She ignored the fact that he admitted he knew. He seemed to have forgotten the act of not remembering her, but she would bring that up another time. "Yes," Padme nodded, "the one you killed…."
"Ah." Vader replied almost uncaringly, "Well, it looks better on you than me anyways."
That was not the response she was expecting. She was expecting him to make a sly comment, perhaps hold it over her head, but not a phrase that just threw her confession into a closet. He had completely bypassed her confession, almost as if he had not heard it… and she was beyond thankful.
"Was that a compliment, Lord Vader?" She teased.
"No." Vader replied coldly, cutting off any happy mood she was trying to create. Padme rolled her eyes and snuggled farther into the cloak around her smiling slightly.
They laid there in silence for a while, not facing each other, but both knowing they were each awake.
"Put your blindfold on." He said breaking the silence.
Padme did not question him, as she felt the cloth appear within her grasp. She just did as instructed, something telling her that whatever he had planned was well worth it.
When the blindfold was securely in place across her eyes, Vader spoke again. "Turn around." He commanded softly, and Padme did as she was told.
When she was comfortably facing him, there was a long pause. And in the silence Padme was sure she could hear her own heart beating loudly against her chest. "Now," Vader said quietly, "what are you going to do now that I have given my temporary trust to you, Senator."
Padme took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She knew Vader could hear the changes in her body, but she tried to ignore that fact. "You trust me?" She asked softly.
"No." Vader snapped, "But I will trust you for the short time-being."
"So trust?" Padme said with a smile. "Senator." Vader scolded and Padme's smile deepened.
She took a long deep breath, gaining her strength, "Are you facing me?" She felt Vader shift as if turning from lying on his back to his side.
"Good." Padme breathed nervously.
Was she actually going to do this? "Reach out your hand." Padme said reaching her hands into the "No Man's Land" between their bodies on the large bed.
There was a long pause; so long that Padme thought she had lost his trust. That he would quit their little game. That he would leave her alone.
"I assume you want a particular one?"
"Yes." Padme breathed relieved, "And I think you know which."
She heard Vader take a long breath before she left warm leather glide across her fingertips. She took his hand into her own, and although it felt good… it was not the same. She craved the skin-to-skin contact from him. With shaky fingers she glided one hand up his hand, under his sleeve, to the edge of the glove. She had just begun to pull down when she felt her hands freeze, frozen by the Force.
"Senator." Vader's voice warned. Oh no, you don't. He was not stopping her now.
"No talking." Padme scolded quickly, "Remember? Feel."
Instantly she felt her hands become free of their invisible bonds and she continued with her work, pulling the glove slowly down until it was off his hand completely. Slowly, her hands returned to his, and as soon as her fingers touched his skin, she felt the sparks fly through her.
He remained quiet and motionless, allowing her hands to move around his. Padme took note of both the softness and hardness of parts of his skin. The hardness due to years of wielding his lightsaber and other terrible deeds, no doubt. His hand should have felt dirty, evil, but they didn't. Never did she ever imagine Lord Vader, the murder of millions, to have hands like this. Never did she ever think she would crave such a man's touch, but she did. She craved him. She wasn't sure how much time had passed in their silence, just her feeling the way her hands fit within his one. She loved the feeling of her hands within his, and with each passing second Padme was afraid he would snatch his hand away, but to Padme's surprise Vader did not pull away. He just remained silent and allowed her to do as she wished.
As Padme continued, she wondered if he craved her touch like she craved his. She knew he had touched her; he had to if it was truly him that healed her. She had to know. She needed to know. "Do you feel it?" Padme asked sheepishly as she locked his hand within her two. A place that she felt created the best explosion of sparks.
He said nothing… and by his silence, Padme knew he didn't feel the same.
Embarrassment and hurt overtook her as the truth began to set in. How could she be such a fool? To think Darth Vader, a Sith Lord could actually feel something? She was crazy. Painfully, she attempted to pull her hand away, but Vader tightened his grip, not allowing her to unlace her hand from around his. Not believing the action was true, she gave another small tug to her hand, but Vader tighten his grip again. At that, a small smile formed itself onto Padme's lips knowing what Vader was trying to say without actually saying it. She had been wrong; she knew now what he was trying to say. That night, Padme fell asleep with her fingers interlocked with the devil, but she had never been so happy in her entire life.
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