Title: Happy Birthday Obi-Wan
Author: Vee017
Genre: Romance/Humour/General
Setting: AU. RotS-ish
Rating: PG-16
Warnings: Some fluff, some probably OOCness
Summary: With his birthday approaching, all Obi-Wan wants to do is
get drunk and be miserable while Anakin wants to have a party.
There were only two things Obi-Wan Kenobi wanted to do in the next twenty-four hours, and that was to get drunk and be depressed. He figured that by the time he was over his eventual hangover, the cause for his misery would be over and he could pretend that everything was just peachy once more.
He sighed dejectedly as he tried to push himself deeper into the couch, hoping that for just one day it would open up and swallow him. It was sad, he mused, that one day in time should stand out like this. The Jedi weren't even supposed to care or make mention of it. The other Masters seemed to have no problem with the situation whatsoever, and Obi-Wan was the youngest amongst them. But still…he cared.
He knew it was probably selfish and vain but he couldn't help it. After finding his first grey hair at the age of thirty-four (thanks do a certain damnable Padawan, he was sure), it had finally sunk in that he wasn't as young as he used to be and would only continue to get older.
And slower. He didn't want to imagine the day when he slipped in a step, too slow and too old. Anakin was already saving his life left and right on their missions. The fact that it was Anakin that usually got them into those situations in the first place though, failed to register on this day.
Obi-Wan wrapped the blanket he had tighter around him, feeling safe and snug. He smiled bittersweetly as he breathed in. It was Anakin's scent. He had ripped the blanket off the Knight's bed before he had come to his misery on the couch. And he had to wonder, if he and Anakin hadn't had the intimate relationship that they shared, would he still care about getting older?
Or have the constant worry that his lover would one day finally realize how old his former Master was and move on to greener pastures? He had been jealous of Padme for all those years before the Clone Wars, fighting with himself for the reason why, and even after when he had his answer. It always surprised him when Anakin kept coming to him instead of floating off with the lovely young senator. There were times when he would try to brush Anakin off, keeping to himself to try and give the boy an out if he wanted it, Obi-Wan's self-doubts had clouded everything then. It wasn't until the announcement of Senator Amidala's pregnancy that everything came out. Their fight that night was spectacular.
Accusations that cut, shouted explanations, broken glass and furniture. They had eventually been reduced to lowering their shields and having it out through the Force, it was the only way for them to know for sure and get everything out at once.
In the end, Obi-Wan found out that Padme had been seeing Bail Organa; they were to be married in three weeks.
He had felt wretched.
What kind of Jedi was he to have jumped to so many conclusions in so short of time? It was one of the many reasons why Jedi weren't supposed to love.
Anakin in tears had asked Obi-Wan who the hell had hurt him so much that he doubted himself at every turn and couldn't accept anything Anakin gave to him willingly and lovingly.
Afterwards, Anakin finally understood his Master a little better, he could now look back on their past and pick out moments that seemed strange to him then, but he could now be sure that they were there because Obi-Wan had been doubting himself.
It was the Jedi Master's greatest flaw. And Force help him, he still had lingering thoughts about Anakin's feelings for him in the future.
Obi-Wan groaned and pulled the blanket over his head as if he could just shut out the outside world, maybe stop time, or make himself forget that after tomorrow he would no longer be pushing forty, he'd be dragging it.
In less than twelve hours he would be forty. A forty-year-old with a twenty-four-year-old lover. He was going to turn forty and Anakin was only twenty-four. Dirty old man indeed. When Anakin had been born, Obi-Wan had already been a Padawan for three years.
Parting the blanket somewhat, Obi-Wan stared longingly at the liqueur cabinet. He couldn't start drinking yet unfortunately, he had to time it just right to be smashed enough to miss the entire day without incidence or the possibility of sobering up. He would be drunk and miserable, maybe call Mace a few times to complain until the older man became annoyed enough to come over with a bottle of aged Corellian whiskey to knock him off his ass and into unconsciousness so he could wake up the following morning too hung over and in pain to even remember what day it had been or why he had gotten so drunk in the first place. Obi-Wan smiled as he planned out his birthday and vaguely wondered if turning fifty would feel this bad.
He hated birthdays. Especially since hitting thirty-five.
Moaning pitifully and ignoring that he was a Jedi Master, Obi-Wan curled up into a little ball of distress and self-pity, completely missing the opening of the front door.
>>>
Anakin Skywalker, Hero With No Fear, Droid Destroyer Extraordinaire was in an excellent mood. He loved birthdays and it was finally once again, Obi-Wan's. He couldn't wait to do something with the older man. The only type of event the Jedi celebrated was the Solstice but birthdays were something that he held special to his heart. They were some of his best memories of his childhood on Tatooine as Watto would occasionally let him and his mother off from work for the day and they would spend it together. She would save throughout the year in order to have what she needed to make his favourite foods when his day came around.
His mother had always made a big deal out of that day, it was the day he had come into her world and made things brighter. He was her little miracle and loved him more than words could say. That's what birthdays were to him. The one day to be with those who loved you and were happy that you were there.
When he had first come to Coruscant and heard that the Jedi didn't celebrate birthdays it had hurt. Why wouldn't they want to celebrate them? Weren't people glad that there were Jedi and future Jedi? When he had broached the subject to Obi-Wan he had gotten a confusing answer and just didn't ask again.
Anakin turned ten eight months into their new relationship as Master and Padawan. He'd missed his mother so much that day and had been subdued all the way through until evening. He hadn't expected anything, especially from Obi-Wan, but the older Knight had surprised him.
Anakin had been getting ready for bed when Obi-Wan had asked to talk to him. It wasn't so much a talk as placing a stone in Anakin's small hand and explaining its significance. The stone had been Qui- Gon's, who had given it to Obi-Wan on his birthday, and Obi-Wan was now giving it to Anakin. It made his heart swell to have something that Qui-Gon had been attached to, and without thinking he had thrown his arms around Obi-Wan's neck and hugged him tightly for the first time.
Obi-Wan had tensed in shock and then slowly put his arms around his young Padawan. Anakin had decided that it was an okay start to his birthdays as a Jedi. He had gotten a present from his stiff Master and a hug too.
It was only sometime later when Anakin learned that Obi-Wan's thirteenth birthday had been the first and only time it was ever celebrated. Something changed in Anakin when he found out that Obi- Wan had given him the only present he had ever received from anybody, it struck a chord within the young boy and he had in that moment dedicated himself to finding out the day of his Master's birth and to make him happy. Everyone should be celebrated, and the more time he spent with Obi-Wan the more he decided he liked him.
And then he loved him.
Anakin grinned as he took the staircase two at a time and turned down the hall that would take him home to his Obi-Wan. Anakin sighed. He knew he was going to have a fight ahead of him. The stubborn older man had become more and more wary of each birthday that passed. He didn't like celebrating it and didn't understand Anakin's fascination with it. It was only a day, he would say. But then he'd start getting more irritable and miserly as his birthday approached. It was also usually when he stopped putting out and sulked. There was no doubt in Anakin's mind that Obi-Wan thought he had been subtle about it, he generally tended to do that every time his subtlety reached the consistency of a brick.
Didn't matter though, Anakin wanted to celebrate and his love was the reason. He would drag Obi-Wan out of this wretched Temple no matter what he had to do. Suppressing a cackle that would have had Master Windu pointing at him wildly and screaming Sith, the young very-much-in-love Jedi palmed the door and went in search for his Master.
The barely moving, moaning blob on the couch was not what he had been expecting.
>>>
Still trapped within his den of exaggerated sorrow and self exile from the universe, Obi-Wan didn't even feel Anakin approach until he felt something poke him hard in the ribs. Instinctually kicking out a leg, he felt it connect with something followed by a thump on the floor and an `ouch…'. Making a hole in the blanket, he peeked out and saw Anakin sprawled on the ground.
"Serves you right," he snorted.
"What'd I do, break a rib?"
Obi-Wan glared at him through the hole. "Go. Away." He then shut the blanket and turned, facing away from Anakin in a huff.
Anakin winced as he felt Obi-Wan's shields slam up against him in full force. So once again it came to that. Anakin had waited patiently for the day when Obi-Wan would give up on worrying about his age, the things he might or might not be leaving behind, worries of being unable to be an effective Jedi, when the majority of the Council had forty to eight hundred years on him. He hated anything that had to do with their ages, it had been the seed of doubt that had caused one of their biggest fights that Anakin more than happily repressed from his memory.
He laid his head on Obi-Wan's shoulder only to be shoved away as the older man tried to make himself shrink smaller into the couch. Anakin sighed, as patient as he tried to be for Obi-Wan, the man was really going to get on his nerves with this.
Shrugging out of his cloak, Anakin climbed onto the couch and on top of Obi-Wan, ignoring his attempts to dislodge him (had he not restrained himself in the blanket he may have been more successful) and waited for his Master to give up. After a few minutes he always did and this time he did not disappoint. Trying to find an opening in the blanket, Anakin then recognized as his, he found it and pulled the fleece away from Obi-Wan's head.
"Go away."
"No."
"I forgot you'd wreck my day."
He placed a kiss on Obi-Wan's forehead, and followed it up by moving to his cheek and his chin, the side of his nose, until Obi-Wan was finally turned to lie flat on his back under Anakin. Their lips finally pressed together and fell in a languorous rhythm.
"You're not old and I love you."
"My hair's grey." Why couldn't he ever stay mad at the brat?
"No it's not," said Anakin kissing him again.
"Have you looked at my temples?"
"I'd like to worship your Temple."
Obi-Wan coloured slightly between the kisses Anakin alternated between his lips and newly exposed neck.
"I have wrinkles."
"…product of time and true love." Anakin mumbled against his skin.
Obi-Wan smiled slightly as he finally got his arms out of his quilted cocoon and wrapped them around his lover. He wrapped one hand in Anakin's blonde curls as a tongue parted his lips.
"And tomorrow we can have a party…"
That statement snapped Obi-Wan out of his Anakin induced plethora of love and back into the reason for being curled up on the couch waiting to die in the first place.
"No, no party." Anakin had to struggle and wrap his legs around his Master and the side of the couch to keep the older man from bolting.
"Stop struggling and why not?" Anakin pushed his durasteel arm against Obi-Wan's chest, oddly grateful for having something strong enough to keep Obi-Wan still.
"Anakin I hate parties, you know this, and especially for the circumstance…"
"It's your birthday."
He winced. "Don't say that."
Anakin grinned. "Oh come on, aren't you sick of being cooped up on your birthday?"
"No," Obi-Wan muttered as he was ignored.
"We don't even go out anymore…"
"We never went out."
"We made it to Dex's that one time."
"Which you told everyone what day it was, it was horrifying."
"Master, it's a time to celebrate! I want to celebrate you."
"Then have your way with me and then let me get drunk tomorrow. Happy Birthday."
"I'm giving you a party."
"You can move back into your room."
Anakin's face dropped, "You'd do that?"
"What do you think?"
A slow smile formed across Anakin's face. "You'd get lonely," he said confidently.
Obi-Wan couldn't help a small smile himself as he looked at his former Padawan above him. He could watch that smirk on his perfect lips for eternity and what a wonderful eternity it would be.
"So…a party?"
Anakin watched the smile drop off Obi-Wan's face faster than a Nexu on meat to be replaced by a foreboding glare. Just like that his blossoming good mood was shot to hell. But even so, Anakin wasn't ready for the Force shove Obi-Wan hit him with that sent him off the couch and his Master. When he looked back up, the last thing he saw was Obi-Wan grabbing his cloak and storming out the front door.
Anakin stared at the door with a pained expression on his face, a lead weight had settled in his chest as he tried to figure out what the hell Obi-Wan's problem was this year. Standing, he picked up the discarded blanket Obi-Wan had been using and wrapped it around himself as he sat down. He inhaled the fabric and closed his eyes as Obi-Wan's scent mingled with his own. Once he opened his eyes, he found himself staring at the door once again.
What was it about this year? Obi-Wan was only turning thirty-nine and Anakin was sure that was nothing to panic about. It took a few more minutes until a possible reason finally came to him. Obi-Wan *was* thirty-eight right? Doing some mental calculations and then drawing imaginary numbers on his leg, Anakin winced horribly at his slight miscalculation.
It was Obi-Wan's fortieth birthday.