Notes: I don't own anything from Star Wars. Thank you for all for your lovely comments and reviews! In this chapter the Clone Wars has begun, Ahsoka has just been assigned as Anakin's Padawan, and Anakin has been married to Padmé for several months. I'm thinking these short scenes will be in roughly chronological order. As of right now.

Sick Day

Obi-Wan was sick.

He was definitely sick, no matter what he said about it. Anakin could hear him coughing from here.

A thick, rasping, hacking cough sounded from the other side of the transparisteel doors which sectioned off the main bridge from the rest of the Resolute. Anakin exchanged a look with Ahsoka and shook his head.

The doors hissed open and they heard Obi-Wan say, "I beg your pardon ladies and gentlemen. It's just a cold." Anakin saw Ahsoka roll her eyes from the corner of his gaze. The men and women around the communications console looked unconvinced as well. Cody was hovering over his commanding officer, Admiral Yularen looked to be at the end of his patience and the holographic form of Jedi Master and General Luminara Unduli frowned as she surveyed Obi-Wan. "Are you quite sure you're alright, Master Kenobi?" she asked in her refined voice. "You don't look well."

It was true; Obi-Wan looked terrible.

His skin was pasty pale with a feverish glow, his eyes were heavy-lidded and unfocused, as though he could barely keep them open, and his usually immaculate hair was limp and hung straggling across his face.

"You look like shit, Kenobi," was the brusque assessment of Master Windu, also appearing via hologram.

Anakin snorted, stopping on Obi-Wan's right side and crossing his arms. He was standing close enough to his Master that their sides and hips brushed. "As I've been telling him for days, but General Kenobi doesn't get sick," he pronounced, sarcastically.

Ahsoka came and stood at Obi-Wan's other side. Anakin saw her glance down to where Obi-Wan gripped the console's edge in white-knuckled hands and he felt her concern flare in the Force.

It was true, Obi-Wan was never sick. Anakin could only remember one other time, when he'd been ten and afraid Obi-Wan wouldn't wake up he slept so soundly. But he was definitely sick today.

He shifted closer to his Master, feeling the exact moment when Obi-Wan released his tense, rigid hold over himself and leaned onto Anakin slightly, exhaling with a quiet sigh of relief. Anakin attempted to be stealthy as he dropped his arms and wound one around Obi-Wan's waist to hold him upright and against Anakin. His Master's head drooped with exhaustion.

"He hasn't been sleeping anywhere near enough," Cody opined reprovingly.

"Yes, thank you, Cody," Obi-Wan murmured, his eyes fluttering as he sagged a bit further against Anakin. That was it.

Anakin straightened. "Masters, we have several more days until we get to Ansion and nothing we are discussing now can't wait. Therefore, I suggest we re-convene this meeting another time because I'm taking Obi-Wan to bed" – Ahsoka hastily swallowed back laughter, tried to clear her throat meaningfully and ended up in an extended coughing fit – "I'm making sure Obi-Wan goes to bed. To rest," Anakin continued, without missing a beat.

Windu looked extremely unimpressed. And was Luminara hiding a smile behind that raised hand?

Anakin scowled. "Good day, Masters." He terminated the connection.

Ahsoka was wiping tears from her eyes and he scowled at her too.

"You take care of General Kenobi, sir," Rex said, his voice entirely too neutral. "We'll take care of everything here." Ahsoka gave him a thumbs up. "Really, I'm not sick at all," Obi-Wan protested. Anakin hated them all.

He managed to get Obi-Wan to his quarters where his Master refused all help to change into sleepwear, instead taking so long in the 'fresher that Anakin though he might have fallen asleep in there, except for the hacking coughs which occurred with more and more frequency. He wandered out after a while and got into bed, refusing to meet Anakin's eyes. He coughed into his hand and grimaced. "There's no need to waste your time coddling your old Master, Anakin. I'll be just fine after a little rest."

Anakin shook his head and plumped up Obi-Wan's pillows. "You're not old Master, and I want to help you. And take care of you."

Obi-Wan, his face flushed and his eyes already trying to close, rolled them. "Why am I not surprised," he murmured as he quickly fell into a light dose.

Anakin hovered over him for a while, listening to his unsteady breaths and the rattling in his chest. At last he reached out and swept Obi-Wan's sweaty hair from his forehead, feeling his temperature. Hot and clammy.

Obi-Wan sighed a bit in his sleep, making a small sound as he tried to push his fevered skin against Anakin's cool palm. Anakin stroked his cheek gently, frowning as Obi-Wan's relaxed features scrunched in pain and he began coughing again. He looked around the room for another pillow but didn't see one. After a moments indecision, he pulled away from Obi-Wan – trying to ignore his Master's resulting small sound of distress – went and filled a glass of water for later, and pulled off his lightsaber and outer armor, before sliding into the bed and positioning Obi-Wan on top of him.

Anakin was mostly seated upright against the wall, with Obi-Wan resting between his legs, lying on his side with his head raised up and pillowed on Anakin's chest. Anakin wrapped his arms around his Master, pressing one cheek onto the man's damp hair.

He must have drifted off at some point because he woke to Obi-Wan's calloused fingers hesitantly stroking his skin and his Master's fevered eyes staring up at him. Obi-Wan was burning hot in Anakin's arms, his lips dry and cracked and he smelled sour, but his eyes were brilliantly bright, and he had never looked more beautiful to Anakin.

Those fingers stroked higher until they tangled in Anakin's curls and Obi-Wan nestled further into Anakin's arms. His Force presence, usually under such tight control, roiled wildly and tangled sinuously with Anakin's own.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan whispered, his voice as turbulent as his eyes. "You're still here." He sounded like he couldn't believe it. He tugged on Anakin's hair, his eyes dropping from Anakin's own as his lips parted.

Anakin shivered and leaned forward, resting their foreheads together. Obi-Wan's eyes fell closed as he hummed low in his throat.

"Master – " Anakin was shocked at the rough quality of his own voice.

Obi-Wan hmm'd again, his lips barely a hairsbreadth from Anakin's. His head slid down until his face was buried in the hollow of Anakin's throat and he gently drifted off into a healing sleep.

End Notes: The next scene will have both Obi-Wan and Anakin in full possession of their faculties, I promise.