Rex didn't know exactly when he fell in love with Obi-Wan, but he knew that he'd fallen hard. He assumed that it happened after the slave camp. After that, he'd seen the Obi-Wan in the showers. He didn't try to look, but the one man who doesn't look biologically the same tends to catch the eye, despite Rex trying to be polite and not look at anyone. He looked at Obi-Wan's toned arms (he guessed that from carrying that lightsaber around and swinging it like he did had that effect), and his torso, and he kept his eyes from going any lower; he was no pervert. Rex pretended that the blush creeping across his face was from the lukewarm water of the shower and not the fact that he was enjoying the sight of Obi-Wan naked, and hurriedly finished washing himself.

In the weeks that followed, Rex tried to convince himself that the instance in the shower was a fluke, a part of him that would have considered anyone hot. However, whenever Obi-Wan worked with them, he started noticing the sassiness of the other man and started to find it funny. He watched his little facial tics during the battle plans, and he was glad for his helmet to hide his smile. He started to refer to Obi-Wan as Obi-Wan in his head, rather than General Kenobi. Sometimes, before he went to bed, he imagined them passionately kissing, but stopped the fantasy before it got further because he knew well from Anakin and Ahsoka's conversations that attachment (and by extension, romantic relationships) was forbidden.

A year and half went by since he'd fallen in love with Obi-Wan. Ahsoka had left the Jedi Order, and by extent, the GAR, Fives had died, and the universe kept expanding. He needed to tell someone about this silly crush that should have gone away by then, but kept stubbornly persisting. The answer came to him at seventy nine's over a little too much to drink on his part. Cody had noticed Rex acting strangely, so he took him over there to ease his spirits. Over his fourth beer, Rex slurred out that he had a crush on Obi-Wan. Cody did a double take. Rex liked General Kenobi? Cody asked the routine questions, how long had it been (more than a year, Rex?!), and are you planning to confess to him (I hope the answer is no for your own good, Rex)? Rex replied (Yeah, it's a long time, Cody) (No, I'm not) (It's hard to get over it when you see him every month or so and sometimes it's in the shower). Cody didn't know how to deal with it, and so he trusted Rex to get rid of it on his own.

About a month after that, Rex had stayed up late for a long briefing by Anakin, and went to the showers because he felt disgusting and needed to get out of his armor for a bit (this would be one of those missions that drag on forever, and he never gets to take his armor off during those). He strips off his armor, and welcomes the water, as ice cold as it is. He takes his time washing himself, knowing that it would probably be the last time in a week that he did. He opens his eyes to look around him, and in the corner away from him, he saw Obi-Wan's unmistakable auburn hair. Rex desperately tried not to look, to close his eyes, but his subconscious wanted him to look, to fuel his fantasies. Over the year and a half, Rex had stayed true to his policy of 'don't look beyond the chest,' but that day, Rex's eyes wandered farther down. Rex never knew what finally caused the slip. Sexual desperation? Tiredness leading to loss of discipline? Thankfully, Obi-Wan wasn't looking, and spared Rex the embarrassment of that situation.

Rex finally turned his water off, and reached for his towel. He began to dry off as he heard Obi-Wan's water turning off as well.

"Were you getting clean before the mission too, Rex?" He asked, knowing what the answer would be.

"Yeah, I was."

Both pulled their clothes on in awkward silence, and Rex was overtaken by an insane amount of courage, something that he'd be hard pressed to find on the battlefield.

"General, ah, Kenobi, erm, Obi-Wan, uh, sir, could I ask you something?"

"Sure, Rex."

The men turned into the hallway, and Rex took a deep breath in. "Obi-Wan, I love you."

Obi-Wan stopped dead in his track and turned slowly toward Rex.

"You love me?"

"Yeah."

Obi-Wan looked down at the ground with a sad look on his face, and Rex's heart plummeted. "Rex, you know I'm a Jedi. Due to the Jedi code, I can't have attachments, and that means I couldn't love you back."

Rex heard the silent 'even if I wanted to.' He knew that Obi-Wan wouldn't like him back, and he'd been preparing for that. He had not been prepared for how much it would hurt, and he certainly did not think that he would be holding back tears.

"I knew. I just wanted to tell you." Rex turned away and started down the hallway, when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I think you were brave for telling me. Rex, I am so sorry." Obi-Wan turned away, and Rex went the opposite direction to his bed.