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They stare unblinking into each others’ eyes, and Obi-Wan could swear he sees the motion of the universe in Cody’s deep brown. He leans forward, letting the train’s railing hold his weight, just to see if he can get swept into those eyes.
Cody leans forward too, and Obi-Wan tries not to gasp. He blinks slowly at last, and tears his gaze down to Cody’s lips, all but begging Cody to kiss him.
The train rolls into motion, and Cody pushes into Obi-Wan with the movement, his plush lips finding Obi-Wan’s clumsily. It couldn’t be more perfect.
Obi-Wan sighs happily into the kiss. He brings one hand up to cup Cody’s jaw and rests the other on his commander’s firm chest, savoring the sturdiness. He could happily spend the rest of his life exactly like this, if Cody let him.
Alas, it’s not to be. Cody pulls back rather abruptly, a lovely blush across his cheeks. He angles his face down and away; Obi-Wan immediately misses that beautiful face, but he respects that Cody needs a moment to gather himself.
They remain silent for the rest of the short train ride, Cody hiding his face and Obi-Wan trying to be cool and calm even as he can’t take his eyes off what little of Cody’s lips he can see. When the train reaches the stop closest to the Temple and the clone barracks, Obi-Wan gestures towards the door.
“After you, my dear,” he says, fondness pouring off him in waves.
The dimming evening light softens the sharp edges of Cody’s jawline and cheekbones. Obi-Wan desperately wants to touch them, to feel the usually-prominent lines made cozy by the atmosphere.
Cody clears his throat and finally turns to face Obi-Wan again, but Obi-Wan beats him to the punch.
He takes Cody’s hand in his and rubs his thumb across the knuckles.
“Thank you for the evening, darling. I’ve had a wonderful time with you,” Obi-Wan says. His lips are pulled into a small, content smile, caused by the peace he feels radiating from the inside out.
Somehow, Cody’s cheeks flush darker. He’s finally meeting Obi-Wan’s gaze again, but then drops it to look at his general’s mouth for a beat. He looks into Obi-Wan’s eyes again after a moment.
It’s only because they’ve worked together so closely for so long that Obi-Wan recognizes the slight widening of Cody’s eyes, indicating… fear? It’s an unfamiliar expression on the daring commander, and Obi-Wan wants to stamp it out.
Cody nods robotically and takes a step back, belatedly remembering their connected hands. They both look at their hands briefly, and then Cody brings them to his lips and presses a soft kiss to Obi-Wan’s knuckles. After, he immediately drops their hands, nods stiffly once more, and turns on his heel and walks away.
Obi-Wan blinks at the spot Cody used to occupy. What was that? Is everything alright? He scans the meager crowd around himself, calling on the Force to feel if there are threats nearby. Instead, all he feels is the receding edge of his commander’s normally warm, soft signature turned prickly and sharp.
Quickly, while beginning the short walk home, Obi-Wan begins replaying the evening in his mind to see if he’s done anything to upset Cody.
They’d talked about books, had Dex’s, went for a walk. Cody had looked at him like he hung the stars in the sky the whole time, leaving Obi-Wan feeling gooey in the center.
And then that kiss! Oh, of course, it was everything Obi-Wan had hoped for. Soft, sweet, a hint at more but not too much, endearingly clumsy. Obi-Wan feels his lips spread in a toothy grin again, love struck at the memory.
Until he remembers Cody’s abrupt departure, the way he didn’t even speak the rest of their time together, and he feels his blood run cold.
What if Cody hadn’t intended to kiss him? Or worse, what if he had, but hated it and wanted to never think of it again?
Without consciously deciding to, he spins around and starts to run to the clone barracks building.
He analyzes the moment of the kiss in his mind as he hurries to backtrack and catch Cody, muttering to himself all the while.
“Should’ve just asked, Kenobi,” he whispers angrily. “He looked like he wanted to kiss you but you probably were just projecting, which is why he moved into you-“ he gasps and his steps falter momentarily. “No, he moved strangely, and he’s never clumsy.”
Obi-Wan thinks about their surroundings at the time. The train had just started moving when Cody kissed him, so maybe he lost his balance? It was unusual for him, but Obi-Wan has a hard time thinking of other explanations.
He decides his best course of action is to lead with an apology. He should have made sure they had clear communication before they kissed, at minimum.
When he reaches the barracks, he pauses to gather himself. Cody won’t care how he looks, but there are other members of the 212th in the area. It wouldn’t do to look panicked and disheveled around his men.
Obi-Wan finally reaches Cody’s quarters. Through the door, he can feel Cody’s anxiety, and Obi-Wan feels a stab of guilt for causing it.
He knocks before he can think himself out of this. A couple seconds later, the door swooshes open.
Cody has a slightly crazed look in his eye, and his posture is tense even before he registers who has come to see him. When he does, he somehow straightens even further.
“General,” Cody says. He twitches like he’s going to salute, and Obi-Wan’s heart breaks.
“Cody,” he breathes. “Apologies for disturbing you when we just parted ways. I fear we may have left on the wrong foot, and I needed to make sure you were okay.” He swallows, gathering his courage.
“Yes, sir, I’m fine.” Cody looks anything but fine. His hair is a mess, as if he’s been running his hands through it, and while his face is shuttered into his neutral I’m-just-a-clone expression, Obi-Wan can see the tightness around his eyes and lips ( don’t look at his lips ), and the way he’s carefully directing his gaze just past Obi-Wan’s left ear.
“Of course,” Obi-Wan says. “Still, I was… earnest, at our parting, and I worry that I made you uncomfortable. If that is the case, I am deeply sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for, General.” Cody’s face crumples, the emotion finally winning out over his sense of propriety. “I’m the one who kissed you without your consent. I regret my actions- I wasn’t braced well on the train, and it meant I betrayed your trust. I’ll never forgive myself for it.”
Obi-Wan feels his heart shatter; Cody hadn’t wanted to kiss him. “Cody, no, I- I know that was an accident. You betrayed nothing. If anything, I betrayed you by reciprocating what I- incorrectly- assumed was happening.”
Cody is already shaking his head at the thought that Obi-Wan hurt him, but then he freezes as he processes the rest of the statement. He finally meets Obi-Wan’s eyes. “It may have been an accident,” he says slowly. A brief hesitation, and he continues at a whisper, “but I wanted it to happen.”
Obi-Wan’s heart stops, a bright spot of hope forming. He inhales sharply. “You did?”
Silently, Cody nods.
“Do you still want to?” Obi-Wan asks breathlessly.
Cody nods again, now looking at Obi-Wan’s lips, and takes a tentative step forward.
Obi-Wan leans down, pausing mere centimeters from Cody’s lips, and whispers, “May I?”
Cody closes the distance in reply. Like the first kiss, this is beautiful, tender, and shy. Obi-Wan brings a hand up into Cody’s hair, reveling in the soft curls, as Cody fists the front of his robes. After far too little time, Cody leans back again, but this time he’s smiling, and Obi-Wan can’t help but smile back.