Who: Padmé and Anakin Skywalker What: Lazy morning with the babies Where: Their house When: November 7th Rating: F for Fluffy! aka G Status: Complete
It had been almost four weeks since the twins had come into the world and Padme’s world had been turned upside down in the most wonderful way. Her days had become long and she was still working hard to take care of the babies, but she was so thankful that Anakin had been around to help her. Her family had finally left the other week to go back home and while she loved having them around she was excited to have a “quiet” house for the time being. And now it was just another lazy morning as she sat up in bed while feeding Leia. Luke had been fed earlier and he was currently snuggled up with Anakin.
It was a sight that made her heart stop many times. There was something so beautiful and precious about it. It made her heart ache for what happened in the dream world, but they had already changed their fate from those of the ones in the dreams. She wouldn’t let Anakin get caught up in the dreams because this was the perfect life. That was just something that happened in the past and didn’t define them anymore. As Leia continued to feed she reached over and played with Anakin’s hair, “Is it bad that I never want to go back to work and we should just lay like this forever? I know the babies will grow, but maybe we can find an age where they’re potty trained and can eat solids foods and freeze them at that age.”
Anakin looked up with a lazy grin. Luke was lying face down on his chest – it was the easiest way to hold him, no prosthetic needed. And Luke was still so small that he fit so perfectly there.
“Maybe a little older, to when they can play video games with me or hold a socket wrench and I can teach how to fix a bike.” He said this while keeping his mischievous grin. He’d chosen those two examples to deliberately needle Padmé, he knew she would object to both.
Oh, he knew exactly how to make her roll her eyes, which is exactly what she did. Of course, he would want them old enough to do those type of things. She had married a man-child and she hoped beyond hope that the children would take after both of them and not completely favor one of them. “What in the world am I going to do with you?” She asked with a playful smile as she lightly tugged on his air in retaliation, “Are you only making plans for Luke? Because Leia will be running around playing Model UN with me.”
Anakin would object to the man-child description; he kept up with life’s responsibilities, he just needed reminders to stay on task, he was just so easily distracted.
“No,” Anakin said emphatically, “Leia is going to know how to fix her own car, too. And how to win at Mario Kart.” He saw no reason to treat Luke and Leia different, at least until the two presented different interests and personalities to their parents.
“I can respect the knowledge of how to fix her own car, but I don’t think being able to win at Mario Kart is a very marketable skill, love,” Padme couldn’t help but tease him as she leaned over to kiss his cheek. She wouldn’t treat them different, but she kind of wanted to make one of them follow along in her family’s footsteps. It would be a lot of fun raising these children together and she couldn’t wait to discover what their personalities were going to be like, “You should really teach me how to fix my own car since I keep making you doing it for me.”
“Knowing how to have fun from time to time is as valuable a skill as knowing when to work,” he tipped his head knowingly.
“If I showed you how to do that,” he joked some more. “You’d kick me out because you wouldn’t think I have anything more to offer you.”
“Oh really? Do you think that little of yourself that your presence in my life is dependent upon my ability to fix my car?” the idea drew a smile from her and she scooted over a little so they were close together, “Because, really, your presence in my life is dependent upon your ability to cook and I think I’ve wasted too much time waiting for you to get better skills in that. I think you should pack up your things tonight.”
It was after she spoke that Leia decided she had her fill and she had to sit up so she could burp her, “Isn’t that right little one? Your daddy isn’t useful anymore. I could totally do this twin thing on my own, right?” There was still a smile on her face as she leaned over to quickly kiss him.
Anakin kissed Padmé back, he couldn’t think of a reason to ever turn away from her kisses.
“You do have two opposable thumbs,” he pointed out. “I’m only half as good as you are at this.”
“Oh don’t go selling yourself short,” She pointed out to him with a laugh as she moved closer to him so they were side by side on the bed. Leia burped and she moved to wipe up the little bit of spit up that she had on her face. Once that was done she moved Leia forward and held her up in the air playfully, “Oh hello, cutie pie! Looks like you’re done eating and I don’t know if you’re going to play or take a nap. But maybe I’ll give you to daddy so I can snuggle your brother a little more.”
The great baby shuffle commenced.
This was the part about one-armed-parenting that actually frightened Anakin. Messing up changing a diaper only mean there was more mess to clean up afterwards. Gross, but everyone survived unharmed. But actually picking up the babies was a task he could not afford to mess up. They were so small, so fragile, and his prosthetic arm, as advanced as this world could off, was still so imprecise, so clumsy.
“Okay… How do we want to do this?” And of course, they had to make this doubly difficult by having twins.
“It’s fine, Ani,” she commented. He was still nervous about his prosthetic arm, but she had absolutely no qualms about it. The two of them were getting good at this and she sat up properly to position him. She scooched Luke over a little bit so there was room against his other arm and she set Leia into that crook of his arm. Once that was set she quickly picked up Luke, bringing him to her chest, and then helped Anakin get situated with Leia. The babies were still small enough that you could fit both comfortably on your chest and get away with it. It was when they would get bigger that she would have to come up with some more creative options.
With the babies switched she lowered herself back onto the bed and snuggled up against her husband, “You need to stop worrying so much. You’re allowed to make mistakes especially when they’re too young to remember any of it.”
“Ya, but I’m pretty sure I’m not supposed to hurt them.” He brought his left hand up to Leia’s and pushed a finger into her palm. She immediately wrapped all her tiny little fingers around his one. “And dropping them would hurt them. They aren’t a video game, I don’t get do-overs.”
“Part of growing up is getting scrapes and bruises, Ani,” she pointed out to him as she snuggled up with Luke in the crook of her neck, “You can’t be too hard on yourself. We’re first time parents and we’re going to make mistakes. Things are going to happen and it won’t always be perfect. I trust you and so do they. You would never do anything on purpose. Trust me, I love you, and we will be good parents, just not perfect, because there is no such thing.”
Anakin just gave Padme a look, but not for long. He stretched out his neck for a kiss from her. He really would not change a single thing about this moment. When he’d arrived in Irvine almost two and a half years ago, he never thought this is where he’d end up – he just didn’t think he could be this happy at that point in his life.
And now he was surrounded by the three most important people in his life. Almost, you could say, covered in them.
“So, do they get birthdays after being alive one month? I could get behind a monthly celebration for them.”
“Most people tend to dress their kids up in a cutesy month outfit and take photos. We can certainly do a celebration for them if you would like. I refuse to do it after they turn a year old though,” Padme answered him with a laugh. She had been watching a lot of her friend’s posts on her facebook feed to see what she was in for. There was no issue with being excited about their kids, so she would indulge Anakin easily if this is what he wanted.
“Oh no,” Anakin spoke to Leia, who didn’t really react all that much to his attention. “Do you hear that?” He was also very clearly speaking for Padmé’s notice as well. “Padmé doesn’t want you to have fun after you turn one.”
He then flashed Padmé the biggest, boyish grin as an offering of peace. Or penance.
“That is not what I meant, you dork,” she playfully reached over and shoved his hip. That grin was one of her favorite things and she leaned over to kiss him, “You know you can get away with it though when you flash me that smile. I wish you didn’t know me so well.” Alright, that was a lie because she loved that he knew her this well. It’s why they worked well together.
Could they really be any more happy? “If I didn’t know you so well, we wouldn’t work so well together.”
And then he said to a now sleeping Leia, “Don’t worry, I’ll work on it. In a years’ time I’m sure I can bring her around once she sees how much fun it is.”
Padme just rolled her eyes with a grin as she moved over to snuggle up next to Anakin. This was the epitome of a perfect day for the two of them now. Nothing better than being together and having the babies with them. When it went smoothly like this she felt like she could take on the world, but even in the worst days she knew she had Anakin to help her out. But for now she was going to cherish every single one of these perfect moment, “Shall we watch some Netflix since we’re not getting up anytime soon?”