~Anakin's POV~
It had been three months since he had stood in front of this door last. Once, he had come here whenever they were both in the same place.
He considered his home the Senate Building, where Padme was, but this apartment came in close second. He had some of his fondest memories here. And some of his worst. But that was what made a home after all.
The door in front of him was the door to Obi-wan Kenobi's apartment, where he had spent most of his life living and training with his master. He hadn't been here in so long for the downright reason that he had avoided Obi-wan for three months.
They hadn't even had a mission together, which Anakin suspected was something on Obi-wan's part. He must've seen the cold look in Anakin's eyes the last time they had seen each other and taken it as a warning to stay away. He had been right.
A dull fire burned in Anakin's soul at remembering the scene that had played out three months ago. Obi-wan had faked his death and went undercover to find out the plot of a bounty hunter who was accused of having a scheme to capture the Republic's Chancellor, one of Anakin's oldest friends.
A brilliant plan, surely, and one even Anakin had to admit, worked to perfection.
The only thing was, Obi-wan had not told Anakin he wasn't actually dead. For a few eternal, tortured days, Anakin had believed his former master, his best friend, his father, mentor and brother, was dead. It had shattered his heart.
Meanwhile, Obi-wan had been prancing around the galaxy with Cad Bane and Marallo Eval, not in the least guilty that he had ripped Anakin's heart in two.
Thus, their long, extremely strong friendship had weakened considerably. Anakin didn't know if he could ever forgive Obi-wan for what he did, but at the moment, his former master was the only one he trusted enough to talk out this dream with.
Taking in a deep breath, Anakin stepped inside. To his surprise, the lights had been dimmed. The furniture shadowed and the rooms empty at examination by the force. Anakin ran a hand though his hair in a sign of stress.
He knew Obi-wan was on Courascant. He had an uncanny way of just knowing. Obi-wan likewise also had the same way of just knowing when Anakin was near, even without the force. Suddenly, he heard someone let out a sigh of relief from behind him.
He jumped and twirled around, his hand already on his lightsaber. But it was only Obi-wan Kenobi himself who walked out from the shadows. The lights snapped on, controlled by the force. Obi-wan let his force signature join Anakin's; he had been hiding it.
"Oh, Anakin, it's only you" he said, not seeming at all surprised to see him after three months. Anakin blinked. Obi-wan looked exhausted; there were new lines of stress on his forehead and surrounding his eyes.
Bags of sleeplessness rested under his eyes. His right eye had blackened bruise surrounding it and several cuts decorated his face. He was shirtless, with a reddened blood bandage around his ribs, which were purple and bruised and scarred. A burn on his arm was also ruby red. What had this war done to his master?
"I was afraid Bant had found me," Obi-wan continued starting to un-wrap the bandage on his ribs. "This is the sixth time I've escaped from the med-bay today," he explained seeing Anakin's cocked eyebrow. "And just why are you out of bed? You look terrible," Anakin demanded.
And then, felt a prick of annoyance at himself for being so concerned for this man's well-being. Obi-wan chuckled softly, a sound Anakin was furthermore frustrated at himself for missing. He was nota scrared youngling who craved his master's attention anymore.
"I'm fine, I just look bad. Bant has more important things to do than take care of me, I'm perfectly capable of doing it myself," he said. He sat down on the couch, finally getting the bandage off and laying it down next to him. He took a roll of clean gauze from his pocket, starting to un-ravel a long piece. "So," he glanced up at him.
"To what do I owe this honor of being excused from my exile?" Ah, so he knew Anakin had been avoiding him. Anakin crossed his arms, but had to smile.
"Whoever said it was exile? What if I've just been busy?" Not all a lie. Obi-wan looked up at him with amused blue eyes, similar to his own. "Anakin, busy or not, you have always found a way to come talk to me," he pointed out. Anakin sighed, that was true.
Obi-wan snapped off a piece of bandage with his teeth, trying to wrap it around his ribs. Anakin watched in concern and admiration, even in pain, Obi-wan was still trying to handle things on his own.
"What happened?" he asked as Obi-wan got a section wrapped unto his hand accidentally. Obi-wan sighed, and Anakin saw a flash of sadness in his azure eyes. "Long story. And one I don't favor sharing with you at the moment, let's just say I got quite the beating," he studied his bandage as it mysteriously got wrapped around his forehead for some reason.
Anakin watched, trying hard not to laugh. "Anyway, what's wrong? Your grudges usually last a year or so," Obi-wan went on, struggling now. "They do not!" Anakin said indignantly. Obi-wan got the bandage wrapped around his left arm, under his right and now behind his knee.
"Yes, they do," Obi-wan corrected, his brow knitted in aggravation as he glared at the small piece of tangled bandage still in his control. He glanced at Anakin's twitching mouth. "Don't laugh, this is a serious matter," he scolded sternly. Anakin burst into laughter. "Really? Because it looks a bit too funny to be a serious matter," he laughed.
Obi-wan's mouth twitched up. "I suppose it is funny, I'm more tired than I thought, obviously. How in the blazes do you work this wicked contraption?" He sighed, and then glanced at Anakin, his eyes asking for the help his mouth wouldn't.
Anakin chuckled and sat next to him before he took the bind from his hand, slowly un-wrapping it from around Obi-wan's body.
"You'll strangle yourself if you keep doing that," he informed him. Obi-wan rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Anakin, as if I weren't already aware," he said sarcastically. "Back to topic, what brought you here?" he asked.
Anakin didn't meet his eye, maybe he could survive the dream himself, Obi-wan was tired, and injured, he shouldn't need more things to worry about. "What makes you think something is wrong? Maybe I just got tired of avoiding you," he replied.
Obi-wan put a fatherly hand on his shoulder. Anakin felt a sting of affection for his old friend. He had truly missed him. Blast him.
"Anakin," Obi-wan said gently. "You know you can always talk to me about anything, no matter how tired I am," another selfless move by the great Negotiator. Anakin sighed and finished un-tying him. "What's broken?" he asked. "I can do it," Obi-wan reached for the bandage.
Anakin glared at him. Obi-wan sighed and rubbed his forehead in the gesture that meant he was getting impatient. "Sixth rib on the left side," he relented reluctantly. Anakin nodded and started bandaging smugly.
"I had a dream," he admitted. Obi-wan didn't speak, only looked at him expectantly. Anakin finished bandaging his rib and sat up. "It was…. Horrible. And more like a premonition. It's killing me," he sighed.
Obi-wan nodded understandingly, waiting for details. Anakin hesitated a moment, the emotions of last night starting to over-take him again. The remarkable fear, horror and disgust slithered up his throat again.
Slowly, he reached across his and Obi-wan's bond. He could find no way to describe his dream, so he would have to show him. Hesitantly, Obi-wan lowered his shields and Anakin projected the dream into his mind.
After a minute, Anakin retreated from the bond. Obi-wan's face was thoughtful as he silently used the force to pull his shirt back over to him. "It… Had the making of a premonition," he said at last. Anakin nodded, fear choking him, fear that he would one day turn into that monster.
"Do you think it's the future? Will I become that... That monster?" he asked softly. Obi-wan gave him an odd look, as if he were going insane.
"Of course not. You're too good to be a Sith, Anakin. Instead of enslaving people I could see you giving all the slaves of the galaxy fresh fruit and enslaving the slavers instead," he snorted. Anakin felt his fear lessen some, but despair still remained, tinged now with anger. He stood, his fists clenched.
"No, Obi-wan. You're wrong. I'm not as good as I seem. I've made too many mistakes. I'm too afraid, too angry, too merciless," he growled.
Obi-wan didn't seem worried, "you're like many Jedi," he said. Anakin wanted to hit him. He did not understand; he did not understand Anakin's pain. "Do other Jedi slaughter a whole village of perfectly innocent people?" He demanded harshly.
Uh, oh! and there goes secret number one!