Chapter Text
Obi-Wan’s hand was on Anakin’s shoulder.
And Rex couldn’t stop staring at it.
It was a regular occurrence, to be fair. The Jedi were a close knit group already, and the saying usually went that wherever Kenobi was, Skywalker would soon follow.
It wasn’t even that Obi-Wan was touching someone else, though Cody had teased Rex endlessly about having a crush on the General.
Which, he didn’t, thank you very much.
It was just the idea that the two of them felt free to offer those touches so casually.
Of course clones lived most of their lives in each other’s pockets, around their brothers literally every second of every day. Rex was no stranger to physical contact - sharing a barracks, sometimes a bunk, with his brothers. He’d had many a sparring session, playful shoves, even hugs from the vod after a battle well won.
But all that had changed when he’d become Captain.
There weren't any regs against touching, by any means, but the longer Rex had continued up the ranks, the less and less, he realized, he experienced any sort of physical contact. He had his own bunk now, away from the rest of the troops. Cody loved having his own, a private space to spread out, to find some quiet, but the longer it had been, the more Rex’s very skin seemed to itch under his armor from the lack of touch.
He tried to offer encouragement to his troops, a hand on the shoulder here, a pat on the back there, but he had no idea how to ask the same for himself in return. He could ask Cody, he supposed, or Wolffe maybe. He almost snorted at the thought. Okay, so Cody. But their interactions were unfortunately becoming fewer and further between.
So, here he was in the middle of a briefing, staring at Obi-Wan’s hand on Anakin’s shoulder, wondering how it would feel on his own.
A quick memory from Christophsis flashed in Rex’s mind, of huddling behind cover with Obi-Wan all but plastered to his side.
“I’ll delay the droids!” The General had shouted over the sound of blaster fire.
“But-” Rex had been about to protest Kenobi’s request for him to retreat.
“That is an order, Captain!” Obi-Wan had yelled with finality, before he reached out to lay a hand on Rex’s pauldron.
Rex shuddered unconsciously at the sense memory. He had held that moment in his head, cherished it, for way too long now.
“Rex?” Skywalker’s inquiry snapped him out of it, and he blinked once only to realize everyone was staring at him.
“Yes, sir?” He stood up a little straighter, ever so thankful for his trusty bucket to hide his surprise.
“Do you feel good about the plan?” Skywalker asked, his tone implying he’d already asked it once before.
Rex shifted his weight to his other foot, glancing over to find Kenobi with his eyes narrowed in Rex’s direction, a pondering look on his face.
“Yes, sir,” Rex kept his response short and Anakin shot him a puzzled look. He seemed to move on quickly though, turning to Yularen to wrap up some details.
“Something bothering you, Captain?” Kenobi was somehow right there next to Rex in what seemed like an instant. Damn these Jedi and their catlike agility.
“No, sir,” he replied on instinct, “ready to leave, sir.”
“You know you don’t have to call me sir every other word, Rex,” Kenobi laid a hand on Rex’s vambrace and the Captain couldn’t hide his jolt of surprise.
Obi-Wan’s eyes narrowed even more at the reaction, eyes scanning Rex’s helmet like he could see through it.
“Yes, s-sir,” Rex couldn’t help but repeat the title. Kenobi was in his space and touching him, he was touching him and he was having trouble keeping his thoughts in order and…
“Are you feeling well, Captain?” Obi-Wan probed, this time eying Rex up and down as if scanning for injuries, which made Rex’s chest flutter in a strange way.
“Yes, si- yes, I’m perfectly healthy,” he caught himself this time, but Kenobi gave him a raised eyebrow. He was silent for a long, palpable moment, enough to make Rex uncharacteristically want to fidget.
“Did you know,” Kenobi finally spoke, his eyes boring into Rex’s chestplate as if in deep thought, “that physical touch is actually required by humans to stay healthy? It’s something we don’t often think about, but we couldn’t survive without…” he trailed off, his thumb moving just slightly up and down on Rex’s arm.
And what the hell, had Obi-Wan been reading his mind? He knew the Jedi were capable of such things, but the General always did a good job of respecting boundaries.
Was Rex that readable?
It almost didn’t matter, what with how Rex thought he might melt into a puddle at the General’s ministrations. It really must have been a long time if the scant distance up and down Obi-Wan was moving his thumb was enough to render Rex unresponsive.
But dank farrick it felt good.
“I- I didn’t know that, sir,” he finally got words out of his mouth, wincing a little at the tacked on address, but Obi-Wan just gave him a small smile.
“Hhmm,” Kenobi responded in a hum, his eyes finally coming back up to meet Rex’s gaze.
“Something to keep in mind,” the General squeezed his arm, “your welfare is important, so all you have to do is ask.”
Was he….was he inferring…that Rex could…ask? For Obi-wan? To touch him?
“Sir, I don’t know if…” he trailed off, not even knowing where to start with that. Don’t know if it’s appropriate. Don’t know what everyone else would think. Don’t know if I can.
“Ah,” Kenobi seemed to understand his meaning, even if Rex himself didn’t know.
“Then I shall just have to take the matter on myself,” he moved his hand up Rex’s arm to cup his shoulder, giving it one, two pats before he moved his hand away.
“Good luck out there, Captain,” Kenobi sent a nod in his direction, making his way out the door to assume his own station.
Rex just stood there, mind reeling, skin all but throbbing where Kenobi had touched him, wondering how Obi-Wan would make good on his promise.