( closed ) is anybody out there out there

[facultative]

Who: Anakin Skywalker (facultative) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (jedies)
What: Anakin's free of Maul and he thinks Obi-Wan is mad at him
When: Sometime in the second half of the month
Where: the Kenobi house for wayward Jedi

Content Warnings: n/a

[Anakin returns in much the same fashion that he had left, without any warning or sign. It's a dark day as it had been for every other day this month, but there's a lightness to his steps that had been absent for a while. It had been an indescribable feeling to have the weight of his bond with Maul lifted. He'd struggled and now he could look back and see how much he had taken without breaking. He survived and he hadn't given in. Things could be better, he could do better.

He goes into every room as if exploring, but he's really only looking for one person. When he does find him, there's no greeting or words exchanged. Anakin goes right up to him and wraps his arms around Obi-Wan. Only then does he speak, his words muffled slightly against the older man's robes.]

It's gone.

[He trusts that whatever Obi-Wans personal feelings, he wouldn't pull away right now. And then hopefully Anakin can cajole forgiveness while Obi-Wan was stuck here.]

Comments

[jedies]

[ that is a relief and obi-wan holds him close to show that. he feels worn down, as if the waves have battered him to his smallest self. ]

How are you feeling?

[facultative]

[He takes this as an encouraging sign.]

Lighter. Everything feels easier now.

[jedies]

[ obi-wan pulls back a bit so he can look anakin in the eye. ]

Good. I'm glad. I believe we still have things to discuss.

[facultative]

[He makes a displeased noise as Obi-Wan pulls back. He already misses it.]

I wish you liked that.

[He sighs and sits down on the couch, drawing one leg up to his chest before he really pushes it and hugs him again.]

Fine. Where do you want to start?

[jedies]

[ liked . . . hugs? obi-wan blinks, not sure what to make of that. ]

How long were you married?

[facultative]

[Easy to start with as Padmé has given him a heads up about this.]

...Since Geonosis. How long have you known?

[jedies]

You mean, since I met your son? Honestly, Anakin.

[facultative]

[He flushes with embarrassment and looks off to the side.]

...Don't have to be married for that.

[jedies]

[ obi-wan raises an eyebrow. ]

You're saying you would have had a son out of wedlock with the woman you love?

[facultative]

[He squirms. Why are they discussing his sex life? He thinks he might prefer anger and yelling because at least he expected that.]

I dunno. Maybe. It's not like we were trying to in the first place.

Can you just tell me how mad you are?

[jedies]

[ obi-wan's eyes narrow at him. ]

Is that why you left? Because you thought I was mad?

[facultative]

No! I left because I kept hurting you and I didn't want to do it again.

But then you didn't say anything and it was like you didn't care.

[And then Padmé had told him he knew and it all fell into place.]

[jedies]

[ obi-wan crosses his arms, quite cross now. ]

If you hurt me, then you take responsibility for it. Not go hide away when it gets hard. And you're old enough that you cannot expect me to chase after you every single time.

[facultative]

[Anakin doesn't yell, instead he goes quiet.]

I tried to kill you before. You were in my way and I--

[He looks down at his hands.]

I couldn't risk it.

[jedies]

[ ah. to be honest, it hadn't really registered for obi-wan. he had been more preoccupied with anakin's descent than anything else — much less his life. ]

I am not angry about that.

[facultative]

[He'll never be able to forget exactly how far he's willing to go.]

But I am.

[jedies]

. . . I know.

[ and yet. ]

But I don't understand it.

[facultative]

You took me in, taught me everything I know and I still raise a hand against you.

How could you not?

[jedies]

You just seemed so — angry at me. At all of us.

But you lied to me, Anakin. For years. It almost seems as though you feared me.

[facultative]

[He falls silent to take that in. There had been so many times he'd been so close to telling Obi-Wan. Something had held him back every time. No, he knew what held him back.

Fear. Not of the man himself, but his reaction. Sometimes he knows nothing would shake the man's love for him, but sometimes the fear was inescapable.]

You wouldn't have understood.

[It's not that we're not allowed to have these feelings, it's natural. It was different with him. The Jedi would never have understood, only--

He buried his face in his hands. Why did all of his thoughts end up there?]

I told him instead.

[jedies]

[ obi-wan is not accepting that so easily, his lips pressed into a thin, firm line. ]

Then explain it to me.

[facultative]

[He shakes his head while still keeping it bowed.]

You've never understood. You don't know what it was like.

[jedies]

[ this time, there's real steel in his voice. ]

I don't want your excuses, Anakin. Explain it.

[facultative]

[Resentment spikes and he feels this is only proving his point.]

No.

[jedies]

[ he isn't budging. ]

Am I talking to Anakin Skywalker? Or Maul?