Chapter 2
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Anakin and Owen came home chattering about Tuskens' trails they had seen earlier that day.
"Boys. Remember to wash your hands before you come and sit at the table!" Shmi mused.
The boys muttered something what their mother couldn't hear but she knew that it had something to do with washing up too much. And she smiled.
When the boys came to the dining room Shmi stood up.
"Annie, there is someone who would like to talk to you," she said.
Anakin froze. When he turned around he could see his master.
"Master...How...What...Why are you here?" He said with pain in his voice.
"Do you really thought that I could let you go just like that? Let you suffer all alone?"
"What do you know about suffering?" Anakin hissed.
"A lot actually. But if you're hurting at least a half as much as I do then there is no question-"
"WHAT? You're saying that you're hurting?" Annie took a deep breath and calmed himself, "WHY? Why did you come? I left you a note. Everything I needed to say was in there. So why did you come? To torture me more?"
"No. Because I just couldn't let you think that I didn't care..." Obi whispered.
The family members had watched the awkward scene with quite a confusion. It was so hard to see what the Jedi meant. Cliegg cleared his throat, glancing at his wife: "Maybe it would be best if we left them alone." Shmi nodded and they were just about to retreat with Owen and his girlfriend Beru when Obi-Wan spoke.
"No, we'll go outside. I think we both need some more fresh air," Obi said.
Obi-Wan left with Anakin on his heels.
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The hot winds blew hard. A sand storm was on its way. The master leaned on a fence, the apprentice staying a couple of steps behind, fingering his braid.
"Annie, why did you leave me?" Obi looked at the suns, feeling their piercing warmth and put his hood over his head.
"You know perfectly well. I couldn't have coped with...just one night."
Obi turned to face Annie. "What makes you think I could?" he asked with caution.
"You said it yourself! And besides you don't dismiss the Order, ever! You probably had a permission to search me, without the Council knowing the real reason why it was so important to you."
Obi sighed and just nodded. He couldn't lie to Anakin, couldn't even though he'd wanted to. Annie struggled against the tears, but his voice trembled: "You can't bend the rules, not even in the matter of...love!"
After saying this Anakin turned his back on Obi-Wan and started to walk away.
"No! Don't...don't leave this way! Please Anakin. Let's just talk this thing trough. Please." Something in Obi's voice made Anakin turn around. And he saw tears running down Obi's cheeks. Anakin walked to Obi and wiped his tears away. He gave Obi-Wan a soft kiss on the lips.
"Shh, don't cry. We'll talk but not here, not like this. Now let's get back inside and let me introduce you to my family."
Inside:
"It has been long enough and Anakin didn't seem very stable. I'm going after them," Owen said.
When he stepped out he witnessed the kiss. He turned around quickly and went back in.
"I think they are coming soon inside." And after saying this he started to think about Anakin's behaviour and reaction when he had seen his master. 'There is something more between those two than they tell us.' And he decided to observe the situation.
Annie and Obi went back inside and everyone was looking at them. "Hi. This is Obi-Wan Kenobi. He is a Jedi and he is my master."
After shaking hands with Owen and Beru they all sat down and started to eat.
"So tell me Obi-Wan, what did my boy do there? Did he act properly in the Temple?" Shmi asked.
"Ooo, mom! Stop, please!"
"No, no. It would be my pleasure to tell you what you want to know. Well... He is always hungry. I mean always!"
They all laughed and Anakin blushed.
"Well, what can I say, I need much energy. And besides I've heard that you were just as hungry when you were a padawan as I am now," Anakin defended.
"Yes, I think that I was. Other padawans made fun of it, but Qui-Gon told me that I needed all the energy I could get. Our lifestyle isn't the easiest, you know." He said smiling for the memory.
"Did you love him?" Anakin asked.
"Who?"
"Qui-Gon"
"Yes, of course I did. How could I not? He was my mentor, my master and the one who I could count on in this life. He was like a father to me."
Owen saw his opportunity and asked: "So, Anakin. Do you love Obi-Wan?"
"Yes I do. With all my heart." He said looking intensively at Obi-Wan.
"And I love you too, my padawan."
Rest of the dinner Obi and Annie told about their missions together. They all laughed at the mishaps that seemed to happen often on the pair's trips. Shmi observed her Annie and was relieved to see him free of his depression she'd sensed during the time he'd stayed on Tatooine. The reason he'd come back had to do something with Annie's relations to this young bearded man.
Once they'd finished Shmi and Beru begun collecting the plates off the table.
"I think it's time you all go to sleep." Shmi gestured to Owen, Annie and Obi. "You've all had a hard day."
"Yes, I think I can find an extra mattress in the warehouse for you, Obi-Wan," Cliegg said.
"And I take it you don't mind sleeping in the same room with Annie, do you?" Shmi asked.
Owen raised an eye brow, but no one seemed to notice.
"No, not at all." Obi smiled and bowed his head in custom. "Thank you for your hospitality."
"It's alright, you are practically family."
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Obi put the mattress on the floor and closed the door. Annie was already sleeping on his bed so he tried to be as quiet as possible when he took his tunic off and settled under the blanket.
Annie woke up: "Master?"
"Yes, padawan?"
"Can I come to your bed? I mean, I'd just want to sleep there."
"Fine by me. But if you snore I'll be poking you on the ribs."
A pillow flew through the room on Obi's face just before he felt the warmth of his padawan beside him.
After a while a very sleepy Obi-Wan wrapped his arm around Anakin's waist and pulled him closer. When this happened Anakin was still awake and he tensed. Then he could hear his master's breathing slow down and he knew that Obi-Wan was asleep. Then Anakin let himself to relax and enjoy the feeling of being in his master's arms. And before he even knew it he fell asleep.
TBC