with a helpless look.
"Where are we going?" (Y/N) asked in response, unbothered by his improper entrance and already slipping out of bed. The Emperor turned in mild surprise, appreciative of her willingness.
"I'm going to give you lessons in combat before I write my speech today - per your request." He turned the words over in his mouth, tinging them with mild annoyance. "I don't have a lot of time, and you have a lot to learn, so we need to be quick."
"Got it," she replied, dashing behind a trifold privacy divider to change her clothes. Acutely aware of what was occurring, and with a very capable imagination, Anakin found himself turning away from what he couldn't even see, the back of his neck growing red.
"Wear something with pants if you have them," he muttered. "I'll be on the other side of the door. You have three minutes."
(Y/N) tugged on a gauzey robe set, reminiscent of the robes Anakin wore, but lighter in color. A white fabric band was tied tightly around her chest, with more of the beige fabric crossed over it and around her shoulders.
Minutes later she was joining her husband in the hall, who set off into a brisk walk as soon as he saw her.
"We need to find somewhere there won't be any people," he said, leading her towards the grand staircase. "Somewhere with a lot of open space."
"I have an idea," she replied quickly, gesturing up the stairs rather than down. "There's an open-air room up on the top floor. I've been calling it the Terrace - I meditated there before our wedding. It should be perfect; cool air, decent circulation, and no furniture or onlookers getting in the way."
Nodding his assent, Anakin bounded up the stairs, taking them two at a time. (Y/N) dashed after him, hardly able to keep up with his significantly larger stride.
Within minutes the two were standing barefoot in the Terrace, with her focusing intently on him as he demonstrated moves.
"Today we'll just do some basic self defense, without weapons. Some blocks and throws, amongst other things."
Nodding, she observed as he walked through a series of parries, and took a defensive stance as he gestured for her to mimic him. She easily blocked his advances, swatting his arms to the side with minimal effort. Though she had not been combat trained as part of her queenly duties, she had been trained in moderate amounts of self-defense, so this was nothing new.
What she was more interested in was watching her husband - not out of attraction, though his disheveled appearance certainly appealed to her, but to see his infamous abilities.
While (Y/N) was highly recognized for being an excellent diplomat, Anakin was the opposite. A man of few words, he was renowned for battle skills second to none.
His movements were fluid, swift, and clean, reminiscent of a dance that could be adjusted to however many partners dared to step on the floor. With each move she blocked, his attacks grew in intensity, until the Empress began to have a more difficult time keeping up. With increasing force, he advanced on her, forcing her into a quicker pace.
"Anakin-," she started, only to be cut off as his shin pressed firmly to her abdomen, the force of the kick causing her to slide back against the marbled floor. Though it hadn't hurt, and he was obviously holding back, she felt caginess rising in her chest. "Anakin, you haven't taught me that yet."
Ignoring her, he pressed onward, stalking forward as she retreated back.
"Every single one of your opponents will throw things at you that you haven't seen before. You showed me that you were competent enough in self-defense for me to do this, so pick yourself up and keep moving."
Another series of blows landed on her, (Y/N) doing what she could to keep them from reaching vital points. It felt like the barrage continued for minutes more, her becoming increasingly frustrated as she sought out ways to fight back.
Deciding her only option was to goad him into a trap, she began to intentionally falter, blocking his kicks but allowing his hits. She waited for him to target an area above her sternum, making it easier to maintain her balance. The moment came when he pressed the heel of his hand into he shoulder, intending to send her backwards with a powerful shove. Quickly wrapping her hands around his arm, (Y/N) yanked him towards her, his eyes widening in surprise as he overextended.
Had she been inside his head, she probably would have been hit with the instant wave of nausea Anakin felt when he registered her touch. He felt it powerfully, that energy that flowed through them both, a raging burn settling in his chest. She hardly had time to think as he came crashing into her, his full body weight slamming them into a falling motion.
In an instant, he had his arm wrapped around her head, protecting it from a potentially lethal hit against the marble. Though, she could hardly be comfortable with his full weight on top of her.
"What the hell was that?" He snapped, propping himself up with one arm to look at her.
"An accident," she said quickly, raising her hands in innocence. "I didn't think you were going to crash into me like that. My goal was to side-step you once you were overextended."
"I don't want you to touch me," he said flatly, ignoring her explanation. "I was explicitly trying to avoid that by increasing the intensity of my attacks to where you could only defend."
Dumbfounded, she stared at him.
"...What?"
"You heard me."
An incredulous expression crossed her face as she let out a disbelieving breath.
"How am I supposed to learn if I'm not allowed to touch you?"
"You'll have other partners besides me. I'm just teaching you the basics out of courtesy, since you made such a fool of yourself before."
"Oh, right," (Y/N) scoffed. "I made a fool of myself, yet the almighty Emperor is sitting here pouting about being touched."
As the words left her mouth, she felt an energy begin to swirl around her, concentrated mainly in the areas where he touched her. His broad hand was resting around her waist, his arm wrapped around her back, creating a streak of warmth where they made contact. She, in turn, had her palms resting on his wrists, a half-hearted attempt to pretend she was against their positioning.
Being near Anakin was confusing. Though she didn't understand it, she was aware of the strange force that seemed to reside within her, occasionally peeking out in moments she needed it most. What was even more perplexing to the young royal was that it seemed to respond to her husband in a way it had never responded to anyone before. It never grew inside of her when Padme brushed her hair, or when she held a knight's hand for assistance out of a carriage.
It was only present when he was - an incredibly irritating dilemma.
But just as she felt her own, (Y/N) became mildly aware that Anakin had his own - though, she hadn't any idea of whether or not his fluctuated when she was around, as well.
"Why don't you like being touched, anyways?" She asked, voice soft as their faces hovered near.
The Emperor stared down at his wife's eyelashes, fluttering as she looked up at him through them. The sight was enough to drive a normal man mad - fortunately, he had crossed that point long ago, his sanity left on the windowsill where he often watched her.
Nausea collected in his stomach as their position lingered, causing him to roughly shove off of her into a sitting position.
"I just don't like it," he muttered, elbows resting on his open knees. "It feels strange. Touching you makes me want to throw up."
(Y/N)'s lips parted slightly in surprise, her eyes narrowing shortly after in offense.
"Wow, thank you, Anakin," she said sarcastically, climbing to a standing position.
"Don't take offense," Anakin retorted, pointing at her as he stood. "It's not personal. I can't help it."
"Then don't touch me," she replied evenly. "I'm not sure how an Empire will respond to a marriage between an Empress and an Emperor who can't get over touching her, but I'm confident they'll find a way."
"You're a pain in the ass," he snapped. "Of course you have to make this about the Empire."
Facing off, tension sizzled between them as their animosity grew. Like fire and ice, she couldn't help but challenge him.
Faster than a bolt of lightning, he shot his hand forward, wrapping it firmly around her wrist. (Y/N) instantly wanted to recoil, snatching it away as response to his rude behavior. But that would have been a stupid move - for in her infinite understanding, she knew he was making his first attempt at overcoming his dislike of her, likely in response to her provocations.
He's too easy, she thought, mild amusement sparkling in her eyes.
She's too close to me, his mind raced as hers mused.
Seconds ticked by as they stood, wrist in hand, unspoken effort being made.
A small amount of pride swelled in (Y/N) at Anakin's growth.
"You should go bathe and change in preparation for the address," she said meekly, a gentle smile crossing her face as she tugged away from his hand. Too much contact would surely scare him off. "You need pressed robes."
Anakin said nothing in response, nodding in agreement as he slowly backed away. Then, quickening his pace, he moved towards the door.
(Y/N) turned, expecting him to leave. The sound of his voice echoing throughout the terrace again caught her off-guard.
"Same time tomorrow? For training?"
He had stopped just above the threshold, turning to look at her with uncertainty in his eyes. As she returned his gaze, (Y/N) had a feeling the "training" was less about combat, and more about the touch.
"Same time tomorrow," she affirmed, a small smile on her face.
__________
A/N: Hey everybody! I hope you liked this chapter! To be honest, it's not my favorite - but I wanted to put out something else since it's been a while! I keep telling myself that this is my first time ever writing something. It's not going to be perfect, but my next fic will be better if I just put it out there. :)
That being said, what were your thoughts? I love to hear your ideas for the story!
I'm thrilled to begin introducing you and Anakin's relationship. I'm doing my best to convey the attraction, while also keeping it from being a fast-burn.
If you've read this far, thank you so much for your support, and I hope it meets your standards! <3