This one is for Ezrafan61, who wanted some more Kanan and Ezra father son fluffiness. Enjoy!
Summary: The only time Kanan sees anything now is in his sleep, and it is never pretty.
Kanan couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. He couldn't move.
"Please!" Kanan howled. His eyes were intact and he could see every inch of what was happening. The Seventh Sister was torturing Ezra, the boy screaming and sobbing as the probe droid latched on and electrocuted him, cut him, hurt him in every way imaginable. "Please, just leave him alone! He's just a kid!"
The Seventh Sister laughed. "As you wish."
She waltzed over to Ezra, who was now trembling. "Help..." he murmured. "Kanan... Help..." Kanan's eyes burned as he tried to move, only to find that he couldn't. He couldn't move. He couldn't help the child he cared for deeply. He could only watch as the Seventh Sister stabbed his abdomen.
"EZRA!" Kanan screamed. The Seventh Sister smirked, disappearing in a puff of smoke as Kanan suddenly found himself able to move again. He dropped to his knees next to his apprentice, who was crying from the pain.
"K-K..." Ezra opened his bleary blue eyes, lips trying to form his master's name but failing. "K...K..."
Kanan shushed him. "Don't try to talk buddy. Just hang on."
Ezra squeaked in pain as Kanan assessed the damage. One look at the final blow dealt by the Seventh Sister spoke volumes. Kanan pressed a hand against it, as if that would keep him from dying even though the wound wasn't bleeding. Ezra gripped Kanan's hand, looking up at him with fearful eyes, eyes that broke Kanan's heart. "I don't...wanna...die..." Ezra mumbled. "I...don't wanna...die..." Suddenly, the fearful blue eyes slipped shut as Ezra went limp in his master's arms.
Kanan felt short of breath, and almost suddenly, an agonized scream tore through the Jedi's throat as tears threatened to fall.
"You couldn't save him..." said a disgustingly familiar voice. Maul... "You failed him!"
Suddenly, white hot pain flashed across Kanan's eyes and-
Kanan awoke with a start, gasping as sweat dripped down his back.
Dreams like the one he just had, dreams where Ezra was the one suffering, always shook him up. He really hated how his mind could conjure up the most awful things.
Above him, Ezra shifted, sensing Kanan's distress.
"Crap... Now I've gone and woke the kid..." Kanan thought with a sigh.
A soft thud alerted Kanan to his padawan's presence next to the bed. He didn't need his sight at all that moment. He could feel Ezra's eyes staring at him, burning through his soul.
"Go back to sleep Ezra," Kanan sighed. "I just had a bad dream, that's all."
If only Kanan could have good dreams every once in a while. Dreams were the only time he saw anything, and he hasn't seen anything good yet.
Ezra didn't move, he just stood there, obviously not liking the answer he was given.
Kanan felt frustration rise up within him. He couldn't be in here dealing with the nightmares. He needed to meditate. He needed air. He needed something. He need to be left alone!
Without thinking, he raised his voice. "Go back to bed or get out!"
He was too harsh. Kanan realized that a moment too late. He saw Ezra's outline dim with pain before it vanished up the ladder.
Kanan quickly stood up. What the heck did he just do? Ezra didn't deserve that!
He left the room silently. He needed to give the kid some space before apologizing. He already hurt him enough.
Ezra watched as Kanan left the room through his tear blurred eyes, shaken up by the harsh words thrown his way.
Kanan had never yelled at him like that before. What had his master so riled up and why did he have to take it out on him?
Ezra waited until he was sure Kanan was gone before letting the tears flow.
Kanan sat in the cool night Atollon air. After a day in the unforgiving heat, the night was nice. While he could no longer see the stars, he still heard crickets and wind and other sounds that made up the nighttime ambience.
But Kanan was too troubled to focus on that.
As if the nightmare was bad enough, he took his frustration out on the last person who needed it. He felt terrible.
With a sigh, Kanan began to meditate, trying to release the stress.
When he was done, he felt a lot better, but soon found himself deep in thought. What if Maul did come for Ezra? Would Kanan be able to protect him in his current state? If Maul got ahold of Ezra, Kanan knew it would not end well. The stress came back as the possibilities raged through his mind.
Upon feeling the stress build up again, Kanan forced himself back into meditation.
The second the stress went away, Kanan stood, focusing on the nighttime ambience to ground him. With a sigh, he went back to his room. Kanan owed Ezra an apology. He reached the door and his heart broke at what he heard.
There were soft sobs coming from the room. Guilt tore through Kanan's gut and he mentally kicked himself.
"What the heck is wrong with me?"
Kanan opened the door and carefully made his way to the bunk. When his toes softly hit the side of the bed, Kanan reached up and rubbed Ezra's back gently. "Kid, I am so sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I don't know what was wrong with me."
Kanan felt Ezra turn over under his hand and in response, moved his hand to Ezra's shoulder.
When the sobs slowed to a stop, Ezra's mind brushed up against Kanan's in curiosity. "It was a nightmare. Nothing out of the ordinary. Definitely not an excuse for snapping at you." Kanan heard the bed shift and two shaky arms wrapped around his neck. Kanan felt something go through him, something he felt many times before with Ezra. He wanted to take Ezra and hide him from the Empire, hide him from Maul, hide him from the overly cruel galaxy. It was a fatherly feeling, and Kanan welcomed it as he rubbed Ezra's back. He felt around the bed for the blanket, the outline muddled against the outline of the bedding. When Kanan found the blanket, he pulled it over Ezra and ran a hand through his hair fondly.
"Good night, buddy."
I have nothing to say. I think the fluff speaks for itself although I'm not sure how this one turned out...
Byeeeeeeee!