Archive of Our Own ^beta

Clovis sat right across from Anakin on the bench, watching the game animatedly. Clovis kept his eyes on the ice, studying each opponent, probably planning his what he would do when he got out there. 

That’s what Anakin should have been doing.

But he wasn’t.

The game of the season was occurring right in front of him, and he was… distracted. By something unrelated to the game entirely.

The sharp shearing of the fresh ice, his favorite sound; the quick streaks of royal blue flashing before him, his favorite color; and their enemies being smashed into the ice, his favorite feeling in the whole world— these were not enough to draw his attention away from the beauty sitting across the rink, her face and perfect hands right up against the plexiglass.

Padmé Amidala.

A gorgeous brunette who’s curls he wanted to suffocate himself in. An up-and-coming model. A lingerie model, to be exact. And most importantly, Rush Clovis’s girlfriend.

He’d never seen her in person before this night.

But he was incredibly familiar with her face and everything else. Once he saw her with Clovis on the news last year, just one time, he found himself captivated by her angelic beauty. He’d never seen anyone more beautiful. He conducted much research about her, and since she was a public figure like her boyfriend, she was easy to find photos on the Internet. And boy, did he find some good ones. Everything about her was simply perfect in his eyes. On her instagram, she mostly posted photos of her golden retriever or of her and her boyfriend, praising him to no end. She seemed so humble, the opposite of Clovis. That shitbag was always gloating anytime a camera was around. Anakin could only imagine how ridiculous he behaved in private. An angel such as she deserved someone who raved about her every chance he got. Anakin would if he had a chance. But that would never be anything more than a dream.

He wished more than anything she belonged to him. And while he would never give up hoping that they’d meet one day and that he had a chance, he recognized the futility of those wishes. She was here tonight, not to watch him, but to cheer on her boyfriend, whom she apparently loved dearly. She was here to support Clovis.

Anakin shouldn’t have continued to gawk at her like she was some object. It was disrespectful the way he was looking at her. She was Clovis’s girlfriend. But he couldn’t help but stare. He couldn’t remember the last time he was so attracted to one girl.

He guessed it was cold inside. She wore a puffy, white coat and white mittens. She wore a pair of baby blue fuzzy earmuffs. She was precious. So much like an angel, ready for the snow. She kept rubbing her hands together and blowing on them. Her cheeks and nose were a bright pink like she was freezing. For a moment, he thought about all the ways he could warm her up. But any of those would be more than inappropriate for a public setting.

Eventually, he’d pay attention to the game, but he didn’t think he’d ever have a chance to see her in real life. He had gotten so used to only seeing her on a screen. She was prettier in person.

The strange thing about this situation he found himself in was that she didn’t appear to be watching the game either. Nor did she seem to be looking at her awful boyfriend. Padmé was staring ahead in the distance, almost like….

Anakin shook his head. That wasn’t possible. She probably didn’t know he existed, except from the long rants Clovis went on about how much he hated Skyguy, which was the nickname Clovis had bestowed upon him. How Anakin loathed it.

Padmé couldn’t be looking at him. That was an impossibility.

“SKYWALKER, get out there!” His coach screamed. “Clover is out, and you need to take him out!” Clover was his team’s nickname for Rush Clovis.

Anakin looked up at their coach. “Huh? What?”

“GET OUT THERE! Destroy him!”

“Yes, coach,” Anakin replied standing up. He secured his helmet strap and stepped carefully to the ice.

Anakin glided across the ice, which was still nice and smooth. Clovis was waiting for him in the center. Anakin came to a power stop, shearing the ice, creating a flurry of ice that landed on Clovis’s uniform.

Anakin smirked. “Oops. My apologies.”

Clovis just growled at him. They stood across from each other for a face-off for the puck. Anakin didn’t doubt that he would snatch it away. This was their rink. They had that advantage. Also, Anakin knew he was faster than Clovis.

A clink sounded across the ice when the referee dropped the puck between the two players.

Anakin scooped it up with the blade and skidded aside to pass it to a teammate. Following the successful pass, Anakin began to push forwards to protect his teammates. His eyes focused on all the subtle movements of the players in front of him.

But he still didn’t see this coming. A body coming from his right smashed into him like a train, full forced, knocking Anakin onto his back. His body slid across the ice, and he hit the barrier with his head.

Great job, he told himself. 

He felt like an idiot. This was incredibly embarrassing because he just got in the game. Anakin looked up at the barrier. He noticed a pale face looking down at him through the glass. When his vision cleared, he noticed the brown curls framing the face. And the earmuffs.

And now he wanted to die.

Of course, it would be Padmé. That was just his luck. 

Despite the vertigo he experienced, Anakin pushed himself up on his skates. Padmé was staring right at him through the plexiglass with her brown doe eyes. She looked worried about him. Anakin suddenly found the confidence to grin and wink at her, as he skated backwards. He heard the crowd erupt into loud cheers, indicating that the Leafs scored the point. But Anakin wasn’t concerned with the game. The girl he had the biggest crush on noticed him. Eventually, she broke the mutual gaze when she turned her head away, biting her lip.

His heart wasn’t just racing. It was flying, high above the clouds into space probably.

“Skyguy!” The most irritating voice disturbed his daydreaming.

Anakin scoffed as Clover approached him. “What?”

“Keep your eyes to yourself. She’s mine. Don’t even think about it.”

“Oh, I’m thinking about her. Respectfully thinking of her, of course.” Anakin blasted away across the rink to his teammates, him knowing Clovis wouldn’t follow him.

 

Anakin pressed a cold beer to his lips. He decided to join a four of his teammates to a local grill and bar. The rest of his teammates either crashed back at the hotel or went to the strip club. Anakin wasn’t ready to sleep, nor did he enjoy strip clubs much.

At the restaurant, they sat at a curved booth with a view of the bar. The seats were dark leather and plush to the touch.

Anakin ordered the biggest burger he could and doubled the fries. He plowed through the food as fast as he could stuff his face. He had been dying for a good meal. He tilted his head back as he finished off his beer. Mid-swallow, Rex elbowed him harshly in the stomach.

He choked on his drink, almost spitting it out over the table, but he didn’t. He held up his hand in a fist to Rex’s face, threatening to punch him.

“What the hell, bro!” Anakin exclaimed.

Rex pointed to the bar. “Look who just walked in.”

Anakin gazed ahead. At the sight, he froze in time. Padmé sat at the bar with Clovis. She was wearing the same snow outfit, just without the earmuffs and mittens. He realized how tiny she was compared to Clovis. In envy, Anakin watched her graceful hand rub her boyfriend’s back. Understandably so, Clovis looked disappointed. He’d lost. It was a close game, but in the end, the Leafs pulled through. Anakin couldn’t have been prouder of his boys, but he felt a little bad for Padmé because she had to console her mopey boyfriend.

Though he loved his team and would die for any of his teammates without a second thought, he would trade places with Clovis in a heartbeat. He would be okay with losing terribly if it meant he’d get extra attention from Padmé. But it would only be worth it if Padmé was his girl.

Rex scoffed. “I don’t get why you’re so obsessed with her. She’s got a skinny ass.”

Anakin snapped his head over to face Rex. “Say something like that again, and I’ll fuck you up.”

Rex and the rest of the guys broke out into laughter. “You’ve really got it bad for her.”

“What a simp,” Jesse sneered.

Anakin couldn’t have cared less what they said about him. He knew Padmé was the most beautiful woman in the whole world. “So, you wouldn’t hit that?” Anakin showed them his favorite photo of her that he unashamedly saved on his phone. She was lying in a grassy bed of wildflowers in lacy white strings for clothes. Her perfect lips were parted, and her hair was fanned out like angel wings. He couldn’t look at it for long. If he did, he would have to retreat to the restroom or their rental car. She was the only woman who could have such an effect on him with just a photo.

Rex ripped the phone away from his hands. “Okay. I guess I get it. You didn’t tell us she was a lingerie model. She’s still too skinny for my taste.”

Anakin scoffed. “You’d be lucky if she even noticed you. She’s so far out of your league.”

“I don’t need a pretty face to be satisfied,” Rex retorted, tossing him back the phone. “So what? You just have a whole bunch of photos of this woman on your phone that you jerk off to when you’re alone.  A woman you’re never gonna talk to.”

Laughter followed that comment.

Anakin looked Rex in the eye. “She’s got a boyfriend.”

“Like that would ever stop you when you want someone. You’re just using that as an excuse.”

“No, I just know she’s not a cheater. She seems genuine. Really kind. And soft,” Anakin muttered. He had a feeling she was someone with morals. She loved Clovis proudly, making Anakin just that much more envious.

Jesse slapped Anakin’s shoulder. “She looks like a whore to me. Showing off everything but her pussy to the entire world. I bet she got her start in porn.”

Anakin didn’t hesitate to grab Jesse by the neck of his shirt. “Don’t talk about her like that. That’s what she makes her living doing.”

“Porn?”

Anakin was nearly choking Jesse with his shirt. “No! Modeling. Now, shut up.”

Jesse coughed when Anakin released him. “Just chill, bro. We’re just messing with you. Stop taking everything so seriously.”

“I don’t care.”

Rex placed his arm around Anakin. “Look, if an ugly bastard like Clover can smash her, you have a chance. He’s so pathetic. Is he crying?”

“Leave ‘em alone,” Anakin said. “It’s not like I can just hit on her while Clovis is there.”

Rex raised an eyebrow. “So, you’re just gonna keep jerking off to her photos forever like a simp, while he's dicking the real thing down every single night.”

“Can we stop talking about Padmé like this please? She’s a real person,” Anakin huffed. He was considering leaving and calling a taxi to take him home. But this was the closest he’d ever gotten to her. So, he knew he would stay as long as he could just to watch her.

“Anakin, buddy,” Rex leaned closer to his ear to whisper, meaning he was about to say something foul, “you’re really okay with Clover filling your girl up for you? His filthy hands rubbing all over her body. I bet— I bet she’s a real pleaser. Look at the way she’s touching him in public. I can only imagine the things she lets him do to her in private. When they get home, she’s going to give him the sloppiest head of her life, hoping to lift his spirits. That could be you.”

Anakin shoved Rex away. Everything that Rex mentioned was awakening rage within him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this angry. He wanted to choke Clovis to death, watch his face turn blue as he suffocated because Anakin couldn’t filter out the images of Clovis on top of the girl he wanted.

“You know what,” Anakin began, “I’m going to go talk to her.”

His teammates cheered.

Rex smiled. “That’s the spirit. Clover has downed so many beers in the last few minutes. He’s going to have to run to the bathroom any moment.”

“You think.”

“Look, there he goes,” Rex said, his finger following Clovis as he dashed away. “Hurry the fuck over there, Skyguy. This might be your only chance.”

Anakin didn’t even have to think about it. He was already approaching the bar. More like running to it. He didn’t know how long he’d have to talk to her. He had to turn on his magnetic charm, as he liked to call it.

Without announcing his presence, Anakin sat down on the stool right beside hers, Clovis’s seat. It should have been his seat anyway. Padmé really was small. She was prettier up close than he’d ever thought she’d be. He’d do anything to kiss her lips, pink, soft and so full. And her hair was shiny and cascaded down the length of her back in chocolate coils.

Anakin opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it.

“You know, my boyfriend is sitting there,” she said, not even turning her head to look at him. She wasn’t being snobby. Her face was red, and she was tearing away at her bottom lip with her teeth.

“Oh, am I?” Anakin said back. He couldn’t stop smiling.

That made her laugh. She finally turned her head and they locked eyes. She captured his soul at that very moment. “I know who you are,” she whispered.

“You do?”

“You’re Anakin Skywalker. You’re a fantastic hockey player for the Leafs. You really make Clovis work hard. Congratulations on winning tonight.”

He looked away, blushing like a fool. “Oh, thanks.”

A few moments of silence passed between them, as if neither knew what to say. Anakin hated the wasted time.

He tapped her on the shoulder, his heart pounding because he had just touched her. “Hey, I came to talk to you actually. I’m kinda… this is weird to say. But I’m kinda a big fan of yours.”

Her round eyes widened. “You are?”

He swallowed. “Well, yeah. You’re beautiful. And seeing you in person has me wondering if you’re… an angel.”

He watched her cheeks turn pink. She covered her mouth. “Oh, thank you. You’re so kind. I guess… seeing me with clothes on is probably shocking.”

He scratched the back of his neck. Is she flirting with me? “It was kinda disappointing when I saw you at the game fully clothed.”

She giggled innocently. “My bad. I’m terribly sorry to disappoint you. But Clovis would certainly kill me if I went out in public naked. It’s enough for him that I model the way that I do for a living.”

“Well, I think it’s… sexy.”

She looked at the ground, completely flushed. “Thank you.”

He glanced over to the bathroom. He figured he didn’t have much time left. He didn’t want to get her in trouble with her boyfriend. Anakin asked the bartender for a pen.

Anakin tore a napkin in half and scrawled out his phone number on it. He handed it to her. “Before you say anything, I know you have a boyfriend. Obviously. I know this is stupid. But here’s my number. When I saw you at the game, I could hardly focus. And then the fact you’re here tonight makes me wonder if this is fate or something. If I didn’t take this chance, I knew I’d regret it for the rest of my life.” Padmé accepted the torn napkin. “You can do whatever you want with it. Burn it. Throw it away. Or text me. I’m staying at the Garden Suites. I really wish we could continue this conversation.” Anakin walked backwards away from the bar. “Bye, Padmé.”

Anakin returned to his friends. His heard was racing. He felt higher than cloud nine. He knew they’d been watching him like hawks the entire time. They were all smiling. He fist bumped them as he sat down.

The huddled around Anakin.

“So?” Jesse asked.

Anakin sighed happily. “She’s so beautiful. I can’t breathe.”

“What happened? C’mon.”

“We just talked. and I gave her my number. I’m pretty sure she’s not going to message me.”

Rex patted him on the shoulder. “Hey, maybe she will. You can rest knowing at least you tried.”

“We were just messing with you to get you riled up enough to go say something to her,” Jesse admitted. “We were hoping you’d make a fool of yourself, but it seems you hit it off quite well. You had her blushing the whole time.”

Anakin furrowed his brows. “I did?”

Rex nodded. “The. Whole. Time. She certainly enjoyed the attention at the least.”

Anakin prayed that they were right. He was sure she wouldn’t text him though. She had Clovis to keep her warm tonight. What would she need Anakin for?

His teammates started going on about the game. Anakin wished he cared about something other than Padmé. But as he sipped his last beer, he couldn’t draw his eyes away. Clovis had returned. He didn’t seem too happy when he came back to her. His face expression was one of anger, and he said something to Padmé that made her wince and look away.

Maybe their relationship wasn’t so perfect like she acted it was on social media. Or maybe Clovis was just grouchy after losing a game. Either way, Anakin had no chance. But he’d never stop hoping, as pathetic as that was.

 

* * * *

Padmé hurled her fuzzy purse across the hotel room, Rush storming past her without a glance. He immediately crouched down in front of the mini bar. She took off her coat and hung in the closet adjacent to the entrance. She pulled off her mittens and her white Ugg boots. She looked back at her drunk boyfriend, who was still ogling the mini bar.

Padmé knew he was upset. His team lost. And Rush took on all the blame himself. Of course, he blamed Skyguy. All she heard on the drive back to the hotel from the bar was how much he wished Skywalker would die. And for what, a hockey game? She understood that it was a devastating loss, which wouldn’t help the team’s morale for the future games of the season. But when they would lose against the Leafs, Rush always lost his damn mind. She didn’t understand why he let a loss defeat him completely to where he was a crumbling, angry mess. A mess that she was going to have to deal with all alone.

She didn’t know what to do this time. He was already so drunk. And if she told him to stop drinking, he’d just take his anger out on her probably. That’s what usually happened after his team lost.

Rush did his best tonight. She was proud of him. They played a good game. They almost won. It was a respectable loss. But not to Rush. He acted as though any loss was the end of his life.

With shaking hands, Padmé approached him and tapped him on the shoulder. “Baby, let’s just go to bed. You’re tired.”

He grabbed her wrist tightly. She winced from the pressure. “I’m not tired. I’m too angry to sleep.”

“I know,” she said carefully. “I just don’t want you to hurt yourself. You can take off my clothes… and touch me, just the way you like.”

Clovis stood up. He leaned forwards, gripping both her wrists so hard. “I don’t want you here.”

“What?”

“I saw you taking to him! You were flirting with him and the bartender! It was so obvious. You’re such a whore!” He shouted in her face.

Padmé closed her eyes. If he was going to hit her, she didn’t want to see his face when he did.

“Don’t you have something to say for yourself?”

“I—I didn’t know you saw. Anakin just came over to gloat about his win,” she muttered. She hated lying about Anakin. He didn’t even mention the game. But she just wanted Clovis to let her go. “I wasn’t flirting with Anakin. He’s your enemy. I wouldn’t—”

With an angry huff, Clovis let go of her. She heard him crash on the mattress. She opened her eyes, and he was lying on the bed. Far enough away from her.

“Just get the fuck out of my sight.” He lifted her satin pillow and threw it on the floor. “You can sleep in the car or something. I don’t care. And in the morning, you can apologize for speaking to Anakin.”

“O-okay,” Padmé knew better than to say something back when Rush was like this. She was lucky he let her go at all. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Rush looked to be knocked out on the bed already. She could have stayed inside. But she’d rather spend the night out on the street than stay in the same room with him. She’d probably be safer on the street.

Quickly, Padmé picked up her purse and slipped on her snow boots. She ran her arms through the sleeves of her white winter coat and put on her earmuffs. It was beyond freezing outside, and she wanted to be prepared.

Padmé gladly left the room. Rush just needed to sleep off his drunken state and his anger. He was only ever truly mean to her when he was drunk.

But Padmé knew she deserved better than Rush. She was so stupid. Because of the happy times they sometimes shared, she was willing to overlook his glaring faults, even the dangerous ones. She’d been miserably alone before Rush came into her life. He saved her in a way. And she wanted to help him get better. He really wasn’t always a bad guy. He could be loving and affectionate… when he was happy.

When she reached the lobby, Padmé stuffed her hands in her pockets. She felt something there. She pulled out floppy paper from her jacket.

She blushed. It was the torn piece of napkin with the number of Anakin Skywalker scribbled over it. She could just barely decipher the numbers because his handwriting was so terrible. She crumbled it in her hand and stepped in the direction of the nearest trashcan.

Her hand hovered over the garbage. She hesitated.

Just throw it away. You’re not a cheater.

She couldn’t even believe that she was considering keeping this piece of trash. But it was strangely valuable to her.

Anakin was undeniably attracted to her. She’d seen him watching her the entire game. The crazy boy was shameless in his appreciation for her, despite her being the girlfriend of his greatest rival. He didn’t even care.

Anakin was bold at the restaurant. Bolder than most men. But he wasn’t creepy about it. He complimented her sweetly. Sure, he called her job sexy, but he didn’t say it in a weird, predatory manner. His eyes worshiped her. She’d never had anyone look at her the way Anakin did at the restaurant.

He was certainly a romantic one. He was aware that she belonged to another, and yet he didn’t care. Not at all. He mentioned fate was the reason they were in the same restaurant at the same time.

How foolish.

But she hoped maybe he was right. And that she was just a skeptic.

Padmé flattened out the napkin slowly, regretting crushing it. And she found herself considering what it would be like if someone like Anakin was her boyfriend. What would it be like to have someone who shamelessly showered her with praise day and night? To have someone look at her like he was dying to touch her. Of course, Anakin probably wasn’t like that all the time. Surely, he must have had flaws like any other person. But there was something about him. His eyes? His energy? Her whole body had trembled in his presence. His touch would probably feel electric.

Anakin was obviously attractive. He was exactly 6’2’’. And exactly 196 pounds [88.9 kilograms] of pure muscle. She did her research the first time Rush told her all about him. But he was so much prettier in person. His blue eyes sparkled when he looked at her. She’d never seen such a perfect smile. His wavy golden hair was shiny and soft. She had thought about kissing his lips.

Wait… no.

What was she thinking? Why was she thinking that? She didn’t really want to kiss Anakin.

She sighed, knowing herself. Of course, she wanted Anakin to kiss her. He’d probably be a wonderful kisser. She wondered what he would do for even a chance to kiss her. He seemed pretty… obsessed. His eyes had revealed how desperately he longed for her.

Padmé realized she had he phone in her hand with the iMessage app open. She was typing in his number. And she sent him a text. Accidentally, of course.

im on the way. 

oh this is padme

And she found herself getting in her boyfriend’s rental car and driving to the Garden Suites where a certain hockey player was staying.

 

* * * *

Anakin stepped out of the shower, rubbing the towel over his head to dry his soaking hair. He had showered in cold water to shock his nerves and keep him uncomfortable. He didn’t want to relax too much because then his mind would wander. He’d start thinking about Padmé, which would lead to other problems. But he couldn’t get cold enough to keep him sane. He’d never been hornier than he was now. He felt like a teenager again.

So pathetic.

He’d actually seen her in person. He talked to her. That was honestly all he should have ever wished for. That had to be enough. He never would have believed he’d actually have a chance to tell her how beautiful he thought she was. He should have felt good about her knowing that.

And she knew who he was.

Anakin wiped the condensation off the mirror with the hand towel. He needed to get over Padmé. This obsession wasn’t healthy. She clearly wasn’t interested. Why would she be? Before signing onto the Leafs, Anakin was a complete nobody. Clovis was the son of a former Canadien and a product of old money. Clovis could give Padmé the incredible life she deserved, while Anakin had just managed to move out of his parents’ house.

The first step to getting over her was deleting the 578 photos of her on his camera roll. Anakin picked up his phone and the screen turned on. He had to blink a couple times because he didn’t believe what his eyes were seeing. He had two messages from an unknown number. The last one said oh, this is padme.

He almost dropped his phone. Luckily, he didn’t. The last thing he needed was to destroy his only way to communicate with her. He stared at the two messages. He didn’t even know what to say back. He didn’t want to say too much and seem desperate, even though he was. Eventually, he decided on a response.

I can’t tell you how glad I am you texted.

Let me know when you’re here.

Anakin made sure to spell you’re correctly. And then once the messages went through, madness followed. Anakin wrapped the towel around his waist and broke out of the bathroom. Rex was laying on his bed and watching something on his phone.

Anakin bolted to Rex’s side. “Get up and get out!”

Rex scoffed. “What’s wrong with you? Found a new photo of Padmé and need a little privacy?”

“She texted me!” Anakin wanted to jump around the room like a schoolboy.

“For real?”

“Yes. She’ll probably be here soon. You need to leave.” Anakin got on his knees. “Rex, please. I’ll make it up to you. Just go to Jesse’s room. Just for tonight. Please. Please.”

Rex reluctantly sat up. “I don’t want to share a bed with that a-hole. Just bang her in the bus or something.”

Anakin breathed out, avoiding anger. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just suggest I take a literal model, the one I’ve been obsessed with for over a year, to a smelly bus. She deserves a palace.”

Rex picked up his beer off the nightstand. “If it means that much to you. Just don’t do anything weird on my side of the room, okay?”

Anakin jumped to his feet and raced over to the door. He opened it for Rex. “Great! Bye!”

With Rex gone, Anakin dropped the towel and dug through his luggage for fresh underwear and sweatpants. He also found a recently-washed hoodie.

Then he cleaned the room. It was a disaster. There were trash and clothes everywhere. And by cleaning he meant stuffing everything in the closet for later. He made the beds as best he could, although it was a sloppy job compared to that of the hotel workers. Like a hurricane, he tore through the bathroom. He put on a ton of deodorant, a moderate amount of cologne (he didn’t want her to think he was trying too hard). He brushed his teeth. Five times. Followed by flossing and mouthwash. He even washed his face. He combed his hair and blow dried it a little so that it wouldn’t look flat.

He stared at his toothbrush. Maybe he should brush again. He probably missed a spot. As he picked up his toothbrush again, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

Padme: i’m in the lobby

He froze. Was she actually? Was she just messing with him? What would he say if she was there? He hadn’t prepared anything. He was too obsessed with getting ready. He didn’t want to come off as a creep, but he would somehow have to invite her up to his room without being a weirdo. They didn’t have to do anything but talk. He would have been happy with anything honestly.

And what about after, if they made it to his room? What would he do then? He was probably going to be awkward. Thinking about her made him nervous. She was the only girl who affected him this way. He usually was a decent flirter. But he was doubting himself entirely now.

Padmé was a stunning model. He hardly deserved to be in her presence. Why did he think this was a good idea? He should have never spoken to her.

His phone buzzed in his hand.

Padmé: are you going to make me wait?

Anakin frantically typed out a response and clicked send.

Anakin: sorry! I’m coming down now.

He stepped into his slides and left the room. The elevator ride down to the first floor seemed unending, until the door slid open and exposing him to the front lobby.

The ceiling was high, and a crystal chandelier hung from the center. And right under the chandelier was his angel. She was blowing on her bare hands to warm them. Anakin slowly approached her. He stopped about a foot away from her. She seemed unaware. She was facing the entrance doors.

Should he say something or tap her on the shoulder? What should he do?

Suddenly he felt the urge to sneeze. He tried to hold it in, but he couldn’t he sneezed right into his sleeve.

She jumped and turned around. Her eyes looked startled.

“I’m so sorry,” Anakin apologized. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She smiled softly. “It’s okay.” Padmé’s eyes lowered to her hands.

Anakin just stood in front of her, trying to decide on how to continue the conversation. He’d never had this problem in his life. But she was remarkable. Her face was slender with full, pink lips. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold. Her body was small. He liked how small she was compared to him. She’d have to climb him just to kiss him.

“Oh,” she began quietly. He barely detected her voice. “What do we do now?”

He swallowed his nervousness and offered his arm to her. “We can go to my room. If you want. You don’t have to if you don’t feel comfortable. I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe. I’m sure you probably get a lot of weirdos propositioning you, and I want to make sure you know I’m not a weirdo like that. I won’t try to do anything strange. Wait that sounded--”

Padmé giggled. “You’re funny.”

“What?” He hadn’t been trying to be funny. He had probably rambled and said a bunch of stupid crap.

They stepped into the elevator together. The tiny space was dead silent as they rode up. He wished he could grab her hands and push her up against the wall and kiss her and have his tongue down her throat. But he was in no state to do that. He could barely even process the fact that they were together. She held onto his arm.

“I’m sorry. I’m being awkward,” Anakin admitted. “I didn’t think you would actually text me.”

“Me either.”

“Why did you?”

Her pretty lips frowned. “My boyfriend kicked me out. I think I might be done with him.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

She smiled again. “No, you’re not.”

He hung his head, hoping she couldn’t see his prideful smirk. “You’re right.”

Anakin led her to his room. He walked carefully. He was certain that he might trip if he didn’t pay attention to where he stepped. The last thing he wanted was to embarrass himself more than he already had.

When they arrived at the door, Anakin unlocked it using the keycard. She went in first and stopped in the center of the room. She narrowed her eyes and bit back a smile.

“Did you clean up for me?” She asked.

“Maybe?”

“That’s sweet of you.”

He hesitantly approached her and stopped behind her. “Can I take your coat for you?”

“Uh… y—yes. Yes, thanks.” She stuttered over her words. Was she nervous too?

He pulled the jacket off her, revealing the skintight leggings and fitted sweater she wore beneath it. He struggled to look away from her body. Those leggings really showed every curve of her legs and hips and everywhere he’d dreamed about grabbing. But he had to restrain himself and avert his eyes so that he would look normal while hanging up her puffy coat.

When he turned around to face her, she was bending over to take off her boots. Anakin looked away. He felt dirty staring at her like that, despite seeing her mostly naked online. He didn’t want her to think he was gross. Padmé set her boots against the wall. She stood in front of him, hugging herself.

“So…” she said cautiously, “what do we do now?” She looked away. She wasn’t very good at maintaining eye contact with him. She swallowed hard. “D-did you… did you just want me to undress?” Her tiny hands tugged at the bottom of her stretchy shirt.

Anakin placed his hands over hers. Her fingers were cold like ice. He took her hands in his and massaged them. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t? What did you want me here for if not… sex?”

“You thought— you thought that’s why I introduced myself?” Anakin was almost offended.

“You don’t want to sleep with me?”

He squeezed her hands, his heart rate increasing once more. Of course, I want to sleep with you. I’d have to be out of my mind if I refused you. He couldn’t say that. That would be too much. “Well, yes. Eventually. I really just invited you over to talk. I’ve just never felt this way about someone before. I know that sounds crazy. I’m sure inviting you over to my hotel probably gave off the wrong signals because I don’t want only a one-night stand with you. I want you to give me a chance to…” He closed his mouth. He had rambled again. He should have just said what he first wanted to say. But tonight, he was determined to make a fool of himself.

“A chance to what, Anakin?”

“I can’t finish that sentence. It’s too… embarrassing.”

She smiled at him. Her smile was so nice and so reassuring. He wanted her to pick her up and spin her around and lay her down and wrap himself around her. “Anakin, we’re both embarrassing. I drove all the way over here for someone who’s not my boyfriend because I’m desperate for any comfort.”

He could do more than offer her comfort. “That’s the only reason you came here?”

She shook her head. “Not entirely. You know, I’m something of a fan of yours.”

“What?” He didn’t believe her.

“Rush hates your guts. He talks about you all the time. When he first started mentioning you, I got curious. I did a bit of research, you could say. I don’t know much about hockey, but I thought you were the most beautiful man I’d ever seen in my life.” She paused and covered her mouth. “Is that weird? To call a man beautiful.”

“You think I am? Really?”

Her blush blossomed into a dark rose. “Anakin… I came all this way to see this game because I knew you were playing. I just wanted to stand and watch you. But I never thought you knew who I was. I just got caught up dreaming about you I guess, but unlike you, I never hoped this would be a reality. Nor would I ever try to make it happen. But you did.”

“I couldn’t help myself. I’m so into you. I’d do anything for a chance to love you.” He closed his eyes in shame. He hadn’t meant to say that. But she drew out his dramatic flair and desperation to please. He just wanted to make her happy.

Padmé stepped closer to him. She pushed him closer to the bed. She tiptoed and wrapped her arms around his neck. She was straining trying to pull herself up. He didn’t understand what she was trying to do. “Could you sit down, Anakin?”

He immediately obeyed her. “Okay?”

“Close your eyes.”

He didn’t want to, but she asked him to. “Okay.” Anakin sat there with his eyes shut and waited for a response. He waited and waited. And waited again. But he refused to open them until he said so.

And then her response came. But it wasn’t what he was expecting. She said nothing, instead pressing her body to his and her lips to his mouth. She parted her glorious, soft lips and kissed him. He was startled by her sudden affection that he could not think. He could only sit there pathetically and let her take care of him. He felt her smile on his lips.

“Your turn,” she said to him.When he opened his eyes, she stood before him in nothing but light blue, lacy lingerie.