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WARNING: Fluff <3 This comes from the archives of my daydreaming moments in the middle of the gym, where I would picture Anakin spotting me. Thank you and goodnight.

A/N: IT'S BEEN A MINUTE! Thanks to everyone who comes back to read again! I needed some time to isolate myself, plan and write, but also to enjoy my mini vacations from Uni. Oh boy, this semester is gong be wayyy tougher than last one :((((((

So please enjoy my safe and happy place :)

This one is dedicated to lovrsm !!! <3

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Y/n's POV

—Twenty-eight, twenty-nine....thirty! Oh my God! —I gawked. —How are you doing this?

My laugh vibrated directly onto Anakin's back, exactly the place I was resting on while he did push-ups.

—Upper body strength, baby. — He chortled.

—Ha! —I scoffed. —I can do it too. —I bragged and my body slumped to the floor when Anakin laid his chest against the mat.

—Wanna give it a go?—He rested on his elbow as he waited for me to get into plank position.

—No, thanks. —I exhaled, relaxing against the firm material. — I'm sure of my abilities. — I put my chin up.

—Okay, little beast. —He chuckled and pulled me closer so I would be under him to kiss me.

My very, very thin willpower gave in when his tongue came out to lick my lips. My fingers quickly met his sweat-damped curls and Anakin's hand went to grip my waist, which was showing due to my athletic gear. The sweat in our bodies mixed and our breaths got heavier as the kiss intensified, but it didn't get faster. Our lips moved slowly, encapsulated in the thick atmosphere of the training room. Anakin clutched his hand and I jolted when he went to suck on my clavicle.

—The whole idea of- —Anakin didn't let me finish because he was back again, assaulting my mouth with his sneaky tongue. I reciprocated, unable to resist the spell he had on me. — The idea of training together is to push each other, honey. —I finished quickly when we were gasping for air.

—But we already trained. We did for like two hours. —He frowned. —I deserve my reward. —He winked and captured my lips once more.

—Ani, we did thirty minutes and then we made the bet that you wouldn't be able to do thirty push-ups with me on your back! — My nose nuzzled his and I smiled.

—And I won, so I'm claiming my prize. Either way, I get to kiss you. —He talked against my lips and I let out a laugh.

—C'mon. We still have work to do. —I palmed his butt to urge him to get up and he wiggled it for me, jokingly. Finally, he obeyed, but not without huffing at me first for ruining his fun.

We spent the next hour trying and failing to have a serious workout session, but how could I ever expect anything to not turn into a joke or a competition with this man?

In the beginning, we really put some effort into it.

Who could do more burpees?

A stare-off while doing planks.

A monkey bar match.

Something that absolutely fascinated me was Anakin's ability to, in the middle of the most competitive times, find a way to mess around as if he was a toddler.

Like...

Biting my nose right when I was about to demolish his ass in plank.

Picking me up and swirling me around when I couldn't keep doing those motherfucking burpees.

Stealing kisses as I did crunches.

Of course, I would get away with certain stuff too.

Like...

Sitting on his lap while he did a fixed squat against the wall.

Kissing his cheeks as he did bench press.

Mocking him through the mirror as he lifted weights.

So when he had enough of my grimaces and distracting manners he threw them to the floor and turned around.

—You think you are hilarious, huh? —He brushed his bangs and crossed his arms on his naked chest.

—Well, yes, I do, thank you very much. —Putting my hands on my hips, I beamed, overconfident.

—C'mere. —He called me in with his hand and I got close hesitantly. —Lay on the floor.

—Anakin... —My voice came out sternly.

—Do you trust me? —He stared at me, still breathing agitatedly.

I stayed quiet, giving the question more meaning that it actually had. I knew the context was completely different from what I was picturing but I couldn't help but overthink it. And here, with the spotlight on me, I felt the pressure consuming me.

Did I trust Anakin?

So I just stayed there, air coming in shortages, glued to his expectant eyes. Those beautiful, blue, expectant eyes. Angelic almost.

—Yes. — That surprised even me. And I saw Anakin's smirk turned into a wide smile, shaking his head to the ground.

—Then lay on the floor. —He signaled me with his chin.

After I followed his instruction, Anakin guided me forward to cross my legs and arms. With a frown, I did, only to find him grabbing me by my limbs to use me as a weight bar to do deadlifts.

—Anakin! —I yelled but burst into laughter at the end. —Ani, stop!

— Oh, oh. You lost there. I'm not bothered by that nickname anymore. —He rested in between sets to take some air.

— Good, because I don't do it to tease you anymore. I like it. —I replied.

He looked down on me with bright eyes, kind of nostalgic too, like he was remembering something.

A happy memory.

Then he leaned down to kiss me. The sweetest kiss of today.

—You... are something else, sweetheart.

—Oh, can it. —I rolled my eyes with flushed cheeks and not because of my core's tension. —You're not getting out of the last set. —He put me down after some reps.

—I think we can do it more interestingly. —He raised his eyebrows and smiled suggestively.

Before I could even say something dirty, Anakin grabbed me by my ankles and pulled me hard to meet him on the mat. The feeling of deja vu hit me, especially when Anakin placed himself on top of me.

—Are you trying to have sex on the training room... again? —I scoffed harshly.

—I would be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind... — He put both of his hands on each side of my head and with his knee he scooched my thighs so I would open my legs for him. — But I thought about leaving that for later. —And he did a push-up and ended the exercise by kissing me on the lips, just to start over again. —One...

Oh yeah, later.

Later as in tonight. As in the night of our date. My first date.

I felt silly for being so anxious about it. It's not like Anakin was a stranger. Besides seeing me naked, he had seen me in the heat of battle, in my most irritable mornings, and in my most vulnerable states, when I told him itty bits of my past. Something that he craved more, but I was unable to share.

I was behaving like a ridiculous high school girl, with butterflies in my stomach and coy smiles. For sure Anakin was eating that shit up; mocking me by reminding me of all of the plans he had for us. He would brush my hair and tell me that he had picked up his favorite restaurant. Or he would catch me off guard as I was checking something on my data pad and whisper in my ear about the fun activities we would do after eating.

He was having the best time of his life teasing me and making me blush, laughing at my embarrassment and excitement. But there was a part of him that was also enjoying the build-up to the day. I could see the content spark in his blue eyes too and the way he couldn't shut up about it went beyond the bicker; he was looking forward to it too.

—Fifteen. — Another kiss. —Sixteen...

—How many are- —I was interrupted by his plumped lips. — -are you going to do?

—I haven't decided. —Another kiss was dropped. —I guess until I get tired. —He did it again and I chuckled. —The thing is I don't think I'm going to get tired.

He did like twenty more before stopping because we heard some footsteps coming our way. We quickly ran to different machines and pretended that we were exercising separately, only to find out it was a couple of troopers paroling, not ever glancing in our direction.

We sighed in relief and stopped the useless charades. When our nervous gazes clashed, we snorted, mocking our apprehension.

—Someday the anxiety of keeping it hidden will kill us.—Anakin commented, walking to the bench to pick up his stuff.

—That's if Qui-Gon doesn't kill us first.—I emphasized.

I tried my best not to mention that often, because usually, that would bring the mood down. But now and then, I chose to drop the bomb to bring us back to reality: that whatever the hell we were doing was a fantasy. A trick. Not something that would last forever, nor did it have a future.

Anakin and I were living on borrowed time. Someday our luck would run out, I was sure of it. Ending while we still had the upper hand was probably the best choice, but neither of us had the guts to do it. Not when we were having such a terrific time together.

So we just keep hiding in the shadows. Living in stolen moments and communicating in unspoken words. Letting our story carry on without a paper trail, because the minute we admitted it was real, we were doomed. As long as it was emotionless, there was no reason for it to be forbidden.

I think that's why Anakin was also turning the date into a joke. It was the first step to bringing our "situationship" to the next level; we were aware of the dangerous limits it was grazing. But it was too delightful to stop. Too dreamy to even want to try.

I needed to ground myself so often because otherwise, the butterflies I felt every time I looked at him would elevate me into the sky, making me feel light and sunny. They would make me believe that anything was possible, even having Anakin and my Sith life. Only to drop me when the clash of reality finally caught up with us.

But we can always play pretend.

—So, meet you by the landing platform F at 7pm? —I questioned, putting my bag over my shoulder.

—Uhmm, no. —As Anakin put his shirt on, my heart sank to the floor. Did my previous comment make him change his mind? — This is a proper date, ma'am. I will pick you up in your room.

—Oh wow, what a gentleman. —Playing the "swept off my feet" part, I put my hand on my chest and tossed my hair back.

We laughed and left the training room together, dedicating ourselves to engage in a conversation about how awful the lunch was.

—Seriously, it's not that hard to seal a steak. —Anakin complained.

—Okay, Masterchef. I will have to see if you can walk the walk. —I raised my eyebrow and got ahead to look at him over my shoulder.

—It's a deal. You'll see how great my meat is. —Anakin bragged.

—I already- —I began to speak.

—Please don't finish that sentence. —Obi-Wan showed up out of nowhere with a grimace. It looked like he came from the East Wing, where all the meeting rooms and Qui-Gon's office were situated.

—I should finish it just because you scared the living shit out of me! —I yelled, putting my hand on my agitated chest.

—Do it and Qui-Gon will hear you, he is coming right behind me. —Obi-Wan tilted his head and pointed to his back with his thumb.

Right on cue, a very serious and cold Qui-Gon appeared.

Ever since the Imperial Convention, Qui-Gon had started to act differently. More distanced and emotionless. He took a couple of days to go to the Death Star by himself and we barely talked to him while he was there. When he came back, we thought he would have cooled off, but hell, were we mistaken. He was still... unlike himself.

—I have arranged a dinner for all of us to discuss some important matters. —He spoke distantly and we all took it as a sign to stiff up our relaxed postures. —It's tonight in the main dining room. —Anakin and I froze in shock and very subtly tried to meet each other's -disappointed- eyes. Maybe it was an early dinner? —Attendance is non-negotiable. Be there at 7. Sharp. —My heart fell twelve stories down.

We all nodded in defeat and let him walk away after his short and lousy speech.

—So... he is still upset. —Anakin broke the ice.

—Thanks for the unknown information, Anakin. — Obi-Wan sassily replied, rolling his eyes. — Guess the Convention thing hasn't washed off. —A hollow exhale followed his last words.

—You think? —Anakin huffed and Obi glared at him.

—See you there, then. —Obi-Wan started to walk down the hallway that would lead him to the hangar.

—Where are you going? —I asked. It was weird for him to leave the building. He rarely did, only to go for groceries or a mission.

—Out. —It was all he said before his shadow was the only remnant of him.

I was a little hurt by his straightforward answer, but I tried to stay off his radar these past few days; just giving him space to process and hurt by himself without the external pressure of talking about it. He was pretty shaken after Ki's execution: after delivering the show, his figure vanished in the middle of the thunderous applause. He did not wait for Qui-Gon's signal to leave, even his saber was left behind for Anakin to pick up. We did not see him at all the next, we only knew that he had a talk with Qui-Gon the morning after and that was it. We were completely in the blue.

Anakin and I stayed in silence, not sure what to say. It was safe to say the whole plan was ruined.

—So...

—So...

We giggled at our words coming out at the same time.

—We will still have dinner at 7. —I shrugged my shoulders, seeing if my joke would lighten the mood. It did. — Not how I expected it though. —I gave him a side smile.

—Reschedule tomorrow? —He raised his shoulders with a gloomy countenance.

—Of course. —I beamed and he tried to kiss him, but I put my hand on his chest and looked around to signal him that we were in public. —See you later?

—Sure, princess. —He nodded ashamed and carried on to his room.

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[6:59pm]

Right on the dot, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and I sat down at the dining table. Obi-Wan chose to sit at the end of the table (the one that was not reserved for Qui-Gon), leaving Anakin and I to sit on opposite sides of each other.

—What do you think he is going to say? —I whispered, playing with my glass of water as the waitresses around us put the last pieces of silverware.

—Dunno. Talk about the riots about Ki-Adi Mundi's death? —Anakin blabbered as he munched on the tomato toasts on the center of the table.

Oh, yes. The rebels have gone mad about that.

Riots involving not only members of the rebel alliance, but civilians, had exploded all over the galaxy. His face was on millions of posters, every damn day on the news. The fall of a peace symbol and rebel leader had shaken their morale and from their end, it looked like they were losing the war.

I mean, they were, but did they ever stand a chance?

It had started a debate about the Empire: were a bunch of murderers the type of leadership people should accept? Or should they be proud that we have prioritized security as we promised?

The lingering question remained: but at what cost?

At the moment we have been safe from any larger attempt on our lives, but the imperial stations had suffered from direct attacks more consistently the last week and things were getting pretty hectic.

— I'm seriously questioning your taste right now, Phoenix. —Obi-Wan sighed as he watched Anakin's non-existent table manners.

— Me too, old man... me too. —I agreed with a grimace as the feta cheese would fall messily from Anakin's lips.

—Hey! —He furrowed his eyebrows. — Don't speak until you have tried one of these.

— At least clean yourself up, honey. —I tossed him a napkin. —You're eating like a pig.

—Honey? —Obi-Wan scoffed. We both freezed and stayed put like statues.—I thought this was just a casual hook-up situation. —He raised his eyebrow, a funny glimmer on his eyes. The same eyes that were surrounded by dark bags under them. A funny glimmer that was a great contrast to his -now usual- tired demeanor.

—It is! —I rushed to say, panicking. While Anakin's expression reflected his amusement at my terror, it simultaneously showed that my answer was not what he was expecting. —It just slipped...

—Right... —Obi-Wan hummed. —I will let it slide, honey. —He chuckled and I flicked him off. —Any plans ruined due to this unexpected meeting? —He tried to create small talk.

—Ummm... no... —Anakin began.

—Not really, just staying in...—I murmured at the same time.

Obi-Wan's eyes flipped from one figure to another, smelling our lies from afar.

—I truly don't understand this relationship. —He finally spoke.

—There's nothing to understand. Right? —Anakin signaled me to agree.

—Right. —I nodded, exaggerating my confidence.

—Stand up to receive Emperor Qui-Gon Jinn, ruler of the Empire. —A masked trooper announced as two other troopers opened the doors for him to enter with a black robe.

The three of us quickly rose from our chairs out of respect for our master, patiently waiting until he got to his chair and made a gesture that it was okay for us to sit again.

Here we go.

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A/N: Are we going to have date blue balls??? Maybe... But the wait makes it all better <3 It's gonna be worth your time! I promise!

Thanks so much for the suggestions! I'm actually going to use many of them!!! So sorry if I don't pick yours... It's nothing personal, I swear! But some were pretty distant from the plot I have in mind!

Never doubt to comment suggestions and things you would want to see! It's all appreciate it!

Good night loves! May you feel loved always! <3