Luminous Dust 5/16
Pairing: Anakin/Obi-Wan
Timeframe: post RotS AU
Summary: coming soon. ^^;;
Spoilers: possibly for RotS
Warnings: Contains slash and mentions of mature themes, but nothing explicit.
Notes: This is the sequel to my story What Comes of It, which can be found HERE. (yes, I finally gave it a page!) So you'll probably want to read that story before you read this one, but you could probably figure this one out even if you don't read it.
Previous Chapters: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4
Chapter 5
All in all, things hadn't been nearly as bad as Obi-Wan had expected them to be.
From what Padmé had told him, Obi-Wan had expected Anakin to be volatile and uncontrollable, and entirely impossible to reason with. But, to his surprise, Obi-Wan had found Anakin to be relatively easy to be with. And while the former Sith clearly had some difficulty reigning in his temper and keeping his emotions in check, he hardly seemed to be on the brink of darkness at any given moment.
In private, Anakin was gentle and considerate, speaking and acting with what was obviously great care. In public, he maintained a cool air of civility and politeness towards others, and did a fair job of keeping his temper in check even when faced with the obstinate General Radiin. As could be expected, though, Anakin did sometimes lose his calm, but Obi-Wan found that it took relatively little to bring him back under control. A light touch, or a whispered word, would usually suffice.
Thus, the Empire's negotiations with the Rebellion were going rather well, and they were only slightly behind schedule. There were a few sticky points, such as the time table for the transition, but Obi-Wan was confident that they would work it out in good time.
So it wasn't the progress with negotiations that Obi-Wan was so irritated about. It was the guards.
Obi-Wan saw Anakin often, and was with him for most of the day. Anakin had of course given Obi-Wan separate chambers from his, though, and had been quietly insistent that Obi-Wan didn't need to accompany him on all of his duties. Privately, Obi-Wan had been relieved by this, not because he didn't want to go with Anakin all day but rather because it could be too tiring for him. Despite his best attempts at self-healing, Obi-Wan had never fully recovered from his encounter with Palpatine and was plagued by lingering aches and fatigue. But this was not something that he wanted Anakin to know--at least not yet--so he welcomed the time to rest.
He did not, however, welcome the guards that came with it. To his dismay, he found that whenever he was not with Anakin, he was left with at least a pair of Imperial Guards nearby. This was not much of a problem when he remained in his chambers, as they at least had the courtesy to stay outside. He certainly didn't want them telling Anakin that he spent so much time just resting. But Obi-Wan had free roam of the Palace now, and often preferred to meditate or perform katas in one of its many gardens. The guards would follow him, silently, wherever he went, and Obi-Wan found their presence to be obtrusive and entirely unnecessary, even though they were polite. What bothered him about it the most, though, was the thought that Anakin didn't trust him to be alone.
The door chimed then, bringing Obi-Wan out of his thoughts. Rising from his position on the couch, he headed over to answer it.
“Good evening, Anakin,” Obi-Wan greeted the young man at his door and stepped aside to let him in. He was somewhat surprised to see him here, as Anakin had told him that he would be attending a small social gathering with some higher ranking Rebel and Imperial officers tonight in an attempt to improve relations. Obi-Wan had not been asked to attend, which was more than fine by him. “What brings you here, and so early?” He looked at Anakin questioningly.
“Obi-Wan.” He tilted his head forward, looking slightly abashed. “My plans were . . . disrupted,” he hesitated, “and so I came to see if you would join me for dinner.” Anakin smiled charmingly.
“Disrupted, hmm?” Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. “Dare I ask?” As Anakin opened his mouth to reply, Obi-Wan held up a hand. “Nevermind; it's quite alright. I haven't eaten yet, so certainly I will join you. And besides,” he added, “I have something I'd like to discuss with you.”
“Should I be worried?” Anakin asked, only half-teasingly.
“I don't think so,” Obi-Wan reassured him, looking sideways at Anakin to access his mood. His friend seemed somewhat uneasy, but was calm overall.
“Good.” Anakin smiled. “Shall we go to the dining room, or would you prefer to eat here?”
By 'the dining room', Anakin undoubtedly meant that cavernous monstrosity of a room that served as the Emperor's personal dining hall. Besides being overly large, it always seemed to be quite drafty and dark. But for some reason Anakin seemed to like it, as was evidenced by his frequent invitations to Obi-Wan to join him there. Tired and chilled as Obi-Wan was tonight, though, he didn't much care for a trek across the palace to sit in a poorly heated hall.
“Here will be fine, if you don't mind,” Obi-Wan replied, leading Anakin into the common area.
“Of course.” Anakin said smoothly, though Obi-Wan could detect a trace of what might be disappointment in his voice. Anakin quickly ordered their meal to be brought up, though, and then joined Obi-Wan at the small table to wait.
“What was it you wanted to speak to me about?” Anakin asked him, directing his full attention at Obi-Wan.
“Anakin,” Obi-Wan began, unsure of how to proceed. “About the guards. I realize that I may not have your complete trust, but--”
“No!” Anakin cut him off, looking surprised. “I mean, I do trust you, more than anyone else,” he said in a more subdued tone. “Are your guards behaving . . . improperly? Don't think that I'd believe them over you, if that is the case,” he said seriously, looking at Obi-Wan anxiously.
Obi-Wan was somewhat confused by Anakin's outburst, but nevertheless tried to allay the younger man's fears. “Their behavior has been exemplary. It is their presence that I find disturbing.”
“But, Obi-Wan, they're there for your own good,” Anakin said, looking somewhat bewildered. “To keep you safe.”
“To keep me safe?” he echoed disbelievingly. He was relieved to know that Anakin trusted him, but it still didn't make sense. “Anakin, this is the Imperial Palace,” he said patiently. “What in the Galaxy would I need to be kept safe from?”
“You always taught me that it was better to err on the side of caution when possible, remember? And besides, there is always the chance that someone might attempt an abduction, for political purposes,” Anakin said defensively. Again hung in the air between them.
“Anakin, I hold no position here . . .” Obi-Wan trailed off as he caught the telling look that flitted across Anakin's features. “Anakin?” he inquired, a hint of warning in his tone.
Anakin looked down at his hands for a moment, but then took in a breath and spoke. “When I decided to keep you as my captive . . . before, I drew up the necessary documents to make you my Consort under Imperial law,” he said calmly. “And that hasn't changed. I have altered the documents since then to give you all the rights that you should have, but I never did nullify them.” Anakin looked him in the eyes then, as if searching for something that neither one of them could identify.
Obi-Wan's breath caught in his throat, and for a moment he couldn't think to form a coherent reply. “But why?” he managed, looking at Anakin with a mixture of confusion and annoyance. “You couldn't have even known that I'd come back.”
“I told you, I wanted to make sure that you would be safe! If anything had ever happened and someone had pulled up your records, they would've known that you were under the Emperor's protection,” Anakin said forcefully.
“And now?” Obi-Wan asked quietly, not sure as to whether or not he should be worried.
“Now?” Anakin repeated in a subdued voice. “While a Consort can be a slave or a toy,” he said haltingly, “a Consort can also be an honored companion and trusted adviser. And even if you were no longer with me, you were still those things to me.” Anakin looked down at Obi-Wan uncertainly, his eyes pleading for understanding. “I meant no harm in it.”
Obi-Wan reached out and ghosted his fingers across the distraught young man's cheek. “I understand, Anakin, and am honored to have your trust,” he said gently, meeting Anakin's gaze with his own. “Know that you have mine as well.”
Anakin visibly relaxed at this, the tension leaving his body. “Thank you, Obi-Wan. That means a lot to me.” He looked thoughtful for a moment, then asked, “Does this mean that you'll accept the guards, then?” Anakin gave him an impish grin, but still managed to look entirely serious.
Obi-Wan looked at Anakin incredulously. “You won't give up on this, will you?” Obi-Wan said exasperatedly. “Very well, Anakin, I will continue to tolerate the guards. But whatever you said to them that causes them to stay so silent in my presence, please tell them otherwise. While I certainly don't want to chat with them, I would feel more comfortable if they would say something once in awhile.” Obi-Wan looked at him pointedly.
“Of course.” Anakin nodded. “I'll see to it.”
The door chimed, and an attendant ushered in a somewhat nervous looking young woman with a heaping tray of food, which she careful deposited on the table between them.
“Your Highness, Master Kenobi.” She gave a little bow and then turned to Anakin. “General Radiin and Admiral Thrawn send their regrets that you were unable to join their party.”
“Thank you,” Anakin said curtly, dismissing her with a wave.
Obi-Wan glanced towards Anakin curiously and tilted head slightly. “What's this? I thought that your plans had been 'disrupted', which should indicate that tonight's gathering had been canceled,” he said, a note of suspicion creeping into his voice. “Please tell me that you had a good reason for not going.” Obi-Wan looked at him expectantly.
“I would like to say yes, Obi-Wan, but in retrospect I doubt that I do,” Anakin admitted, coloring slightly. Obi-Wan merely shook his head, entirely at a loss as to explain his former partner's behavior. But perhaps not entirely, as Obi-Wan knew how Anakin had always been uncomfortable at such functions. But for the sake of good relations, Anakin really should go. And though Obi-Wan couldn't go in his place for him, perhaps he could make it a bit less difficult for his friend.
“Well then, we'll just have to go now then, won't we?” Obi-Wan pushed away from the table and stood up, leaving the food untouched. Anakin simply looked at him with a strange, surprised expression, but made no move to stand. “We're late enough as it is is, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said patiently. “Let's go. Or are you going to make me go by myself?” he asked lightly. “Someone has to.”
“Of course not, Obi-Wan,” Anakin replied, sounding somewhat indignant that Obi-Wan would even suggest such a thing.
Anakin stood swiftly, drawing himself up to his full height beside Obi-Wan and then offering his arm. Wordlessly, Obi-Wan took it, and led Anakin away.
~*~
Hope you enjoyed this part, thanks for reading! Hope the fluffiness doesn't kill you; I am actually going somewhere here, believe it or not. XD
I'm still not finished with the last chapter, its going to be so long. ^^;;
Timeframe: post RotS AU
Summary: coming soon. ^^;;
Spoilers: possibly for RotS
Warnings: Contains slash and mentions of mature themes, but nothing explicit.
Notes: This is the sequel to my story What Comes of It, which can be found HERE. (yes, I finally gave it a page!) So you'll probably want to read that story before you read this one, but you could probably figure this one out even if you don't read it.
Previous Chapters: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4
Chapter 5
All in all, things hadn't been nearly as bad as Obi-Wan had expected them to be.
From what Padmé had told him, Obi-Wan had expected Anakin to be volatile and uncontrollable, and entirely impossible to reason with. But, to his surprise, Obi-Wan had found Anakin to be relatively easy to be with. And while the former Sith clearly had some difficulty reigning in his temper and keeping his emotions in check, he hardly seemed to be on the brink of darkness at any given moment.
In private, Anakin was gentle and considerate, speaking and acting with what was obviously great care. In public, he maintained a cool air of civility and politeness towards others, and did a fair job of keeping his temper in check even when faced with the obstinate General Radiin. As could be expected, though, Anakin did sometimes lose his calm, but Obi-Wan found that it took relatively little to bring him back under control. A light touch, or a whispered word, would usually suffice.
Thus, the Empire's negotiations with the Rebellion were going rather well, and they were only slightly behind schedule. There were a few sticky points, such as the time table for the transition, but Obi-Wan was confident that they would work it out in good time.
So it wasn't the progress with negotiations that Obi-Wan was so irritated about. It was the guards.
Obi-Wan saw Anakin often, and was with him for most of the day. Anakin had of course given Obi-Wan separate chambers from his, though, and had been quietly insistent that Obi-Wan didn't need to accompany him on all of his duties. Privately, Obi-Wan had been relieved by this, not because he didn't want to go with Anakin all day but rather because it could be too tiring for him. Despite his best attempts at self-healing, Obi-Wan had never fully recovered from his encounter with Palpatine and was plagued by lingering aches and fatigue. But this was not something that he wanted Anakin to know--at least not yet--so he welcomed the time to rest.
He did not, however, welcome the guards that came with it. To his dismay, he found that whenever he was not with Anakin, he was left with at least a pair of Imperial Guards nearby. This was not much of a problem when he remained in his chambers, as they at least had the courtesy to stay outside. He certainly didn't want them telling Anakin that he spent so much time just resting. But Obi-Wan had free roam of the Palace now, and often preferred to meditate or perform katas in one of its many gardens. The guards would follow him, silently, wherever he went, and Obi-Wan found their presence to be obtrusive and entirely unnecessary, even though they were polite. What bothered him about it the most, though, was the thought that Anakin didn't trust him to be alone.
The door chimed then, bringing Obi-Wan out of his thoughts. Rising from his position on the couch, he headed over to answer it.
“Good evening, Anakin,” Obi-Wan greeted the young man at his door and stepped aside to let him in. He was somewhat surprised to see him here, as Anakin had told him that he would be attending a small social gathering with some higher ranking Rebel and Imperial officers tonight in an attempt to improve relations. Obi-Wan had not been asked to attend, which was more than fine by him. “What brings you here, and so early?” He looked at Anakin questioningly.
“Obi-Wan.” He tilted his head forward, looking slightly abashed. “My plans were . . . disrupted,” he hesitated, “and so I came to see if you would join me for dinner.” Anakin smiled charmingly.
“Disrupted, hmm?” Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. “Dare I ask?” As Anakin opened his mouth to reply, Obi-Wan held up a hand. “Nevermind; it's quite alright. I haven't eaten yet, so certainly I will join you. And besides,” he added, “I have something I'd like to discuss with you.”
“Should I be worried?” Anakin asked, only half-teasingly.
“I don't think so,” Obi-Wan reassured him, looking sideways at Anakin to access his mood. His friend seemed somewhat uneasy, but was calm overall.
“Good.” Anakin smiled. “Shall we go to the dining room, or would you prefer to eat here?”
By 'the dining room', Anakin undoubtedly meant that cavernous monstrosity of a room that served as the Emperor's personal dining hall. Besides being overly large, it always seemed to be quite drafty and dark. But for some reason Anakin seemed to like it, as was evidenced by his frequent invitations to Obi-Wan to join him there. Tired and chilled as Obi-Wan was tonight, though, he didn't much care for a trek across the palace to sit in a poorly heated hall.
“Here will be fine, if you don't mind,” Obi-Wan replied, leading Anakin into the common area.
“Of course.” Anakin said smoothly, though Obi-Wan could detect a trace of what might be disappointment in his voice. Anakin quickly ordered their meal to be brought up, though, and then joined Obi-Wan at the small table to wait.
“What was it you wanted to speak to me about?” Anakin asked him, directing his full attention at Obi-Wan.
“Anakin,” Obi-Wan began, unsure of how to proceed. “About the guards. I realize that I may not have your complete trust, but--”
“No!” Anakin cut him off, looking surprised. “I mean, I do trust you, more than anyone else,” he said in a more subdued tone. “Are your guards behaving . . . improperly? Don't think that I'd believe them over you, if that is the case,” he said seriously, looking at Obi-Wan anxiously.
Obi-Wan was somewhat confused by Anakin's outburst, but nevertheless tried to allay the younger man's fears. “Their behavior has been exemplary. It is their presence that I find disturbing.”
“But, Obi-Wan, they're there for your own good,” Anakin said, looking somewhat bewildered. “To keep you safe.”
“To keep me safe?” he echoed disbelievingly. He was relieved to know that Anakin trusted him, but it still didn't make sense. “Anakin, this is the Imperial Palace,” he said patiently. “What in the Galaxy would I need to be kept safe from?”
“You always taught me that it was better to err on the side of caution when possible, remember? And besides, there is always the chance that someone might attempt an abduction, for political purposes,” Anakin said defensively. Again hung in the air between them.
“Anakin, I hold no position here . . .” Obi-Wan trailed off as he caught the telling look that flitted across Anakin's features. “Anakin?” he inquired, a hint of warning in his tone.
Anakin looked down at his hands for a moment, but then took in a breath and spoke. “When I decided to keep you as my captive . . . before, I drew up the necessary documents to make you my Consort under Imperial law,” he said calmly. “And that hasn't changed. I have altered the documents since then to give you all the rights that you should have, but I never did nullify them.” Anakin looked him in the eyes then, as if searching for something that neither one of them could identify.
Obi-Wan's breath caught in his throat, and for a moment he couldn't think to form a coherent reply. “But why?” he managed, looking at Anakin with a mixture of confusion and annoyance. “You couldn't have even known that I'd come back.”
“I told you, I wanted to make sure that you would be safe! If anything had ever happened and someone had pulled up your records, they would've known that you were under the Emperor's protection,” Anakin said forcefully.
“And now?” Obi-Wan asked quietly, not sure as to whether or not he should be worried.
“Now?” Anakin repeated in a subdued voice. “While a Consort can be a slave or a toy,” he said haltingly, “a Consort can also be an honored companion and trusted adviser. And even if you were no longer with me, you were still those things to me.” Anakin looked down at Obi-Wan uncertainly, his eyes pleading for understanding. “I meant no harm in it.”
Obi-Wan reached out and ghosted his fingers across the distraught young man's cheek. “I understand, Anakin, and am honored to have your trust,” he said gently, meeting Anakin's gaze with his own. “Know that you have mine as well.”
Anakin visibly relaxed at this, the tension leaving his body. “Thank you, Obi-Wan. That means a lot to me.” He looked thoughtful for a moment, then asked, “Does this mean that you'll accept the guards, then?” Anakin gave him an impish grin, but still managed to look entirely serious.
Obi-Wan looked at Anakin incredulously. “You won't give up on this, will you?” Obi-Wan said exasperatedly. “Very well, Anakin, I will continue to tolerate the guards. But whatever you said to them that causes them to stay so silent in my presence, please tell them otherwise. While I certainly don't want to chat with them, I would feel more comfortable if they would say something once in awhile.” Obi-Wan looked at him pointedly.
“Of course.” Anakin nodded. “I'll see to it.”
The door chimed, and an attendant ushered in a somewhat nervous looking young woman with a heaping tray of food, which she careful deposited on the table between them.
“Your Highness, Master Kenobi.” She gave a little bow and then turned to Anakin. “General Radiin and Admiral Thrawn send their regrets that you were unable to join their party.”
“Thank you,” Anakin said curtly, dismissing her with a wave.
Obi-Wan glanced towards Anakin curiously and tilted head slightly. “What's this? I thought that your plans had been 'disrupted', which should indicate that tonight's gathering had been canceled,” he said, a note of suspicion creeping into his voice. “Please tell me that you had a good reason for not going.” Obi-Wan looked at him expectantly.
“I would like to say yes, Obi-Wan, but in retrospect I doubt that I do,” Anakin admitted, coloring slightly. Obi-Wan merely shook his head, entirely at a loss as to explain his former partner's behavior. But perhaps not entirely, as Obi-Wan knew how Anakin had always been uncomfortable at such functions. But for the sake of good relations, Anakin really should go. And though Obi-Wan couldn't go in his place for him, perhaps he could make it a bit less difficult for his friend.
“Well then, we'll just have to go now then, won't we?” Obi-Wan pushed away from the table and stood up, leaving the food untouched. Anakin simply looked at him with a strange, surprised expression, but made no move to stand. “We're late enough as it is is, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said patiently. “Let's go. Or are you going to make me go by myself?” he asked lightly. “Someone has to.”
“Of course not, Obi-Wan,” Anakin replied, sounding somewhat indignant that Obi-Wan would even suggest such a thing.
Anakin stood swiftly, drawing himself up to his full height beside Obi-Wan and then offering his arm. Wordlessly, Obi-Wan took it, and led Anakin away.
~*~
Hope you enjoyed this part, thanks for reading! Hope the fluffiness doesn't kill you; I am actually going somewhere here, believe it or not. XD
I'm still not finished with the last chapter, its going to be so long. ^^;;