Phoenix stood in the entranceway of the Senate. People milling around and then Phoenix spotted Padme who was coming right for her. Obi-Wan's Jedi padawan in tow. Anakin looked pleased to see Obi-Wan and Phoenix but not to be ferried around by Padme. Phoenix wasn't sure what kind of relationship they had but she was sure it would not be considered anything good in the eyes of the Council. Why was Anakin so quick to break the rules but Obi-Wan wouldn't?

     "I heard about Jax so I thought we should go out for drinks. Both of us. Mr Grumpy and Obi-Wan can spend some time together while they guard us." Padme said, sending Anakin a teasing smile. Anakin rolled his eyes and then moved to talk to Obi-Wan. Phoenix nodded and knew that would be a good idea. Getting absolutely drunk off her ass sounded like a really good plan.

     "That sounds like a good plan. A lot of alcohol is exactly what I need tonight," She admitted as she looked into Padme's eyes. The brunette frowned and pulled her friend into a hug. Phoenix sighed and buried her face a bit before they pulled away again. Padme wanted to ask what was wrong but as she was midway through her sentence Anakin and Obi-Wan came over.

     "We'll talk at the bar," Padme smiled at her friend, interrupting herself. She looked up at the men. Anakin was frowning and his arms were buried in his pockets, his distaste for being dragged around was evident but he seemed content with it nonetheless especially considering he was around Padme. He didn't bother complaining.

     "Are you two ready to go? You can gossip later on," Anakin said as he gestured towards the door. Padme rolled her eyes and Phoenix was able to give him a weak smile and that was about it. Anakin looked at her with a slightly furrowed eyebrow. Picking up on her miserable mood easily. Her thoughts were loud and he could hear them so clearly but he didn't say anything. Even with her thoughts, he didn't understand what was going on but Anakin knew not to question his Master here or Phoenix for that matter. It was clearly private business.

     "I know exactly where we're going and if you two are good, I'll even treat you to drinks," Padme said, linking arms with Phoenix and sending both the men a teasing smile. She clearly knew them well enough to be able to do that. Phoenix, on the other hand, would never dream of doing that. She was far too awkward and with Obi-Wan acting like he was, she couldn't do anything anymore. She didn't even want to talk in front of him.

     "I shouldn't drink. I need to protect Senator Vanda." Obi-Wan responded. The change of name made her heart ache just that little bit harder. Padme gave him a look before just shaking her head, looking to Phoenix. Phoenix shrugged in response and stayed quiet. She had no choice on what he did and she wasn't going to try and convince him otherwise. He hated her enough as it was so she was just content to let him feel however he wanted.

     Padme noticed how quiet Phoenix was but decided against say anything. Instead she simply squeezed Phoenix's hand in an attempt to calm her down. They called a hover taxi and Phoenix was forced to sit next to Obi-Wan despite the look she gave Padme. So, the ride was awkward for her. Obi-Wan, Anakin and Padme all conversed quite happily and Phoenix knew she should have joined in but she didn't. Instead she just stared out the window, her stomach twisting in anxiety. She did not want to be here. She wanted to be home. She shouldn't have agreed.

     "Did you secure that trade deal today, Phoe?" Padme asked bringing Phoenix back to reality and realised that everyone was staring at her. She had been zoning out again, wishing that she was anywhere but in this place. The awkwardness on her end was suffocating her. But it didn't seem like anyone else could feel it.

     "Yeah, I did. I just managed it. He was stubborn but I talked him over," Phoenix said, attempting to act like she felt fine and this was normal. Padme grinned and then began to comment about it. The trio's conversation began all over again while Phoenix went back to staring off. She wasn't feeling this, not anymore. She wanted to be around Padme, not the two Jedi. They just made her feel more guilty.

     So when the hover car came to a stop she was happy. Instantly opening the door and getting out onto the street. She took off into the bar and Padme had to rush to stay with her. A soft sigh escaping the brunette's lips. She needed the boys to stay away so Phoenix would tell Padme what the hell was going on because this made no sense. This was not like her. Padme knew that Jax leaving probably hit her hard but with the way she was acting around Obi-Wan. Something was wrong and she wanted to know what and quickly.

     Phoenix was sat at the bar with the strongest wine she could have and she had already downed a glass of it by the time Padme got to her. The Senator sat down on the seat next to Phoenix, ordering a drink before glaring at Phoenix. It was playful and not meant to come across as rude by any means. Padme just didn't understand why she had made Padme practically run through bar.

     This bar was a lot more modern. The bar counter was sleek and grey made of a matieral that Phoenix didn't recognise. The lights were dim to create atmosphere and the seats and tables were all high with various species dotted around. It was a classy bar by every means which explained the lack of strong wines. They wouldn't take nicely to disorderly and drunk patrons.

     "What has gone on because you are acting differently," Padme said as she looked at her older friend. Phoenix took another swig of her wine and Padme watched, gently shaking her head. She leant over and grabbed onto Phoenix's hand, squeezing it gently before Phoenix sighed and placed her wine back down. Downing it probably wouldn't be the classiest way to get drunk but it was going to get the job done.

     "I'm in love with Obi-Wan and I thought he loved me back but he's just breaking my heart just like when I was a teenager," Phoenix said as she glanced back at the two Jedis. The boys were sitting at a table, talking to each other and discussing. Phoenix didn't know what but based on the furrowed eyebrows and hushed voices it was some secret Jedi business.

     Then a female waitress came over to them, a sly smile on her face. Her hair was blonde and long, sleek and slightly curled. Her outfit was modest but the low scoop neck allowed the perfect view of her cleavage. She was clearly showing off and Phoenix watched as he talked to her, clearly enjoying it. They talked for a little longer than necessary. Anakin losing interest. Then Obi-Wan smiled at her and she winked back at him before she walked away. Phoenix stared for possibly a little too long before she looked forward again. He had basically just flirted with that waitress. She did not want to be here. Suddenly getting drunk wasn't so appealing especially if she had to watch them flirt for the whole evening.

     "I think I'm just going home," Phoenix said, not even realising that she was interrupting Padme as she went to stand up. But then Padme grabbed her arm and forced her to sit down, looking at Phoenix properly before shaking her head. Phoenix was being stupid and ridiculous. She knew it but she just couldn't help herself. She just felt weird and didn't want to be around him or anyone. She wanted to be curled up in bed and alone.

     "Obi-Wan doesn't follow the Code as much as Anakin doesn't. Neither of them truly believe in having no attachments. I think he's scared," Padme said as she looked at Phoenix who only shook her head in response. She didn't believe that and proceeded to sit down, downing her wine. Drunk seemed like her only option right now then.

     "Scared of what? That I'll bite? We spent like 5 hours kissing until we both didn't want to anymore. Until we were both too tired to. He isn't scared, he just doesn't love me. It's as simple as that," Phoenix responded, ordering a whole bottle of the Naboo wine. She wanted to get to the point where she couldn't walk that would at least mean she would fall asleep from exhaustion, "I broke up with my fiance for a man who can never love," She muttered, chuckling at herself. At her own luck. At her own stupidity. She then poured herself another glass of wine.

     "That's not true. You don't see the way he admires you. He tries to be subtle but it's obvious to everyone but you," Padme responded and Phoenix scoffed. She glanced back to find the men talking and no lovesick look in Obi-Wan's eyes. Just normal, he looked normal. He didn't love her, he just found to be a convenient person to kiss. That's all she was to him.

     "If he admires me, he doesn't show it. I don't understand why he can't just tell me he's in love with me. I can tell him, I would scream it in the street but he won't even tell me in private. Alone." She muttered as she looked at Padme. Padme shrugged in response; she didn't know why Obi-Wan wouldn't say anything but she knew one thing about the Jedi and that was that they all feared becoming everything they despised, a Sith. Attachments were a step towards the dark side that they didn't want to take, even Anakin worried.

     "He's worried about being a bad Jedi, Phoenix. You're reading too much into his actions," Padme responded, her words were fair but harsh nonetheless. Even if she was reading into it, she had every reason to. He acted like there was no love between them this whole day. Like they hadn't cuddled, watched trash holo-shows and kissed until her lips were swollen. He was acting like nothing had ever happened between them. He was ignoring her, dismissing her and he had flirted with the waitress like Phoenix wasn't sat a few meters away.

     "I have nothing else to go off of. He doesn't give me anything," Phoenix muttered and she downed another glass of wine. That glass hitting her like a train as she felt the light buzz that alcohol always gave her. It was a nice buzz but she wanted more, she wanted to not be able to think. Then maybe her mind would stop being so loud and overbearing.

     "You need to stop drinking so quickly. You're gonna end up passing out," Padme commented and Phoenix was quick to reply with a simple "that's the goal.". And the drinking continued. Padme was definitely taking it in moderation while Phoenix was consuming all her liver could take in hopes of forgetting her woes.

     The topics of conversation varied and the drunker she got the more emotional they became. She was opening up about a lot but still knew that when Obi-Wan appeared that she was to go silent which she promptly did. She wasn't going to go around spilling her guts to Obi-Wan kriffing Kenobi. He had broken her heart once and he was on his way to doing it again.

     So, when they all had to head home, Phoenix tried her best to walk alone but her best efforts failed and she stumbled around. The hover-car took them most of the way back to the Senate and the four of them parted ways. Obi-Wan led her back to the room while she gave him the silent treatment the whole walk there. She didn't want to talk to him, he had pissed her off to no end and from Phoenix's perspective, had spent the whole night flirting with the waitress so the silent treatment was all he was going to get . Silence and abandonment despite his attempts to help her and keep her close.

      She stumbled into the bedroom and managed to get into some new clothes before she collapsed into bed, falling asleep. It wasn't a long sleep by any means but it was enough for the alcohol to have mostly flushed out of her system and left with a throbbing headache by the time she had awoken a few hours later.

***

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 ! more phoenix and padme interaction!! and then jealous phoenix of course because we gotta keep that angst for a little longer, it only makes sense but it will all be okay in the end, i promise. just gotta have a little more angst before we can get the happiness :) i hope you enjoyed the chapter <3