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Part 60 of Anakin/Obi-Wan
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2022-01-24
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truth enlightens the mind

Summary:

Quinlan returns to the Temple

Notes:

I had a few people ask for this, including an anon on Tumblr (which I have now lost that ask in the endless amount of reblogging that I do) so to that Anon, this one is also for you!

I'm very behind on replying to comments, but I truly appreciate them all and I will get to them! Mwah!

(See the end of the work for more notes and other works inspired by this one.)

Work Text:

“Hello, Obi,” Quinlan said with a smug smile on his face. 

Obi-Wan stopped in his tracks and quickly closed the door behind him. “What are you doing here?” he practically hissed. 

“What am I doing here?” Quinlan asked, folding his arms in front of him, the same teasing grin plastered to his face. “What are you doing here? Aren’t these Anakin’s quarters?” he asked innocently. 

Obi-Wan could feel the rush of blood to his face as he took in a deep breath. 

“I’m surprised you didn’t know I was coming back for a mission,” Quinlan continued nonchalantly. 

“I knew,” Obi-Wan ground out. 

“So I went by your quarters to pay a visit,” Quinlan shrugged. 

“Then would you mind telling me what exactly you are doing here,” Obi-Wan frowned. 

Quinlan walked to the couch and placed a hand on it before closing his eyes and the pit that had originally formed in Obi-Wan’s stomach suddenly turned into a crater. 

Opening his eyes, Quinlan stared at Obi-Wan, shaking his head slowly as the sneaky smile never left his face. “Obi,” he pretended to scold. 

“Quinlan,” Obi-Wan snapped. 

Quinlan flopped on the couch, casually relaxing as he stretched out his legs. “I came here looking for a fuck,” he said easily. “But I get the sense that you don’t need one.” 

Obi-Wan huffed, thinking better of forcing Quinlan to just leave. He sat on the opposite end of the couch, his arms crossed in front of him. 

“Or did I misread that?” Quinlan teased again and Obi-Wan somehow resisted strangling him. 

The door suddenly opened again and Anakin walked inside, his eyes on his datapad. He finally looked up to shut the door and saw both Quinlan and Obi-Wan on his couch.  

Clearly taken aback at the sight in front of him, he tried to compose a believable lie. “Uh,” he started awkwardly. “What are you doing… here, Master?” he asked stiltedly. “And with Master Vos too?” 

Smooth, Anakin thought to himself and resisted the urge to beat his palm against his forehead. 

“You never were a very good liar, kid,” Quinlan said with a small smirk. 

Anakin looked to Obi-Wan who seemed to be steaming in annoyance, red tinging his face. 

“He knows, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said flatly. 

Before Anakin could ask how, Obi-Wan explained, “He touched your couch.” 

Fuck. A red blush immediately tinted his cheeks and thought he might crumple into the floor. He seemed rooted to the spot, despite wanting to flee, and swallowed thickly as fear raced through him. 

“I came to pay your master-” Quinlan stopped himself and waved a hand in the air in an exaggerated gesture. “I’m sorry, former master, a visit, but couldn’t find him in his quarters and I couldn’t imagine where he could be.”

“And you found me so now you can leave,” Obi-Wan said quickly. 

“Imagine my surprise when I found out he was probably at his padawan’s, I mean, former padawan’s quarters,” Quinlan finished, staring directly at Obi-Wan. 

Anakin thought Obi-Wan’s hair might actually set on fire with the color that his cheeks now were. 

“Get a drink with me tonight,” Quinlan said, still staring directly at Obi-Wan. “I’ll come to your place.” He stood from the couch. “You know, your actual place.” 

“Fine,” Obi-Wan snapped. “Just get out.” 

Quinlan walked past Anakin and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Nice to see you again, kid.” 

“I’m not a kid,” Anakin bristled at the use of the word. 

“Don’t I know it,” Quinlan quipped back and finally left. 

Anakin let out a shaky breath and rushed to the couch where Obi-Wan was still sitting. 

“Master!” Anakin said urgently in a hushed whisper as if anyone else might hear them. “He’s not going to…” He didn’t want to finish that thought. 

“No,” Obi-Wan shook his head and placed a hand on Anakin’s knee. “He’s not that type of person.” 

It was at least a little relief to hear Obi-Wan say that. 

“Take a deep breath, dear one,” Obi-Wan said gently and Anakin did as he was told, taking in a shaky breath and releasing it. 

“Then why does he want to meet with you tonight?” Anakin asked eventually. 

“Because he wants to be sure to keep his title as the most annoying person in the galaxy,” Obi-Wan frowned. 

As amusing as that statement was, Anakin was finding it difficult to laugh at the moment. 

“Nothing is going to happen between Quin and me,” Obi-Wan promised in a soft voice. 

Anakin shook his head and cast his gaze to the floor. “I wasn’t worried about that.” 

“Good,” Obi-Wan whispered. “I know you are worried, but I will take care of this,” he promised. 

Anakin nodded, letting out a long exhale. “I love you, Master,” he said softly. 

“I love you too, Anakin,” Obi-Wan assured him. 

Obi-Wan’s quarters always seemed so empty now that he always had Anakin with him. Anakin’s quarters were lively, filled with his laugh and his warmth and his teasing. 

In contrast, Obi-Wan’s quarters were stale and cold. 

He sat at his kitchen table after pulling out the whiskey and two cups. And since now was not the time to be abstemious, he poured himself a cup. 

He had no idea how long Quin was going to torture him before actually arriving and, in truth, he had little idea of what he was even going to say. 

It was time to just sit with this feeling of unease as he waited for… a dressing down from his friend? Scolded like a padawan? 

Coming from Quin, that would be a sight to see. 

“Nice to see you again, Obi,” Quinlan said as he walked into Obi-Wan’s quarters. 

“It’s Obi-Wan,” Obi-Wan corrected. 

Quinlan smirked as he took a seat at the table and poured himself a cup of whiskey. “You always had good taste,” he said as he took a sip. “Well, I thought you did anyway.” 

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and sighed as he finished what was in his cup. Pouring himself another, he asked in a tight voice, “I was wondering how long it would take to get to that subject.” 

“‘That subject’,” Quinlan mused. “You mean fucking your padawan?” 

Obi-Wan buried his face in his hands and dragged them down so his eyes were exposed. “Former,” he corrected into his hands. 

“Right,” Quinlan nodded. “Former.” 

“Nothing happened until well after he was knighted,” Obi-Wan defended and took another long drink. “And it honestly took me by surprise.” 

Quinlan nodded along. 

“He was caught up on Padme for so long, how would I have suspected anything?” Obi-Wan continued, seemingly unable to stop from talking, his voice rising in slight panic. 

“Don’t most padawans develop a crush on their master?” Quin shrugged. “I know you did.” 

Obi-Wan’s frown deepened. “Like I said, he only had eyes for Padme and I am fairly sure he actually despised me towards the end of his apprenticeship.” 

“So it caught you completely by surprise,” Quinlan repeated. 

“That’s what I said,” Obi-Wan said flatly. 

Quinlan seemed to consider it and took a drink, settling back into his chair. 

“Did you come here just to tell me I’m a complete fool?” Obi-Wan snapped defensively. 

“Yep,” Quinlan nodded and took another drink. “Pretty much.”

“Well, thank you, but I’m already very much aware,” Obi-Wan grumbled. 

“And yet…” Quinlan said, leaning forward. “You still continue.” 

Obi-Wan huffed and set his cup on the table. “I cannot believe we are having this conversation.” 

“Me neither,” Quinlan said honestly. 

Obi-Wan glanced up, meeting Quinlan’s gaze. “I love him, Quin,” he said in a low voice. If he couldn’t be vulnerable now, when could he be? 

Quinlan didn’t say anything as he took another drink. 

“And I do not have any doubt that he loves me in return,” Obi-Wan continued. He suddenly wished he had something on his person from Anakin that he could tell Quinlan to touch and truly feel the love that he knew Anakin had for him. 

Quinlan seemed to be considering something as he set the cup down on the table. “I always knew you were a rebel, Obi,” he shrugged. “I guess I never considered it in quite this way.” 

“It’s Obi-Wan,” Obi-Wan corrected again. “And… I did not expect this either.” 

Snorting, Quinlan picked up his cup again. “Too bad because it’s been awhile for me,” he smirked. 

“You can’t just show up expecting to fuck,” Obi-Wan said, relaxing slightly and raising an eyebrow. 

“Why not?” Quinlan asked. “It’s what we used to do.” 

Obi-Wan hummed thoughtfully. “I suppose,” he replied. “But… not anymore.” 

Quinlan leaned forward again, scrutinizing Obi-Wan’s features before taking a drink. “Tell me honestly,” he started slowly. “Is it worth it?” 

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said without hesitation. 

Sighing, Quinlan settled back into his chair again. “I guess I have to find somebody else to fuck me,” he said casually. 

Obi-Wan let out a short, sharp laugh. “I suppose you will.” He took another drink and felt himself relaxing more and more. “Sorry to deny you.” 

“I’ll drink all your whiskey instead,” Quinlan teased. 

“You would have anyway,” Obi-Wan huffed. 

“Why are you still awake?” Obi-Wan whispered as he stepped into their bedroom and saw Anakin sitting up in bed, reading something from his datapad. 

Though he knew the answer (and he was sure Obi-Wan did too), Anakin shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep without you maybe.” 

Obi-Wan gave him a warm smile before disrobing and changing into his sleep clothes. 

“You smell like whiskey,” Anakin murmured when Obi-Wan crawled into bed with him.

“I had a few,” Obi-Wan laughed softly. 

“How did it go?” Anakin asked, not even bothering to mask his apprehension. 

“He’s as annoying as ever,” Obi-Wan said lightly. 

“But…?” Anakin pressed. 

“But everything is fine,” Obi-Wan promised. “Just like I said it would be.” 

Anakin chuckled and rested his head on Obi-Wan’s chest, breathing out a sigh of relief. “I guess I should listen to you more often.” 

“Say that again,” Obi-Wan teased. 

“No,” Anakin said, pretending to be serious. “That’s as much as you’re getting from me tonight, old man.” 

“Oh?” Obi-Wan asked innocently. “After I just told Quinlan how much I love you and how despite every potential repercussion, I would not change a thing about us?” 

Anakin propped himself on an elbow and peered down at Obi-Wan. “Did you really say that?”

“I did,” Obi-Wan nodded. 

“Master,” Anakin blushed, ducking his head. “Well, I feel the same way,” he said seriously and laid back down, resting his head on Obi-Wan’s chest. 

“I had no doubt,” Obi-Wan murmured and closed his eyes. 

“Hey, kid,” Quinlan said, walking into the hangar where Anakin was working on the Twilight.  

“Not a kid,” Anakin said with a frown. 

“You don’t happen to know where your master is, do you?” Quinlan asked, ignoring the correction. 

“He’s not my master anymore,” Anakin said through gritted teeth and pointedly walked away. 

“Doesn’t change my question,” Quinlan pressed, following Anakin as he climbed the ladder. 

Anakin huffed and crossed his arms in front of him, facing Quinlan as he climbed onto the platform. “No, I don’t know. He said he had something to do this morning, but I don’t know what it was,” he said flatly. 

Quinlan seemed to ponder that piece of information for a bit and Anakin turned away again to gather his tools and head into the cockpit. 

Quinlan, of course, followed him. 

“What are you working on?” Quinlan asked, sitting in the co-pilot’s seat. 

“The buttons on the dash are shorting out,” Anakin said dismissively. He pried off a panel, exposing a mess of wiring. He took off the glove covering his mech hand as he usually did when he needed more dexterity than a gloved hand could offer him. 

When Quinlan didn’t seem to be going away of his own volition, Anakin said shortly, “I can do this myself. I don’t need an observer.” 

“Obi teach you this?” Quinlan asked, again ignoring the question. 

Snorting, Anakin shook his head. “No.” He glanced back at Quinlan who was eyeing him curiously. “Why do you call him Obi?” 

“I’ve always called him that. He hates it,” Quinlan shrugged. 

Anakin laughed. “Yeah, he does,” he agreed and turned his attention back to the wiring. 

“And it’s funny to see him flustered by it,” Quinlan grinned. He leaned over the arm of the co-pilot’s chair and watched over Anakin’s shoulder. 

“He gets flustered by a lot,” Anakin said casually. “He just doesn’t like to admit it.” 

Quinlan let out a booming laugh that filled the small cockpit. “If that doesn’t describe Obi, I don’t know what does.” 

Anakin found himself laughing along with Quinlan despite his prior teasing. “He also does this thing where he gets really worked up and unfocused and the only way to knock it out of him is to get him to lecture me about something.” 

“It’s one of his favorite pastimes,” Quinlan chuckled. 

Grinning, Anakin nodded along with Quinlan. “Why are you looking for Obi?” he asked wryly. 

“I wanted to talk about the strategy meeting this afternoon and get his opinion on something.” Quinlan sat back in the seat and kicked his feet on the dash. “Now I’m just hoping he decides to show up for it.”

Anakin huffed. “Don’t worry,” he said flatly. “He’d never miss one of those.” He took his screwdriver and carefully unscrewed a plate covering a bit of exposed wires. 

“Always the rule follower, our Obi,” Quinlan said. “Well, maybe not always,” he teased. 

Anakin set down the screwdriver and turned to face Quinlan. “Did you come here to lecture me too?” 

Quinlan removed his feet from the dash and leaned forward, looking directly into Anakin’s eyes. “Kid,” he started and corrected himself when Anakin rolled his eyes. “Anakin. Knight Skywalker. Just… be careful.” 

Anakin sighed and averted his gaze before meeting Quinlan’s again. “I know what I’m doing.” 

“You always were stubborn,” Quinlan smirked and sat back again. 

“I hear that a lot,” Anakin snorted and turned back to his work. He took hold of a wire and pulled, sparks flying. Any lights on the dash suddenly shut out and Anakin groaned, letting his head drop back. 

“What were you saying about knowing what you’re doing?” Quinlan teased. 

Anakin picked up his screwdriver and threw it at Quinlan who caught it before it hit him in the chest. 

Just as Anakin predicted, Obi-Wan was early for the strategy meeting and he seemed a little more relaxed than he was last night, even joking with Quinlan as the meeting ended. 

Whatever Obi-Wan had had to do that morning clearly had put him in a better mood and Anakin was thankful for that. Their evening had been filled with such apprehension, that it was nice to think even for a moment that they could go back to their usual easiness. 

That’s what Anakin really loved about Obi-Wan - how he could make everything feel easy.  

It was easy to forgive him, it was easy to be with him, it was easy to love him. 

“I have something for you,” Obi-Wan said quietly as they walked back to their quarters. 

Anakin turned his head to look at Obi-Wan, a small smile playing on his lips. “What is it?” he pressed, now immensely curious. 

“I’ll show you when we’re home,” Obi-Wan said, continuing to smile. 

“Obi-Wan!” Anakin laughed. “You can’t just say you have something for me and then tell me I have to wait.” 

“You have to wait five minutes, Anakin,” Obi-Wan teased. 

“And you couldn’t wait that five minutes to tell me?” Anakin shot back playfully. 

“Perhaps we’re both a little impatient,” Obi-Wan said thoughtfully. 

Anakin huffed and picked up his pace. When they finally stepped inside their quarters, he rounded on Obi-Wan. “What is it?” he asked impatiently. 

Obi-Wan reached into a side pocket and clutched something in his palm, his fingers closed tightly around it. “I want to preface this with something,” he said as he watched Anakin’s intense stare on the still covered item in his hand. 

Anakin lifted his head to look at Obi-Wan, matching his eyeline. 

“I was thinking last night…” Obi-Wan began slowly and Anakin saw a hint of a blush come to his face. “Well, I was thinking that you don’t carry anything of me with you.”

“What?” Anakin asked, cocking his head to the side. 

“As in, you don’t have something tangible from me that reminds you how deeply I truly care for you,” Obi-Wan explained.

“Okay,” Anakin said, drawing the word out. 

“So this morning, I went out and found something for you.” He finally opened his hand revealing a thin wood ring. 

Anakin let out a small breath and picked up the ring between his forefinger and thumb, examining it closely. The fine lines of the wood changed from almost white to a warm shade of red with every imaginable shade in between. 

“It’s wood from an Alderaanian rainbow tree,” Obi-Wan explained in a soft voice. “I thought since you often wear gloves, it would be easily concealed.”

“Master,” Anakin breathed and finally looked at Obi-Wan. He pulled off the glove covering his right hand and fit the ring over his mechanical forefinger - the wood a warm contrast to the harsh durasteel.

Obi-Wan just smiled warmly, still looking at Anakin with unalterable affection. 

“I don’t have anything for you,” Anakin frowned. 

“I don’t need anything,” Obi-Wan said, brushing away Anakin’s concern. “But I wanted you to have this so you never forget.”

“As if I could forget,” Anakin said, pulling his mouth into a teasing smile as he finished the sentence with, “Obi.”

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and huffed. “You’ve been speaking to Quin, I see.” 

Anakin chuckled and wrapped his arms around Obi-Wan’s shoulders. “Don’t worry,” he teased. “I won’t call you that very often.” 

“Ever,” Obi-Wan corrected, returning the hug with his arms around Anakin’s waist. “You won’t call me that ever.” 

“Okay, old man,” Anakin grinned, his eyes smiling with it. He pressed his forehead to Obi-Wan’s and closed his eyes. “I love you,” he whispered, brushing his nose against Obi-Wan’s. 

“I love you too,” Obi-Wan replied, his voice soft and gentle as he pulled Anakin closer to him. 

Notes:

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