Chapter Text
"General!"
He saw the Jedi's shoulders tense for just a second before relaxing again, turning to smile easily at the rapidly approaching commander. He noticed his general was favoring one side, though he was trying to hide it. But Cody was used to his tells and tricks, spotting it easily. “Yes Cody. What can I do for you?”
He stopped in front of his general, crossing his arms over his chest. “Permission to speak freely, sir?” he asked, voice tight.
“Of course Cody. Speak away.”
“Sir, you need to rest. If you’re not going to lie down, the least you should do is sit down and stop pushing it with your leg. Which, I would like to point out, you might not have gotten injured like you did if you had listened to me and fallen back with the rest of us!”
His Jedi was always doing this! Always putting himself in harm’s way, especially when he didn’t have to. Cody admired Obi-Wan greatly for his care of the vode, but it also greatly irked him when it took a turn into self sacrifice. Which happened a lot more often than it didn’t.
Obi-Wan smiled fondly and shook his head. “This is nothing, I promise. You know I’ve sustained worse,” which didn’t actually soothe Cody at all, “and there is too much to be done right now for me to take any time off, even briefly.”
This was an argument they’d both had many times before, and often going back and forth on who was trying to get who to sit down for two kriffing minutes and rest or eat something. It usually went on for at least thirty minutes before either one of them had to give in or some emergency cropped up to make them stop. He knew it wasn't going to be so easy this time around (or any time). So Cody was prepared with a different tactic.
“I had a feeling you would say that, sir. But I think you’ll listen to me this time.”
Obi-Wan’s brow quirked in amusement, and that pissed Cody off a little. Smug bastard. “Oh? Then by all means, my dear. Convince me.”
Cody smirked under his bucket. Instead of saying anything, he immediately grabbed his general’s hips and hauled him up over his shoulder. He latched his arm over Obi-Wan’s legs, turned, and started carrying him out of the bridge. He was pretty smug at not receiving any protests from the Jedi until he was halfway to the door. The famed Negotiator left speechless for a full five seconds; it was somewhat flattering~
“C-Cody!" he stammered out once he found his voice. "This isn’t necessary! I assure you, I am fine!” He squirmed a little to encourage Cody to put him down, gently pushing on his back as well.
The commander made no move to release his Jedi though, or slow his stride to the door. “On the contrary, sir, I believe it’s completely necessary,” he argued professionally, keeping his smirk out of his voice. “It would be counterproductive of me to let you walk back to your quarters when your leg is injured. You will also be more likely to rest if you’re already in your quarters. And it’ll be easier to make you lie down, if I have to, once we’re there.”
Another few seconds of silence. He was on a roll today, apparently. He would have to make note of this somewhere, just to make sure he never forgot. Or he could just keep using this tactic. It was nice to hold Obi-Wan- should definitely stop that line of thinking immediately. He needed to stay away from any thoughts that could lead to insubordination or fraternization, especially with his general, and especially with a Jetii. It wasn’t going to happen, and he needed to accept that.
He was out of the bridge by now and turned in the direction of the general’s quarters, feeling said general shift a bit, then a pressure on his back. It didn't feel like the Jedi was positioning himself to break free, so Cody thought nothing more about it.
“I’m not too heavy or cumbersome in any way?” Obi-Wan asked, trying to keep his voice even, but Cody could almost feel a little pout in his tone.
He chuckled softly. “Not at all, sir. You’re light as a piece of flimsi for me.” And he was never going to say this out loud, but the lack of armor on the Jedi did make carrying him like this easier. That didn’t change his stance on the mesh’la di’kut needing more armor though, and it never would. “Don’t worry,” Cody reassured him, absently patting his thigh. “I’ll never drop you, sir.”
Obi-Wan hummed, trying to think of another way out of this situation. “... The men will never take me seriously again if they see you lugging me around like this.”
“Yes they will. They respect you, General, and I’m confident they’ve seen you in worse positions.” Not that this was an unflattering position, if you asked Cody…
“Whatever could you possibly mean by that, Commander?”
Instead of answering that, Cody challenged, “If you’re really so adamant about walking to your quarters by yourself, you could probably get down on your own quite easily.”
“I never did agree to going to my quarters either, you know,” he shot back, shifting his injured leg a bit, but making no move otherwise.
“Seems like more incentive for you to get yourself down then. It is a Jedi Master versus just one clone. You’d win pretty easily and quickly.” Not that Cody would want to fight his Jedi outside of an agreed-upon spar, but it could also help tire him out quicker… He faintly heard and felt a gentle tapping on his armor.
“You’re not ‘just one clone’, Cody,” Obi-Wan countered, the playfulness of their argument gone.
“Hm… You’re right.” He reached out and unlocked the door to his general’s room, the door whooshing open to let him in. He stepped inside and reached back to lock it, then walked past the small desk to the little alcove on the far wall. “I’m a commander trying to rein in his general.” Perhaps a bit harsh, but not untrue. He very carefully leaned down and sat Obi-Wan on his bed, then continued down to kneel in front of him and start taking off his boots, ignoring his protests.
"Cody, wait-"
“I’m also a man trying to look out for his friend.”
That got Obi-Wan to stop fussing and let Cody continue unimpeded. The Jedi’s boots were set aside, and his belt with his lightsaber was put on top of his boots. Cody felt his face start to get warm at the thought of going any farther, so he took his bucket off instead, setting it aside and looking up into Obi-Wan’s bright blue eyes.
“You got hurt, Obi-Wan. Sure, it wasn’t the worst you’ve ever suffered, but you shouldn’t have to suffer at all if I can help it. This isn’t about me seeing myself as disposable compared to you, or trying to undermine how important your work is or how hard you work. This is… me trying to help someone I care about, and losing patience with said someone because he’s unbelievably stubborn.”
Obi-Wan chuckled, sheepish but amused. “You’re pretty damn stubborn yourself Cody.”
Fair. Absolutely fair. “I have to be, to keep up with you,” he teased. He started to stand up, pausing when a hand settled on his shoulder.
“If you’re going to make me rest, the least you could do is get some rest as well. Apparently you need it, for ‘keeping up with me’.”
Cody smirked and shook his head. “I’m not the one who got injured in the last battle, and I was made to keep up with you, Jetii. Literally. Besides, you won our last argument. It’s my turn for a win~”
The Jedi huffed. “No need to use facts against me like this.” Which made Cody laugh. Thank the Force his general had a sense of humor. He didn’t know where he would be if he wasn’t paired with Obi-Wan, and he didn’t really want to think about it. He and Obi-Wan were a team; a stubborn, bickering team.
He finished standing up, turning and pulling the chair from the desk and setting it beside the bed before sitting down. “I’ll stay here though. I have to make sure you actually stay put, after all.”
Obi-Wan actually rolled his eyes at that. “Now where’s the faith in me?”
“I have plenty of faith in you. In that you’ll leave the second you know I’m gone and try to do your work elsewhere.” He would know: they’ve both pulled that stunt on each other a few times, and they undoubtedly would again in the future. There would be no sneaking out this time. “Rest well, Obi-Wan.”
Obi-Wan watched Cody for a long moment; Cody met his gaze and kept it, not backing down physically or mentally. Obi-Wan was the first to break, lying back in his bed, pulling the blanket over himself, and ignoring his friend’s triumphant grin.
“Oh, and sir?” He needed to bring up one last thing before he let his general get some well-earned sleep.
“Yes my dear?” He turned slightly towards him, letting his commander know he was listening. He smiled, trying not to focus on how his skin felt tingly whenever his Jedi called him ‘dear’.
“I’ll use this tactic on the battlefield if you don’t listen to me again, and that is a threat.”
Obi-Wan turned and pulled the blanket up a bit higher, quietly clearing his throat. “Duly noted, Commander. Well… good night.”
“Good night.”
Cody watched and waited. It didn’t take long for the tension to melt from the Jedi’s body, and his breathing to slow as sleep claimed him. Good. He really did need it, and the injury was a good excuse to make him rest for a while.
Once he was sure his general was properly asleep, he leaned over and plucked up the datapad on the desk. Obi-Wan’s work wasn’t going to finish itself.