darkforcerising | OPEN POST

"Don't take it personally, then," Anakin said, a small smile. Did he lean into the hand? "I'd do that for any of my friends. You're no more or less special than they are. But seeing as you're the only one here right now, you're the only one I can focus on. You'll have to find it in you to endure me."

That... actually hurt. Not enough to make him withdraw entirely, but he definitely got his hands down and repressed what was left of the shaking. "Ah well, then let's hope it stays that way. I don't know how well your friends from home would handle this without your memories. I'm going to go find candy and make tea. Why don't you take advantage of free water and shower."

Edited 2020-01-15 03:44 (UTC)

Wait, what...

Something had happened, sharp and sudden. Like the mashing of piano keys during the middle of a concerto. Anakin was left with the distinct impression that he'd said the wrong thing, though he couldn't for the life of him figure out what.

Anakin had meant it as a joke - of course he owed it to Obi-Wan to keep his friend grounded, to watch out for him.

But all that aside, the quick dissipation of warmth left by Obi-Wan's hand left Anakin confused. And he missed the hand the second it was gone.

"Ya. Right," he said, nodding, rocking back on his heels and then standing up. He offered a hand down to Obi-Wan to help him stand.

"I'll come out when I'm done," he said it kind of absently. And he flexed his fingers to keep his hand from moving up to touch where Obi-Wan was no longer touching him.

He took the hand and used it to regain his feet. He didn't want to let go, but he did and did so as soon as he was upright.

He should not have been hurt by Anakin telling him, in essence, he was a friend but not special. He had been.

He should not have been reluctant to let go of Anakin's hand. He was.

He was tempted to try out one of the curse words Anakin had brought back from his new life, if only to himself.

What was he thinking? Worse, what was he doing?

"I'll be in the galley."

And he was. Standing with one hip cocked against the counter while he waited for the water to boil the old fashioned way, with two mugs beside him and a box of candy on the table.

Bail's idea of his size was not quite right - the sleeves of the tunic were just slightly too long, everything was a little baggy. Combined with damp hair, and the fact that he was staring not quite vacantly at the kettle, while he tried to wrap his head around what in the name of the Force he thought he was playing at, he actually looked pretty... vulnerable.

It would fade away pretty fast, probably, but in that instant? Yeah.

Anakin let the water wash away the memory of that touch on his face. The thing about water on ships, it was always recycled, on a loop, he could stand there for a bit, letting the steam clear his head.

But then he was quick about the shower and changing into fresh clothes.

He walked out into the galley in bare feet and surveyed the candy.

"I barely remember some of these," his voice a bit excited. Did it sound forced? He was hoping he just sounded natural.

He grabbed the box and tapped out a few pieces into his hand.

He watched Obi-Wan. But found he was reluctant to look for him in the Force. Suddenly that felt invasive.

He held the box out to him. "You okay?"

He... wasn't actually trying to hide himself in the force, or shielding from Anakin. He'd prefer his privacy right now, but he could not bring himself to shut Anakin out.

His smile was a little strained, but it was a smile. "Have you considered not living on sugar?" It wasn't like he wasn't going to sweeten the daylights out of his tea.

Joke out of the way - and hopefully recognized as an attempt at levity: "I am. I just overwhelmed myself." That much was certain, at least.

"Sugar is actually good for my ADHD." Not a lie. Though he'd been told this by doctors, he might be running a little bit too far with it.

He nodded. "I can leave you to meditate if you want." He did not want this, and this time it wasn't because he would be bored without entertainment. He kept this to himself.

"I think you've mentioned that before. Just try to eat something with protein too. You used a lot of energy today. I don't want you to-"

Yeah, no, this sounded fine, but it felt uncomfortable. Forget the diversionary conversation, even if he'd started it.

"I don't want to be alone, Anakin. I absolutely do not want to meditate." For the same reason he wasn't prepared to try to purify that crystal - and was less prepared than he had been, before he'd cried all over Anakin, though he probably needed it more. "I... appreciate your company and your friendship. I'm sorry you're here, but I don't want to lose either."

This was new. Obi-Wan never not wanted to meditate. The man did it for sixteen hours once! Or maybe more than once. The man had an ability.

"Alright," Anakin said trying not to let his concern show. "I'm not going anywhere. I've been thinking..." He popped another one of the pieces of candy into his mouth. "At first I thought maybe the Force brought me back here to change how ... things play out for the galaxy. But, maybe," he shrugged. "Maybe it brought me back here for you... You deserved so much more than what I remember you getting.

"I mean," he started rambling. "Why not earlier when I could have warned you what Palpatine was doing to Vader? Or to the Republic?

"... I donno. Maybe there isn't sense to what happened."

It was new. The Force was... usually comfortable for Obi-Wan. Something he could sink into and be at home. Reach into and be reached into by.

Usually.

He wasn't usually more than half afraid of the Force, even when it was roiling with Darkness. He knew it was irrational, but he still more than half-felt like if he really reached into it, the Darkness was either going to cling to him and never come out, or it would burn him.

It didn't matter. It was irrational and he'd get there, just wasn't quite there, yet and not what he was thinking about, anyway.

Because Anakin had just stunned him.

"We may not know the sense of it, but there is sense. It was deliberate. I felt it, and we may as well make as most good of it as we can." He poured the tea. "Though Qui-Gon always said that life is neither fair nor unfair, but up to us to make it either one. Whatever it is you remember me getting? Is probably exactly what I deserved." A pause.

He did not want Anakin to leave. He really did not. Which was mildly alarming.

"Absolutely not," Anakin said, and the intensity of his conviction had him crossing the space between them. "You deserve to be happy. You deserve a second life where - where the biggest thing you have to worry about is, I don't know, what moral philosopher to study that day. Not... betrayed by your friend and stuck on some trash planet all alone."

He noticed Anakin coming closer. He didn't quite notice him lifting his hand and putting it on Anakin's shoulder like it was the most natural thing in the world. The front of his shoulder. Thumb just barely shy of Anakin's throat.

"I'm not alone," he pointed out, with a faint smile. "You showed up. History was rewritten the moment you appeared. No matter what the future does or does not hold. You've already changed the course of galactic history and my life." However it turned out. "Though maybe the life of philosophical study will be the next one. You certainly seemed to have gotten... more fairness out of this life than your previous one."

Edited 2020-01-15 05:31 (UTC)

And now they were standing close together again, of which Anakin was suddenly very aware. And it agitated him.

He reached for his cup of tea as an excuse to just not stand there.

"Well... if you want to listen to some moral philosophies from where I was, I have a few audio books on my phone- After I lost my arm," he explained, because he knew that sounded not like him. "I had to take public transportation everywhere. If I break listening time down into fifteen to twenty minute intervals, I can get through a books fairly easily. I listened to all kinds of books to stay interested."

Obi-Wan mostly became aware, again, of that desire to just... lean into Anakin. The desire to physically lean was less agitating to him than realizing that he wanted to lean emotionally, because that was not a thing he'd been willing, much less wanted, to do in at least 25 years. And He was 39.

He noticed he was touching Anakin but now that he was thinking about it couldn't figure out what to with either of his hands. He settled for leaving the one where it was, and sliding the other up a few inches to more... safely rest at the top of Anakin's shoulder, for lack of a better idea.

"It's a good idea. It probably would have helped Vader if I'd thought of something like that. I am interested, though." Very interested. "We're going to need something besides a Rebellion for you to do. Is there anything else I should have Bail acquire?"

The hands were fine where they were. Why move them?

"I'll think about it. But I want to name the transport and the droid."

Because noticing where your hands were instantly made anywhere they happened to be wrong. Especially if you were trying to figure out how to touch someone you shouldn't want to touch, especially and including when you were their friend.

"I haven't even looked at the droid, but I don't care what you name either one. Do tell me, though. I'm curious."

Anakin leaned on the counter, and in doing so, moved just ever so slightly closer to Obi-Wan.

"The ship - The Maverick, and the droid - Goose." There was a perfectly good explanation for his choices. Only the greatest movie ever made, that was the reason.

He finally remembered that he had tea and reached for it. He was careful that he did not end up further away from Anakin when he did, especially since it meant taking his hand off Anakin.

"I understand Maverick. But goose?"

Yes, they were just standing there, like nothing was awkward.

Did Obi-Wan really want to open that door? Did he even know what he was asking?

"They're characters in one of the greatest stories ever told, back where I was."

Obi-Wan's desire to open doors that should not be opened was rapidly becoming a problem. Maybe he could blame it on having opened the door of killing all but one living creatures on that ship.

"With a line like that you owe me at least a synopsis."

Well, Obi-Wan had asked. And it was an excuse to stay near him.

"Maverick and Goose - that's their call signs - are fighter pilots in training," he started to explain.

"They're best friends. They are top of their class, but Maverick is reckless. Which starts a rivalry with Iceman, who doesn't think Maverick deserves to be where he is. They all three prove themselves to get into an elite training program. In a practical exercise, Iceman interferes with Maverick and Goose's maneuvering, but Maverick won't back down. But this wrecks the engines of their fighter, and Maverick and Goose try to eject. And Maverick escapes successfully, but Goose breaks his neck in the attempt and dies. Maverick is devastated and almost drops out of the program. But he realizes that's not what Goose would have wanted. He and Iceman then have to work together on their first mission, and then they have a heart to heart and they figure out a way to work together."

"...Oh, it's one of those." He took a drink of his tea. "I suppose it's nice that some things truly transcend the limits of time and space."

Because it sounded terrible but in a way that many other stories were.

"Please don't break Goose's neck. Not that he has one." He put his tea down. "If there isn't alcohol in here, I will eat my cloak. Help me find it."

"The retelling of it was that bad, huh?" Anakin said with a smile.

But he willingly to help look for something stronger than tea. He opened doors until he found something.

He held up the bottle. "Found something." And he grabbed two glasses. Because, why not?

There was no why not. There was no shortage of reasons why.

"Bless Bail and is unending loyalty, foresight and practicality." He moved to Anakin. "Pour. I'm done with being awkward and uncomfortable. We've had enough of... everything today. Though if you've taken medication you shouldn't mix with it, don't"

Anakin sat at the table and poured each of them what he guessed was a kind of whiskey.

"I only take that one when I need to sleep. And as we are not sleeping yet, I'll be fine."

He picked up a glass and handed it to Obi-Wan.

"To not being awkward and uncomfortable?"

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