Author's Note: This chapter resembles the original, but hopefully more exciting since the boring bits have been cut, the sexiness has been amped up and the ending made more dramatic. This story is different to most Obikin stories in that Obi-Wan pursues Anakin, so Obi-Wan's a bit OOC, but I personally think that makes him a better match for Anakin, who's super angst-ridden and also slightly possessive. Hope you enjoy and leave a review if you have the time.

Chapter 1: Obi-Wan's Confession

To prepare for his journey to Naboo, twenty-year-old Anakin Skywalker folded his black robes around the loose wires and battery packs he pretended not to own. The Jedi Order forbid possession of any kind. According to Obi-Wan Kenobi, even their toothbrushes weren't theirs, though at least nobody had to share one.

Anakin stuffed the robes into the luggage bag on his bed, along with his tunic and trousers. The white roses he'd picked from the main garden of the Jedi Temple lay bundled beside the dirty smock he'd be wearing as a disguise aboard the refugee freighter. He searched it for hidden pockets in which to stow the flowers.

A knock at the door startled him. He threw on his night gown and pressed his finger to the sensor he'd installed on the wall. The door slid open to reveal Obi-Wan Kenobi, his wavy golden hair and neatly trimmed beard gleaming in the morning sunlight.

Anakin wrapped the gown around his torso. His master had warned him not to show off his body, lest it fuel his arrogance, though he didn't seem to care what other Jedi wore.

Obi-Wan leaned left to look behind his Padawan and sighed. "You won't get those past the customs droids," he said, gesturing at the rose bundle. "I'm surprised the whole of Coruscant can't smell them."

"I was hoping to mask their scent with your dirty socks," said Anakin, flashing a cheeky grin.

"This is a serious matter, my Padawan," said Obi-Wan, "You could tarnish the reputation of the whole Order if you're caught breaking the regulations of interplanetary travel. Our image is already compromised thanks to the Separatists' influence."

"Padme and I are travelling in secret, Master. If nobody knows who we are, I doubt the flowers will damage our fragile image."

"It's a risky move, nonetheless. Importing foreign organic matter could spread infections."

"Foreign organic matter," said Anakin, snorting, "is that the official Jedi term for roses or did you invent it?"

"It's the term used by Naboo's customs droids, and I didn't create the laws of the planet, but I advise you to follow them. The Jedi Council isn't fond of law breakers."

"Are you going to report me?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Like you, I struggle to do the right thing when the wellbeing of someone I care for is at stake. It's an unfortunate, but not unusual tendency."

"So, I'm not the only Jedi with feelings?"

"No," said Obi-Wan, "it's natural for living creatures to care for one another, but you shouldn't let yourself become too focused on a single person. Our duty is to serve every citizen of the Republic, although there is someone who's greedy enough to want more from you. A Jedi intends to ask the Council for permission to court you."

"Court me? I thought we weren't allowed to marry."

"We're not, but the Council have already violated the Code by letting you join at a late age. If we remind them of the prophecy that proclaims you the Chosen One, they might be willing to do so again. They'd rather not fight the Sith without you."

"I have leverage then?" said Anakin. A sly smile crept across his face. He could stand before the Council and threaten to leave the Order forever unless they granted him permission to marry Padme.

"Yes," said Obi-Wan, "but don't tell anyone I said that. Jedi don't exploit their power and the Council won't appreciate being manipulated. You should let me do the talking and this doesn't mean you can be with anyone you choose. You swore to place the needs of the galaxy above your own desires. I won't help you do otherwise."

"Then why let me get married at all?"

"Because I want you to be happy as a Jedi. I told myself you could live without attachments and find joy in serving the Force, but…" Obi-Wan trembled and fell silent.

"Are you okay, Master?" asked Anakin, a note of panic in his voice.

"I'm fine," said Obi-Wan, catching his breath, "but you won't be, unless you have someone to love and protect. The Council members haven't accepted that yet, but when they do, they'll want to decide who that someone is."

"Don't I get a say?"

"You do." Obi-Wan approached Anakin and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "The choice to marry or not will be yours, but you mustn't let millions suffer, while you obsess over someone who won't hold you accountable to your duties."

Anakin's eyes narrowed. "You want to control me for the good of the galaxy?"

"Yes," said Obi-Wan, as if he hadn't heard the sarcasm in his Padawan's voice, "and for your own good. The two are one and the same. The more at peace you are with the life you've chosen, the easier it'll be for you to defeat the Sith and save the Republic from their tyranny. That is your goal, isn't it?"

"That's why I'm a Jedi," said Anakin, with a resigned sign. It was his fault he couldn't marry who he wanted. He'd chosen to stay in the Order, despite its restrictive ways, because the interests of others mattered more than his own needs. "I apologise Master, I should be grateful. If you hadn't found someone for me, I'd have to defy the Council or spend my life alone, but you'll let me meet her before I agree to anything, won't you?"

"The Jedi isn't a her and you have met him. I daresay you know him quiet well."

"I do?" Anakin had never considered being with a male and he certainly hadn't met one as attractive or compelling as Padme. Then again, Sheev Palpatine was a fascinating person with a strange interest in him. But it couldn't be the Chancellor, he wasn't a Jedi, though he was brave and clever enough to be one, if only he were sensitive to the Force.

"Are you with me, my Padawan?" asked Obi-Wan.

"Sorry Master, I got distracted."

"By something, or someone, specific?"

"I can't stop thinking about Padme," said Anakin, deciding it was best to give Obi-Wan the answer he expected. It wasn't exactly a lie. She'd been on his mind since they'd reunited.

"All the more reason to marry a Jedi," said Obi-Wan, "We're more reliable than senators, who only keep their promises when it suits them."

Anakin rolled his eyes. He wasn't in the mood for this lecture. "If you don't like politicians, why not do their job yourself?"

"Excuse me?"

"You could become a member of the Senate and change it from the inside, instead of complaining about it."

"Me?" said Obi-Wan. "You'd trust me with that kind of power?"

"Why not? You're a decent man and you understand the Force better than anyone. We don't always agree, but your teachings have made me wiser and encouraged me to make the right choices. The Senate could use your guidance."

Obi-Wan's cheeks flushed. "As Jedi we protect the representatives chosen by the Republic's citizens," he said. "We don't seek to rule the galaxy ourselves, but I'm honoured you think so highly of me. I worried you despised me for not allowing you to face the Trials."

Anakin lowered his head, remembering his conversation with Padme and the harsh way he'd spoken of his master. "I'm sorry for being impatient," he said. "You have your reasons, and I should accept them."

"Even if they're selfish ones?"

Anakin met his master's gaze. "You think I'll embarrass you by failing?"

"You won't fail, unless your impulsiveness gets the better of you, but…" It was Obi-Wan's turn to look away, "part of me doesn't want you to pass."

Anakin snarled. "I was right," he said, jerking his shoulder back to escape his master's grip. "You're holding me back. You want to weaken me because you're jealous."

"No, I've never meant to harm you, but I can't lose you. Once you pass the Trials, you'll no longer be my Padawan. I'll take on a new student and have to devote my attention to them. If I'm lucky, you and I will still have missions together, but it won't be enough."

"I see," said Anakin. He breathed out to relieve the tension in his chest. "You want me around in case you fall into another gundark nest. But you're stronger now. You can manage without me."

"I doubt it, but that's not the reason."

"Then what is it?"

Obi-Wan opened his mouth but no words came.

Anakin raised a hand to his master's trembling jaw. "Master! What's wrong? Answer me." As he stroked Obi-Wan's blushing cheek, the Padawan felt a tug through the Force and remembered their prior conversation. "You're the Jedi," he said, "the one who wants to marry me."

Obi-Wan nodded, his eyes twinkling. "I've been fighting my feelings for years."

"Since I was a child!"

"No," said Obi-Wan, his voice quivering, "when we met, I only saw you as a pupil, and a frustrating one at that, but you're no longer a young boy from Tatooine. The more you mature into a capable Jedi, the more attractive I find you."

"You're drawn to my power?" said Anakin. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Not only that, my Padawan. You're caring, courageous and committed to serving the greater good. I can help you explore your gentler side, if you let me."

But why should he? It wasn't his gentleness that had saved them from the gundarks or any other danger, but Obi-Wan wouldn't understand. He'd never listened to his Padawan's opinions. His offer sounded like a veiled order. "I don't have a choice, do I?" said Anakin. "You're my master. I have to obey you."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Since when have you done that? But don't worry, I'm not marrying my Padawan. If we are to be together, I must first set you free. I'll arrange for you to face the Trials when you return from Naboo. If you no longer want my company once you pass them, I'll let you go and learn to live in peace without you, though it will be difficult."

"I want us to stay friends," said Anakin, hoping to let his master down gently, "but I can't marry you. I don't feel that way about men."

"Oh really?" Obi-Wan reached up to caress Anakin's bare collarbone. "I've seen how you look at Chancellor Palpatine. It makes me want to smack the smug grin off his pale face."

Anakin's eyes widened. How could he know? Or was it only a suspicion? "You sound angry and possessive," he said, "everything you tell me not to be. How can you expect me to control my emotions, when you can't you control yours?"

"I can," said Obi-Wan, his fingers now sliding down the sliver of skin exposed by Anakin's robe. "That's why Senator Amidala and the Chancellor are still alive, and why my arm is not around your waist and my lips not upon yours."

"Obi-Wan," said Anakin, too shocked to call him master. He let go of him and stepped back. "You can't talk to me that way. I'm still your Padawan and those are my friends you're threatening."

"It was only an observation."

"Then you won't mind if I share it with Council."

"I doubt you can," said Obi-Wan. "You have a reputation for drama, whereas I'm trusted and respected throughout the Order. Anything you say against me will be dismissed by the Council as exaggerated, if not false. I wish it weren't so, but I'm afraid I'll have to report this conservation."

"What will you say?"

"Whatever you want me to. You can accompany me to ensure I keep my word. If I've terrified you so deeply you never want to see me again, I'll tell the full story. The Council will see how hard I must fight to stop my feelings from consuming me and expel me from the Order. Or I could say just enough to convince them to let us court."

"Are those my only options?" As frightened as Anakin was, the Republic couldn't afford to lose such a skilled and patient Jedi.

"No," said Obi-Wan, "if you prefer to pretend that nothing has happened, I'll do the same. It pains me to deceive the Council, but if you deem it necessary, I won't argue. My fate is in your hands, dear Padawan, as it has been for some time."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and bowed his head. He had never looked more helpless, even when seconds from death. Seeing him that way excited Anakin more than he dared admit. He could tell his master to stay away from him, make him pay for holding him back and ordering him around like a child. He'd deserve it too, the filthy hypocrite, always telling him to let go of attachments. But how could he judge Obi-Wan when he shared his weakness?

"I won't forget what you told me," said Anakin, "but the Council doesn't need to know. They'll blame me for your feelings, call me a bad influence and force us apart. I won't let that happen. I care about you, just not the way you want me to."

"That doesn't surprise me," said Obi-Wan. "I never gave you the chance to. I played the part of a stoic Jedi and until now, that was all I let you see. I kept my distance and made my authority clear, so you wouldn't fall for me. My plan worked all too well." He gulped before continuing. "I assumed if my feelings weren't returned, they'd fade, as most passions do, but they grew stronger, so I gave up on fighting them."

"The Council won't want to hear that." Not that Anakin minded. It wasn't comforting to know he wasn't the only Jedi who couldn't resist attachment.

"No, which is why I'd rather not tell, for now, but they already know you're prone to the same problem. They'll want to stop you spreading your curse, as they see it."

"You'll be offering to contain me then," said Anakin, with a delighted snigger. His master's reputation as a negotiator was well deserved. "That's your plan, right?"

"You catch on quick," said Obi-Wan. "If we marry, I can keep an eye on you, stop you breaking young Jedi's hearts and plunging the Order into chaos. It'll be my punishment for failing to discipline you when you were my Padawan and I'll accept it with grace."

Anakin laughed. "The Council would love that pitch."

"Will you let me make it then? You don't have to marry me right now. I'm only asking for a chance. Let me be open with you. Let me show you who I am, when I'm not pretending to be the perfect Jedi. Let me nurture the part of that cares for me instead of stomping it to pieces." Obi-Wan stepped forward to close the space between them and laid his hands on Anakin's forearms. "Whatever you've longed for since you joined the Order, I can give you. I can comfort you, care for you when you're sick or injured, keep you warm at night."

"The Temple is a cold place," said Anakin and he didn't just mean it literally. His fellow Jedi were always condemning his emotions without letting him explain them. Even Obi-Wan had dismissed his nightmares about his mother as a temporary concern. But if they shared a bed, he'd see how they disrupted his sleep and he'd have to take them seriously.

"It's the right temperature for most of us," said Obi-Wan, slowly and deliberately as if he'd caught the hidden meaning in Anakin's words. "But you're different. You weren't raised here. It's alright. I'll help you feel at home." He closed his eyes.

A calming wave passed over Anakin and he took hold his master's wrists to let the Force flow between them uninterrupted. The painful visions didn't vanish from his mind, but their sting weakened. "Thank you, Master."

"No need to thank me. I haven't done anything — yet." Obi-Wan's lips curved into a devious smile. "And I won't until you pass the trails, but please, consider my offer."

"I will," said Anakin and he meant it. His master sure had a way with words.

"Excellent," said Obi-Wan in a brisk tone, as if he'd awoken from a trance. "I'll let you get ready then."

They let go of each other. Anakin waited until his master was facing the other way before changing into his disguise. Meanwhile Obi-Wan patted down the dusty child-sized robe he'd retrieved from the almost empty wardrobe.

"What's that for?" asked a fully dressed Anakin.

Obi-Wan wrapped his Padawan's only pale robe around the roses and held out the bundle with a triumphant grin. "It's a trick my old master used," he said. "Customs droids are programmed to avoid touching Jedi garments, so they don't ignite a concealed lightsabre and get themselves destroyed. As precise and sophisticated as their sensors may be, they are only machines."

Anakin snorted, but otherwise hid his annoyance at Obi-Wan's anti-droid comment. "I thought you didn't want me breaking the rules of interplanetary travel," he said, taking the concealed flowers and placing them in his bag.

"I don't, but if you must do it, you should at least make sure the press doesn't find out. Don't try using your black robes, the droids won't recognise them as belonging to a Jedi and don't take the flowers out until you reach the Theed Royal Palace. Make sure Senator Amidala keeps them in her private quarters."

"I didn't tell you they were for Padme."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Anakin, stop pretending you can hide such things from me." He paused for a moment. "I do hope she likes them," he said, "Better her than the Chancellor. She'll make you happier."

Anakin smiled. The possibility of being with Padme held him back from accepting Obi-Wan's offer, and his master knew it, yet he'd helped him bring her flowers. He couldn't imagine behaving so selflessly under similar circumstances.

He fastened his bag, lifted it by its handle and headed for the door. As he reached it, his master grabbed his arm and pressed his lips to his ear. "Not as happy as I can make you, though," he whispered.

Anakin swallowed the air caught in his throat. The passionate version of Obi-Wan was breaking through his peaceful veneer, his face close enough for them to kiss. Surely, he was testing the limits of his self-control.

"Try not to get your hopes up, Master," said Anakin, "I'd hate to crush them."

"I know you would," said Obi-Wan, pulling him closer still.

Anakin tensed up. His master had gone too far. "Stop!" he yelled.

"And what if I don't?"

With his free hand, Anakin pulled out his lightsabre and ignited it, but kept it well away from Obi-Wan.

"You wouldn't dare hurt your master."

"You won't be my master for long, I'll make sure of that."

"Oh, I don't think you'll stab your husband either."

Anakin yanked his arm away, activated the fingerprint sensor and motioned for Obi-Wan to leave.

His master nodded. "Forgive my arrogance," he said, as he left the room, exposing his back to his Anakin's blade without a hint of concern.

Oooh, a cliff hanger ending. :) Not really, he's obviously not going to kill him at this point, LOL.