Ok, how much do I lose at life for being late to post this? (eeps) I'm sorry!!

Getting a little more into the angst now. (grins) Not that I ever write that, lol. I hope you enjoy the installment, and thank you for reviewing so far!!

Chapter 4

It had been drizzling for most of the week. The kind of sullen, slow rain that fell from slate grey clouds mockingly, the kind of rain that could continue for days on end without abating.

Obi-Wan hated this kind of rain. It was insidious, seeping into people's hearts and making them as dour as the weather outside. But for the moment, he was glad of the fog that swirled around the skyscrapers of the city, was cynically grateful for weather that perfectly matched his mood.

The low clouds hid his identity well, wrapping him in shrouds of mist. It dulled people's perceptions, so that he would seem to be just another unremarkable citizen of Coruscant, idling in his speeder as though waiting for someone. On an ordinary day, a casual observer might have noticed that he had been sitting in the same spot for nearly four hours, and that there was no landing platform anywhere near his speeder. On an ordinary day, the markings on the skycar would have been noticed, would have been recognized as being from the Jedi Temple.

On an ordinary day, his presence would have been called into question. Not that their perceptions would have been mistaken – Obi-Wan was waiting for someone. He was waiting for Anakin.

But since it wasn't official business, he was very glad of the weather that drove people inside to their loved ones rather than sparing him a second look.

In that sense, Anakin was no better than the casual observer. A Jedi should have noticed the incongruities of Obi-Wan's speeder being there, even on a miserable day like this. But like the rest of Coruscant's population, Anakin was too occupied to even spare him a second glance. Nothing could bother him tonight. Not when he was rushing off to see her.

Obi-Wan had suspected, of course, ever since he had woken to find Anakin missing that morning from their apartments. They had spent the night together; Anakin curled up contentedly against Obi-Wan's chest, watching the trails of raindrops slide down the windowpane. They had fallen asleep together, but Obi-Wan had woken alone.

He didn't know what had driven his Padawan away, if it was the kiss they had shared in the elevator, or what Anakin had perceived as rejection when Obi-Wan had refused to let that kiss go any further. Although he had casually agreed to that condition in the elevator, once they were back in the apartment, Anakin had insistently pushed Obi-Wan down on the mattress, rubbing his hand against Obi-Wan's groin –

And he had wanted to. Fucking Force, but he had wanted to. But Anakin was still his apprentice, and letting their relationship progress any further would have been a breach of that implicit trust.

Maybe he had been too harsh in pushing Anakin away; Obi-Wan wasn't sure. He had thought that everything was all right between them when Anakin had murmured an apology and had been content to just snuggle together. Apparently, he had been wrong.

All he knew was that he had woken alone the next morning, and Anakin had been on a transport, escorting Senator Amidala home.

And Obi-Wan had suspected, but had refused to believe that his suspicions about his apprentice's relationship with the Senator were at all true. Until tonight. Until he had followed Anakin's distinctive speeder at a distance, and had found his former Padawan's destination was the Senatorial Apartments.

Padmé's apartment, to be precise.

And he still hadn't wanted to believe what he was seeing, had wanted to invent a number of reasons to explain why Anakin would be sneaking out of the Temple in the middle of the night to meet with a beautiful woman.

But his eyes didn't lie, Obi-Wan knew that. And when Anakin had been met with a wildly enthusiastic embrace and a lingering kiss, he was forced to acknowledge the truth.

He was glad of the rain that blurred the windshield, filling the car with its sinuous hissing and drowning out his thoughts. He was glad that no one was around to force him to drive on, when his mind felt completely numb. He was glad of the cold air that fogged the transparisteel, hiding him from any prying eyes as he drew his knees up against his chest and buried his face in his hands.

He didn't want even a casual observer to see him cry.

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Xtine