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Monday morning. The start of the working week. And Cody, once again, found himself walking into The Temple Apothecary instead of beginning to wade through requests for his family's services. The rich scent of tea and herbs - spicy, earthy, woodsy, and citrusy - filled his senses, welcoming him back to the hole in the wall shop.
The first time he'd walked through the doors, drawn by an urge he couldn't explain, an idle wonder about the shop adjacent to his own profession, he'd spent twenty five minutes talking about tea (which he didn't drink) and walked out with more bags of the stuff than he knew what to do with. Now, there was no pretence. No need to prevaricate.
Cody walked through the aisles towards the back counter, waving off the illusion of dust and dimness (discouraging those who just came to gawk), ignored the flash of green scales that meant Boga was playing hide and seek again, and announced to the top of a handsome auburn head that…
“My idiot brother drank an unknown potion. Again.”
Warm cerulean eyes looked up from precisely measuring fragrant herbs into a small pouch. “How is Rex?”
That Obi-Wan didn't feel the need to ask which of Cody's idiot brothers he meant brought a warm glow to Cody's chest.
“Throwing up flowers. It's disgusting and beautiful at the same time.” Cody leaned against the counter, eyeing one of the gently glowing crystals that were ostensibly for sale but Obi-Wan refused to actually sell. This one thrummed a deep blue, soothing away some of the concern Cody didn't voice. “Do you have anything for him?”
Obi-Wan held up a hand, humming to himself as he perused the racks of herbs, teas and spices. No matter the occasion, Cody had more faith in Obi-Wan's powders, teas and tinctures than the trained medical professionals. He'd never let them down before.
Besides, Rex would probably kill him if he made him go into the emergency room. Or possibly Wolffe for daring him to drink the potion in the first place. And Cody didn't think he could say “my brother is throwing up gardenias” and retain any sort of dignity. The staff still remembered him as the brother of the guy who came in with croissants for hands - coincidentally the ailment that brought Obi-Wan's shop into his life on a professional as well as personal basis.
Ahsoka poked her head out of the back room, her blue and white hair in matching, intricately braided pigtails. “What kind of flowers?”
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. “Anakin!” he called, pitching his voice slightly louder. “Get off the phone with the florist.”
Skywalker’s pout was an audible thing. “Aww, Obi!”
“Master Plo is coming in to pick up the tinctures for his breathing in a few hours,” Obi-Wan cut in, shaking his head. Cody sympathised; little brothers, had to work with them to spare everyone else. “Have you finished them yet?”
Ahsoka snickered but ducked into the back before Obi-Wan could find her some task to complete, Anakin's soft cursing silenced with the snick of the door.
Obi-Wan glanced towards the door, lowering his voice as he turned back to Cody. “What kind of flowers?”
While Cody wouldn't put it past Obi-Wan to gently troll his brother by sending him some flowers, he was far too much of a professional to ask unless it had relevance to the remedy at hand.
And, even if some flowers did happen to show up at Grand Arcane Remediation, Rex deserved it for drinking another kriffing potion they hadn't identified. Honestly, by now Cody thought he would have learned better.
“Gardenias.”
“Not a malicious potion, then,” Obi-Wan announced, setting several herbs aside and reaching for some powdered spices. “Just annoying.”
He could say that again. Even Wolffe had looked vaguely repulsed by the flora coming explosively out of Rex. That hadn't stopped him recording it though.
Cody opened his mouth, genuinely curious - not about Obi-Wan's remedy, he never understood how each spice or herb worked in a particular amount yet not another; he trusted Obi-Wan completely on that - but about his weekend. The ghost of his adoptive father had apparently been keen on taking them on a guided tour of the botanical gardens - and Qui-Gon's commentary was always hilarious, even when Cody got it secondhand. But, a weight - not too heavy but not slight - launched itself across his shoulders. Settled in like it belonged.
He jolted into the counter, Boga's beak pecking playfully at his ear. Automatically reaching up to rub the feathers around her neck, Cody smiled. “Good morning, Boga,” he greeted, catching the flash of Obi-Wan's smile out of the corner of his eye. “Still pretending not to be a dragon, Boga?”
Boga offered a little mrrrp, her tail wrapping around his arm.
Cody nodded sagely. “I see. Very wise, Miss Boga.”
With another, very content, mrrrp, Boga settled her head on top of Cody's and promptly began to doze.
“Your dragon is using me for a pillow again.”
Obi-Wan's eyes sparkled. “She's a lizard, my dear.”
“Mm-hmm,” Cody agreed, humouring the apothecist. “Of course. My mistake. Silly me.”
A lizard who Cody had once seen toasting marshmallows when Ahsoka had been craving smores.
Obi-Wan's eyes twinkled like he'd caught that stray thought, but he didn't comment.
"How was your weekend? Brothers drinking unidentified potions aside, of course."
"Not too bad," Cody shrugged, careful not to dislodge the sleeping dragon. "Played some rugby in the park. Fox was gutted his side lost. Went grocery shopping. Oh, Bly had a date. Then Wolffe decided to sort through the unidentified potions."
"I'm sorry I missed it."
Cody leaned further against the counter, the crystal glowing warmer. "Bly's date or the grocery shopping?"
"Grocery shopping," Obi-Wan replied, voice sparkling as much as his eyes. "I can't resist the lure of all that produce."
Cody's laugh punched out of him, surprisingly easy as it always was around Obi-Wan. "How about yours? Did you see the botanical gardens?"
Obi-Wan's groan was playful, bright. "Qui-Gon entered a heated debate with a trio of visiting botanists. He had a wonderful time. As did I. Although Boga was grumpy I couldn't smuggle her in."
Apparently not asleep, Boga offered a slightly miffed mrrrp, wrapping her tail tighter around Cody. As if she was saying you're my favourite person now. Cody petted her feathers sympathetically.
"Traitor," Obi-Wan shot mildly. "I think this should do it," he added, carefully easing a powder into a small paper bag. "You know the drill."
Cody did know the drill. He was intimately familiar with the drill. "One heaped spoon in a mug full of hot water. If Rex makes a face, ignore him and tell him to sack up and drink it. If the tea doesn't work the first time. Make another cup. If he's still spewing flowers, drag his sorry ass here to see you."
"That's the general gist, yes," Obi-Wan agreed, the corners of his lips twitching. "Although not perhaps the words I would have chosen."
Cody grinned. "I have a way with words."
"You certainly do, my dear," Obi-Wan replied, his voice going soft. "Call me if Rex has any reactions to the infusion."
That was the sign Cody dreaded. The time to go back to being a responsible older brother and leaving the sanctuary of Obi-Wan's company. "I will."
Before Cody could try and coax Boga off his shoulder, Obi-Wan spoke again. "I believe it'll be Monnk's turn to get himself into some magic related situation next."
"Should be," Cody confirmed, his idiot brothers did enjoy rotating their idiocy. Every few days Cody would stride through the shop calling about their latest magically inflicted ailment. Neither he nor Obi-Wan had ever spoken about breaking the stalemate.
Obi-Wan hummed sympathetically. "Kit will be upset if he gets one of the nastier ones."
That was an understatement. Cody still had the photograph of Kit bridal carrying Monnk through the door of his house because Monnk coughed and Kit freaked.
"Probably."
Another sympathetic hum. "If there were only some way of sparing him."
Cody heaved a tragic sigh. "If only."
"For the Force's sake!" Anakin popped his head out of the doorway. "You two are both oblivious morons. Cody, Obi-Wan would love to go to dinner with you. Yes, tomorrow night he's free. He likes any food, he's an easy date. Have him home by midnight or I'll set the dragon on you." He looked between them, grinned and nodded. "You're welcome."
Cody couldn't quite contain his smile. "Dinner tomorrow, Obi-Wan?"
Obi-Wan smiled dryly. "Apparently I'm free."
"And easy!" Ahsoka chirped, her laughter carrying into the shop. "Skyguy said easy too!"
"Yes, thank you, Ahsoka." Obi-Wan scrubbed his beard, an exasperation unique to oldest siblings. He looked at Cody and his eyes brightened. "I'd love to have dinner with you, my dear."
"I'll see you then," Cody nodded, saving his giddy dance for when he was out of the shop and could spare himself the embarrassment of Obi-Wan seeing it.
Boga gave a delighted MRRRP! and jumped from Cody's shoulders to Obi-Wan's, nuzzling happily into him. For a moment, she even looked fleetingly like a dragon.
"Until then, my dear."
"Obi-Wan," Cody adieued, scooping up Rex's cure. "Miss Boga."
Cody exited into the outside world, hearing Anakin and Ahsoka's teasing of Obi-Wan begin. He had his own teasing to get to and a busy day of magical investigations to fulfill. And tomorrow, he had a date with Obi-Wan Kenobi.