darkforcerising | OPEN POST

"I know how to do it, of course you'll figure it out, too." Anakin is nothing but positive encouragement. He wished Obi-Wan believed in himself more.

"You didn't know Qui-Gon long enough to hear about his other apprentices did you?"

He had not missed Anakin learning it too. That? Made him happy, but also confused him, slightly for a moment. How do you get reborn if you - well, you are dead and are in the force and then the force goes where it wants and does as it wishes. No reason it can't shove a consciousness into new life.

"I knew him about a week," Anakin pointed out. "I really only know about him what you've ever told me."

He looked down briefly, to check Luke's progress with his bottle and smiled a bit at how heavy eyed and sleepy the baby was, cuddled up to Anakin.

"He was a good man and he's a good... ghost, now. I doubt he'd ever admit it, if he was ever aware of it at all, but he is drawn to power. He always has been. There is a pattern in his apprentices, both actual and attempted. The ones that he finds just slightly boring and the angry ones with an awful lot of raw power."

A pause. "I'm not insulting myself, Anakin. I can and will usually figure most things out but I'm more skilled than talented."

Luke had switched from eager feeding to barely keeping his eyes open and Anakin felt it was safe to pull the bottle away. Luke moved his mouth just another second, like he still had the bottle, but then he was basically just asleep.

Anakin set down the bottle and reached up to Obi-Wan with seriousness.

"You diminish yourself to fit the needs and wants of everyone around you. You don't have to do that with me." He didn't add 'not anymore' because he knew Obi-Wan wanted to see him as different from Vader. "You are more talented than you give yourself credit." You wonderful, ridiculous man.

He appreciated the reach toward him and touch. Threaded his fingers through Anakin's even, simply because it was nice and there was a hand free now, to do that with.

He very much appreciated the sentiment, as he understood it.

But.

He was also deeply confused. "I... don't even understand the concept." Not of not doing it, no, that would be relatively simple comparatively, he didn't understand how the idea of doing it to begin with applied. "But thank you."

Because he appreciated the sentiment, the touch and really loved Anakin.

Oh, Obi-Wan.

Anakin didn't know what to say to help Obi-Wan. He wanted to, he wanted nothing more than to help him see just how wonderful and beautiful and talented he was. That was probably a conversation for another time. Or a series of small conversations over the course of a lifetime.

"What are you doing for the next twenty minutes to a half and hour?" Anakin settled for changing tactics.

Obi-Wan was fine, Anakin. In spite of being confused, he was pretty content again. They were 'home', it was a good break, there was a baby sleeping in Anakin's arms. Things were pretty good, for the moment, and they were a lot better than they would have been without Anakin's presence, in so many ways.

"I don't have plans," he said, with a hint of amusement. "What do you need?" Let him give it to you.

"Lean back," he said. "We're," meaning him and Luke, "going to get comfortable against you and take a nap." He was already shifting whether Obi-Wan wanted to be a part of this or not. And when he was done, he positioned Luke on his chest and grabbed Obi-Wan's hand to help keep a steady hand on Luke.

Anakin couldn't be radiating happiness more if his tried.

He had no objection to being used as a mattress, though he was glad there was other support from the couch. He closed his eyes and left his hand on Luke's back when it was put there.

Anakin radiating happiness, the rise and fall and warmth of a sleeping baby under his hand and he -

Well he did not sleep.

He did not exactly meditate, either.

What he did do was stretch so far out into the force that the division between what was him and what was Luke and what was Anakin and what was the live outside became... not absent but faint. It was actually very, very peaceful and restful.

The afternoon was bliss unlike anything Anakin had experienced before.

Yes, they were fighting a war against an entire Empire that was spreading fear and destruction across the galaxy.

But for one afternoon, it was just him, Obi-Wan, and Luke in that hut and that nap was the closest Anakin had ever come to peaceful meditation.

All things came to an end, sadly. And Luke had to be returned to the Lars farmstead. Anakin didn't cry more than a tear or two this time. Because he had hope there would be a next time.

He busied himself with the humidifier while Obi-Wan was gone until that was fixed. He could feel Obi-Wan approaching now so he went out wait for him, watching the setting suns.

He was pretty peaceful during that afternoon, too. His relationship with Luke was different, of course, but it was still nice to have him there. It was even nicer to have the impact of Luke on Anakin there.

He smiled slightly and pushed the hood of his cloak out of his face when he saw Anakin waiting, and reached one hand toward him.

"I think Lars is resigned to regular visits."

Anakin stepped forward, grabbing Obi-Wan's hand and pulled him closer so he could wrap his other arm around him. He smiled and kissed him.

"I'd like that."

And even he was surprised with how hearing that made his emotions swell. He'd seen Luke so few times, it was almost terrifying how much he loved him already - again.

"Thank you."

He leaned up to return the kiss, then headed toward the house. "I know you would. If I didn't, I wouldn't be so... determined." In short he'd be doing it even without Anakin's suggestion. "We should try to arrange time with Leia too, though."

Anakin started following Obi-Wan, but then stopped, dead in his tracks. His arm stretching out until he was tugging Obi-Wan to stop, too. His heart twisted up at that suggestion.

"Would Bail let..." his throat choked around the word 'me' so he went with "us?" His voice felt small, not daring to hope.

He turned back to Anakin, feeling the... fear? Was that what that was? He tightened his hand on Anakin's and took a step closer to him.

"I don't think he would be comfortable," he admitted, "And I do think he would want security and assurances and to be there. But yes, I think he would let you."

You're the parent, Anakin. He was barely a footnote in their lives. He was fine with that.

It was a kind of fear, a fear of being disappointed so he didn't set any expectations to start with. He knew his heart would break if he hoped and then Bail said no. It would be worse that what he'd felt earlier in the day when he recalled Padme's death. At least he got to see Luke.

"Don't tell me when you ask him," he said. "Sometimes... it's kinder not to hope."

And if Obi-Wan was allowed, but he wasn't - he never wanted to know that. He never wanted to be jealous of Obi-Wan.

Saying that he didn't want to see Leia without Anakin would be a lie. He would not, however, accept that visit without Anakin being present. He had... a lot of reasons to distance himself from those children.

"All right." He tugged Anakin's hand again, gently. "Inside now, please."

Anakin needed a moment to draw his emotions back in line with steadying breath.

When he felt he could move again without his emotions sweeping his legs out from under him, he said, "I thought you liked the sunsets."

"I do. You don't. I like you more than I like them." Which did not mean he would keep insisting. HE really did love that blaze of color.

Just not as much as he loved Anakin.

Anakin stepped forward, small smile on his face. There might have been a flash of mischievousness in the Force just before Anakin tugged Obi-Wan in a lateral direction just before reaching the door to pin him against the wall of the hut with a full on kiss.

He was caught off guard, but other than freeing his hand so he could get both his hands on Anakin's hips and return the kiss--

Well, he certainly didn't object.

He all but melted between the wall and Anakin.

No idea why that had happened, but was willing to accept it anyway, because it was good.

No idea? Really? Anakin smiled against Obi-Wan's mouth - that ridiculous man - and then deepened the kiss, pressing his body against Obi-Wan's as he did so. And his hands slipped under the hem of Obi-Wan's shirt, finding skin.

He had no idea. He'd just said he liked Anakin more than sunsets. ...He was ridiculous.

He made a soft, pleased sound and pulled Anakin in closer and opened to and returned the kiss. He groaned softly when Anakin's fingers grazed skin.

...He absolutely liked Anakin a lot more than the sunsets. Or much of anything else in the galaxy for that matter.

Anakin liked the noises Obi-Wan was making and went in search of ways to cause more. He broke the kiss to lean down and bite the side of Obi-Wan's neck, just like Obi-Wan liked to do to him, if a little softer, to test the waters. He had to admit it was immensely satisfying, and he let Obi-Wan know that in the Force.

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