AN: Look at me! I started a new story again even though I really shouldn't! Woohoo!
Alright so... this is the begining of my new fic Pride, Credits and Gunpowder, the next chapter should be out shortly because I'm actually REALLY exited about writing this.
It will be set approximately one and a half year after order 66 and be written from Obi-Wan's perspective.
It's an Obi-Wan/Cad Bane slash fic, because there really aren't enough of those out there and they're kind of my opt at the moment.
The romance is slow build however, because I really don't think that it would work any other way, so expect lots and lots of romantic tension! :D
Warnings: There will be slash. Also, I'm not that used to writing action soooooo we'll see how that goes XD
A Glass of Whisky:
"Obi-Wan Kenobi…" the duros drawled, blazing red eyes set on the glass of whisky in his hands. The sound of his horse, grim voice made an almost pleasant feeling of familiarity rinse down Obi's spine and a smile tug at the corner of his lips. "…fancy seeing you here. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Ben…" he corrected him even as he sat down next to Bane by the bar counter. "…it's Ben now."
"Obviously. Wouldn't want to get caught would ya'? Now the name of Obi-Wan Kenobi is known all over the galaxy, but Ben?!" Cad snorted out a laugh and turned to him. When their eyes clashed, something dangerous and threatening immediately passed between them, making Obi grip the hilt of his light saber underneath his cloak unconsciously and Bane finger his laser pistols, while simultaneously reminding them both of better days.
Finally, the duros broke the moment to look back at his drink, picked it up from the counter and raised it towards Obi with a grim smile on his face. "Who'd ever look twice at a man named Ben? Hey, bartender!" He punched his free hand into the surface of the bar and waved the barista over. "Get my old friend here a jug of whisky. My treat."
"Thanks but no thanks! I don't-"
"I don't want to hear any disagreements from you, Ben…" Bane turned back to him, his red eyes glistening threateningly under the edge of the oversized hat. "…yer' a free man now. Try to enjoy it."
Half a minute later a cold, dirty glass filled to the brim with foaming whisky was placed before Obi-Wan's hands.
He fingered the drink nervously.
He hadn't been drinking for years and had no intentions of picking the habit back up now, but he didn't want to upset Bane either.
Slowly, he raised the glass to his lips and took a sip.
The whisky was frosty cold and burning hot, bittersweet and salty, all at once. He'd never really liked whisky. At first the strange contrast made him want to spit it out, but then a small wave of warmth started lapping at the edges of his mind and he swallowed it down anyway, concentrating on the good instead of the bad.
When he returned to reality it was to see Bane giving him an aggravating, knowing smirk.
"Not too bad is it, mister fancy pants?"
"Mister fancy pants? Very mature…"
"Says the virgin drinker."
Obi-Wan smiled and looked back into the glass.
"I'm just a little rusty on the edges is all…"
They spent the next five minutes drinking in silence, feeling strangely comfortable in each other's company. Obi-Wan was watching the other inhabitants of the bar, all of them just the kind of lowlife scum that he'd dedicated his former life to putting behind bars until order 66 and Anakin's betrayal, and that he'd only recently found himself blending in with.
But then, finally, Bane's whisky ran out and he turned back to Obi with a sigh.
"So? Why are you really here, Kenobi? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't hand your sorry ass over to the empire right now."
"What's this, Bane? You really don't think that I'd come here to just enjoy the pleasure of your company?"
"I'm warning you, Kenobi; you don't want to play with me."
Obi-Wan sighed, albeit smiling, and took another sip of his drink before he turned back to Bane with a serious expression on his face.
"I want to hire you for a job."
Slowly, the duros raised one interested, non-existing eyebrow.
"A job?"
"Yes. I'd like you to help me locate the whereabouts of Assaj Ventress and Ahsoka Tano."
"…why?"
"Because I heard rumors that they're still alive somewhere, and I'd like to find them."
"No I mean… why hire me for that?"
Slowly, Obi-Wan smiled.
"Isn't that obvious?" He raised his glass of whisky. "Because everyone knows that you're the best, because I've worked with you before, because me and my former accomplices have been wasting years trying and failing to capture you, but, mainly, because you have a very nice hat."
Slowly, Bane smiled back.
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Kenobi. Last time we worked together it was without my awareness and you ended up stabbing me in the back. Why should I help you again?"
"I have money."
"How much?"
"A lot."
"How much?"
"Thirty thousand credits."
They looked at each other, warm blue eyes against cold red ones, and suddenly they were back in the clones wars (life had, with all its horrors, been simpler then), back to being arch enemies (this had been simple too, never to trust, never to gamble). Then Bane broke the moment once again to swipe the drink from Obi's hands and gulp it all down in three, long, loud swallows; making Obi look at the way Bane's blue adam's apple went up and down that long, sinewy throat of his. It made him think about how easily he could cut it.
There was a knife in his pocket, pulling it out without Bane noticing would be the easiest thing in the world, slitting his neck would be even simpler – and if that didn't work he could always strangle him, or bite him, or kiss him (soft lips against coarse blue skin. Maybe the chock would kill him?), or – what the hell was he thinking?! He didn't remember being THIS much of a light weight!
"Fine."
"Eh?"
Madly blushing, Obi-Wan turned back to Bane, that had put down the now empty glass to look at him with a detached, almost bored expression on his face.
"I said fine. I'll help you find your missing ladies. But on one condition!"
"S-sure! Whatever it is, I'll do it!"
Slowly, Cad Bane broke out into a teasing, predatory smirk, making Obi sober up immediately as every warning trigger in his body screamed at him to abort, abort, abort and a loud voice inside his head that sounded all too much like Quigon Jinn started to boom: "Obi-Wan Kenobi. What the hell do you think that you're doing meddling with this mad man?"
Then, Bane stood up and nodded for him to follow.
"You'll have to pay for the drinks."