Pathetic Life Form

"I'm going to bed," Qui Gon muttered as he turned to down the ship corridor. Even his eyes looked tired. "Look after the boy? Make sure he eats?"

"Yes, Master." Obi Wan nodded, watching his master go. The big man looked wilted the way his naturally towering frame had to curl over so Qui Gon wouldn't hit his head on the hatch to their bunks. Obi Wan turned and stepped into the living quarters, aiming for the galley, but his eyes glanced over at the 'pathetic life form' for this mission. "Are you hungry?"

The kid was huddled in a blanket and pouting. He paused before moving, but as Obi Wan started opening cupboards and pulling out food to prepare, the kid hatched himself from the blanket and came curiously over. His head was barely taller than the counter at which Obi Wan worked.

Obi Wan re-heated two trays of pre-cooked dishes. "Are you allergic to anything?" He glanced down at the boy.

Big blue eyes looked up with full, pursing lips of attention. Anakin shook his head. Pale brown hair rattled into his eyes.

Obi Wan grinned in spite himself and rummaged for eating utensils before motioning over his shoulder. "Go sit down."

Little feet shuffled over to the booth table on the side of the room and climbed up. He swung his short legs in and out from the tall bench as he waited.

Obi Wan brought over both trays of food and slid one in front of the boy. The trays were the same, split down the middle, with some kind of casserole on one side and lumps of over-steamed, yellow vegetables on the other. Obi Wan settled across the table from Anakin and began to eat without a glance at the kid.

After a minute of silence, Anakin squinted an untrusting eye. "Can Jedi read people's minds?"

Obi Wan rubbed his lips as he swallowed his bite. He cocked his head. "No. But we are empathic. We can read emotions."

Anakin seemed to pout to that. Obi Wan realized it was his natural expression when he was contemplating a deep thought. Obi Wan secretly watched the kid think for a while.

Anakin tucked his eyes away again, thinking during the course of several silent bites, then. "Can Jedi move things with their mind?"

Trying not to grin, Obi Wan tucked his current bite deeper into his throat and swallowed. Instead of answering, he lifted his forearm from the table, balancing on his elbow, and focused on Anakin passed two naturally hanging fingers.

Anakin frowned at him like he was nuts.

With his mind, Obi Wan lifted a soggy, luke-warm, yellow vegetable from Anakin's plate. Blue eyes widened with delight at this trick. Obi Wan lifted the vegetable in the air until it hovered level with Anakin's nose, then flicked his fingers, sending the glob to smack against Anakin's face.

Anakin lifted his hand and turned his face before it splatted against him and, for a moment, his eyes came back flaring with anger, but Obi Wan was giggling tightly, his chest shaking with humor at it and Anakin soon came around to laugh too.

Trying not to giggle back, Anakin pressed his mouth, picked up a handful of vegetables and threw it at Obi Wan.

Laughing, Obi Wan ducked sideways, catching some of them in the air and tossing it back at the boy. The food fight did not last long, and it wasn't very messy, but it was enough to break the ice between the two. Soon, the missiles stopped flying and they got back to eating, but both of them were still snickering at each other and trying to stay quiet in the sleepy ship until the meal was over…

… then Obi Wan made Anakin clean up the mess.