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Obi-Wan was older when he returned. Still as pretty as when he first showed up and a bit taller than Cody. He stepped out of a car – the passenger side – and said something to whoever was driving. The person leaned over and Obi-Wan bent down to press a kiss to their lips. The ring around his finger gleamed in the evening sun. A small silver thing and just for a moment, Cody indulged in the fantasy of how much he could have offered Obi-Wan. Everything he wanted and more.
But he was dead and whoever it was that Obi-Wan had kissed wasn't. Even without that barrier there wasn't a reason for Obi-Wan to be interested in him. He was sweet and gentle – married, apparently – and he knew nothing about Cody. Not in the same way that Cody knew about Obi-Wan. All the small traits he remembered from the first time he came to the castle years ago, his brother in tow. Anakin, though, wasn't here this time and Cody was glad. No, this time he could have Obi-Wan all to himself.
Obi-Wan strutted past him, as unaware of his presence as he has been the last time. He looked young, though by now six years had passed. He wasn't sure how old he had been when he came to the castle the first time but by now he was a young man, standing on his own two feet with a life in front of him that Cody wouldn't be a part of. Still, he couldn't help the indulgence of following him through the familiar hallways Cody had walked when he was just a child, following his father around with a fascination that left Jango with a smile that seemed to dim the older he and his brothers got.
„I didn't expect you to come back,“ he told Obi-Wan, aware that the man couldn't hear him. Still, there was a bit of hope in his that maybe he did when Obi-Wan stopped in his tracks, looking around him with a confused expression, before continuing his walk. It was too bright for him to have to use a flashlight, the evening sun lighting up his hair whenever they walked by one of the big windows. He was beautiful. The most beautiful person Cody had ever seen and he longed to hear his voice again.
Obi-Wan took them back to the ballroom, flooded with sunlight, the gold accents practically glowing with the light hitting just right but Obi-Wan didn't pay any attention to that. He sauntered down the few steps onto the dance floor and to the side, coming to a stop in front of Cody's portrait. Cody didn't remember how old he had been when it was painted, only that his parents chided him for not sitting still. Even in his late teenage years he had still hated sitting still. He didn't have a chance to grow out of it before he and with him his entire family had died and the castle had been left abandoned for an eternity.
„You're the only reason I studied history. I hope you know that,“ Cody snorted at the image.
„Seems a bit unnecessary,“ he noted to really no one but himself, ignoring the way Obi-Wan flinched. There was no way he could have heard Cody. Nothing had changed.
And yet he was still staring at him, eyes wide, confusion written all over his face. He opened his mouth as if to say something, only to close it again. And Cody... Cody was as happy as someone in his situation could be. Obi-Wan could see him. He could talk to him. After six years of being unsure if Obi-Wan had really seen him that day, now he was sure because there was no one else around. It could only be him.
Obi-Wan's gaze trailed from Cody to the painting and then back. He opened his mouth once more and this time he did speak.
„You're dead. You can't be here,“ it was, Cody assumed, a valid response. It wasn't him who had to deal with seeing a ghost for the first time. In fact, while he was alive he had never even thought about seeing one. Those were stories told to children and his father, as much as he had loved all his kids, wasn't one for fantasy. He and his brothers had been aware of what was just imagination and what was real, though by now Cody had to say that at least one of the stories Jango had brushed off as just a tale was very real, with Cody being one of the prime examples.
„Surprise?“ Obi-Wan apparently didn't find his joke funny. He continued to stare in disbelief, looking as if he was searching for something to say. Now, with everything that kept him from getting close to Obi-Wan gone, Cody found it harder to restrain himself from just hugging the taller man. He wanted to feel him against him, wanted to know if his hair was really as soft as it looked and most importantly, he wanted to be able to kiss Obi-Wan. A man he didn't truly know, who had been gone for six years and who hadn't talked to him even once before he showed up here today.
A man who was married.
„This is a really bad surprised,“ Obi-Wan finally settled on, adding an unsure sounding „your highness“ after a moment of silence..
„Cody is fine,“ Obi-Wan nodded, seemingly entering a stage of questioning his entire existence. Maybe Cody should write a book about how people react when first seeing a ghost. It would probably be interesting to read. Only that there was the problem of him being dead and unable to publish anything. Maybe he could get Obi-Wan to come back and do it for him once he was done.
„Sure, Cody,“ he mumbled and a warmth spread inside Cody when Obi-Wan said his name. He felt ridiculous. Crushing on a man he hadn't seen for ages, who was married and definitely not interested in him.
„Why did you come here?“ Cody settled on asking. Obi-Wan seemed mostly over his shock, apparently deciding to just roll with it instead of starting to question everything. It was probably more of a safe for his sanity that anything else. Still, he took a propriety step back, pushing some of the hairs out of his face.
„I wanted to see if I saw, well, you again, I guess. The last time I was here with my brother it was you standing by the staircase, right?“ Cody nodded, barely hiding his excitement. Obi-Wan had really seen him. He hadn't just imagined it. Though, by comparison, it barely even mattered because now he was talking to Obi-Wan. He could reach out and touch Obi-Wan if he wanted he allowed, because Cody had wanted to touch him since the first time he had seen Obi-Wan.
„Yes. I don't know why you see me now,“ he confessed, watching as Obi-Wan's brow furrowed. He wanted to reach out to the other man, hold his hand between his hands as he kissed him until the frown disappeared. He wanted so much and yet there was nothing he could do. Nothing, as Obi-Wan wandered around him, looking at the setting sun outside of the windows.
„And you were here the whole time?“ the sky wasn't quite dimming yet. It would take a while longer before the night would settle in.
„We can't leave the castle,“ Obi-Wan turned around, cocking his head in confusion.
„We?“
„My family. I'm not the only one here,“ Cody explained, following Obi-Wan as he continued to roam around the big room. The sun was in his back whenever he talked to Cody, creating a sort of halo around him that would have left Cody breathless if there was still a need for him to breath. As it was, he only watched Obi-Wan fondly as he asked more and more questions – about his life, his family, his everything. Cody was happy to answer. He wanted Obi-Wan to know more about him. Wanted him to know however much he wanted to find out.
„Do you like it?“ Obi-Wan finally asked and for the first time, Cody didn't have an answer.
„Like what?“ he asked in return and Obi-Wan made a vague gesture.
„Everything. Being more or less able to still be with your family even though technically you're dead,“ the taller man was patient, waiting for an answer as Cody thought. He liked some aspects of it. Being able to be with his brothers was one of them. However much they had fought with each other, there had been a relief in seeing a familiar face after you had just died. It wasn't a topic Cody particularly enjoyed thinking about.
„You could say that. I like having them around,“ he finally settled on. Obi-Wan hummed approvingly, his gaze turning back outside.
„I suppose it is nice to know that you won't lose them a second time,“ he noted, lifting his hand to rub his eye. They looked watery when he turned back to face Cody and it was then, that he gave up on his carefully constructed restrained. He wrapped Obi-Wan in his arms, holding him tight against him. Obi-Wan returned the hug, pressing against him as he buried his face in his shoulder.
They stayed like that for a while and neither of them mentioned the way that tears streaked Obi-Wan's face when they pulled apart. He settled on rubbing them away with his sweater, uncaring of the soft material. He thanked Cody, then. A quiet word, Cody almost didn't hear. It came with the promise of return, though Obi-Wan didn't specify when that would be.
Cody wondered how serious the promise had been, when he watched Obi-Wan walk up to the car that was parked just outside the castle, a tall man leaning against its hood. He caught Obi-Wan in his arms, kissing his cheek, a concerned look on his face. He had the same ring as Obi-Wan on his finger and brushed through the ginger hair without hesitation before the both of them took on their designated seats in the car.
However much he wanted to have that, Cody knew he couldn't have it, even though Obi-Wan could see him. Even though for a short moment, he had satisfied the need burning in him.