𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 | Anakin Skywalker

four

Anakin managed to slip away from his master during the nightfall, his nerves making his hair stand on end.

"Shit!" The familiar voice shouted: "Look at you, star boy, how big you are!"

Erin walked over to him and grabbed his biceps as she looked at him full length.

"You too," Anakin exhales, looking into Erin's chocolate eyes.

"Are you calling me old?" Erin asks him.

"What?" Anakin blinks, "no, I mean, you look more beautiful."

Erin laughs as she pats his arm.

"It's okay Ani, I know what you mean, it was just a joke, remember?"

Anakin sighed, "you make meaningless and no funny jokes, that's the thing missed the least about you"

"Ow, but at least you missed something else from me," Erin gives him a sly look, "are you going to buy me a drink or are we staying here all night?"

"You just got here and you're already thinking about drinking" Anakin with a smile as he walked on.

"What is life without a little alcohol?"

• • •

"How much trouble did you get yourself into?" Anakin asks her.

"Not enough," Erin replies with a smile.

"Of course you do," Anakin whispers, taking a sip of his drink.

"And how much trouble have you gotten yourself into?"

"Obi wan must be sick of me" Anakin replies adding a smile at the end, "but I have improved in my training, not to brag, but soon I will be one of the best Jedi in the entire galaxy".

"Of course!" Erin tells him to a round of applause, stopping to look again at the boy's face, "look at you, almost a man."

"Well, now I'm nineteen years old, you could say that I'm already a man" Anakin says looking at him.

Erin pats her knee with a nod, "and I'm getting older, look, I've got some wrinkles."

Anakin brushes the hair from Erin's face as she approaches and gives her a gentle caress on the cheek.

"I like your wrinkles"

Erin laughs and pushes Anakin away from her.

"That wasn't pretty, boy"

Anakin leaned back with a smile as he watched Erin order another drink. Despite what the woman had told him, he couldn't find a single wrinkle on her face, even if she did, in his eyes she would always be the most beautiful woman in the entire galaxy.

• • •

"How long will you stay?" Anakin asks kicking a rock with his foot.

"Not much, I have a few planets to visit," Erin replies, and she entwines their arms before Anakin can get discouraged, "but hey, I always come back, don't I?"

"Yes" Anakin exhales, "I have a mission with Obi-wan, I have to protect a senator"

Erin nudged him with her hip, "Why the face? Isn't that good?"

"Yes, it is, I mean, I know her, she's a childhood friend, i used to have a crush on her before…" Anakin stopped looking at Erin's face.

"Before?" Erin asks with raised eyebrows.

"Nothing. It's just that we won't be able to see each other as often as before"

"Nah, don't worry about that," Erin tells her, coming back to her, "we can always make calls, like before, plus I understand you have your own business."

"Well, that doesn't take away from the fact that spending time with you is just as important."

Erin laughs, "Spending time with an old lady?" She asks with some irony, "come on Ani, you should spend more time with people your age. Don't try to grow up so fast."

"But I've grown" Anakin tells her, taking her arm to stop her, "you said so yourself"

Erin puts her hand over Anakin's as she gazes up at him softly.

"We don't have to ruin tonight, okay? Let's just ignore this," Erin said, letting go of him as she moved forward again.