Fic: White Rabbits (Star Wars, 20/?)
Title: White Rabbits
Chapter: 20/?
Author: Diana Michelle (butterfly)
Warnings: Spoilers for Revenge of the Sith.
Pairing: Anakin/Obi-Wan.
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Obi-Wan knows that certain things are forbidden for good reason.
Disclaimer: Not Lucas, don't own a thing, not making any money.
Chapter Index
Chapter Twenty -- The Harder Road
Obi-Wan’s universe was suddenly very small.
Anakin’s mechanical hand had tightened again, painfully so, but the warmth of Anakin’s real hand was pressing hard against the back of Obi-Wan’s neck, urging him forward, towards Anakin’s body, into Anakin’s kiss.
Obi-Wan had never allowed himself to wonder about this.
And, perhaps because of that, he was completely unprepared for Anakin’s kisses.
Because Anakin wasn’t content to attack Obi-Wan’s mouth - instead, he laid siege, pressing light kisses against Obi-Wan’s lips, licking up against and then into Obi-Wan’s mouth, and catching Obi-Wan’s lower lip in his teeth when he retreated again.
Anakin constantly shifted tactics, as if trying to keep Obi-Wan off-guard. As if this were just another sparring match.
But then Anakin pushed up hard against Obi-Wan and even through the layers of fabric, it was clear that Anakin wasn’t playing games.
Anakin’s hand slid down the back of Obi-Wan’s neck, slowly stroking his fingers over Obi-Wan’s skin. Obi-Wan leaned into the touch, pulling away from Anakin’s mouth.
He opened his eyes slowly, meeting Anakin’s gaze head-on.
Anakin’s eyes were dark and needy, as much a handcuff as the metal hand still wrapped around Obi-Wan’s left wrist. His face was flushed and the wet gloss of his mouth was far too inviting.
“Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. His free hand ached to rest on his lightsaber, to turn this into a true duel, something that they could both walk away from intact. “Any distraction will only work for so long, and then you still have to deal with the original problem.”
“This isn’t a distraction,” Anakin said. “It’s a solution.”
Anakin smiled hopefully, his gaze flicking down to Obi-Wan’s mouth.
“No, it isn’t,” Obi-Wan said, reaching up and pressing two fingers against Anakin’s parted lips. Anakin’s breath was hot against Obi-Wan’s fingertips, testing Obi-Wan’s resolve. “You’re avoiding the issue, Anakin, and I won’t have that.”
Anakin’s lips pressed together in an unmistakable pout. Obi-Wan winced inwardly at this further evidence of Anakin’s emotional youth. To take advantage of that, to allow Anakin to take this easier road, would be a betrayal of everything that Obi-Wan had tried to be to him.
He pulled his hand away from Anakin’s tempting mouth and reached over to tap the dark material of Anakin’s sleeve, just above where the mechanical arm integrated into Anakin’s nervous system.
“Let go of me,” Obi-Wan said softly. Anakin’s gaze fell to where he still gripped Obi-Wan’s wrist, and it was as if he only now realized how tight his hold had become, and his hand fell open immediately, releasing Obi-Wan. Anakin pulled his other hand away from Obi-Wan’s neck almost as quickly.
Then he backed away, but not far, his body still close enough that the edges of his cloak brushed up against Obi-Wan.
“I know that you want me, I can feel it,” Anakin said, and his voice, as always, held no malice, only simple confusion. Anakin reached out with his left hand, brushing the back of his hand lightly over Obi-Wan’s wrist, easing the ache slightly with his touch and likely a touch of the Force as well. “I won’t… I’ll pay more attention to what I’m doing from now on.”
“Anakin, this isn’t about being careful,” Obi-Wan said, his exasperation bleeding over into his voice. “This is about one of the central tenets of the Jedi Code.”
“There is no passion,” Anakin said with a twist to his mouth, lifting defiant eyes to meet Obi-Wan’s. “Only serenity.”
“Can you claim that what just happened had anything to do with achieving serenity?” Obi-Wan asked, allowing his voice to slip into the measured tones that annoyed Anakin so much. “Anakin, I know that the bond between Master and Padawan can be intense, but it isn’t meant to turn into this.”
“You’re not my master anymore,” Anakin said, reaching up and rubbing his forehead, looking away from Obi-Wan. “We may not be equals yet, not in the eyes of the Council, but…”
Then Anakin backed away another step, his hand falling to his lightsaber.
“What’s wrong?” Obi-Wan asked.
“We’re close to a source of great pain,” Anakin said, a distant, troubled look on his face. “So much betrayal… so much loss. It’s everywhere. But there’s something else wrong… something…”
“I can’t feel anything,” Obi-Wan reminded Anakin, moving forward to place his hand on Anakin’s arm, to give Anakin something to center himself with.
“Threepio,” Obi-Wan said, looking past Anakin. The protocol droid was already looking at them, which Obi-Wan carefully decided not to find disturbing. “Fetch Luke, bring him here.”
“Certainly, sir,” Threepio said, hurrying towards the corridor that led to the cockpit. It turned around for a moment, looking at Obi-Wan. “Oh, I do hope that Master Anakin will be all right!”
Then it moved into the corridor, a droid on a mission.
“As do I,” Obi-Wan whispered.
But Anakin’s breathing was already steadying.
He looked up, his gaze locking onto Obi-Wan’s, and even under the pain, that longing had remained. Obi-Wan was acutely aware that this wasn’t over. As a trained fighter, Anakin was very persistent when he sensed a weakness.
“Obi-Wan,” Anakin said.
“Not now, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said.
“Yes, Luke will be here soon,” Anakin said. “I know.”
“We’ll be able to find out what’s happened and how to fix it,” Obi-Wan said, firmly.
“And you’ll pretend that this never happened,” Anakin said, scornfully. "That you didn't kiss me back."
“That would be the smart thing to do,” Obi-Wan said.
“And when have we ever done that?” Anakin asked.
Then Anakin glanced over at other corridor and moved away from Obi-Wan, leaving them in a relatively uncompromising position.
A moment later, Luke arrived with Threepio, leaning against the droid slightly.
“We’ve arrived at the Temple,” Luke said. “Now, Obi-Wan, as far as I could tell, the databanks were wiped clean. But I couldn’t stay for long, so I don’t know if I just didn’t get the chance to look hard enough.”
“Why couldn’t you stay?” Obi-Wan asked.
“The screaming,” Anakin said grimly.
“It is a little distracting,” Luke said.
“Perhaps I should be the only one to go, then,” Obi-Wan said. “As I can’t hear it.”
“No,” Anakin and Luke said in unison. Anakin glared at Luke, who shrugged.
“Without the Force, you’re vulnerable,” Anakin said. “I’m not going to let you go anywhere without me.”
“Anakin, I can defend myself, even without the Force,” Obi-Wan said.
“He’s right, though,” Luke said. “You can’t sense danger coming.”
Apparently, over-protectiveness was hereditary.
“I do still have all my other senses,” Obi-Wan said. “I’m hardly helpless.”
“Master,” Anakin said. Obi-Wan glanced at Anakin’s pleading expression and knew that he’d already lost this battle. Certainly, he could order Anakin to stay behind, but what use would that serve except to make Anakin even more sulky and uncooperative? And that was if Anakin bothered to listen to him, of course. Half of the times that Anakin had saved Obi-Wan’s life had been against Obi-Wan’s direct orders.
“Yes, fine, you can come,” Obi-Wan said. “Luke?”
“Yes,” Luke said, and Obi-Wan was mildly and briefly annoyed at how relieved Luke looked.
“It’s entirely possible that access to the records was blocked, but that the records themselves are intact,” Obi-Wan said. “Only a Master can erase information from the archives and I doubt even a Master would be able to wipe the archives entirely.”
“Ah, sir, I don’t mean to interrupt,” Threepio said. Obi-Wan shot the droid a questioning look. “But it may help to know that Master Anakin was appointed to the Council before he became Darth Vader. He may have had clearance.”
“How do you know that?” Luke asked, straightening up and staring down at Threepio.
“Master Anakin brought my memory back!” Threepio said. “Isn’t that wonderful?”
“He… what?” Luke said, dumbstruck. “How?”
“Anakin’s good with machines,” Obi-Wan said, lightly. “Always has been. It really isn’t relevant, though.”
“I suppose not,” Luke said. “I just… I didn’t know that it was possible.”
“Anything’s possible,” Anakin said, flashing Luke a quick grin. “You just have to be willing to take risks.”
“Though we should keep in mind that not all risks are worth taking,” Obi-Wan said repressively.
“Yes, Master,” Anakin said dutifully, but the heated look he gave Obi-Wan was anything but dutiful and it confirmed Obi-Wan’s earlier concerns. Apparently, not even the presence of his own child would stop Anakin from pushing.
Luke was watching them with narrowed eyes, but he didn’t say anything. If the mental noise from the Temple was as distracting as Luke claimed it was, it was likely that Luke hadn’t picked up on Anakin’s desires.
Well, Obi-Wan could hope.
And he could almost hear Master Yoda now - projecting desires into the future, hope is. Careful you should be when doing this. Hope too easily becomes disappointment, when the future turns out differently than we wish it to be. Meditate on this, you should.
“And is Leia coming as well?” Obi-Wan asked.
“Apparently, she’s going to go down into the city core with Han,” Luke said. “Threepio, maybe you should stay on the ship, too.”
“Master Anakin?” Threepio asked. Luke looked surprised at that, just for a moment. Apparently, he hadn’t yet realized that the return of Threepio’s memories had changed other things as well.
“It’s all right, Threepio,” Anakin said. “You can look after Leia while we’re gone.”
“Very well, sir,” Threepio said.
“Maybe you should stay here, too,” Anakin said, clearly talking to Luke, even though he wasn’t quite looking at him. “This place really seems to be affecting you.”
“I can handle it,” Luke said.
“He’ll be fine,” Obi-Wan said, pushing away from the wall and heading down to the corridor that he believed went to the entrance of the ship.
“There’s no hurry,” Luke said, half a step behind Obi-Wan. “If we do find a way to get you back to your own time, we should be able to get you to exactly when you left, right?”
“We don’t know that, Luke,” Obi-Wan said.
“And it’s ‘when’, not ‘if’,” Anakin said, from Obi-Wan’s other side. “If getting here is possible, getting back has to be.”
“Not necessarily,” Luke said.
“Right, we’ll just keep all the possibilities in mind,” Obi-Wan said, quickening his steps just a little. Not that it helped -- both Luke and Anakin easily kept pace with him. At least they kept silent the rest of the way.
Leaving the ship was a bit of a blessing - the enviromentals had been off, just a little, and the inside of the ship had been starting to smell just a bit like burnt oxygen.
Once he was finally off the ship, Obi-Wan had to pause to drink in the sight of the Temple.
Luke was right, it was completely deserted, and it looked even larger without the hordes of Jedi and younglings that were normally hovering around at this time of day. But he couldn’t see any damage from where he stood, only the majesty of the ancient entrance pillars, and the massive, yet graceful bulk of the building itself, almost completely blocking out the sky.
Even knowing what had happened, knowing that it was nothing more than a tomb, couldn't change the way just seeing the Temple could lighten Obi-Wan's heart.
Then he heard Anakin throw up.
Luke was bent over, clearly fighting nausea, while Anakin had lost the fight and was kneeling on the ground, skin pale and eyes reddened.
Obi-Wan wrinkled his nose slightly at the smell, but hurried over and slid a supportive arm around Anakin’s back, helping him to stand up again.
“Are you sure that you don’t want to go back to the ship?” Obi-Wan asked.
“No, I can handle this,” Anakin said, though he didn’t push away from Obi-Wan. “I just need a moment to adjust.”
“It gets worse the longer you stay,” Luke warned.
“Now we do have a reason to hurry,” Obi-Wan said, pulling Anakin along with him. “And if you two slow me down, just remember that I did offer to come alone.”
~end chapter twenty~
Chapter: 20/?
Author: Diana Michelle (butterfly)
Warnings: Spoilers for Revenge of the Sith.
Pairing: Anakin/Obi-Wan.
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Obi-Wan knows that certain things are forbidden for good reason.
Disclaimer: Not Lucas, don't own a thing, not making any money.
Chapter Index
Chapter Twenty -- The Harder Road
Obi-Wan’s universe was suddenly very small.
Anakin’s mechanical hand had tightened again, painfully so, but the warmth of Anakin’s real hand was pressing hard against the back of Obi-Wan’s neck, urging him forward, towards Anakin’s body, into Anakin’s kiss.
Obi-Wan had never allowed himself to wonder about this.
And, perhaps because of that, he was completely unprepared for Anakin’s kisses.
Because Anakin wasn’t content to attack Obi-Wan’s mouth - instead, he laid siege, pressing light kisses against Obi-Wan’s lips, licking up against and then into Obi-Wan’s mouth, and catching Obi-Wan’s lower lip in his teeth when he retreated again.
Anakin constantly shifted tactics, as if trying to keep Obi-Wan off-guard. As if this were just another sparring match.
But then Anakin pushed up hard against Obi-Wan and even through the layers of fabric, it was clear that Anakin wasn’t playing games.
Anakin’s hand slid down the back of Obi-Wan’s neck, slowly stroking his fingers over Obi-Wan’s skin. Obi-Wan leaned into the touch, pulling away from Anakin’s mouth.
He opened his eyes slowly, meeting Anakin’s gaze head-on.
Anakin’s eyes were dark and needy, as much a handcuff as the metal hand still wrapped around Obi-Wan’s left wrist. His face was flushed and the wet gloss of his mouth was far too inviting.
“Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. His free hand ached to rest on his lightsaber, to turn this into a true duel, something that they could both walk away from intact. “Any distraction will only work for so long, and then you still have to deal with the original problem.”
“This isn’t a distraction,” Anakin said. “It’s a solution.”
Anakin smiled hopefully, his gaze flicking down to Obi-Wan’s mouth.
“No, it isn’t,” Obi-Wan said, reaching up and pressing two fingers against Anakin’s parted lips. Anakin’s breath was hot against Obi-Wan’s fingertips, testing Obi-Wan’s resolve. “You’re avoiding the issue, Anakin, and I won’t have that.”
Anakin’s lips pressed together in an unmistakable pout. Obi-Wan winced inwardly at this further evidence of Anakin’s emotional youth. To take advantage of that, to allow Anakin to take this easier road, would be a betrayal of everything that Obi-Wan had tried to be to him.
He pulled his hand away from Anakin’s tempting mouth and reached over to tap the dark material of Anakin’s sleeve, just above where the mechanical arm integrated into Anakin’s nervous system.
“Let go of me,” Obi-Wan said softly. Anakin’s gaze fell to where he still gripped Obi-Wan’s wrist, and it was as if he only now realized how tight his hold had become, and his hand fell open immediately, releasing Obi-Wan. Anakin pulled his other hand away from Obi-Wan’s neck almost as quickly.
Then he backed away, but not far, his body still close enough that the edges of his cloak brushed up against Obi-Wan.
“I know that you want me, I can feel it,” Anakin said, and his voice, as always, held no malice, only simple confusion. Anakin reached out with his left hand, brushing the back of his hand lightly over Obi-Wan’s wrist, easing the ache slightly with his touch and likely a touch of the Force as well. “I won’t… I’ll pay more attention to what I’m doing from now on.”
“Anakin, this isn’t about being careful,” Obi-Wan said, his exasperation bleeding over into his voice. “This is about one of the central tenets of the Jedi Code.”
“There is no passion,” Anakin said with a twist to his mouth, lifting defiant eyes to meet Obi-Wan’s. “Only serenity.”
“Can you claim that what just happened had anything to do with achieving serenity?” Obi-Wan asked, allowing his voice to slip into the measured tones that annoyed Anakin so much. “Anakin, I know that the bond between Master and Padawan can be intense, but it isn’t meant to turn into this.”
“You’re not my master anymore,” Anakin said, reaching up and rubbing his forehead, looking away from Obi-Wan. “We may not be equals yet, not in the eyes of the Council, but…”
Then Anakin backed away another step, his hand falling to his lightsaber.
“What’s wrong?” Obi-Wan asked.
“We’re close to a source of great pain,” Anakin said, a distant, troubled look on his face. “So much betrayal… so much loss. It’s everywhere. But there’s something else wrong… something…”
“I can’t feel anything,” Obi-Wan reminded Anakin, moving forward to place his hand on Anakin’s arm, to give Anakin something to center himself with.
“Threepio,” Obi-Wan said, looking past Anakin. The protocol droid was already looking at them, which Obi-Wan carefully decided not to find disturbing. “Fetch Luke, bring him here.”
“Certainly, sir,” Threepio said, hurrying towards the corridor that led to the cockpit. It turned around for a moment, looking at Obi-Wan. “Oh, I do hope that Master Anakin will be all right!”
Then it moved into the corridor, a droid on a mission.
“As do I,” Obi-Wan whispered.
But Anakin’s breathing was already steadying.
He looked up, his gaze locking onto Obi-Wan’s, and even under the pain, that longing had remained. Obi-Wan was acutely aware that this wasn’t over. As a trained fighter, Anakin was very persistent when he sensed a weakness.
“Obi-Wan,” Anakin said.
“Not now, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said.
“Yes, Luke will be here soon,” Anakin said. “I know.”
“We’ll be able to find out what’s happened and how to fix it,” Obi-Wan said, firmly.
“And you’ll pretend that this never happened,” Anakin said, scornfully. "That you didn't kiss me back."
“That would be the smart thing to do,” Obi-Wan said.
“And when have we ever done that?” Anakin asked.
Then Anakin glanced over at other corridor and moved away from Obi-Wan, leaving them in a relatively uncompromising position.
A moment later, Luke arrived with Threepio, leaning against the droid slightly.
“We’ve arrived at the Temple,” Luke said. “Now, Obi-Wan, as far as I could tell, the databanks were wiped clean. But I couldn’t stay for long, so I don’t know if I just didn’t get the chance to look hard enough.”
“Why couldn’t you stay?” Obi-Wan asked.
“The screaming,” Anakin said grimly.
“It is a little distracting,” Luke said.
“Perhaps I should be the only one to go, then,” Obi-Wan said. “As I can’t hear it.”
“No,” Anakin and Luke said in unison. Anakin glared at Luke, who shrugged.
“Without the Force, you’re vulnerable,” Anakin said. “I’m not going to let you go anywhere without me.”
“Anakin, I can defend myself, even without the Force,” Obi-Wan said.
“He’s right, though,” Luke said. “You can’t sense danger coming.”
Apparently, over-protectiveness was hereditary.
“I do still have all my other senses,” Obi-Wan said. “I’m hardly helpless.”
“Master,” Anakin said. Obi-Wan glanced at Anakin’s pleading expression and knew that he’d already lost this battle. Certainly, he could order Anakin to stay behind, but what use would that serve except to make Anakin even more sulky and uncooperative? And that was if Anakin bothered to listen to him, of course. Half of the times that Anakin had saved Obi-Wan’s life had been against Obi-Wan’s direct orders.
“Yes, fine, you can come,” Obi-Wan said. “Luke?”
“Yes,” Luke said, and Obi-Wan was mildly and briefly annoyed at how relieved Luke looked.
“It’s entirely possible that access to the records was blocked, but that the records themselves are intact,” Obi-Wan said. “Only a Master can erase information from the archives and I doubt even a Master would be able to wipe the archives entirely.”
“Ah, sir, I don’t mean to interrupt,” Threepio said. Obi-Wan shot the droid a questioning look. “But it may help to know that Master Anakin was appointed to the Council before he became Darth Vader. He may have had clearance.”
“How do you know that?” Luke asked, straightening up and staring down at Threepio.
“Master Anakin brought my memory back!” Threepio said. “Isn’t that wonderful?”
“He… what?” Luke said, dumbstruck. “How?”
“Anakin’s good with machines,” Obi-Wan said, lightly. “Always has been. It really isn’t relevant, though.”
“I suppose not,” Luke said. “I just… I didn’t know that it was possible.”
“Anything’s possible,” Anakin said, flashing Luke a quick grin. “You just have to be willing to take risks.”
“Though we should keep in mind that not all risks are worth taking,” Obi-Wan said repressively.
“Yes, Master,” Anakin said dutifully, but the heated look he gave Obi-Wan was anything but dutiful and it confirmed Obi-Wan’s earlier concerns. Apparently, not even the presence of his own child would stop Anakin from pushing.
Luke was watching them with narrowed eyes, but he didn’t say anything. If the mental noise from the Temple was as distracting as Luke claimed it was, it was likely that Luke hadn’t picked up on Anakin’s desires.
Well, Obi-Wan could hope.
And he could almost hear Master Yoda now - projecting desires into the future, hope is. Careful you should be when doing this. Hope too easily becomes disappointment, when the future turns out differently than we wish it to be. Meditate on this, you should.
“And is Leia coming as well?” Obi-Wan asked.
“Apparently, she’s going to go down into the city core with Han,” Luke said. “Threepio, maybe you should stay on the ship, too.”
“Master Anakin?” Threepio asked. Luke looked surprised at that, just for a moment. Apparently, he hadn’t yet realized that the return of Threepio’s memories had changed other things as well.
“It’s all right, Threepio,” Anakin said. “You can look after Leia while we’re gone.”
“Very well, sir,” Threepio said.
“Maybe you should stay here, too,” Anakin said, clearly talking to Luke, even though he wasn’t quite looking at him. “This place really seems to be affecting you.”
“I can handle it,” Luke said.
“He’ll be fine,” Obi-Wan said, pushing away from the wall and heading down to the corridor that he believed went to the entrance of the ship.
“There’s no hurry,” Luke said, half a step behind Obi-Wan. “If we do find a way to get you back to your own time, we should be able to get you to exactly when you left, right?”
“We don’t know that, Luke,” Obi-Wan said.
“And it’s ‘when’, not ‘if’,” Anakin said, from Obi-Wan’s other side. “If getting here is possible, getting back has to be.”
“Not necessarily,” Luke said.
“Right, we’ll just keep all the possibilities in mind,” Obi-Wan said, quickening his steps just a little. Not that it helped -- both Luke and Anakin easily kept pace with him. At least they kept silent the rest of the way.
Leaving the ship was a bit of a blessing - the enviromentals had been off, just a little, and the inside of the ship had been starting to smell just a bit like burnt oxygen.
Once he was finally off the ship, Obi-Wan had to pause to drink in the sight of the Temple.
Luke was right, it was completely deserted, and it looked even larger without the hordes of Jedi and younglings that were normally hovering around at this time of day. But he couldn’t see any damage from where he stood, only the majesty of the ancient entrance pillars, and the massive, yet graceful bulk of the building itself, almost completely blocking out the sky.
Even knowing what had happened, knowing that it was nothing more than a tomb, couldn't change the way just seeing the Temple could lighten Obi-Wan's heart.
Then he heard Anakin throw up.
Luke was bent over, clearly fighting nausea, while Anakin had lost the fight and was kneeling on the ground, skin pale and eyes reddened.
Obi-Wan wrinkled his nose slightly at the smell, but hurried over and slid a supportive arm around Anakin’s back, helping him to stand up again.
“Are you sure that you don’t want to go back to the ship?” Obi-Wan asked.
“No, I can handle this,” Anakin said, though he didn’t push away from Obi-Wan. “I just need a moment to adjust.”
“It gets worse the longer you stay,” Luke warned.
“Now we do have a reason to hurry,” Obi-Wan said, pulling Anakin along with him. “And if you two slow me down, just remember that I did offer to come alone.”
~end chapter twenty~