Hello: To get rid of my melancholy I thought I'd write this, but as I did I noticed all the questions it raised. Well, I'm passed caring. This chapter is just a little harmless fun and I'm not hinting at anything. And yeah, Zoro 'appears' in this one. You'll see. Heaven knows why I put it there though. Not very humorous this one but you'll get over it. Meddles are some vegetables I made up. They can be like carrots but any colour you want. Anyway, the time is coming near for Anakin to advance to the grand age of… 13 so any wonderful ideas would be appreciated. Finally, happy Halloween and Revenge of the Sith day. Whoo
Disclaimer: As ever, all character, names, etc. belong to George Lucas. Any similarities between this story and real life/other stories are merely coincidental.
Something wasn't right. Ever since they had returned from Nebrior, which was about 6 months ago, Anakin had been giving him strange looks. Even after he'd explained the 'pee' incident. But Obi-Wan had noticed these looks were different than before. And they usually occurred when he was around males. He was giving him one of 'those' looks now too and he was only standing next to him!
"Is there something wrong Padawan?" Obi-Wan asked trying to sound as authoritave as possible.
Anakin looked at him deeply then said, obviously away in a different world, "No. Nothing."
Obi-Wan sighed. "Of course not. Now c'mon, we've got to work with Master Zando and his Padawan today so get a move on."
Zando lunged at Anakin, tearing something as he did.
"Sith!" Anakin swore. Loudly.
"Anakin, for goodness sake, you know I don't like you using that language! I have absolutely no idea where you pick it up. Apologise now!" Obi-Wan demanded of his fuming apprentice. Anakin continued to fume.
'Oh! Bloody, Sith-spawned arse, if you don't listen to me I'm going to ram you up the bu… oh,' Obi-Wan thought. "You know what Anakin? We do need to work on our communication skills don't we?"
"What?" Anakin asked, startled. "Oh doesn't matter. Master, he ripped my robe. Look at this hole!" Anakin held up his cloak. There was a rather fetching 'Z' carved though it.
"Wow Master. Cool, can you teach me how to do that?" Zando's apprentice, Ori, asked, his puppy face alive with admiration for his master.
Obi-Wan walked over to Zando and patted his shoulder. "Ha, I don't think so. He never taught me. Selfish sod."
"Master," Anakin cried out in outrage. "First you don't defend me and my cloak and now you're using bad language. You're also…. also," he trailed off.
Obi-Wan gave Zando a rolling eye look and went over to Anakin. "Such high morals all of a sudden. Alright, I'll get him to pay for a new cloak-" Zando let out a groan, "-And when we get back we'll work on this bad language we've developed alright? And you will pay, won't you Zando," Obi-Wan said as he turned around to face his friend.
"Of course I will," Zando laughed, "And I'm sorry to have ripped your cloak in the first place Padawan Anakin."
Anakin noticed Zando had the same annoying 'young/padawan' thing going on as Obi-Wan. He scowled. Obi-Wan shook his head.
"Well, I think that is enough sparring for today. Time to go Anakin, c'mon. See you later Ori," Obi-Wan said as he ruffled the young boy's hair. Anakin stared at Obi-Wan just that bit harder. "You too Zando, I'm expecting a new robe, don't forget!"
"Don't worry, I won't forget," the man laughed and he walked over to Obi-Wan and gave him a hug and said good naturedly, "Keep yourself alright, don't let that apprentice kill you or something."
"I'll be alright, he saves me almost as many times as he gets me into trouble. We must go, Anakin say 'bye'." Anakin didn't reply. He was biting his lip and looking puzzled. "Never mind," Obi-Wan sighed as he walked out of the room.
"Anakin, do you have a problem or something?" Obi-Wan asked as soon as they were in their apartment.
"No, why?" he still had his eyebrows furrowed.
"Because you didn't say 'goodbye' to anyone, and you appear to have been contemplating something ever since we left."
"Have I? Sorry Master," he was still dreaming.
Obi-Wan grunted. "Fine. Come and help me prepare dinner then."
Anakin was cutting up some meddles (as well as his fingers Obi-Wan noticed. He really wasn't with it) when suddenly Obi-Wan kicked Anakin's shin. Anakin immediately bent down and began to swear.
"Ow! Oh holy Si… uhm, sight!"
"Wow Anakin, that's much better. You even remembered without warning."
"What was that for?" Anakin demanded as tears welled up in his eyes.
"I had to do something to bring you out of your reverie. Plus, I wanted to see if you would swear."
"You know, Master, I could get you in a lot of trouble for being an abusive Master. I've certainly got the damage to prove it."
"Oh come on Anakin, you know I love you really," Obi-Wan said, rather enjoying himself. To his surprise, though, his words seemed to have a negative effect on his Padawan. His face froze
"Master, can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
Anakin hesitated, "Sitting down, maybe?"
"Alright then," Obi-Wan replied questiongly. He sat down on the couch and realised Anakin was sitting, rather tensely, as far away from him on the couch as possible.
"If this is still about that Nebroir situation I'm telling you…' Obi-Wan began.
"Uh, no master, "Anakin fidgeted, "It's just… You and Master Zando are awfully close…"
"Well we did grow up together."
"You grew up with females too right?" Anakin asked quickly.
"Yes…"
"Oh. Well, uhm…" Anakin fidgeted some more.
"What? For Sith sake, what is it?"
"Are you gay Master?" There. He had said it.
Obi-Wan wasn't sure what to think first. Gay? Oh Sith. He honestly thought that? Had he brought him up wrong or something? Why did he think that?
"I beg your pardon!"
"Are you… g, g, g, gay?"
Obi-Wan clutched his head. "Your so dense sometimes Anakin. Of course I'm not…" and then it hit him. "Yes, yes I am."
Anakin sat up a little straighter. "You are?"
"Well duh," he flopped his hand over for exaggeration, "I'm so glad you finally worked it out. Taken a load of my mind. C'mon, man-to-man hug."
Anakin jumped off the couch. "Maybe, maybe later."
"Oh c'mon now, please?"
Anakin was out of the room faster than Obi-Wan could count.
'Ha ha, he's so dense sometimes. Of course I'm not gay. He really does bring these things on himself sometimes," Obi-Wan's face fell. "Oh. Oh dear. What have I just brought on myself more like? What if he tells someone? And how was he supposed to tell him he wasn't gay when he had just told him he was?'
He sank to the floor. That probably wasn't the wisest decision he had made in his life. He squirmed. Nope, it was definitely a bad decision.
"Oh Sith, I really was an idiot this time."
As he said that the words 'Your language is terrible young man' appeared eerily on the chrome fridge. Obi-Wan decided he needed a drink.