Anakin was the first to awaken. He laid next to Obi-Wan, quiet as he could manage, simply watching him sleep. Obi-Wan looked so at peace in slumber, the worried lines gone from his features, his mouth hanging partially open. Everything about him was open. Obi-Wan kept no secrets from him—if he even had any –and Anakin feared what would happen when Obi-Wan's memory returned. Guilty as he felt about even thinking such thoughts, Anakin hoped that Obi-Wan never regained his memory. For the first time Anakin was able to see Obi-Wan as he really was, unconfined by the rules and mandates of the Jedi Order. Obi-Wan allowed himself to feel and didn't try to hide it. Anakin was terrified of Obi-Wan denying everything that had happened in the past few weeks once his memory returned. He didn't think he'd be able to return to their old relationship, knowing what he did now. Knowing that Obi-Wan loved him just as passionately as Anakin loved him.

Obi-Wan snuffled quietly in his sleep, his nose crinkling up, before slipping deeper into unconsciousness. The sun was just barely up and Anakin had no intentions of waking Obi-Wan. He wanted to let him sleep as long as possible. Perhaps Obi-Wan would dream of his past, the good parts and not what made him wake screaming in terror.

Very carefully, Anakin reached out to lightly stroke his fingertips along Obi-Wan's cheek. The beginnings of a new beard bristled against Anakin's fingertips, the early sunlight reflecting their russet colour. Obi-Wan leaned instinctively into the touch, a slight smile curving his lips for a brief moment before he was still again.

"I know that it's selfish, but I want you to stay this way," Anakin whispered as he stared across the pillow at Obi-Wan's sleeping face. "I don't want this to end. And it will. Once you get your memory back it won't be the same anymore. You may still love me, but you won't show me. It won't be like this ever again and I don't think I could take that."

Feeling the painful stab of tears against the back of his eyes, Anakin squeezed his eyelids shut and turned his face into the pillow. He didn't want Obi-Wan to worry. The older man had enough going on without worrying about his wayward emotions.

"For the first few months that braid of yours consisted of my newly cut one attached to that small stump of hair we managed to collect behind your ear," Obi-Wan murmured in the ensuing silence. "Your hair was too short to make a braid so we made a small tail behind your ear and used a band to hold the end portion of mine I place so that it hung down past your chin. The colours didn't match, but you didn't seem to care much."

Anakin could only stare at Obi-Wan in wonderment. His hand stilled against Obi-Wan's chin, his eyes fixed on his lover's sleepy grin.

"Whatever happened to that bit of braid?" Obi-Wan yawned, blinking his eyes open a crack.

Inhaling deeply, Anakin pursed his lips. "I lost it. I'd kept reattaching it to the end of my padawan braid even after my hair was long enough, I don't know why. Then, when we were on a mission—I think I was thirteen at the time –I lost it. I can't even remember the name of the planet we were on anymore. It wasn't until we were back on Coruscant that I realized it was gone."

Obi-Wan's smile didn't waver. He brought a hand up to rest against the side of Anakin's throat, thumb massaging the underside of his jaw. "It's not a big deal. It would probably look very scraggly by now anyway."

For several long minutes the two were silent, their foreheads touching and fingers stroking available bits of skin. It was very relaxing, both of them drifting in and out of sleep as there was no real reason for them to get up. Obi-Wan could hardly be expected to go about his usual duties and Anakin couldn't even remember what day it was let alone what lessons he was meant to be attending. So he decided to enjoy the decadence of it after so much chaos.

"Decide, we must, what to do about Obi-Wan and Anakin," Yoda said, glancing about the Council room at the assembled Jedi Masters. "Remain together, should they, or be separated? A choice now, we must make."

"We cannot trust Skywalker's temper," Mace Windu was quick to object. "Without Obi-Wan to control him, there could be disastrous results."

"I'm afraid I disagree," Adi Gallia spoke up immediately. "If anything their roles have become reversed in the wake of Obi-Wan's injury on Geonosis. At present it is Obi-Wan who is out of control and young Skywalker who is the more reserved one of their partnership. It is my opinion that these events are beneficial for Anakin's training."

"You don't think he'll take advantage of the situation?" Ki-Adi-Mundi questioned, resting his left ankle on his right knee as he spoke.

Adi Gallia shook her head. "No, I do not. His main concern seems to be for Obi-Wan's well being."

"And that is not evidence enough that the situation is out of control?" Mace pressed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "Anakin is far too passionate. He is unable to release his emotions. They consume him and it is starting to effect Obi-Wan."

If he never had to leave the bed, Obi-Wan would have been absolutely content. Anakin was lying sprawled half on top of him, their limbs tangled together under the heavy down comforter. Not quite tired enough to sleep, Obi-Wan had been idly tracing patterns on Anakin's back from between his shoulder blades to the upper swell of his bottom. They were both utterly relaxed, a far cry from the previous morning.

"Do you think the Council will make a decision today?" Obi-Wan yawned, nuzzling his cheek against Anakin's rumpled hair.

Anakin snorted, squeezing Obi-Wan's sides briefly. "Chances are Master Windu's trying to convince everyone that we need to be separated. He's never trusted me."

"Why?"

"He doesn't like the fact that I'm this supposed Chosen One," Anakin sighed. The blonde wiggled as Obi-Wan allowed his fingers to dip into the crack of his ass. "I'm convinced that he's just waiting for me to fail. He's just waiting for the chance to prove that this whole prophecy is completely bogus."

"Rather pessimistic of him," Obi-Wan mused, frowning slightly.

Anakin gave a non-committal grunt and snuggled more securely into Obi-Wan's embrace. So Obi-Wan held him tighter and allowed his fingers to smooth over Anakin's back, following the paths of indentations made by muscle, bone, and flesh. He wanted to learn every inch of Anakin's body so that if anything ever separated them again he would easily be able to draw forth memories of the younger man.

Once again, Obi-Wan's questing fingers strayed once again to the divide between Anakin's buttocks. Anakin stiffened momentarily at first, but it lasted only for a second before he relaxed against Obi-Wan, even going so far as to spread his legs slightly. Once Anakin had settled, Obi-Wan allowed his fingers to dip down further. There was nothing rushed about his movements, nor about Anakin's as the younger shifted a second time so that he was straddling Obi-Wan's hips. Raising himself up on his elbows, Anakin peered down at Obi-Wan's face.

Anakin's smile brought everything into focus.

"So you are still set on isolating Obi-Wan?" Adi Gallia asked Mace.

"It would be for the best. If we remove any outside stimuli we should be able to determine just what has caused his memory loss," Mace reasoned, his expression determined. "He has far too much access to the Force and no control over it. He is a danger to everyone until he can relearn to control himself. A trait that he will not learn in Skywalker's company."

"Yet control Obi-Wan has when near his apprentice."

"I agree with Mace," Shaak Ti spoke up, tilting her head towards the aforementioned Jedi Master. "We are taking far too many risks by leaving Obi-Wan and Anakin unsupervised. There was too much chaos in Obi-Wan's mind yesterday and just as much pouring off of Anakin when the door opened. They have given way to passion in place of serenity."

Obi-Wan arched his neck as Anakin lowered himself down onto his erection, giving the younger man clear access to his throat. Or, more in particular, his Adam's apple, which Anakin laved his tongue across, his lower teeth scraping over it as he continued to trail up so that he could catch Obi-Wan's lips with his. Anakin couldn't contain a moan as Obi-Wan's left hand sunk into his hair, his middle finger slipping between his scalp and the band that held his short queue in place. Obi-Wan's other hand was gripping tightly at his hip, keeping pace with Anakin's thrusts.

Then suddenly Obi-Wan surged upwards and Anakin had to wrap his arms around his lover's shoulders to keep from being dislodged. He held on even tighter as Obi-Wan continued to move, shifting onto his knees while still keeping his cock more than halfway in Anakin's hole. Anakin was just about to lower his legs to the bed to offer some support when all around him the air began to tingle, his body now cushioned by the Force. Raising his eyes immediately to Obi-Wan's, Anakin was surprised by the look of concentration on his face. Their eyes met for only a moment before Obi-Wan once again began to thrust into him.

Obi-Wan...

I love you, came the echo in his mind that was followed by a warmth that infused all of his cells.

And repeated that same pledge,I love you.

Releasing his own control on the Force, Anakin allowed his own energies to flow around them, swirling and mixing with Obi-Wan's. Encircling them both, supporting them as they continued to make love in the center of the room. Sinking his left hand into Obi-Wan's hair, Anakin guided their lips together, craving that contact.

Obi-Wan's knees and shins were all that touched the mattress, Anakin's body wound tightly around his as they thrust against one another. Anakin gasped against Obi-Wan's lips as something was nudged deep inside of him. Two thrusts later that same spot was struck again and Anakin arched his back, a keening sound escaping his lips.

Following him, Obi-Wan leaned forward and the pair ended up toppling back onto the mattress, Anakin lying on his back with Obi-Wan covering him. He kept one leg wrapped around Obi-Wan's hips, the other foot he pressed into the mattress so that he had better leverage to thrust against.

Above him, Obi-Wan's smile was the most peaceful sight Anakin could ever remember.

Leaning an elbow against the arm of her chair, Depa Billaba touched her fingertips to her chin. "Powerful as Obi-Wan is, our main concern should be Anakin. He is the one in the prophecies and for many years we have all feared to lose him to the Dark Side. Separating him and Obi-Wan could very well do that. They have a very deep bond and I fear what would happen if we were to severe it at this point."

"I cannot see either one of them submitting to such a decision," Saesee Tiin added. "Before this mission we might have been able to convince Obi-Wan that it was the right action, but now it will be next to impossible."

Mace's nostrils flared as he exhaled angrily. "So we are to cave to their emotions? Ignore centuries of teachings because we fear what Skywalker may become?"

In the silence that followed each of the twelve Jedi Masters felt the sudden shockwave through the Force.

"Decided, it already is," Yoda announced sagely.

In his office, Palpatine felt the shockwave as well. The datapad he had been reading tumbled from his fingers, clattering to the floor, as he realized the implications of what had just happened. All at once, the dark powers that had aided him faithfully for so many years became muted by a stronger force.

Throwing his head back, Palpatine let out an enraged howl.

Obi-Wan was trembling so much that he could no longer support himself on his forearms and collapsed against Anakin's chest. He lay panting against the lithe body beneath him, nuzzling against the damp collarbone that acted as his pillow. Against his throat he could hear the hammering of Anakin's heart, pounding in time with his own, as they both struggled to calm their bodies.

The air around him was still vibrating, almost pulsing.

"What did we just do?" Obi-Wan gasped out once he found the necessary breath to do so.

Anakin shrugged, his lips still against Obi-Wan's forehead. His panting breath against the sweat gathered there sent a tingle through Obi-Wan's body. Anakin's right leg, which had remained wound around Obi-Wan's hips, slid down so that his foot rested between Obi-Wan's splayed legs.

"Am I too heavy?"

A shake of the head and Anakin tightening his arms around his torso was his answer.

For a few minutes, Obi-Wan relaxed his body, simply enjoying the feel of Anakin's body pressed so closely to his own. He felt safe, content, loved, and so many other emotions that he couldn't place names to. It was a feeling that he didn't want to end.

Anakin's breath hitched suddenly and Obi-Wan immediately lifted his head. Tears were sliding in fat trails down the sides of Anakin's face, disappearing into his hair, and Obi-Wan feared that he'd hurt his lover. The look of utter peace on Anakin's features, though, calmed him. He hadn't hurt Anakin.

Anakin tilted his head so that he was able to meet Obi-Wan's concerned gaze. Still not uttering a word, he lifted his left hand to Obi-Wan's cheek, drawing him down for a kiss that was slow and tender, and soothed Obi-Wan's mind as well as his soul.

One that soothed Anakin's as well.