#this was honestly supposed to cover both convincing obi

[sabraeal]

Happiness Is Just Around the Corner

The Wide Florida Bay | Previous

Written for @bubblesthemonsterartist for her birthday! This was...not the fic I thought I’d be writing, but this is where this subplot needed to start >:3c

There is an improbable amount of fireworks on the lawn.

“Oh, I’m pretty sure none of it’s legal,” Kiki assures him, taking a long drag of her Sam’s Summer. “Shiira took his ducklings up to New Hampshire yesterday, and they came back with two coolers worth of...something.”

Zen coughs on the dregs of his Magic Hat. “What? Should we even--?”

Kiki’s flat stare is more effective than a hand over his mouth. “You really think we’ll get in trouble.”

His gut instinct is yes, because there’s not a day in his life where his brother hasn’t caught him with his pants down just to prove a point. It would be just like him to send a cruiser around so that he could experience the heart-stopping terror of being on the other side of a two-way mirror. Sure, Haruka would be down at the station before he could even ask for a phone call, and all of this would slide off his permanent record like water off a duck’s back, but still-- trouble.

But he doesn’t say that. He takes a deep breath, thinks. It’s quiet here on campus. They’re rowdy, sure, but it’s just the frat there, not some rager with Omega Delta Nu. The campus cops are probably bored out of their skulls, but they’re not going to nail the honor’s frat for a light show.

“No,” he admits, begrudgingly. “Not unless they light something on fire.”

Her mouth twitches, following the spark in her eyes. “Well, there’s a non-zero chance of that.”

Ugh, of course Kiki would be excited by the prospect. “Well, as long as we don’t get--” Obi crosses the lawn, aviators looming over a wide smile, and hovers just at Shiira’s shoulder, perusing the goods. “UH.”

“Fuck.” Kiki hops off the porch, straight down into the landscaping. “I’ll handle this.”

Zen settles back against the porch swing and sighs, taking another swig of Magic Hat. “Yeah, please do.”

Kiki’s already halfway across the lawn by the time he’s finished talking, so quick that when Obi picks up a particularly patriotic package of pyrotechnics, she’s there to snatch it out of his hands. Even from here, Zen can see the jut of his pout, hear the faint whine of Ms Kiki on the air.

Mitsuhide’s lighting up the grill, surrounded by a crowd convinced cooking works by consensus. He takes a handkerchief out of his back pocket-- stars and stripes, stuffed there early this morning as Obi solemnly announced, you are America’s hat today, big guy-- and wipes the sweat beading on his forehead. Zen can’t tell whether it’s from the heat or from the effort needed to withstand six guys offering advice on proper grilling technique.

A cool breeze tumbles through the porch, carrying the muted voices of a dozen conversations. Zen closes his eyes, letting the smell of smoke and the heat of the day wash over him, the swing rocking gently on its chains.

It’s nice, having all this. People he can anticipate. People he can depend on. Friends. The real kind, not just kids whose parents went to the same prep school as his.

This isn’t where he’s supposed to be.

A year ago that would have sent him scrambling-- last minute tickets and crumpled up itineraries paired with the crushing guilt of never being enough. But now--

Now he knows this is where he wants to be. And there’s only one person to thank for that.

“Hey.” His eyes slit open, and there she is, brilliant smile and bright hair, peeping around the post. “Enjoying yourself?”

Zen drops his legs from the rail to make room. “I am now.”

Shirayuki’s mouth slants, playfully wry, and his heart strains against his sternum like a dog testing its leash. “It looked like you were before too.”

“Well, sure.” He wishes he had Obi’s obnoxious aviators right now, if only so she couldn’t see the eager way he watches her as she comes up, tucking herself neatly onto the opposite end of the swing. “But even more now that you’re around.”

Freckles disappear behind a bloom of pink, settling in on either cheek.  “Ah, w-well,” she stammers, staring at her bare toes. “It’s good to know you don’t regret staying here.”

“Instead of being with my family?” He laughs, incredulous, draping his arm over the back of the swing. His fingers just barely brush the freckles on her shoulder. “More like I’m thankful for the excuse.”

Her smile dims. “Oh, um, right. You and Izana...”

She hesitates. There’s a wealth of ways she could end that thought, but instead she says, “It must be nice. I mean, the place your family has, not...”

The fraught relationship you have with your brother. She doesn’t have to say it for him to know exactly what she means.

“It’s all right, I guess,” he allows, wishing she’d sit closer, that she’d give him a good reason to put his arm around her for real, and not just let him awkwardly hang here. “I mean, it’s just a house. The beach is nice though. Private, of course.”

That doesn’t stop his mother from inviting the paparazzi if she thinks it will make a good photo op. Last year he’d made the cover of the Inquirer, face scrunched and unattractive as Izana has splashed sea water in his face, with the words Final Frolic for World’s Most Eligible Bachelor? There had been a two-page spread inside, dedicated entirely to the relationship rumors Izana had accrued since Valentine’s Day.

Well, he didn’t have to worry about that this year. No paparazzo was going to stake out a college frat to take pictures of an illegal fireworks show. Now Haki could deal with having her picture slapped across the tabloids because mother thought candid shots made for better family photos.

“Ah, right...” Her laugh stutters out, awkward and endearing. “That sounds...good?”

Shirayuki’s still next to him, the heat from her skin humid against his fingertips, but she’s never felt so far. He grunts, frustrated, shifting closer.

“There’s an old carousel on the island too,” he offers, haltingly. He’s not sure why the impulse takes him to tell her; why he thinks she, specifically, might like it, save that when he looks at her it’s the same as when he saw those hand-carved horses the first time, well-loved and shining beneath antique lights.

“Oh!” She blinks. “My grandparents took me to one of those, once! Back when we visited...”

Her mouth works silently for a moment before pulling tight, the bittersweet twist making her smile more grimace than grin.

“Well, you’d love this one,” he assures her, sweat pricking at his palms. “It’s the oldest in the US. But it’s still really nice! I’ll take you next--”

His words slam to a stop, running headlong into the barrier of his teeth. She’s staring at him now, eyes wide and mouth parted, and-- and what can he say? I’ll take you next year, when my brother suddenly approves of you.

Yeah, he knows better than to hold his breath for that.

“I’m glad, anyway.” She folds her legs up on the swing, one arm hooked around her knees, and tilts her head back. “It’s nice for all of us to be here, together.”

Her eyes are closed, face serene in the evening light, like she could just sit here forever, breathing into the twilight. His heart flutters just looking at her, at the way she relaxes next to him, content with the slow rock he eases them into. No one can just be the way Shirayuki can.

“It is,” he agrees softly, because anything but a whisper might break this moment, might let the rest of the world in. “It’s going to be weird when you...”

He tries to stop himself, but her eyes fly open before he can. Of course, the one moment he’s gotten her to himself, and he’s gone and ruined it by bringing that up.

“I just mean...” He laughs, tipping his head back on scroll of wood behind his head. “It’s going to be strange when you and Obi are gone next year.”

A month from now, really. It looms over him, a ticking clock that chimes every evening, telling him he’s wasted another day if it wasn’t with her.

“Oh!” Her head snaps upright, cheeks flushed. “I-- I guess. I didn’t really think...” She bites her lip; he wants to kiss it. “Mitsuhide won’t be here either!”

He blinks. It’s true, but he’s never actually thought about that. Mitsuhide has always been in the house, it seems, never the president but a calming influence just to the side of him, and now--

Well, it’ll just be him and Kiki next year. And the rest of the frat, of course, plus all the new pledges.

Still, the future is distinctly more lonely than he’d like.

“He’ll be close, though,” he says, if only to hear the words out loud. “Harvard is a bit of a drive from here, but now that him and Kiki are, you know...”

Banging. That’s what he means to say at least, what he would say if he didn’t, last minute, remember who he was talking to. The last thing he needs is to get a scolding about taking feelings seriously and supporting their friends. Especially when he’d rather be talking about another relationship entirely.

“...Together,” he settles on, and she hums, approving.

“I’m glad that happened.” She rests her chin on her knees, surveying the lawn. Kiki’s abandoned the fireworks committee, instead shooing away the flock of fraters that have congregated around the grill. “They’re good for each other.”

“Made for each other,” he agrees, tickling her shoulder with his thumb. She squirms, a giggle bubbling out from her lips. “Just like...”

Us. He wants to say it, so bad it’s almost an ache, but-- it’s not fair. Not when they’re not really anything, when they can’t be anything, because--

I don’t know if being with me like…like that will be…good for you. I don’t think either of us are ready for that sort of…of attention.

-- Because everything about his life makes things complicated.

“I’m...happy for them,” he says, because he is, because there’s no two people in the world who deserve every bit of goodness they can wring from life more than they do. Even if that leaves him on the outside, again.

“Me too.” Shirayuki smiles, soft and fond, and it’s impossible to believe it’s barely been ten months since he met her, that she isn’t someone he’s known his whole life, not when she just slips seamlessly into every part.

Her hand reaches out, taking his, cool in the evening breeze. “I’ll miss you too.”

His breath catches in his chest, painful. Maybe she feels so familiar because he’s been waiting for her his whole life, too.

“I-I mean, all of you, of course,” she stammers, pink flooding her cheeks, and oh, he wishes he could just lean over now and kiss her, like he was some normal boy with a normal crush and normal expectations of privacy. “I’m excited to go, but...it won’t be the same without everyone.”

Good. He smothers a grin. This whole trip is a great opportunity for her, he knows that-- how could he not, when Izana keeps reminding him about the connections she’ll make-- but--

Two years seems excessive. After a year, she’ll realize that too. And then she can come back for senior year, live in the frat, graduate, spend the summer with him in the Vineyard, and--

“We should do something together,” she says, fingers knotted around his, shoulders rounded shyly.

“Yes!” he blurts out, squeezing way too hard. “Definitely”

“All of us!”

“Ah...” That wasn’t what he thought she was going for. “I mean...”

“One last big adventure.” Her lips spread giddily. “Just the five of us. For now, of course,” she adds, “we’ll be coming back.”

“Oh, ah...” He blinks, staring down at where her hands are tangled with his. She has little over a month left here, and what he really wants is to be doing this, this whole...being together thing, but--

But it’s not like this is going anywhere either. Two years is a long time, but they’ll be sitting here just like this when she gets back. Well-- with more kissing, he hopes.

He can wait. He’s not the only one who will miss her. “Yeah, that sounds...nice.”

His eyes flick up, catching her just as she sinks teeth into the soft pillow of her lip, leaving a dent that begs to be soothed. Zen swallows, hard.

Well, a friendly getaway will have its opportunities for some, ah, private time too. He just has to create them.

“I was thinking,” he starts, lifting a hand to ruffle his hair, trying to be, you know, casual. “What if we--?”

“Hey.” Kiki perches herself across from them with a deftness that says she’s been hanging out with Obi too much. “Burgers are off the grill.”

“Great,” Zen grits out with a glare. “We’ll be down in a minute.”

Kiki hums, brow raising dubiously. “What are you two up to out here?”

“Nothing.” He glowers at her, wishing she would just take a hint. “Just talking.”

“Ah.” Her mouth twitches. “I see.”

“We were just talking about taking a trip!” Shirayuki blurts out excitedly, red-faced and glowing. “All of us! One last adventure before me and Obi go to Lyrias.”

Kiki blinks at that, cocking her head. “What were you thinking?”

“Oh, um, I don’t know.” A giggle burst nervously from her as she smooths the hem of her shorts over her thighs. “We hadn’t really gotten that far.”

All right, it’s time to drag this conversation back on track. Zen clears his throat. “Kiki, doesn’t your dad have that house in the Berkshires? We could go for a weekend, maybe take in the--”

“Why? We’re already in western Mass. What will a forty minute drive get us?” She wrinkles her nose. “It isn’t even peak foliage season.”

Privacy, he wants to say, but he knows how poorly that idea would fly with her. For someone who always seems to find time to be alone with her boytoy, Kiki’s awfully invested in seeing that he never has any with his girl...thing.

“Hm, I wasn’t really think a trip-trip either,” Shirayuki admits, crushing his dreams of a nice afternoon alone in a hammock, just the two of them and their bathing suits. “But something like an, ah...activity. Like an amusement park.” She perks. “Do you have something like that out here?”

“Six Flags!” he blurts out before he can even consider what he’s saying. “It’s only a half hour away, and the coasters are supposed to be some of the best. I mean, if you, ah, like that sort of thing.”

Which he doesn’t, but there’s really no need to mention that. Not when she lights up like she does, hands clapping together over her heart.

“That sounds perfect! I’ve never been to one of those.” She leans in, conspiratorial. “Opa always got vertigo on the Turkish Twist.”

He may not know what that thing is, but it sounds gut-wrenching enough to keep in head in the trash for a good ten minutes. Zen plasters a smile on his face, steadfastly ignoring the arch look Kiki gives him-- god, that’s the last thing he needs, Kiki deciding it would be funny to tell the story of when they rode the Tower of Terror in middle school-- and says, “I’ll go on any ride you want.”

Kiki makes an unearthly noise, somewhere between a cough and a choke, and he braces for it, for the you know, Zen can tell you the location of every trashcan in Hollywood Studios--

“When were you thinking?” she says instead, mouth just barely twitching at the corner. “It’s going to be busy this weekend.”

“Oh!” Shirayuki’s eyes round, matching the curve of her mouth. “I didn’t think of that. It doesn’t have to be right now. Maybe in another...week? Or so?”

Kiki whips out her phone, flicking through with one finger. “How about...the seventeenth?”

“Ah...” Shirayuki squints, eyes rolling upward like her brain is an open book she can skim for answers. “Y-yes. I think that’s all right.”

Zen stares. “Did you just...pick a random date?”

“No.” Kiki clicks her screen off, slipping it back into her pocket. “This weekend will still have traffic from the fourth. Next week we’re supposed to submit our paperwork to the student affairs office for this semester, and I know you haven’t started. I don’t want to go during a weekend rush, and Thursday is far into the week where if we have any last second problems with student affairs, we won’t have to reschedule.” She holds out a hand, ta-da. “The seventeenth.”

It’s not fair how she can just...do all that. “W-well, all right. But we still have to make sure that Obi and Mitsuhide--”

“Hey, Obi,” Kiki calls out, catching his attention as he cuts across the lawn toward them. “What are you doing on July seventeenth?”

In full sunlight, in the view of every member of the frat, Obi stumbles over absolutely nothing. “W-what?”

“July seventeenth.” she repeats archly as he slinks up beside her, arms resting on the rail. “Are you doing anything.”

When he thinks of Obi at rest, he thinks of languid limbs, of a frustratingly canted smile and glittering eyes, but--

He’s not any of that now. His troublesome mouth lays in a tense line, the corners of his eyes creased and wary. “Why?”

“We want to go somewhere, all five of us,” Shirayuki informs him giddily, mouth stretching from ear to hear. “And Zen suggested Six Flags--”

“Oh no.” He holds up his hands, shaking his head. “No way. Hard pass. I don’t do amusement parks.”

Kiki arches a brow, unimpressed. “Is that so.”

“Yeah.” He tosses his head, mouth straining towards casual derision and falling short. “Not my scene.”

“Oh really.” The mild look Kiki levels at him had leveled lesser men, but Obi only flinches. “Too cool for them, huh?”

His shoulders twitch. “Sure, we’ll go with that.”

“Ohh,” Zen grins, enjoying the way Obi squirms like a cat with his head caught in a fence. “So you mean that’s not really the reason? You have some other secret, terrible Bugs Bunny trauma in your past, maybe?”

“Well, I have to tell you,” Obi says loftily, “I’ve never really cared for Yosemite Sam.”

Shirayuki frowns. “We really don’t have to--”

“I think we all know this is just to obscure your Lola Bunny fetish,” Kiki deadpans.

“Excuse me?” Obi presses a hand to his chest, aghast. “Space Jam is a formative experience. To say any of us don’t owe Lola Bunny--”

“Hey.” Mitsuhide hops up the steps, wiping the sweat pouring down his neck. Zen valiantly doesn’t notice how Kiki stares. “The burgers have been done for a bit. What’s keeping all of you?”

“Obi is allergic to fun,” Kiki informs him, earning a shocked gasp from Obi.

“That’s not it!” he protests. “You just want to go to Six Flags--”

“Oh, Six Flags!” Mitsuhide’s mouth break into a guileless grin. “I love amusement parks.”

Obi stares, jaw slack. “Big Guy, don’t do this to me...”

Zen grins. “I dunno, Obi. Looks like you’re outvoted.”

Shirayuki shifts beside him, wringing her hands. “Oh no, I don’t think-- if Obi doesn’t want to go, we can just pick--”

“Nah.” Obi waves her off, one hand clasping at his shoulder. “You guys can do what you want. I’ll just sit this one out.”

“Obi--”

“I better check in on Shiira,” he says, stilted. “Don’t want them blowing up the front forty by accident.”

Shirayuki half stands, but it’s too late, he’s already sauntering away, laughing at he calls out to the brothers on the lawn.

“Don’t worry, Shirayuki.” Mitsuhide assures her with a clap on her shoulder. “He’ll come around.”

“I...” Zen watches the way her mouth sets, too knowing, a grim white line cutting through the flush of her face. “I don’t know about that.”

[moontheoretist]

“Am I hallucinating?” he asks Bruce the next time he opens his eyes. Thor’s there too, but the room is otherwise empty. He’s surprised by how lonely that leaves him feeling, because even if he knows he's hallucinating, that doesn't mean he doesn't want Steve and Bucky around him. It turns out these pesky emotions are a lot harder to push aside when he’s drugged. “Hallucinating?” Bruce echoes, eyebrows drawing together. Tony’s only seen him once or twice since he woke up, but there’s new lines in Bruce’s face. Even Thor seems burdened, and he’s not sure why. “I keep seeing Steve and Bucky hanging around. Actually, I keep seeing all of you in here and I don’t know why. I thought maybe this was just a dream where I’d been rescued. I had a lot of those in Afghanistan,” he adds by way of explanation, and Bruce’s and Thor’s expressions go pinched in the exact same way. “This is no dream,” Thor says after a moment. “Isn’t that what you would tell me in a dream?” Tony points out. Thor sighs. “I suppose it would. But tell me, did you frequently have the same dream in Afghanistan? When you slept, did you always reawaken in the same place, with the same people, where nothing was different?” Tony pauses, stumped, because Thor’s got him there. Sleep was a rare commodity back then, but when he passed out he did have a lot of dreams where he was rescued, and he definitely had some favorites. He dreamt about Rhodey storming the caves, about coming back to New York to find Obie waiting for him, about Pepper's hands on his face. But the smaller details were always different in some way, in the way that dreams are. Now, though. He always wakes up in the same bed, surrounded by the same equipment, with the same sights and smells. The scene out the window changes depending on whether it's day or night, but it's always the New York skyline. The same doctor and nurses come and go. The same janitor walks by the room at exactly half past two every morning, waking Tony up with the squeaky bucket. “I am a god, and even in a dream I would not lie to you about something so important,” Thor says, very gentle, and sets a hand on Tony’s arm. “You are not dreaming, Tony Stark. You are awake.” The thin fizzle of power emanating from Thor’s fingertips makes the hair on Tony’s arms stand on end. “Then why?” he says, not looking up at either of them. “I don’t get it.” “We watched you,” says Bruce, and it’s such a simple explanation, a ‘duh’ moment really, but Tony’s been fighting not to string that together ever since he woke up with enough lucidity to remember the majority of his conversation with Pepper and Rhodey. He goes cold, because even though he doesn’t remember everything that happened, he remembers running his mouth off about what the team really thinks about him. Still, he hadn’t lied. He was honest. There's no reason for anyone to be mad. Slowly, he looks up. “Watched me…?” “They sent us footage,” Thor says, grave now. Sparks dance in his eyes, the only hint of his anger. “Of their transgressions, and of what you said in response. It grieves us all that you believe no one cares for you, or would care if you were to die. No one is easily replaced, but you least of all.” To hear Thor lay it out so blatantly, where anyone else would’ve danced around it, aches in a way that drugs can’t help. Tony shakes his head, fumbling a laugh, and pats clumsily at Thor’s hand. “Thanks, big guy, but I’m pretty sure you’re the only one who thinks that way.” “Tony. That’s not true.” Bruce looks pained. He’s holding the clipboard with all of Tony’s medical information on it a little too tightly, though there’s no green to his features yet. “Actually, it is. Do you need me to run down the list?” “There’s a list?” Bruce says, then shakes his head. “Of course there’s a list. You know what, I’ll let the others handle their bit later. But Tony – I don’t need toys from you. You were the first person ever who honestly wasn’t afraid of the other guy. That means more to me than anything else you have to offer. I didn’t come back to the tower with you that day because you said you’d give me a lab. I came back because you were, and still are, my friend.” Tony swallows. “But you like your lab.” “Of course I do. I’m a scientist. SHIELD would’ve given me a lab too, you know. And it would’ve been filled with lots of people who flinch every time I walk by, who dive for cover when I drop something, and who would be terrified to touch me, much less poke me with sharp objects.” “That’s for science,” Tony says automatically, and Bruce just smiles at him. Tony can't bring himself to smile back, and not just because his whole body is starting to hurt. He can't let himself have this, can he? “Was it also for science when you opened your home to me?” Thor asks him. “You made me, and my fair Jane and her friends, feel welcome in your home, even though it was not necessary. You offer food and shelter and fix the damage I inadvertently cause, and you never ask anything in return, except that I stand beside you both in battle and off. Does that not make us shield brothers?” “I…” Tony is speechless in the face of their combined earnestness. Out of the whole team, he thought that maybe Bruce and Thor might tolerate him the most. Thor likes everyone, and Bruce seems to dislike everyone equally. But this? This level of friendship is more than he hoped for. He turns to Bruce and lamely finishes with, “But I poke you.” Bruce shrugs. “It’s for science,” he says with a smirk. “And Tony, I’ve had a hell of a lot worse. I trust you not to take it too far.” “As do I,” Thor says. “I would trust you with the life of my fair Jane, and with the inner workings of the Bifrost.” Tony’s mouth falls open. This is something he’s never dared to ask for, but he’s not even surprised that Thor’s guessed he wants to know. It takes effort to squeak out, “What?” “When you are well, I will tell you all you wish to know.” Thor pats his arm, hard enough to leave a bruise on top of all Tony's other bruises, and takes a step back. “For we are shield brothers, and there is nothing I would not trust you with.” “Oh, that’s a mistake,” Tony breathes, rattled to his core. It’s hard not to be when a god is looking him in the eyes and saying those kinds of things. Or maybe that’s just the pain, because Thor patting his arm has set off a full scale chain reaction and now everything hurts. “I don’t think so,” says Bruce. “I think that those secrets would be safer with you than anyone else on Earth. And I’m not just saying that, either. I mean it.” He finally sets the clipboard down on the end of Tony’s bed. “You should know the other guy feels the same way. He wouldn’t bother to work with or save anyone he thought was a fuck-up.” Tony just stares at him for a long time, then looks at Thor, before looking back at Bruce, now more than ever convinced he’s hallucinating. In the end, the only thing he can think to ask is, “Wait, what did you mean when you said you’d let the others handle their bit later?” Bruce chuckles fondly. “Oh Tony.”

and you needed someone to show you the way by SailorChibi

[hobiwanisfine]

Rough Hands // Anakin Skywalker

💫ORIGINALLY POSTED ON AO3 ON HOBIWANISFINE💫

Anakin Skywalker was drawn into your apartment one night after training with Obi-Wan. He asked you to read his palms and now he single-handedly keeps you afloat.

In which reader is a witch and Anakin is very troubled.

word count : 3672

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The lines in his palm were deep. Weathered and calloused, not unusual for a trained force user. Hands that you see every month or so. You smile to yourself knowing that he is single-handedly keeping you in business, literally.

When he first came to you he had two human hands. He asked you to read both palms, you obliged.

“Your life line is long on this hand,” you started as you studied the wrinkles in his left palm.

“However,” you continued, “this life line is significantly shorter.”

You wrinkled up your nose as you spoke. You had never seen anything like this before. Two hands telling you of two different outcomes.

“You seem to be torn between two separate lives, padawan.” You look up from his palm to meet his eyes.

They are staring directly back at you shrouded in mystery but you can pick apart his shifting gaze. Years in the practice, you know what anxiety looks like.

“Wh-what does that even mean?” He asked with a level voice. His words catching in his throat for a second.

You looked down at his palms again, holding them next to each other. You squinted as you studied the lines running across his hands once again. Your shoulders rise and fall with a shrug and you let out a light sigh.

“I honestly couldn’t tell you.”

“Isn’t this your job?” He asks, his tongue sharp and his tone pointed.

You raised your eyebrows as you met his eyes as you did before. Shock was evident on both your faces and he quickly apologized, pulling his hands from your grip. The loss of contact leaves your hands face up in the middle of the table.

“Anakin, how many times am I going to have to tell you this?” You suddenly ask, bringing your hands back to your belongings.

Absentmindedly you begin to set up a tarot spread for yourself. Your fingers smooth the cards out before you flip them all over at once, using the first card as a lever, flipping the cards back and forth across the table space in front of you while looking at his face.

You study his features carefully, as you had done many times before.

Short blonde hair that stood straight on his head, a small tight ponytail at the back, and a long padawan braid that sat dignified over his shoulder. Bright eyes that looked older than the man they belonged to. Dark eyebrows furrowed together as he lost himself in thought. Full lips that were pulled into a tight line over his teeth.

You had only seen his teeth a couple times, usually making an appearance as he tugged against his bottom lip.

His eyes fixate on his hands. One hand rolling over the other a couple of times before he switches to rubbing his hands together. You watch his hands, you know them better than any other part of him you’d seen.

They were large, larger than yours, and rough. The lines of his palms ran deep after years of gripping a lightsaber had melted them into his thick dry skin. His fingers were long and battered. Each one housing at least one scar.

You look back up at his face and you are met with that same pair of old eyes. They’ve seen more than any other man his age should ever see. You can see the pain and suffering behind his eyes.

“It’s never going to sink in,” He starts and begins to stand.

“I don’t think I can ever let it.”

With that he leaves you to sit in your apartment, thinking about the damaged padawan you had grown rather accustomed to seeing. You dwell on the thought of what he might be struggling with, trying to come up with something to look for in his palms the next time you met.

You knew of The Chosen One, but you didn’t know enough. You knew he was a boy from Tatooine, taken from the planet by Qui-Gon Jinn when he was only 9. You knew he had a deep love for his master, Obi-Wan, that seemed almost palpable. You knew he was troubled.

You just didn’t know how troubled he was. You weren’t aware of the war he was fighting in his own head. A battle between himself as a Jedi and himself as someone normal.

He often wondered what it would have been like if Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan hadn’t found him. If Obi-Wan had effectively convinced his master to not go out of his way for the slave boy from the desert planet. What it would have been like had he not been able to use the force.

His biggest wonder was about you. Why had he been led to you? What had compelled him to find a psychic? If he trained hard enough as a Jedi, he could easily master the skill of premonitions, but he sought you out. The force had weaved its way between the two of you, pulling on the threads attached to your mind and tying them together.

The next time you see Anakin, he's wearing a single black leather glove.

“I can’t read gloves you know?” You let a light laugh fall from your throat.

He just meets your gaze as he slowly removes the glove covering his right hand, or at least what would have been a hand. You are met with an extremely bare mechanical arm, stretching from the crook of his elbow all the way down to the end of his fingers. Each one a thin piece of metal connected intricately to a myriad of wires and mechanical pieces.

“Something tells me you couldn’t read this palm even if you tried.”

Your mind couldn’t stop spinning. You shuffled, spread, flipped, read, sighed, repeated. Each time you asked the spirits a different question.

“What could happen to Anakin?” You ask aloud and shuffle the cards.

You flip the card off the top and begin to read it.

Death, inverted Justice

You study the cards before you, trying to make sense of what the spirits are trying to tell you.

Death tells you that he’s resisting a certain change, you’re unsure of what it is but perhaps the other cards will tell you.

Justice tells you that he believes he’s currently being treated unfairly, you also knew of this. He had asked if you could read anything off his palm about his future as a Jedi. Of course you couldn’t but you humored him and gave him vague details about what his future lines showed you.

You sighed and slid the card back into your deck, suddenly feeling like you didn’t want to talk with the spirits anymore.

“How bad was it?” You felt your body jump at the sound of his voice.

Slowly turning to meet his eyes you sigh again. You shake your head and wave him off.

He was already troubled, he didn’t need the spirits to mess everything up more. You invite him to sit at your small table assuming he wants his palm read. He sits down and you snuff out your candles before making your way over to sit opposite him.

You lay your hands out in the middle of the table, waiting for him to place his hand in yours. You were met with nothing. Shifting your gaze from your hands to his eyes you felt your heart in your throat.

“What do those candles mean?” He asks slowly, his tongue darting out to wet his bottom lip.

You feel the heat rising into your cheeks, your hands suddenly cold as you realize he was truly interested.

“Well, red candles can symbolize love,” you leave out the part about how the type of love they usually represented was a lustful kind.

“And the fact that it’s dripping into some kind of powder… smells like-”

“Cinnamon,” you quickly finish for him.

“It’s used to speed up most processes, it’s also, uhm,” you struggle to find the right words to inform him.

“Cinnamon is also known as a male aphrodisiac.”

Your eyes find a spot on the floor, embarrassed that he could think it was about him.

You had used the cinnamon to speed up the process of the spirits reaching out to you, the candles used to strengthen your connection to the person the question had been about.

Eyes leaving the floor you timidly find his face. He’s looking at his hands. Always his hands.

“Why did the force bring us together?”

You shrug and exhale heavily. Maybe it had something to do with your practicing magick, but you truly didn’t have an answer.

His eyes lift for a second and you can see the bags under his eyes. It had been awhile since you’d seen him, longer than usual and you were concerned about him.

“Have you been sleeping?” you ask softly.

His eyes gloss over and you instantly stand up. You make your way around the small table you worked on and crouch down in front of him. His eyes are on his hands again, not daring to meet your concerned gaze.

You put one of your hands on top of his, breaking his concentration and bringing his attention to your face.

“Anakin, I can’t see everything. If you need help figuring something out, tell me, please.”

He shifts, pulling his gloved hand from you and running it through his short hair. He seemed to be contemplating your offer.

You close your eyes and just wait, he's not very good at conveying emotions, he wasn't even supposed to have any in the first place. The characteristics of his face settle behind your eyelids and you think, imagine. You imagine what it would be like if he wasn't a Jedi. If he was allowed to have feelings. What it would be like if you could just kiss him, let him know how much you've come to care about him. What it would be like to feel him, not only sexually but romantically. Feel him sleeping next to you, finally at peace.

A cold touch on your cheek yanks you out of your thoughts, however your eyes stay closed. You know it's Anakin's hand but you don't want to acknowledge it. He wasn't supposed to have feelings and you weren't supposed to fall for him. But he does and you did.

"Your thoughts are loud. Your metal images, vivid." He whispers.

You can smell his breath, minty and intoxicating. You sigh and lean into the hand on your cheek. You know this isn't supposed to be happening but you can't help yourself from enjoying it. You had wanted this from him for so long that you had lied to yourself as you set up your candles earlier. They were for him, hoping they would draw him in after you hadn't had contact with him in over 2 months.

"I've seen what you want from me and honestly," he moves his body toward you, "I want it too."

That is enough to make you open your eyes and stare into his. He's eyes feel like they're lighting your face on fire as they flick to all of you features. He keeps his focus on your lips though and suddenly you find the courage to touch him back.

You remove your hands from his human hand and grab his cheeks, pulling him in so that your lips could meet. He closes his eyes and sighs into the kiss, his bionic hand finding its way into your air from its previous position in your cheek. One of your hands moves to the side of his head, finding his padawan braid and swiping your finger across where it leaves his scalp. He pulls you closer by the back of the neck and deepens the kiss. Your hand moves with a mind of its own and slightly tugs on the braid between your fingers.

Anakin slightly moans into the kiss and you feel him falter for a second, only to find his strength again you wrap his arms around you. Lifting you out of the awkward position and placing you on his lap, your legs on either side of his. He lets his tongue run across your bottom lip as his hand comes to rest on your thigh, squeezing lightly. You moan and he slips his tongue past your lips.

You both pull away to breathe and look each other in the eyes, the first time your gazes have met instantly.

Your hands root themselves where they are, one on his shoulder to steady yourself and on in his hair, his braid dangling between the base of your middle and ring fingers just waiting to be tugged at again. His hands skim across your body until they find a position that they like, one hand on your waist tentatively squeezing and one on your ass, rolling you hips forward and back on his hardening bulge.

Through his robes you can't feel much and you take the hand on his shoulder and guide it under his cloak, slowly pushing it off one shoulder then the other, him pulling his hands off of you to let it fall into the chair. Standing up, he hooks his arm under your thighs and holds you to his body, the other hand moves back to your face as he strokes your cheek.

He walks over to your bed and sits you down, standing before you and seemingly feeling intimidated. You deduce he had never done this before and you quickly pulled him down to the bed, flipping him over so he's on his back and you're straddling his hips once again.

You lean down and initiate another kiss as your hands find their way to his belt. Quickly making work of it and pushing his robes away from the tunic he was sporting underneath. Your hands trail up and down his body and your fingers hook underneath the undershirt, slowly sliding it up his torso and over his head. You take the opportunity of the broken kiss to lean back on his thighs, admiring his toned stomach and chest.

Jedi training does a body good. He laughed a bit and you snap out of your trance remembering he could hear your thoughts. His hands find your hips and his fingertips play with the hem of your own shirt, softly rolling it between his fingers before beginning to lift it up and over your head. He tosses your shirt to the side and his hands begin to slide across your skin. You shiver at the sensation of his rough hands on your soft skin. But before he can do anything, you push his hands away as you make your way down to his pants, slowly peeling them from his legs leaving him in only his underwear.

He moans as you rake your nails over his strong thighs and you feel them shudder under your touch. You smile slightly and trail your eyes up his body. Anakin has his eyes on you, having propped himself up on his elbows to watch you intently. You bite your lip and send him a warm smile before making your way back up to kiss him. His hands on your body once again, pushing the button of your pants through the hole and pulling them down your legs. You lifted yourself off of him and continued to shuck the pants from yourself. Sinking to your knees in front of him as your fingers slid under the waistband of his underwear.

You tug slightly, eliciting a hiss from Anakin as the waistband catches the tip of his hard cock. You roll them down his legs and fling them off behind you, letting your eyes wander back up to his length. You can feel him tense up under your gaze but you continue your path up to his cock, leaving light and comforting kisses up his thighs. You leave a kiss on his hip and then move your mouth to hover above him. You look up and meet his eyes once again, they're pleading and you smirk.

You flatten your tongue and lick a long wet stripe from the base of his cock to the tip. Keeping your eyes on him you take his tip into your mouth, he's quiet except for the labored breathing and this spurs you on. You suck on his head, lapping up the pre-cum that began to leak out. You keep your eyes on him as you take him deeper into your mouth. He's above average for sure but this was about him so you force yourself to hollow your cheeks and push even further down onto his cock.

His hands fly to your hair and pull it out of your face, his flesh hand resting on your cheek so he can feel his dick in your mouth. Slowly you take more and more of him in, until your nose presses against the dark hairs at the base of his cock. You can feel your throat bulging as you fight you gag reflex, relaxing and swallowing while your mouth was completely full. He tenses under you and you pull back, sputtering out a cough as strings of spit are pulled taut from your mouth leading back to his cock.

He wipes your lip with his thumb, spreading your spit across your face, mixing it with the spit on your chin. He pulls you up to be face to face with him and kisses you quickly. He brings his hands back up to slide them across your body and unclasps your bra. You shake it off and his warm hand instantly cup your breasts and gently squeeze them before kissing you again. You lean into the kiss and his hands are forced to find a different part of your body to worship, as your chests press together.

You slightly grind against his cock with you pussy still hidden behind a pair of panties. You moan out as you feel them being pushed down your legs, shaking fingers finding their way up your thighs. You pull away from Anakin and look him in the eyes as his hand find its way to your dripping core. He swipes a finger between your folds and you stifle a moan. He leans up right next to your ear and lets his own breathy moan escape him.

"Fuck, you're so wet." He mumbles as he delves a finger toward your entrance.

You moan loudly at this and he smirks finding this side of himself easy to access. He pushes his finger inside of you, slowly pumping until you're whining against his shoulder. He adds another finger and his thumb suddenly meets your clit, twisting rough circles into the nerves as he continues you pump his fingers inside of you. You bite his shoulder and he pulls your face away to meet his eyes again. He pulls you in for a heavy kiss.

He reaches down and lines himself up with your entrance. He pulls away from the kiss and looks into your eyes, double checking that this is what you want. Your response comes when you lower yourself slightly onto him and you moan and the warm sensation. He keeps his hands on your hips as you slowly slide onto his cock. Your pussy stretches around him and you can't help but moan loudly when he finally bottoms out. Your knees are either side of his hips and your ass is on his thighs. You stay still for a second, adjusting to hi delicious stretch, and then begin to move.

Slowly at first, mainly just moving his cock around inside of you grinding your hips together again. You gain comfort and you begin to slightly bounce, your hands on his chest as to steady yourself. Anakin keeps one hand on your hip as the the other comes up to cup one of your breasts. Swiping his finger over your nipple your breath hitches, your pace stuttering as you continue to bounce. His hand travels behind you and up into your hair, once again creating a ponytail in his hand, and tugging, hard.

You almost scream at this and he takes the opportunity to lift you slightly with his hand on your hip and start fucking up into you, still gripping your hair tightly in his other hand. His pace is brutal and you can feel yourself coming undone already. Your hands seeking for something to hold onto before you slump over onto his chest, your arms snaking their way under his arms and around his shoulders.

Anakin suddenly flips you over so he's on top and continues his assault on your pussy, removing his hand from your hip and it finds its way to your clit. The cool metal digits pinching your clit are hard and unforgiving and you moan again. His mouth finds your nipple and he pulls it in, swiping his tongue across and sometimes his teeth. Eliciting even more moans from your throat. His hand is still deep in your hair and he continues to tug. You wrap a leg around his waist as he continues to pound into you and you feel a familiar pooling in your stomach.

"Fuck, Anakin, I'm gonna," your breath hitches as he moves back up to your face, his mouth going to your ear, placing a kiss beneath it.

"Cum for me baby."

And you do, screaming his name as he continued to fuck you, reaching his own climax shortly after you. He releases inside of you and continues to ride out both of your orgasms. He pulls out and collapses on the bed beside you and you instinctively find yourself with your head on his bare, sweat slicked chest. His arm wraps around you from above, sitting protectively across your back, his hand laying softly on your ass.

"That cinnamon really worked huh?" He laughed out and you blushed finally coming to terms with the fact that you had aided this process.

"Yeah, I guess it did."

[reydjarinkenobi]

Love love love your time travel fic! It’s so good!!

Thank you! Here is another chapter.

Here is the link to a03: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25051612/chapters/62477014

Rey's heart leapt to her throat at the question, and her eyes widened.

 "I don't… not much."

 Master Windu frowned and Rey's gut twisted. She lowered her eyes, trying to stamp down the vaguely nauseous feeling the look inspired. She'd known she wouldn't be good enough to be a Jedi, but she didn't think she'd be disappointing her master this early.

 "Do you know their names?"

 Rey jerked, her mind immediately putting it together. "Kenobi is a common name on Stewjon. I didn't assume…"

 Master Kenobi smiled smally. "You are correct. It is common. However, we ran your blood and it seems that you are, in fact, related to me."

 Rey stared at him.

 "What?" Poe asked, glancing incredulously at Rey.

 Rey cringed. She hadn't told either of those two what she'd found on her mission with Jess almost two months ago. She honestly felt like she was still processing all that she'd found on the ship, in the large chest that she'd found hidden in a smuggler's compartment, so well hidden, surrounded by Force dampeners and anti-scanner tech, that the only reason that Rey found it was that D-0 had showed it to her after he'd verified her identity.

 "I discovered much information about my parents… Anaya-Lan Kenobi and Din Djarin."

 "You know their names!" Poe asked, grinning. "That's amazing."

 Rey shrugged, not quite managing to give him a convincing smile. It had been strangely relieving to learn that her parents had died. That they hadn't left her. And then she'd been sickened at her relief. She'd cried and Jess had held her. Now, all she could feel when she thought of them was a mess of sorrow and guilt that no amount of meditating had helped her make peace with.

 She looked between her master and her, she supposed, uncle.

 "They were… There was a recording. What they left me revealed a lot about my history."

 The three Jedi masters glanced at each other whilst Skywalker's scowl deepened.

 "If we go back to the Millenium Falcon, I can show you. I think it will be easier than explaining."

 Master Windu nodded. "That sounds reasonable, Rey. Master Unduli, I am sure that you, Knight Skywalker and your padawans are capable of overseeing the senators' safety and comfort."

 The older Mirialan Jedi bowed. "Of course, Master Windu."

 Skywalker's scowl deepened for a second and Rey set her jaw against the wave of anger and frustration that clashed against her shields.

 However, he turned on his heal and joined the other Jedi in leaving, the two troopers who had followed them in shadowing them, both sporting new scars on the sides of their heads, which they covered with helmets before they went through the doors.

 Master Kenobi inclined his head forward. "Why don't we go?"

 ----

 Obi-Wan stood shoulder to shoulder with Mace, Cody Ponds, Finn, Chewbacca and Poe as Rey knelt in front of them. D-O was sitting in front of, in between them and a chest engraved with a Rancor surrounded  by a long, thin, winged dragon, who's tail was hooked around its head.

 She pressed her hand against D-O's head and the droid went very still, a flickering hologram projecting in front of him.

 A pale woman with deep red hair, pinned around her head in a braided crown, and grey eyes came into focus.

 Obi-Wan stifled his gasp as he realised that she was his niece.

 He was given to the temple too young to remember his family. Some Jedi had contact with their families, and many visited their home planets to stay in touch with their cultures. Obi-Wan had never had the desire; he'd preferred to learn about Stewjon from afar. Seeing the woman's face, her smile warm, even as her brow creased in worry, almost made him regret the decision.

 He could see the connections between her, him and Rey. They had the same small features, the same pale skin, and the same stormy eyes. Rey even had a similar cadence to her voice, the unique Stewjoni accent that was so often mistaken for a refined Coruscanti one.

 "Rey, my dear, if you are watching this, then your farther and I are dead."

 She gave a shaky sigh, blinking her eyes rapidly.

 "I am so sorry," her voice was husky as a tear fell down her cheek. "Your farther and I did not want to leave you there, but it was the only way. There was no other habitable planet within range where we'd be assured of your anonymity."

 Anaya-Lan swallowed. "You are… special, my darling. Your light shines so, so bright. We thought… we thought it would be safer to part you two. We didn't think that we'd be found. Not so soon."

 "I'm so…" her voice broke. "I'm so, so sorry, little one. You don't… you don't deserve any of this."

 She paused, looking down at the ground before she glanced back up. "D-0 will show you all that you need to know of us, of your history and of what you are. Please, please, know that you are wanted. I love you more than I can ever put into words. And I am so sorry for what I have done with you."

 The recording picked up the groan of the ship around her, the familiar sound of a hyperdrive being pushed to its limits rattling around Obi-Wan's head.

 "Goodbye, my lightbringer," Anaya-Lan whispered, before she stood up from the chair she had been sitting on.

 A few moments later, a man with tanned skin and dark hair replaced her.

 He gave a sigh, his deep chocolate eyes filled with a kind of grief that Obi-Wan wished he couldn't relate to.

 "I don't have much time, Rey," he began. "But there are things you need to know."

 He held out his hand, showing a pendant of a horned skull on a black corded necklace. Obi-Wan instantly recognised it as the symbol for the true Mandalorians.

 "This will be in the chest. When… if you find any Mandalorians show this to them, they will take you in."

 The man's eyes lowered. "Wren has the dha'kad now, and I cannot put my helmet on again, but my armour is your legacy. I know you will wear it well."

 He leant his elbows in the table, clenching his fists together as he stared back into the camera.

 "If you can, find Fulcrum… you must find her. She will have a baby with her that has a necklace which matches yours. She will train you."

 He ran a hand through his hair. "Gods, we should have left you with her… We thought you would be safer apart from your brother. She said that you are both so powerful… more bright than she could ever imagine… but we were fools, thinking we could outrun the Empire, and the galaxy was blind to think its terror was over."

 He refocused on the camera, as if he could reach across and touch the viewer. "Rey, you are meant to be a Jedi. And I…"

 A tear fell down his face. "It will forever be my greatest regret, in this life and beyond, that I could not watch you and your brother grow into the fierce protectors you will become."

 He breathed a sigh and the tears flowed more freely. "I'm so sorry Rey'ika. I wanted so much more for you… If you ever find your brother… and I hope to god you do, you may be shocked by his appearance… he's a little, well, green."

 He broke off with a humourless bark of laughter. "If you ever find your brother, tell him that I'm sorry too, and that I wish I could have said goodbye, that I could have told him I loved him one more time."

 The ship shuddered around them and the man, Din Djarin, swallowed. "We should get the chest hidden."

 He a watery smile. "You will do great things, Rey Kenobi of Clan Djarin. I love you, more than I will ever be able to show."

 The last thing that was heard as the man reached forward to turn the recording off, was the blaring sound of an alarm and a whispered. "I wish we could have done better."

 Obi-Wan wasn't the only one who had to blink tears out of his eyes when the projection flickered off.

 Rey was openly crying as she stepped forward and slowly opened the chest before anyone could say anything.

 This time, Obi-Wan could not hold back his slight gasp.

 Stacked in one corner, taking up about a quarter of the space, was full beskar armour, unpainted. The shoulder puldrons and the helmet were laying on the top. One of the shoulders had the same racor as on the front welded onto it.

 The rest of the chest was filled with a motely mix of weapons, datasticks, books and other small bits. One of them was a smaller wooden box that was latched with a Force lock.

 Rey stared unseeingly at the contents, as she slowly stood. As soon as she'd straightened, Finn wrapped her in a tight hug, quickly joined by Poe and Chewbacca, with the two droids bumping into her legs.

 Obi-Wan sent out a thin vine through the Force, suffusing it with a delicate comfort. He was surprised when Rey soon acknowledged it, sending her own thrum of thanks through the Force. He hadn't thought that she would notice it. Anakin still failed to pick up on many of the subtle Force interactions that Jedi shared; or, rather, he refused to. He didn't understand that communicating through the Force rather than in the physical world was more natural and genuine for most Jedi, since they were all often called upon to be the calm mediators. The silent communication was only for them, and ensured a level of truth and earnestness that could not be assured in the physical world.

 Anakin was so powerful, everything around him was so loud, that he often didn't grasp the fact that small interactions in the Force could have a large meaning, and he had always been obstinate about listening to Obi-Wan when he attempted to explain them.

 The group pulled away shortly, Rey rubbing the last tears out of her eyes as they turned to face them.

 "I have read through many of the books and datasticks in there. They were mostly learning modules for history, language, art and battle tactics," she admitted. "But I haven't touched the armour. I… haven't been ready for the memories it holds."

 "Memories?" Obi-Wan asked.

 Rey shifted uncomfortably. "I can see what has happened to an object when I touch it."

 "You have psychometry?" Mace questioned.

 Rey shrugged. "If that is what it is called."

 "It is," Mace confirmed, before he gave a small smile. "I believe we are quite well balanced. Do you have visions?"

 Rey nodded. "We both do."

 Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. That would be interesting.

 "I believe it is time that we each talk to our padawans, alone," he announced.

 He looked into Rey's eyes and she smiled slightly, sending a thrum of understanding towards him. There would be time for them to talk later. They would be training together more often than not, after all.

 Then he cast a glance at Chewbacca and Poe, who both nodded.

 "We understand that Rey and Finn need to train," Poe explained. "Chewie will probably want to work on the Falcon but I want to try and find someone who can show me around the fighters. I'm not used to the older model."

 Cody stepped forward. "I can do that."

 "I'll join you, vod," Ponds agreed.

 Poe grinned. "Good. Let's go then and leave the Jedi to their Force business."

 They all nodded their goodbyes and the astromech, BB-8 followed them out.

 Chewbacca said goodbye as well before he disappeared into the Falcon and Mace quietly lead Rey off into the ship once they'd exited the freighter.

 Obi-Wan turned to Finn, smiling. "I know a rather lovely garden that nobody aboard this ship visits. Shall we converse there?"

 Finn returned his smile with a slightly uncertain one of his own. "Yes, master."

[labyrinth-runner]

Can u do a Obidala fic based on the song “Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps” by Doris Day?

Based off This song

Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps

Padmé didn’t know why, but somehow she was looking forward to her week away with Master Kenobi. She knew it was just for a mission, and that he was there to protect her, but that didn’t stop her from thinking about how nice it might be to spend some more time with him. She’d barely seen him in passing since they parted ways on Naboo all those years ago.

She tried not to bounce on the balls of her feet while she waited for him. No, she would be every bit the dignified leader that she has always been near him. She just didn’t understand why her heart felt erratic at the thought of seeing her old friend again. The door opened and her friend walked over to her.

“Senator Amidala, it has been too long,” Obi-Wan smiled, giving her a hug.

“Master Kenobi, I see you’ve grown a beard,” she smirked. “It suits you.”

He let out a melodic chuckle as the skin above his beard tinged pink. “Thank you, Senator.  You’ve grown into quite the accomplished woman since the last time I saw you. I heard your people wanted you to reign for another term. Although, I’m hardly surprised. You would do anything for your people. I’m sure that they would do anything for you.”

Now it was her turn to try not to blush. The silence was deafening.

“I suppose we should get going,” Padmé murmured.

“After you, Senator,” Master Kenobi nodded as he followed her into the cockpit.

The trip to the planet they were visiting went smoothly. The two of them chatted about the different aspects of their life that they’d missed out on.

“How is Annie?” Padmé smiled.

“He’s… a teenage boy,” Obi-Wan smirked. “Sure of himself and thinks he knows best. He has a bit to go before he becomes a Jedi Knight. Reminds me a lot of someone else when I first met her…”

“Hey, I did know best!” Padmé gasped. “I saved my people, did I not?”

Obi-Wan shook his head at her. “We’re dropping out of hyperspace.”

“Obi-Wan, can I ask you a question?” she ventured.

“You just did, Senator, but I’ll allow you to ask another,” he teased.

“Would you ever leave the Jedi Order for someone?” her eyes shone brightly. She didn’t know why, but she was holding her breath waiting for an answer.

He looked at her oddly as if seeing her truly for the first time, taking a thoughtful pause. He rubbed his beard in thought. “Perhaps.”

Padmé swallowed, turning away from his intense gaze. She brought their ship down to the planet’s surface.

“Just a reminder of our cover stories,” Obi-Wan suddenly said.

“What cover stories?” she asked in confusion. She had not been made aware that she would be going undercover for this.

“They didn’t tell you? We’re pretending to be a newly married couple on our honeymoon tour. This should allow us to investigate how the slave trade is profiting from the Trade Federation dealings without raising suspicion,” Obi-Wan replied nonchalantly.

“Master Yoda had not told me about this,” she replied.

“Well, it’s the plan, darling,” he purred, offering her his arm to take as they left. “Now, stick close. This isn’t the place to go off on your own.”

The two of them checked into their hotel and made their way to the room.

Padmé opened the door. “Oh… there’s only one bed.”

“Well, we are supposed to be a couple,” Obi-Wan replied. “But, you can have the bed. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“Obi-Wan, you’re not sleeping on the floor,” Padmé deadpanned as she went to sit on the bed. She looked at the floor as she addressed him. “We’re both adults. We have self-control. We can share a bed and stay on our respective sides.” She looked him in the eye and raised a challenging eyebrow at him.

“Alright, Senator. If you’re okay with it, then we will,” Obi-Wan nodded.

She nodded back. The matter was settled.

They went about their day as normally as they could.

That night they both slid into bed.

“Good night, Master Kenobi,” Padmé murmured as she shut off the light on her side and turned away from him.

“Good night, Senator,” Obi-Wan replied as he shut off his own light.

Sometime through the night, Padmé started shivering. It woke Obi-Wan up. He let out a groan. He knew they’d insisted on staying on their opposite sides, but he needed to protect the senator. That included keeping her warm. He turned in bed so that her back was to his chest and pulled her against him. She immediately relaxed into his warmth. He smiled softly at her. She really was beautiful. Soon, he settled himself in to sleep again.

Neither of them discussed the fact that they woke up in each other’s arms the next morning.

The day was spent following leads and tracking down information. When they returned to the hotel lobby, they ran into the hotel owner.

“You know, for two newlyweds, you don’t seem to be very much in love,” he said.

“W-what do you mean?” Padmé chuckled. “Of course we love each other! This is our honeymoon!”

“You don’t seem like you’re on your honeymoon. You’ve never even kissed.”

Padmé stared at Obi-Wan. They couldn’t blow their cover. Before Obi-Wan could protest, she kissed him. It was supposed to be a quick, sweet kiss, but then he kissed back.

“Alright, alright. Clearly you’re both very much in love,” the innkeeper said waving them off. “Now get out of my lobby.”

Padmé pulled Obi-Wan back into the room like he really was her husband. She giggled slightly as the door closed behind them.

“I can’t believe that worked!” she smiled as she rested her arms around his neck. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her, his crossed hands settled on the small of her back.

“You’re very convincing,” he smirked.

“Obi-Wan…” she trailed off, a blush coming to her cheeks. “That kiss…”

“What about it, darling?” he asked, the pet name slipping off his tongue.

“It felt real,” she sighed. “I know that sounds silly, but, do you think that in a world where we weren’t defined by our duties, we’d be together?”

Obi-Wan sighed, letting his arms fall back to his side. “Perhaps, Padmé, perhaps.”

He gently untangled himself from her and moved further into the room. Padmé raised a hand to stop him but let it fall to her sides. She’d give him space.

“I’ll be out getting something for dinner,” she murmured before leaving.

Padmé was alone in the streets, but she felt like she was being watched on the way back from picking up dinner.  She turned a corner and noticed two of the slavers they had been gathering intel on following her. She passed by an alley when she was pulled in. Panic set in as a hand covered her mouth and held her against a hard chest. She tried to scream, going to kick the person who grabbed her.

“Shh, darling, it’s just me,” Obi-Wan murmured as he uncovered her mouth.

Her breathing evened out. “You scared me.”

“I’m sorry. I saw those two tailing you and needed to make sure you were okay.”

“But I left you back home.”

“And I told you it was unsafe for a woman to wander here alone when we first landed,” Obi-Wan replied. “I wasn’t going to let you do it.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“I don’t doubt that, Padmé, but its my job to protect you-“

“Is that all this is, Obi-Wan? Am I just a job to you?” she asked.

“Padmé,” he pleaded.

“Answer me,” she demanded. “Do I mean anything to you?”

“Perhaps,” he sighed.

She shook her head at him. She shoved her basket into his chest. “Here’s your dinner.”

“Padmé, please,” he replied, but she was already out of the alley and heading back to their hotel.

Neither of them got much sleep that night.

Their mission was a success, in the way that they had found out what they needed by day three, but they had budgeted for a week.

“Obi-Wan, let’s stay the rest of the week,” Padmé ventured that next night at dinner. “When is the next time you’ll get a break or pretend to be normal?”

“Are you suggesting we stay here and play house for the rest of the week?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Why not?” she asked, accidentally running her foot up his leg when she went to cross her legs under the table.

Obi-Wan took in a breath at the contact. “It would be nice… Fine, we can stay.”

Padmé smiled.

The rest of the week felt like they got into a rhythm with each other. It was almost as if they had actually been married for years. On the night before they left, Padmé decided to talk to him again.

“Obi-Wan, I need to discuss something with you,” she asked, gently sliding into his lap. The action felt natural.

“What is it, darling?”

She blushed. Hearing him call her that more and more often as the week went on made her heart do somersaults.

“When we go back… what will happen to us?” she asked.

“Well, I’ll go back to the Order and you have your duties,” he said as he studied her.

“That’s not what I meant,” she sighed as she took one of his hands in hers. “I meant what about us.”

“But Padmé, there isn’t an us.”

“Obi-Wan, can you honestly sit here and tell me you don’t feel anything for me?”

“Perhaps,” he sighed.

“You’re many things, Master Kenobi, but I didn’t think a liar was one of them,” she seethed as she got up and went into the bathroom.

Obi-Wan sighed, getting up to wrap a knuckle on the door. “Padmé, you know the Code.”

“Obi-Wan, if you love someone enough, then you do whatever it takes to be with them,” she said, resting her forehead on the other side of the door.

“Are you saying you love me, Senator?” Obi-Wan asked. He was glad she couldn’t see him, because he was blushing profusely.

“Perhaps,” she shot back.

Obi-Wan sighed. He deserved that.

“Obi-Wan, I don’t want to get back to Coruscant and live my life not knowing what could have been,” she said, opening the door. “I don’t want to wind up being parted and broken-hearted. But, if you really love me, I need to know.”

“Padmé, what difference will it make?”

“Obi-Wan, I’m willing to fight for us. I think deep down, you want to do the same, and I swear to the maker that if you say ‘perhaps’ one more time, I will deck you,” she shot back.

“Fine, Padmé!” He said exasperatedly, “I do love you. Being with you this week just makes me think of everything I could have, but I have a Code, and I have always followed it. Although, Maker above, you make me want to break that Code every day since I’ve reunited with you. Little by little, you’ve worn down my resolve, and I am so close to cracking that it scares me. These are my values! The things I’ve held dear, but you’ve become so much more important to me.”

Padmé sighed, stepping forward to cup his cheek.  “Obi-Wan, I don’t want to leave you after this.”

He reached a hand up to place over hers. “I know, darling. I don’t want to lose you, either. Not when I feel like I’ve just found you.”

“What are we going to do?” she murmured.

“We’ll find a way to make it work,” he told her. “All I know is that I love you and that’s not going away any time soon.”

He scooped her up in his arms and kissed her properly, not for show, but because he meant it, and in his arms, she found that she knew everything would be alright.

[darkmindsthinktwistedthoughts]

Enter the Kitsune - Prologue pt2

Warnings: Strong language

Masterlist

---

Prologue part 2

“Nobunaga, my lord, you’re safe!” The voice of the man who appeared to be leading the wall of armoured flesh cut through the air as he rushed towards us. Oh, great bad enough I got one historical headache now what?

“Mitsunari? Why are you here? Where is Hideyoshi?” Nobunaga addressed the young man who was a little out of breath when he came to a halt in front of us.

“Lord Hideyoshi sent me ahead. He should be here shortly.” Mitsunari gave a polite bow after answering then turned his head to the sight of the temple frowning. “We received word about an assassination attempt. It appears to have been true. I had my men search the grounds, but whoever it was had already fled. If I may ask, who is this? I saw the two of you leave the temple together.” I hadn’t noticed his shift in gaze until I found myself being referred too indirectly.

“Aerion, present yourself to my subordinate.” Nobunaga briskly indicated Mitsunari with a wave of his hand waiting for me to respond. You are going to be waiting a long time if you have that kind of attitude when trying to get me to do something.  

“I’m sorry, I guess I missed the part where I somehow became a subordinate too. I don’t have to take orders from you, your imperiousness.” I shot Nobunaga a sideways glare to match my irritated tone.

“Then you’re choosing to disobey me?” Nobunaga’s chilling glare in response to mine was certainly intimidating. It was really too bad for him I already had a splitting headache and it was seriously affecting my ability to amicably socialise.

“No, I meant that you could have asked rather than issued a royal demand.” I spat back, a little shocked at the tone my voice had taken in its agitation.

“Please, this is on me. It was rude of me not to introduce myself first.” The young man spoke up defusing the situation by attracting our attention back to himself. He turned fully to me and gave a bow. “My name is Mitsunari Ishida. I serve at the side of Lord Hideyoshi, Lord Nobunaga’s right-hand man.” He was like a crisp spring breeze. His fresh face was framed with soft silver hair and those violet eyes were just sparkling like gems.

“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Aerion.” I gave the best smile I could whilst attempting not to wince as I attempted to move my head a little to at least attempt a polite nod. He seems kind. He really has a killer smile. Very different from tall dark and demonic over here. Actually, he would probably fit right in with some of the models we use at work.

“I don’t know who she is, but she woke me up and saw me to safety.” Nobunaga filled in the gap of lacking information, causing Mitsunari to snap up straight.

“She did! I can’t thank you enough for protecting our Lord's life.” He beamed clasping his hands together happily. Wow, ok. I thought you had a killer smile but seriously is there a dial on that thing or something?

“Err… It was nothing really I just didn’t want to see someone get hurt in there.” His reaction had me feeling uncomfortable, and I unconsciously started to grip the strap on my backpack tighter.

“But what brought you here tonight? You don’t appear to be a nun. And your dress is unusual. Are you from abroad?” The curiosity in his voice almost made me giggle. He was obviously the observant sort but it was the almost childlike energy behind his words that had me answering him honestly.

“It’s called a hoodie and jeans. Actually, I’m not just from a different country I’ve apparently managed to travel from a different time to yours altogether.”

“What?” It was a joint reaction as both men widened their eyes at me.

“I came from about 500 years in the future.” I repeated myself calmly even as I faced two men who were blankly looking at me in disbelief.

“She’s a story-teller too. Although I’ve never heard such an absurd tale!” Nobunaga was the first to recover and chuckled.

“You poor thing. The smoke from the fire was very disorienting, I’m sure. And you appear to have hit your head at some point.” Mitsunari began talking as if I was some sort of stray injured animal. Seriously it’s call the injured woman crazy in a roundabout way time? No, by all means, ignore the fact this might be real. Although considering everything that is happening, I can’t blame them.

“I really am from the future though –” I mumbled a little knowing it was futile. I know Mitsunari had a kinder response to this than Nobunaga but it still didn’t change a damn thing. I still have no clue as to how I got here.

“Sit down over here and get some fresh air. Someone will bring you a change of clothes.” Mitsunari gently took my hands talking softly and guided me to a low wall to have a seat. Guess I have no real choice here. Ah oh no my favourite hoodie… jeans are a bit ripped and burnt in patches which could be considered fashionable but my poor fox eared hoodie is black and really beaten up. I suppose I should be thankful for fire retardant material in all honesty. What a mess.

“Once you’re freshened up, you’ll feel much better.” He spoke with all the certainty I had heard from my own mother when she was convinced every situation no matter how bad was solvable simply by getting a nice cup of tea.

“You’re probably right. Thank you.” Unable to do much while sitting and trying to remember basic manners I did a quick bow to Mitsunari, half regretting the movement as it jolted the pain in my head again. Mitsunari took my hands in his without a word and held them until another man in armour came up to us carrying a bundle.

“Now, let’s get you into these, shall we, Lady Aerion?”

---

It was impressive how fast the clear space by the temple was transformed into a campsite. I guess these guys are used too it. I was ushered into a small tent with a bowl of fresh water and a hard lump of something I assumed was a sort of soap. Mitsunari had placed the bundle he had taken from the soldier on a stool and left the tent to give me some privacy. Guess someone learnt some sort of manners around here.

I stripped off my hoodie and shoved it in my backpack along with the rest of my clothes. My t-shirt was more or less undamaged it just reeked of smoke. Everything was either fixable with a few creative patches or looked like those expensive high-end items that we covered at work. Standing there in my underwear and running shoes I washed the black soot from my body, watching the clear water turn clouded and with each section of clean skin I revealed. I pulled a brush out of an inner pocket of my bag tentatively working my way through my hair in sections.

Whatever I had hit my head on had left a nice big bump but thankfully the bleeding had stopped and I wanted to keep it that way. I grabbed an elastic and loosely pulled my hair into a side ponytail. It wasn’t much but it was my regular a go to “style”. Someone at work once tried to show me how to do other things with my hair and while I’ll admit they did look nice they also seemed to be a lot of fuss for nothing. I just don’t get why you bother with it. Hair gets in the way your either tie it back or get it cut. Guess that was one of the areas I just would always be lacking on some level. My eyes found the now visible coloured tips to my hair and something about being able to see them made me feel a bit more like myself.

The bundle on the stool turned out to be a traditional kimono. The fabric was a beautiful shade of lilac with some chrysanthemums on it. I could feel the quality of silk just by touching the material. Well, I should be thankful it's not pink, might have just pulled back on all my fire damaged gear if that had been the case. Slipping my arms into the kimono I then picked up the Obi belt and looked at it for a few minutes. I know we did that fashion shoot with some of these today but for the life of me, I don’t think I can do something so ornate with one of these belts like the stylist did. If I just tie it tight so it holds it should be fine.  Finally, as appropriately dressed and clean as I could get, I stepped out of the tent with my bag in hand finding Mitsunari who had been standing guard next to it.

“Lady Aerion. Right, this way.” He guided me to yet another tent in the middle of the camp. After encouraging me to take a seat he then gave me a warm friendly smile. “Wait right here. I’ll bring you a warm cup of good, clean water to clear your throat.”

Mitsunari’s departure left me alone in the tent with the only other person nearby. Nobunaga. He had been looking at something but noticed me when he turned around.

“You clean up well.”

“I suppose that’s supposed to be some sort of compliment.” His lingering eyes made me feel a little uncomfortable. I decided it was probably better to just try to ignore him until Mitsunari returned. Turning back to the entrance I could see the temple fire seemed to be calming down. The smoke was starting to clear. I guess the troops managed to put out the fire. Just when I was thinking the air seemed to be much more breathable the tent flap moved to allow someone to enter, but it wasn’t Mitsunari.

“My lord, I see you are well.” A white-haired man slid into view. A vision in teal and white armour. The yellow colour on his torso just gave a flash of contrasting colour that was sort of like a sunset in a blue sky with clouds. Kind of a weird idea to go through your mind when you know you are looking at a full set of battle armour.

“Mitsuhide?”

Who is this now? I guess if Nobunaga knows his name then it's not someone to be very worried about. Mitsuhide seemed to be totally relaxed as he stood in the tent hardly giving anything in it more than a small glance, and that included me.

“I hurried here when I heard about the attack, but it seems there was nothing for me to worry about.” Mitsuhide gave a slight shrug, it was difficult to tell if he was genuinely put out by the lack of emergency or if he was just a really good actor.

“You, worry? Don’t make me laugh. I’ve never even seen you sweat.” Nobunaga stated with a little amusement in his voice. Watching the two men interact was a bit like watching a tv drama, I was a bit lost in the moment when another man bursts into the tent.

“Lord Nobunaga! Are you injured?” The panicked almost pain-stricken cry seemed oddly out of place given the atmosphere in the tent at the time.

“Hideyoshi. The only injury I suffered is to my pride in letting my assailant escape.”

“I see.” A relieved smile came to the new arrivals face after Nobunaga’s almost exasperated explanation.

“Another samurai … do you guys just pop up out of the ground around here or something?”

“Aren’t we outspoken? Have we met?” The newest member of the boy band reunion turned his full attention on me. His sandy brown hair trembled with some hidden emotion that I could only place as suspect anger. His brown eyes were a warm colour but the look he was giving me was anything but. Oops, guess I didn’t keep that thought to myself. The scrutinising look of the new arrival had a crushing weight behind it.

“Let her be. Her name is Aerion. Oh yes, and she saved my life.” Nobunaga interjected in a nonchalant way which made me question if he truly cared or not about what was happening.

“You saved Nobunaga’s Life…?” Mitsuhide widened his eyes at the new information making the unusual citrine colour of them properly visible. He looked at me for what must have been the first time since arriving. His eyes tracking from my head to my toes a smile pulling at the edge of his lips. “And you’re such a slender thing. But it appears your courage makes up for it.” Suddenly being under his direct gaze and the introduction of that scary smile had me feeling like a bug under a glass. Ok thinking this guy was not someone to worry about might have been jumping the gun a bit.

“Mitsuhide, what are you doing here?” Hideyoshi seemed to almost forget about me and rounded on Mitsuhide instead. I was thankful to not be the centre of attention again but the mood was becoming oppressive in the tent now.

“I was wondering the same thing. I didn’t know you were in Kyoto. What about the campaign?” Mitsuhide enquired as if he was simply asking about the weather and not facing a clearly agitated fighter.

“When I heard about the threat on Lord Nobunaga’s life, I dropped everything to come here. But I never heard anything about you being in Kyoto.” Hideyoshi was squaring off to the calm and seemingly unflappable Mitsuhide.

“Are you implying something?” Mitsuhide’s tone was something I recognised all too well. It was the teasing taught I sometimes took on when I was becoming annoyed in the office but still didn’t wish for an HR summons to talk to me about my behaviour.

“Can you swear before our lord you weren’t plotting anything?” Hideyoshi spoke plainly hiding none of the distrust he was feeling from his face. Mitsuhide just remained in place, an unreadable poker face. His lack of answer had the tension in the tent rising I leaps and bounds. Air looked like it was crackling between them. Guess these two have a love-hate thing going on.

“All men have secrets in these chaotic times. Are you saying you act with no ambition of your own?” As he spoke Mitsuhide had this plastered on smile, returning Hideyoshi’s cold glare with one that looks to be laced with some amusement. You are having fun right now?

“Stop being evasive. Confess.” Hideyoshi’s voice sounded like it was becoming a growl. His hand slipped to his side finding the handle of his sword. They aren’t going to have a sword fight in here, are they? So far out of four samurai I’ve met there is one nice guy, a teasing instigator, a suspicious over protector and one devil. I guess its too much to ask someone to add another nice guy in here to balance out the mix?

“If I find you played any part in this attack on our Lord, Mitsuhide, I’ll show you no mercy.” A sliver of reflective blade began to show as Hideyoshi threatened Mitsuhide.

“I really don’t think it was him!” I called out in Mitsuhide’s defence without really knowing why.

“What?” Mitsuhide and Hideyoshi spoke in unison breaking eye contact with each other to look at me. I managed to confuse two men together again huh? Damn, guess I’m on a roll for confusing the general populace tonight.

“I saw a little bit of whoever attacked Nobunaga in the temple. Sorry, Lord Nobunaga in the temple. But there is no way the silhouette of the clothing matches. Also, we were covered in black soot escaping, Mitsuhide isn’t.” Forced to clarify my declaration I tried to be logical with it. I didn’t wish to see someone targeted for something they clearly didn’t do even if he was apparently number one suspect for everything according to one weaponised man. I suppose he could have hired someone but there isn’t anything to say that is true right now.

“Aerion, was it? Stay out of this. We’ll settle things with you later, and learn why you’ve schemed to get so close to Lord Nobunaga.” Hideyoshi gave me a look that instantly just made me tense up in anger. It was a look you gave to someone you thought was beneath you and full of unspoken insults. If he knew he was doing it or not it was no excuse.

“Well excuse you! I was there by chance. I didn’t scheme anything I didn’t even know who the hell he was!” Matching his angry volume I just ended up speaking in a deep monotone and replied.

I was angry, I was frustrated. It had been a tough day so far with the photoshoot, the burning building and all of this on top. I was tired had a headache from that bump I took and my biggest question of how the hell I got here remained unanswered. I don’t care if you have a big sword or not at this moment in time you keep shouting at me I’m going to shout back.

“Enough, Hideyoshi. Regardless of what brings Mitsuhide here, I am alive and well.” Nobunaga’s voice cut through the thick atmosphere as effective as any knife.

“My apologies, Lord Nobunaga.” At his Lord's words, Hideyoshi’s hand left his weapon and he seemed to relax a little. Wow, the power of his master’s voice huh?

“Hideyoshi, Mitsuhide, leave us. I have something to discuss with Aerion.”

“What?... Why me?” Hideyoshi and Mitsuhide parted like the red sea as Nobunaga came towards me.

“Your bold lies about coming from the future aside, you saved my life. I’m intrigued by you. You’re a woman who carries fortune’s favour, of that I’m certain.” His voice had lowered to take on a sweeter edge to it. Nobunaga had a look to him now that felt so out of place. It was like a guy trying to hit on you in a bar when you weren’t in the mood.

“Honestly if you were having my night right now I could seriously question that. Ah!” I let out a small cry which I inwardly kicked myself for. Nobunaga had got close enough to slip a hand around my waist drawing me to him like a possessive child with a new toy. Again with the lack of personal space and ignoring basic etiquette?

“How would you like to rule the world at my side?” Nobunaga was unnervingly good at throwing you off your game and almost had you agreeing with him before you even worked out what had been said. Rule the what at whose side now? Is this guy for real? Jeez, he’s so close that smile on his face right now feels like its crawling over my skin.

“Sorry, but no. I just got picked for my dream job I worked really hard for it and I just can’t stay, bye!” I spoke in a hurry, words jumbling together somehow making sense as they left my mouth. Well, that came out a lot more flustered than I would have liked. Still, I have to get away.

“What?” Slipping free from his arm Nobunaga stood there in shock. I grabbed my bag and took off running. Voices behind me of the other men calling after me followed me into the night but there was no way I was stopping now. What the hell is happening?

---

[nny11writes]

Passing- Chapter 9

<-Previous

“It was cold!” Ahsoka wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince. Even if she was 100% right. Probably. Definitely not lying. Nope!

Anakin looked at her in pain, wincing in pity on her behalf, which didn’t stop him from groaning in exasperation. “You were both cuddled together, wrapped up in a blanket like a baby gay burrito! She’d say yes if you asked!”

Ahsoka blushed and floundered for a reason why she hadn’t asked yet. When nothing came to the front of her mind besides total panic, she pulled on her very last resort and whined in Obi-Wan’s general direction for help. Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi!

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan gave him a small warning glare before turning his sharp gaze back to her. “Honestly, here’s the thing. Everything I’ve heard tonight, and I feel like you’ve told me quite a bit, makes me think one thing Ahsoka. You already are dating her. You’ve gone on multiple dates and are giving one another little surprises just for the joy of the act. You two are doing almost everything together these days. So let me just be the first to say, you two are already actually dating.”

He flashed her a winning smile. “Congrats by the by.”

Ahsoka sputtered. The absolute nerve!

“She doesn’t mean it like that, Barriss is just,” Ahsoka flapped a hand before giving up and desperately continuing, “She’s considerate ok? She’s really sweet and wonderful!”

Obi-Wan’s smile was somehow both fond and teasing all in one. “You. Are dating. And if Barriss really didn’t mean it like that, you wouldn’t be. It would be exactly like it was before. The fake relationship only happening when you needed to put on a show for her mother.”

It was a perfectly logical and reasonable response. How dare all her friends gang up on her like this!

Ahsoka grumbled. “Did Padme put you up to this, ‘cause she suggested the gallery.”

In hindsight, it was damningly obvious that Ahsoka had accidently taken Barriss out on three dates now. Each one getting progressively worse, and it was honestly a miracle that Barriss hadn’t called her on her bantha fodder and chucked her out the door. Ahsoka had already called Padme out-ok, well, she’d written a message and thought about sending it. Same difference!? The point was, look, the point was that everyone was trying to sabotage her friendship and Ahsoka was getting sick of it.

“All the stars!” Anakin dramatically proclaimed before flopping backwards on the floor. “Literally everyone sees it, except the two of you. You’re dating. It’s official. I want to be your best man when you get married.”

She didn’t feel the least bit bad for kicking his shin as hard as she could. She only regretted it when Anakin launched forward to tackle her, resulting in getting a fist to the gut. He was already twisting out of her grasp when they were interrupted.

“Now now children, settle down please,” Obi-Wan intoned gravely, a dramatic flick of his wrist as he marked the last of his exams. “Now, I need to post these grades so if you’ll excuse me-”

“Did I pass?” Ahsoka half spun, shifting from sitting to basically laying on her stomach, and possibly getting one last kick at Anakin in in the process. “Tell me I passed, credits aren’t free Mr. Kenobi and I have scholarships to keep!”

Obi-Wan tapped a few more buttons on his pad before looking back at her. Schutta was dragging it out on purpose now! He finally pressed something, apparently posting the grades to the public before answering. “Honestly, you’re passing as Barriss’s girlfriend with a higher grade than my class. Am I that boring to you?”

The air whooshed out of her in relief, at least there was one class she was passing. “Thank the karking Force. I swear, I needed some good news about my- hey WAIT!?”

Anakin cackled. “I don’t think she likes you that way old man!”

“Oh shut up,” Ahsoka found herself unsure who to lay into first, and decided Anakin. Because she loved him, but he was always, perpetually first in line for a beat down. And Obi-Wan was currently in control of her future.

“A shame, truly, I’m hurt Ahsoka. Look, I’ll be crying for days now!” Obi-Wan declared grandly before logging out of his pad and tossing it over to Anakin. “I suppose you could sooth my soul by telling me more about Barriss. After all, I don’t think I know all her food preferences yet or what her opinion on relativity theory is. Besides you never clarified exactly what shade of purple is her favorite.”

“I hate you both.” She hissed between the hands now covering her face. The warmth still rose in her in chest at the way they were grinning indulgently at her. It was nice to have so many people behind her. Even if they were obnoxious. “Barriss wouldn’t treat me like this!”

“Barriss doesn’t know you well enough yet,” Anakin said with a sage nod, “Otherwise she wouldn’t be dating you.”

“So Obi-Wan will be the best man,” Ahsoka started.

“Hey!” Anakin yelped.

Obi-Wan sighed, “Let’s not jump to conclusions now, you’ve only been dating her for a few months.”

Ahsoka gave up, throwing her hands in the air and sighing dramatically. A few annoyed clicks here and there for emphasis, which only made Anakin laugh at her. Rude.

Obi-Wan winked at her, then looked at Anakin, “Let’s instead talk about Anakin and Padme who had been dating for years and got eloped and still haven’t made it up to us! I call best man.”

“L-look!” Anakin sputtered at both of them.

Alright, Ahsoka decided that Obi-Wan was redeemed.

[crystal-siren]

A Bright Beginning (Obi-Wan x Reader) Pt.1/3

Requested by @dovies666, I apologise for the delay, but here we go :) <3

Author’s Note: The story will roughly follow the story outline of the prequels.

“My heart is not captured easily. I am disinterested in small talk, disillusioned with love, and too focused on my dreams and aspirations to lend anybody my attention for long. But if we make that connection, if you find your way into my heart, God, I will fall for you like gravity has let go of the earth.” ~ Beau Taplin || The Connection

“Honestly,” Y/N combed her fingers through her H/L H/C hair. “I don’t see why you specifically have to go.”

“I think someone’s a little jealous.” Obi-Wan smirked and winked at his friend, “besides, where the Master goes-”

“The student must follow,” Y/N interjected and sighed, “I know.”

“Don’t worry,” Obi-Wan turned to face her, “I’ll be back soon, I can’t imagine these negotiations taking very long.”

“You say that about every mission.”

“True,” Obi-Wan acknowledged and grinned, “but this time its the truth.”

“Mmhm,” Y/N didn’t sound the least bit convinced.

“Come on,” Obi-Wan pulled his robe on, “you can accompany me to the hanger bay.”

“How very generous of you,” Y/N rolled her eyes and smirked before following her friend out into the passageway.

~ ~ ~

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Obi-Wan lowered his hood as he and his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn approached the view-port aboard one of the Trade Federation’s ships.

“I don’t sense anything,” Qui-Gon replied, almost a little dismissively.

Grinding his teeth and taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan tried again, “it’s not about the mission, Master. It’s something, elsewhere. Elusive.” Maybe he should contact Y/N, maybe she felt something too. She was a little more Force Sensitive than him.

“Keep your concentration here and now, where it belongs,” Qui-Gon’s voice interrupted his musing and brought his attention back to the present.

“Do you think they’ll agree to the Chancellor’s demands?” Obi-Wan moved a little closer to the narrow view port and looked down at Naboo.

“These Federation types are cowards,” Qui-Gon moved to stand beside him, “the negotiations will be short.”

Obi-Wan grinned to himself. He knew it! He could easily imagine Y/N’s surprised expression that she would no doubt wear when they returned.

Unknown to some and sensed by others, something nefarious was indeed taking place.

Not far from where the two Jedi waited, the Viceroy of the Trade Federation and his assistant had been made aware of just who the supposed ‘ambassadors’ were. 

Having sent a droid to speak with them out of fear, Nute Gunray and his assistant Daultay Dofine were now debating on what to tell the one they both answered to.

Their conversation was interrupted when a flickering holo-image came up before them.

Before the Viceroy could utter a word, Dofine stepped forward and spoke in a simpering voice, “this scheme of yours has failed Lord Sidious. The blockades is finished. We dare not go against the Jedi.”

The hooded figure looked down at the creature before him in a way that could only be described as disgust. Turning to the Viceroy, he spoke in sharp tones. “Viceroy, I don’t want to see this stunted slime in my sight again!” The assistant bowed and crept away before the sentence had finished.

Swallowing hard, the Viceroy turned to face the hooded figure.

It was a while before anything was said. It was Sidious who spoke, he sounded almost a little thoughtful. “This turn of events is unfortunate,” he paused a little before continuing. “We must accelerate our plans,” he fully turned his attention to Nute Gunray, who stood silent. “Begin landing your troops.”

This seemed to bring back some mobility into the Viceroy. “But My Lord, is that legal?”

“I will make it legal,” the ominous delivery sent chills down the spine of anyone who listened. With those words, the holo-image flickered one last time before disappearing.

~ ~ ~

No matter how hard she tried, Y/N could not get to sleep. Something lurked at the edges of her periphery and would retreat every time she attempted to get a better look at it.

Giving up, she tossed the covers aside and moved as quietly as she could so as not to wake her Master. Slipping out of the quarters she shared, Y/N moved into the hallway beyond. A brief walk often helped her restless mind. 

She didn’t even make it halfway down the hallway when she heard them. Voices that sounded faraway but also close by.

“I need to speak to the Jedi Council. The situation has become much more complicated.”

Y/N’s eyes widened, that was Master Qui-Gon’s voice! What had happened that made her hear him? Her heart sunk at the prospect that something terrible may have happened.

Fragments of sentences continued to reach her ears but only one really caught her attention.

“My only conclusion... is that it was a Sith Lord.”

Once again, that was Master Qui-Gon! And a Sith? Y/N’s stomach clenched, were they alright? Was Obi-Wan? Questions ran circles through her mind. She knew full well what these voices meant, that she now knew of something that had not yet come to pass.

~ ~ ~

Tatooine. Sand everywhere. And the heat, Obi-Wan didn’t even wanted to get started on that. Obeying his Master, he had stayed aboard the damaged Nubian cruiser.

That feeling of unease that he had first encountered aboard the Trade Federation ship had not gone away. The temptation to contact Y/N was steadily growing stronger. Clenching his jaw, the young Padawan pushed the feeling down and tried to focus on the present, as he had been instructed.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes to better focus when his Comlink sounded. Sighing, he answered the call, “Master? Is everything alright ?”

“Master?” An amused female voice answered, “I’m not quite there yet.”

“Y/N ?”

“Short mission huh?”

Rolling his eyes, Obi-Wan could just picture her expression. “Things didn’t go as planned, alright?”

“Mmhm,” Y/N most likely had her arms folded with one eyebrow raised. “When do they ever. So,” she paused a little before continuing, “what exactly did happen ?”

“Well, it turns out that the Trade Federation has invaded Naboo, in addition to the blockade that is. The Queen barely escaped.”

Y/N was silent for a good long while and it didn’t take long for Obi-Wan to remember that Naboo was her native planet.

“Y/N? You ok?”

“Umm, yeah, I think so,” she was quieter than before. Her emotional attachment to her home planet was a strong one, despite the fact that she hadn’t been raised there.

“You don’t sound ok.”

“I am, really,” she sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than him. “It’s just a bit of a shock, that’s all. Anyway,” her change of tone suggested a change in subject. “When will you and Master Qui-Gon be back?”

Obi-Wan bit his lip and paused a little before answering. “I’m not quite sure yet, but I think it’ll be soon.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Where exactly are you?”

“Here’s the thing Y/N,” Obi-Wan braced himself for her reaction to his next words, “we’re on Tatooine. In the Outer Rim.”

“Tatooine?” Y/N all but shouted in surprise, “what in the name of the Force are you doing all the way out there?”

“Our ship was damaged as we left Naboo and Tatooine was the safest place to go, considering we have the Queen on board.”

A long sigh was heard from her end, she was no doubt pinching the bridge of her nose with her eyes closed. “You alright though?” The words were whispered, as though she was afraid someone might hear her.

Taken by surprise, Obi-Wan didn’t answer right away.

“Obi-Wan?”

“I’m alright, considering.”

Silence hung between them for a short while before Y/N spoke again. “This may seem strange Obi-Wan, and a tad out of the blue but, I think something bad is going to happen.”

This caught his attention and he perked up, “what makes you say that?”

“Its just that,” she sounded a little hesitant and unsure. “I heard them again.”

Obi-Wan wished he didn’t know what she meant. Voices that only she could hear. Voices that foretold only bad things. “Who was it this time?”

“Master Qui-Gon.”

This was blow for Obi-Wan and he wasn’t quite sure how to take it. “What-what did he say?”

She seemed to hesitate before answering.

“Y/N, what did he say?”

She let out a long, drawn out breath. “He said something about..”

“Something about what?” Her fragmented sentences didn’t bode well and Obi-Wan began to wonder just how bad it would get this time.

Y/N let out a shuddering breath before answering with only two words. “The Sith.”

Obi-Wan wasn’t sure if he had heard correctly. The Sith? His surprise faded a little when he realised that this could very well explain that feeling unease and that something was horribly wrong.

“But Y/N, the Sith are extinct. Could it be possible that you misheard?”

“I know what I heard Obi-Wan,” she spoke with a slight edge to her voice, “I am as surprised as you are, if not more so.”

“If that is indeed the case,” he became thoughtful, “then you must inform the Council and Master Tahl.”

“I tried, but the Council dismissed it.” Y/N sounded tired.

This angered Obi-Wan, but he forced himself to calm down. Sometimes it felt as though he was the only one to take her seriously. She had a gift and it drove him to near madness that the Council refused to accept that.

“What of Master Tahl? What did she say?” He hoped, for her sake, that her Master had been a little more understanding.

“I think she believes me,” Y/N sighed heavily, “but I can’t be sure.”

“For what it’s worth, I believe you.”

He hoped that this would bring a smile to her features. She deserved to have someone that believed her, and not someone who merely dismissed what she heard as pleas for attention.

“Thank you Obi-Wan, that means a lot.” He could clearly hear the smile in her voice and relief flooded through him. “It’s nice to know that I’m not alone in this.”

Obi-Wan made to answer when one of the pilots approached him. “Y/N? I have to go, I’m sorry. We’ll talk when I get back the Capital alright?”

“You stay out of trouble you hear me?” The joking nature of her voice was back.

“Sure thing Y/N, whatever you say” Obi-Wan grinned and shook his head before switching off his Comlink and giving the pilot his full attention.

“What is it?”

“Your Master is back with the required parts.”

“Thank you, I’ll be there presently.” Obi-Wan let out a sigh of relief, finally they would be leaving.

Straightening his robes, Obi-Wan made his way through the ship and to the lowered loading ramp. His Master seemed to be riding on the planet’s native animals. The creature had long legs so Master Qui-Gon was a little way above the planet’s sandy surface.

“I’m going back,” he said by way of greeting as his Padawan approached.

“Where are you going Master?”

“There’s some unfinished business that requires my attention.”

Obi-Wan knew what this meant and he suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. “Why do I get the feeling we’ve picked up yet another pathetic life-form?” Disapproval was clear in the way he spoke.

“Get this hyperdrive installed,” Qui-Gon instructed his apprentice and turned his mount in the direction he had come.

Obi-Wan sighed and ran a hand through his short hair. No doubt this was the boy his Master had mentioned earlier. The one with an astounding number of midi-chlorians in his blood. Obi-Wan couldn’t help but feel he was being shuffled to the side in favour of this boy.

Not even two standard hours had passed and the hyperdrive generator had been installed and still Obi-Wan saw no sign of his Master returning.

The memory of what Y/N had told him came back and worry began to gnaw at him. If what she had said was true, then they were all in more danger than he had originally believed.

His thoughts were interrupted when a small sandy-haired boy came racing up the loading ramp.

“We need to go!” The boy spoke to anyone who might listen. There was a sense of urgency in his tone that caught Obi-Wan’s attention.

“Not without my Master we’re not,” as he spoke the boy looked at him.

“Master Qui-Gon says to go!”

This set off a series of alarm bells in Obi-Wan’s mind. Glancing quickly at the boy, he turned and bolted in the direction of the cockpit, the boy was hot on his heels.

“Take off, but stay low,” he instructed the pilots. Squinting out of the view-port, he saw two figures and the tell-tale glow of lightsabers. One blue and one red. “Over there,” he pointed to where the two figures were and fervently prayed that his Master would see them and make the jump.

Qui-Gon heard the familiar hum of a ship’s engine and sensed the proximity of the vessel before striking at his opponent in such a way that gave him time to leap up onto the partially lowered loading ramp of the approaching ship.

Obi-Wan and the boy burst through the door soon after he back on board.

“Master, what was that?” Obi-Wan spoke with thinly veiled curiosity.

“I’m not sure,” Qui-Gon took a series of deep breaths. “But it was well trained in the Jedi arts.”

“What are we gonna do now?” The boy spoke up from beside Obi-Wan.

“I’m not sure,” Qui-Gon admitted and smiled ruefully at his apprentice. “For now, we must wait and be patient.”

Adjusting his position on the ground so that he was sitting, Qui-Gon spoke, addressing the boy. “Anakin Skywalker,” he then gestured to Obi-Wan, “meet Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

The boy, Anakin enthusiastically shook hands with the Padawan, “you’re a Jedi too? Pleased to meet you.”

Obi-Wan couldn’t help but smile.

To be continued...

Part 2

[ifdragonscouldtalk]

Against Expectations

fuck i hope u guys are happy you made me finish it even tho it’s crappy so here take it @not-close-to-straight @reioka @thealextheshipper 

I made a new post because it is longgggg but here take it. Trigger Warning for self-depreciating and depressive thoughts and negative body image

It was expected that Tony didn’t have any pools or hot tubs, after Afghanistan. It was also expected that he wouldn’t want to expose himself all that much with the arc reactor. And before... before it hadn’t mattered. The girls he slept with didn’t care at all, and he never left the lights on and they were always too drunk to remember, so it never mattered much.

It was completely humiliating, absolutely disgusting. His body was ugly. He hated to look at it. He only thanked God that they were all easy to hide.

And no one questioned the fact that he never talked about it with them, because he acted as if he had no heart in the first place, and he was good at that. He always had been. It was self preservation.

It was honestly ridiculous. It defied all logic and everything he knew, and he hated that, and he hated that he couldn’t fix it, and he hated that he hated his body.

Because it hadn’t been hard to hide before the Avengers. A bit of makeup here and there, and that was that. But now... now he was terrified. Completely mortified someone would discover that Tony Stark had a heart, and it was far, far too big to be contained behind the arc reactor.

Ana and Edwin’s names had appeared first. He was four, five maybe. Those were both written just under the waistband of his jeans, easy to hide. He had been completely ecstatic that the two people who he cared about most, who cared about him most, who took care of him through sickness and sadness when his parents were away, were his soulmates. They were, understandably, surprised that their names had been scrawled across the hips of their young master. He could see their shock the first time he told them, and was afraid he had done something wrong, but they recovered quickly, and never treated him any differently. They were affectionate, and he never questioned why they asked him to keep it a secret, because they knew what was best for him. It was only later when he learned how incredibly unusual it was, not only because of the age, not only because there were two of them, but because his was not on their skin. He only found out after their deaths. When lovers asked, he told them they were real tattoos he had gotten to honor some people he’d lost. They didn’t question it.

JARVIS was next. At first he was confused, mortified and completely humiliated that an A.I. could be his soulmate. That wasn’t possible, was it? Perhaps his soul was different. He had been broken upon creation, the marks on his skin didn’t mean anything. That was printed along his right shoulder, easy to hide with some good makeup, and it became part of his morning routine to cover the mark. JARVIS knew, obviously, because JARVIS could see it whenever it wasn’t covered. But the A.I. never mentioned it. Maybe his computer was just as stumped as he was.

Rhodey was soon after that, a practiced signature on the inside of his right wrist. Mortification morphed into humiliation and he was so, so very confused. Because really, he didn’t think about Rhodey like that. Yes, he loved Rhodey, but not in a way that he was told soulmates were supposed to, and he knew for a fact Rhodey didn’t feel that way about him. He began designing his own makeup to cover the marks, almost irremovable, waterproof and smudge proof.

Yinsen was a surprise, and took him off guard, when he found the small scrawl near the edge of his arc reactor. Luckily, it looked enough like discolored skin that no one, Yinsen or anyone else, gave it the second look to see what it really was, but perhaps that plagued him as much as anything else when he got back. And the fact that he had lost him. He covered that name out of self preservation, and wished there was a way to cut it out of him.

Perhaps it said something that Obie’s name never appeared on his skin. Perhaps his soul knew what his brain didn’t. But he couldn’t help but think that the names were mocking him -- he had never met anyone with his name as well. They meant nothing. They were only a cause of pain. He started to hate his own skin.

Pepper’s was the only one he felt no desire to cover up. He wore it loud and proud, front and center over his heart, her loopy scrawl perfect with a small heart over his own. He loved it, and the way Pepper lit up whenever she saw it. But the longer their relationship went on, the more the mark seemed to pain her, and he started to hate that one as well. He never let her see his others. He couldn’t hurt her like that. He would suffer alone.

He never asked her where his name was, if she even had it.

Happy’s was small and unobtrusive, on his chest just under his right arm. Professional, looping, ridiculous. This was getting ridiculous!

Coulson was never meant to appear, but he did. The name never faded after the agent’s death, and that’s when Tony knew he was completely broken. He didn’t like going to doctors, seeing their faces when they noticed his many names. Often tears dripped down onto the signature on his left thigh, when he knew he was broken and the world was against him. That didn’t matter, because the makeup was waterproof, but he knew it was there, as strong as ever even after the shattering death. None of it made sense, but he supposed it wasn’t supposed to. It was only the universe toying with him.

He felt Steve’s name appear on him the first time they met eyes, a sharp burning along his right collar, and Jesus Christ he had never been more glad for the cut of his shirts, because otherwise that would be incredibly difficult to hide. Steve’s was neat, unobtrusive, uniform and perfect. Just like the man. And he hated it. And he hated himself. He started waking up earlier and covering up more carefully.

Bruce’s shaved itself into his skin when Hulk woke him up after the Battle of Manhattan, an untidy scrawl along the left side of his stomach, and that was when he vowed he would never take his shirt off in front of them. He would wear an undershirt with a hole cut out so they could access the arc reactor if necessary, although he didn’t particularly want them seeing the arc reactor either, but he was completely convinced no amount of makeup could cover his self hatred and shame.

Shawarma afterwards, with the others dozing around him as he carefully shifted his ribs to see if he could take the suit off; that was when the rest appeared, a physical pain that almost tore at his heart in complete disgrace. He managed not to let it show. He found them in the mirror later, in the dead of night when only JARVIS could see; Thor’s blocky letters on the back of his left shoulder, Natasha’s professional cursive on the inside of his right thigh, and Clint, damn him, had taken up residence with a tramp stamp, because of course he had.

He couldn’t let them see. No way he would let them see.

Being the master of masks and excuses, he always managed to wheedle his way out of group activities which involved any sort of skin exposure, and perhaps the others caught on to it, because Pepper started making more comments about how nice his body was and he had the sneaking suspicion they had been talking to her behind his back. Luckily Pepper was normally too busy for sex, or too much enjoying herself to look closely. He was starting to slip, and he knew it. There was too much responsibility, too much shame, too many flashbacks and too much heartache, and too many names, and he couldn’t cover them all, hell he couldn’t even reach Thor’s and Clint’s.

And then Bucky. Sweet, broken Bucky. Stumbling into the tower one day beat up and bloody, ready to spill secrets and sins and begging for respite. Tony was nearly as hysterical as Barnes at that point, if he was being honest, and meeting his eyes...

It seared across the back of his neck, possessive, right under his hairline. It was covered, thank God. The only way he could see it was for JARVIS to take a picture for him. Bucky’s handwriting was neat, surprisingly so, with a bit of a shake at the end of the ‘y’ and ‘s’ in his name.

And then Pepper, leaving.

And then. And then. And then.

And he was tired. He was so tired. He had lived a long time, too long, he should be dead, why wasn’t he dead, why couldn’t he stop living on borrowed time. And it didn’t matter anymore, it didn’t.

He was careless.

He got drunk.

He washed clean.

And the next morning, there was an attack. He went to battle like that, in his boxers inside the suit. And that... that was a mistake. That was the biggest mistake of his life.

Of course it was some magic user, of course they had teamed up with MODOK. It hurt, Jesus Christ the others didn’t understand, it hurt to be torn out of the armor like that, to have the reactor strain in his chest to remain where it was supposed to be. To fall in a heap on the pavement, exposed to the world. To look up and realize that there was no way you could hide anymore.

Somewhere, distantly, Bucky screamed in rage. Natasha was cursing in various languages. Hulk was making the buildings shake with his anger.

Tony’s shoulders trembled. They had seen. There was no mistaking that they had seen. God, he doesn’t have to look, those reactions are clear enough. They hate him. He’s such a fucking freak.

JARVIS showed up to defend him, his spare suits flying in rage and glory. Beautiful. At least the things Tony made were beautiful. At least the things Tony made had to love him.

He sat there, cold, crying, until hands started to touch his shoulders, guide him to his feet. The team. They were staring at him. Of course they were. He was a freak.

But then Bucky reverently touched the back of his neck, hands shaking, where he knew the man’s name to reside. And their expressions all morphed into something Tony wasn’t adept enough in emotions to read, gently trailing their fingers over their names. Bruce was wrapped in a blanket and started to cry.

“Oh, Tony. Oh, Tony!”

Tony shivered. He knew it was disgusting. They didn’t have to cry about it.

“Coulson,” Clint breathed, tracing gently over the name, making Tony shudder with his touch.

“He’s dead,” Tony responded, his voice cracking, and the tears were back, God, how embarrassing could he be? “He’s dead. I’m a freak. I know. Please. Please don’t leave. I don’t have anything left.”

Steve frowned, glancing up at the others, before carefully rolling up his right sleeve, licking his thumb and rubbing at the skin there on his wrist. And Tony watched, not sure what he was feeling, as his name appeared like magic. Small, neat, like he had been taught by his father. Unobtrusive. Permanent. Binding.

And he watched in wonder, as the others held out their right arms, rolling up their sleeves and rubbing at the makeup there, and his name... His name... There were so many names. One on each of them. Oh God, how had he not known?

“We didn’t want to overwhelm you,” Bucky breathed, his voice as reverent as his touch. “God, Tony, you... You’ve been hiding this all this time?” Tony nodded, his throat thick, his eyes hot.

“It’s disgusting.” It came out more like a cracking question. Natasha, who hadn’t taken her fingers off her name, rubbing over it endearingly, shook her head.

“Beautiful,” she breathed.

Tony cried.

[lurkingcrow]

As promised here's the unfinished and unlikely to ever be finished part of a Time Travel AU I was playing with. I've put what I have first, with an explanation and outline of where it was going to head at the end 😊

The first time they see him Qui-Gon Jinn is far more focused on working out how he and his Padawan are going to get out of this mess. Behind them lies the council chambers, and the security force attempting to detain them - he doesn't know how they managed to frame poor Obi-Wan for the theft of classified documents, but he was not about to stand by and allow them to use him as a political hostage. In front lies the marketplace, with, he notes with a silent groan, checkpoints at each exit.

 A quick brush out with the force reveals that this ambush has been better planned than he thought. Honestly, Yinchorri mercenaries? Given their belligerent nature and the ongoing territorial disputes, the locals must have been very concerned about their Jedi guests escaping to hire the Force-resistant species. There goes his plan of mind-tricking his way out of the city.

 If he were not a dignified Jedi Master Qui-Gon would scream. He and his Padawan may have had their fair share of close calls in their time together, but the past few weeks had been ridiculous. From the unknown sniper on Tanosia to the fuel explosion on Anaxes it felt like the universe was doing its best to ensure they wouldn't make it back to the Temple in one piece. Under the circumstances he should have expected this mission to be no different.

"Master" Obi-Wan whispers, clearly having taken in their perilous situation. "What will we do?"

Qui-Gon hums softly and quietly steals a bundle of clothing from an unattended stall before pulling them both into a quiet alleyway to examine his haul. The plain blue tunic is small but should cover Obi-Wan's teenage frame, and the green patterned headscarf should help hide that distinctive auburn hair. Unfortunately his own options are rather limited. Qui-Gon stares the rather garish poncho covered in brightly coloured patterns featuring local fertility symbols. He winces. At the very least it will make him look far less like a Jedi on the run...

Obi-Wan is looking at the garment in disgust, nose screwed up in a most adorable fashion and despite the looming danger Qui-Gon can’t help but feel fond. Perhaps the poncho does have its uses after all. Shrugging on his new attire Qui-Gon leads them back into the fray. "Don't worry Padawan. We will find a way out of the city. We just need a distraction." 

"I...  I could lead them on a chase back towards the central plaza, that should give you enough time to get back to the ship and call for help." And allow himself to get captured no doubt.

Qui-Gon imagines Obi-Wan locked in a dim cell, alone and vulnerable to whatever nefarious plans their hosts had up their sleeves and he holds back the growl that forms deep in his chest.

"Absolutely not. We will be leaving this city together or not at all. Do I make myself clear Obi-Wan?" he says, his voice allowing no room for argument

His Padawan's face is disturbingly grateful. "Yes Master."

"Grandfather!"

The call cuts across the crowd, and Qui-Gon idly raises his head to find its source.

"Grandfather! There you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

It takes everything in him not to flinch as they are accosted by an enthusiastic young man dressed in a similar, is slightly more subdued, fashion to their hash disguises. As the stranger reaches up to engulf him in a familial embrace, Qui-Gon feels him whisper urgently into his ear.

"Play along. From now on you’re my grandfather ok?"

Sensing that their opportunity to leave may just have arrived the Jedi Master quickly whispers back “Understood.” He stands straight and smiles broadly before continuing in a much louder tone. "My apologies. It seems we got a little lost."

"That's ok. I found you in the end - seriously that top? I know you're only visiting but you don't have to dress like a tourist all the time, I mean..." The youth draws both the Jedi close and begins to usher them in the general direction of the exits. He  keeps up his patter as they walk towards the checkpoint, his accent slowly broadening until he is the very image of an Outer Rim local showing around visiting family members. Every so often Qui-Gon responds with a general expression of interest - Obi-Wan on the other hand stays silent, casting occasional judgemental looks at their newfound guide. 

Qui-Gon would worry, but a few offhand comments about sullen teenagers make their way into the conversation and he approves of how easily their new friend adapts their cover to suit their needs. Still, it is one thing to keep the attention off them in a crowded marketplace, it is quite another to convince the local guard and his reptilian offsider to let them through. And speaking of...

"Stop. Identify yourselves!"

The checkpoint guard appears remarkably unconcerned about the possibility of being accosted by rogue Jedi. If anything he appears rather smug, secure in the presence of the hired help to prevent any Force related trickery as he keenly scrutinises them for signs they don’t belong. Just their luck! This is no sloppy backwater security guard, but one who is obviously alert to the potential for subterfuge. And they are rapidly running out of time before the alarm is raised and the checkpoints will be closed completely... 

Their guide however appears unperturbed and barely blinks before engaging the security officer in conversation.

"Sorry sir! My name's Luke, I'm here to pick up my grandfather - he just got in you know, and managed to get lost between here and the spaceport and I promised to make sure he was ok and ..."

"Luke's" earnest explanation clearly bores the guard.

"Shut up. Just tell me clearly who you are and where you are headed." The man says, rolling his eyes. "And don't try to lie - I’m well trained to spot suspicious folk and my friend here will know if you try any funny business."

The reptilian guard grins widely, showing off a mouthful of sharp teeth. The young man grins back, bright and honest and Qui-Gon  wants to applaud him for his feigned sincerity even as he braces himself for the inevitable conflict.

“Like I was saying, I’m Luke, I travel a bit nowadays but I started out a farmer and just I’m here to pick up my grandfather for a quick family visit. My transport’s parked outside the city, and it’s a bit of a walk so we’re in a bit of a hurry, sorry to be a bother and…”

The guard sighs heavily. “Yes, yes, and what about this young man hm? Your brother I suppose?”

Luke appears to perk up. “Oh no, That’s Uncle Ben!”

The guard looks between the obviously teenage boy at the older man’s side and the clearly adult young man in front of him. His expression is doubtful.

“Your Uncle?”

“Yeah, Grandfather adopts all sorts of strays, it’s kind of the reason for I’m here, have a bit of a family get together, make sure my father gets the chance to properly meet his brother and forge a bit of relationship you know? I know it can look a bit weird but family comes in all shapes and sizes and ours is...”

“Ok, Ok.” The guard looks at his Yinchorri companion who hasn’t so much as blinked through Luke’s enthusiastic diatribe. “Fine, you seem to check out. Just to confirm, you are not a Jedi or affiliated with the Jedi in any way?”

Behind him Qui-Gon can feel Obi-Wan tense. He sends a wave of reassurance across their bond, even as his own trepidation reaches fever pitch.

Luke looks astonished.

“Me? A Jedi? I’ve never even been to Coruscant!”

The guard looks at him sternly. Luke appears to wilt.

“Fine. I am not nor have I ever been a member of the Jedi Order.”

The guard eyes him carefully and turns to his colleague. The Yinchorri looks disappointed at the lack of action, but nods, and the guard sighs as he waves them forward. “Ok then. Enjoy your visit. I’d advise you stay out of the capital for a while though - things could be a little messy around here for a while.”

Luke turns and waves as they pass through the gates “Thank you officer! We will!”. 

He grabs their hands and begins to lead them through the narrow streets and laneways until they are well out of eyesight of the guardpost. Even then it is not until they have reached the outskirts of the city that Luke takes a deep breath and collapses against a wall. He shakes out his shoulders, and straightens his back and the remnants of the naive young farmer fall off him like a discarded cloak.

“Whew! That was close.” He turns to retrieve a small bag from where it has been hiding behind a pile of disused machinery. “How did he get the lizards, shouldn’t their system be interdicted by now?” he mutters under his breath.

Qui-Gon remains alert, unobtrusively placing himself between the stranger and his frowning Padawan. He clears his throat to gain their unexpected helper’s attention.  “Indeed it was. Forgive me my friend, but I would appreciate an explanation before progressing any further.”

The young man stands up straight to look at them face on.“Huh? Oh sorry. Like I said, my name’s Luke, and you both looked like you needed a rescue” He looks decidedly sheepish, idly running a gloved hand through blond strands of hair.

Qui-Gon raises an eyebrow. “And that was enough for you to risk being associated with a pair of wanted individuals?”

Something about that statement makes their new acquaintance choke and those vivid blue eyes shine with mirth even as he waves off the Jedi’s glance of concern. “Let’s just say that’s not something I have much of a problem with. Look, my reasons are my own, but believe me, I have absolutely no intention on bringing harm to either of you. Kind of the opposite in fact.”

Qui-Gon’s desire to get some clarification of that last statement is interrupted by his Padawan.

“And why should we trust you?” he asks, suspiciously. “Given how easily you got us through the checkpoint - how do we know you're not lying now?”

Qui-Gon must admit that he is more than a little curious himself about how their guide had managed to convince the guards to let them through.  

Luke’s face remains impassive, but there’s amusement vibrating through his frame. “ Because I never lied.”

Obi-Wan rolls his eyes.

“Of course. We’re meant to believe a stranger who we’ve never met before is actually a long lost family member who just so happens to be in a position to take us to meet the rest of the clan.” he says sarcastically, full of teenage bravado. “Why are you helping us? What do you really want?”   

Their new friend laughs, perhaps a bit too loudly, and reaches into the bag to pull out a strange device that he promptly straps onto his wrist before looking Obi-Wan straight in the eyes.

“At the moment I don’t want anything more than to help you both get safely off this planet. As for why, is there any reason I shouldn’t want to help a pair of Jedi in need?” He pauses. The twinkle in his eye intensifies. “And nothing I said wasn’t true.  Not from a certain point of view anyway.”

At Obi-Wan’s dubious look he continues, unable to hide his silent amusement. “Your Master agreed to be my Grandfather, which given the nature of your relationship can be reasonably interpreted as making you my Uncle. And if you did happen to end up stuck here your chances of ever meeting my father are definitely diminished wouldn’t you say? So everything I said was perfectly valid.”  

It’s a bit of verbal trickery that even Qui-Gon admits is rather ingenious, and he hides his own smile at his padawan’s put out expression.

“That’s not the point!” he grumbles. “Besides, where did you get “Ben” from anyway?”

There’s an odd look to Luke’s face, something fond yet infinitely sad “There was a good man I knew by that name.You remind me of him a bit. Anyway, I could hardly use your real name could I?”

With a start Qui-Gon realises they never did make their introductions. With no sign that he means them harm, and his apparent sincerity shining in the Force it seems safe enough to share their true identities.  “My apologies Luke, it seems I have been remiss. I am Master Qui-Gon Jinn, of the Jedi Order and this is my padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi.” He bows, as does Obi-Wan, albeit somewhat reluctantly. “ You have my sincere thanks for your assistance. Unfortunately it appears that our mission here is no longer sustainable.” Behind him Obi-Wan snorts. It is something of a large understatement after all. “ We would be most appreciative to take you up on your offer of transport. I believe you mentioned something about a ship?”

Luke nods sharply.

“Of course. This way” he says as they resume their journey out towards the fields  surrounding the city proper. “It’s not much, but it should get you back Coruscant without too much hassle.”

Indeed, as they arrive it is obvious that the ship, suspiciously similar to the local transports used by one of the feuding parties, is more than a little worse for wear. The blaster scores and lack of personal items suggest that their new friend may not have come to acquire it through necessarily legitimate means, although at this point Qui-Gon is willing to overlook anything if it means getting safely back to the temple. As they step on board Luke hands him a datapad.

“Here - the ID shouldn’t trigger any alarms, but just in case I’ve loaded a couple of the Agricultural Minister’s codes. Given his links with the local smuggling rings no one should look too hard at your departure. After that I’m afraid you’re on your own.”

Qui-Gon raises an eyebrow “You’re not coming with us?”

Luke looks taken aback. “Um. Oh, no. No, I’ve got some business to take care of here.” he says, rather unconvincingly.

Ah. No doubt some form of less than legal endeavour. While he doesn’t have the typical appearance one would expect of the local smugglers, Luke wouldn’t be the first to take advantage of a youthful face and guileless demeanor in order to divert suspicion. And while no doubt the ongoing situation provides plenty of opportunities for profit, the arrest and imprisonment of Jedi representatives  would bring unwelcome attention to the resident purveyors of black market goods. It makes sense then, the offer of a (stolen) ride off planet, and Qui-Gon makes a note to turn this into a learning experience for Obi-Wan once they are safely out of danger.

His padawan has apparently determined that while suspicious, the blond man is not a threat, and thus apparently deserving of his concern. “Then how do you intend to leave? Once they realise we’ve escaped the city they’ll start searching for whoever helped us - you won’t be safe for long.”   

Luke shakes his head looks at the strange device on his wrist. Qui-Gon doesn’t recognise it, but it would not surprise him in the least if it is some form of locator beacon. “Oh don’t worry about me. I can make my own way. You two need to get going.”

“If you’re sure…” A firm nod sets Obi-Wan at ease and Qui-Gon takes the opportunity to move things along. “In that case, thank you again Luke. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

“You too Grandfather. Take care of my little uncle, he seems like the type to end up in all sorts of trouble”

“Hey!” Despite his apparent outrage Obi-Wan is smiling slightly. “I’m not that bad!” He stops and thinks for a moment. “Most of the time anyway. It’s not usually my fault.”

Luke grins widely and reaches out to ruffle copper coloured locks before quickly stepping back to avoid an elbow to the chest. “I know the feeling. May the force be with you Obi-Wan Kenobi. I’m sure we’ll meet again.”

“May the force be with you too … nephew!” With that last retort Obi-Wan scampers on board, presumably to start pre-flight checks, leaving a quietly amused Qui-Gon to wave farewell to their unlikely saviour. In the bright sunshine Luke almost seems to glow.  Qui-Gon turns to close the hatch, and by the time he looks again the blond man is gone, not a trace to be seen. Just another brief acquaintance made and lost in the span of a mission.

Their trip back to Coruscant is uneventful. Just as Luke predicted, their departure went unnoticed, and while the navigation system required a certain amount of calibration it was nothing they couldn’t handle. As he settles back into the comfort of their quarters in the Temple Qui-Gon Jinn sighs in gratitude, and takes a moment to bless the intercession of their unlikely assistant. He will have to remember to thank him should their paths ever cross again, hopefully under less stressful circumstances.

*******************

The second time they see him they are running for their lives against an oncoming avalanche triggered by an explosion on the valley walls above. As they race for what little shelter is available at the base of the jagged cliffs Qui-Gon is not hopeful. While the rocks may offer some protection, the sheer amount of material hurtling toward them makes their survival more than a little precarious.

“Master! Over there!”

Obi-Wan frantically gestures towards what appears to be a small opening in the cliff face. Together they move as fast as they can, but the flow behind them is relentless. They’re so close, within a few body lengths, but they’re not going to make it.  

Except. For just a moment the onslaught seems to slow, and out of the corner of his eye Qui-Gon can see a cloaked figure with hands raised in a very familiar manner and the Force sings with power. There’s no time to think about it though, and he rushes forward, pushing Obi-Wan into the dim safety of the cave. Behind him he can feel another body backing through the opening before a suffocating darkness envelops the cave.

They are trapped.

Qui-Gon calls out. “Obi-Wan! Are you alright?”

“Yes Master! Just let me…”

With the sound of a lightsaber igniting, the cavern is faintly illuminated in pale blue light. It is not large, the narrow entrance widening somewhat into the small alcove in which they stand before disappearing back into the rock behind. It appears to be stable, which is just as well given the large mass of snow and ice packed against the opening, and a cold draft of air suggests there is some form of external ventilation. At least they probably won't suffocate. 

Obi-Wan appears relatively unharmed, a minor scrape on his forehead the only visible sign of their recent distress. Assured of their immediate survival Qui-Gon turns his attention to the other being in the cave with them.

The cloaked figure is standing just in front of the blocked entrance, panting with exertion. A gloved hand reaches out to press against the icy barrier before the figure rises and turns towards them, the few stray pieces of snow falling from their shoulders as they lower the hood.

“Well that didn’t go as planned.”

“Luke?!” Obi-Wan’s cry of surprise is uncomfortably loud in the confined space. “What are you doing here?”

“Evidently getting trapped in an icy cave.” The supposed smuggler winces. “Again. Leia is never going to let me live this down.”

The appearance of their unlikely acquaintance half the galaxy away from where they last saw him is surprising enough, but there is something more immediate on Qui-Gon’s mind.                                                              “You’re a Force-user.”

Luke cocks his head to one side, consideringly. There is something in his eyes that makes Qui-Gon feel as if he is being carefully judged. He may not know exactly why, but Qui-Gon is not considered and experienced negotiator for nothing, and so he takes a chance to lower his shields slightly, radiating calm serenity into the Force.

It seems to do the trick. Luke nods, and suddenly the Force is alight with his presence.

“Yes. The Force is strong in my family.”

It’s definitely an understatement. The young man shines like a beacon. Whoever he is he is powerful. But firmly light. Qui-Gon feels himself relax slightly. His reaction must be more obvious than he thought because Luke smiles back at him.

“No kidding.” mutters Obi-Wan, still reeling from the sudden shift in atmosphere.

“Padawan.” Qui-Gon admonishes. For all that Luke appears to mean them no harm there is no need to be rude and risk antagonizing a potential ally. Speaking of. “It seems I must once again thank you for your intervention Luke. I am not sure we would have made it had you not helped.”

And wasn’t that in itself a dead giveaway - How many Jedi could claim to successfully slow thousands of tons of rapidly moving avalanche -even for such a short period of time? How had he avoided their notice for so long? The Rim was large but surely such a powerful Force user would leave rumours in his wake?

Luke’s expression turns rueful. “ I'm just sorry I wasn't able to stop it in the first place. That way we wouldn't be stuck here for the foreseeable future.”

Before Qui-Gon can question him further Luke reaches into his belt, pulling out what appears to be an emergency torch and handing it to Obi-Wan. “Here. It won’t help with the cold, but it’s probably safer than your saber.”

“Thank you” the padawan says, flicking his weapon off after lighting the torch. With the additional light the line between his brows becomes readily apparent “Wait, “stop it”? The explosion wasn't an accident!?”

Obi-Wan sounds surprised but Qui-Gon had already assumed as much. According to the records all the mining sites on that part of the mountain should have been abandoned decades ago. Combined with the timing,  this was far too neat a set of circumstances for it not to have deliberate.

Luke’s answer matches  his suspicions. “No. Definitely not an accident. Someone wants you out of the picture.” Qui-Gon can’t be sure, but something about that statement seems to be directed at Obi-Wan in particular.

“One of the local factions? I know the stakes are fairly high but I didn’t think they’d progressed to outright murder.” he asks mildly. It does seem rather far fetched - while the export of  tiberium is of major economic concern to loyal populace the sums involved are hardly enough to justify the assassination of the Jedi mediators sent to resolve the issue.

“Maybe” Luke answers, somewhat cagily. “It’s definitely a possibility.”

He’s lying. For all that he seems to mean them no harm this strange Force-user knows more than he’s letting on. Part of Qui-Gon wants to pick up the smaller man and shake him until he tells them what danger stalks them, but he is not considered one of the Order’s finest negotiators for no reason. Patience may reveal more than interrogation ever will.

“What are you even doing here?” Obi-Wan butts in. “This is a long way from where we left you.”

One day Qui-Gon will succeed in teaching his Padawan the art of subtlety. This is not that day.

Luke shrugs. He tries to look nonchalant, but to Qui-Gon’s well trained eyes fails miserably. “Oh, I go here and there, wherever the Force leads me. I heard a rumour that a man I’ve been chasing might have planned on stopping here for a bit so thought I’d check it out. It just so happened I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He furrows his brow. “Story of my life really.” That at least seems heartfelt. And it has confirmed Qui-Gon’s gut feeling. Luke’s presence is no accident.    

...

And that's all I have! Sorry!

So, the story is that in the aftermath following ROTJ an Imperial Mad Scientist™ finds a way to change the past. The only downside is that due to paradoxes you can't go back to any point in which you already existed - you have to go back past the point of your own birth. Which means that for our Time Travelling Badguy (unsure if it's the Mad Scientist themselves or an Inquisitor so TTB is is) saving their beloved Emperor and preventing the rebellious filth from destroying his legacy requires a more  indirect approach, as they were born approximately 34BBY - just before Naboo.

 There is however one clear option.

Kill Obi-Wan Kenobi before he becomes a threat.

No Kenobi means no legendary Jedi general mucking up the then Chancellor's plans. No Kenobi means Lord Vader at full capacity. No Kenobi means young Skywalker will never become a Jedi. 

No Kenobi means a stronger Empire.

Thankfully Luke has something to say about this and manages to follow after TTB (the devices enable a series of hops through time, with a limited time, possibly a week or so in each stop) making it his job to protect the timeline by thwarting  TTB and ensuring Obi-Wan lives.

From Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's perspective, these are their first two meetings - before that Luke had managed to keep under the radar. 

The unfinished second chapter with them stuck in a cave was meant to give them a chance to talk - Luke's unique understanding around emotion and attachment meeting Qui-Gon's deep understanding of the Force. They both learn a lot.

The third time was during the memorable year on Mandalore. Luke gets to meet Satine (she reminds him of Leia in so many ways, and the galaxy should probably be grateful they never got the chance to know one another) and more pondering over the nature of bonds occurs. 

The fourth fifth and sixth times establish the pattern. Every so often something will go wrong on a mission, Obi-Wan will be placed in danger, and then when they least expect it Luke will show up, often battered and bruised, but always with a bright smile and warm laugh as he helps them out of the mess they’re in. As time goes on it also becomes apparent that beyond his secrecy and unexpected talents, something is not quite normal about Luke. 

It has been years now. Obi-Wan has grown from an awkward teenager into a strong young man, almost ready to be knighted and yet Luke remains unchanged. Combined with his almost preternatural predictions about galactic events, Qui-Gon is convinced there is more to him than it seems. But he has never done anything to betray their trust, and the Force practically hums with approval when they meet, so Qui-Gon keeps his thoughts to himself.  

A side effect that has gone unnoticed is that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are closer than ever. Some of Luke's points about attachment have found root and generally they have been better about communicating and admitting how much they mean to each other. Luke's quips about them being father and skn are less jokes and more truth by now.

Then comes the final showdown where TTB shows up, separating them and immobilising Obi-Wan. Lots of angst. Just before he strikes Luke shows up and ends up blocking his shot. TTB is ranting and raving  "Why do you keep trying? There's no going back now. You could be a prince, with the galaxy at your feet! You'd never know differently! Just let me kill the boy" etc etc. Luke of course says no, and battle ensues. Qui-Gon, who is unable to reach them throws Luke his lightsaber, which after a moment where Luke looks at it with surprise (so that's where the crystal came from), he defeats TTB.

Time is running out - the device is indicating they will disappear shortly. Luke heads back Qui-Gon's lightsaber and tells them to look out for each other -it's what family is for after all. Just before he faces he tells Obi-Wan to "Give my love to your brother when you meet home. He'll need every last bit he can get".

And he's gone.

But Luke has failed in a way. Because the future has been changed. The mention of a new brother makes Qui-Gon wonder about the possibility of him taking another padawan in the future, and more importantly makes him realise that Obi-Wan is ready to stand own. After some emotional constipation (it is still them after all) he admits as much to Obi-Wan as well as his own selfish desire to keep him close for a bit longer yet. But something in the Force tells him it's time. They agree that Qui-Gon will notify the council of his intention to nominate Obi-Wan for the trials after they return from wherever they're being sent off to this time.

The council accepts and gives them the details of their last mission together - negotiating an end to a trade dispute turned blockade in the Mid Rim. 

It's 33BBY, and the Naboo crisis begins. 

The ship lands on Tatooine and Qui-Gon seeks parts in Most Espa while Obi-Wan stay aboard. And when Qui-Gon sends him an impossible blood sample his thoughts turn to Luke's parting words.

There is an attack, but both his Master and the boy are safe. And then there are those infamous words:

"Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi."

This time there is no confusion, no fear, no uncertainty. 

And Obi-Wan smiles and hugs his new brother to welcome him to the family. Anakin clings back.

And the future shifts.

So there you go @jahaliel and @calyssmarviss ! (The Cody fic is coming @aifsaath I promise!)

Also tagging @albaparthenicevelut and @resistancepilots because they were interested in this the last time I mentioned it and I am sorry I couldn't finish it for you. 😥

[kaitlinmcandrews]

Hello!

I know I say this every time, but I really want to get this blog up to date. I am sooooo behind. Ugh. It sucks because I can’t remember the day that I’m writing about so well. So unfortunately, I think my humour and the small interesting details get lost. ~Sigh~

Alright, let’s get to the blog….

The Gion festival is an annual festival that happens in Kyoto in July. Unlike many festivals, it spans over the entire month rather than a single weekend. That being said, the ‘main event’ takes place on two separate weekends.

Since I’m very uninformed about the festival. I had to google it. So, here is the event’s annual calendar for the month of July. This is straight from Wikipedia. I bolded the days that I’ll be talking about in this blog.

July 1 through 5: Kippuiri, opening ceremony of festival, in each participating neighbourhood

July 2: Kujitorishiki, lottery for the parade order, in the municipal assembly hall

July 7: Shrine visit by chigo children of Ayagasaboko

July 10: Lantern parade to welcome mikoshi portable shrines

July 10: Mikoshi arai, cleansing of mikoshi by sacred water from the Kamo River

July 10 through 13: Building-up of floats（Former parade）

July 13 a.m.: Shrine visit by chigo children of Naginataboko

July 13 p.m.: Shrine visit by chigo children of Kuse Shrine

July 14: Yoiyoiyoiyama（Former parade）

July 15: Yoiyoiyama（Former parade）

July 16: Yoiyama（Former parade）

July 16: Yoimiya shinshin hono shinji, dedicative art performances

July 17: Parade of yamaboko floats（Former parade）

July 17: Parade of mikoshi from Yasaka Shrine to the city

July 18 through 20: Building-up of floats（Latter parade）

July 21: Yoiyoiyoiyama（Latter parade）

July 22: Yoiyoiyama（Latter parade）

July 23: Yoiyama（Latter parade）

July 24: Parade of yamaboko floats（Latter parade）

July 24: Parade of hanagasa or “flower parasols”

July 24: Parade of mikoshi from the city to Yasaka Shrine

July 28: Mikoshi arai, cleansing of mikoshi by sacred water from the Kamo river

July 31: Closing service at Eki Shrine

Okay, so Yoiyama basically means the festival before the parade. Yoiyoiyama is the 2 days before the parade and yoiyoiyoiyama is 3 days before the parade. Quite a mouthful hey? We went to the day before and the 2 days before event. For 2016, these dates fell on the weekend. It wouldn’t have mattered I suppose…. Our job was so random and inconsistent. We purposely asked for the Sunday (the day of the parade) off.

We went to the 2-day-before and the day-before events right after work. Since we had stupid hours (10am-7pm) and worked pretty far out of town, we couldn’t arrive until quite late. Luckily, everything was still open. I convinced Pat to come with me twice somehow haha. If you’ve been here awhile, you know, that I LOVE street food. I love the idea of eating and drinking outside. I love going to different tents and trying different types of food.

I was a bit envious and a little disappointing that I couldn’t wear my yukata (a summer kimono, basically). The majority of people out were wearing theirs and they looked so beautiful! I had a yukata that I bought a week or so prior, but because of how late we needed to arrive, I wouldn’t have had time to go home, put it on, and go back downtown. Wow, that is a big wall of text. Let’s get some pictures in! It was soooooo busy.

Mmmm… Okonomiyaki and karaage (fried chicken)!

My new camera lens creates the most flattering shadows…..

Kyoto is regularly quite busy, but this was something else. Can you see all the yukatas? There were also a lot of foreigners! This is a pretty famous event in all of Japan so at this time, there are many tourists (both Japanese and non-Japanese). It is a bit frustrating, but also kind of cool. The entire road was blocked off and there were many security people there. Unlike usual, in Japan, there were actually garbage cans! They were all overflowing, but the fact that they were there, was special haha.

The event wasn’t just the food tents. If you walked around and went through the back alleys, you could see the parade floats. Some of them were lit up, some had people playing music, and some of them were moved to different locations over the three days.

On Sunday, was the main event; the parade. I was pretty excited. Even as a kid, I really didn’t go to any parades. Also, this was my chance to wear my yukata. The parade started early in the morning, and wanted to make sure that we had a good spot to see the parade, so we woke up at an ungodly hour (for me haha). I put the yukata on myself so it didn’t look as good as it could have. Luckily I got an ‘easy style’ obi (the belt) I didn’t have to worry about tieing it. Something I didn’t know until much later, is that many people put a towel under their obi to make it look smoother. Having ;larger hips or boobs can make the obi kind of bunch up in the middle, unfortunately.

So, we were a bit unlucky and it was raining that day. My hair, that I took forever to do, turned into a puffy mess pretty much immediately. Cool. Thanks weather. Despite the rain, puffy hair and bunched up yukata, I still got a bit vain and had my own photo shoot. Luckily my umbrella was cute so no worries

We were able to get a decent spot. We should have went across the street so we could see a bit more, but we didn’t know. We waited for a looooong time before we saw anything. We arrived about 45 min to an hour before the parade started. Since we weren’t at the beginning of the parade, it took quite a while before it reached where we were. I got bored and took a lot of photos of people haha.

This is how we knew we picked the wrong side. Our sided was NOT that busy haha. Oh well.

Unlike parades in Canada, it was a sloooow parade. Obviously there is a lot of man power in this festival so that makes a difference. They stopped often to rest and do some rituals. The first float was the most interesting. There were others later on that looked the exact same, but this one had a real child inside, but the others had a doll in that place. No idea what the significance was, but it was really cool.

I was thrilled to see the guys playing their wooden flutes and piccolos atop the float. I was impressed that they could continue the rhythm by heart for such a long period of time. Also, there were many of these giant floats that were pulled manually. What we couldn’t see, unfortunately, was the turning of these huge floats. I am pretty sure this is why the other side of the street was so packed. They could see the turning.

We could hear it happening, but couldn’t really see it. Essentialy, they put a brake on the right side of the float, and all the men pulled the rope on the left side. This basically dragged the entire thing. They are huge so I imagine they are super heavy. It took them quite a few pulls to get it to turn the 90 degrees needed. This caused the entire parade to stop in its tracks. They used these brakes to do small performances and take food and water breaks. Since there were so many floats, there were a lot of pauses in the parade.

After this float, there were marches by different historical clans from Japan. Since we can’t read Kanji, we really didn’t know what clans were being displayed.

The doll version of the boy

randomly, in the middle of the parade, a red carpet and chair was laid out while another group of people made tea. They just made tea…. in the middle of the street…. then when it was finished, they served the tea to the person of importance. It was strange, but pretty interesting. It really made me wonder how many times this happened. We were like 2/3 down the parade path… so, were we the only ones to see this? Did it happen earlier? Who knows. This happened during one of the breaks that I mentioned earlier. As a float up ahead was being pulled and turned, this tea event took place.

Alright, more photos of the parade!

There was one part where some kids came out. They were dressed up really interestingly. It was pretty funny, at one point, they were all given little chairs to sit on and relax. They were given onigiri and something to drink. The older kids knew that they  had to eat secretively so they turned away from the audience while eating and drinking. The smaller guys had no idea so it was funny to see the older kids trying to coach them and cover them while they ate. It was pretty cute.

Back to the parade! I’m sure that everything has significance, so it is pretty disappointing that we couldn’t find an English guide about this event.

Also, we saw some Meiko (this is essentially a Geisha in training. It is apparently super super rare to a Geisha…. k well actually, these could be Geisha. I don’t know the difference honestly…. ) and they were so cool! Thank goodness for my huge zoom lens!

Sorry for the unflattering photos, ladies!

That was all for the festival itself. It was quite long. As you can see, it stopped raining before the parade started so we were pretty lucky. Also, I forgot to mention, but I was given a good luck charm by one of the people in the parade. I suspect it was because I was wearing a yukata. Not so many people were wearing a yukata on this day, but I think that was due to the insane amount of tourists. Many many people come for this parade.

Also, as a reference. What I was wearing was called a yukata. What the Meiko are wearing are called kimono. The kimono is much much more expensive, has a lot of layers and different parts, and is much thicker. The yukata has two parts, the fabric and the obi. They are usually thin and perfect for the heat.

Okay, that’s all! I hope I didn’t miss anything ^^~

  PS. 안녕 수원 씨!!

Gion Festival 2016 – Kyoto Hello! I know I say this every time, but I really want to get this blog up to date.

[365daysofj2]

Misusing the Force (Library AU, NC-17)

Jared rings the doorbell at Jensen’s house with a huge grin on his face. He can’t wait for Jensen to see his authentic Rogue Squadron flightsuit. He hasn’t worn it to a con since his college days, but this year with Jensen’s help he might actually be able to afford to go to Wizard World Philly. He’ll have to look up the dates later. Jensen opens the door. “Hey, Ja—what the hell?” Jared doesn’t stop grinning. “Let me in and I’ll explain.” Jensen steps aside and Jared walks past him into the living room. He swings his BB-8 messenger bag off his shoulder and sets it on the nearest easy chair. “We’re having Star Wars day a few months early,” he tells Jensen, who’s still staring at him with wide, skeptical eyes. “Today we’re watching the original trilogy and The Force Awakens, and then tomorrow we’re going to see Rogue One on the IMAX screen at Whitaker Center.” Jensen gestures at Jared’s chest. “And this is…a Star Wars costume?” “Let me guess, you’ve never heard of cosplay either.” Jared pulls his DVDs out of his bag. “Yes, it’s a costume. You’ll see it in the first film.” Jensen raises an eyebrow. “How long is this gonna take?” Jared chuckles. “Make some popcorn, pour some wine, and we’ll watch the first movie. And then, if you’re good, I’ll blow you, and we can watch the next two. Then you can blow me, and we’ll watch the last one.” Jensen finally smiles at that. “That doesn’t sound too bad, I guess.” He points to his TV stand. “The DVD player remote is next to the player. I’ll go dig up some popcorn and wine.” Jared stops Jensen before he can leave for the kitchen and kisses him. “Thanks for being a good sport.” “You’re lucky you’re cute,” grumbles Jensen, but there’s no real heat in it. Jared lightly nudges him in the direction of the kitchen. “You’re not so bad yourself.” Jensen goes off to the kitchen and Jared gets the DVD set up. Then he goes out to see if he can help Jensen. The popcorn is popping away, and there’s an open bottle of chardonnay on the table next to two stemless wine glasses. “Oh, great, pour that, will you?” “Sure.” Jared pours two generous glasses and carries them out to the living room. In a minute, Jensen joins him with a large bowl of popcorn and some napkins. Jared presses play on the remote and turns the volume up. He accepts his glass from Jensen and eats some popcorn. They watch the movie in companionable silence. Once the popcorn bowl is empty, Jensen sets it aside, and slings one arm around Jared’s back and rests his head on Jared’s shoulder. Jared cuddles him close with a soft grin. Around the point where Luke and Han attempt to rescue Leia, Jensen sits up and starts paying rapt attention to the movie. Jared grins and takes his hand, and Jensen squeezes it whenever things get tense. When Obi-Wan gets killed, Jensen actually gasps “No!” along with Luke. Jared rests their joined hands on Jensen’s knee and starts watching Jensen more than the film. Jensen’s literally on the edge of his seat for the climactic space battle, and he shouts, “Yeah!” when Luke makes the critical shot to blow up the Death Star. He sits back and relaxes a bit after that. When the movie’s over, Jensen turns to Jared with a huge smile on his face. “That was awesome!” He looks down at Jared’s costume. “Nice flightsuit, Wedge.” Jared grins. “So, do you want to watch the next movie right now, or do you wanna fool around first?” Jensen bites his lip and looks honestly conflicted. Jared adds, “But just so you know, the next movie ends on a cliffhanger that’ll make you want to go right to Return of the Jedi.” Jensen’s forehead creases as he thinks it over. “Next two movies, and then I’ll reward you properly for your heroics,” he replies with a smirk. Jared chuckles. “Sounds like a plan.” Jared puts in Empire while Jensen refills their wine glasses and washes out the popcorn bowl. He comes back with an unopened bag of holiday chocolate-covered pretzels and rips it open. He sets it down between them and Jared starts the movie. Both food and drink are forgotten by the time Han and Leia get to the asteroid field. Jared keeps one arm around Jensen’s shoulders as Jensen gets more and more tense the worse things get for Han and Leia. Jensen flinches when Han gets frozen, and Jared cuddles him close, stroking his hair sympathetically. Jensen watches the Luke/Vader fight with wide eyes, and when the film ends, Jared kisses him before going to the player and switching discs. Jensen’s not as interested in Jedi once the Ewoks show up, which alone convinces Jared that Jensen has excellent taste. But he still watches the final battle sequence hunched forward and clutching Jared’s hand. Finally, when the movie ends, Jensen sinks back into Jared’s arms and kisses him with clear intent. “We’ll be more comfortable upstairs,” murmurs Jared between hungry, chocolate-flavored kisses. Jensen pulls Jared up off the couch. “Lead the way, flyboy.” Jared and Jensen hurry up the stairs to Jensen’s loft. Jensen sheds his gray henley, followed by his jeans and boxer-briefs, and then frowns at Jared. “How the hell does that come off?” Jared pulls off the vest and the belt and unzips his jumpsuit, shrugging out of the sleeves and pushing it down to his waist. Jensen stills his hand and nudges it aside. “Let me.” Jensen frees Jared’s cock, which is already half-hard, and pushes Jared down on his back on the bed. He climbs up on the bed next to him and takes Jared’s cock into his mouth, flicking the tip of his tongue over the slit and making Jared fully, almost painfully hard in an instant. “That’s not how this was supposed to work,” Jared points out a little breathlessly. Jensen turns so his hips are next to Jared’s face. “Oh, that’s how you wanna play it, huh?” Jared smirks. “Didn’t know you had that in you.” Without releasing Jared’s cock from his mouth, Jensen throws a leg over Jared’s shoulder and straddles him. Jared takes Jensen’s thick, crimson cock between his lips and delicately sucks a bead of precome off the head. Jensen falters for a second, but recovers and runs the tip of his tongue around the underside of Jared’s cockhead, eliciting a moan from Jared. Jensen shivers from the vibration, and Jared takes more of Jensen’s length into his mouth. This isn’t something Jared’s done before, and it’s a little unnerving trying to split his attention between Jensen’s cock and his own. Jensen keeps teasing with his talented tongue and Jared keeps losing focus on what he’s doing to Jensen’s cock. Jared finally gets a rhythm going, just as Jensen starts fluttering his tongue over Jared’s slit and making sparks of pleasure shoot up his spine. Jared has no idea how he does that, but it drives him fucking crazy. When Jensen does it to the underside of the head, Jared loses it. Jensen eases him through his orgasm and then starts fucking Jared’s mouth hard enough that he comes only a few moments later. Jared swallows it all and releases Jensen’s cock with a succulent pop. Jensen moves so he’s lying across Jared’s stomach, gazing up at him with glazed eyes, pupils blown wide with desire. Jared runs a hand through Jensen’s sweat-dampened hair, so much softer without the gel he uses when he dresses for work. Jensen reaches out and tucks a lock of Jared’s own damp hair behind his ear and draws a fingertip lightly down Jared’s jaw, making him shiver. Jensen grins, pleased with the reaction he’s gotten. He traces the line of Jared’s throat down to his sternum, and stops when he reaches his own nose. Jared pokes the tip of Jensen’s nose in kind, and Jensen chuckles, low and throaty. Jensen then pushes himself up and kisses the tip of Jared’s nose before collapsing next to him. “We have two more movies to get through,” murmurs Jared. Jensen smiles. “We’ve got time.”