Days passed and then weeks while Padme stayed with Dorme and her family. She helped with baby Christa and household chores even though Dorme still insisted she was a guest. Honestly, she didn't know what else to do with herself. There were still so many decisions she didn't want to make that were becoming more pressing by the day. Obviously, Padme couldn't stay with Dorme and Jean forever and she didn't want to take advantage of their hospitality for too long and become a nuisance. They were a young family and probably wanted their privacy. But leaving meant knowing where to go next and she didn't know that at all.

The former Jedi had already decided not to return to Coruscant for the foreseeable future, at least not to live anyway. There were too many memories and the desolate existence she'd led there wasn't exactly the most appealing home to return to. Not that Coruscant had ever truly been Padme's home. No, she'd always just merely… Existed there. Maybe that was what she was looking for now. A home. She'd never really had one of those before.

Staying in Naboo was the choice that came to her again and again when she let these thoughts roam her mind. What was most surprising was that she actually wanted to stay. Back on Coruscant, she'd stayed in the little apartment out of habit and a lack of any other real choice. This time it was a choice and it was one that felt good. But where would she go? If Padme wanted to stay on Naboo she'd have to find a place of her own and sooner than later to give Dorme and Jean their privacy back. Their first wedding anniversary was next week and she didn't exactly want to be lingering around in their house when it came. Padme supposed she could always get the name of the man who sold houses from Anakin again and see what her options were. Purchasing a house would probably eat up most if not all of her credits from retiring, but Padme wasn't opposed to finding work somewhere. It might even be nice actually, to keep herself busy.

Dorme, Jean and little Christa were going to stay with his mother for a few days this evening. The woman was elderly and Jean wanted her to have as much time with the baby as possible, which Dorme seemed to support wholeheartedly. While Padme was more than fine spending a few days alone, she hadn't been able to resist the temptation to spill this little detail to Anakin when they'd saw each other last. She'd gone to his garage to surprise him for lunch but they'd done much less eating than kissing once he'd pulled his rackety shutter down to conceal them from Theed's view. He'd all but demanded to come over and keep her company though in truth it hadn't taken Padme much convincing to agree.

Since their date by the waterfall last week, Padme had seen Anakin three times. Not all of them dates, some of them just little moments where they'd run into each other or one sought the other out. At first, Padme had enjoyed it, the lack of seriousness in whatever this was but in the past few days, especially after the afternoon spent locked away in his garage she'd noticed the strangest feelings in her stomach whenever she thought about him. It wasn't love, that would be ridiculous. It was much too soon for that. But she felt a fondness for Anakin she'd never felt before. Maybe that wasn't the right word to describe it… She liked him, truly, she was coming to recognise that she maybe liked him a little too much for her own good.

She wanted to spend more time with him, that was for certain. As rude as it was, Padme couldn't wait for Dorme and Jean to leave their own house so she could be alone with him. Not that she was particularly planning for anything to happen between them tonight; she just wanted to see him. But the freedom of the house being empty wasn't bad at all.

The former Jedi looked at herself in the mirror and sighed, tipping her head to the left. Her long bushy curls cascaded to the base of her spine and she ran her fingers through them carefully. She'd kept it shorter when she was in the Order, to just below her shoulders and had always burned it straight, the effects of which were only truly beginning to grow out now, two years later. Growing her hair out had been Padme's first true act of freedom when she'd retired. She'd always had to be strict with keeping it short so it wouldn't get in her face in battle and become a distraction and then suddenly, she wasn't fighting anymore. The same was true of her fashions since leaving the temple. Before, as like with any other Jedi, Padme had worn her plain robes every day without question, but after leaving the Order, she'd been forced to experiment with clothes and fashions and it'd been more than a little overwhelming,

It'd taken a while, but Padme liked clothes and she liked fashion. Part of her knew they were trash but she adored the fashion holomags that came out every month. The beautiful images of various beings in different styles of clothing and accessories excited her and she enjoyed replicating what she liked. There were certainly days – like today – where the former Jedi reverted into wearing her simple black leggings and a soft green long-sleeved tunic. It wasn't exactly in the latest fashions but it was comfortable and sometimes Padme liked to feel like her old self again. She hadn't worn outfits like this very often. Being on Naboo had exposed her to a sense of style that Padme had never encountered before. The planet's rich flair for fashion was exciting and she had so much fun going shopping with Dorme and little Christa. Her pocketbook hadn't enjoyed the experience nearly as much but the wardrobe filled with beautiful new dresses and clothes was very happy.

And so, there was her conundrum. Since Anakin was coming over, Padme wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to wear. Would it be okay to wear what she was already wearing since they weren't exactly going anywhere or was she still supposed to dress up nice? Anakin had already seen her dressed like this plenty of times before when they trained together so it was hardly embarrassing to greet him like this. And besides, something told Padme Anakin wasn't exactly the kind of guy who really cared about these things… She was just overthinking it. As usual. No. She wasn't dressing up fancy on principle. They were staying in there was no need… But she did want to make a little more effort than this. It was still a date after all.

So, after rooting through her wardrobe twice, Padme decided on a new addition to her growing collection of dresses. A white chiffon dress with large flared sleeves which fell up her arms when she lifted them. To keep it from looking shapeless, she carefully wrapped a gold threaded belt around her waist and clasped it tightly, giving the appearance of slight curves where she really had none. Since she'd already opted to wear her hair down, Padme pushed it out of her face with a double row pearl headband and smiled at her appearance. It was casual but made it clear she'd put some effort into it. To finish the look, she added a pair of silver dangling earrings which caught the light and sparkled when she moved.

Dorme and Jean were due to leave in an hour and Anakin was due thirty minutes after that. She was going to cook dinner for them… At least, that was what he thought. Despite Master Windu placing both Dorme and Padme on temple kitchen duty more times than she liked to remember, only Dorme had actually picked up the skill of cooking. Padme was hopeless in the kitchen when she had to do more than the basics. She could cook just enough to survive on, but it was never good and more often than not came out burned. So Dorme had prepared a meal that only needed to be heated up when Anakin arrived. Perhaps that was a little deceitful, but needs must after all...

It felt like forever before the little family departed their Naboo home and Anakin arrived, but eventually, the time passed and Padme carefully laid down a plate on Anakin's side of the table, using the Force just a little bit to keep herself steady. She was wearing a white dress…

"This looks amazing!" He smiled as she sat down on the opposite side of the small rounded table.

"Thank you." Padme nodded, glancing away. Maybe she did feel just a little bit guilty but what Anakin didn't know wouldn't hurt him. "Don't compliment me too early though, you haven't tried it yet."

He chuckled as they began to eat, chattering quietly as they did. Padme's finger's played with the thin glass stem of her wine glass as Anakin lowered his fork and looked at her thoughtfully. "I always thought you couldn't cook."

Padme froze for a moment and then blinked, forcing a smile. "We only met a few weeks ago. What would make you think that?"

He smirked knowingly as if she'd missed the joke. "Well, even I heard the story of Mace Windu's Padawan almost burning the temple kitchen down. Actually, I was pretty relieved. You took the heat off me from Obi-wan for not listening to him enough. I think he realised I could have been worse."

His sniggering made Padme flush indignantly. Forgetting all about her cooking lie, the former Jedi huffed and released her glass lest she break it. "That was an accident! And it wasn't my fault really – the stupid oven didn't do as I told it!"

Anakin threw his head back with laughter. "Yeah, turning those knobs was really difficult…"

"Oh, shut up." Padme crossed her arms across her chest. "Not everyone can be perfect at everything, Chosen One."

"I certainly was chosen to help put out your fire."

"Please! It was not that big of a – wait," Padme narrowed her eyes at him; "you're making fun of me, aren't you?"

Anakin laughed again and shook his head. "No, no… I'd be much too afraid to make fun of an arsonist."

"Anakin!" Padme couldn't stop the peal of laughter that slipped free from her lips. "Stop it!"

"So," Anakin leaned across the table, ignoring Padme's plea. "Did you take cooking lessons or something?"

As regally as she could manage, Padme lifted her wine to her lips and allowed herself a quick sip. "Something like that." She spoke airily.

He laughed again and the pair finished their meal. Though the food was wonderful, Padme's enjoyment was somewhat dampened by the feeling she'd been very much caught out. Still, at least he wasn't making fun of her anymore… For now. She had a sinking feeling it might come back up later. When they were finished, Padme cleared away the dishes and left them to soak in the machine before switching it on fully. She opened the lower cupboard near the refrigeration unit and pulled out another bottle of wine while Anakin leaned back against the counter, recalling a story from his garage that day.

"… So I told him that kind of fuel is difficult to source and it'd take me at least a week but he blew up."

Padme laughed and handed his glass back after refilling it. "What did you do?"

"I Force-choked him." Anakin shrugged, sipping his wine casually. Padme's arms went slack and the former Jedi felt her jaw follow suit. He wasn't… That was a joke, surely…? But Anakin's face remained impassive, unaffected as if they'd merely been discussing the weather. It was only a moment later when fear began to coil deep in Padme's stomach that his handsome face crumbled in laughter, making her flush.

"Anakin!" She smacked his arm. "You scared me! I believed you!"

"Ha!" He laughed, "You should have seen your face! You looked terrified."

Padme glowered and drank from her glass. "You're cruel. I can see why Obi-wan complains so much about putting up with you."

"Obi-wan loved working with me. I brought some much-needed excitement to his dull days."

Padme rolled her eyes playfully and reached out to shove at his chest. "Oh, is that how you remember it? He tells the stories rather differently."

"Obi-wan's a liar." Anakin set his glass down on the counter. "You should see how he cheats at sabacc." He spotted the sleek silver lightsaber perched carefully on the white windowsill between two potted flowers and drew it to his palm with the Force. Once the weapon was in his hand, he pressed the switch curiously and the blue plasma came to life with a powerful hiss. "Is this yours?"

"No, it's Dorme's." She whispered. There was something about seeing Anakin holding a weapon like the one he used to wield two years ago that sent unfamiliar taut lines of scorching heat between her legs. She hadn't known him when they were in the Order but the few times she had seen him from a distance in the temple or on the holonet, she'd always found him handsome. Padme would have loved to see him in battle like Dorme had… The primal warrior instinct she knew he had appealed to her in ways other men like Clovis just couldn't. Her breath hitched in her chest as heat made her skin begin to flush. Perhaps it was because he was Force-sensitive too, maybe it was a calling from Jedi to Jedi but whatever it was, something about him appealed to Padme in a way she'd never felt before. She couldn't fathom it, much less begin to put it into words…

Anakin's eyes lifted from the humming plasma blade and met Padme's heated gaze above the slight glow. She watched his eyes drag from her lips before meeting hers and felt her teeth drag across her lip softly. The lightsaber was extinguished suddenly and he tossed it onto the counter without looking, Padme heard it land with a clatter but didn't have the heart to look away from Anakin's rapidly darkening blue gaze. Neither moved toward each other for a long moment before Anakin crossed the small space between them seemingly in the blink of an eye and before the former Jedi knew it, his lips crashed against hers roughly.

Padme had no complaints, immediately tangling her fingers in Anakin's soft curls with a content moan. Her back was pressed against the counter and it dug uncomfortably into her flesh but she couldn't bring herself to care. Their mouths tore apart only for a moment to desperately take in some much-needed air before mashing together once more. Padme traced the tip of her tongue across Anakin's lip before carefully biting down on it, drawing an aroused groan from deep within his throat.

His hands grabbed at her waist tightly before wandering lower, filling his palms with Padme's backside for a moment before hoisting her body up, onto the counter, making the former Jedi gasp breathlessly. Without hesitation, Anakin stepped between her legs, attaching his lips to her throat as she wrapped her calves around his waist, pulling him closer. His kisses burned a fiery trail along Padme's skin making her throw back her head with a small moan when his teeth nipped sharply at the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder.

"Oh, Anakin…" She whispered, squeezing her fingers in his hair until he hissed painfully. Her mouth opened again but the woman's words were forever lost when she felt the calloused skin of Anakin's hands on her legs, hovering where the soft material of her dress had bunched just above her knees. This was new. In the heat of their few little make-out sessions, their hands hadn't wandered too much. Everything had stayed quite tame despite the fire behind the kisses and truthfully, Padme had found this a little relieving. She didn't want to rush into things like she did with Clovis. Being with him had been meaningless, just sex for the sake of fighting the bone-deep loneliness she'd felt. Now it felt different.

Anakin kissed her again and she was distracted by the feel of his tongue expertly curling around her own until his fingers found their way beneath the skirt of her dress and inside her thigh. Without meaning to, Padme jolted slightly, surprised. She hadn't been touched since she was with Clovis and that was quite a while ago. She was out of practice. Sex and the lead up to it was hardly the most difficult thing in the world and yet she felt utterly in over her head.

He must have felt Padme's surprise because she watched him pull back to look at her eyes for a moment before leaning down to brush his nose against hers. "Do you want me to stop?" Her cheeks felt hot which meant they were red and that meant her ears were probably red too. Force help her, her hair was probably about to turn red too. The earnestness in his words practically radiated from his Force signature. If Padme asked him to stop, he would, without question. But she knew that already, not because of the Force but because Anakin was so… Well, Anakin. Something told her he'd do anything to make someone feel comfortable.

Suddenly, Padme was filled with an almost all-consuming need to kiss him again and resisting it felt like quashing a tidal wave but she managed in no small part due to the even more pressing need to have those lips move somewhere far lower. She blushed further at the thought and sunk her teeth into her lip until it hurt. Who was she? She'd never been this way before…

Padme reached out and combed her fingers through Anakin's hair gently. She wasn't backing down. She wanted this. Not trusting her voice, the former Jedi gave a firm shake of her head and loosened her legs around his waist. When she was sure her voice wouldn't shake too noticeably, Padme dared to speak. "I want this, Anakin." She whispered. "I want you…"

His fingers, which had stilled on her thighs whilst he sought her consent, moved further suddenly and Padme's breath stuck in her throat when she felt them curl around the lace band of her underwear and begin to pull them down. She felt his lips on her jaw and let her eyes flutter shut at the wonderful sensations his attentions created. The peace only lasted a moment, however, before Padme felt the zipper of her dress begin to lower itself down her back... Unaided by Anakin's hands.

She turned her head just a little to meet his eyes, panting and exhilarated both at once. "Are you undressing me with the Force, Master Jedi?"

He chuckled huskily and tugged Padme's earlobe between his teeth. "Does that offend you, milady?"

The dress slipped off her shoulders and pooled her stomach, catching at the crook of her elbows. "That seems like an abuse of your powers!" Faking outrage, Padme sought out Anakin's lips and thrilled at the way his neck bent to meet her halfway. They devoured each other before a moment before he pulled back breathlessly.

"Well, there's a reason they never made me a Master." He smirked as he said it, but Padme tensed. She'd heard about that… It'd been big news around the temple, the youngest appointment to the Council in its history and the first to be refused the rank of Master. She'd also heard Anakin had taken great insult from it. Why would he joke about it now? Part of Padme wanted to ask him about it but the other half understood this wasn't the moment and stored the thought away for later. She was distracted from such thoughts a moment later when Anakin tugged her panties over her knees and off her legs in one fell swoop. The light material fell from his fingers to the kitchen floor without another thought and then, his head vanished from her sight.

She found him lower, pushing up the bunched material of her dress higher so she was fully exposed to his rapidly darkening eyes. The ensuing embarrassment lasted only for a moment before all the former Jedi could think about was the explosion of bliss that followed Anakin's lips on her. She gasped and threaded her fingers into his hair again, bucking her hips closer to his face. Mercifully, Anakin's tongue followed his lips and drew a long, rattling moan from her own.

"Oh… Ohh…" She gasped, throwing her head back and almost knocking it against the cupboard behind her. Her moving hips were stilled by Anakin's hands holding her down as his tongue gave her a long, broad lick that created stars behind her eyes. Padme half gasped, half mewled his name. The pleasure was unreal… She almost couldn't breathe for it. In their short stint as lovers, Clovis had done this for her once or twice and it had always been nice. She'd always reached her peak from it but now… Now… It was all Padme could do not to throw back her head and scream at the top of her lungs.

Padme wasn't sure if it was one minute or five before Anakin's tongue made just the right gesture against her clit and she was on that amazing edge, dangling for dear life and beyond excited to let go. If he stopped right now Padme was sure she'd die right here on this counter. Fortunately, Anakin seemed to understand her desperation and gripped her hips tighter, moved his tongue faster, rubbing hard little circles right against her clit so that… So that…

"Oh, Force!" She cried, squeezing her hand in his hair until it must have been painful but Padme couldn't make herself stop. Hot tendrils of sheer pleasure ran through her body in what felt like explosions and pure relief bundled into one. Her head did hit against the cupboard behind her this time but she hardly felt the thump against the satisfaction that made her body sag where she sat. Anakin didn't stop, kissing and licking at her until Padme pushed weakly at his shoulder to make the stimulation stop when it became too much.

He pulled back and released her hips as she panted. He nuzzled her neck with soft kisses and gentle words but she wasn't able to open her eyes just yet. It took several long moments before her breathing calmed enough to even consider it and when it did, Padme slowly blinked her lids open and found Anakin watching her thoughtfully. When he noticed her looking, a smug smirk stretched its way across his mouth. "That good, huh?"

Padme almost smacked him on the mouth. She thought better of it after a moment and pushed herself off the counter as forcefully as she could muster in her boneless state, knocking her body against his. Luckily, he hadn't noticed her move until it was too late and the impact sent him stumbling backwards, wincing as he tripped and sent them both tumbling to the floor. Both former Jedi immediately reached out with the Force to cushion the landing before the hard floor could knock them unconscious.

Just like she wanted, Padme landed on top and immediately leaned down to capture his lips with her own. The kiss was deep and desperate. She could feel the hard bulge of Anakin's arousal pressing against her still sensitive core and began to undo the buckle of his trousers. He'd made her feel good and she wanted to return the favour. Against her back, she could feel the snap of her bra coming apart without being touched and glared at the man beneath her. He'd undressed her with the Force quite enough for one night. The undergarment followed her dress' lead and slipped down Padme's arms, catching in the crook of her elbows. She must have made quite a sight but she didn't care.

Anakin just laughed at Padme's glare and grabbed at some of her hair to pull her down to his lips again, licking his way into her mouth when she was close enough. When Padme sunk down on him they both moaned low in their throats. It'd been quite a while for her, Anakin stretching her from the inside verged on painful but it was too delightful to consider stopping. Her hips rose and fell over him again and again, eliciting a litany of uhh's and ahh's from their lips. Somehow they fell into a hard rhythm that left them both breathless.

"Force, Padme…" Anakin groaned, gripping her hip with his ungloved hand tightly.

It was surprising, the way Padme's orgasm snuck up on her. She hadn't felt it coil at all and yet within a few minutes she threw back her head and cried Anakin's name as the pleasure from before intensified and washed over her again. Her nails sunk into his chest through his shirt but the only sounds Anakin made were of pleasure. He wasn't very far behind her which she was glad for. She felt boneless and exhausted but forced her busy hips to keep up their pace for his sake. When his pleasure hit, Anakin's head fell back to the floor and he gave a long, low groan of relief, squeezing his eyes shut tight as it happened.

It was over then; Padme collapsed on top of Anakin's panting chest and closed her eyes. Her heart pounded so hard in her chest, he could probably feel it. She could feel his against her ear. They both laid like that for a few moments while attempting to catch their breaths before she felt his arm come around her tightly, fingers stroking her damp spine. She tensed for a moment before forcing her muscles to relax. She'd never been held after intimacy before. It wouldn't have surprised her if Clovis had wanted to, but Padme would never have allowed it. That would have been too intimate, too romantic, everything those encounters hadn't been for her. Surprisingly, it was actually nice. She felt safe in Anakin's arms and had to battle off the sleepy afterglow that came over her.

In her Jedi days, if she'd ever imagined sleeping with Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One, on Dorme's kitchen floor, Padme would have checked herself into the medward for insanity and promptly have died of embarrassment. Strange how things could change in just a few years…

Eventually, Padme rose, deciding that laying on Dorme's kitchen floor was too ludacris to continue. Her legs felt heavy and weak and all she wanted to do was collapse into her bed but there was an entire staircase and Anakin to handle before that. Strangely, she didn't want him to leave. Usually, when things had ended with her and Clovis, she'd redressed and lingered by the door of her little apartment to show him out before the afterglow could settle in. No, not this time. Padme wanted Anakin to stay… It was strange and new and exciting in the oddest possible way.

But she didn't know to ask him to. Normally quite eloquent, it frustrated her when her mouth opened to no words. She turned to look Anakin in the eye and found him watching her. It was a little surprising that she hadn't felt his searing gaze on her it burned so hotly and suddenly, sleeping was the very last thing on the former Jedi's mind. Maybe she didn't have to ask him anything. A sly, naughty smile came upon Padme's face as she turned back around, conscious of his eyes on her, and simply let the crushed dress fall from the crook of her elbow and onto a white puddle around her ankles. She glanced over her shoulder coyly and tried not to blush as her bra followed suit.

Padme took a few steps toward the doorway and felt a sensual smirk take control of her lips. "Well… Are you coming?"