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Being Chancellor of the Republic had its drawbacks: being available twenty-four hours a day, even on weekends, almost no holidays, very few hours of sleep and no personal life. Sheev had always thought that kind of inconvenience wouldn't affect him, since he was a sith out to conquer the galaxy. Unfortunately, such an arguement was valid only when he was still a celibate man who had nothing but power as his goal. This was no longer the case, and now he was brooding.
Why?
Well, a few feet away from him, his precious Obi-Wan sat on the couch in his office teaching his padawan a few trivial subjects, conversing in a sweet voice with the boy. It was a picture of torture. His love, his heart and his only joy in living in front of him, was untouchable because he, the Chancellor of this fucking Republic, had to respond as quickly as possible to the expectations of a suffering Senate. He had to play his role to the end. If he let go they would doubt his abilities, if he didn't give of himself one hundred percent, it would be over for his position.
Even if he wanted to spend time with his favorite jedi, he had to do what had to be done.
He groaned to himself as he read a report on a planet that had just entered the Republic and whose Senate would like to control imports and exports. It would be so easy to say "yes, let's control everything on this damn planet!" but half the Senate refused that. The votes slowed down the decision, the debates never ended and the Chancellor had to – again – argue about what the new region was going to bring them.
"Is everything alright?"
Sheev looked up from his datapad and saw Obi-Wan in front of his desk. He had moved over to him, while Anakin continued to work on his homework. His long red locks framed his precious face, his eyes filled with concern. The Chancellor wanted to kiss him so badly at that moment.
"I'm sorry but I'm not done yet, my love."
The young man's cheeks flushed. Sheev knew he was always embarrassed when he called him by nicknames, especially around Anakin.
“Is it so hard to lead the Republic?" The jedi inquired.
"I'd rather spend time with you or Anakin."
"If we trouble you, we can—"
"Not at all. After this bad day that I've had, your presence does me nothing but good."
"Oh."
He held out his hand and the young man stepped forward to take it, giving him a tender smile. Sheev planted a kiss on his palm, enjoying his lover's soft skin, bringing him closer.
"Sheev, you have to…work," the Jedi reminded him haltingly.
"I could resign from my post," he said suddenly.
"Pardon?"
"I'll marry you, I'll adopt Anakin and we'll live on Naboo until the end of our lives…together."
"Sheev, don't say…stuff like that," Obi-Wan mumbled, "we all know you're the only one who can lead the Republic as well as you do. Besides…I'm a jedi…"
Obi-Wan pulled away from him, much to his dismay, and gave him a soft, sad look.
"This life that we both dream of is impossible. The Republic needs you. And…many are those who are waiting to be saved, who keep hoping that one day, a jedi like me will change their lives. We are needed."
The older man looked down at his datapad. It would be so easy to speed things up, wipe out the Jedi…and then take Obi-Wan as his husband, but it wasn't the right time yet. He was going to have to be patient. So far everything was going as he had planned. Although the one thing he hadn't expected was his encounter with Obi-Wan. This young jedi who had managed to conquer his heart.
"You're right, forgive me, I was selfish," he said bitterly, returning to his datapad.
"Sheev…"
"Go back to Anakin," he threw a glance at the boy who was now staring at them, "I'll try to finish this evening."
Obi-Wan didn't insist, although his whole body seemed to hesitate between staying or going back to his padawan. Finally, he sat down next to Anakin, who looked questioningly at his master.
“Is something wrong?" he asked softly so the Chancellor wouldn't hear.
"Everything is fine. He has a lot of work."
"Why don't you tell him to rest?"
"I would like to, Ani, but I think he has urgent business."
The 12-year-old boy didn't look very convinced and frowned, then put his homework down under Obi-Wan's questioning gaze.
“Maybe you should help him."
"Help him?" The incredulous jedi repeated, bemused at his padawan's suggestion.
"Yeah, you've always been good at politics, haven't you? During our last mission, you avoided a war!"
"Anakin, it's not the same. I negotiated, I did not play politics."
"It's basically the same thing, master, the two parties reached an agreement and you established peace. If the Chancellor has problems satisfying the Senate, a negotiator could intervene…"
"You have a simplistic view of politics."
"Try it, master, I'm sure you have some good ideas. Besides, the Chancellor wouldn't say no, since it's you."
A blush spread across the young Jedi's face at the unsubtle hint from the teen, who laughed softly.
"I…what are you implying, Anakin?" He tried to collect himself by mumbling a little more.
"Nothing at all."
"You are becoming more and more insolent, Ani," muttered the young master.
"I'm telling the truth, it's not the same. The Chancellor loves you and it shows. I'm sure if Yoda finds out, it will end his long life."
Obi-Wan ran his hands over his face, moaning. Anakin knew their secret because, obviously, he didn't have much choice. Sheev was a very good friend of Anakin, Obi-Wan was his master… and therefore there were no secrets between the three.
“Come on, master, help the Chancellor with his duties, while I manage mine," the padawan laughed.
"Fine, but you must finish all your homework! If I ever see that you haven't finished, we'll stay another week at the Temple, without any missions."
"I'm the best padawan in the Temple, that won't be a problem."
"Arrogance is not a Jedi characteristic."
"I'm stating a fact, master. And I'm sure you think so too."
The young man rolled his eyes and got up again to return to his lover. He tried to prepare a few arguments in his head to offer his help, hoping with all his heart that Anakin was right, that Sheev couldn't refuse his help.
When he caught the politician's attention, he swallowed as he met his half-annoyed, half-curious gaze. At first glance, it seemed he didn't expect him to return to his office again.
"Obi-Wan? Did you need something?"
"Well…Anakin had an idea…"
"An idea?"
"Do you want me to help you?"
Sheev blinked quickly, surprised at that.
"During my missions, I've encountered different political systems; royalty, democracies, dictatorships,those in conflict or at war, some waiting for an agreement or on the verge of bankruptcy, and... I believe that my skills could help bring you a faster solution to your…"
Obi-Wan mentally slapped himself at his arguments. He was a jedi facing a politician who had done many great things in his life, who had climbed the impossible to obtain the high seat of the Senate. He was the Senate itself! How was such an inexperienced and young jedi going to help him?
His padawan had succeeded in convincing him…but he had forgotten the other side of the coin: the Chancellor was an expert in politics. He was about to retract, to apologize, but Sheev stopped him.
“It would be a joy," he smiled warmly, "I would be delighted to have the famous Negotiator at my side to resolve some internal conflicts of the Senate."
It was Obi-Wan's turn to blink and be surprised.
“Famous Negotiator?" He repeated, confused at the terms he had used.
"That's the nickname you've given, isn't it?"
"What? Certainly not!" He cried in shock.
"Anakin told me that."
Obi-Wan turned sharply to the padawan who was watching them. Seeing his master glare at him, he returned to his datapad.
"I don't know what Anakin told you, but no one calls me that and—"
A strangled laugh from the Chancellor stopped him.
"That's not what it says in the Holonet."
Hearing the name of the blasted social media, Obi-Wan let out a low moan. If the Holonet started poking its nose into his life, it was over for him. Farewell to discretion, anonymity and all that Obi-Wan cherished.
"I'm just negotiating, it's not politics," he grumbled.
"It's always good to be a talented negotiator in politics, especially when you have an advantageous physique, it's clear that everyone would listen to you speak."
"I… don't like politics."
"You have a gift, from what I read."
"Can we stop talking about this?" Obi-Wan groaned desperately.
"Excuse me, my love, it was too tempting. But I stand by my position. I accept your help."
.
It wasn't as complicated as Obi-Wan would have thought. Sheev had given him reports from the Senate about many laws that were stalling because of disagreement, and so Obi-Wan had written just as many speeches for Sheev, laying out the most advantageous arguments and playing with words without hiding any possible faults. Obi-Wan had learned that often in negotiation, people listen to what they want to hear and interpret the sentences according to their own point of view. So by juggling certain words, paraphrasing and creating metaphors, all negotiations would suit each party.
In addition, Obi-Wan studied with interest all the documents, sifting through all of the necessary information as well as important details on the members of the Senate in connection with the political dilemmas, enabling him to discover some underside of the problems concerning the refusals of the senators in the opposition.
"There's always going to be a bigger fish to eat a smaller one," Obi-Wan laughed when asked how it came to him to dig into the internal affairs of senators, "and I assume that senators vote according to them and not others. We live in an egocentric world, which is, unfortunately, rather normal…”
He froze when he saw Sheev staring at him intensely, it bothered him enormously, he would have liked to hide behind his tablet.
"Did I say something wrong?" He dreaded.
"No, I hesitated between taking you now or giving you my place as Chancellor."
"Sheev! Don't talk such nonsense!"
"You should work more often in politics."
"The Jedi are neutral, and—"
"I meant it would save you from walking away from me," the Chancellor finished, interrupting him.
Again, Obi-Wan's cheeks flushed, Palpatine's love for him was still as embarrassing as it was pleasant. He never knew how to react.
They continued into the evening working on the files, and Sheev had to admit that he had never worked so efficiently as that evening.
.
The next evening, Obi-Wan returned home to his quarters after giving lessons for initiates. Anakin had planned for him to train with his friends in the training rooms, and so the young jedi had his apartment all to himself. He could have gone to the Senate to visit the Chancellor again, but he'd had a glimpse of what Sheev was going to have to go through today and it wasn't going to end any time soon. He just hoped that his help from the day before had allowed him to unblock and speed up the process.
What he didn't expect was to find Sheev Palpatine sipping tea on his sofa as if nothing had happened, as if he were at home in his luxury apartments at 500 Republica. At first he thought it was a dream, or a hologram, because it was impossible for the Chancellor of the Republic to be right in the heart of the temple, at his home.
"Hello, Obi-Wan," Sheev greeted, "this tea is quite delicious, you should try it."
The young Jedi was speechless, not believing his eyes, questions swirling in his head. How had he entered the Temple? How did he know his access code? What was he doing here? And the Senate? And his job? Was he safd to come here? Had anyone seen him enter? And in the name of the Force, where does this tantalizing tea come from?
"Come, my love, don't stay standing there," Sheev urged, patting the spot beside him.
"What are you doing here?" Obi-Wan asked heatedly, hiding his desire to drink that famous tea, "and how did you get here?"
"I'm done," he replied innocently, ignoring the last question.
"What?"
"Well, thanks to you, all the problems of the Senate have been resolved, laws have been passed, agreements have been made at a speed that I never would have imagined if you hadn't helped me yesterday."
"What? Really?"
"I told you, you have a gift. And I'm afraid that now I have to come and ask your advice on certain political matters. Between us, we will form a duo that will strengthen the Republic."
Obi-Wan finally joined him at his side, but grumbled under his breath.
"Honestly, Sheev, I don't like politics!"
"Well, I'll pay you with that tea you've been staring at since you've seen it here," smiled the Chancellor mischievously, pouring him a very hot cup.
Without even waiting, Obi-Wan picked it up it and took a sip of this temptingly scented drink. The flavor made his taste buds tremble with joy and he purred with pleasure. His sense of smell was right, it was the most delicious tea he had ever seen. How did Palpatine find the perfect tea for him? He was about to ask him but Sheev kissed him deftly on his lips, his tongue still holding the aroma of tea.
"If I understand correctly, you just negotiated the fate of the Republic with…tea?" Obi-Wan breathed between two kisses, putting down his precious cup of tea with difficulty.
"Partly."
"Partly?"
"Yes, I also have to count overtime."
"Hmm? I'm not sure what you're talking about…"
The answer was not long to come, as Sheev threw himself on top of him, laying him down on the couch, stripping him naked and catching up on the night of fun they had missed the night before.