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(a/n): This chapter is mostly fluff because I think we need more of that in our lives🥰

Alastair POV:

I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration.

One task. I ask one simple task of people I assume I can trust, and twice this week I've been let down. That rogue servant I can understand, but Luca took me by surprise. He was a loyal spy for quite a while, which is why I assumed he would make the sacrifice I asked of him. But he failed me when I ultimately needed him the most.

I scoffed to myself. He was naive to think I would just give him Alderaan; him, a novice palace guard with no knowledge or experience in leading. He wouldn't have lasted a day.

In the end, I realize that asking him to make a sacrifice like that may not have been the wisest choice. It appears he was more loyal to his little girlfriend than to me.

And look where that got him. Love is a weakness. That's what my father taught me. And Luca's apparent death only proved it further.

After that little stunt he pulled trying to threaten me by threatening (y/n), I began to doubt my entire plan.

But what he did not know is that I had been prepared for an incident of treachery on his end. Another lesson I learned from my father is that in this world, you can trust no one. People will always let you down.

But anyway, when I gave Luca his comlink to communicate with me, I deliberately had the device programmed to record every conversation he indulges in at the mere push of a button. So now, I have both (y/n)'s confession of her being Queen and the Jedi's involvement from the cave. Despite my original plan not working, there is still much I can do to destroy her life, should she not comply.

Yes, even though she's safe and still available to take my offer, I didn't accomplish what I had hoped would happen at the ball. I wanted to pose empty threats so that she'd go crawling back to her little Jedi Temple—which I now know the exact location of; Luca wasn't entirely useless—but now I'll have to find another way to get her back there.

Then a thought occurred to me.

I'm—usually—a man of my word, and that applies to this situation seeing as I gave her a month to consider my offer, and in that time I still need to prepare for how to respond if she says no. But, what if I changed the game? I have proof of her true identity, which she has spent her life trying to protect. If that isn't incentive to make her take my offer, then she will surely have declared war.

My frustration quickly shifted into hope as I formulated a plan drive her back to the Temple. I grinned as it all molded together in my brain. It seems almost too easy, but I won't complain now. This recording is my insurance policy, if you will, but I still have work to do before I can threaten her with it. I have no doubt she'll be going back within the next day, and from then on, she'll have to spend her remaining time looking over her shoulder twice as much.

All because of a little rumor I plan to spread tonight.

(y/n) POV:

I woke up peacefully in a familiar position; wrapped in Anakin's arms. Only this time, I didn't freak out or try to escape. And also this time, he was awake at the same time as me.

He smiled down at me, "Good morning, my love." He kissed my hair gently. I sighed in bliss, this was the perfect way to wake up; snuggled together under the large blue blankets. Both of his arms were holding my body tight against his chest, and I could hardly move. But I didn't mind. With him, I've recently found that I always feel safe and protected. And in his arms is probably the safest place I can be.

"Good morning, handsome." I replied in a scratchy voice, admiring his angelic features. Even in the morning, he still looked as good as ever. And I noticed on his bare chest the many marks I left, and had no doubt that I had similar ones on my neck. I would have to wear a hood in public until they fade.

He smirked, "So you think I'm handsome?"

I rolled my eyes and lifted one of my arms from under his to playfully smack his shoulder, "I think you're full of it."

He just grinned amusedly at my comment and placed one of his hands on the back of my head, pulling me in for a kiss. The moment his lips gently pressed against mine, I entered a different world entirely. One where it was just him and I with no one else and nothing that could pull us apart. That's what kissing him feels like, I've learned, and it's one of the best feelings I've ever experienced. Our lips moved in sync, matching the soft beat of our hearts perfectly.

Eventually, I slowly pulled away and nuzzled back into his arms, "What are we doing today?" I asked, even though I wanted nothing more than to stay in bed all day with him.

He sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, trailing his finger up and down the outer edges of my jaw. "I spoke with Obi-Wan yesterday, and he told me that this little trip is going to be cut short. We're leaving later today."

"Oh." I looked up at him in surprise, suddenly not feeling tired anymore. Why are we leaving? We're supposed to stay here for another week, unless something happened back at the Temple involving me, which prompted Yoda to contact Obi-Wan. That's the only reason I can think as to why we would abandon a 'mission'.

But all concerns I had faded when he smirked and said, "But fortunately, that won't be until much later today. So until then, you're not leaving this bed." He tightened his hold on me to make his point clear.

I giggled from the rush of butterflies I felt, knowing that he wanted the same thing I did. This felt so surreal to experience. Last night we rode high on cloud nine together, all the way until we were physically too exhausted to continue. We hardly spoke, and when we did, it was either a declaration of love or a humorous insult, ironically. If I was told a week ago that this is where I would be with Anakin, I'd never believe it. Not too long ago we hated each other, and look how quickly that changed. But if we're going to let this go further, then that's something I need to address with him.

"Anakin, there's something I need to ask you." I started, gazing up at him cautiously. Despite the fact that we were very much comfortable with each other now, I was still concerned with how open he would be with actually talking to me. I know talking isn't always easy for him—and I won't pressure him if he truly isn't ready—but I hope I can somehow get it out of him.

"Ask away." He smiled, leaning down to kiss my forehead; a gesture that made my heart flutter.

I sighed as I tried to figure a way to ask this question without it being too blunt, until I realized that blunt would be the only way to ask. "Why.....why have you always hated me up until recently?"

The only reason I hated him is because of how he treated me, and he knows that. I could never figure out why he acted the way he did. But now is the perfect time to learn, especially since he clearly doesn't feel that way anymore.

I felt his body stiffen in response to my question. He loosened his hold on me until I could no longer feel his arms around me. I watched in confusion as he slowly started pulling the covers off of himself. "I—I need to use the washroom."

"Hey." I sat up and grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving. "Talk to me, please." I coaxed, feeling slightly hurt that he didn't want to confide in me.

He sighed quietly and turned back towards me after a few seconds of silence. "You're right. We said no lying to each other, and that also means no secrets."

I smiled and nodded, "No secrets. I like that."

The only trouble is that I did have a secret. A big one. But he can't know, for the safety of myself and my kingdom. He'll learn eventually, I don't know when, but it will be when the time is right.

But I know he'll understand why I had to keep my identity a secret when I tell him. I've heard stories about Padmé Amidala, and how she was in a very similar position as me when she was only fourteen. She was one of Anakin's first friends, and I'm sure he remembers her conundrum of having to keep her identity a secret.

Anakin took a deep breath as he seemed to be putting together what he was going to say in his head. He then laid on his side so that he was resting on his elbow, facing towards me as I laid on my back next to him. "You know," He smiled, "Lately you've been telling me all these stories, so I think it's time that I return the favor."

A smile rose to my lips as one of my eyebrows cocked upwards. Now I'm curious. "Once upon a time," He began in a mock formal voice, making me roll my eyes and grin in spite of myself. "There was a brave, young, and extremely handsome Jedi Knight."

I shook my head in amusement, and waited for him to continue.

"This Jedi Knight was many things; stubborn and closed minded being some of them. And because of that, he didn't want a Padawan. He believed having one would slow him down and be a major inconvenience. He was, and sometimes still is too arrogant for his own good."

I scoffed a laugh, "Sometimes is an understatement."

He rolled his eyes, "As I was saying, having a Padawan was the last thing he wanted. So when he was forced to be given one by the Jedi Council, he did what he could to ignore her, to pretend like she didn't exist and continue on with his life. But he soon learned that she was just as stubborn as he was. She never took no for an answer, and always found a way to get under his skin." He smirked and began rubbing circles into my thigh with his thumb as he spoke.

I felt myself blushing all over again from the intimate gesture. I never thought in a million years that he'd be able to have this effect on me, yet here we are.

"And because of this," He continued, casting his gaze downwards away from mine, "He felt intimidated by her." He admitted quietly.

My eyes widened. I wasn't expecting that at all. Anakin doesn't get intimidated by anything, and I have a hard time believing he felt that way because of me. But there's still a lot I don't know about him, which is why it's good that we're talking now.

I sat up and gently cupped his cheek, guiding his eyes back to meet mine. "Go on." I prompted, hoping he would know that he can trust me.

He leaned into my touch and sighed, "And this made him angry. Feeling intimidated was something he hated. So, in turn, he decided to hate her as well. He believed it would help him to regain some of the control he lost."

I nodded as the realization finally settled. That's why he's always had a bone to pick with me. I could never figure him out; I knew Anakin never wanted a Padawan, but I was oblivious as to where all of his hate came from. All those times I stood up for myself and fought back actually intimidated him.

"I had no idea." Was all I could think to say.

He nodded and cleared his throat, glancing away from me once more, "Well, now you know."

I could sense that he was getting uncomfortable again, so I rubbed my thumb against his cheek to get his attention back, "So, what changed?" I asked with a playful smile, before retracting my hand.

He smirked and shifted his position so that he was still propped up on his elbow beside me, but leaned over slightly so that he was almost on top of me. "Despite the fact that she always drove him crazy," He bent down and used his free hand to pinch my cheek, making me giggle. He grinned at my laughter and stayed leaning over me, "She did something for him; something that no one had ever offered to do before." He used the hand that pinched my cheek to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear; which he knows by now that I love.

"He had been suffering from nightmares almost every night, and could never find a way to curb them. But she offered to help." A glint of admiration shone in his eyes as he spoke. "He was skeptical at the idea of giving up control like that, and being so openly vulnerable in front of her. But he reminded himself that he would do anything if it meant those horrible nightmares would stop. So, he let her help him."

He leaned down closer to me so that his soft blonde hair tickled my forehead, and he placed a gentle kiss on my nose, and at this point I couldn't help but smile widely at his words. "And much to his surprise, his nightmares had already subsided after that first night when all she did was tell him some random fairy tale. And she was oblivious, but he soon learned that it wasn't just those stories that comforted him. It was her presence. Her simply being there and making him laugh, distracting him from his fears; it was enough to make him see her in a different light."

I looked up at him in complete awe and wonder, my heart beating with affection.

Anakin shifted his position once more so that he was fully hovering over me, still supporting himself on his elbow but placing his other hand down on the mattress beside my shoulder. "He began enjoying their little banters," Anakin placed another quick kiss on my forehead. "And even found her stubbornness to be amusing," Another kiss on my cheek. "So much so, that his hatred quickly faded and in its stead came a newfound admiration for her, all because he decided to let his walls down in a desperate attempt to stop his nightmares. But one thing quickly led to another, and before he could even have the chance to process it, he couldn't deny that he was falling in love with her."

"Anakin..." I murmured with a shy grin. Hearing these words from him didn't even seem real. Is this really happening? Or did I hit my head too hard in that cave yesterday, and I'm still back in that cell? The thought began to scare me, that none of this was happening and I was just dreaming it.

"I can assure you this is very real." He smirked, responding to my thoughts. "And if you don't believe me, then I'll just have to show you." Before I could say or do anything, he bent down again to place feather-like kisses all over my cheeks, nose, forehead, and chin. I squealed like a child and held him tightly against me. I turned my head to the side, but he just started showering those kisses all over my neck instead, growling playfully as if he was an animal. "A-Anakin that t-tickles!" My laughter became uncontainable as I relished in the feeling of his loving kisses.

My laughter seemed to make him laugh as well, and he eventually pulled away from me, prompting both of us to sit upright. "What about you?" He asked softly when both of us had finally caught our breath, and gently grabbed my hips to guide me so I could sit in between his legs, with my back against his warm chest. "How did you manage to fall in love with me? Especially after how awful I was to you." His voice faltered regretfully.

I sighed and considered his question. As soon as I let myself lay against him, he used one of his hands to gently play with my hair. I was almost tempted to fall back asleep.

"When I was just a kid, I used to admire you greatly." I started, piecing together my words so that they would make sense. "Even though you're not much older than me, I was over-the-moon excited to be your Padawan; your apprentice. And despite all those times you were an absolute dick to me, I think some part of me still admired you for the Jedi that you are."

"Is that so?" He asked from behind me, and I could practically hear the prideful smile on his face.

I chuckled and nodded against him, "Very much so. I learned a lot from you, and part of the reason I'm the Jedi that I am today is because of you. And I always wanted to impress you." I added quietly.

That much is true. Even when I was pissed beyond relief at him, I usually found myself wanting nothing more than to best him in our practices and for once have him be proud of me.

"You have impressed me." He murmured with his lips against my hair. "Your speed and skill have improved so much, and you've shown it recently. You've proven that you can protect yourself."

I was glad that he couldn't currently see me, because I felt my cheeks beginning to flush from his praise. After all these years, it was so satisfying to hear. For the hundredth time; I can't believe this is actually happening. I only just recently realized I was in love with him, but it's become clear now through our conversations that the chemistry—the connection—was always there. But we only just started building that connection not too long ago. And now that I think about it, most of our fights and arguments only spurred the obvious tension between us as time went on.

I chuckled, "Now don't let this get to your head," I warned playfully, "But when you started actually being nice to me, and treating me like a friend, I began to perceive you differently as well. So, your notorious Skywalker charisma ended up working on me." I teased.

"I tend to have that affect on people." He murmured into my ear.

I groaned, "I literally just told you to not let that get to your head, you dodo."

He chuckled against my ear and used his hand to gently grab my face and turn it so that our noses were touching. "But luckily, no matter who my charisma works on, all I care about is you." He said softly. "You're all that matters to me."

His words kickstarted all the butterflies in my stomach. I turned around to straddle him and grabbed his cheeks to pull him in for a kiss. His hands found their rightful place on my hips, sliding up and down my curves, and both of his thumbs began rubbing gentle circles into my sides. I sighed happily against his lips as we found ourselves getting lost in each other again.

Kissing Anakin is probably my favorite thing. I've never kissed anyone before in my life, and I always assumed people were exaggerating when they talked about how great the feeling was. But now that I'm experiencing it, I realize that they were right. It feels like magic.

I laughed against his mouth and pulled away, "I have to say, I'm also surprised that I was the one to say 'I love you' first." I teased.

Truthfully, I wasn't that surprised since I know talking about feelings isn't exactly his forte. But I still like teasing him.

To my surprise, he nodded and sighed. "That's because I was....afraid." He admitted while looking away from me. "I was afraid of what these feelings meant for me—a Jedi—and this fear also made me angry. The fact that I fell in love with someone I used to hate terrified me, and I hated feeling so vulnerable and fearful."

His eyes darted back up to meet mine, and he slowly smiled again. "And you were right yesterday, you know. About my mood." He sighed, "I know I've been excessively moody, but that's because I didn't know how to handle my anger and fear, along with how I felt about you. I still don't know how to handle it properly. It's scary, yet thrilling at the same time. It'll take a while for me to get used to."

I feigned a shocked expression and placed one of my hands on my chest dramatically, "The great Anakin Skywalker? Afraid?" I must be dreaming."

He smirked, catching onto my banter, and tightened his grip on my hips, "If you tell anyone about that, I'll make sure you'll regret it."

I tilted my head and smiled innocently, "What are you gonna do about it? Spank me?"

His eyebrows rose at my provocative joke and he failed to stifle a laugh. "Only if you want it." He winked, causing both of us to burst into more laughter. I swear, we can never take each other seriously with our threats.

I shook my head once I had composed myself, and looked at him with an earnest expression, "But seriously, thank you for sharing this with me. I know it's not easy, but it shows that you truly care about me; about us."

Anakin smiled and nodded, "Of course, beautiful." He murmured.

I giggled, "Anakin—" He pressed his index finger against my lips the moment I started speaking.  "Now, no more talking." He grinned devilishly and crashed his lips to mine once more, making me melt completely into his touch once more.

(a/n): Ahhh I love writing fluff🥰 I hope you all liked this chapter! Our baby finally opened up😩❤️

Also I always worry that some parts don't make sense or are too confusing, so if they are then please feel free to ask so I can clear anything up :) And if it's just me overthinking, then carry on haha <3

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