Obi-Wan, Anakin's quickly discovering, is surprisingly good with babies.
Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising. Anakin knows that Obi-Wan is very patient, and he's also gentle and kind. And all Jedi help out in the creche from time to time, when the Creche Masters need a well-deserved break. Anakin's seen Obi-Wan with the younglings, and he's always fairly willing to go along with whatever the children want to do.
But babies are very different from older children. Anakin's always been pretty good with kids. He can entertain them and play games with them, and they all love it. But babies are an entirely different story. Leia's favorite activity seems to be screaming, and while Luke isn't as loud as his sister, when he's upset he starts to cry in the most heartbreaking way Anakin's ever seen. And no matter how many different ways Anakin tries to fix things, he never seems to be able to get it right.
Obi-Wan, on the other hand, always seems to know exactly what the children want. He can always get Leia to stop crying, a feat that even Padmé struggles with, and he can soothe Luke almost immediately. Anakin would almost be jealous if he weren't so relieved to have the extra help. He can't imagine taking care of Luke and Leia with just him and Padmé. He's decided that the parents should always outnumber the infants in a family, and so Obi-Wan has to be there as a third parent.
"Can you take Leia for a moment?" Obi-Wan asks suddenly.
"Um…" Anakin shifts Luke so he can hold him with his mechanical hand and takes Leia in his real one, as she doesn't like the mechanical hand. "What is it?"
"I can sense Yoda," Obi-Wan says, making a face. "I'll go head him off before he gets here."
"I wish Padmé were here," Anakin mutters. "She'd deal with him in a second."
"We could set the security on him," Obi-Wan suggests, sounding as if he were sorely tempted by the idea. "We could keep him from getting into the building at all."
"Let's do it," Anakin replies eagerly, crossing to the comm system.
"We shouldn't," Obi-Wan replies, looking exhausted. "I was kidding."
"I'm not, and we should," Anakin says firmly. He presses on the comm. "Commander, if Yoda comes to talk to us, tell him that we don't want to see him. He's not allowed up in Senator Amidala's penthouse."
"Understood, sir," the clone commander replies.
Anakin turns to Obi-Wan with a self-satisfied smile. "There we go. Yoda can't get in. Problem solved."
"He wants me to help him restart the Jedi Order," Obi-Wan says, absently taking Leia back from Anakin. "But he won't consider revising any parts of the Code. I want to do something to help Force sensitive children, but not with the Code the way it was."
"Padmé thinks we should make our own school for Force sensitive children," Anakin replies, bouncing Luke slightly. "We could be more like the Gray Jedi. We can have a looser Code than the Jedi."
"We'll allow attachment," Obi-Wan says slowly.
"And we won't take children as babies," Anakin adds eagerly. "We'll give all of our students a chance to experience the real world too. So many of the Jedi barely knew a life outside the Temple. Being a Jedi will be more like a job, not anything as all-consuming as it was."
"But do you think any children will come to us?" Obi-Wan asks. "After everything?"
"I mean, we'll have the support from the Empress herself," Anakin replies, shrugging. "By the way, do you remember when she's supposed to be back?"
"Soon," Obi-Wan replies, looking at the chrono. "I think her meeting is ending in a few minutes."
"She's not even the Empress yet," Anakin whines. "Why is she in so many meetings?"
"She has a lot to do to prepare for her new position," Obi-Wan replies in the irritatingly reasonable voice that Anakin hates. "She has to have meetings with half the Senate."
"I don't envy her that," Anakin mutters. Luke grabs a fistful of his tunic and begins sucking on it. Anakin ignores him. It's not worth the fight.
"Nor do I," Obi-Wan replies dryly. He begins swaying slightly, rocking Leia a bit as she starts to drift off.
Anakin lowers his voice automatically. "It's getting late," he remarks. "And it's dark outside."
"Padmé has a clone guard with her," Obi-Wan replies.
Anakin frowns. "I wish one of us had gone with her too," he admits. "I know she can take care of herself, but-"
"I know," Obi-Wan says softly.
Coruscant is in turmoil. From what Anakin's heard, it's been in turmoil since Order 66. He's not surprised, particularly, but he wishes that Padmé weren't right in the middle of everything.
Anakin looks up as the door slides open softly. Padmé steps in, looking exhausted. "How was it?" Anakin asks, stepping forward and kissing Padmé quickly.
"Horrible," Padmé replies, groaning and flopping onto the couch. "Orn Fre Taa is completely horrible. I can't believe I had to deal with him for two hours."
"You have my sincere pity," Obi-Wan murmurs, sitting next to her on the couch.
Padmé smiles slightly and curls a hand around the back of Leia's head, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "How have they been?"
"Little angels," Anakin replies promptly. Obi-Wan snorts. Anakin gives him a dirty look.
"You have an interesting definition of angelic behavior," Obi-Wan says innocently.
"They behave for you," Anakin retorts.
"Did you miss the part where Leia threw up on my tunic?" Obi-Wan asks dryly.
Anakin laughs. "Yeah, that was funny."
"Did you throw up on Obi-Wan?" Padmé asks Leia in a cooing voice. She takes Leia from Obi-Wan and holds her against her chest. "Why would you throw up on him? That's not nice at all."
"He made the most hilarious face, though," Anakin offers.
"Are you two ready for bed yet?" Padmé asks. "Because I am."
"I'm exhausted," Anakin replies. "And the babies are sleeping, so we should take advantage of that."
"Will you sleep with us, Obi-Wan?" Padmé asks.
Obi-Wan presses his lips together. The tension in the room abruptly rockets up. Anakin figures Obi-Wan has finally realized that their offer isn't platonic. "I don't-" Anakin can count on one hand the amount of times he's seen Obi-Wan this uncomfortable. "I don't have sex."
"Um." Padmé looks at Anakin, who looks back at her with confusion. "Alright?"
"So this attempt of yours won't work," Obi-Wan says, and now it's starting to make more sense.
"Obi-Wan, we're not-" Anakin begins.
"It's nothing personal," Obi-Wan adds, sounding flustered. Anakin has never seen him like this before. "I've never desired sex, not with anyone."
"We're not asking-" Padmé tries.
"So this won't work," Obi-Wan repeats. Anakin knows he's going to run half a second before he does, but he's not fast enough to stop Obi-Wan from speeding off into his room.
Padmé looks at Anakin. "So maybe he's not as clueless as we thought he was," she remarks.
"I never knew he didn't like sex," Anakin replies. "I knew he didn't have it, but I thought that was just because he's a Jedi. I didn't know he didn't even want it."
"Some people don't," Padmé replies with a shrug. "But he seems to think that's all we want from him."
"Should we corner him?" Anakin asks.
Padmé raises an eyebrow. "Ani, darling, do you really think that's a good idea?"
"Probably not," Anakin admits. "So what do we do instead? He's going to disappear on us."
"We give him time," Padmé says. Anakin groans. "I know you have difficulty with patience," Padmé adds, a smile on her face, "but I think it'll work well with Obi-Wan."
"If you give him time, he'll just never talk about it again," Anakin counters. "Trust me, I've had to deal with him for thirteen years. We need to confront him on this."
"Why don't we give him a chance, at least?" Padmé asks. "We can let him think about it. And we can figure out the best way to talk to him about this. We need to be delicate."
"You can just do it, with your politician speak," Anakin dismisses.
"Do you have any idea how long it takes me to write a speech?" Padmé counters, standing. "We'll figure out what to say. But right now, we're going to bed."
"Good idea," Anakin replies, yawning widely. Luke snuggles up closer to him, his little fist clenching the fabric of his tunic. "Are you sure they can't sleep in the bed with us?"
"They have a crib, Anakin," Padmé replies, shaking her head. "They're sleeping in the crib."
"But-"
"My parents decided that they were going to let Sola sleep in their bed once when she was a baby," Padmé declares. "And she slept in their bed almost every night until I was born and they had to kick her out so they could have me in there instead. Luke and Leia are going to sleep in their bassinet."
"Fine," Anakin grumbles. "But I shared a bed with my mom until we saved up for a second bed, and it was fine."
"No, Anakin," Padmé says firmly. Anakin knows better than to argue with her when she's using that tone of voice.
"Fine," Anakin grumbles. He puts Luke down in the bassinet gently. Padmé puts Leia down next to him, then begins unbuttoning her dress.
"Need help with that?" Anakin asks, leaning in the doorway and watching.
"I am far too tired for any of that," Padmé replies, pulling the dress off and stepping out of it. Before Anakin even has a chance to admire the view, she pulls on a nightgown and crawls into bed. Anakin changes quickly and follows her.
"Goodnight," Padmé murmurs, draping one arm over Anakin's torso.
"Goodnight, angel," Anakin replies, kissing the top of Padmé's head.
If he reaches out along the bond, Anakin can brush Obi-Wan's mind gently. Someday, he vows, he'll be able to reach out and feel Obi-Wan's body in the bed with him and Padmé instead.
The next morning, Obi-Wan has disappeared. Anakin mourns the loss of a great babysitter. Dormé returns, but she stays at Padmé's side instead of helping Anakin with the babies. Anakin understands that Padmé could use the help, but so could he.
If Anakin tries, he can sense Obi-Wan very faintly. Obi-Wan's shields are up and strong, so Anakin can barely feel more than a hint of his Force signature. It's enough that he knows that Obi-Wan is safe, however, so he doesn't try to track him down yet. Anyway, it would be difficult to track him down while also keeping an eye on the twins. Padmé's said something about some sort of carrier that would allow Anakin to strap the twins to his chest, but they've yet to get one. He thinks it would be helpful if they did.
"Do you think Papa should stop being an idiot and come home?" Anakin asks Leia, bouncing her around a bit. Luke is already sleeping, but Leia's the fussier of the two, so she takes more time to go to sleep. "What do you think, Ley-ley? Should Papa come back to Mommy and Daddy?" Anakin has decided that he'll be Daddy, Padmé will be Mommy, and Obi-Wan will be Papa. He hasn't discussed this with the others, but he doesn't think they'll protest.
Well, Obi-Wan will most definitely protest if Anakin tells him now, but if Anakin waits until after they all get together, he thinks Obi-Wan will be alright with it.
Leia coos and burps. Anakin gives her a wary look. It was hilarious when she threw up on Obi-Wan, but it won't be anywhere near as funny if she throws up on him. Anakin hopes she won't. He doesn't know if she'll let him put her down for long enough to change.
"Do you need a hand?" a voice asks.
Anakin turns around to see Bail Organa standing in the doorway. "Could you?" he asks. "She gets upset if I put her down and I really have to pee."
Bail steps forward with a smile and takes Leia into his arms. She looks at him for a moment. Anakin wonders if she's about to scream. Instead, she takes a fistful of his cape and starts gumming on it.
"Sorry about that," Anakin apologizes.
Bail smiles widely. "I don't mind," he replies, holding Leia as if he can't imagine anything so precious. "She's adorable."
"She's loud, that's what she is," Anakin replies fondly. "Um, I'll be right back, okay?"
"Alright," Bail replies, smiling at Leia and cooing softly. Anakin knows that Padmé said that she wanted Bail and his wife to be part of Luke and Leia's life, but Anakin didn't know it was because Bail apparently loves babies.
For the first time that morning, Anakin has five minutes to himself. After popping into the refresher, he checks the HoloNet quickly to make sure nothing big has happened since he last checked the night before. There's nothing he can see with a quick scan. Anakin takes half a second to just breathe deeply, calling on a few of the meditation techniques Obi-Wan had tried to beat into his head. Anakin always hated meditation, but he'd give anything for an hour of quiet meditation now.
Bail is sitting on the couch with Leia when Anakin comes back in to the living room. She's still sucking on Bail's cape. Bail couldn't look more pleased.
"My wife and I have always wanted children," Bail remarks, looking up at Anakin. "But she's had… complications. We're thinking about adopting a baby girl."
"You can borrow Leia any time," Anakin offers, only half teasing.
Bail laughs. "We might take you up on that offer," he replies. "I've told Padmé this already, but we're always available for babysitting."
"And we'll definitely take you up on that offer," Anakin replies. "Padmé and I are both exhausted already."
"I thought Obi-Wan was helping?" Bail asks.
Anakin makes a face. "Um. He was, but we might have scared him away a bit."
"Scared him away?" Bail repeats, amusement clear in his voice.
"Apparently, Obi-Wan doesn't do sex," Anakin replies, blushing slightly. This is a bit of a personal conversation to be having with Bail Organa, whom he barely knows. But Bail is good friends with both Padmé and Obi-Wan, so Anakin can't imagine he's wrong in trusting him. "And I guess he thought that Padmé and I just wanted sex, so he sort of ran off."
Bail looks at Anakin for a moment, then chuckles. "Typical Obi-Wan," he sighs. "Are all these attachment issues from his Jedi training?"
"He was brought to the Temple when he was less than a year old," Anakin replies with a shrug. "After thirty-eight years, I guess you start to internalize things."
"I suppose you would," Bail replies. "So what do you and Padmé plan to do?"
"We're giving hime some time," Anakin replies. He's pretty sure he sounds as dubious as he feels.
"I could talk to him," Bail offers. "Perhaps he'd listen to me."
"Thanks, but I think it should stay between us," Anakin replies. "If Obi-Wan thinks he's cornered…"
"He'll panic even more," Bail finishes. "We don't want him running even farther." Bail eyes Anakin for a moment. "You do want more than sex from him, yes?"
"Of course we do," Anakin snaps. "Not that it's any of your business, but Padmé and I want to have Obi-Wan in our relationship fully. We had intended to include him in the sex too, but if he doesn't want that, we won't push him or anything."
"I thought as much," Bail replies with a slight smile. "I thought I might as well make certain, though."
"Padmé and I would never force Obi-Wan to do anything he didn't want to do," Anakin vows.
"I know you won't," Bail replies.
Leia, apparently, has decided that Bail's cape is no longer as delicious as it once was. She lets out a little warning cry to indicate her displeasure. Bail stands quickly, bouncing and rocking slightly. Anakin watches with some level of amusement. Bail is tall and looks rather physically imposing, if you don't know him as a person. Seeing him at the whim of a tiny baby like this is somewhat amusing.
But, if Anakin thinks about it, he's probably equally subject to Leia's whims, and it probably looks just as amusing to see an imposing Jedi Knight bounce with a baby as it is to see a senator.
Luke wakes up them, of course, so Anakin quickly grabs him before he can start crying and set his sister off. "Is he the quieter of the two?" Bail asks, watching as Anakin cradles Luke to his chest and sways back and forth.
"Definitely," Anakin replies. "He's a bit whiney sometimes, but he's no where near as loud as Leia."
"An aide of mine just had a baby girl," Bail replies, smiling slightly. "A beautiful little child. Perhaps she and Leia will meet someday."
"She can play with her when you and Breha babysit," Anakin replies.
Bail laughs. "As we will, of course," he replies. "I could watch them now, if you'd like."
"Don't you have politics to do?" Anakin asks with a frown. "With Padmé?"
"She's just meeting with Mon Mothma today," Bail replies, shrugging. "They insisted that I didn't need to be there for it. I think they might be planning on talking about me while I'm not there." Bail shifts Leia on his chest. "So? Do you want to get out for a while?"
"Um…" Anakin frowns. There's one thing he's been wanting to do, but he's not sure that he should. "What's your opinion on Master Yoda?"
"Yoda?" Bail replies, thrown. "He's always seemed wise to me, but I don't know him well. He's certainly very powerful. Why?"
"I need to meet with him," Anakin declares impulsively. "Could you watch the kids while I do? It'll be quick."
"Of course," Bail replies, nodding. "Take as long as you like."
"You'll regret saying that in about half an hour," Anakin remarks, only half joking. "Thanks for this, Senator."
"Bail, please," Bail replies. "If I'm helping with your children, I think we should be on a first name basis."
"Then thanks, Bail," Anakin replies. "I'll be back soon."
"Best of luck," Bail calls as Anakin leaves the apartment.
"Same to you," Anakin calls back before the door closes. He's pretty sure they'll both need it.
Yoda is easy enough to track down. He's not as bright in the Force as Anakin himself, but he's steadier. Anakin has a horrible sense of where his trail might lead, but he follows it anyway.
And, just as he feared he would, he ends up at the Jedi Temple.
His own rage and hatred are reflected back to him, along with the fear that the Jedi inside the Temple felt. Anakin shuts his shields as tightly as he can, but the emotions still bombard him. He has no idea how Yoda is managing to stay here.
"Come to speak to me, have you?" a voice asks. Anakin would recognize it anywhere.
"I have," he replies, turning. "Why are you staying in the Temple?"
"Hmm," Yoda hums, leaning on his gimer stick. "Home to the Jedi, this Temple once was. Home to the Jedi it will be again."
"How can you expect anyone with any Force sensitivity to stay here?" Anakin demands. "The echoes alone could drive someone insane!"
"And whose fault is that, hmm?" Yoda demands.
Anakin grits his teeth. "Have you seen Obi-Wan?"
"Lost Master Kenobi, have you?" Yoda asks innocently.
Anakin hadn't intended to ask about Obi-Wan like this, but now that he's started, he figures he might as well keep the line of questioning up. "Have you seen him or not?"
"Seen Master Kenobi, I have not," Yoda replies. "But come here to speak to me about him, you did not."
Anakin stares at Yoda for a long moment. "You're right," he finally says. "I didn't. I came here to talk to you about something else."
"And what is that?" Yoda asks, leaning forward.
"Changes to the Jedi Code," Anakin states.
"And what right have you, to suggest such changes?" Yoda retorts. "A member of the Council, you are not. A master, you are not. A Jedi, you are not."
"The Code is poison," Anakin snaps. "It's too much to ask of anyone. Attachments are only natural, and to outlaw them-"
"Promote fear, attachments do," Yoda replies. "Fear leads-"
"To anger, blah, blah, blah," Anakin retorts. "Yeah, I remember. I just don't think you're right."
"A Jedi, you are not," Yoda repeats. "Involved in this matter, you are not."
"Obi-Wan agrees with me," Anakin retorts sharply.
"Grandmaster of the Order, I am," Yoda declares. "Recreate the Order, I will."
"Then I'll make my own Order," Anakin counters.
Yoda's ever-present frown deepens. "Never before has such a thing occurred," he says. "Unless as a Sith, you will teach."
"There is passion, yet peace," Anakin retorts. "There has to be a balance, right? Isn't that why I'm here? To bring balance to the Force? So why not do it as a Gray Jedi? They're obsessed with balance."
"Teach children the path of the Gray Jedi, you would?" Yoda demands angrily. "Skirts the Dark Side, such a path does."
"Yeah, well, that's the price of flexibility and sanity, I guess," Anakin retorts. "Obi-Wan and I will teach Force sensitive children how to use their abilities without consuming their entire lives."
"Lost Master Kenobi, have you not?" Yoda asks. "Certain, are you, that he will help?"
"Yeah," Anakin snaps, feeling anger rise in him, "I'm certain."
Yoda's hand inches towards his lightsaber. For a second, Anakin feels a sort of vindictive pleasure at the thought of scaring him into drawing his weapon. Then he takes a deep breath and releases his rage into the Force. Anakin will never agree with the Jedi's idea of cutting off all emotion, but he will admit that it's easier to think when he's not half blinded by rage.
"I should go," Anakin says stiffly. "Farewell, Master Yoda."
"Farewell, Skywalker," Yoda replies, folding his hands on his gimer stick. "See you again soon, I believe I will."
"Not if I can help it," Anakin mutters under his breath, turning away. He tries his best to meditate a bit as he returns to the Senate Apartment Complex. By the time he gets back, most of his current anger towards Yoda has been acknowledged and released into the Force. Anakin still doesn't like Yoda, but he's never really liked him, so that's nothing new.
When Anakin reaches Padmé's penthouse apartment, he enters the room without a thought. It's not until the door is half open that he realizes that there are four Force signatures inside instead of the three that he's expecting.
And that fourth signature is one that Anakin knows as well as his own.
Obi-Wan looks up with panic in his eyes and Luke in his arms. Bail, who's walking around the room with Leia, pretends he hasn't noticed the sudden tension in the room.
"Obi-Wan," Anakin whispers. He sees Obi-Wan's eyes flicker around the room, cataloguing possible exits. His options are limited while holding Luke, and Obi-Wan knows that as well as Anakin does. Anakin steps inside, making sure to position himself between Obi-Wan and the bassinet.
"Hello, Anakin," Obi-Wan says, his voice guarded. His shields are so tight that Anakin can feel nothing more than his Force signature. He can't even sense a flicker of emotion from him.
"Are you back?" Anakin asks weakly.
"I never went far," Obi-Wan admits. "I just… I needed some time."
"Padmé will be insufferable," Anakin mutters. "She said you'd come back. I thought you'd run off."
Obi-Wan presses his lips together. "I realized that I might have been a touch dramatic," he admits. "I- I should have given you and Padmé a chance to talk."
"Are you going to give us a chance this time?" Anakin asks.
"I will," Obi-Wan promises.
"Should I comm Padmé and tell her to come back?" Anakin's hand is already halfway to his comm. He's not giving Obi-Wan a chance to run off.
"No need," Bail says, finally walking over to Anakin and Obi-Wan. "She should be on her way back now. Her last meeting of the day just ended." Anakin's comm buzzes to show him the same message from Padmé. "I can stay and watch the children, if you want," Bail offers. "Or I can take them down to my apartment for a while."
"I think we can handle this," Anakin replies, reaching for Leia. Bail passes her over without hesitation.
"Thank you, Bail," Obi-Wan says softly.
"Remember, I'm just downstairs," Bail replies, looking at Obi-Wan as he says it. Before Anakin even has a chance to be offended at the implication, Bail's already slipped out of the apartment.
"I'll tell Padmé that you're here," Anakin says to Obi-Wan, pulling out his comm and typing out an awkward one-handed message. "And maybe she can have Dormé go somewhere else."
"Dormé's returned?" Obi-Wan asks.
"You're still staying here," Anakin states immediately, remembering that Obi-Wan's been using Dormé's room. "We'll figure something out."
"The couch is fine," Obi-Wan offers.
Anakin makes a face. "We're not putting you on the couch."
Obi-Wan shrugs. "It's far more comfortable than many of the other places I've slept."
"If that's another dig against the Twilight-"
"To be entirely honest, the Twilight wasn't the least comfortable place I slept during the war," Obi-Wan admits. "I would place it in the top five, certainly-"
"That was a great ship!" Anakin protests.
"I'm surprised it still flew at all, given how many times you crashed it," Obi-Wan murmurs.
"Okay, you know what-"
"Now, now, boys." Anakin turns around to see Padmé in the doorway, a smile on her face. "No fighting."
"How did you get here so quickly?" Anakin asks, checking the time.
"My last meeting was just downstairs, remember?" Padmé replies. "Dormé went to talk with some friends of hers, so we'll be alone for a while."
Any ease that Anakin's playful arguing has brought on is immediately gone. Obi-Wan stiffens. Luke whimpers in his arms, curling towards Obi-Wan's chest.
"Should we talk over dinner?" Padmé asks, clearly trying to reduce the tension. "I'm starving."
"I think we might still have some leftovers from a few nights ago," Anakin offers, shifting Leia and going to the kitchen. Leia whines and Anakin quickly switches her from his mechanical hand to his real one.
"I can ask Dormé to do some shopping tomorrow," Padmé suggests. "Then we can make our own food instead of depending on restaurants and Bail."
"Yeah, but his food is really good," Anakin replies, pulling out the container of leftovers that Bail had forced into Padmé's hands after they finished eating in his apartment two nights before. Anakin has the suspicion that Bail made enough for leftovers so they would have something to eat in the coming days.
"Yes, but Bail has other things he needs to do," Padmé replies, leaning in the kitchen doorway. "He can't just be our personal chef."
"He said he's planning on returning to Alderaan soon," Obi-Wan offers tentatively. "Not for long, but for a week or so."
"The poor man's been stuck on Coruscant for so long," Padmé says sympathetically. "He must miss Breha."
"See, that's a benefit of seeing people who stay with you," Anakin says, gesturing at himself and Obi-Wan. He immediately realizes it was a bad idea. Obi-Wan's shoulders stiffen and he shifts his weight as if he's about to run. Anakin is glad he's still holding Luke. He won't go far while holding him.
"I think we need to talk about this," Padmé says, sitting down at the table. Anakin sits next to her. After a moment, Obi-Wan sits down across the table from them, still cradling Luke against his chest, almost like a shield.
"I realize that I didn't give you much of a chance to talk last night," Obi-Wan says slowly. "I jumped to conclusions. I should have given you a chance to explain."
Anakin and Padmé look at each other. "We would never ask you to do anything you don't want to do," Padmé says gently. "You know that, right?"
"So it won't work," Obi-Wan finishes.
"That's bullshit," Anakin snaps. Obi-Wan looks at him with surprise. "There's more to a relationship than just sex."
Obi-Wan's eyes go wide. "A relationship-?"
"Of course, Obi-Wan," Padmé says, reaching out and covering Obi-Wan's hand with her own. "Did you think that we just wanted you for sex?"
"A relationship?" Obi-Wan repeats weakly. "But- Why? The two of you have a good thing here."
"And we could have a better thing if you were part of it too," Anakin replies stubbornly. "We want you to be part of our relationship. Whatever parts of it you want to be a part of."
"I- I don't know how," Obi-Wan admits slowly. "I've never…"
"It's not that hard," Padmé says softly, when it's clear that Obi-Wan doesn't intend to finish his sentence. "We'll help you."
"I love you," Anakin says to Obi-Wan, raw and honest. "I love you, and I want to be with you. Please stay with us."
"I-" Obi-Wan looks at Anakin and Padmé with wide eyes. "What if it goes wrong?"
"Not every relationship lasts," Padmé says carefully. "But I think ours will."
"I don't want to ruin what you two have," Obi-Wan admits.
"You won't," Anakin promises brashly. "You won't ruin it. You'll only make it better. Please, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan smiles slightly. "I've never been able to refuse you when you say please."
"That is a bald faced lie!" Anakin protests. "You refuse me all the time!"
"And how often do you say please?" Obi-Wan counters.
Anakin opens his mouth to respond and realizes that Obi-Wan is probably correct. "So you'll try?" he asks instead.
"I'll try," Obi-Wan promises. "I don't know if this will work, but I'll give it a try."
"That's all we ask of you," Padmé says, squeezing Obi-Wan's hand.
"Can we-" Obi-Wan ducks his head. "Can we have… boundaries?"
"What boundaries do you want?" Padmé replies without skipping a beat.
"I-" Obi-Wan shifts slightly.
Anakin can see that he's uncomfortable being the center of attention in this. "No sex, right?" he asks.
Obi-Wan looks at Anakin gratefully. "No sex. Nothing physical, not yet. I don't know-"
"We'll wait for you to say it's alright before we do anything physical," Padmé promises. "We'll respect any boundaries you put up, Obi-Wan. I know this isn't easy, but we'll help you if you need it, I promise."
"Do you mind if we all sleep in the same bed?" Anakin asks. "As long as there's nothing sexual about it?"
Obi-Wan's eyes flicker from Anakin to Padmé. "I… I enjoyed that."
"So will you sleep in the bed with us tonight?" Padmé asks. "Dormé will be taking her room back."
"If you want me there," Obi-Wan replies, his voice almost shy. Anakin half wants to shake him and yell in his face that they will always want him there, you idiot, but he has the feeling it won't help matters.
Luke lets out a soft noise and grabs a handful of Obi-Wan's tunic to gnaw on. Anakin brushes over his Force bond with both twins, which is weak but strong enough for him to sense at least an idea of their emotions, and confirms that they're both sleepy and full. "Should we put the kids to bed and have dinner?" he asks.
Anakin feels Obi-Wan's mind open for a second and knows he's doing the same thing Anakin just did. "They do seem tired," he agrees."
"They won't be in a few hours," Padmé groans.
"What's it like to have a full night's sleep?" Anakin sighs rhetorically.
"I'm not sure I've ever had one, to tell the truth," Obi-Wan admits.
"Maybe the children will have pity on us tonight," Padmé suggests.
"We can hope, but I doubt it," Anakin says glumly. He shifts Leia in his arms and stands, going to the bedroom. Obi-Wan follows him with Luke in his arms.
"You're certain you want this?" Obi-Wan asks quietly. "I wouldn't want-"
"I want this," Anakin interrupts, putting Leia in the bassinet. "I really, really want this."
"If you insist," Obi-Wan says with a slight smile, setting Luke into the bassinet next to his sister. "And Padmé-"
"Padmé mentioned it before I did, actually," Anakin remarks. She noticed that Anakin had feelings for Obi-Wan, and she admitted her own without any prompting. Anakin had been surprised to find that he didn't feel any jealousy at the idea of his angel loving another man, but considering it was Obi-Wan, he shouldn't have been.
"She's a remarkable woman, isn't she?" Obi-Wan asks.
"I thank the Force for her every day," Anakin replies.
"I hope you're talking about me," Padmé remarks as she enters the room.
"Of course, angel," Anakin replies easily, kissing her quickly as she leans over the bassinet.
Padmé kisses both twins and straightens. "So, leftovers from Bail's?"
"Definitely," Anakin replies.
"Good," Padmé says, leading the way back to the kitchen, "because I've already heated them up."
"Mind reader," Anakin teases, kissing Padmé again. He sits on one side of the table and Padmé, to his surprise, sits on the other side. She pats the seat next to her.
"Sit with me, Obi-Wan," she cajoles. "Anakin steals food off of your plate when you're not looking."
"I've noticed," Obi-Wan replies, sitting next to Padmé.
"Well, if neither of you stop me, that's basically the same as giving permission, right?" Anakin replies with a shrug. "If you don't want me to do it, just say so."
Padmé rolls her eyes. She slides a bit closer to Obi-Wan, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Is this alright?" she asks, looking up at him through her lashes.
"I'm not quite that fragile," Obi-Wan says dryly, putting a tentative arm around Padmé's shoulders. "Is this-"
"It's amazing," Padmé tells Obi-Wan firmly.
"I wish I could take a holoimage of you," Anakin sighs, resting his chin on his hand in the most lovesick manner he can manage. "You two look adorable."
"I hardly think adorable is the right word," Obi-Wan mutters.
"No, definitely adorable," Anakin replies, nodding. "Both of you can be pretty adorable, so combined, you don't stand a chance."
"Anakin thinks that flattery will get him somewhere," Padmé tells Obi-Wan conversationally. "I don't know where he gets that impression."
"What a horrible habit," Obi-Wan agrees solemnly. The heater dings and, without looking, Obi-Wan waves a hand and summons the heated food to the table with the Force.
"How frivolous, Master Kenobi," Anakin scolds playfully. "The Force is not to be used for one's own amusement."
"I hardly think you can lecture me on this matter, Anakin," Obi-Wan counters.
"There was the matter of the floating pear," Padmé teases.
"A floating pear?" Obi-Wan asks, arching an eyebrow.
Anakin flushes. His early flirting techniques with Padmé had been horrible, and he's entirely aware of it. He just wishes she'd stop bringing them up all the time.
"Anakin floated a pear with the Force at dinner once to impress me," Padmé explains. "But I'm sure you can remember some of how awkward he was."
"I do recall a certain line about you having grown," Obi-Wan replies dryly. "Grown more beautiful, he meant. For a Senator, he meant."
Padmé laughs, and Anakin can't be annoyed when she sounds so happy. He fakes a pout anyway. "Hey, you're both dating me, so I guess it worked," he protests.
"I suppose," Padmé agrees. She spoons food onto her plate. Obi-Wan does the same, then Anakin piles food onto his plate. It's more than either Padmé or Obi-Wan took, but Anakin is starving and Bail's cooking is amazing.
"I talked with Yoda earlier," Anakin remarks. "I, um, might have told him that we were going to make our own school based on the Gray Jedi philosophy."
"Oh, are we?" Obi-Wan replies. "Interesting that I'm only hearing of this now."
"We've discussed the idea!" Anakin protests, knowing full well that discussing the idea in the abstract is very different from telling Yoda that they have an actual plan.
"Conveniently enough, I've had the same thoughts," Obi-Wan says. "I've always liked the Gray Jedi philosophy. It'll need some changes, of course, but I think it's the best starting point available."
"What's the Gray Jedi philosophy?" Padmé asks.
"The Gray Jedi believe in balance between the light side and the dark side," Obi-Wan explains. "They aren't Jedi and they aren't Sith, they're something in between. The exact definition is a bit fuzzy."
"There is passion, yet peace; serenity, yet emotion; chaos, yet order," Anakin quotes. "It's a lot looser than the Jedi code, and I think it's better."
"Some people called Qui-Gon a Gray Jedi," Obi-Wan adds. "He wasn't, but I wonder if he might have become one if he lived longer."
"Well, if you do start your school, you'll have the support of the Empress," Padmé replies. "Assuming that I ever get through these preparatory meetings and actually take the position."
"Bail said he hopes to have your coronation next week," Obi-Wan offers. "He doesn't think it's a good idea to leave the spot vacant for too long."
"But I can't just seize the position without support." Padmé sighs. "I really don't want to talk about it right now. I've been talking about it all day. Can we talk about something else?"
"Bail is weirdly desperate to babysit," Anakin remarks, obediently changing the subject. "He and his wife should just adopt already."
"They're planning on doing it soon," Padmé replies. "But everything's so hectic right now. Bail wants to wait until he'll be able to spend more time on Alderaan."
"He'll be a good father," Obi-Wan murmurs. "He was doing very well with both Luke and Leia when I came over."
"I think Leia likes him better than she likes me," Anakin admits. "Although I think Leia likes a lot of people more than she likes me."
"That's ridiculous," Padmé replies immediately. "Leia has her issue with your mechanical arm, but she likes you just as much as she likes me and Obi-Wan."
"It is good to know that she likes Bail, though," Obi-Wan remarks. "We wouldn't want her to dislike her new babysitter."
"True," Anakin agrees. "And she likes eating his cape, so there's another plus."
"She likes eating things in general," Obi-Wan remarks.
"She likes my hair," Padmé adds. "Luke doesn't chew on things anywhere near as much."
Anakin finished the food on his plate and stifled a yawn. "It is exhausting to watch the twins on your own," he states.
"I apologize for that," Obi-Wan replies, ducking his head.
"It's not your fault," Padmé replies, putting a hand on Obi-Wan's back. "We should have just talked to you about what we wanted. It would have made everything much simpler."
"We're not very good at communicating, are we?" Anakin asks rhetorically.
"I'm ready to go to bed whenever you are," Padmé says, stacking her plate on top of Anakin and Obi-Wan's.
"How have we come to this?" Anakin sighs. "We're going to bed right after dinner!"
"To be fair, we did have a late dinner," Padmé replies.
"And children are exhausting," Obi-Wan adds. "I'm ready to sleep whenever you are."
"Are you going to be less tense in bed this time?" Anakin asks. Obi-Wan arches an eyebrow. "I didn't mean it like that and you know it," Anakin groans.
"I suppose I can relax a bit," Obi-Wan replies. "It'll be more comfortable, at least."
"Much more comfortable," Padmé agrees. She stands and puts the plates in the cleaner.
Anakin stands and holds out a hand to Obi-Wan. "Are you ready?"
Obi-Wan looks at Anakin's hand for a moment, then he takes it with a smile. "Yes," he says, standing. "I think I am."