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- Anakin is 6 years old.
“I love you, master.”
Anakin did not care that he had only known his new master for a mere few weeks. He already knew that he loved Obi Wan. The man was the closest thing Anakin had to a father. He had an old soul, young in spirit. The older Jedi never got too harsh with him, his kind eyes looking at him with something akin to respect. It was a fresh change of pace from the looks of scorn or pity he was used to getting around here. The young Padawan usually kept his thoughts to himself, however, for he knew how people around here felt about emotions. Emphasis on the word usually. Growing up as a slave had been hard, and his mother’s love had been the thing to pull him out the other side unscathed. It was only natural that they expressed their love for each other out loud. Anakin surely didn’t see anything wrong with it. Obi Wan had smiled down at him pleasantly, albeit tired looking.
“Oh, Ani” he had sighed. “You know attachment is not the Jedi way.” Even when he gently chastised the boy, the kindness never left his eyes. Anakin looked down at his hands in shame. He hadn’t meant to say it out loud, it just kinda slipped.
“I’m sorry, master.”
“You will learn with time, young one” Obi Wan stated, the comforting words making Anakin feel slightly better, although not by much.
“Now why don’t you get some rest?” Not wanting to make things any worse for himself, the young Padawan retreated to his room.
He cried himself to sleep that night. Of course his master didn’t love him back, what was he thinking? Obi Wan was none the wiser to the silent tears that slipped from under his closed eyelids. Anakin really missed his mother.
- Anakin is 9 years old
“I love you, master.”
Anakin had woken up screaming, covered in sweat from yet another nightmare. Obi Wan had burst into his room, lightsaber ready in hand to ward off any attackers. Instead he found Anakin, curled into himself and silently crying. He powered down his lightsaber, making his way over to Anakin’s bed.
“Nightmare?” The older Jedi already knew the answer, but he asked anyways. The boy only nodded, his body still shaking. Without a word, the other man slipped into bed with Anakin, holding him close until the crying stopped. As he was getting up to leave, the young Padawan grabbed his wrist almost desperately, looking up at him with teary eyes.
“Will you stay with me?” The question came out a whisper, his tone almost pleading. Obi Wan nodded, sliding back under the covers. That’s when Anakin had said it, but he wasn’t sure if Obi Wan had heard him, or if he was even awake at the time. If he was, it went unmentioned.
- Anakin is 12 years old.
“I love you, master.”
Anakin had just finished a rigorous training match with Obi Wan, who was smiling proudly down at him. The words had slipped off his tongue without his permission, and now his face was turning bright red as he began to stutter.
“Err—um no... I meant—I didn’t mean” But his master just cut him off with a good natured laugh, amused at how flustered the younger boy was getting. He could train for hours on end while barely breaking a sweat. But now... He closely resembled a tomato that had been dunked in water.
“It is all right, young Padawan” he assured him, to which Anakin flashed him a grateful smile.
“Go and get something to eat okay? I’ll meet you in the dining hall after I freshen up.” Anakin nodded eagerly, forgetting his slip up.
“Yes, master.” Obi Wan watched the young boy’s retreating figure with fondness.
I love you too... he thought. Although he’d never be caught dead admitting it out loud.
- Anakin is 16 years old
“I love you, master.”
Anakin had started developing a crush on Obi Wan the previous year, and by now that ‘crush’ had manifested into an ‘ohmygod-I-am-so-completely-in-love-with-you’ type thing. His 'I love yous' had started to take on a different meaning. And sometimes, it was hard concealing his true feelings, especially with how close they had become. The two of them were sitting out in a field stargazing and drinking hot chocolate, something they frequented when there weren’t any missions to be completed or wars to be fought. Obi Wan swatted him on the arm playfully.
“Manners, Padawan” he scolded. Although Anakin could sense that his master didn’t really mind.
“I am terribly sorry, master” he joked. “It will not happen again.” At this the older Jedi laughed, amusement laced in his voice.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, young one.” The younger man pondered his words. He knew this was the fourth time he had said it to Obi Wan, but surely he knew that his apprentice would grow out of such silly notions as he aged. Before he had the chance to ask, however, his master had gotten up and started heading inside for another mug of hot chocolate.
“Bring me one too!” he called. The sound of Obi Wan’s laughter flitted through the door.
- Anakin is 19 years old
“I love you, master.”
Anakin’s voice had come out a broken whisper, as an uncontrollable sob wracked his body. Obi Wan had just come back from a solo mission, his body broken and face pale. Death was knocking on the door, but had just shoved his body weight against it, refusing to let it in. He had taken his master to the healers, and finally after two days, he had begun to wake up. Anakin couldn’t help uttering the words as a wave of relief washed over him like nothing ever had before. Obi Wan just smiled at him.
“You know, one day I won’t be here for you to tell me such things,” he stated weakly. Anakin just choked out a laugh, although it sounded more like he was crying than anything else.
“I know, master. I know.” He grabbed Obi Wan’s hand with his own, pressing a chaste kiss to it.
“But that day is not today.” He sounded uncertain, believing that anything could come and snatch his master away from him. But Anakin would not allow that to happen. He would die for the man before him. There was no question about it.
“No, no it is not.” The older Jedi reassured his Padawan. “Not today.”
- Anakin is 22 years old
“I love you, master.”
Anakin had whispered the words so quietly he was sure his master didn’t hear him. But the proud smile above him and slightly watery eyes told him otherwise. With much more grace than should be humanly possible for something as mundane as cutting hair, Obi Wan sheared off his Padawan braid, handing it back to him with shaky hands. A single, joy filled tear slid down his former master’s face, but nobody except Anakin had caught it. Pride filled their force bond, their bond that Obi Wan had not broken off after the knighting ceremony, their bond that would only deepen as time passed. Anakin knew why.
Because even if Obi Wan would not say it back to him, he loved the younger Jedi.
Anakin was sure of it.
- Anakin is 25 years old
“I love you, Obi Wan.”
Anakin murmured to the man sleeping in his arms. Obi Wan roused slightly, pressing a wet kiss against his lover’s mouth, slotting his fingers through the dark curls. He snuggled closer into the taller man’s chest, enjoying the warmth that radiated from him.
“I love you too, Anakin.”