Anakin returned home to find that Obi-Wan had already gone to bed. He knocked tenatively on his Master's door, hearing a muffled response coming from within. He opened the door slightly and stuck his head inside.
"Master?"
"Is everything all right padawan?" The blinds in Obi-Wan's room were always left open slightly to allow enough light to infiltrate the space, and Anakin could just make out the features of his Master as he lay in bed.
"Yes, Master. I'm fine." He answered but then paused, searching for the right thing to say. How was he going to convince Obi-Wan not to meet Padmé tomorrow night?
"I'm just nervous about the laserball tournament tomorrow night."
"That's tomorrow?" Obi-Wan sat up straight in bed.
"Yeah. The first round starts at eighteenth hour." Anakin's face lit up with an idea. "You're coming to watch, aren't you?"
Obi-Wan's head fell back and then forward again, drooping in disappointment. "I'm sorry Anakin. I forgot all about it. I'm supposed to be meeting my friend at Dexter's Diner tomorrow night."
"But Master!" The youth exclaimed, performing what he knew to be his most annoying whine. "I really wanted you to be there! I'm the lead-off hitter!"
Silence filled the room and guilt began to fill the young apprentice. This wasn't right. The tournament wasn't even an official Temple event. It was just something the padawans threw together a few years ago to have some fun. No other Masters ever attended, and he honestly didn't care of his came or not.
And besides, asking Obi-Wan to postpone his date was just putting off the inevitable. He and Padmé would meet sooner or later. They might as well get it over with now, so that they can move on and hopefully find someone else.
"I'm sorry." Anakin began at last, but was interrupted.
"No Anakin. I'm sorry. I should be there for you, if you want me to. I'll cancel my date."
"No you won't." The young man replied firmly, surprising both himself and his Master. "In fact, I'm coming with you."
"That's not necessary, padawan." Obi-Wan replied. "You're the lead-off hitter, remember?"
"Oh, they'll do fine until I get there. It's just for fun anyway. What you're doing tomorrow night is much more important and I want to at least walk you down to the diner. You've got to be getting nervous."
A soft chuckle came from the opposite side of the room. "I am." Obi-Wan admitted.
Anakin smiled in the darkness. This was going to be quite a blow to his Master and there didn't seem to be any way to protect him from it. But he could be there to show his support like his Master had done for him more times than he could count. It was the least that he could do.
"Good night Master." Anakin said as he turned to go to his room.
"Good night, Anakin. And thanks."
The following morning, after Anakin had contacted his friends and told them of his dilemma, he sat down with Obi-Wan for breakfast. His concern over his Master's well-being dominated his thoughts and he found himself trying to prep Obi-Wan as discretely as he could.
He doused the burning on his tongue with a cup of ice water. Obi-Wan had put too much Corellian spice in the eggs again. He never understood why his Master had insisted on doing all the cooking. Wasn't it suppose to be the padawan's job? He had offered once, but Obi-Wan had jokingly replied that he had been doing it for years and would continue to do so.
Anakin gulped down the last bite, declining seconds, and hoping that the padawan refrectory would still be open for breakfast after his morning classes. He eyed his Master who was not eating, but sitting silently drinking a cup of hot chav, which he almost choked on when Anakin finally said what was on his mind.
"Why don't you like Padmé Amidala?"
Obi-Wan cleaned the chav off his beard and cleared his throat. "Why are you asking me this?"
"Because I like her. We're friends, you know." Anakin stated calmy, meeting Obi-Wan's gaze.
"Really? When did this happen?"
"I've eaten dinner at her apartment a few times and we've talked at her offices in the Senate building." Anakin noticed the suspicious raised brow of his Master and quickly went on. "In between training sessions and classes, of course."
"I see."
"I just don't understand what there isn't to like. She's funny, pretty, smart…"
"And deceptive.." Obi-Wan murmured into his drink.
"Pardon?" The youth replied, leaning slightly forward.
"Nothing." Obi-Wan replied, letting out a sigh. He really didn't want to get into this right now. He didn't want to talk about Padmé, much less think about her. He had something much more important on his mind. Actually, some one much more important. He grinned as he remembered the event that would occur in just a few more hours. He was finally going to meet this mysterious and melancholy lady of his.
Anakin frowned at him in reply. "You have to admit she's beautiful. Admit that at least." He insisted.
"Fine. She's beautiful. Now can we change the subject?" The blue eyes of his Master glanced up to the chronometer. "Don't you have class?"
Anakin downed the last of his water and jumped up. "Sith! Xenobiology! Master Windu is gonna explode if I'm late again!"
Obi-Wan smiled as he watched his apprentice disappear through the doorway and then his mind returned back to his previous thoughts. He glanced up to the chronometer again and his smile diminished slightly. In just a few more hours he would meet her.
He took a large drink of his chav and walked over to refill his cup, hoping that the dark creamy liquid would somehow calm his nervous stomach.