There had been a time, so many years ago, when Obi-Wan himself had fallen in love. They had been young and innocent. But both bound to their duty. In the end, they parted. Though with each subsequent meeting, until Satine’s death, Obi-Wan had always thought about what they could have been had he decided to forgo his duty to the Jedi and the Republic and remain on Mandalore with Satine.
That mission to Naboo had been a turning point in so many ways. The loss of Qui-Gon had been so sudden and unexpected, pushing him quickly from apprentice to master. He had his own Padawan learner to guide, something he had never thought would happen so soon.
And oh, Anakin had been a handful. An unruly child and an obstinate teenager. It made Obi-Wan wonder if any other Padawan had ever been so difficult. Not that he could actually ask that question of any of the other masters. His own Padawan braid hadn’t even been cut when he took the boy on so it seemed reasonable that Obi-Wan would have a bit of difficulty.
As for Padme? He had admired her strength and courage. For someone so young, she had seemed wise beyond her years. But he had given her little thought until he watched the holos of her speeches in the senate. Though he had disparaged her to Anakin, telling him that politicians were not to be trusted, he felt a swell of pride that she had gone on to something greater.
He had watched as Anakin and Padme grew closer, those he pretended to have no knowledge. Anakin was never good at keeping his feelings hidden. And, it seemed, neither was Padme. With the war raging around them, he took comfort in the feelings of pure joy that radiated from Anakin whenever Padme was around.
Now, he couldn’t help but feel guilty about being here with her. The wife of his best friend, as she would confess to him later. But Anakin was gone. Lost to them these ten years. The proof of that was in the holovids of the masked creature known as Darth Vader.
Obi-Wan could feel her emotions as well as his own, bright as the sun on the gardens. Things were shifting between them in that moment. And though his training told him to back away from it, lock the feelings up, he couldn’t deny the temptation. There was no more Council. For all intents and purposes, he was Grandmaster of their own little Temple.
The hand he held was brought to his lips, a soft kiss pressed to the back of it. The meaning in her words read quite clearly. “It’s going to be a clear night tonight. Perfect for a picnic under the stars.”
There were definitely moments of time where Padme felt like she was betraying the memory of her husband, but the man who had replaced him in the end had not been Anakin and the Anakin she had fallen in love with would have wanted her happiness and her life above all things. She cursed the darkness that had taken him, but she welcomed the small moments of joy that she had with her children and with Obi-Wan now that enough time had passed to mourn her losses and recover her sense of self. Her pride had been shattered when she’d learned that Anakin had fallen, blaming herself for giving him reason to break the Jedi code, blaming herself for being unable to talk him down when he feared for her life. She had held herself accountable so long for his actions that now all she felt was a sense of loss but a knowledge that she could have done no more.
Padme’s cheeks flushed with colour in a way she hadn’t felt them do since she’d been young at the very moment that Obi-Wan’s lips brushed the back of her hand. There had been no misinterpretation, ten years of sharing a living space made sure of that, and his agreement to a picnic under the stars was a positive step forward for them. Their relationship could change, she told herself. They could be allowed to love because with the rise of the Empire, Jedi like Obi-Wan were all but eradicated and so the rules could change. He seemed to be all right with the idea of them changing, anyway. ❝ I’ll prepare some of the bread and fruits we have, if you’re going into town we can spare a few extras for an evening treat tonight. ❞ Immediately she thought about the different options she had for their meal. Wine? Tea? Probably tea.
❝ Luke? Leia? ❞ She called out, alerting them that she wanted their attention. They were ten years old, old enough to understand that the adults would want some privacy for the evening now and then, and she explained the situation when they’d both run up with their wooden swords. Leia had given Obi-Wan an almost knowing smile, though Luke had seemed more interested in finding some holovid or another of some fighting style he’d been desperate to try out. He was so much like Anakin in some ways.
When the children had run off to continue chattering, Padme turned her gaze back to the man beside her and glanced at their still entwined fingers. She couldn’t deny that it felt right, being so near to him and sharing space in such a way. ❝ I don’t think I can remember the last time I had a romantic meal beneath the stars, perhaps when I was in school. ❞ She chuckled softly, ❝ But it was always something I loved to do. I am determined to make this one as good as it can be. ❞ Because if it was the start of a change in their relationship, Padme hoped it could be memorable.
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