"He's awake... Padawan Skywalker? Can you hear me?"

Anakin slowly opened his eyes. He saw a orange mon calamari looking at him. He knew her.

"Bant... Master Erin?"

She smiled at him,"Yes padawan. You scared your master half to death."

Obi-Wan?

"Where is master?"

"Look, over there."

She pointed to a medbay chair, where Obi-Wan was sleeping awkwardly.

"He came here at 0300 hours, with you in his arms. The way his hands were shaking, I got scared too."

Obi Wan was scared... His hands were shaking in fear... For Anakin?

Bant slightly touched Obi-Wan's shoulder and the latter woke up startled.

"Bant, what happened?"

"Your padawan is awake."

Obi-Wan looked at bant for a second and then nearly ran to Anakin.

"Padawan, you're awake! How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay master. What happened?"

"You had a fever last night, remember?

Oh, vaccine...lightsaber... spanking... Keth!

Obi-Wan was already ranting,"Y-your fever was very high, You were a little delirious too. I didn't know what to..."

"Didn't Master Che tell you that a high fever is expected after vaccination?" Bant said.

"She did, but I-"

I hurt him. I hurt the scared and feverish boy.

"Master, is Keth okay?"

Anakin interrupted.

Obi-Wan was taken aback by the sudden change of topic.

Bant provided,"Oh he's quite alright. Nothing serious happened to his arms, he panicked too much. Now he's not willing to leave the halls."

Anakin asked "Why?"

Bant let out a chuckle,"He knows he's going to get a fair amount of spanking from his master after getting discharged."

Anakin was amused. But his master looked sad.

"Now, I'll leave you two alone, after that, I'll bring a juice pouch... No Padawan, you have to finish it. Obi-Wan, you can take him home after the formalities."

The room fell silent after she left.

Obi wan, the silver tongue, was at loss of words.

After a while, Obi-Wan started,"Padawan-- How do you see me? Am I too strict for you? Do I punish you badly?"

Anakin definitely didn't see that coming.

"Why master?"

"It's just... In the fog of fever dreams, you thought I was Watto."

Anakin winced, did he really think that?

"If it's that case, then...", He took Anakin's little calloused hands and gently caressed it.

"I'm sorry dear one. I am really sorry. Sometimes- sometimes I forget how much you've been through. I just..."

"Dear one..."

he pulled Anakin into a tight hug.

"I am not like Watto. I punish you because, because I-I love you.

Anakin became numb. The phrase 'I love you' was not unknown to him. He and his mother said this to each other every day.

But Obi-Wan?

Obi-Wan continued,"I always have a hard time to express my feelings. I thought, saying 'I love you' is a proof of attachment. Qui-Gon always encouraged me to say those things. But I just couldn't. I thought affection is a form of attachment. I was wrong. I am not perfect. I make mistakes time to time. Can you please still believe in me? Sometimes, my decision will be wrong, but you have to know that my intentions will never be wrong. I will always love you dear one. Always."

Anakin was too overwhelmed to say anything. Teary-eyed, he just said,

"O-Obi-Wan? Master... I l-love you too. Very very much. You-you are the f-father I n-never had."

Obi-Wan looked at him with wide eyes.

"S-sorry, that was a wrong thing to say."

Anakin wiped up the tears with the long sleeves of his hospital-gown.

Obi-Wan put hands on Anakin's cheek. "No Anakin, you're not wrong... Though I am too young to be your father... But master- padawan bond is often considered as a father-son relationship. If you want I can be your father."

Anakin and Obi-Wan both smiled at each other.

Obi Wan let go of Anakin and sat on the chair.

"Also, I saw Keth's injury. It was not too much. You used a lightsaber for the first time but still managed to control it. I'm genuinely impressed. Though I still not support you for this reckless move, but I think you are finally ready for a trip to IIlum. I will take you myself there... But after 3 months. Otherwise Madam Che will kill me. You probably don't want to get rid of your master this soon, right?"

Anakin laughed a lot. A hearty laugh. Everything is going to be okay.

(originally posted on AO3)