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"BEACH DAY!" Wooley yells. He hops out of the ship and makes a beeline for Rex. Without so much as a hello, he starts trying to climb up Rex's scaly blue leg, although he hasn't changed form, so he doesn't make much progress.
Tup scrambles down from Rex's back. "Beach day!" he cheers.
Both dragonets change shape and bump down to the hot parking lot pavement, nosing politely at each others’ snouts in greeting. Tup has grown up a lot in the few months since Cody last saw him, losing his chubby baby proportions and growing taller and stronger.
Rex dips his head to greet Wooley, and the dragonet rears up on his back legs and bonks his snout right into Rex’s.
Ow.
"Careful there," Obi-Wan says while Wooley reels a bit from the impact. "Hello, Captain. And Tup! You've gotten so big."
Tup peeps and (much more gently than Wooley) presses his nose to Obi-Wan’s hand in greeting, then trots over to Cody.
"Hey, Tup. You excited for beach day?" Cody asks, holding out a hand to Tup.
Tup squeaks, jumping in the air so he can bonk his nose into Cody's hand. His violet eyes sparkle, and he runs back to Wooley, peeping at him loudly. Unlike Wooley, who insists on short hair so it doesn't brush up against his hearing aid, Tup hates haircuts. In both forms, he has long, fluffy black hair, and his dragon mane has been carefully braided and woven with flowers.
"Well, they look excited." Rex claps Cody on the shoulder, and Cody drags his little brother in for a hug.
"Wooley's been talking about this for days." Cody presses his forehead to Rex's. "How have you been with the twins?"
Rex groans, pulling away. "Nat-born babies aren't anything like hatchlings. They cry, and they can't walk around or understand you, and we haven't slept longer than two consecutive hours since they were born." His hand grips Cody's shoulder. "It’s been just great!"
"That’s rough, vod." Cody isn’t banking on more kids, especially not nat-born babies. Obi-Wan probably wouldn’t want to, even if he could. That does leave the possibility of hatching more eggs, but he figures he’d better ask. At some point. Maybe.
"I love them, though. They’re cute enough to destroy planets." Rex sighs, glancing back to Padmé and the babies. "How’s Wooley?"
Cody nods and says, "Good, great. We got him a dragon-sized hearing aid, and he’s really happy with it, even if it annoys him sometimes. Oh, and he started teething a couple months ago and almost wrecked a table."
"Kriff, remember when we were cadets, and Wolffe gnawed his way through a metal chair?"
"He was the worst." Cody mentally flashes back to last year, when Wolffe nested in a kyber crystal mine. Some dragons have instincts, and some…
Rex laughs. "Can’t wait for Tup to reach that stage."
"Buir, come on!!!" Wooley shouts, hopping up and down in the parking lot, Tup chirping and fluttering his wings in the background. They haven't run off into the dunes yet, so Cody counts that as a win.
Cody shifts into dragon form and looms over everyone, although Wooley shifts too and tries to claw his way up Cody's leg, delighted that Buir has turned into a jungle gym.
"Whoa, hold on," Rex says, and Wooley tries to climb on him instead. "Agh, you got me!"
Cody huffs and leans down, picking Wooley up and placing the dragonet on his back. Then he collects Rex and Tup and goes looking for everyone else. He finds his cyare holding one of the nat-born babies, while Skywalker—Anakin?— watches nervously. Padmé seems less concerned, and she wisely passes Anakin the other baby to keep him occupied.
"Commander Cody! So good to see you." She's wearing a more subdued outfit than usual, a short petal-pink crop top and long matching skirt made of shimmering silk, with a white flowered kimono to keep the sun off her skin.
He bows his head, and Wooley gets the bright idea to scamper up and perch between Cody's horns.
"And Wooley, there you are!" She beams, waving up to Wooley, who giggles from on top of Cody's head and flits down to say hello. He's just old enough that he can glide a bit on his pale blue wings, and he loves the opportunity.
"Okay, everyone grab your stuff or have Cody carry it!" Anakin calls, taking Leia from Padmé and loading the baby into a stroller. Luke is already inside, holding onto a stuffed turtle-duck.
No way. Cody snorts and makes everyone get off, switching forms just in case. He’s not about to carry anything.
"Ah, good timing, dear, could you carry these?" Obi-Wan hands Cody the umbrella and the beach bag. "I've got the cooler."
Cody must look put-out, because Rex starts to laugh behind him. Little brothers are the worst. Then Wooley trots up with his bag of beach toys held in his mouth, dropping it at Cody's feet expectantly. "Alright, I'll carry it this time, buddy, but you have to carry it back. Okay?"
Wooley flicks his tail for yes, pressing one sky blue paw into Cody's leg. Tup joins him and does the same thing, ears pricked forward.
"Let’s get going, ad’ike—"
The dragonets both take off running, chirping like a nest full of birds.
Wooley barrels down the boardwalk and skids through the dunes, sending up plumes of sand in his wake. Excited by the smell and texture, he sniffs at the sand and takes a huge chomp out of the side of a dune.
"Wool, no—! Ah, shit," Cody mutters.
Wooley's ears flick up. His tail stands on end, his eyes huge and watering, and he just stands there, whimpering, mouth full of sand, not sure what to do. He looks over to Obi-Wan, who kneels next to the dragonet immediately.
"That's not tasty, huh?" Obi-Wan murmurs, helping the sniffling dragonet open his mouth and rinse the sand out with water. "No, that was yucky."
"Bad," Wooley sobs after changing to his human shape. He looks on the verge of actual tears, and Obi-Wan goes digging in the cooler for a juice box.
"Here, try this instead." He hands Wooley an apple juice. "Sand is best enjoyed on the ground, I think."
Wooley nods very seriously, distracted by the juice already. He holds onto Obi-Wan's hand as they make their way down to the ocean. After about ten seconds of dedicated juice-drinking, Wooley hands Obi-Wan the empty box and goes running full-tilt towards the water. The tide's in, so it doesn't take him long to reach the edge of the ocean and jump right in. Wooley splashes around for a bit, then chomps directly on a passing wave.
"He's in the stage where he wants to bite everything," Cody sighs to Rex, who nods in understanding. They both remember that age.
The seawater goes over better than the sand, and Wooley licks at it curiously, confused by the salty taste. His ears flick up and down, then swivel forward in concentration.
Rex smiles fondly. "Gods, he’s adorable. Were we ever that cute?"
"Nah." Cody slaps his brother on the shoulder. "Hey, buddy, you okay out there?" he calls to his son.
Wooley doesn’t hear, and he snaps at a few minnows and scampers further along the beach.
On the other hand, Tup seems to dislike the texture of the sand under his paws, picking up each one individually and placing it back down as he goes. Cody has to stop himself from laughing as the dragonet sticks his legs out to the side and more lumbers than walks to the beach. His purple ears swivel in, then flatten against his head. When he sees how much fun Wooley is having in the water, though, he picks up the pace and lumbers towards the waves curiously.
Tup screeches to a halt as soon as he reaches the water, eyes enormous, claws digging into the sand. He jumps back a bit, then creeps forward, one paw raised to smack at the water in case it dares to pursue him.
A single wave washes up the shore, and Tup flits backwards, smacking at the air in warning. He hisses, eyes narrowed at his new enemy.
One of Wooley's bigger splashes almost hits Tup, and with an unhappy squeak, Tup takes to the air and flies back to Rex and Anakin, his ears flattened against his head.
"Hey, buddy," Rex murmurs, catching the dragonet under his stubby forelegs and setting him back on the ground. "How's the beach treating you?"
Anakin seems to think Rex has directed this question towards him. "I forgot how much sand there is at beaches. I swear on the Force, if any of you get sand in my food, I'll throw you in the ocean."
"Ooh, is that a promise?" Padmé asks sweetly.
Anakin looks over at her. "Yeah." Then he lunges forward, grabbing her around the waist and picking her up while she shrieks and laughs.
"The water is bad," Tup says to Rex, his violet eyes watering. He hides behind Rex's leg, peeking out to watch Wooley splash around and make a mess.
"It's just water," Rex tries to reassure him while struggling with the twins' stroller. Cody lends a hand, although the thing has sand in the wheels already, and they don’t make much progress. "Like bathtime! You love bathtime."
"Too big," Tup declares. He looks over at Cody. "You think so too, right, Ba'vodu?"
"It is pretty big," Cody says, frowning as a wheel gets caught in a tuft of beach grass.
Anakin waves a hand at the stroller, making it float through the air. "Need some help, guys?"
"We had it," Rex argues as the stroller drifts away. Toys and sippy cups float away too, as if carried by invisible hands.
Padmé scoops Leia out of the stroller and turns to Anakin. "No making the babies float!"
"I have them," Anakin argues. "I mean, just Luke right now, but he's having fun!"
Luke floats right out of his seat, and Rex and Padmé both yelp in surprise and try to grab him out of the air. The little boy’s floofy blond hair fans out around him.
"Luke!" Rex successfully intercepts Luke, who seems entirely unconcerned by his trip through the sky.
"Anakin!" he and Padmé snap at the same time.
"Er." Anakin has enough common sense to look embarrassed while he waves the toys back into the stroller. "Sorry. He just... got away from me?"
"Well, now you can carry that thing, and we can carry the babies. Right, Tup?"
Tup nods. "I’m helping!" He holds Padmé’s free hand as they walk across the sand.
"Anakin," Rex sighs, adjusting his hold on Luke. "Was it really necessary to float the babies? You could’ve just lifted the stroller up a bit."
"Maybe." Anakin ruffles his own hair and inches sideways. "They’re fine." He comes over to double-check, though, which concerns Cody just a bit.
Rex cuddles Luke in his arms. "You and I are in the same boat, buddy. Daddy likes to throw me in the air too."
"Hey!"
"Nice day for it though, huh? Look at that sky."
Luke burbles, one little hand pressing against Rex’s chest, then he flails his hands towards Cody.
"Aw, someone wants to spend time with Uncle Cody." Rex hands off the baby to Cody. "Don’t drop him, or Anakin will stab you."
"No, we don’t want that." Cody settles Luke against his chest, and the baby calms down, one little hand clinging to Cody’s shirt. "He’s adorable." Even though Wooley was never this helpless, Luke still reminds Cody of a little hatchling. Minus the purring.
"Nat-born babies are cute as hell," Rex agrees. "Lil grubs."
Luke makes a nonsensical noise, his grip tightening on Cody.
"You and Leia are the cutest lil grubs!" Rex coos to Luke, taking his free hand and giving it a gentle wiggle.
Anakin and Obi-Wan set up the camp while Cody, Rex, and Padmé entertain the twins. Tup graduates to sticking one claw into the water and skittering backwards to avoid the shallow waves, which turns into more of a game than anything else.
Luke decides he wants to crawl around in the sand with his sister, and Anakin keeps running over to pick them up and place them back on the blanket. "No sand! Sand bad!"
Leia lovingly reaches out a sandy hand and pats Anakin's face.
"Agh! Sweetie—" He puts her down on the blanket, wiping at the sand on his face. "Why??" he asks, genuinely betrayed.
Cody wanders over to help Obi-Wan with the umbrella rather than watch this disaster unfold.
"Enjoying yourself yet?" Obi-Wan asks only a bit seriously, twisting the augur into the sand. He's already a bit pink around the edges from the sun, and there isn't a single cloud in the sky to offer him protection.
"Eh. If I spend much more time with Luke and Leia, I'm going to want more kids," Cody jokes. "That's why I'm over here."
Obi-Wan's eyes widen just a bit before he realizes Cody is joking. "Ah," he says, sounding a bit disappointed. "Well. Of course."
"Wait, do you want more kids? Should we talk about this at home?" Cody tries to get a read on Obi-Wan, although the Jedi's composure is less scrutable than ever. Not even a little hand-wringing hidden in his sleeves.
"We should discuss this at home," Obi-Wan agrees, and Cody leans in and kisses his cheek over the umbrella augur.
"Yeah, of course." He wraps his arms around his cyare’s waist as they raise the umbrella.
Obi-Wan turns his head and kisses Cody on the corner of his mouth, sliding one hand through Cody’s short hair.
"Ad’ike, lunch!" Anakin shouts, in order to interrupt them.
Tup peeps in reply and skitters over to where Wooley is splashing in the water, catching the other dragonet’s attention by flagging his sparkly purple tail.
Cody sighs and untangles himself from Obi-Wan. He rummages around in their cooler for food, then waves a sandwich in the air. Wooley immediately runs over, ears perked up. "Hands for sandwiches, buddy," Cody tries to remind him.
Wooley peeps in indignation and refuses to shift, pawing at Cody’s leg for sandwiches.
"You don’t want to change?"
He shakes his head, then chitters at Cody again.
"Okay, okay." If Wooley is more comfortable eating in dragon shape, then Cody won’t force him.
Wooley flicks his tail, then jerks his head to the side, tongue sticking out of his mouth. Of course the little hooligan wants him to throw the sandwich.
Cody unwraps a turkey club sandwich and tosses it towards him, and Wooley snaps it out of the air, wolfing it down in three huge bites. His tail curls in delight, then he noses at Obi-Wan for juice.
"You really do need hands for juice, little one," Obi-Wan reminds him, and Wooley rolls his eyes before shifting back. "Here you go."
Wooley grabs the juice and starts slurping, not acknowledging Obi-Wan. He plops down on the sand when he's done and hands the empty box back. "Thank you, Buir’ika," he practically chants. Then he changes into his dragon shape and curls up in the shade under the umbrella, blinking sleepily. He bonks his nose into Obi-Wan’s ankle for a moment, tailtip flicking back and forth.
"You like your dragon shape a lot," Obi-Wan murmurs, holding out a hand for Wooley to sniff.
The dragonet nudges Obi-Wan’s hand so it rests on top of his head, then purrs.
"Yeah." Cody pats Wooley’s head at the same time. "When we’re young, it’s an easier shape. Better to move around in, and more fun."
Wooley makes a soft chirr-chirr that sounds almost like a laugh, his wings curling around him. Then he plonks his nose in the sand and snorts at the grains.
Cody and Obi-Wan enjoy their sandwiches without throwing any of them in the air. Although Wooley gets bored with his beach toys in about five minutes and starts rooting through their campsite.
"Someone needs to stretch his legs," Obi-Wan comments, sipping on his iced tea.
"I could go for that too," Cody agrees. "We can beachcomb."
"Alright, you've convinced me. Wooley?" Obi-Wan tweaks the dragonet's ear to get his attention, and Wooley peeps, head tilting to the side. "Want to go looking for shells? There are some lovely tide pools nearby."
The dragonet jumps to his feet, ears pricked, and accidentally flings sand on everyone. He dashes in a little circle, which only adds to the flying sand.
Cody doesn't need the Force to tell how annoyed Anakin is getting.
"Yes, let's stretch our legs. Come on, little one, let's see what we can find."
Nodding in agreement, Wooley follows Obi-Wan along the shoreline, splashing through each tide pool he sees.
Cody joins them in dragon shape; most people find him intimidating as a giant golden dragon, but there aren't many people along this stretch of beach. He takes a moment to enjoy the sensation of sand under his claws, stretching his wings to catch the warmth of the sun. Wooley chirps to him, his own powder blue wings spread, and Cody nuzzles at him gently.
With a squeak, Wooley scampers off to shove his face into a tide pool.
"Hello, darling." Obi-Wan puts a hand on Cody's flank, scratching idly at his side. His fingers trace an old blaster scar that cuts through the golden scales, faded from Cody's last shed.
Cody noses at Obi-Wan's soft, fluffy hair, catching a hint of his strawberry shampoo. He spreads a wing over Obi-Wan as they walk so he can stay in the shade. With that pale skin, he burns to a crisp in about thirty minutes. Obi-Wan smiles and brushes a hand over the edge of Cody’s wing.
Wooley sits in the sand next to a tide pool, watching the minnows flit back and forth in the water. One blue paw darts out and smacks the surface of the water, and the fish scatter. His head tilts to the side, and he flicks his tail in mild amusement.
"Having fun?"
Wooley changes shape and holds Obi-Wan's hand under the shelter of Cody's wing. "I don't really wanna catch them."
"Do you just want to watch them swim?"
Wooley giggles. "Yeah!"
Obi-Wan stops, something catching his eyes in the sand. "Look at this, Wool," Obi-Wan says, picking up a small object. Probably a shell, although it's round and flat. Kind of like a pancake.
"Shell!" Wooley tries to grab it, then remembers shells can break and takes it much more gently. "What kind is it?" He peers at the white disc in his hands.
"It’s a sand dollar. Sometimes people break them at weddings for good luck."
Wooley holds the sand dollar up to the light. "What does it look like alive?"
"The whole thing is covered in what looks like brown fur, but it’s stiff, and the sand dollar wiggles its little hairs to move around."
"I want to see," Wooley says immediately.
"I’m sure we can find a living one around here somewhere. Let’s find another pool, they like to be buried in the sand. It’s a bit too rocky here for living ones."
Wooley grabs Obi-Wan’s hand and practically drags him to a sandier tide pool. "Daddy, use the magic!!"
Obi-Wan opens his mouth, a lecture about proper use of the Force doubtless on his lips, and Cody gives him a look. "Alright, alright," he sighs, sitting down in the sand. "Sit with me, ad'ika."
Wooley holds both of Obi-Wan's hands and sits across from him, one foot sticking into the water.
A calm falls over the beach, the seagulls overhead quieting down and settling on the sand to watch. Cody's scales itch, and he resists the need to flop over in the sand and roll around. Hermit crabs scuttle out from underneath drifts of seaweed, and little minnows swim up to Wooley and nibble at his toes. Slowly but surely, a ripple starts in the sand, and after a moment, a dark circle pops up in the pool of water.
"There we are," Obi-Wan says, and Wooley shifts into dragon form so he can sniff the sand dollar.
The dragonet’s tail twitches back and forth, and he lifts his front paw to gently tap the sand dollar. All the tiny little bristles on the sand dollar wiggle in the air as it scoots ever so slowly towards Obi-Wan.
"Thank you for stopping by, friend," Obi-Wan tells the sand dollar as Wooley watches it burrow back into the sand.
"It’s a shell!" Anakin calls while he tries to braid Leia’s short brown hair. "It doesn’t care!"
"Don't listen to him," Obi-Wan continues soothingly, the sand dollar’s burrowing becoming a bit listless, "You’re a fine creature, even without eyes."
"You’re magical," Wooley tells the sand dollar, shifting out of dragon form. Then he turns to Obi-Wan and says seriously, "I love them." Then he drags Tup over to look at the sand dollar, although Tup seems a bit less enthusiastic, more interested in the pool itself.
While the dragonets are distracted, Cody shifts back to human form in a burst of golden light and starts to put together the kite he brought along. It's shaped like a large fish, with lots of long, colorful streamers.
Unfortunately, the bright colors attract the dragonets anyway, and soon Wooley's shouting, "I wanna help! I wanna help!" and grabbing the half-finished kite out of Cody's hands.
"Ask before you take something, ad," Cody reminds him, reaching down to ruffle his hair. "People don't like having things grabbed."
"Sorry, Buir." Wooley hands the kite back sheepishly.
"Thanks, buddy. How about I hold the kite, and you put these in?" Cody hands Wooley the plastic sticks that keep the kite rigid. "Tuck 'em in the little pockets here—yeah, that's it."
Wooley carefully puts the kite together, his chubby hands clumsy but determined. "Done!"
"Looks good. Buir'ika's going to give it a little push so it gets into the air, so put it down right here—"
Wooley shifts into dragon form as soon as he lets go, tail wiggling as he watches the kite flutter.
Obi-Wan smiles and uses the Force to make the kite shuffle to one side, and Tup comes over to watch too, his eyes absolutely enormous. Even Cody's instincts start to flare, and he has to shake off the urge to pounce on the kite.
Wooley and Tup stare at the kite as it flutters on the ground and stalk up to it. Tup flits back and forth, unable to decide if he wants to attack the kite or run away. On the other hand, Wooley crouches on the sand, gaze fixed on the kite, and pounces on it with a growl. He tussles with it gently, jaws snapping at the air, although he doesn't break it.
"You got it! Good job." Cody doesn't try to grab the kite, mostly because Wooley would probably try to bite him. "Let's get it in the air though, buddy."
Wooley pauses mid-chomp, then flicks his ears back and lets go of the kite. With a chirp, he noses the kite back towards Cody.
"Thanks." He lets Wooley nip at his hand. "Okay, let’s try again. Cyare?"
Obi-Wan gives the kite a boost with the Force when Cody lets go, and it flies back up into the air. The rainbow streamers flap back and forth in the breeze, and although the sound doesn't catch Wooley's attention, the motion definitely does.
Wooley jumps into the air, paws batting at the kite, although it's a good thirty feet above him. He flutters his wings as hard as he can, getting maybe a foot off the ground before he bumps back down to the sand.
"I wanna hold!" Tup reaches out a hand, and Cody hands him the kite, making sure he doesn't drop it.
Wooley and Tup take turns playing with the kite, which mostly consists of them trying to fly and jump after it. Back when Cody was a cadet on Kamino, they hadn't had much to do besides classes and practical training. From talking to his brothers who also have dragonets, they're kind of shocked by the sheer amount of things that kids require. He'll share the kite, Wooley and Tup seem to like it.
Maybe it will keep Fox from obsessively texting him all the time.
That's not fair to Fox. The guy does run the unofficial How to Raise Clone Cadets blog, which fields a lot more questions than it probably should. Mandalorians who actually live on Mandalore have stopped shifting, unlike the cadets, and there are few Mandalorians left who follow the old ways (and even fewer willing to answer questions). Most of the time, Fox is the most accessible knowledge base on baby dragons. With a smaller base of knowledge than people probably realize.
Wooley tires himself out after a half-hour of kite chasing, and he lets this be known by flopping down in the sand next to Obi-Wan's feet. He sinks his claws into the sand and closes his eyes, squishing it contentedly. After a minute, he settles down with his legs tucked underneath him, like a loaf of bread, and enjoys the warmth of the sun.
"Now there’s a happy loaf," Obi-Wan murmurs, sitting down next to Wooley.
Wooley makes his pet me chirp, and his tail flicks back and forth. His ears perk up as Obi-Wan scratches along the scaled ridges of his back, then he closes his eyes, actually purring out loud. He tilts his head and leans into the scratches, and his tail curls into a pleased little circle. With a curious peep, Tup joins them, and Anakin leans over so he can scratch Tup’s scales. Both dragonets purr in unison, cuddled up next to each other in a happy, sleepy puddle.
Cody knows from experience that most hatchlings love being snuggled up with their vode, and most benefit from the close contact. Fox often recommends adopting entire squads so they don't get lonely.
That always makes Cody think about Wooley's old squad, and where they might've ended up. Since Wooley came to them as an egg, his spot on the squad was probably filled by a different cadet. Could he convince Obi-Wan to adopt five more children?
Probably not.
"Are you ready to go home, little ones, or do you want to get ice cream?" Obi-Wan asks almost innocently.
Two sets of ears prick up.
"You said the magic word," Anakin teases.
"Ice cream!!!" Tup and Wooley shout, scrambling to their feet and running around in circles, sleepiness forgotten.
Padmé laughs and catches Tup as he comes close. "I’d like ice cream too, sweetie."
Tup giggles. "Ice cream!"
"Alright, let’s get all this packed up then," Anakin declares, hands on his hips.
"New objective," Rex comments.
Wooley jumps into Obi-Wan’s arms and hugs him. "Ice cream," he says dreamily.
Cody reaches over, ruffling Wooley’s hair. "We’ll get you guys ice cream." To be truthful, Cody isn't in a position to deny Wooley anything. Yeah, it's a bad parental decision, but he can't find it in himself to say no. Also, it's beach day.
They walk up the boardwalk to the snack shack, which has a small ice cream shop attached. Usually, Wooley tends to wander and "explore" along the way, but right now, he's laser focused on the ice cream. He keeps chirping at them to hurry up.
Obi-Wan, ever a creature of habit, immediately decides on chocolate chip in a cake cone, and Wooley runs up to the line and jumps up and down, peeping with excitement.
"Get your ass in gear, Commander," Rex laughs, giving Cody a slap in the direction of the line.
Obi-Wan is already ordering, Wooley pressing both forepaws against his leg as if to say, Don’t forget about me!!
"Do you want anything, dear?" Obi-Wan asks Cody.
"Yeah, I’ll have a medium cookie dough in a waffle cone, and he’s gonna have a kiddie—hold on, I’ll let him pick." Cody holds Wooley up so he can point to the flavor he wants on the list, and the little dragon taps his claw against BUTTER PECAN. "In a cup," Cody adds.
"And one kiddie butter pecan in a cup," the cashier murmurs to herself. "Okay, just a second."
"Our son is an old man," Cody comments to Obi-Wan.
Wooley squawks in outrage and twists around to look at Cody, tail twitching, then demands to be put down.
"Okay, okay," Cody sighs, setting the dragonet back down.
Wooley trots in a circle as he waits for ice cream.
"Here you go." The cashier hands over the ice creams, and Obi-Wan pays while Wooley jumps up and down, pawing at Cody’s leg.
Cody takes the ice creams over to one of the picnic tables, setting the butter pecan in front of Wooley. The dragonet makes a happy peep and plunges his face into the cup of ice cream, slurping it down in about five seconds flat. When he looks back up at Cody, the empty cup is stuck on the end of his snout.
"Enjoyed that, huh?" Cody laughs.
Wooley nods, and the cup comes loose, falling to the sand. He bats at the empty cup for a bit, but quickly loses interest.
For the next few minutes, Wooley makes doe eyes at Cody while everyone else enjoys their ice cream at a normal pace. Tup's pink tongue darts out to lick his peppermint ice cream, and he curls his tail around the cup to protect it from interlopers.
"You want to try some of this? It's cookie dough," Cody says, and Obi-Wan shoots him a look over his own cone of chocolate chip.
Wooley nods eagerly, his front paws on the table. His ears perk up and swivel towards Cody as if to better track the ice cream cone.
Cody lets Wooley take a few licks of the cookie dough flavor, although the dragonet wrinkles his nose and hops down from the table, tail swishing. "Not a fan?"
Wooley chitters and goes to beg a sample from Obi-Wan instead.
The Jedi master smiles, offering the cone to Wooley, who takes a delicate lick and then another, ears perking up. "Yes, chocolate chip satisfies many."
Wooley coos and noses Obi-Wan’s hand in thanks, leaving behind a smear of ice cream.
"Good day?" Anakin asks, tweaking one of Tup’s purple ears.
Tup flicks his ear, poking Anakin’s hand with his sticky nose before resuming his single-minded demolition of the ice cream. His wings half-extend to shelter the cup from prying eyes.
"Good to know you love peppermint stick. That your favorite?"
He chirps and nibbles at a chunk of peppermint.
Wooley noses at Cody, hopping down from the table and into his lap. Then Wooley settles into loaf shape, paws hidden underneath him, tail curled around Cody's arm. His mismatched eyes blink slowly, and he tucks his face against Cody's chest.
"Now you're really tuckered out, huh, buddy?"
Wooley purrs, eyes closing.
"Sugar coma," Cody murmurs, and Wooley flicks his tail in answer, not even bothering to look. Now that Wooley’s about to enter his fledgling phase, he’s less eager for snuggles, but when he gets tired, he always wants to be held. Mostly carried.
"I think our kiddos are ready to go home too," Padmé says, Leia cuddled against her chest. Both twins have been asleep since they left for the ice cream stand.
Tup’s ears prick, and he looks up from his ice cream in confusion.
"No? No going home?" Anakin pets one of Tup's paws, and the dragonet pats Anakin's hand back. "Is it because you're not done?"
Tup nods, shyly hiding his nose in his ice cream, mostly melted at this point.
"Okay, we can wait. Take your time, buddy." Rex has Luke resting against his shoulder, the baby's hand firmly clinging to Rex's shirt. He reaches out and scratches the soft scales under Tup’s chin, and the dragonet purrs at his buir, lovingly smearing ice cream on Rex’s hand. "We got all night."
Cody leans against Obi-Wan with Wooley still snuggled in his lap. "Did we have fun?"
Wooley hums and kneads at Cody's leg with his paws.
"Yes, we had fun," Obi-Wan says, kissing Cody's cheek. "We should do this again soon."
Tup chirps over his ice cream, and Wooley purrs in agreement.
"And after our other one is born, the whole family will finally be together." Obi-Wan smiles serenely.
"Huh?" Rex and Anakin ask.
"Huh??" Cody asks a bit louder.
Padmé just takes a knowing lick of her ice cream.
Obi-Wan leans down and kisses the warm, smooth scales between Wooley’s ears. "Hm?" He sounds so innocent that Cody is even more convinced he knows precisely what he's doing.
"You said our other one."
"No, I didn’t." Obi-Wan pats Cody on the arm, his expression completely peaceful.
Tup sticks his muzzle in his cup of melted ice cream and slurps loudly. His purple tail curls around the cup, and then he loafs on the table, now finished.
Anakin picks him up, and Tup shifts into human form, clinging sleepily to Anakin's shirt. "Hey, you're done, good job!"
Unlike most of the clones, Tup's hair is almost completely straight, and loose strands curl around his face, freed from their braid. He yawns and smiles, then pretty much flops over and falls asleep.
"Okay, kiddos, time to go home."
This is met with a lot of sleepy protests, and Cody has to walk Wooley over to nuzzle Tup's hand in farewell.
"Bye, Wool," Anakin murmurs, smiling as Wooley boops his hand with his nose. "Good to see you, peanut."
Wooley flicks his tail, and Cody takes him over to say goodbye to Rex, Padmé, and the twins. The babies are already fast asleep, and Wooley nudges at them gently, nosing their chubby cheeks with his snout.
They go back to the lander, and Wooley gets carried inside. Although he seems sleepy, Cody knows the little guy is secretly pleased. The happiness melts away as Cody buckles him into his seat, though, because Wooley would much rather be napping.
"Just a bit more, bud, and then we’ll be home." Cody tweaks one of Wooley’s pale blue ears, and the dragonet's tail curls up into a grumpy cinnamon roll. "Someone's cranky."
He shakes his head, dislodging the hearing aid and sending it rolling under a seat.
"Not comfy anymore?"
Wooley's tail curls even tighter, and he closes his eyes with a chuff.
The second they dock, the dragonet is crawling into Cody's lap to be carried home, and Cody obliges, even though Wooley weighs a good eighty pounds at this point. Cody's armor weighs more. Probably.
"Need any help, darling?" Obi-Wan offers.
Cody grunts, and an invisible force supports Wooley's back legs. The dragonet's ears flick against Cody's face, although he doesn't purr. "I had him."
"Of course you did."
In their quarters, Cody takes Wooley to brush his teeth, and Wooley gives his buire a pleading look. Not even Obi-Wan budges, though.
Teeth brushed, Wooley grumpily crawls into his nest of blankets and splats on the ground, legs splayed out, face buried in a blanket. Even his wings flop to his sides.
"G'night, buddy," Cody murmurs, covering Wooley with one of his blankets.
"He's had a rather exciting day, hasn't he."
"Yeah, and so have I. If I don't brush my teeth, that's going to make me a horrible hypocrite, isn't it?" They wander towards their room, dodging the toys Wooley's left in the hallway.
"Unfortunately, yes." Obi-Wan kisses Cody's cheek, kind of as a consolation prize, Cody thinks.
"Your beard is too scratchy," Cody grumbles, grabbing Obi-Wan by the waist and tugging him in for another kiss. "Eurgh. Awful."
Obi-Wan presses Cody up against the closed office door. "I'm rather proud of my beard, thank you very much."
"So what were you saying," Cody says as Obi-Wan tries to kiss him again and pouts when he's denied, "about our other one?"
"I didn't mean to say anything," Obi-Wan admits, leaning back. "It's early, you know how these things are. I'm not even certain..." He rests a hand on Cody's chest, and Cody gives his hand a gentle squeeze. "I don't know yet."
Cody stretches up a bit and presses his forehead to Obi-Wan's. "Not to pressure you, but you only have a certain window of time to make your decision."
"I'm well aware of that." Obi-Wan scrutinizes the closed office door. "Although… I've been thinking. We don’t use the home office much, not with our new work-home boundaries."
"No, we don’t."
"It would make a nice nursery. With a little paint, and maybe some new curtains…"
"Yes, it would."
"It's—well, it's just something to think about. Now, I’m off to bed." Obi-Wan pecks Cody’s cheek. "Come join me?" he asks, eyes sparkling. He turns around and disappears into the bedroom, although Cody hears the rustle of him laying down on their bed.
Cody starts to take off his shirt, following Obi-Wan inside. "Cyar’ika—" he murmurs, reaching out a hand to trace up Obi-Wan's freckled thigh.
"But brush those teeth first."
Cody groans and puts his shirt back on. "Whatever you say, cyare.”