A/N: I know it's been a century since the last update, but writer's block had me in its Sithly clutches. Luckily, I've turned back to the light side-this chapter is extra long, and the next chapter (and upcoming chapters) already have some scenes written. So, please enjoy this chapter composed of Psycho references, emotional turmoil, and lots of kisses!
"Wake up, Anakin," came a soft, sing-songy voice, "Anakin..."
Anakin blinked groggily. Obi-Wan came into focus. "Hi, Father," he said, voice rough from sleep.
Obi-Wan smiled. "Come with me," he beckoned, backing away from the bed. "I want to show you something."
Anakin looked over at the blue light of his clock and then forced himself out of bed. "It must be something good to get me up at midnight," he replied.
Obi-Wan kept smiling and left Anakin's sight.
"Hey, wait up!"
Anakin followed Obi-Wan out the bedroom door and spotted him down the hallway. Obi-Wan pressed a finger to his lips, then held out his hand for Anakin to take.
Anakin walked towards him and took his hand. He felt Obi-Wan's fingers close around his, warm and steady. Obi-Wan started to lead him down the stairs as Anakin whispered, "Father."
Obi-Wan stopped and looked at him from one step below Anakin's. "Yes?"
"Is this a dream?"
The affection in Obi-Wan's expression was clear even with all the lights of the house turned off. "No, honey, you're awake. Can you feel this?" He brought Anakin's hand to his lips.
Anakin felt the press of Obi-Wan's lips against his knuckles, soft like a pillow, and the brush of his beard as he pulled away and gazed at him with eyebrows raised.
Anakin nodded, unable to help the smile on his face.
"Come on," Obi-Wan said, and turned to lead Anakin down the stairs again. He dropped Anakin's hand to pull his cloak from the rack by the door and shrug it on. Then he opened the front door and stepped into the cold night air.
Anakin went after him, careful not to get splinters in his feet from the old wood of the porch. Obi-Wan stood still at the top of the concrete stairs, head raised to look at something. The moon shined on him, making his golden hair turn silver, and his pale skin glow white. Anakin wondered if Obi-Wan would look the same in old age. He went to his side and Obi-Wan hugged him, enveloping him in his heavy cloak. Anakin wrapped his arms around Obi-Wan's waist and told him, "You look handsome in the moonlight."
Obi-Wan nearly laughed. "You haven't seen it yet, have you?"
"Seen what?"
Obi-Wan turned Anakin around with two hands on his shoulders, then clasped his hands in front of him, his cloak keeping the both of them warm.
Anakin finally saw what Obi-Wan woke him up for. The General's Motel sign had been torn down. In its place was a neon blue sign, towering over the motel, bright and glowing. It read "Kenobi Motel".
Obi-Wan squeezed Anakin and nuzzled against his hair, its color gray in the night's moon. "Isn't it beautiful?" Obi-Wan said dreamily, "Our name in lights."
A great calm washed over Anakin and he stared at the sign in wonder. "It is," he replied, "Thank you, Father."
"Oh, Anakin..." Obi-Wan turned him around again and held his face with both hands. "I love you."
Anakin blushed and tried to look at his feet. "Love you too."
Obi-Wan kissed his nose. He said, "Let's go inside."
Anakin nodded and looked at the motel sign one last time. They walked back to the porch and Anakin said, "The night is so peaceful."
"I think so, too," Obi-Wan replied, smiling. They went inside. "You need your rest, though. We'll open as soon as you're well again."
Anakin tried to stifle a yawn, and failed.
"See?" Obi-Wan said. They went up the stairs.
"I wasn't arguing," Anakin said.
"But you wanted to," Obi-Wan teased. He slipped his cloak off his shoulders.
"You know me best, huh?"
Obi-Wan went to his room, and Anakin followed. Obi-Wan laid his cloak across the back of a chair and stretched. "I have known you your whole life," he said, and got in his bed.
Anakin lied down next to him and put his hand on his chest, the low crisscross of his tunic allowing Anakin to run his fingers through the spattering of hair there. "It's not fair," Anakin said.
"What's not fair?" Obi-Wan asked, his voice hushed as if he were talking to an infant.
"I've only known you about half your life."
He laughed slightly. "That's longer than Satine knew me. Longer than your mother knew me. It's even longer than my time as a Padawan. Of course, I was a youngling before that, but Yoda didn't really know me then."
With a little smirk on his lips, Anakin asked, "Are you saying I know you best?"
Obi-Wan put his hand over Anakin's and met his eyes. "Yes. Get under the covers now, Anakin," he said, then added quietly, "If you're staying, that is."
"Where else would I go?" Anakin said, sitting up.
Obi-Wan gave him a look, eyes narrowing, then smiling, and Anakin gave him a kiss in return. He got under the covers as Obi-Wan wondered again if he should start acting differently towards him. Obi-Wan turned on his side and Anakin curled around him. Obi-Wan stared at the walls of his room as he considered imposing some rules. No kissing. No sleeping together. At least five inches of space between us at all times...
But it didn't feel right. They had never been normal, or whatever normal was for other fathers and sons. Their normal broke every rule Obi-Wan might conjure up.
He could still feel the imprint of Anakin's lips on his cheek. He closed his eyes, his heart heavy.
Two days before the arrival of the new motel sign, Padmé had gone to the sheriff's station to give her eye witness account of what had occurred the day prior. She returned with two lightsabers and a message for Obi-Wan.
"Rex wants to meet you at the Outlander Club." She handed the lightsabers over to Obi-Wan. "He said Cody had these."
Obi-Wan attached his to his belt and decided to leave Anakin's in his room. "Thank you, Padmé," he replied, "When does Rex want to meet?"
"As soon as possible," she said, and started taking pins out of her hair. "I'll watch over Anakin. Just don't be long, or I may fall asleep alongside him." Padmé yawned through the last two words, furthering her point.
Obi-Wan nodded and left after checking on Anakin one last time. He drove into town and found the place easily enough. He'd noticed its Now Open sign once while driving around town with Anakin.
Inside, he found Rex sipping from a glass of something red. There weren't very many other people in the room—a Togruta at the other end of the bar counter, some humans at the too small table near the exit. It was only lunch time, after all. Obi-Wan made his way to the counter and sat next to Rex, offering a simple, "Hello."
Rex set his drink down and asked, "What would you like?"
"To drink?"
"Yeah."
Obi-Wan's first thought was to decline, but what harm could it do? "I'll have a Tatooine Sunrise."
Rex chuckled a little and then ordered it for him.
"What?" Obi-Wan asked.
Rex sipped his drink and explained, "I've always heard that one called 'Tatooine Sunburn.'"
"With good reason," Obi-Wan retorted, smiling slightly. The bartender placed Obi-Wan's drink in front of him and Obi-Wan took a generous swig, enjoying the burn down his throat.
Rex finished off his glass and, not having another reason to stall, cleared his throat. "I wanted to apologize for everything that happened yesterday," he said.
Obi-Wan wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and said, "I'm a little surprised, Rex."
Rex frowned. "Why's that?"
"I thought you'd have some questions for me. Formal Sheriff's Deputy things."
"It's not that I don't, but," he paused, "I can see you're a victim in this." He gestured to the bandage underneath Obi-Wan's bangs.
"I'm not a victim," he insisted, and took another swell of his drink.
"That's not what I meant," Rex said quickly. "I mean that I know Cody is in the wrong."
"You didn't before?" questioned Obi-Wan, eyebrows raised.
It felt like a test. It was a test. Cody said Rex knew, and even if their near-kiss was now awkward for both of them, it still hurt.
Rex took in his meaning, and he couldn't answer. Before he'd felt powerless to do anything. Cody was Sheriff. Now it was clear even Cody could answer for his crimes, and that his logic had been wrong, and maybe selfish. Going up against Cody could've put himself in danger, and he'd had enough of that. They'd played reconcilable siblings long enough to run the town. Save the town, Rex corrected, but it didn't matter if people still got hurt.
Obi-Wan was done looking for an answer in Rex's eyes and instead stared down at his Tatooine Sunrise, watching the mint green contents swirl as he moved the glass with flexing fingers.
"I am sorry," Rex said, "For everything Cody's done. And for everything I didn't do."
The sick feeling in the pit of his stomach left and Obi-Wan felt warm all over instead. Thank you, Tatooine Sunrise. Still, he wondered, "Where is Cody, anyway?"
Rex was glad for the change of subject. "He's at the hospital, actually. We took him to the station first, but as soon as he came to, he started complaining of a headache. It kept getting worse, so I took him in."
Obi-Wan nodded solemnly and sipped his drink.
"Don't worry, though. He's not going anywhere. I alerted the hospital staff to be wary, and he's cuffed to the bed now, not your sink."
Obi-Wan didn't reply, or even smile. Rex tapped his fingers against his empty glass, thinking, then said, "Padmé is pretty spectacular, isn't she?"
"Don't get any ideas," Obi-Wan replied, smiling as Rex shook his head vehemently. "She is," Obi-Wan said, "Though I don't know where she picked up her blaster skills."
"Well, I'm happy to have her on the force no matter the case. She's a smooth talker. Answered all my questions without skipping a beat."
"She didn't see everything," Obi-Wan said simply.
"You want to talk about it?"
"Nope." He almost laughed at how easily the drink was getting to him.
Rex was relieved to see Obi-Wan in better spirits. "Another time, then," he said. He looked at his watch. "Before I go back to the station, I wanted to ask how Anakin was."
Anakin's "bad thoughts" came to mind, leaving Obi-Wan guilty. He took a deep breath so he could focus on Anakin's physical state of being. "He's recovering. He has to stay home from school for a few days. I told him what happened, but I don't know if it really sunk in, not with his head injury." Obi-Wan rubbed his forehead with one hand, fingers on either side of the bandage there. "Things like this aren't good for him. He's so young. He shouldn't have to see... It's hard enough to deal with as an adult."
Rex nodded, his determination to keep them all safe growing. He stood from his seat and patted Obi-Wan's shoulder, sporting a half-smile before saying, "If Anakin is anything like his father, he'll be just fine."
Obi-Wan smiled back. Rex left him to his thoughts. They were soon interrupted by a gravelly voice and a slight tug on his sleeve.
"Would you like to buy some death—"
Obi-Wan turned to his right and gawked at the teenage boy beside him. "Elan!"
Elan's eyes went wide and he stashed the goods in his long coat. He tried to explain as quickly as he could, "I'm sorry, I didn't think it was you, for some reason—"
"Didn't expect to see me in a bar? I certainly didn't expect to see you."
Elan could feel himself turning pale.
Obi-Wan's expression melted into sympathy. "Sit beside me, Elan, and don't look so scared. I'm not going to get you in trouble."
Elan rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and sat on the stool next to him. He put his elbows on the counter and his head in his hands, looking miserable.
"Did you know Deputy Rex was sitting where you are not more than a minute ago?" Obi-Wan asked.
"What?" he responded, panic in his eyes.
"He's gone now," Obi-Wan said, "But you need to be more careful. What was it you wanted to sell me?"
Elan bowed his head and muttered, "Death sticks."
"Death sticks?" Obi-Wan repeated. "Those are incredibly toxic, Elan."
"I know," he replied petulantly, then feeling the weight of Obi-Wan's parental gaze, he told him, "I don't use them myself."
Obi-Wan sighed and brought his glass to his lips again. He didn't lecture Elan anymore after that, so Elan thought it was safe to change the subject.
"This isn't a bar," he said.
"Huh?"
"Earlier, you said this was a bar. Technically it's a nightclub. The owners just haven't converted it yet."
"And these owners… They're okay with you being in here? Even though you're too young?"
"As long as I don't spook the customers," Elan said, his antennapalps retracting into his head. "Not a shifty Balosar anymore, am I?"
Obi-Wan couldn't believe his eyes. "By the Force, how did you do that?" He reached out to touch Elan's hair but stopped halfway between them, catching himself.
Elan laughed a little. "How many of those have you had?" he asked, pointing to Obi-Wan's drink.
"Just the one."
"Uh huh," Elan replied, picking up a menu, "And what's it called?"
"Tatooine… Sunrise. Or Sunburn."
Elan scanned the menu until he found it. "Did you know there's two Starshine Surprises in that glass?"
"Yep."
He started laughing. "It says, 'Not recommended for human consumption.'"
"That's why I like it. One drink and I'm done for," Obi-Wan said, vaguely recalling how he'd only intended to take a few sips when he'd asked for it.
"You better leave it to species who can handle it better," Elan joked, "A Balosar, such as myself…" He moved to pick up the glass.
Obi-Wan smacked Elan's hand, then felt bad and held it so he could rub out the red spot.
Elan couldn't stop laughing then, the sound filling the room like nothing else. Obi-Wan laughed too, more at Elan's reaction than himself. He let go of Elan's hand and downed the rest of his drink before leaving his seat. Elan stood up and Obi-Wan put his arm around his shoulders, saying, "Let's get you home." He shook his finger at him as he started walking towards the exit, reprimanding lightly, "You shouldn't be here… Naughty boy."
Elan turned red at that, then realized what he was saying. "There's no way I'm letting you drive!"
They pushed through the door and walked into the parking lot. "Who's gonna take us home then?" Obi-Wan said quizzically.
Elan grinned. Anakin was going to love hearing about this. "I will," he said, then held out his hand, "Gimme your keys."
"Hmmm…" Obi-Wan pulled them out of his robe pocket and dropped them into Elan's hand.
"Thank you kindly, sir," said Elan. He recognized Obi-Wan's car, unlocked it, and held open the passenger door for him. Elan got in the front seat and started the car. He drove back through the town, slowly at Obi-Wan's request, because 35 miles per hour was too fast, apparently. Every now and then Elan glanced at Obi-Wan. Usually he was looking out the window. This time he was looking back at Elan. Elan let his antennapalps sprout out of the top of his head. Obi-Wan started snickering uncontrollably.
Elan's attention returned to the road, but out of the corner of his eye he could see Obi-Wan clamp a hand over his mouth. They reached one of the few intersections in town during a red light. Elan turned to Obi-Wan again, who'd managed to quiet down a little.
"What happened here?" he asked, tapping his own forehead.
Obi-Wan squinted at him, then said, "Right. That's thanks to my ex-boyfriend."
Elan frowned. "Anakin didn't mention—"
"...if boyfriend is even the right word. I feel like I'm too old for boyfriends."
Elan remembered Anakin's story about Ventress and grew a little worried.
"Should've gotten one when I was younger. But there were so many rules!" He threw his hands up in the air. "Everything was forbidden! If they could see me now..." They'd say I told you so.
"You know he's an asshole for hurting you, right?" Elan cut in.
Obi-Wan looked at him, confused.
Someone honked behind them. Elan stuck his hand out the window and hit the gas. When they'd driven out of the main town, Elan slowed down and observed Obi-Wan looking out the window again.
"What's his name?" Elan asked.
Obi-Wan shook his head.
"C'mon, this is gonna make you feel better. What's his name?"
"Cody," Obi-Wan said, hating the sound of it.
"Okay. Now say, 'Cody is an asshole.'"
"Why?"
"Just do it."
"Cody is an asshole. There."
"I don't believe you," Elan persisted, "Say it again."
"Cody is an asshole."
"Almost," he said, "You can do better than that."
"Cody is an asshole!"
Elan grinned. "Yeah, he is! Don't you forget it."
"Never," Obi-Wan swore. He did feel better. After a few quiet minutes of driving, Elan parked the car in front of the house and helped Obi-Wan up the stairs. He rang the doorbell with a slight smirk on his face, but instead of Anakin, it was Padmé who came to the door and saw Obi-Wan draped across him.
"Hi," Elan said.
"...Hi," Padmé replied, looking back and forth between them.
"He's a little drunk," Elan explained, "so I brought him home."
Padmé sighed with her whole body, it seemed. "Come on in."
They walked inside and Elan asked, "Where's Anakin?"
Obi-Wan slipped away from Elan and made his way up the stairs, his face all lit up.
"I think Obi-Wan just went to get him," Padmé said, "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back." She was still wearing her officer's uniform. Elan watched her disappear down a hallway as he sat on the couch. He ran his hand across the soft fabric of the cushion next to him, remembering how he and Anakin had gotten caught there. A smile fought its way onto his face.
Padmé came back and sat next to Elan. She held out her hand and dropped some credits into Elan's. "For your trouble," she said.
Elan stared at the credits in his hand before he fully comprehended what she'd said. "I can't take this!" he exclaimed, trying to give the money back to her.
Padmé looked like she hadn't slept in days, which was gaining more truth as the hours passed. Slowly, she said, "Please, keep it. My hands are full taking care of everyone—I know what a favor you've just done for us." She waited for him to pocket the money, but still he held it in the palm of his hand.
"It really wasn't any trouble," he said quietly. The way Padmé looked sort of reminded him of his mother. Except Padmé hadn't said anything mean to go along with her exhausted appearance. Elan smiled as he added, "It was actually kinda fun."
"Exactly how much did he have to drink?" Padmé asked.
"Not a lot." Elan set the credits on the table before sitting back and putting his feet up. He crossed his arms and told her, "Just enough, I'd say."
Upstairs, Obi-Wan had snuck into Anakin's room. At least, he thought he was being quiet. Anakin stirred right away and sat up in his bed, the blankets slipping down his body, reminding him he'd taken off just about all his clothes a few hours earlier. Obi-Wan just grinned madly and pulled Anakin out of bed and into a hug. "I missed you so much!" he declared.
Anakin laughed and said, "Where've you been?"
"I had a drink with Rex," Obi-Wan replied, still holding Anakin snug against him.
Anakin had to remember he wasn't supposed to argue in these matters. Hesitantly, he asked, "And how did that go?"
Obi-Wan started petting Anakin's hair. "Oh, it was fine. Rex is sorry. He even asked about you." After a moment, Obi-Wan said, "You have such beautiful hair, did you know?"
Anakin took a step back so he could look at Obi-Wan. His cheeks were rosy red and he was smiling again. "Father," Anakin said, "Are you drunk?"
"Am I?" Obi-Wan looked himself over but everything seemed alright. "Elan said I was."
"Elan?"
"Yes! Elan drove me here."
Anakin wasn't sure whether to believe him but the excitement over Elan was unquestionably contagious. "You mean he's here now? Downstairs?"
"I think so," Obi-Wan said, and Anakin started throwing on clothes like there was no tomorrow. When he'd donned a fresh set of pants and an undershirt, he flung open the door to his room and raced down the stairs. Elan was at the bottom of the stairs when Anakin crashed into him, arms wrapping around him tight, his breath heavy.
Elan managed a laugh despite the crushing embrace. "Easy, tiger! I won't run away if you let go, I promise!"
Anakin's head throbbed from the slight amount of exercise, but he didn't care. "Tigers never release their prey," he replied, smile splitting his face before he tilted his head and played at biting Elan's neck, his teeth only halted by the band Elan wore.
Elan was seriously contemplating tossing the band aside, along with his long coat and his boots and everything else that shielded his skin from Anakin. Instead, he urged, "Anakin, your sister—"
Anakin stopped nipping at Elan's jawline and asked, "Yeah?"
"She's just in the other room."
Anakin made his voice low. "I thought you liked being watched."
Elan shoved him, the vexation in him making a face Anakin deemed adorable. "You know me too well," Elan muttered. "What I'm trying to tell you is she doesn't look so good."
"Let's go check on her then," Anakin replied. They went to the family room and found Padmé asleep on the couch. Anakin held his hand to her forehead, then grabbed a blanket and draped it over her. "I think that's all she needed," he said.
Elan agreed. "And your dad?"
"Better check on him, too. He doesn't usually drink."
Anakin took the stairs slowly, fighting off fatigue. He was not going to give up an opportunity to spend time with Elan. Elan trailed behind him, saying, "You should have seen him in the car. He wouldn't stop giggling."
"Really?" Anakin tried to remember the last time Obi-Wan allowed himself to have fun. "Did you tell him a joke or something?"
"I'll show you," Elan said, grabbing Anakin's hand and dragging him up the rest of the stairs. Obi-Wan was still in Anakin's room, sitting on the bed. He'd picked up a photo album and was tracing the pictures with his finger.
"Father," Anakin called.
Obi-Wan looked up from the album in his lap and jumped to his feet, saying, "There's my baby!" He held the album out in front of him so both the boys could see. "Look how little you were!"
Elan smiled at the image of little Anakin with a mop of blond hair and sand-colored clothing. Obi-Wan shut the album, ditched it on the nightstand, and cupped his hands to Anakin's cheeks. "You're so big now," he admired.
Elan snickered. "Big."
Anakin glared at him so hard Elan thought he might spontaneously combust. Obi-Wan felt Anakin's cheeks warm under his thumbs and removed them to get a better look at the color underneath. He was so pretty…
Anakin cleared his throat, which had gone tight when he caught a snippet of Obi-Wan's thoughts. He said, "Elan tells me you had a laugh attack earlier."
"It felt much better than a panic attack," Obi-Wan responded giddily, his memories of the latter tucked far away.
"You remember what he did?" Anakin asked, glancing at Elan with eyebrows raised. Obi-Wan shook his head. Elan repeated the magic trick, antennapalps making their disappearance before he bowed.
Anakin's jaw dropped. Obi-Wan tried not to laugh, and failed. Elan returned to his normal appearance as Anakin exclaimed, "I didn't know you could do that!"
Obi-Wan strode up to Elan as a little piece of memory made its way through the fog. "You're not shifty," he said, holding his palms to either side of Elan's face as he did Anakin's, "You're perfect the way you are."
Elan felt like Obi-Wan had lit a sun inside him. He glanced at Anakin, not knowing what to do. Elan caught a glimpse of Anakin's smirk before he stepped forward and took hold of Obi-Wan's arm. "Come on, Father," he said, "Let's get you to bed."
"Bed?" Obi-Wan questioned.
"Yes, bed," Anakin said again. He led him through the door to his room and Elan followed.
"But I don't want to go to bed," Obi-Wan explained, utterly confused as to why Anakin would come to that conclusion.
Anakin put his hands on his shoulders and pushed gently until he sat on the bed. "It's okay, Father," Anakin soothed. He stooped to take off Obi-Wan's red boots and placed them to the side of the bed neatly. When he stood up again, he reached for Obi-Wan's belt, thinking all its attachments would be uncomfortable to sleep with.
Obi-Wan snatched his wrist to stop him. "Don't— I don't want—"
Anakin froze, seeing such uncertainty in his eyes. "Don't you trust me?"
When Obi-Wan didn't reply, Anakin worried that he'd lost his father's trust. Maybe he'd gone out to drink because of him. Maybe he couldn't stand being the subject of Anakin's thoughts. Maybe he was afraid Anakin would act on them.
Elan was there beside him suddenly. He looked at Anakin briefly before taking Obi-Wan's hand away from his wrist, drawing Obi-Wan's wide-eyed attention along with it. He released Obi-Wan's hand and tucked a finger under his chin, saying, "You're perfect the way you are, too."
Obi-Wan smiled up at Elan while Elan's free hand unclipped Obi-Wan's belt and set it to the side of him. In a softer version of his rough voice, Elan asked, "You feeling sleepy yet?"
Obi-Wan reassessed and decided, yes, he was, so Elan moved the belt out of the way while Obi-Wan got under the covers. He was thirsty, too, so he reached for the glass of water on his nightstand, nearly knocking it over before Elan grabbed it.
"Here, I got it," Elan said, holding the glass up to Obi-Wan's lips.
Obi-Wan sipped from it, wiped his mouth, and mumbled, "Sorry."
"Everything's alright," Elan whispered back, "You need anything else?"
Obi-Wan's sight left Elan as he answered, "Anakin."
Anakin had been watching, somewhat in a trance, but at the sound of his name he realized maybe he'd overreacted. His head was hurting something fierce with all the worry. He knelt by Obi-Wan's side and decided to keep his hands to himself this time. But just in case Obi-Wan needed reminding, he gave him a very adamant, "I love you."
Obi-Wan hooked his hand behind Anakin's neck and kissed him right on the mouth. It wasn't one of his short and sweet kisses, either. Anakin began to panic because Elan was right there and how in the world do I explain this and as he pulled away, Obi-Wan's grip seemed to be tightening, and the kiss was getting longer, now 3 seconds, now 4 seconds, now 5 seconds…
Anakin broke the kiss with a smack and held the hand that had trapped him so Obi-Wan wouldn't try that again. Obi-Wan hummed and let himself rest, his head sinking into his pillow while he watched Anakin's Force signature spark to life. He couldn't keep his eyes open much longer and he started to drift off, a hint of a smile on his face.
Anakin turned to Elan with the reddest face his body could produce as Elan asked, skeptically, "Does he normally kiss you like that?"
"No," he blurted, shaking his head, "No, he's definitely drunk."
Elan's lips slid into a smirk as he curled a finger towards himself. "C'mere," he said.
Anakin took a step forward and Elan took one back. Anakin narrowed his eyes and took another step. Elan backed away from him. Anakin paused, calculated his next move, and then lurched forward, ready to snag Elan into his arms, but Elan spun on his heel and bolted through the door into Anakin's room, just out of reach.
Anakin's face lit up with a devilish grin and he strode into the room, closing the door behind him without so much as a sound. Elan was leaning on the wall opposite the bed, arms crossed casually, gaze dragging over Anakin before he met his eyes and taunted, "I'm waiting."
Anakin rushed to the other side of the room and Elan skirted out of the way again, to the left by Anakin's bookshelf. Anakin huffed and chased after him. Elan waited till the last second to move and tried to cross the bed. Anakin caught his ankle and pulled him back, nearly laughing at Elan's belated, "Shit." He grabbed Elan's shoulder and spun him around, lowering his voice to tell him, "You're mine."
Elan sat up, got in Anakin's face, and breathed, "Prove it."
Anakin seized his mouth, his heartbeat thudding incessantly in his ears. Elan kissed him eagerly, all lips as he stood and peeled off his coat. It fell to the floor as Elan tilted his head to the side, split tongue finding its way into Anakin's open mouth. Anakin panted against him as Elan teased him with just the tips.
Anakin felt lightheaded, but it was nothing compared to the heat gathering low in his stomach. He pulled back and reached behind Elan's neck to tug off that troublesome band. He tossed it aside as Elan sat on the bed and clambered backwards until he was met with Anakin's low headboard, wearing that same come and get me expression. Anakin followed on his hands and knees, his vision seeming cloudy, but it didn't matter because he closed his eyes as he kissed Elan again, one hand holding him up as the other closed around Elan's neck.
Anakin didn't quite squeeze hard enough, but Elan just smiled because Anakin was always sweet with him. He brought his knees up to his chest one at a time and pulled off his shoes and socks, fingers curling under Anakin's shirt before the second boot had even met the floor.
Anakin sat up so Elan could pull his shirt off, and then he was blushing furiously as Elan ran his hand along his stomach and up his chest, obviously enthralled by Anakin's appearance even though Anakin didn't find himself all that impressive. His head was swimming with everything he wanted to do to Elan, while his lungs were working hard to compensate, leaving Anakin with the sensation of drowning in hot water.
Elan clasped his hands to either side of Anakin's face and pulled him down to adorn him with another deep kiss. The sound that escaped Anakin was more than encouraging. Elan shifted so he was level with the bed, head supported by Anakin's pillow, and buried one hand in Anakin's hair while the other traveled from between his shoulder blades to the small of his back and pressed down, bringing their hips together.
Anakin breathed in sharply. That felt good. He moved to repeat the friction as Elan's hands roamed over his back, nails digging in whenever Anakin ground against him just right. Anakin's arms were starting to wobble, and his head was pounding now, different from the pounding of his heart in his chest. He wasn't moving quite as fast as he wanted to, and he didn't think he'd be able to unbutton Elan's shirt without his other arm giving out on him. Elan was focused on pressing his lips to Anakin's jaw, and on down his neck, the curve of it the most tempting thing he'd ever seen. Anakin stilled and concentrated on catching his breath. Elan thought he needed some encouragement. He hooked his leg around him and Anakin collapsed, his body shaking.
"Anakin?" Elan called, alarmed.
Anakin's breath was heavy against Elan's neck. "Elan, I… gotta tell you something…"
"What is it? Are you okay? You're shaking," he said, all in a rush.
Anakin dragged his hand up to the side of Elan's face and stroked his cheek a few times. "I've got a concussion," he confessed.
"What? Since when?"
"Since yesterday," Anakin said, adding quietly, "Sorry I didn't tell you earlier."
Elan tried to get a better look at him, but Anakin was pretty much deadweight on top of him. He wrapped his arms around Anakin to try to stay his trembling. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Anakin sighed. "I thought I'd be fine. And I really, really, wanted this," he answered, pressing a kiss to the crook of Elan's neck.
Elan groaned, a great deal of heat still welled up inside him. He stared at the ceiling as he asked, "What did your doctor tell you?"
"No strenuous mental or physical activity," Anakin muttered.
"Oh my god, I could've killed you."
Anakin tried to argue, but Elan cut him off.
"Just take it easy, 'kay? You're still shaking." He adjusted his hold on Anakin and stroked his hair until Anakin relaxed. "How are you feeling now?" Elan asked.
"Better," Anakin said, eyes half-closed. He ran his fingers along Elan's neck before settling them in Elan's thick brown hair. "Thank you for taking care of my daddy," he murmured.
Elan gave him a throaty laugh. "It's what you would've done." He thought a moment, then asked, "How'd you get your concussion, anyway?"
"Same way Father got hurt," Anakin replied.
"Cody?" Elan asked.
"Yeah." Anakin tried to sit up and asked, "How'd you know that?"
Elan brushed the hair out of Anakin's face, smiling slightly as he said, "Your daddy told me."
"Huh." Anakin shifted so he could rest his head on Elan's shoulder and hug him with an arm tucked snug against his side. Elan was glad some of the pressure was off his cock. He said, "I knew Cody was an asshole, but knowing he hurt you..." He kissed the top of Anakin's head and finished with, "I could kill him."
Anakin almost snorted. "Kill? Elan, you don't have a mean bone in your body!"
"Oh, I'll show you a mean bone," he retorted. Anakin couldn't help but laugh. "When you're better, that is," Elan revised.
"Do you even know which Cody to look for?" Anakin asked sleepily, just to keep the conversation going.
"Sure. I'll make a list of all the Codys in town and cross off the ones that are too young or too old or too ugly—" Anakin poked Elan in the side, "Ow! And then I'll kidnap the ones that are left and interrogate them until the guilty one talks."
"That's a good plan," Anakin said, "but I'll save you the time and tell you it was Sheriff Cody. Unfortunately…" Anakin yawned, "You won't get your revenge since we made sure he got arrested this time."
"Too bad," Elan said, fingertips trailing up and down Anakin's back lazily.
A few moments passed in silence before Anakin whispered, "I'm sorry."
"For?"
"For not making this as good for you as the theater was for me."
"Anakin…"
"What?"
"You don't owe me anything. This was pretty good for what it was. And besides, there's always next time."
Anakin smiled and said, "Yeah."
"I just have one question."
"What's that?"
"Am I a better kisser than your dad?"
Anakin thought his embarrassment would never end as his cheeks turned red once again.
"Well, am I?" Elan teased.
"Yes," Anakin replied, "But the comparison's kind of unfair."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah."
"And why is that?"
"He doesn't have a snake tongue like you."
Elan burst into laughter. "Snake?" He tried to quiet down, knowing Obi-Wan was right next door. "Anakin, you are the worst daddy's boy I've ever had the pleasure of knowing."
Anakin groaned and said, "Shut up."
"Okay," Elan said, resolving to withhold his jokes until Anakin got some rest.
Anakin woke up to Elan shaking his shoulder. "What is it?" he grumbled.
"I heard your dad get up and thought you'd wanna put a shirt on," Elan said.
Anakin lifted his head groggily and nodded. He slipped off the bed and rescued his shirt from the floor, then went to his dresser and picked out some robes, just to be safe. Elan watched him get dressed for a moment before he gathered his socks and his boots together and tugged them on. He looked around for his band and only found it when Anakin sauntered over and put it on for him, but not before leaving a few sloppy kisses in its place.
There was a knock on the door. Anakin ruffled the hair between Elan's antennapalps and said, "Thank the Force for your hearing." He opened the door and greeted Obi-Wan with a pleasant smile. "Hi, Father."
"Hi, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied, his eyes moving across the room, "And Elan." Obi-Wan looked back at Anakin and asked, "I didn't sleep all day, did I?"
"No, it's only been..." Anakin glanced at his alarm clock, "two hours. You remember meeting up with Rex?"
Obi-Wan ran his hand through his hair and said, "Yes."
"And Elan taking you home?"
Obi-Wan looked a little embarrassed. "Vaguely," he answered, "Thank you, Elan."
"No problem," Elan replied, with a wink so quick it could've been imagined.
Obi-Wan smiled back at him and crossed his arms. "So, did you two work up an appetite?"
Anakin's heart leapt into his throat and he turned to look at Elan, whose cheeks grew pink as he shook his head.
"No?" Obi-Wan freed one hand to massage his temple. "Because I could use some caf, and maybe a really good sandwich. I'll be downstairs if you change your minds."
Anakin caught his hand as he turned to go and offered, "I could make it for you."
Obi-Wan met him with curious eyes and ran his fingers through Anakin's tousled hair. "You're supposed to be resting," he said.
"I have been resting," Anakin said stubbornly.
Obi-Wan decided not to interrogate Elan about whether that was true or not. Frankly, he didn't have the energy. "Alright, you can come with me." He gave Anakin's hand a squeeze before dropping it and turning to leave the room. Elan joined Anakin as they followed Obi-Wan, a little nervous as he watched Anakin stumble over the first few stairs. He pulled Anakin close to him with an arm around his middle and asked, "Are you okay?"
"Fine," Anakin replied, a hint of sweat on his brow.
Elan helped him down the stairs anyway. "You don't have to pretend, you know."
Anakin thought about it and realized that Elan was right—he really didn't have to pretend—not when he was surrounded by the people who meant the most to him. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and had Elan face him. "I love you," Anakin whispered.
Obi-Wan froze where he stood. It felt like his heart had plummeted into the ground. Slowly, he turned to look at the two, saw Anakin caressing Elan's face as Elan told him, with unparalleled happiness, "I love you, too."
Obi-Wan forced his eyes away and tried to forget the feeling still pervading his body. Padmé stole his attention and he went to her sleeping form, still curled up on the couch. "Padmé," he called quietly, "Sweetheart, wake up…"
Anakin kissed Elan, and hugged him too, loathing the moment when he would have to let go. Elan couldn't stop smiling, even as he pressed his face into Anakin's shoulder to hide it.
Padmé passed them on her way to her room, favoring a bed and comfortable clothes for catching up on sleep. She ruffled Anakin's hair and he protested, "Hey!"
"Don't squeeze the life out of him, now," Padmé teased, one hand on the railing as she looked back at them.
Elan laughed. He couldn't if he tried.
When the boys had finally parted and Elan had left, Anakin found Obi-Wan eating a hastily made sandwich while a pot of caf brewed on the counter behind him. Anakin walked up to him and pointed out, "I said I would make it for you."
"Well, you were a little busy, and I was hungry."
Anakin grabbed a granola bar for himself and a pear on second thought as he took a seat at the kitchen table. "I thought you could use a break, is all. Why don't you sit down?"
Obi-Wan had been standing while he ate, a sign Anakin figured meant he was anxious about something. "I'm waiting for the caf to finish," Obi-Wan said.
Anakin ate his granola bar as he observed Obi-Wan for clues as to what he was feeling. When that failed, Anakin tried to read his thoughts, but even the Force came up blank. Something must've happened for him to put up a wall. Anakin was almost afraid to ask. He cut his pear into slices slowly, watching the knife move through green skin and pale flesh. Obi-Wan poured himself some caf and when he'd finally sat down, Anakin sent one of the pear slices through the air to hover before Obi-Wan's mouth.
Obi-Wan smiled a bit and caught it between his teeth. He must not be too mad, Anakin thought, as he bit into his own slice.
Obi-Wan was unusually quiet for the rest of the day, but he still made sure Anakin was fed and well rested, refraining from any activities that could prolong his recovery. When night came, Anakin went to his own room without asking Obi-Wan if he wanted to continue with the normal sleeping arrangements. It was clear he didn't. But Anakin wasn't too lonely in his own bed as he turned his thoughts to Elan. His pillow smelled like Elan's hair, and the blankets captured the sweet smoky scent of his skin.
The next morning, Anakin was eager to be with Elan again. The first words to come out of his mouth when Obi-Wan came to check on him were, "Can Elan come over?"
"No," Obi-Wan said. He took a seat by Anakin's bed.
"And why not?" Anakin challenged.
Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows at him, then replied, "I saw how unsteady you were yesterday. You're pushing yourself too hard."
Anakin couldn't deny that he'd stumbled a few times.
"I could text him for you, if you want," Obi-Wan offered, gesturing to where Anakin's phone sat on the nightstand.
Anakin smiled at him and nodded. Obi-Wan picked up the phone and found Elan's name in the contacts.
"Tell him it's you," Anakin said.
"Why?"
Anakin pressed his lips together. "Just tell him."
"He doesn't want to talk to me, he wants to talk to you. Just tell me what to write and I'll read what he says."
Anakin crossed his arms, legs trapped under his bedsheets. "Fine. Write 'I miss you already.'"
Obi-Wan typed it and clicked send. They waited and the phone beeped after a few seconds. Obi-Wan read, "I bet I know why." Turning the phone sideways, he said, "There's a winky face after that."
Anakin made himself keep a straight face and said, "As if the whole world revolves around you."
After a moment, Obi-Wan said, "Not the whole world, just your world." As Anakin smiled at that, the phone beeped again, and Obi-Wan read, "I miss you too. Wish I could be your doctor."
"Something tells me your bedside manner isn't exactly standard," Anakin said, biting back a grin.
After a pause, Obi-Wan read, "You're damn right. My examinations are much more thorough."
Anakin giggled. Obi-Wan felt green run through his veins. "Help me, Doctor Elan, my head hurts!" Anakin exclaimed, his eyes alight. Obi-Wan typed it reluctantly. A moment passed and Obi-Wan's face turned scarlet. Anakin scrambled into an upright position and leaned over the side of the bed to get a look at Elan's reply. Obi-Wan held the phone away from him, using his other hand to keep Anakin in place. Anakin's curiosity had doubled by then and he demanded, "What? What did he say?"
Obi-Wan released Anakin's shoulder and sat back in his chair. He swallowed the lump in his throat and read, "Which one?"
Anakin stared at him a second, watching the red in his cheeks reemerge. "Tell him 'both.'"
Obi-Wan couldn't look at him. "Anakin, I—"
"He's just teasing, Father. Write 'both.'"
"I can't approve of this—it's—it's dirty—"
"It's harmless," Anakin insisted, still balancing on the edge of his bed. Obi-Wan didn't move a muscle, just looked at him. "Please," Anakin said, his voice lowered.
Obi-Wan huffed and sent the text. The phone beeped and Obi-Wan looked at it hesitantly. He ran his free hand over his face. "I can't read this out loud."
"Yes, you can," Anakin whined, "You just don't want to."
"Rest in bed for your head, sex in bed for the rest," he spilled.
"What was that?"
"I'm not repeating myself."
"How can I reply to him if I don't know what he said?"
"I'm sure you'll think of something."
"I swear I didn't hear you—"
"Stop teasing me!"
Anakin flinched.
Obi-Wan stood up, tossed the phone on the bed, and strode out of the room.
The silence he left behind made the beat in Anakin's ears seem louder. He reached for his phone slowly. The light of the screen was a little agitating, but Anakin typed a quick message to Elan anyway. Thanks, Doctor. Until next time.
Then he slipped out of bed and padded after Obi-Wan. He'd only gone to his room. He was standing by his window and looking out at the few cars passing by on the street. Anakin approached him cautiously. "Father?"
Obi-Wan turned to him for a second and looked out the window again, features set.
"Father, I didn't mean to upset you."
Obi-Wan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Even though I don't really know why you're upset," Anakin murmured. Obi-Wan glowered out the window again. "I'll go," Anakin said, turning around. Obi-Wan snatched his hand and tugged slightly. Anakin stumbled towards him.
"You're my baby," Obi-Wan said, blue eyes meeting another pair.
Anakin waited for more of an explanation but none came. "I don't understand," he whispered.
"You're my baby," repeated Obi-Wan, "so I don't like thinking about you doing adult things."
"But I'm not a baby anymore," Anakin replied, "I thought you wanted me to act my age. To respect you and... And be a good son."
"You are a good son," Obi-Wan said, cupping a hand to his cheek.
Anakin closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. Obi-Wan pulled his hand away.
Why was he being so frustrating? Anakin was determined to get through to him anyway. He said, "Elan only texts like that to make me laugh. He knows I don't take it seriously."
"Maybe you should," Obi-Wan countered.
Anakin tried to keep a cool head. "Elan would stop if I told him to," he insisted, "but like I said, it's harmless. It's not real."
Obi-Wan couldn't shake the feeling of offense. His eyes slid over Anakin's body once before holding Anakin's gaze. "You don't think he's getting off at the ideas you're putting into the palm of his hand?"
Anakin's lips twisted into a grimace. "I'd be happy if he was. He deserves it."
"Anakin," Obi-Wan said sharply.
Anakin was silent. Obi-Wan looked out the window again. Anakin contemplated as he looked at his feet, feeling uncomfortable in his own skin. He took a step closer to Obi-Wan and said, "You weren't like this when I told you about the theater. And I know you like Elan. So something's changed."
Obi-Wan was quiet. Anakin was careful to keep his tone compassionate as he said, "If something's wrong, you can tell me. You don't exactly have anyone else to talk to."
Obi-Wan turned to him, expression soft, unguarded, a reflection of deeper feelings. He pulled Anakin into his arms. "I don't want you to grow up," he confessed.
Anakin hugged him back as he listened to Obi-Wan against his ear.
"I don't want you to leave me."
"Leave you?" Anakin questioned.
"Kids grow up, they fall in love, they leave. That's what kids do."
Anakin's brows wound together. He grasped Obi-Wan's shoulders and held him at arm's length so he could look into his sad eyes. "Father," Anakin started, fighting the shock that wanted to translate into speechlessness, "I would never, ever leave you. I— I don't even know how to drive!"
A smile found its way onto Obi-Wan's face for a second. Anakin continued, his hands leaving Obi-Wan's shoulders to link behind Obi-Wan's neck, "If anything, I'd want Elan to live here! Maybe that's crazy. I love you both. I want to see our motel running, and I want to see you happy, and I want Elan to be happy…"
"Elan is unhappy?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I knew you cared," Anakin said, his lips curling up at one end. He left one hand around the back of Obi-Wan's neck and let the other drift to his upper arm. "Elan's family is unkind to him."
Obi-Wan felt himself leaning closer to Anakin.
"But we could be his family," Anakin said, fingers drawing swirls in the fabric of Obi-Wan's sleeve. "Wouldn't that be nice?"
"Would it make you happy?" he murmured back.
Anakin could feel Obi-Wan's breath on his face, could sense the heat coming off his skin. He bit his lip, eyeing Obi-Wan's, and nodded, eyelashes flicking up to meet Obi-Wan's fixed stare. It wasn't what he expected to see. Obi-Wan never looked at him like he was now, eyes half-lidded and darkened, his jaw slack slightly, a tiny divide between his blush-pink lips. It made Anakin nervous. He let go of Obi-Wan just as Obi-Wan's arms slid around him, pulling him closer as Anakin leaned away from him. Worry rushed through Anakin like the blood in his body. If Obi-Wan didn't stop soon, he'd know, he'd feel it, and Anakin wouldn't have an explanation, or a way to make Obi-Wan forget that there was something very wrong with his son. Anakin held his arms out away from Obi-Wan, body growing tenser and tenser till finally he squeaked out, "Father!"
Obi-Wan blinked as the name pulled him out of his spell. He hadn't realized how rigid Anakin was in his arms. Or how close he was to Anakin's face. Or how odd it was to hear Father instead of Obi-Wan. But he was Anakin's father.
"I'm sorry, Anakin," he said, releasing Anakin and taking a step back, head bowed.
Obi-Wan had been so hard to read lately, and now was no different. Anakin was grateful for the space, but the sight of Obi-Wan with his head lowered and bangs in his eyes was just as alluring as before. "It-it's alright. I just need to go to the bathroom," Anakin sputtered, wishing he could kick himself as he left the room.
In the bathroom, Anakin tore off his clothes and jumped into the tub, pulling the curtain around him with a grating metallic sound. He twisted the shower knob and turned around, letting the spray hit his back. Don't panic, Anakin thought, don't panic, don't panic! Looking down, he saw what he already knew—he was fully hard now, and he really, really didn't want to be. Obi-Wan would be so disappointed. But it was Obi-Wan he thought about as he moved to touch himself. The water pounded against his back. Anakin thought he deserved a greater punishment as his strokes became harsher, his wet hair falling in his eyes as he watched, realizing with a low moan that he wasn't getting anywhere. He took a shuddering breath and turned around. He shook out his hands and bounced on the pads of his feet a bit before running his fingers through his hair. With his eyes closed, he let the water run down his face, into his mouth and over his tongue. He stepped back enough for the water to spatter against his neck. Obi-Wan wouldn't be so rough with him. Unless I asked him to. Anakin's hand slipped around his throat as he took another step back, his other hand following the trail of water down his chest and stomach, cock twitching when his fingertips reached the base. He saw Obi-Wan behind his eyelids, cheeks red, head lowered. He thought about Obi-Wan on his knees before him. The water was hot, and his hand was warm, but it wasn't quite right. He had Obi-Wan stand and meet his mouth, imagining one of Obi-Wan's deft hands close around his throat as he squeezed. His other hand worked a steady rhythm until he was aching for breath—he let his fingers relax, gasped for air, and squeezed again—brows furrowing at how good it made him feel in other places while his brain told him he was dying. His pace quickened then, and he felt like his skin was blistering from the hate in his blood—not hate for Obi-Wan—for himself—for giving in to this, and he was worried, always, that Obi-Wan would know, would feel it in their bond, would sense it in the Force, would hear it through the walls. Maybe he would catch him, right now. Anakin felt sick when the idea sent a shiver of pleasure down his spine. Go away, he thought, hand around his throat tightening, tightening, Go away!
Finally, he came, but the relief didn't last long as he eyed the evidence on the shower curtain and desperately tried to make it disappear. When it was all gone, he turned off the water and stepped out of the bathtub, taking the curtain with him as he lost his balance and hit the tile, hard.
It took his body a few seconds to register the pain. He didn't want to move. His name was being called outside the door, and then Obi-Wan was with him, in the bathroom, like he'd feared.
Anakin struggled to sit up, saying, "Don't look at me!" His voice was so rough it sounded like a growl.
Obi-Wan knelt beside him, asking all kinds of questions. "Are you alright? How did you fall? Did you hit your head?"
"I said, don't look at me!" Anakin shouted back.
Obi-Wan started, but quickly relaxed again—it was Anakin, after all. He was calm when he spoke. "I didn't come in here to ogle you. Besides, you're covered."
Anakin took his eyes off of Obi-Wan hesitantly and saw that the shower curtain had fallen around his middle. He stayed put, letting his gaze glue to the floor.
"Please, let me help you," Obi-Wan said.
Anakin met his eyes and nodded. Obi-Wan reached for him and took hold of his arms, pulling him off the floor and tight against his chest. Anakin was shaking. "It's okay, Anakin," Obi-Wan murmured, "I've got you."
"I'm sorry," Anakin responded, "I'm so, so sorry—"
"Shh," hushed Obi-Wan. He held Anakin close to him with one arm while the other reached for the cotton robe hanging from the hook on the wall. He helped Anakin into it, then let him lean on him again, seeing how unsteady he seemed on his own two feet. Obi-Wan ran his fingers through Anakin's wet hair, then pulled them away. It didn't appear as though Anakin had hit his head on the tile, but he wanted to make sure. "Tell me what happened," he said.
"I just slipped, that's all," Anakin mumbled back.
He was still trembling, though it was less noticeable now. Obi-Wan pulled Anakin away from him so he could look at him. The skin of his neck still looked red. Obi-Wan told him, "If you're having balance problems, then I might need to take you back to the hospital. I certainly need to take you if your head met the tile when you fell. So please, tell me what happened."
Anakin avoided his gaze. "I might've been holding my breath," he said.
Obi-Wan was quiet for a second. "Like this?" he asked, and put his hand around Anakin's throat, but only for a brief moment of contact.
Anakin didn't answer. He looked miserable. Obi-Wan tucked a wet strand of hair behind his ear and called his name softly. "Anakin."
Anakin couldn't believe he was still standing. Everything was too much.
"I'm not mad at you, I hope you know that," continued Obi-Wan, "I was wrong before. It's not my business. What is my business is your wellbeing." He brushed over the side of Anakin's neck with the pads of his fingers. "This," he said, "isn't exactly good for you. Your brain needs the oxygen, especially while you recover. I don't want you to hurt yourself." Anakin took a shaky breath, gripping Obi-Wan's clothes while Obi-Wan continued to support him.
"What's wrong, Anakin? I'll make it better."
"I don't feel good," he answered, his head pounding, his neck sore.
"Alright," Obi-Wan said softly. "Let's go to your room."
Anakin's knees felt weak. Obi-Wan looked him over, then bent down and scooped Anakin into his arms. Anakin grabbed a handful of Obi-Wan's robes and held onto his shoulder. Obi-Wan carried him to his room and sat on the bed with him. He reached for the glass of water on the bedside table and gave it to Anakin, who sipped it slowly. When he'd finished it, Obi-Wan took the glass from him and asked, "Feeling any better?"
"A little," Anakin replied, though the dread inside him lingered.
"What can I do?"
"I don't know. This feels alright."
Obi-Wan still had his arms curled around him. "Yeah?"
"Mhm."
Obi-Wan slipped his arm out from underneath Anakin's knees and wove his fingers through Anakin's hair, pulling him close so he could kiss his forehead. He rubbed Anakin's back, up and down and in circles.
"I like your kisses," Anakin said quietly.
Obi-Wan smiled and took one of Anakin's hands in his. He brought it to his mouth and kissed Anakin's knuckles. Looking thoughtful, he opened Anakin's hand so that his palm faced him and his fingers uncurled. Then he kissed the center of Anakin's palm, breathing in deeply. Anakin watched him curiously. Obi-Wan did it again as he brushed his lips against Anakin's fingers. Then Anakin hid his face, blushing deeply. Obi-Wan could smell the scent of him on his fingers, and he appeared to be enjoying it. Obi-Wan gave his hand a little tug, and when Anakin didn't look at him he made a trail of kisses down his arm, stopping midway to mouth at the inside of his elbow. Anakin mumbled something. Obi-Wan placed Anakin's hand at the back of his neck and wrapped his arms around him again, asking, "Yes, baby?"
"I'm tired," he said, looking up at Obi-Wan.
"Would you like me to leave?"
"No," Anakin blurted. He rubbed the back of Obi-Wan's neck, ruffling the precise line where his hair ended. "Stay with me."
"Of course."
Anakin moved off of Obi-Wan and let the man lie down and get comfy on the little bed. Anakin nestled in between Obi-Wan's legs and placed his head on Obi-Wan's chest, humming contentedly when Obi-Wan's hands drifted up and down his back, the touch warm through the thin fabric of the borrowed robe. He almost didn't care that his rear was a leg movement away from greeting the open air. He shouldn't have been so afraid. Somehow Obi-Wan understood what he needed, even when he didn't know himself. Obi-Wan wasn't even mad that he'd run off mid-conversation. Anakin finally felt at ease as his eyes closed and Obi-Wan's breathing lulled him to sleep.
He'd been dozing for a while when Obi-Wan stirred underneath him. Anakin blinked awake, Obi-Wan's heart racing under his ear. He propped himself up and looked at his father, whose eyes were still closed, but peace had left him. His expression tore at Anakin's insides. "Please," he moaned, "Stop..."
"Father," Anakin called, "You're dreaming. Wake up."
Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes, still stuck in the dream. Brokenly, he cried, "Cody-y-y..."
Anakin's eyes went wide and he positioned himself on his knees, taking his weight off Obi-Wan. "Father!" he called again, louder.
Obi-Wan woke with a gasp. He sat up fast and looked around the room, despite seeing Anakin in front of him.
Anakin chased his gaze, saying softly, "You're safe. It was just a nightmare."
Suddenly Obi-Wan looked like he hadn't slept in days. "It was real," he said, "It happened."
Anakin pulled Obi-Wan against him and stroked his hair. "I know. I know. But you are safe. He can't touch you anymore."
Obi-Wan sighed heavily and tried to believe him. After a few seconds he raised his head and said, "I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be taking care of you."
"I feel better already," Anakin replied. He planted a kiss in Obi-Wan's hair and grabbed his hand, saying, "Come on. I don't feel like sleeping anymore."
Obi-Wan followed him downstairs, sitting on the couch when Anakin told him to. Anakin scampered off to the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with a hot cup of caf for Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan mustered a little smile and sipped his drink, trying to forget the tear of Cody's hand in his hair, the tight grip on his hips.
"Father," Anakin said.
Obi-Wan turned to him haltingly. Anakin didn't say anything else, just reached for Obi-Wan's free hand and gave it a squeeze.
"Do you know, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked.
Anakin felt a flutter in his chest. "Know what?"
"How good it feels to look at you. To see your face."
Anakin blushed despite his best efforts. His eyes dropped to the couch cushions, embarrassed. "Really?"
Obi-Wan set his cup of caf down and cupped a hand to Anakin's cheek. "Yes. It reminds me how happy I am to be your father."
Anakin smiled, clambered into his lap, and hugged him tight.
The hours in the day passed by uneventfully, much to Obi-Wan's relief and Anakin's growing restlessness. However, as Obi-Wan kept reminding him, Anakin was in no condition to go anywhere or do anything. When Padmé came home after a day of hard training, her skin glowing and hair a little frizzy, Anakin was absolutely envious. He wanted to take his lightsaber and go sparring—something Obi-Wan had denied him since they moved. It wasn't safe, he said, not when they didn't know who their enemies were, if anyone despised the Jedi here like they did in other places. Anakin thought they had a pretty good idea of who their enemies were now. And he was done playing it safe.
At least, he was going to try being a little more honest. Obi-Wan came back into the family room after a phone call Anakin hadn't bothered listening in to. His thoughts had wandered everywhere, it seemed, roaming from the clash of blue lightsabers to Obi-Wan's strange behavior to his own mystification at himself.
"You kissed me yesterday," Anakin said, as Obi-Wan opened a curtain to let more light into the room.
"I kiss you every day," Obi-Wan replied, not sure what he was getting at.
Anakin took a step closer to him so he could meet his eyes dead-on. "This was different. You were drunk."
"Oh," Obi-Wan said. He avoided Anakin's gaze as he tried to recover the memory of it and came up empty. "I'm sorry," he said.
Anakin's brows furrowed and he asked, "What for?"
"I—" Obi-Wan sighed. "I can't remember. I must have thought you were someone else."
"No," Anakin said simply, "You asked for me."
Obi-Wan felt his throat start to close up. "Where exactly… did I kiss you?"
Anakin brought his hand to his lips for a moment, and then he wore a tame smile. Obi-Wan was taking in the information with wide eyes. "And how long was it?" he asked.
"A few seconds, probably," Anakin replied, "It felt longer. You wouldn't let me end it."
Obi-Wan looked horrified. "Anakin, I'm so sorry—"
"Don't be sorry," he said, seeing how pale Obi-Wan had grown. He'd really only wanted to let him know about it, and maybe tease him a little. "I wouldn't have minded, except Elan was there."
Obi-Wan covered his face with his hands. Anakin took hold of one of them and Obi-Wan peeked at him with one eye.
"It's alright. Really," Anakin told him.
"No, no, it's not," he said, uncovering his face just to look the other way, catching a glimpse of the dust gathering on the piano, the sunbeams reminding him of when they first walked through the house together. Obi-Wan shook his head, eyes closed. "I shouldn't be getting drunk or kissing you like that. Certainly not the two in combination. I'm sorry."
"Father," Anakin objected. Obi-Wan turned to him expectantly. Obviously things were not going as planned, but when did they ever? Anakin withheld a sigh as he held his hand to Obi-Wan's cheek, very lightly, almost without touching him. "I forgive you," he said.
Obi-Wan relaxed slightly and nodded.
"Can you forgive yourself?" Anakin asked, playfully, though he could tell it was something his father needed to do.
Obi-Wan didn't know if he could.