Work Text:
Master Obi-Wan liked to say Anakin lacked the ability to think. Of course, he didn't actually mean Anakin couldn't think, more so that he had a bad habit of doing before thinking . It was something that Obi-Wan had scolded him about in no small amount during his Padawanship. Nowadays, Obi-Wan would simply sigh whenever Anakin did something reckless and explain to any disapproving Jedi watching that he’d tried to teach Anakin patience for 11 years without any luck. Looking back on those years, Anakin couldn't help but feel bad for his master. The Stewjoni Jedi hadn’t known he was raising a young dragon, whose recklessness was more or less ingrained in his species as an essential survival instinct. (According to Padme's research, anyway.)
Still, Anakin had learned some restraint since the Clone Wars started; he'd had to, as both a leader and a teacher. He had learned when to sit back and plan so that those working with him didn't suffer the consequences. Ahsoka had once curtly informed him that while he may be able to survive dismal odds, others (like the 501st) might not be so lucky. He conceded the point and resolved to be at least a little more careful when it came to his allies.
Then again, there were times he simply couldn't think. When his primal dragon brain took over, it caused his vision to become hyper-focused, his senses heightened, as he focused on removing the danger from the situation. He was stronger when he was like this, with his brain on the back burner and his base instincts running. He'd been in “dragon brain” mode during his Padawanship before (It was a wonder Obi-Wan hadn't figured out his real identity). Fortunately, he hadn’t manifested any extra appendages back then besides pointed teeth and claws. Most Jedi who saw it merely attributed it to Anakin's “Chosen One” status. When asked about it, Anakin had always pretended it was nothing major, a simple quirk of his powers. Though the reality of it was far from simple.
He'd gotten lucky before when he'd gone to dragon brain mode. There had been no witnesses when it had happened before (Well, none that were conscious anyway. Obi-Wan would never know how often Anakin had saved him). Which he could only think was the Force being merciful to him (for once) because if people had seen him acting and looking like a raging, incoherent, bloodthirsty animal, there was no doubt he'd been locked away long before now. Or worse.
Unfortunately, Anakin's bad habit of putting off things that were, maybe, possibly, very urgent usually came back to bite him at the worst possible moment. Take right now, for example. He'd been aware that his inability to control himself while in dragon brain mode was an issue, but he’d never attempted to do anything about it. And now he was really, really, really trying hard not to go ballistic in a room full of senators.
It had been a pleasant (read: torturous, except for Padme) evening in one of the Senate offices during one of the many unnecessary and wasteful Senate galas hosted by some senator whose name he couldn't remember. He'd been one of the few Jedi invited (AKA Padme had pulled some strings). But for all the irritating gossip, too loud (drunk) laughter, and glittering costumes, the ethereal glow of his wife's presence in the Force made it all worth it.
He tried not to make his excitement too obvious as he made his way over to where she was, near a refreshment table, speaking to who he recognized as Bail Organa and Mom Mothma. He saw her eyes catch his, and she smoothly disengaged herself from the conversation with her fellow senators, though not before sending a distinct look to Anakin, which he knew meant: meet me on the balcony. After subtly weaving their way through the crowds separately, they met at the semi-private balcony a ways off from the gala. They could still be seen but not heard. He couldn't help it; he immediately took her hand and brought it up to his lips, pressing a loving kiss onto the back of her hand.
“Ani!” she scolded, though he could tell she was fighting back a giggle. “You promised you'd behave!”
He smirked at her. “What? A knight can’t show his queen the proper respect?”
She playfully rolled her eyes and drew her hand away. “Yes, it is very endearing- until it gets us caught.”
He scoffed. “Don't you think you're exaggerating just a little?” His scoff faded into a groan. “Besides, I can't help it. We haven't had any time for ourselves in forever. I'm having Padme withdrawals!”
This time, she did giggle. “Well, you'll have to wait a little longer before I can satisfy your withdrawals . I have to get back before my absence starts being noticed.”
As per their secret marriage protocol, he held back and let her return first, planning his own return in 10 minutes after she got back to the gala. He was admiring her angelic beauty enhanced by the gleaming waves of her sky blue dress when he heard the familiar sound of blaster shots and frightened screams. He’d already begun to move when another sound caused his blood to run cold. A cry of pain. From Padme. He put on a burst of speed, thinking he was drawing from the Force. When he arrived back in the main room of the gala, he realized with no small amount of panic that he’d been drawing strength from his draconic side.
He spotted Padme immediately, trapped beneath the no doubt enhanced, mechanical arm of a Gran bounty hunter as she struggled to free herself from the massive, muscular alien. The Gran stood on the stage next to the large glass windows. The sight of her bruised arms and the bleeding cut in her cheek made his blood boil, and he couldn't stop a low, guttural growl from exiting his throat, causing the bounty hunter to turn his attention to Anakin and catch sight of the lightsaber on his hip.
“You! Jedi! Drop the lightsaber, or every senator in this room gets dead!” The Gran pressed a blaster barrel harshly into Padme's head. “ -starting with her .”
Anakin reluctantly acquiesced to the demand and had to physically force himself to keep his draconic limbs from exploding out, his body trembling from the effort. The Bounty Hunter, unaware of Anakin's inner struggle, continued. “Now, you’ve got two choices. Show me where the chancellor is- or nobody in this room makes it out alive.”
For the first time, Anakin noticed the six assassin droids standing guard at all of the exits with their blasters aimed at the cowering senators. He gritted his teeth, internally berating himself for not being more self-aware. He could take on one or two assassin droids no problem, but six was risky, especially in a room full of hostages, one of which was his wife.
“Not happening!” Padme managed to slip out of the bounty hunter's grasp and spun away from him, snatching one of the blasters from the holster at the Gran’s hip and pointing at him. “Let these people go!”
The surge of pride Anakin felt at his wife's martial skill was overtaken by fear as one of the assassin droids that loose an array of shots in her direction, and though she managed to avoid most of them, one still caught her in the shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain and drop the stolen blaster.
“You little schutta!” the bounty hunter roared and advanced on her. “No one disrespects Olcu Crunn!”
As Crunn raised a vibroblade to strike at Padme, Anakin let loose a roar of his own and charged at the bounty hunter, feeling the draconic power surge through his veins, making his blood burn with the need to release his true self from the confines of his soft flesh. He rammed into Crunn, who still had a hand wrapped tightly around Padme's arm, and the alien stumbled back into the window, causing the glass to shatter and all three of them to fall through it into Coruscant's busy traffic lanes, Anakin’s draconic nature springing free of its confines.
A snarling Anakin, with a row of long, sharp white teeth displayed, dove for Crunn, his wings folding into a dive. The moment he reached the bounty hunter (who was staring in open-mouthed shock at his new appendages), he sank his unsheathed claws into the Gran's flesh, relishing the scream of pain. He would have continued to rip apart Crunn if not for his mate's frightened shout of: ‘“Anakin!”
It was then that Anakin noticed how close they were to hitting the ground on one of the lower levels, and he immediately left Crunn, managing to swiftly (and awkwardly) soar over to Padme, who instantly wrapped herself around him. He instinctively tightened his grip on her as his wings opened fully to slow their descent. He was able to maneuver them through a gaping hole in the roof of an abandoned warehouse. He shakily began to angle himself upwards as they drew closer to the ground. He stumbled when his boots finally touched down and nearly fell forward due to the small human in his arms, but fortunately, his tail acted as a counterbalance, allowing him to steady himself.
When they finally stopped, Padme pulled away from him slowly, letting out a breath and brushing her windblown hair away from her face. “Have I ever told you how glad I am that you started to practice flying?”
He ignored her commentary, examining her up and down, nostrils flaring when he caught the scent of her blood, causing his search to become even more frantic. She was hurt!
“Ani?” she questioned. “What are you-”
A blaster shot slammed into Anakin's back, and he let loose a grunt of pain even as he whirled around to see where it had come from. To his surprise, he found Olcu Crunn, alive, battered and, very angry looking. Padme slipped behind a large stack of crates as the bounty hunter pulled out another blaster and sent a barrage of bolts their way. Anakin ducked out of their way, his gaze never dropping from the alien as he sprinted low toward him. With a vengeful roar, he launched at Crunn from below. The horns on his head ramming into the Gran's chin with such force had sent him flying into the ground. The man-turned-dragon fell on him, claws pinning his arms and legs to the ground as he sank his fangs into the Bounty hunter’s exposed throat.
The soft flesh tore beneath his sharp teeth, and he felt a vindicative satisfaction upon hearing his prey’s dying gasps. He leaned in closer, intent on doing more damage to the mortally wounded prey before it passed, but the firm grip of a small hand on his shoulder pulled him away. Before he could retaliate against his attacker, they pulled his head against their chest, allowing him to hear the strong beat of their heart as a familiar, comforting scent wash over him.
Padme
. “Anakin, Ani!” She gasped for breath. “Stop! He's dead. I'm okay.”
He felt his wife pull herself and his adrenaline flooded body against a crate and slide to the ground. He curled into her, inhaling her sweet scent deeply, letting it run through him and cool his boiling blood. She began to lightly rock them back and forth, rubbing soothing circles into his back. His frantic breathing began to even out and he felt his tightly bound muscles begin to relax. The draconic fog cleared from his head, and he pulled away slightly to give his worried wife a small smile of reassurance.
She cupped his face with her hands, relief shining in her eyes. “I'm glad you're all right.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Me? You're the one who's been cut!”
She brushed his concern off, showing him the jagged cut across her palm. “It's not deep. A few Bacta patches and it'll take care of itself.”
Wordlessly, he took the injured hand and began to lick the palm, knowing the healing properties contained in his saliva would help close the wound and relieve the pain. When he finally felt satisfied in his ministrations to his injured wife, he let her hand fall into his, their fingers intertwining as he gazed at her softly. There were several other small cuts and scratches marring her skin, most likely from the glass and he winced. “Sorry about getting you tossed through a window and almost falling to your death.”
“You mean dramatically catching me mid air and flying me to safety wasn't part of the plan?” She teased.
“Hey, even I can plan better than that!” He said in his defense, then relented. “I guess when I saw Crunn hurting you, I got a little . . . desperate.”
She ran a hand through his messy hair and gave him a forgiving smile. “I know you’ll always protected me, Ani, so don't worry, albeit in different ways, I'll always be there to protect you too.”
Her tender response sent a rush of warmth through him and he sent a torrent of his love for her through their bond. Her response was to place a gentle kiss on his lips, and he hummed in satisfaction, knowing he would do anything to save Padme.