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It had been a long fire fight, and Cody was more exhausted than he ever had been before. Having been shot down in a small transporting ship, then his brothers and him having to fight off an entire battalion of attack droids until General Kenobi and Skywalker could come and save them had tired him out. It was, he thought, just Obi-Wan's luck continuously making his (and his troopers') lives harder than it had the right to be. If anyone ever asked him, he would point to this reasoning for his horrible, embarrassing slip-up on the bridge.
He had just walked on to the bridge, a shiny immediately saluting him. He waived his hand, the one not holding a large cup of kaff, as he made his way to the holo table showing the report of the fire fight they'd just left.
"Sleep well on the shuttle up?" Rex smirked at him, eyeing the cup of kaff and the bags under his eyes.
It was tempting to just glare at Rex and see who broke eye contact first, which was Cody's usual tactic to dealing with Rex, but he had the feeling his glare wasn't up to par today. His eyes were still gritty and swollen from his lack of sleep the last few nights.
"Go kark yourself, Rex. Better yet, why don't you do all of my paperwork instead and see how you feel?"
Rex snorted, eyes going back to the battle plans for their newest operation, at least two days out. "And rob you from your paperwork love affair? I wouldn't dream about it."
Cody shot a glare at the side of his head anyway, just for good measure. It's not he had asked for all of the paperwork he got, or for a general that seemed hell-bent on making more for him at every opportunity. Paperwork just seemed to appear more and more often as the war went on, and having to fight, command troops, and run after Obi-Wan left very little time to actually complete any. Sleep was for the lucky, and he had been firmly labeled as not that.
"Hiya Rex, Cody."
"Hi General," Rex said, greeting Anakin.
Anakin looked very awake for someone who had just helped fight a large army and re-wire an entire ship 12 hours ago, but Cody guessed that was the Force at work. Karking Jedi.
"General," Cody muttered into his cup.
"Wow, Cody, you look awful- kark, sorry. I mean, you look like you could use a rest?" Anakin backtracked quickly, looking between Rex and Cody sheepishly. Cody would feel better about Anakin immediately regretting his words if Rex wasn't laughing and if Cody didn't feel dead inside.
Cody bared his teeth. "Thanks, General. You always know how to make a guy feel appreciated."
Rex barked a laugh, Anakin's mouth opening in shock. Cody didn't usually back-sass his ranking officers, or anyone for that matter beside his batch mates, but he was no longer in control of his speech. He didn't regret what he'd said, but he had a feeling he would when he got some sleep and had to live with what he'd done. Rex was never going to let him forget this. The rumor mill of clone's was going to blow up at him back-sassing Anakin. He'd be surprised if a clone on the bridge hadn't already notified their vod, who told their vod, who shared it on their vod'e channels, which meant the whole of the GAR clones would know by the time he stepped off the bridge. Kark.
"Close your mouth, Anakin. At least pretend to have some decorum."
The smooth voice of Obi-Wan drew Cody out of his despairing thoughts. That voice could make him do anything. His crush on his general had not abated over the months of working together, if anything it had gotten worse. It was another reason Rex teased him so much, and another reason Cody was thankful he wore a bucket most of the time. Blushing every time Obi-Wan looked at him would be even more embarrassing than his almost constant staring.
"Hey!" Anakin said indignantly.
"Yes?" Obi-Wan teased, coming to stand beside Cody and the holo table. "Something to add?"
Anakin shifted, not saying anything in reply. He was a renowned general in his own right, and a good man, but Obi-Wan talked traps around people and by the time you realized you were in a corner, he was already smiling that perfect smile and giving you a wink as you became caught in his web of words.
"I didn't think so," Obi-Wan said, smiling. He turned to look at the holo. "Good morning Commander Rex, good morning Cody."
Cody had already turned to the holo as well, thoughts distracted by the heat of the body next to him and the smooth voice close to his ear. Force, he made it hard to think when he was so close. It was as if all rational thought decided to take a walk out of his head. Absently, he muttered a return greeting and prayed for his thoughts to return from their journey.
A long pause made Cody look up around him. Anakin's mouth was open again in shock, as well as Rex's. In fact, the whole bridge seemed to have frozen at their stations and were looking at him. He felt a blush crawl up his neck. Oh no, what had he said? Kark. What had he done?
He turned to Obi-Wan, who also had a blush on his face. It made his freckles and hair stand out even more, made Cody want to kiss his cheek and see if it got brighter. It was, in fact, a frequent thought of his: kissing Obi-Wan. His cheek, his lips, anywhere. To be granted the privilege of touching that body with hands and lips was a deep desire of his. To be allowed to be with Obi-Wan that way was a major incentive for him to survive this war, to make it to the end and ask Obi-Wan what his plans were next, if he wouldn't mind Cody following him.
Someone cleared their throat loudly, and Cody again was pulled from his thoughts (and his staring) to look at Rex. Who was still smirking at him.
"Something you want to tell us, vod?"
Cody sighed and rubbed his face, he hoped whatever it was he said wasn't too bad. "Do I want to know what I said?"
"I think you might," Rex's smile grew even more, properly devious. Cody knew he was not going to like this. "Why don't you ask General Kenobi to inform you?"
It was tempting to ignore Rex and pretend like nothing had happened, but everyone was still watching him and he supposed he may as well face how his sleep-addled brain had ruined his life. "Sir? Should I be apologizing preemptively?"
"Ah," Obi-Wan was still blushing, now making awkward eye contact with Cody. Force, he was beautiful still. "It was just, you said... well, first I had greeted everyone with a good morning. And you had replied good morning as well."
There was a pause. Cody got the feeling that that wasn't all he had said, if the strong blush on Obi-Wan's face showed no signs of abating. He raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, well. You said 'good morning, cyare.'" Obi-Wan blushed even more.
Cody felt embarrassment overtake him, his thoughts leaving once again in the face of his actions. Kark, karking sithspit. How had he managed that? Calling his general 'beloved'? Now Obi-Wan was going to have to report him, or even worse, he would be his noble and stupid self and have a supremely awkward talk with him about how he liked Cody as a friend, and that they work really well together, but he just didn't think of Cody that way. And Cody would have to stand there and quietly take it all, feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable, even sad and resigned to the awkwardness their relationship would take on from that point, how awkward and painful his crush would feel as they had to keep working closely together. Kark. This is why he should've slept. Damn the paperwork, nothing could be worse than this. After shift, he was going to go to medical and ask for a tranquilizer, tell them to wake him up at the next battle, he didn't need to be awake with his thoughts anymore. Anything but that.
"I apologize, General." Cody said evenly, swallowing past the lump of sheer embarrassment in his throat. "That was highly unprofessional of me, and I understand that you are required to make a report about this incident. I can have the paperwork ready by this afternoon."
Everyone on the bridge seemed frozen, especially in confusion. Cody just wanted to get this over with and maybe he could go crawl beneath his desk and hide for however long it took to earn his reputation as an unfeeling machine back.
"What?" Obi-Wan asked, completely baffled. "No, that's not needed, Cody. No, I assure you, if we had to file a report on the times anyone said anything out of line- well, Anakin would have a full binder of reports to his name."
"Hey!" Anakin yelped, looking at Obi-Wan in betrayal. "Don't bring me into this! This is between you and Loverboy."
Obi-Wan seemed to notice at that point that everyone was looking at him and Cody, all work on the bridge stopped to watch the drama unfold.
"Ah," Obi-Wan uttered, blush rising to his cheeks again. He looked over at Cody. "Let's go somewhere else, yes?"
Cody nodded mutely before turning to look at everyone watching him. He had to try and salvage at least some of his reputation. "Back to work, people. I want this bridge up and running by the time I come back."
Rex smirked and muttered under his breath. "If you come back."
Cody glared at him- what was that supposed to mean? Rex merely smiled at him before turning away. "You heard the man, back to work!"
The walk to Obi-Wan's quarters, as it became apparent they were heading there, was quiet. Cody couldn't figure out if he was supposed to be thinking through a grand apology in his head, tendering his transfer papers, or just using the time to appreciate his last unchanged, unawkward moments with Obi-Wan before it all came to an end.
They entered Obi-Wan's quarters, Cody taking a seat in the desk chair and Obi-Wan on the bed, who clasped his hands together and looked at Cody with a smile.
"Long night, commander?" Obi-Wan asked with a smile.
Cody knew what Obi-Wan was doing. Offering him an out. Say it was just a tired slip of the tongue, just a moment, an accident really, of no filter. Just something they could both laugh at and be done with.
And maybe it was because Cody was running on no sleep. Maybe it was because he had been up for days, that he let himself be stupidly honest.
"I had planned to say that after the war," Cody said. "Or some version of it. In a better way. Not tired off my shebs on the bridge after a large battle."
Obi-Wan tilted his head. "You wanted to call me 'cyare' after the war?"
"Yes," Cody said, not looking away from Obi-Wan's gaze. "I know that it wouldn't be- that I am a clone and that I might remind you of a war you would rather forget, but if somehow, miraculously, we both made it through, I promised myself I would tell you how I felt." He sighed. He may as well say everything- might as well put all his cards on the table. It might be the worst hand of sabacc he'd ever metaphorically had, but he would do it. "Even if nothing happened, I wanted you to know."
"Oh, Cody," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head fondly. "My silly commander, what am I going to do with you?"
"Sir?"
Obi-Wan smiled. "You would wait all that time? Even knowing any moment could be our last?"
"I'd spend the war by your side, what more would I want?"
"Well," Obi-Wan said with a smile, "a decent amount more, I'd say." He patted the space next to him on the bed. "Come sit by me, Cody."
Cody hesitated a moment. Nothing had gone the way he expected it to since they left the bridge. Here Obi-Wan was, smiling at him and poking gentle fun. No rebuffments, no awkward let downs. Nothing. Just two friends talking. Or, one baring their heart open and the other being oh so careful with it. He decided he had nothing to lose, had already laid his cards on the table.
Sitting next to Obi-Wan was comforting. That solid heat by his side, the quiet sound of breathing. It made Cody want to lean his head on Obi-Wan's shoulder and just drift off to sleep. Yes, that was a much better plan than tranqs in medical. Curl up with Obi-Wan in bed and wake up when he finally felt like a real person again.
Obi-Wan laughed softly. "Oh, my dear, you are very tired."
"Hmm?" Cody said, not realizing he had closed his eyes. He opened them and looked up at Obi-Wan. "What did you say?"
"I think you need a rest," Obi-Wan said. "Why don't we get you out of that armor and into bed? You can use mine while I do some paperwork. How does that sound?"
Cody snorted. "I'm not going to fall over. I'm fine, I swear, I can still work."
"I'm sure you can, my strong trooper," Obi-Wan soothed, "but I would feel better if you took a quick rest. Do you think you can do that for me?"
Cody eyed him suspiciously. He knew this was a trick. That Obi-Wan was using his sweet words to get Cody to take a nap. "You just want me in your bed," Cody said, without thinking through the meaning.
That beautiful flush raced back up Obi-Wan's cheeks. "I assure you, my dear," he said, "I would be much more forward if that was what I was hoping for. No, you are going to rest, and I will keep watch. Acceptable?"
Cody hummed in thought. It did sound nice, sleeping. A quick nap wouldn't hurt, right? And Obi-Wan would be able to handle anything that came up. He was always saying Cody needed to delegate responsibility more. Maybe this time it was okay.
"Alright, fine," Cody said, starting to remove his armor and stack it out of the way. "Just a quick nap, though."
"Of course, still a GAR to run, I know." Obi-Wan smiled indulgently, loving more than he should the way that Cody looked wrapped up in his blankets on his bed. He wanted to see him like this more than he should, he knew. But if what Cody said was true, maybe it would become a common occurrence. Maybe they would both get what they wanted.
Cody was already half way into dreams when he felt a hand brush his forehead. He hummed in pleasure. Oh, how he didn't want to leave. He could feel Obi-Wan nearby, and Cody didn't startle when he heard the quiet words whispered to him just before falling into sleep.
"Good night, meshla, sleep well."