Work Text:
Anakin/Fives
There’s a tradition in the Core Worlds that Anakin hadn’t put much thought into among the Jedi, What with their denial of attachments. A day dedicated to romantic relationships and showering your partner with gifts.
But it had mattered to Padme, last year, so Anakin wants it to matter to both of his partners, this year.
The real trick is finding a present both meaningful and small, for Fives in particular (as Fives is under watch as any other slave Anakin knows, he tries not to think).
He figures, though, that this is perfect, settled next to the trooper in said trooper’s room (shared with Echo, but he’d not-so-subtly announced that he wouldn’t be returning, that night). Said trooper who looks at the small carved pendant in his hands.
When Anakin was nine, he’d carved a japor snippet in the form of good fortune, innocently passing it to his future wife, but this is different; this is made of a stronger wood, carved with a very different symbol.
Several different symbols.
Not every clone in his legion is instantly familiar with the parts of his culture that have become a part of the legion’s; he’d never expected them to, not when he’d never asked to be made a part, simply absorbed by his familiarity. Fives, however, is his secret lover, and Fives can definitely read the meaning, the interlocking web of Amatakka symbols and clone stories passed around in a rare chaotic and disorganized fashion.
Journey to the safe waters would be the literal translation, of course. But there are two diverging translations for it, from there. Tatooine symbols say “journey to safe waters” and it means a path to freedom. In the amalgamation Anakin has accidentally created, however, it means…
It isn’t correct wording, but Anakin had written rain, not springs. Anakin .
The first meaning: journey to safe waters, yes, but a story behind it. Training to swim on a world made of inhospitable waters. Eventually, some would learn the rough waters, too. But they say that anyone who picked up on swimming gained, typically, a higher place in the military ladder, captains and commanders and ARCs. Fives had once told him that all of Domino had excelled in swimming.
It means something close to “choices” or “rise”.
The second meaning: the journey to safe anakin .
Come back to him.
“Cyare…”
Anakin laughs, smiling as brightly as he ever can, as the war stretches ever onwards and permeates his secret relationships with Fives and with Padme. He falls onto Fives’ lap and utterly doesn’t give a kriff because it’s so comfortable and natural.
“We go on different missions now, Fives,” he says. “You’re still 501st to us, but you’re an ARC. This is just… a reminder that I’ll be there, with you.”
Fives just continues to stare.
“…I love you,” he says at last. “I missed you, when I was training.”
…Anakin did, too, if he’s being honest. He doesn’t quite know if he should say as much, however, so he just looks up at Fives and meets his eyes.
“I love you, too,” he says. “I miss you when you go on missions with other legions…” he sighs, finally forcing himself to return to sitting, being sure to. “But, if I’m honest, I want a bit of a nice Lovers’ moment now, not more reality.”
Then, he finally takes out the other part of his Lovers’ Day present… 100 delicious pieces of candy, flavored with a bean from some mid rim farming planet.
“So, do you want some chocolate?”
Fives smiles and kisses him, deeply.
“I would love some,” he replies.
(But he seems far more interested in wanting the person feeeding him them. Not that Anakin minds.)
”By the way,” Fives says, right before they go to sleep. “I got an order stating my next mission would be with some members of the 501st.”
Anakin just smiles, curing into the other man’s chest.
”It’ll be good to have you back,” he says.