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Whenever Anakin had seen his master sleep, he had always found it amusing and slightly comforting to know that even the most dignified of great Jedi Masters could be graceless, even if it was only in sleep. And graceless Obi-Wan was. He lay sprawled in bed, mouth slightly agape, an arm draped across his eyes to to guard them against the weak sunlight shining through the thin curtains.

That was how Anakin found him, though it didn't amuse him the way it did when he was older. Now, he merely smiled because, well, it was his master and his master meant a lot of things to Anakin, emotions and images that were ten times more complex when he was older, but were now simplified. He meant food and baths, homework, safety, scoldings and hugs, boring meditation, disapproving glances and sunshine smiles, calm words, kindness and love. Pure, unadulterated love, above all of the others.

Of course, he knew his master didn't quite understand love, which was a bit weird, but it wasn't his fault really. Obi-Wan did love him deep down, he just couldn't say it like Anakin could. It was all right though. He was teaching his master about stuff like that and some of his lessons did manage to get through, but his master was a bit slow when it came to things like love and hugs (which had been hard to teach) and feelings, so it would take time. He'd get there in the end.

After watching the calming rise and fall of his master's chest for a minute or two, Anakin made his way to the bed, clambering up onto it. It was a harder feat than he remembered, but he managed to scramble up on the mattress. Crawling on all hands and fours, he made his way to Obi-Wan's chest, promptly sitting down on it. Ignoring the small grunt from the sleeping form, he began to pull at the arm on his master's face.

Obi-Wan didn't quite realise he was awake; he was in that funny place where sleep and dreams and reality all melded into one confusing blur. So it was only instinct that when he felt tiny, grappling hands at his arm that he brushed them off. He groaned as the hands returned; he wanted sleep! What did those blasted hands want? He felt annoyance shoot through their bond and he realised, then, that he was awake.

Obi-Wan pulled away his arm, opening his eyes to see Anakin sitting happily on his chest, a smile on his face, "Hi."

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan murmured, words slurred with sleep. Frowning, he glanced at his clock and groaned, "Padawan, it is half four in the morning."

Anakin glanced at the clock and shrugged, "Bored."

"You need as much sleep as you can," Obi-Wan said, sitting up a little and repressing a yawn, "we have a long day ahead of us and you're sleep deprived. You need to go back to bed."

The youngling shook his head, "Can get back to sleep."

The Jedi scrubbed his face with a palm, sighing, "Have you even tried?"

"Yes!" Anakin said, frowning.

Obi-Wan's eyelids were drooping and instinctively, without thought, he rolled over onto his front, earning a surprised squeak from his padawan. "Master!" the boy cried indignantly, crawling onto his back after nearly being crushed by him, "Can't sleeeeeep."

The Jedi moaned into his pillow, "Oh Anakin, please don't whine at me."

"Not whining," the boy clambered off his back (the child seemingly thinking that Obi-Wan was merely part of the mattress the way he dug his small feet into his spine) and pulled at Obi-Wan's arm again, "Can't sleep, Master. 'm bored."

The Jedi opened one eye. Anakin was and always had been the master at pouting; Obi-Wan was sure he could make even the coldest heart thaw with the look on that face. He sighed, sitting up and allowing himself to hide his face in his hands, before pulling them away to look at his ever expectant padawan.

"Come on, then," he murmured. He pulled away the bed sheets from the bed, wrapping them around his shoulders before picking up Anakin, an action fast becoming instinct. Obi-Wan stumbled into the living room, grimacing at the chill air and wishing that he was in his warm bed that now seemed all the more inviting. But as was always the case, padawans came first.

The Jedi practically collapsed in the chair in the corner of the living room; it was the rocking chair, one which Anakin hadn't been in since he was eleven as he was thenceforth banned from it for rocking it right off the floor. It was something he had always associated with Qui-Gon, who would often sit there in a pensive mood, rocking back and forth, almost his own private sort of meditation.

Obi-Wan gathered the sheets around them, his padawan tucked against his chest as the bedclothes, not yet lost their warmth, were wrapped around them both. With one foot, Obi-Wan began to rock them back and forth, back and forth. A hand lazily stroked Anakin's soft hair. He glanced down at the boy, who was beginning to look drowsy already.

The Jedi smiled sleepily, "Sleep now, Anakin," he murmured, eyes closing. The padawan watched for a moment, before following his master, head lolling against his chest. The sound of his Obi-Wan's heart beat, the steady rise and fall of his chest and the easy back and forth rocking of the chair all mixed together into one harmonious, songless lullaby, easing the boy into a well needed slumber. Eventually, the chair stopped rocking, though now both padawan and past were asleep, the quiet hush of their home broken only by the tiny snuffles of Anakin, muffled by his master's pyjamas and the deep, soft breathing of Obi-Wan.

...

It was half eleven when Obi-Wan woke up. He grimaced as he sat up a little, his entire body stiff from sleeping in so awkward a position. Still, the trick had clearly done Anakin wonders seeing as he was still snoozing peacefully in his lap. Carefully, wincing as back clicked into place, he slowly rose to his feet, the bedclothes still hanging on his shoulders. He carried the boy over the sofa, wrapping him up in the sheets and gently placing him down. Anakin didn't notice. He rolled over, hiding his face against a cushion, completely oblivious to all around him. By the time Obi-Wan had returned from a shower and breakfast, Anakin still hadn't moved an inch. It wasn't really surprising; the boy had had a trying week to say the least and it was no wonder he was exhausted.

He eased himself down next to the youngling, careful not to wake him and started to read. It took Anakin an hour to wake up and even that was a slow process. He crawled out of his cocoon of sheets onto his master's lap, draping himself across his legs with a dramatic groan of exhaustion, too tired to even bother sitting up.

"Good afternoon to you too," Obi-Wan smiled, amusement glinting in his eyes. He sat him up on his lap, arm wrapped round the small boy's middle. Together, they watched the news on the holovid, the Jedi paying more attention than the sleepy youngling, who was rubbing at his bleary eyes with small fists.

"Mas'er?" The Jedi looked down at his name, the words slurred slightly with tiredness, "'m hungry."

"I am not surprised. You haven't eaten since seven o'clock yesterday and it's one o'clock now," he watched his padawan frown in thought and beginning to slowly count off his fingers, "that's eighteen hours, padawan."

He grinned as he watched Anakin's blue eyes grow round with realisation and he turned to his master, "How 'm I alive?!" he squeaked, incredulous as to how he could have lasted so long without food.

"You slept through it. You have simply been too tired to be hungry," Obi-Wan chuckled as his reply made those blue orbs go impossibly wider, "you needed that sleep, Force only knows how much you got in this week."

Anakin was clearly still a little shocked at this alarming news because he didn't react as his master lifted him up and went into the kitchen. He sat his padawan down at the table and began to make lunch. After a minute or so he felt a small tug at his leggings and he looked down to see Anakin staring up at him, "I'm going to help," he declared.

Obi-Wan blinked, "Oh. All right, you can lay the table."

Anakin nodded and headed over to the cupboard, staring up at his challenge. The Jedi didn't look round till he heard a frustrated grunt and he saw the boy trying valiantly to climb onto the counter, his top half slumped over the worktop, legs kicking frantically to try and get some leverage, "Get a chair, padawan," Obi-Wan sighed, going over and pulling his padawan off the counter and back onto the floor.

Anakin huffed, affronted, "Can do it!"

"No, you can't," Obi-Wan said, raising his eyebrows and folding his arms across his chest in his "I'm-your-master-and-I-know-better-than-you" way, "get a chair or you're not going to help at all."

Anakin shot his master a glare, but he knew he wasn't going to win, so he did as he was told, pushing a chair to the counter and clambering up on it. Carefully, he began to lift the plates down; his master grateful that he was at least taking care of them, though he'd much prefer his padawan to take more care of himself.

"Master?" he asked, almost lying down to avoid hitting his head as he shut the cupboard door, "What we gonna do today?"

"I have to take you to do some tests," Obi-Wan replied.

"Test?" Anakin frowned as he slowly climbed down off the chair with his arms full of plates, "What sort?"

"Well, they want to test your ability with the Force, your memory. I should imagine they'll want to take more blood and do a physical examination as well."

"You'll be there?"

The Jedi turned at the worry in his padawan's voice and smiled gently, "Yes, Anakin, I'll be there. I won't leave unless you want me to."

"Won't they tell you off?" Anakin asked, kneeling on a chair to set the plates down on the table.

"I doubt it," the Jedi said lightly, "but if you want me to be there, then they can't stop me."

"Okay," Anakin chirruped, sounding relieved, "is it gonna be boring?"

"It very well may be, so it would do you well, padawan, to exercise as much patience as possible."

Anakin scowled at the tone of warning in his master's voice, "I am patient," he grumbled, climbing off the chair.

"Oh really?" Obi-Wan asked, turning round and raising his eyebrows, "is this coming from the boy who was so impatient to get home from a mission that he nearly crash landed the ship?"

Anakin's face turned red and he snapped, "Didn't crash it!"

"No, but you landed it badly enough for me to get a bloody nose, if you recall," his master said, looking down at his padawan with an unimpressed look on his face, "and for you to give yourself a concussion!"

"Wasn't a concussion!" Anakin protested.

"I don't believe that's what Healer Janu said," his master retorted.

"Didn't get concussion," he growled, "just a stupid headache."

"So, the fact that you couldn't walk in a straight line for an hour had nothing to do with your head injury?" Obi-Wan asked, smirking.

"No!" Anakin snapped, "it just... stop teasing me!" he glared at his master as the man began to laugh.

"I'm sorry, Anakin, but it was amusing to watch you stumble around for a hour good or so," he grinned, "come, don't I deserve any recompense for my almost broken nose?"

"No," Anakin said obstinately, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Padawan, you aren't kind to me at all, you know," Obi-Wan chuckled, shaking his head.

"You're not nice either!" the youngling protested.

"Oh?" Obi-Wan shrugged and turned from Anakin, "well then, if I'm so cruel then I don't suppose I'll make you your lunch."

Anakin's eyes widened and he rushed to his master's side, "Hey- no, I didn't mean it!"

He turned his face from Anakin, mostly to hide his grin, "Oh no, padawan," he said, in mock hurt, "you've hurt me far too much this time. Because of what you said, I am going to be even more cruel than usual."

"No!" Anakin whined, pulling at his robes, "didn't mean it really," he slumped against Obi-Wan's legs, looking up at his master, "you are nice, Master," he mumbled plaintively, "honest." Obi-Wan smiled down at him and Anakin frowned, "You were teasing again, weren't you?"

"I'm afraid so," he ran a hand through the blond locks, ignoring the ugly scowl on his padawan's face, "it's nice to know you think so highly of me though."

Anakin glared up at him and huffed haughtily, "Tease me too much," he muttered quietly, heading to the table.

"It doesn't do you any harm," Obi-Wan said lightly.

"Does so!" Anakin argued, clambering up onto his chair and scowling up at his master.

"Oh really?" Obi-Wan asked, "would you care to explain how, Anakin?"

"It's annoying," Anakin murmured, frowning down at the food his master was laying out.

"That doesn't do you any harm though, does it?" The Jedi pointed out, smiling as he sat down.

"Makes me feel small," Anakin replied sulkily.

"You mean it bruises your ego," Obi-Wan corrected him, "everybody needs them to take them down a peg or two once in awhile, even you, my very young padawan. I certainly don't mean for it to hurt you, but I would know if it did. And I know that you know that I would never do it to truly offend you."

Anakin looked dissatisfied with this answer, irritated that his master was once again right. "You don't have anyone," he pointed out, stabbing his food rather viciously with a fork.

"I have you, don't I?" his master asked, a gentle smile gracing his features, "I think you've certainly teased me a number of times about a a lot of things I'd rather you didn't."

Anakin thought for a moment, "Okay," he conceded, "but you tease me more."

"I'm your master, Anakin. It's my job to tease you, among other things of course."

"What's my job then?" the youngling asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Your job?" Obi-Wan ate thoughtfully for a moment, "your job is to keep me worried. To annoy me, to wake me up at odd times in the night, to come to me when you're hurt," he caught the rather insulted and slightly hurt look on his padawan's face and he smiled kindly, "but... your job is also to make me smile. To make me laugh with all the silly and wonderful things that you do. To show me how wrong I can be and that even if you can't make something better, you should always try. And to remind me that even though I'm your teacher, I still have much to learn."

Anakin stared for a moment. Then, a huge smile grew on his face and Obi-Wan could feel the happiness shine through their bond like the sun, "I do a good job?"

"Yes, Anakan," Obi-Wan murmured, wondering how that great, beaming smile could grow any more on such a small face, "you do a wonderful job at being my padawan."

"And you're the best Master in the whole galaxy," Anakin said, sounding happy and absolutely resolved on the matter. Then a genuine look of worry crossed his face, "you know that, right?"

"I always knew you felt that way, Anakin," Obi-Wan said quietly.

Anakin frowned, "S'not the same. Do you know it?"

Obi-Wan looked away for a moment. He thought back to the scars on the youngling's back, how often he had let him down, how he was letting him down even now. They shouldn't be this close. He was taking the rule he had tried so hard to teach and abide by and was grinding it into the dirt. He had taught him everything he possibly could in principle, but did he practise it? No. Not everything. No matter how much he denied it, he felt emotions, though he didn't embrace them as Anakin did, he still felt them just as strongly.

What they had wasn't just a bond of padawan and master, it was... the bond of brothers, of father and son. He hadn't, no, wasn't bringing the Chosen One up to be the Jedi that everybody expected. The Jedi he should be. He wasn't bringing him up to be a Jedi at all. He taught him everything a Jedi should know, but he had raised Anakin as his youngling, as his own. He was his child. And that was not fair to Anakin, a boy so eager and desperate to be loved, to hide all of this from him when Obi-Wan himself felt as he did, only to lecture him with cold platitudes about emotions; to tell him what he should be, even when his master wasn't it himself. That wasn't what good Jedi masters did.

"I'm afraid I don't, padawan," he replied, quietly.

Anakin seemed slightly taken aback by this. But the frown quickly returned, "Well you should. You're the best Master and Jedi ever. Even if you are silly."

Obi-Wan laughed at this, "That is a rather backhanded compliment, Anakin."

Anakin smiled at the man's laughter, though his words remained earnest, "'s true though. You're silly and I know you lie to me about stuff that you shouldn't. But you're still the best master ever. You're my master."

"Is that reason enough, padawan?"

Anakin nodded with utmost seriousness, "Uh-huh. We're family. That's why you're the best," he carried on eating as though nothing had happened, only after about a minute to look up and see his master staring at him. He swallowed and asked tentatively, "Did I say something bad?"

"No, Anakin," Obi-Wan's smile was small and sad and he reached his arm over the table, cupping the small cheek in his rough palm. The action worried Anakin, because that usually mean he himself was upset, which he wasn't. Was his master upset? "No, you didn't say anything bad. I'm just... pensive, that's all."

"Pensive?"

"I'm thinking. That's all, padawan," Obi-Wan was lying again and he knew his padawan could see right through him. But his padawan knew that his master nearly always had a reason for lying, whether it was a good one or not.

He leant his cheek against his master's hand and sighed, "You are silly," he muttered, but there was more exasperation in his voice than any anger.

"I know, Anakin," Obi-Wan smiled a little, "you'll have to make a few allowances for your old master, I'm afraid. He still has much to learn."

"That's okay," Anakin said, brightening, "I'll teach you."

The Jedi chuckled a little, "I'm sure you will, Anakin."

"Already am," the boy proclaimed proudly.

"Oh? Have I learnt much?"

The youngling didn't pick up the tone of gentle amusement in his master's voice, "Some stuff. But you're getting better."

"That's good to know," Obi-Wan murmured, resisting the urge to chuckle.

Anakin nodded in earnest, "Uh-huh. You'll get there. You're just slow about some stuff."

Obi-Wan grinned, "Padawan, you know you cannot be this rude to people."

"I know," Anakin shrugged, "but you're not people. You're Obi-Wan."

The Jedi had to think about that statement for a moment, before smiling, "Yes. I suppose you're right."

...

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said with a sigh as he followed the small raging thing stomping down the corridor, "slow down." Force, with the look that boy gave him, he might as well as had a thundercloud hanging over his head. The boy paused only to shoot him a glare, before starting off down the corridor again. The Jedi resisted the urge to groan and followed on after him.

It had not been a good day.

The tests, in terms of Anakin's patience and general happiness had... well, if he described them as being disastrous then Obi-Wan wouldn't be exaggerating all that much. First off it took him a fair amount of time to convince the boy to take off his shirt to let them do the physical. It was understandable that his padawan didn't want everyone to see the scars all over his back, but there was simply nothing the Jedi could have done to help him. The look of utter betrayal the youngling had given him was like a hard blow to the gut. And then, almost straight after had to take blood from him. He had refused to hold Obi-Wan's hand, far too proud and annoyed with him to do so, even though Obi-Wan could see the boy's hands tremble slightly.

Though the Jedi hadn't thought it was possible, it only got worse from there. It was one trial after another, with no real time to give Anakin a break. By the time they had finished with testing his abilities with the Force, his speech, his memory and an array of intelligence tests, the youngling had had enough. He hadn't bothered waiting for his master, who was busy talking to the other Jedi about when they'd find out what the results meant and deemed it fit to storm out of the room. After a hurried apology, Obi-Wan rushed after him to find his padawan stomping on ahead.

Obi-Wan stepped in his padawan's way, making the boy nearly walk straight into him, "Padawan-"

"Get out!" Anakin cried, swinging his arm in a wild arc.

"Anakin, you need to calm down," Obi-Wan said, refusing to move. His arms were folded and he had an expression on his face of disapproval well known to the youngling. Anakin growled in frustration and tried to side step his master, only the for the man to crouch down in front of him and take his arm, "I know you're frustrated, but you cannot storm off-"

"'m not storming!" Anakin yelled, anger and irritation burning through their bond, "lemme go!"

"Yes, you are," Obi-Wan said firmly, ignoring the boy's attempts to pull his arm free, "and you need to calm down. Anakin, You do not walk away from me, it is rude and I don't know where you are when you do."

Anakin snarled, pulling all of his weight to try and get his arm free from the stupidly strong hand holding it. When it didn't budge, he let out a growling whine of frustration and simply collapsed on the floor.

The Jedi rolled his eyes, "Anakin," he said, "Get up."

"No!" Came the muffled reply from the floor.

"Padawan," Obi-Wan's voice became dangerously stern, "Get up now." Anakin looked up from the floor and simply glared. Obi-Wan shook his head in exasperation of Anakin. Force, the boys' tantrums were certainly never half hearted, "fine," he said, rising to his feet and lifting the small boy up with him. The Padawan started kick and struggle, something which didn't particularly surprise Obi-Wan. No matter how hard the boy wriggled and squirmed, the Jedi's arm easily held him to his chest. They were half way to their apartment when he let out a cry of pain. Anakin sunk his teeth into his arm like some feral child and was gnawing at it with a great amount of strength.

"Anakin!" The Jedi grabbed his ankle and managed to yank him off his arm. He held the boy up, raising his eyebrows as the wild thing he liked to call his padawan thrashed and snarled, his arms waving wildly. He stood there, holding this small upside down bundle of rage and flailing limbs. Obi-Wan simply waited, watching, unimpressed as Anakin roared and fought until, finally, he simply grew tired. The boy hung there panting and still glaring, yet completely defeated.

"Are you done?" the Jedi asked coolly.

Anakin glowered venomously at his master, but he remained silent.

"Good," Obi-Wan righted the padawan, his face red with anger and the blood rush to his head. The rest of their walk was in silence, with Anakin still held against his master's chest, arms crossed, face contorted into a sulky pout. As soon as the Jedi set him down on the floor of their apartment, Anakin immediately started for his room.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan remained ignored, "Anakin Skywalker!" Slowly, the boy turned. There was a moment where they both glared at one another, both of them practically feeling the battle of wills between them. He pointed to the space in front of him, "Here. Now."

The Jedi swore he could almost feel his padawan close to exploding, but the boy wasn't fool enough to ignore his master when talked to like that. Slowly, he made his way back to Obi-Wan, glowering down at the floor. Obi-Wan crouched in front of him once he had come to a stop, "Anakin. Why did you walk off?"

Anakin didn't answer for a moment, before mumbled, "You were slow."

"If you had told me you'd wanted to go, I would have."

"Wasn't going to get lost!" Anakin snapped, his eyes blazing.

"I don't care," Obi-Wan replied, "I don't care if you know exactly where you are, I still don't want you to walk off without me."

Anakin let out a groan of frustration, "'m not stupid! Know how to get home! You were being slow!"

"Padawan, calm down-"

"I can't!"

Obi-Wan flinched slightly as the boy practically screamed at him. He looked at the youngling, watching him heave and glare, small hands balled up into fists.

"Alright," he lifted up the boy again, much to his dissatisfaction and sat down on the couch, placing his padawan on his lap facing him, "now," he said, taking the small hands in his own, ignoring the growl that came with the action, and pressed them to his chest, "do as I do. Take a deep breath," he took a deep breath, noting the unimpressed look on his padawan's face and releasing his breath in an exasperated sigh, "Anakin. Copy me."

The boy rolled his eyes, but he did as he was told, taking a deep breath in like his master and releasing it slowly. In, out. In, out. Obi-Wan didn't know how long they sat there, taking the long measured breaths and releasing them. It was a slightly hypnotic motion, a sort of meditation. Like waves breaking on the shore, it was a constant, steady motion. He could feel Anakin's anger drain slowly from him, bit by bit, feeling his fists ease out into splayed hands against his chest, watched his shoulders sag, his breathing not so forced any more. He was calmer, but he still clearly upset about something. The youngling didn't look at his master, his eyes on his lap, looking more defeated than anything else. Obi-Wan had expected him to have calmed down, not to be miserable.

Finally, he came to a stop, releasing the hands, which fell to the boy's side. He wasn't entirely sure whether he preferred him angry or upset. "Anakin?" he asked gently, "why were you so angry. What's wrong?"

The youngling didn't reply for a moment, before he looked up. The Jedi was taken aback and slightly alarmed to see tears shining in his eyes, "I... I'm stupid."

Obi-Wan stared for a moment, "What?"

"I... I c-couldn't answer all the questions right a-and can't do things with the Force any more and can't read properly and-and," already the boy was getting breathless in his distraught state. Obi-Wan tried to speak, but Anakin wasn't stopping, "I-I couldn't get anything r-right, couldn't think, can't do anything right!" he hid his face in his hands and let out a heaving sob, "'m s-so stupid!"

Obi-Wan stared for a moment, simply too surprised to say anything, before he gently pulled away the hands covering his padawan's face. He tilted up his chin, forcing those tear-spilling eyes to look into his, "No, Anakin. You aren't stupid. I'm surprised you think that you are."

"'Meant to be easy!" Anakin wailed miserably, "c-can't do it though!"

Obi-Wan sighed and gave the youngling a small, rather sad smile, "Come here," he pulled the boy into his arms, feeling the small hands grab at his robes and Anakin burying his face against his chest, "that is what we expected, Anakin" he murmured softly, running his hand up and down the shaking back, "because of this change, you're bound to find certain things more difficult than you used to. You're a youngling. You aren't mean to find everything easy."

"B-but," Anakin looked up, sniffling, "'m the Chosen One. 'm s'posed to be the b-best."

A frown crossed Obi-Wan's face. There had always been the prophecy hanging over his padawan and because of it he was always expected to do better than everyone else, to aim higher, to achieve higher than all of his peers. It wasn't fair, to expect a child entirely new to this way of life to excel in it with no questions asked. It wasn't Anakin's fault he was born with the highest medichlorian count known to the Jedi. He couldn't help being the Chosen One.

"I don't care about what you're meant to be," he murmured, thumbing away a tear, "I don't care about the Chosen One. I care about you, about Anakin Skywalker. Not about all the expectations that come with that prophecy. It's okay that you can't read as well as you did, it's all right that you can't use the Force with your own will. It's fine, little one, really. It's understandable that this would happen," Obi-Wan gave his padawan a smile, "we weren't testing you to see if the Chosen One was still being the Chosen One. We merely wanted to see how you had changed. We weren't assessing you in that sense, though I can see now we made you feel as though we were and I'm sorry."

Anakin wiped his cheeks with back of his sleeves, "So... you'd still care if I wasn't the Chosen One."

Obi-Wan nodded, "Yes, Anakin, I would. I will always care about you, even if you decide to leave the Order and become a podd racer, I would still care about you. I promise."

"And I-I'll always care about you," Anakin said, his voice earnest.

"I know," the Jedi smiled, running a hand through the soft locks, "I know you will."

Anakin rested his head back against his chest, his cheeks now dry, though he was still sniffling a little.

"Master?"

"Hm?"

"I... I'm sorry I bit you," Anakin was surprised to hear his master actually laugh at this.

"You should be, it hurt!" he pulled back his sleeve to show Anakin the angry red marks on his forearm.

"I mean it!" the boy cried plaintively, pushing back his master's sleeve to hide the marks, "didn't mean to hurt you. Just... got angry."

"Yes, padawan," Obi-Wan chuckled, "I could see that. But no matter how much it hurt, it was still worth dangling you upside down for a good five minutes. You might as well have had a tail with all the growling you were doing," he grinned as he watched Anakin's cheeks redden as the boy spluttered.

"That wasn't funny!" he cried indignantly.

"Oh," the Jedi smiled broadly, "I think you'll find it was, padawan."

"Was not!" Anakin declared, scowling, "'m trying to be nice."

"You're right," Obi-Wan said, patting the youngling's back, "I'm sorry. I fully accept your apology. Even though the way you acted was rather hilarious, I accept your apology."

Anakin scowled, "Can't win, can I?" he asked moodily.

"No, I'm afraid not, my young padawan," he pressed a kiss against the boy's forehead, managing to get a reluctant smile from his youngling, "not this time."