Anakin's entire body was humming. Vibrating. He could feel every nerve ending in his body pulsating even as the sweat cooled on his body. He arched slightly, hugging Obi-Wan more tightly to him. He couldn't figure out exactly what had happened while he and Obi-Wan had been making love, but something had changed. Anakin could feel it in the very air around them. He didn't want to question it, though, content for the moment to simply enjoy the fact that he was finally calm. Even deep down in the pit of his stomach where all of his fear and anger was usually coiling, keeping him on edge. It was quiet. Calm.
"What did we just do?" Obi-Wan gasped, his breath hot against Anakin's chest.
Not able to understand it in the least, Anakin could only shrug his shoulders. He touched his lips to Obi-Wan's forehead, his nose pushed into the damp copper hair. Anakin inhaled deeply, breathing in the musky scent that filled the room. Relaxing even further, his right leg slipped down, twisting around Obi-Wan's.
"Am I too heavy?"
Anakin only hugged him tighter, shaking his head. He couldn't figure out the words to explain what he was feeling. He was happy, content, safe, loved, and so very much more. It was almost overwhelming. Even when he'd been with his mother, Anakin had never felt so much so strongly. Or as close to another being as he did Obi-Wan. The emotions were swelling so much that Anakin felt tears prickling behind his eyelids, having no other outlet save in tears.
Obi-Wan lifted his head and Anakin tried to appear calm when he saw the concern flashing in Obi-Wan's eyes. He lifted his hand, cupping his lover's cheek, and drew him down for a kiss. Anakin didn't want Obi-Wan to worry. He had nothing to worry about. Anakin felt at peace and just by looking at Obi-Wan he could tell that the older man did as well.
"Something happened," Anakin whispered as Obi-Wan's head settled against his shoulder once again. "I can feel it."
Obi-Wan nodded his head, his nose nudging the underside of Anakin's jaw. "I can feel it, too. I don't know what it is, though. Should I?"
Anakin felt relieved that Obi-Wan was as unsure as he was. This was new, beyond anything he had ever experienced and it made him nervous. He was worried that it would give the Council a reason to separate them. If Master Windu had things his way they would never be allowed in the same planetary system again.
"I won't let that happen," Obi-Wan whispered, angling his head so that he could place a kiss over Anakin's heart. "They aren't going to take you away from me."
Obi-Wan's determination was palpable; Anakin could feel it. And even though Obi-Wan was the smaller of them, with his body covering him, Anakin felt truly protected. Like nothing could possibly hurt them, or separate them. It was as Obi-Wan had said yesterday, the Council ultimately had no control over their lives. For the past ten years, the Council had been telling him that he was the Chosen One, but Anakin was no closer to believing it at nineteen as he had been at nine. And even if they were forced to leave the Order, he would still be a Jedi. Following a stagnant code that was centuries old was hardly a definitive criteria. They should be able to exist more in tune with the rest of the galaxy. Be able to love and feel other emotions without risk of censure.
Eventually, drying bodily fluids and the general discomfort they caused forced them from their bed. Anakin felt a small thrill of pleasure at being able to call it "their" bed. Unfortunately, neither had the energy to enjoy more than a quick rinse in the 'fresher. Anakin had even managed to convince Obi-Wan to shave the reddish-gold stubble from his jaw. It seemed more than a little odd to Anakin that he was so exhausted. His sleep had been a good one and it was Obi-Wan who had expanded the most physical energy during their love making. It should not have affected him so much.
The door chime sounded just as they were exiting the bedroom, both dressed simply in loose tunics and trousers. Squeezing Obi-Wan's shoulder as he walked past him, Anakin crossed the room and opened the door to find Master Yoda floating at eye level on his hoverchair waiting in the corridor.
Even though Anakin had only gone to the door, Obi-Wan ached to have him back at his side. It made him nervous, not knowing what was going to happen once Anakin opened the door. His nerves were tingling again, energy fizzling around him. He was tense, afraid for him and Anakin despite his earlier attempts at confidence.
"Master Yoda," Anakin greeted, stepping aside so that the diminutive Jedi Master could enter their quarters. "We didn't expect you so early."
"Decreed your fate, the Force has," Yoda announced as he lowered his hoverchair to the ground so that he could climb off and pace about the common room under his own power. "A powerful bond you two share. One acknowledged by the Force. Meeting the Council was when made itself known this bond did. Felt it we all did. As did all other Force sensitive beings, I'm certain."
Obi-Wan edged forward so that he was within arm's reach of Anakin. He wanted to be close enough to touch his lover. He wanted to be close just in case. Yoda was alone, but others could have been following. They could have been coming to separate them and Obi-Wan would do everything he could to stop that from happening.
"Unclear for so many years this prophecy has been," Yoda continued once the two men were standing side by side. "Centered around one person we believed it was. Yet two it took to give it life."
Anakin inched still closer to him, their elbows brushing. "The one about—"
"Brought a balance to the Force you and Obi-Wan have."
Obi-Wan didn't know what they were talking about. He'd heard something about a prophecy the day before, but didn't know what it was about. It had simply been something that had come up when the Jedi Masters had been arguing. He hadn't even known that it had been about him and Anakin. Or that he and Anakin were even important enough to be the subject of prophecy. In the end, the only thing he really cared about was that he and Anakin could stay together. They were stronger when they were a team.
"What do you mean we brought a balance to the Force?" Anakin demanded, his voice raising slightly, sounding panicked. "We didn't do anything. We haven't even left our quarters."
Yoda chuckled quietly, leaning on his gimmer stick. "Done something, you most certainly have. Found a balance you did, between light and dark. Anger and love. Hope and fear. Linked you have become—a single entity in the Force. Much there still is to figure out, but together you will stay for the duration."
Prepared as he had been to defy Yoda and his Council, Obi-Wan was nonetheless relieved to hear that it wouldn't have to come to that. His confusion was still as real as it had been when Yoda had begun his little speech, but for the moment it really wasn't important. Anakin would explain it to him later. He couldn't stop the smile that formed when he realized that he no longer had to fear there not being a later.
Scowling, Palpatine stared at the empty box resting before him on the table. He had had such high hopes for Anakin. Ten years of planning every encounter between him and Anakin in order to properly nourish the boy's anger and it had been given an outlet he had not planned for. Obi-Wan Kenobi was supposed to have been another source out frustration for the young Jedi.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was never supposed to act on the love he felt for his apprentice.
"You are far more trouble than you are worth," Palpatine murmured, leaning forward to slam closed the lid of the box. "That means you need to be eliminated. Permanently."
This time, rather than leaving Kenobi's fate to paid mercenaries, Palpatine intended to ensure personally that the Jedi's death was permanent. He would not abandon ten years of plotting because Kenobi had taken a bump to the head. He would destroy the frustrating Jedi knight and then Anakin would be his. Palpatine would have a new apprentice. After all, Dooku could no longer be trusted. The former Jedi had tried to kill Anakin despite his orders. No, he would have to remove Dooku before long. Perhaps he could even have Anakin do it for him.
Palpatine smirked. That would certainly be interesting. Moreso if he could arrange it for one of the lovers to kill the other. Then the balance they had created would be destroyed and his plans could continue as scheduled without any obstacles.
Practiced as he was in the Force, Yoda could easily see the way Obi-Wan and Anakin's Force signatures had become intertwined. It was a fascinating thing to witness. The two men had always been very distinctive with regards to their Force signatures, trading off areas of light and darkness. In less than twelve standard hours, however, those signatures had become merged, balancing out the light and the dark.
Even if he hadn't felt the shockwave of their joining, there could be no mistaking the retreat of the oppressive cloud of the Dark Side. The Sith were still a dangerous enemy, but no longer did they have an advantage of the Jedi. The two Orders had been placed on equal footing as a result the uncorrupted love Obi-Wan and Anakin felt for each other.
"I want to know what's going on," Obi-Wan demanded, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. "What are you talking about? What prophecy?"
"That there is one who will bring a balance to the Force. Who is destined to bring its light and dark sides into alignment," Anakin recited from memory, his voice emotionless. "Master Qui-Gon thought it was me and managed to convince the Council that it might be true. He made you promise to train me when he died he believed it so strongly."
Yoda watched Obi-Wan's reaction, the anger lessening somewhat only to be replaced by confusion. He hugged himself even tighter, leaning closer to Anakin. Yoda could no longer doubt the bond that had formed between the two men. From the first time he had seen them together, standing in the center of the Council room with Qui-Gon, Yoda had sensed something unique about their bond. There had been an attachment that neither man had been aware of at the time, but that the Council had feared nonetheless. As a general rule, attachments were forbidden, and had the circumstances been any different, the bond between Obi-Wan and Anakin would have been forbidden as well. Yoda still wasn't entirely certain that it was a good idea to allow them to remain to their own devices.
"Meditate on this, the Council will," Yoda announced as he headed towards his hoverchair. "Explore your bond, the both of you should."
Never in all his life had Anakin thought he'd be ordered by the Jedi Council to have sex with his master. Master Yoda hadn't said it outright, but there was no mistaking that the little green being knew full well what they had been doing before his arrival. Anakin was so shocked by Master Yoda's statement that he didn't move until after the door shut behind him. Even then it was Obi-Wan who moved first, heading towards the balcony.
"Obi-Wan…?" Anakin called as he followed after the older man. Stepping up behind him, he wound his arms around Obi-Wan's waist.
"I still feel like something is going to happen," Obi-Wan murmured, leaning back against Anakin's chest.
Anakin pressed a kiss to the side of his throat. "Nothing's going to happen. Strange as it may seem, we do occasionally enjoy moments of peace. This is one of them."
Obi-Wan sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. "I don't know, I just—"
The words died on his lips as an explosion rocked the balcony above them. There was a shower of debris and fire that knocked them both down. Anakin instinctively rolled on top of Obi-Wan, hoping to protect him from the worst of it. At the same time, Obi-Wan's arms wrapped around him, both hands protecting his head.
There was a loud crack that echoed above the sound of the trembling balcony overhead and Anakin held Obi-Wan even tighter. He tried to set up some sort of field around them, but the heavy object smacking down against his right shoulder told him that he'd failed.
Obi-Wan awoke with a groan. Every part of his body hurt. His left arm throbbed the worst. He tried to open his eyes, but it took too much effort. Even twitching a finger hurt. There was nothing on his chest, though. The weight that Obi-Wan had been expecting wasn't there. Anakin wasn't there. And suddenly Obi-Wan didn't care that his whole body ached.
"Anakin…." Obi-Wan groaned as he rolled himself onto his side. He screamed, his right shoulder protesting the movement, but rose up onto his hands and knees anyway. He had to find Anakin. Something was wrong, Obi-Wan could feel it in the very center of himself. Something had happened to Anakin. So Obi-Wan blinked his dusk and grit encrusted eyelids open, scanning the mess that had been their balcony.
"Are you all right, Master Kenobi?" a voice shouted from the personal cruiser that was hovering just beyond the edge of the balcony.
At the same time there was a pounding on the door, voices shouting from out in the corridor. "Master Kenobi? Are you in there? Master Kenobi? Padawan Skywalker?"
Obi-Wan ignored them both, climbing wearily to his feet while he knocked over nearby piles of debris, hoping to find Anakin in the mess.
Except he wasn't there.
"Anakin?"
"Master Kenobi? What happened?"
"Anakin!"
"We need to know what happened."
"ANAKIN!"
In the bowels of Coruscant, far below the Senate building, Palpatine watched his soon-to-be apprentice as he lay unconscious, strapped to durasteel table.