Work Text:
“Did anyone inhabit Iego’s moons before the Separatists arrived?” Obi-Wan demanded of the slightly unstable Quarren.
“The-” the old man was cut off as a hooded figure walked into the room.
“Padmé!” Anakin greeted with surprise at the same time Obi-Wan gave a confused, “Cody?”
“The Angels.” The Quarren corrected. “They were here before the Separatists.”
Anakin blinked. He was looking at his wife, perfect and beautiful and… blue shadow virus free?
However, when the being before them spoke, it sounded nothing like Padmé. “We can appear as someone’s most dearly beloved, it is a defensive characteristic.”
Too soft, too whispered, with none of the strong fearlessness Anakin had fell in love with. The Angel looked like his wife, which made sense now with an explanation, but the Jedi knew it was not her. Even the most beautiful creature in the galaxy fell short of Padmé- hold on, what had Obi-Wan said?
“Did you say Cody?” Anakin turned on his Master.
Obi-Wan’s face flashed with a defensive panic. “You said Padmé! And it doesn’t matter!” He turned back to the Angel. “You were saying,”
“We were a peaceful kind until the Separatists drove us from our homes and stole our moon.” The Angel with Padmé’s face went on.
“Cody is you’re ‘most dearly beloved?’” Anakin interrupted demandingly.
“Maybe he is,” Obi-Wan started, turning to him. “But I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that your most dearly beloved is going to die if we don’t get off this planet and get her this root!”
Anakin paused. That was true, maybe this was a conversation for later.
After subduing his old Padawan, Obi-Wan turned back to the Angel. “And which moon was yours?”
Obi-Wan found the ride back from Iego to be… tense.
They were in hyperspace, travelling as fast as they could and hoping to hell they’d get back in time to save Ahsoka and their men and, apparently, Anakin’s most dearly beloved.
What had happened in that meeting room, when the Angel had walked in, had put a strain of the Training Bond that he and Anakin had never bothered to deactivate.
He presumed that his old Padawan had thought Obi-Wan didn’t know of his crush on the Senator of Naboo. Though, Obi-Wan wasn’t sure why Anakin was under that impression.
With the way he’d been racing around like a madman trying to save her, pretty much everyone around could see his affections.
Then again, the disturbance in the bond may be because of what Obi-Wan had said. Maybe his basically little brother was having a hard time believing the man who raised him could break their code in such a ways as to be in love with his Commander.
Obi-Wan had honestly had a hard time believing it as well. The feelings had crept up on him and it had been a surprise when he’d seen them for what they were.
The General had though, naïvely, that it wasn’t a serious issue. In the past, he’d been able to allow feelings to evaporate back into the force and move on with his life as an unattached Jedi.
But, Cody had walked into that room, smiling cheekily like when he said something just the other side of insubordinate, and Obi-Wan had been rightfully confused about it but he’d also been glad. He was so glad to see Cody.
And then he’d been thoroughly embarrassed after learning that is was not, in fact, his Commander.
Most dearly beloved?
Everything in Obi-Wan wanted to disagree, tell himself these feeling were only surface level, that they were only the result of working closely together through the shared trauma of the war.
It went deeper than that though. A part of Obi-swan had already known, seeing Cody in place of the Angel just evidenced his understanding.
“So are we going to talk about this?” Anakin asked suddenly.
“No.” Came Obi-Wan’s automatic response.
Anakin ignored him. “I just can’t believe you, of all people, broke the code! How long have you been in love with him?”
“I’m not-” Obi-Wan went to defend himself, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t because to say he didn’t love Cody, it just wouldn’t be true.
“You can’t deny it!” Anakin said victoriously.
“I won’t tell Padmé if you don’t tell Cody.” The Jedi Master proposed. Not the most honest solution, he’d willingly admit but… no one could know. “Neither of us tell The Council and-”
“Cody doesn’t know?” His student asked.
“Of course not!” Obi-Wan started, confused. “Wait, does the Senator know?”
“Yes?” Anakin said. “You know I saw her in place of the Angel.”
Obi-Wan let out a short laugh. “Yes, I heard your very obvious announcement of her name.”
“What do you think that means?” Anakin asked.
“That you’ve a crush on her.” He answered plainly. “But, of course, I already knew that.”
“A crush?” Anakin seemed angered by that. “You think my feelings for Padmé are just, what? A childish crush?”
“I’m in no place to pass judgement for infatuation, Anakin,” the Jedi started. “Seeing as you are now aware of my own crush-”
“I’m not infatuated!” Anakin snapped. “I’m married to her!”
Obi-Wan blinked at his little brother. Married? “You had a wedding and didn’t invite me?”
“That’s what you’re focusing on?” Anakin looked upset now. “Not that I broke the code, not that I‘ve failed you and the order, lied to you and the order, not that I’m attached but that I didn’t tell you about my wedding?”
“You could never fail me Anakin.” Obi-Wan said, firm and resolute. His old student seemed overly distressed.
“Don’t worry, though!” Anakin laughed, and the General wasn’t sure he’d even heard him. Perhaps hysterical was a better description. “Chances are I won’t be married in a couple of hours!”
He turned away from Obi-Wan then and the Jedi just sighed. “I really hope we get this root to her on time Anakin. I won’t tell anyone about your marriage. More than anything, I just want you to be happy.”
Anakin turned back to Obi-Wan, a feint shimmer in his eyes, “yeah?”
“Of course.” Obi-Wan smiled. He only wished that he’d gotten the chance to walk his little brother down the aisle.
They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, before Anakin broke it. “Cody, really?”
Obi-Wan sent him a look. “He’s a good man.”
“He’s a boring man.” Anakin huffed back, his earlier distress seeming to melt into the comfort of their connection.
“You don’t know him like I do.” Obi-Wan argued.
Anakin laughed and his Master smiled. This would be a hard adjustment, but they’d be okay.
Anakin couldn’t put into words how relived he was that Padmé was alright. And of course, Ahsoka and Rex and his men.
They were okay, everyone he cared about was okay.
On top of that, the person he’d wanted to tell about his marriage most of all finally knew. And he wasn’t freaking out!
Obi-Wan was going to keep his secret and Anakin couldn’t be happier about that.
“They’re okay Anakin.” Obi-Wan said as he approached and the General couldn’t help but beam.
“I know, everything’s okay.” He said lightly and his Master gave a small smile.
“Hey boss!” A voice came suddenly as Commander Cody and a small group of 212th soldiers approached from across the swamp.
“Cody!” Obi-Wan’s whole face lit up and Anakin felt like an idiot for not seeing this sooner. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here for you,” he said. Anakin couldn’t read the Commander’s face through his helmet but his voice was smiling. “Not to drag you away from this wonderful place, but we’ve been requested for some political something or other.”
“Oh, no.” Obi-Wan mock-lamented. “I suppose that does mean I’ll have to leave this truly scenic environment.”
“Such a shame, sir.” Cody deadpanned and Obi-Wan smiled at him.
“We’ll head off in a moment, I just need a moment with Anakin.”
Cody nodded and turned to Anakin for the first time in the conversation. “Skywalker.”
Then the Commander walked away. Anakin frowned, if Cody was going to be his step-dad he’d really have to put some effort into getting the man to like him.
“You can’t tell him.” Obi-Wan turned a panicked voice on him the moment Cody was out of earshot.
“What?” Anakin asked.
“Cody cannot know that I saw him instead of the Angel.” Obi-Wan said.
“Why though?” Anakin asked. “I mean-”
“He just can’t Anakin!” Obi-Wan looked stress, it had been a hard day for everyone.
“I won’t say anything,” the Jedi started. “But I think you should.”
“Anakin-” Obi-Wan began to scold him.
“Just listen. Padmé makes me happy.” Anakin said, looking over to where Cody was checking on Rex and asking the Medic helping him some questions. “And if Cody makes you happy, that’s all I want for you as well.”
Obi-Wan looked nervous for the first time Anakin could remember seeing. “But what if I don’t make him happy?”
“What?”
“Is that not something you were worried about?” His Master asked. “When you told Padmé?”
“No?” Anakin said with a shrug. “It’s honestly not something that crossed my mind.”
Obi-Wan sighed. “There’s probably some misogyny there.”
Anakin hummed. “Yeah probably. Are you gonna tell Cody?”
Obi-Wan sighed and looked over to his Commander. “I’ll think about it.”