Notes: Two scenes in one week! This takes place during the Second Battle of Geonosis, after Obi-Wan was about to make his last stand with the 212th and Anakin, Ahsoka and Ki-Adi-Mundi get there just in time.
Geonosis
The quiet noises after a battle always seemed disproportionately loud to Anakin. Standing – more like hovering – over his Master as Kix ran a medical diagnostic scan, Anakin crossed his arms and tried to block out the creaking and clanking of the AT-TEs, the subdued voices and stifled, pain-filled moans of injured clones, and Ahsoka's nervous chatter.
"I am perfectly capable of making it back to the Negotiator," Obi-Wan said in a voice that would have been more effective if it didn't break off every other word, so he could take a ragged breath of air.
"Broken ribs, perhaps punctured lung," Kix had informed his commanding officer. "Sprained, perhaps broken leg."
Now he was checking for internal damage with a deep frown and even deeper concern threading through his Force presence, which Anakin did not like at all.
Anakin had almost killed his men, his Padawan and himself getting to Obi-Wan's position in time. And he had almost been too late anyway.
Almost.
The word hung, hauntingly, in his mind.
"We're at the breaking point, Admiral," he had told Yularen, and it was true.
"Kix?" he demanded, attempting to keep his voice even.
"Not sure yet, sir," Kix returned hurriedly, moving Obi-Wan's left arm carefully and causing a brief spasm of pain across the Jedi Master's face and a flare in the Force through their bond.
Too close. It had been too kriffin' close.
Anakin's fists clenched, Ahsoka's voice increased in pitch, and the dust of Geonosis stung his eyes and got stuck in his throat. The medical scanner beeped – indicating positive internal damage – and Anakin felt a dull roar in his ears, echoing his rapid pulse. The sand hissed, the comlinks squealed, the walkers pounded like thunder, the clones and Ahsoka sounded like a swarm of insects, buzzing, buzzing…
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan gasped, head falling back and eyes closing as fierce concentration suffused his features.
And the soothing, still waters of Obi-Wan's Force presence gently brushed against Anakin's turbulent maelstrom. Breathe, Obi-Wan whispered across their still-unbroken bond.
"Ahsoka," the Jedi Master said out loud, in a quiet, strained voice. "Please go and see if Rex or Cody need any assistance."
The girl cast a worried glance between her two masters before scampering off, and Anakin dropped to his knees before the overturned crate on which Obi-Wan was seated. He shoved his emotions behind thick shields and looked up at his Master desperately, raising a hand to place his glove against Obi-Wan's cheek, in order to draw the man's head gently down towards his. Obi-Wan looked to be dazed, and half-unconscious from both the pain and Anakin's uncontrolled burst of emotion through the Force.
His eyes blinked hazily open and he attempted to focus on Anakin's face, lips quirked in a rueful smile.
"I'm sorry, Master," Anakin croaked. A gentle breeze brushed Obi-Wan's soft hair across his forehead and Anakin distractedly watched it for a moment. He half-felt Kix take several steps back from the two Jedi and lower his eyes to the ground respectfully.
Obi-Wan's breaths were shallow and he raised a hand to clasp Anakin's arm in an attempt to anchor himself. "Not to worry," he murmured. "This particular mission has been trying for all of us."
Anakin barked a disbelieving laugh. "Master, I – " he broke off and shook his head. Then he reached out to Obi-Wan in the Force, dropping his shields and flood Obi-Wan with his own Force presence in an attempt to heal or stabilize anything. Anything at all. Concentrating, he poured all his strength and will, his love for his Master, into it.
Obi-Wan's eyes widened, and he gasped loudly, pupils dilating. Too much. Not too much, Anakin. And his voice in Anakin's mind sounded almost blissed out, like Anakin imagined his Master would sound after…
Anakin hastily pulled his Force presence back, noticing Obi-Wan's hand trembling on his arm, and his Master gave a sudden grunt, muscles releasing at the abrupt cessation of all that power flowing through his veins. He slumped forwards and would have fallen if Anakin hadn't caught him in his arms. Anakin watched Kix raise an eyebrow before the medic shook his head and wandered off at his General's sharp nod.
Anakin felt Obi-Wan's prickly cheek against his own, and his Master's warm, even breaths against the shell of his ear and rustling through his hair. He shivered. Obi-Wan was so close, his heart pounding against Anakin's – a shared, never-ending echo.
If he just turned his head, his lips would brush smooth skin and Obi-Wan would know how much he meant to Anakin, that Anakin would never survive it if his Master –
Obi-Wan pulled shakily back. "That was…rather intense," he said in a typical display of understatement.
Anakin wanted to laugh at that but he also, alarmingly, wanted to cry, so he hastily looked away from his Master and muttered, "Sorry." Again.
He could feel Obi-Wan's frown. "Anakin – " the Jedi Master began.
And Anakin knew his Master was going to say something about Anakin needing to learn to accept death, and to let go of things he could not change, and that Anakin was a Jedi Knight, fully capable of making the right decisions without Obi-Wan around, but he couldn't hear those words right now.
He jumped up. "Come, Master, let's get you back to your ship and the medbay." He drew Obi-Wan's arm over his shoulder and helped the older man to his feet.
His Master sighed but let the matter drop, and if Anakin held Obi-Wan closer than was strictly necessary, all the way back to the troop transport, no one commented on it.
Not even Obi-Wan.
End Notes: I ended up enjoying this chapter more than I thought I would. Anakin's frantic reaction whenever Obi-Wan is in danger is always fun to explore.