Chapter IV: Life
Sitting on the floor, Anakin had volunteered to keep an eye on the little ones, most of them still scared. Others, wearing their padawan haircuts waited impatiently for their masters, convinced that they weren't dead. Just like him.
A part of his mind told him that Obi-wan was fine and besides that, taking care of Padme. Another part keep reminding him that perhaps both of them were dead.
He couldn't get obsessed, but he needed them both to return alive. Both. It was complicated, but he loved the two of them. He had loved Padme from the first moment he had seen her. She had been the most sweet and charming creature he had ever seen, and in his years of hard training she had stucked in his thoughts, not letting him open his eyes to other people. That was why he had married her, confusing the fondness he felt for her with true love.
Then there was Obi-wan. With him things had been much more complicated. At first, he had been wary, almost sacred of Qui-gon Jinn's young padawan. When he had died and he had been put under Obi- wan's protection, he had felt anger and fear, until he had started to spend time with him. In a few days he had developed a sort of adoration for the man and he had decided to earn his respect. It hadn't been easy. He knew ha had been a difficult child, always getting in troubles and toying with droids, never sitting to meditate or listen to history lessons. The truth was half of the things he had done had had the only purpose of getting Obi-wan's attention who, mourning over his lost master didn't seem to react to anything. Suddenly, one day, Anakin had stumbled across master Yoda while running through the halls and Obi-wan had laughed. It was the first time Anakin heard his laugh, and he had promised himself to produce that sound of his master every time he could.
He had always loved Obi-wan and he hadn't realized it. After months of marriage with Padme, seeking in her what he seemed to miss, his mood began to turn depressive. Obi-wan had noticed it and had given him one of his lectures on a Jedi's correct behaviour and, after that, he had caressed his cheek and said "I'm not asking you to stop being human, Anakin, I'm just asking you to trust me when things go wrong". And he had understood it. Obi-wan was the missing piece, what had always been there but he hadn't stopped to look at. Now, things had gotten complicated. He had slept with him, they had made love, but had it meant the same for both of them? Anakin didn't knew if his master had surrendered to his pleas just to make him feel better, to drive him away from the dark side. Had it been a way to comfort him? Because for him it had been much more… it had been everything.
Suddenly, he felt someone tugging on his sleeve and when he looked in its direction, he saw one of his partners sitting beside him.
"What's wrong, Skywalker?" he asked "the battle wasn't that bad… not too many loses, and we saved the younglings."
"I'm worried, that's all." said Anakin.
"Why?"
"My master" the other Jedi gave him a bitter laugh.
"Damn, Skywalker! What you have with your master is not normal."
"What do you mean?"
"Well… we all worship our masters, they are almost like… personal heroes, yes heroes! And we like to work with them and stuff… but you and your master are inseparable, if you don't go together everywhere you spend your time worrying abut each other; and that's saying a lot of master Kenobi, who seems so cold…"
"He is not" cut Anakin, almost feeling Obi-wan's heat on his body.
"Calm down, my friend! I didn't mean it like and insult… somebody might say you two are lovers."
"Maybe we are" half smiled Anakin looking at the other man straight in the eyes, who stayed silent for a few seconds before starting a wide laugh.
"You're funny, my friend! Almost as much as…"
His speech was stopped when the huge ship of senator Bail Organa descended upon the platform. Anakin stood up much too quickly, waiting for the passengers to arrive. When the ramp opened more Jedis that he had expected came down right after the senator. Soon, the place became a celebration, smiling padawans welcoming their masters, knights excitedly talking about the battle at the Temple, younglings leaving all fears away.
Exactly what everybody expected, expect, perhaps, watching the independent, arrogant and stubborn Anakin Skywalker run to his former master Obi-wan Kenobi so brutally that if the last one hadn't leaned against a wall, both of them would had fallen to the floor. If that was surprising, it was even more to see said master, always composed, calmed, even distant, return the embrace with the same intensity.
"I was worried" said Anakin in his master's ear "very, very worried."
"Anakin…" half whispered Obi-wan "Anakin, listen to me."
"Master" Anakin raised his face, reluctantly leaving the crook of his master's neck "what is it?"
Padme gave birth… twins" Anakin smiled "but she… she died, Anakin… she died right after."
Obi-wan's mind was confused with confronted thoughts while his steps took him to the room his former padawan occupied, master Yoda walking by his side. After some serious discussion the Council had made decisions about Anakin's future and both where going to talk to him about what had been good news.
Nevertheless, Obi-wan was worried. Anakin had just lost Padme. He had lost his wife and all he could think about was what was to become of them now. He knew it wasn't the right thing to do at the moment and he wanted to avoid it, but Anakin had always had that ability to get inside his mind and confuse him.
He had said he needed him, him and not Padme, but Obi-wan couldn't be sure that what they had shared had been completely real. It had been a way to drive Anakin's fear away, but it had also been the most pure kind of love Obi-wan had ever known. Although, whatever happened between them would be Anakin's decision and he would respect it. It didn't matter what happened, he would always be his master and he would always love him.
Anakin was leaning against a little cradle, light coloured eyes fixated on his two newly borne children. Obi-wan was surprised to see him completely free of that darkness that had surrounded him during the previous day and still sad. Obi-wan wished to be able to draw a smile on those lips he had barely kissed, give Anakin back that vivacity that preceded him and that was so inappropriate in so many moments. Without it, he seemed older. He looked like… a father with no wife, a lost soul condemned to pain. "But I'm here" Obi-wan wanted to scream. He would have to wait.
"Young Skywalker" said master Yoda, to which Anakin raised his face, an intense glow in his eyes when he saw Obi-wan.
"Masters" he answered.
"Decisions the Council taken has" started Yoda "your value probed you have, young Anakin, master you will be, two apprentices you will have."
"Apprentices?" asked Anakin "two? How… how…"
"Strong in the Force your family is" Yoda looked to the cradle where both babies slept "when age they reach, your children your apprentices will be."
"I… I… thank you master" he bowed lightly.
"Good, leave I shall" asserted Yoda "great loses the Order suffered has, a lot of time and effort it will take to go back to the great time of the Jedis."
Not having more to say, master Yoda turned around, leaving the room with his slow pace.
Anakin stayed still, his eyes on Obi-wan, neither of them wanting to start a conversation. Finally, it was the master who broke the silence with a sigh.
"I just hope they are not too much like you" half smiled Obi-wan when Anakin produced an infuriated sound.
"I don't know what you're trying to say, master" smiles Anakin, walking towards one of the big windows of the room "I was an adorable child."
"Yes, right" said Obi-wan walking until he was by Anakin's side.
"I'm totally serious."
"The truth was you were pretty irritating" a new infuriated sound left Anakin's throat "I can perfectly remember that while other masters sited and congratulated themselves on their padawans progress on history, philosophy or meditation I was going around trying to find out which new droid parts store you had found or in which new street sport you had decided to get involved."
"Well… it's just the others had no adventure instinct at all."
"I'm sure you took a lot of years of my life… you know every time someone saw me on the hallways alone they asked me what, Kenobi, lost your kid again?"
"It was really funny seeing you after one of your lectures on responsibility" smiled Anakin "you used to raise a finger and say one of this days you're going to kill me, Anakin Skywalker" Obi-wan had to laugh, how many times had he said that over the years? "but you always forgave me."
"Just because you used that look… and you pouted."
"I do not pout!"
"Of course you do… you knew you got everything you wanted like that… much more powerful than mental control, I got to tell you" whispered Obi-wan.
Silence filled the room again. There were too many things to say, too many things that a chat on this and that could not erase.
"You're going to have to help me" said Anakin then "with the kids, I mean… I don't have four arms. Besides, Darth Sidious hasn't been captured, so there will be no time to waste… lots of help, definitely."
"I'm not very good with kids, Anakin."
"Nonsense… you'll be uncle Obi-wan. I'll take care of teaching them to pilot and fight, you can have history, meditation, galactic lit, you know… that stuff you're better at… and we'll have to put some pictures of Padme around… I hope Leia looks like her… they can't forget her."
"Anakin…" whispered Obi-wan, reaching his shoulder with one of his hands "I'm so sorry."
When he felt the contact, Anakin automatically launched himself into Obi-wan's arms, embracing his waist while he hugged him by the shoulders.
"When did you get so tall?" asked Obi-wan "I think I haven't noticed how much you've grown."
"Don't treat me like a child, please" hispered Anakin.
"Of course not… besides, you're a master now and…"
"Or like a partner, or like a friend or like a brother… I loved her Obi-wan, that's true, but not… not like you think" Anakin raised his eyes, looking into Obi-wan's undefined ones, taking one of his hands to his cheeks "I want them to know who was their mother, and I want them to know that I loved her… but I'm in love with you Obi-wan and… and… and I know its crazy, but I just can't help it. Because I tried, believe me… there were years of denial and…"
Obi-wan decided to kiss him, because he hated when Anakin sounded so insecure. His lips were as soft as he remembered them, as firm and with that intense taste of dark chocolate, a delicious contradiction in themselves.
"I love you too, Anakin" murmured Obi-wan.
"But…"
"I really do, I'm in love with you."
"Good" Anakin nodded, showing a smirk "not that I had doubts or anything."
"You're impossible" Obi-wan rolled his eyes "you cocky bas…"
This time, it was Anakin who decided to cut the other one with a kiss, because after all, this was Obi-wan they were talking about, a man capable of giving the most boring lectures ever. He wondered if he would have to shut him up a lot… he hoped he did.
"I can't even begin to think on how many levels this is wrong" said Obi-wan when they separated.
"Doing something wrong in you're life won't kill you, oh perfect master Kenobi" half smiled Anakin "anyway, between the problems of the Order, darth Sidious and the new order of the Senate, who's going to notice this?"
"You've always had an amazing logic when it comes to getting in troubles" he separated himself completely from Anakin, sitting on a pair of steps in front of the window "it's not going to be easy" Anakin nodded, sitting between Obi-wan's legs and leaning his back on his chest.
"I know, but I've never been one for easy things."
"You can bet on that" the master's arms surrounded the younger one's shoulders "yes… I definitely hope they don't resemble you too much."
"We'll see… by the way."
"Yes?"
"You can also have the part in which we explain them why I liking kissing uncle Obi-wan so much."
FIN