Title:At Arms length
Claim: Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker
Fandom: Star Wars (AU)
Prompt: 21. Friends
Ratings & Warnings: PG
Beta: Huge thanks goes to cariel for all of her help.
Disclaimer: Not mine. None of it.
Author’s notes: This is chapter four of my tale Jailbait. A budding friendship begins between Anakin and Dormé, but a bit of miscommunication threatens to destroy it all before it even begun.


“Anakin.”

The voice called to him from the darkness of his dreamless sleep.

“Anakin, wake up!”

A bright light pierced the darkness causing Anakin to wince.

“Not in his eyes you haramu isthab!”

Dormé?

The sound of her voice alerted Anakin that this was a dream, one he desperately needed to wake up from. Suddenly, in the darkness of his dream state, Anakin felt something bittersweet touching his lips. Instincts ruled and immediately Anakin’s thoughts returned to the memory of his previous girlfriend, causing him to readily return the kiss.

His eyes snapped open then revealing a most unexpected sight.

“Dormé?” Anakin sputtered in shock. The young girl gave a relieved smile and turned to the woman Anakin nicknamed manthing with a proud grin.

“I told you it would work!”

The ugly girl rolled her eyes and remarked that she knew far better ways to wake a boy up. Anakin hoped to the goddess that he would never find out what she meant.

The thought was fleeting as soon Anakin wondered how the girls were able to sneak out of their cells, nevermind make it to the medical center. As if reading his thoughts, Dormé spoke up again. This time she was offering him his clothes and the satchel that contained the items he had traded some of his painkillers for.

“We don’t have much time. Moteé paid off the guards so we could have some time in the yards.”

“Moteé?” Anakin murmured in confused disbelief. He promptly figured out how and resisted the urge to shudder. What any man would ever see in manthing Anakin would never know.

In silence he fumbled about with the wires and straps before slipping into his clothes, all the while trying to ignore both women’s gaze that examined him with unadulterated interest. Anakin’s cheeks warmed to Dormé’s studious gaze while his stomach churned at Moteé’s lusty eyes. He wished he knew of a way to get rid of the ugly girl but knew he owed her too much to even consider it.

Once dressed Anakin followed them out into the sterile hall and was startled to discover that they weren’t alone.

“You think I’d only let you two out to have some fun without finding someone for myself?” Moteé scoffed. Anakin wasn’t entirely surprised to learn Moteé had freed two older boys, but couldn’t help but pity them nonetheless.

Collecting him wasn’t the only thing they had in mind before heading out to the yards. Moteé’s contacts had caches of their own and soon trades were being made. Taking full advantage of the situation, Anakin tried to barter for some dust. While he was unable to obtain any, Anakin did learn the names of those who might be able to help. He tried to ignore the flickering concern he saw in Dormé’s eyes and buried the strange sense of guilt it encouraged. What did he care what she thought of him anyway?

He was able to get more icoti and even a small bottle of hard liqueur. Dormé made some trades of her own, though most were holo-novels—romantic myths or comedies—and holovids. A bottle of hard liqueur was also added to her collection. He wondered if he’d be able to find some supplies for his inventions but didn’t ask as he doubted they’d even know what he was talking about.

With the completion of all their trades, they soon departed for the yard. The night air was warm, but not humid, perfect for the Tatooine native who immediately lit up an icoti. With the medicine still flowing in his system Anakin refrained from taking a couple of the pills he had stolen the other day.

Dormé and Moteé promptly began to drink up. Moteé ever the aristocrat brought along a glass to enjoy her cheap wine. Dormé, like Anakin, drank from the bottle as did the two boys who joined them. Anakin tried to ignore their wary, watchful glances from the boys who were clearly unnerved by his presence. It would only be later that Anakin would discover that it was Dormé who defended his name and demanded that he join them.

Ignoring everyone around him, Anakin set about the task of painting his nails. He didn’t realize he was being watched until Dormé spoke up.

“Why?”

Anakin didn’t bother looking up as he continued the delicate task he was thoroughly engrossed in.

“It keeps people away,” he finally replied.

Dormé giggled as she shook her head in amusement. “It’s not working,” Dormé replied as she sat closer to him. Anakin paused then to take a drag of his icoti.

“It works, just not on you,” he said with a hint of a shy smile. He tried to tell himself that Dormé annoyed him more than anything else. Anakin couldn’t deny that she intrigued him as well. She also made him nervous, though he’d be damned if he ever admitted it openly.

A comfortable silence fell between them as Anakin returned to his task. With Dormé watching him closely, it was hard not to feel conscious of himself and it showed through the sloppiness of his paint job. After a third failed attempt to paint his thumbnail evenly, Anakin uttered an annoyed curse. He didn’t need to guess the reasons for his sudden lack of agility.

“Let me try.”

Anakin gave Dormé a quizzical, but guarded look to her offer before narrowing his eyes in distrust.

“Why?”

She just smiled and took the nail varnish from where it was seated on the hard stone before gently taking the small brush out of his hand. Stunned Anakin could only stare at her in disbelief as she carefully took his hand and dipping the brush into the bottle of black varnish proceeded to paint his fingers. He rather liked the feeling of her calloused fingers, the way they made his hands tingle and his knees weak. Anakin believed it was part of the painkillers he was still on.

The silence between them was comfortable, at the same time it left Anakin feeling as though he should at least say something, anything. He didn’t, and instead took another drag of his icoti before having a swig of the cheap liqueur he had traded for. He noticed Dormé had traded for the same drink, and smiled to the discovery.

Dormé too took a pause to have a swig of her own, but promptly returned to painting his nails. She did it with such care and gentleness that Anakin couldn’t help but feel incredibly special. It also made him curious about the life she led before being forced into this place. She spoke like a street runner and drank like one, yet there was something incredibly noble and elegant about her.

“So what brought you here?” he began believing his question to be an innocent one. Dormé paused as she met his gaze. The intensity found in her amber eyes was unnerving.

“What brought you here?” she answered after a moment’s pause. The question turned around didn’t sound quite as innocent as Anakin once thought.

Another drag of his icoti allowed him a moment to clear his thoughts, to at least come up with some decent explanation.

“They said, I killed two people,” he finally muttered. Dormé’s eyes held no fear, only gentle compassion; she nodded simply in reply and continued to paint his nails. Dormé didn’t press the matter, and Anakin got the distinct impression she wasn’t about to discuss it further either.

The sound of curses and laughter suddenly caught his attentions causing Anakin to look over to where Moteé and the boys were. The two boys were clearly taking things to the next level and Moteé was only too happy to encourage it. Stunned he could only stare in disbelief and disgust.

“Iquicha-we, I thought that stuff only happened in dirty movies,” he murmured in stunned tones. Dormé looked over her shoulder and shrugged, clearly nonplussed. “Don’ worry they won’t bother us; they think we here to haramu like them,” she replied nonchalantly.

Anakin furrowed his brow having no idea what haramu meant. He had heard it before from his strange semi-waking dream and now wasn’t entirely certain he wanted to know.

“Oh. Okay,” he answered a little too quickly before growing sheepish upon noticing Dormé had finished his nails. It was her turn now and mustering his nerve Anakin went to take her hand so as to paint her nails. Dormé smiled to his touch and having mistaken his words to mean something else entirely, promptly drew him into a rather passionate kiss.

Startled Anakin’s eyes widened in shock leaving him little time to react as her fingers deftly undid the belt on his trousers. Clearly there had been some sort of miscommunication though he couldn’t fathom what he had said or done to earn this reaction. Drawing back sharply Anakin’s fingers slipped over Dormé’s own so as to prevent her from exploring his body further.

“What the echuta are you doing?” he gasped. She gave him an impish smile. “What does it look like I’m doing?” she teased before leaning in to kiss him again. Anakin moved back further and shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re doing or why?—I mean I know what you’re doing, but I don’t know why,” Anakin stammered out only to curse upon realizing he had destroyed his nails in the process.

“I thought you just said you wanted to haramu?” she asked clearly confused by his reaction. Anakin only then realized what she had meant by the term and scowled. So that was the real reason he was chosen? Because Dormé wanted some quick action and he was apparently the most suited for the job?

Swiftly he collected his things before putting out his icoti and rising to his feet. “Sorry to disappoint you but the make-up is just for show. I’m not what you think I am,” Anakin snapped as he stormed off leaving a stunned Dormé to follow.

The drugs were starting to wear off and Anakin was beginning to feel his sensitivity to the Force returning and it did little to ease his mind. What was he thinking? Did he really believe that Dormé would actually want to associate with him? Of course there had to be a catch! But then why did he even care?

Only when he reached his temporary quarters in the med labs did Anakin notice that Dormé had been following him. She didn’t say anything though her expression spoke volumes. Unfortunately for Anakin its meaning was entirely missed due to the confusing rush of emotions, thoughts and auras that began to flood his mind. If only he had drank more or at least taken more painkillers sooner.

“Why are you following me? Do you really think I’m going to change my mind? I’m not into those games! Now go away!” he snapped before turning his back on Dormé, and shutting the door to the medical room.

His mind flooded with powerful emotions, auras and thoughts causing Anakin’s breathing to grow hitched as he struggled to regain some semblance of control. With shaking fingers he took the pain killers and chased it down with the cheap liqueur he had traded for. Hiding the bag filled with his items in a secure place, or so he believed, Anakin crawled back onto the cot and soon slipped into a deep sleep.

Dormé continued to remain outside of his medical room watching through the paned glass until it was time for her to sneak back to her cell. Though her presence was ignored and missed, her impish smile haunted his dreams.