"We should do something." Anakin was stretched out on the floor of her bedroom, arms resting casually underneath his head, legs crossed at the ankles. Padme rolled her eyes from her seat at her desk. She was currently proof-reading Anakin's application, a pen between her teeth. For someone who could understand mathematical formulas like they were a second language, his spelling was atrocious. If Obi-Wan had told her that helping Anakin would mean doing tedious things like this, she might not have agreed to it. And it didn't help that Anakin was completely unhelpful, sprawled out on the floor as though he was on vacation, making Padme do all the work.
"I am doing something, Anakin," she told him grumpily as she circled yet another spelling mistake. "You could make yourself useful and help. This is yours, you know."
Anakin laughed. "Nah, you're better at proofing than me. And spelling. And, y'know, English in general."
She sighed, exasperated. "Really, Anakin. You're what, nineteen? And you can't spell the word 'definitely'?"
He yawned, stretching out his long limbs, and Padme couldn't help but notice the sliver of golden skin exposed to her as his t-shirt rode up. The sharp angle of his hips, disappearing underneath the waistband of his shorts, the trail of fair, blonde hair that trickled down from his navel, the elegant planes of his abdomen; they caught her eye and she flushed in spite of herself. When he opened his eyes again, they found hers and he smirked when he realised she was staring at him.
"We all have our talents," he told her, his voice thick with a deeper meaning that Padme understood immediately. It lead to a series of unwanted questions springing up in her mind and she bit her lip, trying to shake such… inappropriate images from behind her eyelids. "But seriously, we should do something. Anything else. I'm bored."
Padme scowled at him. "Well, I'm sorry that waiting for me to proofread your freaking application is so boring for you, Anakin. Maybe I should just leave it and you can send in an application riddled with mistakes and throw away your chances of ever getting into university. Would that be less boring for you?"
He seemed a little taken aback by her abruptness, but covered with a smooth smile, baiting her. "I was thinking purely for your sake, Padme, because, I'm sure you're pretty bored right now."
"Oh, I'm sure. You're just so selfless like that," she retorted, trying to remain strong but his humour got to her, breaking her resolve and she couldn't help but grin. "What did you have in mind?"
He stood up from his position on the ground and tied his shoulder-length hair into a low ponytail. Then, cocking his head to the side, the joints cracking, he rolled his shoulders back and he grinned at her. "There's this one place I'd like to take you. It's not too far away from here." When she crossed her arms suspiciously, he laughed, "don't worry. You'll like it."
Biting her lip, she contemplated his suggestion. Lately, they had been spending too much time either at home or at Anakin's work. It would be nice to spend some time with him, away from those environments; somewhere new and fresh. Smiling in consent, she followed him outside, "lead the way, Skywalker," to where he kept his motorbike. Honestly, he needs a car. Is it that much to ask? She would never admit to him that she actually enjoyed riding with him, pressing herself close to him, feeling the thrum of the engine reverberate through his body and onto hers, his unique, musky, Anakin smell filling her nose. No, she couldn't tell him that. She continued to feign her distrust of his favourite vehicle and his reckless driving, just to tease him.
The wind caught her hair as they flew by, causing it to billow out behind her underneath her helmet, loose strands catching in her mouth and teeth. Her nose and ears grew cold from the speed and exposure of the ride, but she pressed her cheek against the warmth of Anakin's back, curling her arms around his waist. Her sudden affection towards him surprised her, but she didn't shy away from it. Every moment with Anakin had made her question her growing feelings for him. Though she didn't know exactly how she felt, she knew she wanted to be around him. There was something about his presence that electrified her. It was scary and exciting. Unlike anything she had ever felt.
