*The Way It Might Have Happened*
Comfort

It had been a hard day for Anakin. Stuck on planet until Obi-Wan cleared the healers' exams, Anakin was being tossed from one Master to another. Ever since Obi-Wan contracted a rare form of Corellian flu, Anakin had been isolated from any contact with his Master. To ensure he didn't spend his time idle, the Council had commanded a series of individualized lessons with Masters who were on planet. Sometimes he practiced with a Master-Padawan team, and other times he received a Master's full attention.

Usually Anakin enjoyed these special lessons. He learned many new things, and was able to experience many different instructional methods. Unfortunately, on this day, Anakin had been assigned to Master Siri. She was a good Master, filled with tricks and intrigue that she was eager to practice on a new audience. Her Padawan, however, was intolerable. Ferus had been Anakin's rival when they were young Padawans, but now that they were both entering the end phase of their apprenticeships, they were more competitive than ever. When he was near, Ferus seemed to look right through Anakin, finding all his faults and showing them to him with Sithly glee. It made Anakin feel uncomfortable and off-balanced, as though every wrong thought and false action was instantly visible to the other Padawan. Having that gaze locked on him for most of the day had drained Anakin of his energy. He had made more mistakes today than he had made in a whole week.

Anakin still had four more days of Siri's instruction to face. Four more days of Ferus' unwavering judgment.

Anakin was at the Med Center almost before he had realized he had come that way. The need to see his Master was strong; he needed someone to make him feel like a Jedi again. He may not be able to talk to Obi-Wan about his feelings, but being in his presence if only for a moment would make Anakin feel like everything was back to normal for a little while.

Before he could enter the sterile-field barrier, a med droid rolled up in front of him. "I'm sorry, but no one is allowed past this point. We are in strict quarantine."

Anakin stretched onto his toes, looking over its head. "I just need to talk to my Master for a moment."

"I'm sorry, but we are in strict quarantine."

"Just let me see him for a second--"

"You are not allowed past this point."

It was pointless to argue with the droid. If he wanted, he could have reprogrammed it, or possibly found the remote to disable it long enough for him to get past, but he was tired and couldn't find the energy. Anakin stretched one last time, bouncing up on his toes, but he could only make out the vague shadow of someone on a bed. It could have been Master Gallia for all Anakin could tell.

Waving a disgusted hand at the droid, Anakin turned around and scuffled back down the hall. He was exhausted, but he didn't want to go back to his quarters. The door to Obi-Wan's quarters were keyed to accept his voiceprint, but Anakin didn't feel like going there either. He didn't want to be around other people, but he didn't want to bealone either. Anakin wandered the vaulted halls, allowing his feet to direct him through the quiet corridors of the Temple.

The Padawan dormitory was quiet, as it always was this time of the evening. Most Padawans were already sleeping, their quiet dreams giving the darkened hallways a surreal feeling. Anakin past his door without activating it; instead, he walked to the very end of the hall, to where Tru Veld had his room.

Tru was Anakin's best friend--his only friend, outside of the droids Anakin made from spare parts he collected late at night. The young man was all energy and good spirits. He could, with a smile, make Anakin almost believe the galaxy held something wonderful for the both of them. The very presence of his friend was soothing.

Anakin's hand barely brushed the keypad before the door swished open. Tru smiled teasingly, leaning against the side of the door with a kind of weary expectance as though Anakin were late for something. The sight of his friend was a like a soothing balm on his nerves. With a little shiver, Anakin released a small portion of his anxiety. All the same, he couldn't bring himself to return the brilliant smile.

Tru straightened himself, moving back into his room. With one long arm, he gestured gracefully inside, inviting Anakin in with a more serious face. "What happened?"

Anakin stepped inside, waving absently at the door. The key activated, and the door slid silently shut. "I--" A long and detailed list of all of Ferus' evil actions had been in the forefront of Anakin's mind, but the sight of Tru's silver eyes squinting with concern pushed it all aside. Ferus was a petty man, and not worth Anakin's time. Instead of complaining, Anakin simply stepped close to his friend and rested his hands on his narrow hips.

Anakin leaned forward, resting his forehead on Tru's shoulder. The lanky Padawan was as tall as Anakin, his long limbs a match for the unusually tall human. In this, as in many things, Anakin felt at home with his friend. With Tru, he wasn't strange, or alone, or a failure, or The Chosen One. He was just Anakin.

Tru wrapped his arms around Anakin's shoulders, gently encouraging him closer. Anakin let the other man support his weight, leaning heavily against him. His hands slipped behind Tru's waist to settle in the small of his back, pulling their hips together.

There was no need for words at that moment. Anakin needed comfort; Tru was happy to give it. That was all that was necessary between them, and it was easily communicated without words.

Tru practically wrapped himself around Anakin as he held him. With any other person it would have been a hyperbole to say that, but Tru's race was particularly flexible. Silvery arms stretched across his back and held his shoulders, making Anakin feel surrounded by his friend. How many times had they done this? How often had he needed this kind of comfort? Too many times, it sometimes felt. And yet, not often enough.

'I shouldn't need this,' Anakin thought to himself. 'A Jedi doesn't need emotion, he has peace.'

"But sometimes even a Jedi needs some help finding peace, yes?"

Anakin was used to his friend starting conversations half-way through, but this time it was like he was reading his mind. "Yes," Anakin absently agreed, moving his face into Tru's neck, pressing into the soft crook there. The skin was incredibly soft, not like his own. Smooth and silvery, like the soft rays of the moon. Anakin rubbed his nose against it, enjoying the rub of their skin together. Tru always felt so good.

Anakin's lips tingled when they brushed Tru's skin--even softer, now. He could barely sense the slow pulse beneath the surface, rushing against his mouth. When Anakin licked his lips, he tasted Tru's flesh as well--sweet against his tongue, like a sugared treat. He licked again, leaving a long line up Tru's neck before rubbing his lips down the slick surface. Soft, and sweet.

Tru quietly purred, then said a faint, "Anakin."

The sound of his name brought Anakin out of the daze he had been in. He tried to pull back, suddenly embarrassed over his actions, but Tru's arms were strong around him. Anakin lifted his head to look at his friend in the eyes. He had wanted to apologize, to blame it on his exhaustion, but before he could say anything, Tru's mouth pressed against his own. It was clumsy, and his teeth bruised the inside of his lip, but it also felt sweet. Like Tru's skin had felt. Tasted. Whatever. It was good, and when Tru pulled back, Anakin moved in himself.

It was softer this time, more like a kiss should be. Two lips meeting two lips, a little sucking, and then he pulled away. It was so new, something he had never done with another Padawan.

"I don't--"

They started and stopped at the same time, both flushing at the shared thought.

"I haven't--"

This time, laughter, as they found themselves again sharing the same thought. It was a comfortable laughter, lifting the little bit of tension that had crept into the room.

Instead of speaking, this time Tru tilted his head back towards his sleeping area, his eyes sparkling like sunshine on silver waves. They always danced when he was excited, reminding Anakin of the pictures he had seen of Tru's homeworld. Anakin nodded in reply, not trusting himself to speak properly. It was a whole new world for him--for both of them. They would figure it out together.

They unwrapped themselves slowly, giving each other plenty of time for more kisses, each touch of their lips bolder and wiser than the time before. Long fingers wrapped around Anakin's hand as Tru tugged him towards the bed, smiling through one last kiss. The room was small, and in a few long strides there were beside the bed. Reluctantly, Tru's fingers fell from Anakin's hand, and they parted.

Nervousness again settled between them. Anakin was the one to break it first, lifting his foot to undo the clasps of his boots. He took the heel in hand and pulled the boot off his foot, settling it neatly by the bed. He wadded up his sock and tossed it down the leg of the boot before starting on his other foot. Tru quickly followed suit, toeing off the thick socks he wore around his room.

They both stripped down to the waist, leaving their clothes folded beside each other on the chair. When it came to getting any more naked, they were both embarrassed again. It was silly; they had seen each other naked on many occasion, but it was never like this. Anakin could feel himself hard and eager inside his leggings, and he could see that Tru was also excited. They stared at each other for a long moment, then Tru stepped across the small space between them to take Anakin in his arms again.

They kissed, this time bolder than ever. Tru opened his mouth and licked across Anakin's lips, flickering against the line of his mouth. When he pressed against the corner, Anakin finally opened his own mouth, letting Tru's tongue slip inside. It was a strange thing to have another man's tongue in his mouth, but it was as sweet and soft and wonderful as the rest of Tru, so Anakin liked it. He licked it back, enjoying the friction of their tongues against each other.

Tru's fingers were sneaking down Anakin's spine while he was distracted. When one hand slipped under the band of his leggings, Anakin gave a long shiver. Tru stopped everything, his lips simply resting against Anakin's while he waited for his friend to make up his mind. Anakin paused for a heartbeat, two, three, then he moved his hips side to side, enjoying the solid shift of long fingers and warm, rough palm against his ass. He tilted his chin again, licking along the inside of Tru's upper lip.

When Tru finally touched his erection, Anakin released a long, low groan. It startled him, the noise, because the room had been so silent before. Tru made a cooing noise back, then he wrapped his long fingers around Anakin's penis, squeezing a little too hard. But that was good too, and Anakin moaned again, his mind pulling away from everything but that incredible touch. At some point, he stopped kissing, and just pressed his cheek to Tru's, groaning with every rough stroke.

It didn't take long before he was shuddering his release into Tru's hand, his hitching breaths echoed back as Tru rubbed against his thigh.

***

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