Hi everyone! Are there still Aniobi shippers out there? I do hope so, I would feel less alone :P

So I bring on to you my third fanfic for those who might be interested :) It's an idea I've been having for a while and I decided to work on it while my inspiration for Order 74 is down - I always have that 2-3 days period after posting a new chapter where I just have to stay away from it, other writers might understand what I mean :P

So obviously I don't own any Star Wars character as they all belong to LucasFilm and Disney, just playing with them a little...

Please let me know what you think of the idea :) Enjoy!

Quiet. An abstract concept most of the time. A word not often used between those walls. Well, not in those specific walls, anyway. Not with Anakin around. Anakin was loud. He had always been loud, always searching for action, always looking forward to the next adventure. Of course, it was his most beautiful aspect; anyone in the Jedi Temple could be influenced by Anakin's bright Force signature. Even he appreciated it, more than anyone, more than he was willing to admit. More than once, his emotionally unstable counterpart had been the light he needed to hold on to in tough times. Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One, the Hero with no Fear, call him what you like…

But sometimes, only sometimes, Obi-Wan loved to bathe in the calmness and quietness of their shared living quarters when Anakin wasn't around. If he concentrated enough, he could almost hear the younglings playing with their training sabers with Master Yoda a few floors below, the cries of little Force sensitive babies up in the crèche and even the water flowing all the way down in the room of a thousand fountains. Obi-Wan sighed and closed his eyes. Anakin had decided that morning that an extra training session was needed and his former Master had decided that morning that he would not follow him this time. The younger Jedi had seemed surprised but his Master's refusal, but he hadn't questioned and left. Leaving their quarters in an unusual tranquility Obi-Wan was determined to appreciate.

The tea mug behind him started fizzing as steam from the boiling water tried to escape its confinement. Turning off the heat, he reached for the small bowl of crushed leaves and spices he had prepared several minutes ago. A mix of mint and dried peach he always fetched by himself in the gardens of the Temple and dried under a special light offered by one of his friends when he was younger. He placed the spices in a small container which he dropped into the hot water, it delicious fumes already doing wonders to his nose.

His last mission had been heavy on his nerves. He might be called the Negotiator, but sometimes the stupidity of the people he had to deal with drained his legendary patience away. Dear Force, sometimes Obi-Wan wondered in what kind of world he was living… He usually never refused a good, tiring training session with his former Padawan. But this morning, his tired mind urged him to stay home for a little while. Obi-Wan sighed again as he thought that he was not as young as he was before. He sometimes envied Anakin for all the energy the man had flowing through his veins.

Anakin… The older Jedi couldn't help a soft smile building on his lips as he thought of the man he had taken under his wings, trained, protected and loved for so many years. The younger Jedi had the world at his knees; the ladies were dying under his gaze and beautiful muscular structure, the younglings were dying of hope to become his next Padawan, almost every knights in the Temple looked up to him for advice and he had the respect of the majority of the Council's members. At the age of 23, that was considered one of the best honours a Jedi Knight could receive. Obi-Wan wouldn't even be surprised if the man was put on the Council in the next year or two.

The war had been rough for the two of them lately. Even after 5 years of constant battles, negotiations and barely getting away with their lives, Count Dooku still always found a way to escape their grasp and they still haven't found the Sith Lord they have been after for so long. If Obi-Wan was honest with himself, he would say that he was more than tired of this stupid war. Not because he wanted to stay alive or anything, frankly, he didn't really care for it. He had sworn to himself that he would die on the battlefield while protecting those who needed it. But what about those he couldn't protect? What about the millions of innocents that had suffered and died throughout the Galaxy in the past years? That was why Obi-Wan was tired of the war: because countless of innocent lives were lost, and he was powerless to stop it.

Brushing those thoughts aside, he smelled the sweet vapors of his tea and when they were to his taste, he removed the device containing the spices and poured the hot liquid into a cup. Since it was still too hot to drink without burning himself, he put it on the small living room table and went to fetch his datapad. There was a book he had been looking forward to finish for quite some time now. He usually read before going to sleep, but since it was so quiet he ravished in the idea of some extra reading. The words in the stories he read kept him away from all the negative energy the war was bringing on them. So many deaths… Last week, they had lost yet another Padawan. A Padawan – no, a child for Force's sake. Younglings were promoted to the rank of Padawan younger than ever to make up for the losses of Jedi Knights on the battlefield. Obi-Wan found it sick: they were keepers of the peace, not soldiers.

He plunged into his readings and didn't see the time flowing by. It was only when Anakin dramatically entered their quarters and disturbed the peace that he lifted his eyes from the datapad and… Dear Force, what was that smell?!

"You really missed something this morning, Master…" Anakin cried from the entrance as if their small apartment was as big as a supermarket and Obi-Wan was standing at the opposite end of it. "Shame you didn't come!"

Obi-Wan sighed, already missing the quietness of the small rooms, took one last sip of his tea and put the datapad aside. "I assume it was good?" He asked back, standing to meet his former Padawan halfway.

Anakin turned around to face him, all smile, and untied his cloak to put it at its rightful place on the wall beside the door, next to the lighter one belonging to Obi-wan. As soon as the heavy fabric was off Anakin's shoulders, Obi-Wan suddenly averted his eyes as Anakin proudly flashed his freshly worked chest muscles which were free of any clothing. At least, it was explaining the smell…

"Dear Force, Anakin, put some clothes on…" Obi-Wan whimpered, "The whole Galaxy already knows how handsome you are, there's no need to remind me…" He added with a pang of sarcasm.

Anakin smirked under his Master's remarks and pumped his chest even more. "Why? Don't you like what you see?" He joked, chuckling lightly.

Obi-Wan faced him again, but kept his eyes straight to the younger man's face and his arms crossed on his chest. "Are you seriously asking the question, dear Padawan of mine?" He asked with a hint of annoyance tinted with a smile.

Anakin sighed heavily and lowered his eyes to the floor. "I don't know… I mean, you never talk about that stuff! I know the code keeps us from loving, marrying, shitting, sneezing and all, but… You never talk about women so…"

Obi-Wan chuckled under his breath and turned around with the intention of finishing the chapter he had started. "I do not need this sort of 'stuff', Anakin. I've already told you twice. Please, leave me be." He simply replied in a casual tone. Too casual for Anakin's taste.

"So you're asexual." Anakin shouted back from the entrance.

"Am not." The older Jedi replied matter-o-factly.

Within seconds, the younger Jedi was at his side, his sport smell invading Obi-Wan's nostrils and personal space. "So you're admitting that you need this stuff, too! Come on, Master… you never talk about it! I'm dying of curiosity here! Isn't there a woman you like? Satine! You liked Satine! She's very pretty and-"

"And very dead." Obi-Wan declared, cutting his former Padawan's speech, lifting his eyes from the datapad to stare at the taller man with a frown. "Please, Satine was a very honourable woman and a dear friend of mine. Don't spoil her memory by thinking of her like that."

Anakin made a tortured face. "Come on… You have to admit she was pretty, right? With her blonde hair and blue eyes… And Force, those tits…" He started, putting a particular attention to the last word.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan shouted in indignity, blushing violently.

"Sorry Master."

The two men stayed silent for several minutes, Obi-Wan staring at his former Padawan and Anakin staring at the floor. They had had this kind of conversation before, and no matter how many times Anakin had tried, he had never been able to crack up Obi-Wan on what his sexual orientation was and if he liked anyone. For the younger Jedi, it was quite frustrating. At one point, Obi-Wan sighed heavily and offered Anakin a friendly smile. "Why is it that you want to know so badly about my sexual preferences, Anakin?" He asked in a soft tone, letting the younger man know that it was more the friend talking right now than the Master.

Anakin looked up and shrugged, the boosting confidence he was harbouring a couple of minutes ago faded in oblivion. "I don't know… It's just that we shared so much together… You know me better than I know myself and I guess I'm simply very curious. I want to see you happy, that's all." He responded, finally daring to look at his former Master's eyes.

Obi-Wan sighed and smiled, reaching forward to give Anakin's knee a gentle squeeze. "You're right, Anakin. I should tell you." He simply declared, putting his datapad aside.

Anakin's eyes grew twice their size and his jaw might have dropped on the floor. "Really? Are you serious?" He asked with a wide smile.

Obi-Wan huffed and changes position on the small couch in order to sit closer to his former Padawan, who was sitting on the lounge just beside it. "I can't see why not… You're right on one thing, Anakin, we do share everything. I can't see why I shouldn't share this particular information with you…" He said casually with a side smile.

Anakin could not believe it. He had tried to get this piece of information for years now. He felt like a child who was about to discover what was in the box of a present given on a Life Day after shaking it several times while trying to guess what it was. Obi-Wan was one of the most renowned Jedi Master in the whole galaxy. His cunning charm, his honourable manners and his negotiating skills put the women across the Republic on their knees in front of him. Surely there was someone somewhere who might have caught his heart? Eager to finally know the truth, Anakin sat at the edge of his chair, all his senses on alert.

Obi-Wan smirked at the younger Jedi's reaction. He knew the boy had wanted to know where his heart belonged for a long time. The Jedi Master wasn't a fool: he knew Anakin was somehow involved with a certain Senator they knew all too well. In fact, he had known for quite some time, from the moment he had seen the little nine years old boy look at the young lady in admiration like he had seen the most beautiful sight in the whole galaxy. His former Padawan's reaction when they had learned that they had to protect the Senator about 4 years ago, when he was just about to turn 20, had pretty much gave it away. Also, Anakin wasn't the kind of man who could be… how could he say it… discreet? Of course, the Jedi Code forbade any kind of attachment and love, but Obi-Wan had always kept in tongue concerning Anakin and his love life. Even though he knew the boy was in fault, he knew, deep inside, that he would be affected deeply if Anakin were to be expelled.

So looking at the younger Jedi's big eyes full of anticipation, Obi-Wan couldn't help but laugh under his breath. "You want to know what my… desires are, is that it?" He declared in a low voice, keeping the anticipation a little longer for the tortured boy.

On his toes, Anakin simply nodded, his eyes not daring to blink. Smirking, Obi-Wan got his face close to the younger man's, his eyes full of sparkles, full of secrets dying to be discovered. The younger man swallowed heavily, his heart thumping in eagerness. And then Obi-Wan's smile got wide, "My most secret desire right now, dear Padawan of mine… is for you to get a shower. Force, you stink more than a rotting Hutt!" He declared in a laugh while pinching his nose.

Anakin froze for a second, processing what his Master had just declared. Then, even though deception washed over him, he had to laugh at Obi-Wan's remark. He had worked out quite a bit this morning and it truly smelled indeed. And the way Obi-Wan was looking at him gave him a clue of how bad he actually smelled. Nodding, he lifted himself off the lounge chair and turned to walk toward the small bathroom. "Yeah… I'll take care of that…" He said, winking at his former Master who was still pinching his nose.

"Please do…" The Master replied back, his voice muffled by his hand covering his nostrils.

Anakin laughed as he opened the bathroom door. "I'll let it slip this time Master, but I promise I'll get that information out of you someday! You won't get away with this!" He said before entering the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

Now alone in the living room, Obi-Wan's smile disappeared and he bowed his head as he heard the water running in the shower. Deep within his chest, his heart twitched a little and he swallowed the feeling down. "I'm not sure you would like to know, Anakin…" He said to himself before grabbing his datapad again to go hide within the words. Stories got him away from the reality. Stories didn't judge.

As soon as he was out of the shower, his hair still dripping water, Anakin wrapped a towel around his hips and went straight to the living room where Obi-Wan was still sitting, hiding behind his kriffing datapad. Anakin hated to read. It was long, boring and missed the action he needed to live by. If Anakin was completely honest with himself, he would declare that reading was a total waste of time. Reading stories, that is. Reading important things, like reports or information about a mission, would never be a waste of time in his eyes. Not that he liked it – sitting there doing nothing with his body was not his personal cup of tea. For some reasons he always needed to have his hands busy: tinkering a droid or ship parts or wielding his lightsaber in a sweat breaking kata. That was more his thing.

Stepping closer to the small living space, he went to place himself right in front of his former Master, pushing the coffee table out of the way with his legs and proudly pumping his chest so the man would notice him. To his disappointment, Obi-Wan didn't even flinch and stayed concentrated on his readings. Annoyed, Anakin cleared his throat to make himself noticed. "Hu-hum..."

His eyes still glued to the datapad, Obi-Wan simply took a loud sniff. "Much better."

Anakin sighed heavily. Obviously, his stubborn former Master wouldn't tell him anything today. After so many years of trying to know if Obi-Wan had a woman in his heart and reaching nothing, he had discreetly flashed once in a while to his Master to see if his toned muscled chest and his broad shoulders would trigger any reaction whatsoever in the man. Unfortunately, Obi-Wan didn't seem very interested in them and would usually look at him with a crooked eyebrow when he presented himself with nothing on his shoulders. Looking down at his feet, Anakin decided that it way maybe time to abandon the fight…

"Why don't you look at me, Master?" He simply asked, concerned. "Is the sight of my body disgusting you?"

Obi-Wan's eyes froze, then he lifted his head to stare at Anakin's face like the man had just declared the most stupidest sentence he had ever heard. "…Excuse me?!"

Anakin kept his eyes focused on the older Jedi, determined. "You never look at me, Master. Whenever I walk around with no shirt on or get out of the shower, you either turn your head to avoid the sight or stare directly into my eyes… Am I disgusting to look at for you?" He asked with a small frown. Even though he had been doing that just to analyse his Master's reaction, it did bother him a little that the man actually avoided to look at him.

Obi-Wan looked at him for several seconds and shook his head in disbeliefs. "Why are you so inclined on the image you're projecting, Padawan? Why is it so important to you? It's not like we need to look good, we're Jedi! We protect the galaxy, we do not seduce it..."

Anakin rolled his eyes at the comment. "I have no intentions of seducing the galaxy, Master. It's just that it bothers me to know that the man who practically raised me cannot bear to look at me when I'm shirtless."

The two men stayed silent for a moment, staring at each other long enough to make Anakin wonder if he had gone too far. But at one point, Obi-Wan took a deep breath and pointed to the lounged chair beside the couch. "Sit." He ordered.

Anakin didn't hesitate and did what he was told, waiting for what was next. His Master had placed the datapad aside, had crossed his legs and seemed to search his words. "Anakin…" He started, "You are right on a certain level. I did raise you from the moment I took you under my care when you were barely nine years old. Not that long ago, you were under my protection. The only reason why I don't… look at you, like you said, is because now you are my equal. You're no longer my Padawan, but more like my colleague. I don't 'look' at you out of respect."

Anakin looked disappointed at Obi-Wan's words. "I thought I was more to you than a mere colleague…" He whispered in a voice tinted with a pang of sadness.

Obi-Wan chuckled a little under his breath and gave his former Padawan a warm smile. "That's not what I meant, Anakin. You know you are my best friend in the entire galaxy and nothing can change that. Just… please, understand my position here." He said, pressing a gentle hand to the younger man's shoulder.

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan and smiled. "I understand."

Then, Obi-Wan lowered his eyes long enough to let Anakin know that he was 'looking'. He made sure to brush his eyes to every single part of Anakin's chest, his shoulders, even his muscled, strong arms. When he looked back up, he smiled. "There. Happy?"

Anakin just stared. "Somehow."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Good. Now, let it go."

Anakin swallowed a little bit of his pride as Obi-Wan lifted himself from the couch to take his empty cup to the kitchen. It's only when he heard the water of the sink running that he remembered what he had meant to tell his former Master all along. "Master Windu came to speak to me earlier. We are summoned before the Council at noon." He declared, also lifting himself with the intention of getting dressed.

Obi-Wan sighed heavily and replaced the now clean cup back where it belonged on the shelves. "I was hoping for some much needed rest… Guess that'll have to wait… again. Did he give you any clue on what kind of mission he's sending us?" He asked, clearly annoyed.

"He didn't say…" Anakin replied.

"Of course, he never does…" Obi-Wan whispered more to himself than anything. "Alright, I'm making a stew for dinner, how does that sound?"

Even though it was still morning and Anakin had had quite a large breakfast already, his stomach growled in anticipation. The Temple's food was far from the best and he always enjoyed his Master's cooking. "That sounds really great!"

Obi-Wan turned around and smiled. "Great, now go get dressed, or I'll keep it all to myself!"

Anakin laughed under the false threat but quickly rushed to his personal room to put some clothes on.

The walk to the High Council's chambers was made in silence. Of course, Anakin was always looking forward to a new mission, to some action and Obi-Wan actually prayed the Force that Master Windu had assigned them to something that would bring Anakin the adrenaline he desperately needed. He was tired, but he would take some more action a thousand times before having to pass several weeks beside a whining Anakin lacking excitement in some 'boring' negotiating mission, like the man liked to call them.

Soon enough they found themselves in front of the large doors leading to the famous round chamber. As they always did before entering to face the Council, they looked at each other and smiled; a kind reminder that they were and always would be a team, no matter what. Obi-Wan looked up to his former Padawan, "Ready?" He asked.

Anakin smiled back. "As always."

Nodding, Obi-Wan punched the button and the large door opened in front of them, revealing the waiting Council on the other side. Master Windu and Master Yoda were present, as always. Master Shaak Ti, Master Mundi and Master Tiin were present as well. Master Koon was on mission on the Quarl system, but honoured us with his presence via a holo projection on his usual chair. Bowing respectably to them all, the two men stepped in the centre of the room, waiting for orders. "You summoned us, Masters?" Obi-Wan asked, joining his hands in front of him and hiding them in the layers of his cloak.

"Indeed." Master Windu declared in his usual powerful voice. "King Aguilar from the Neropta system has contacted us this morning. In the light of the recent events, they are interested to join the Republic. We are sending you two to make an official first contact."

At Mace's statement, both men frowned. "The Neropta system…" Obi-Wan mumbled, "The name is unfamiliar, is it within the Republic borders?" He asked,

"A couple of parsecs beyond the Outer Rim…" Master Mundi replied, stroking his chin. "The Council had tried to rally this planet to the Republic about 40 years ago, when King Aguilar's father was sitting on the Throne."

"The man was a vicious dictator thirsty with power." Master Plo Koon added, his voice slightly muffled by the holo projector. "From Master Yoda's report, the population recently rebelled after being starved for 25 years while the King ate, drank and wore the planet's resources. Of course, as soon as his heart stopped beating, his son was the rightful heir to the Throne…"

"Hmm…" Master Yoda grumbled, "Much different from his father, this new King is. Peace and equality, his goals are."

Anakin nodded. Since the war had begun, as several already known systems had left the Republic to hide behind the Separatists, more unknown and uncharted systems had joined the Republic. Missions like this one, where Jedi were sent to make what they liked to call 'the first contact', were more and more frequent in their schedule. "Did the Senate approve this?" He asked, knowing Chancellor Palpatine was always eager to open his arms to new systems.

Master Windu smiled at Anakin's question. "The Senate is actually putting pressure on us to leave as soon as possible. Master Kenobi, I sent you an official report concerning the Planet. The necessary information you will both need to know before departing; temperature, culture, traditions and so on. Should be enough for you to get by."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Did this new King express any reasons why he wished to join the Republic?" He asked, crossing his arms. That may have sounded like a stupid question at first, but Obi-Wan had dealt with several systems, payed and commanded by Count Dooku, who had tried to infiltrate the Republic in order to destroy it. Thankfully, he and Anakin had been able to stop them before any real damage was done.

"It seems that Count Dooku's war techniques pushed them to take our side…" Master Shaak Ti said, her voice as sweet and calm as ever. "After so many years under the last King's ministrations, this new King wishes a new era of peace and hopes we can help them to achieve it. Master Kenobi, I trust we can count on you to make sure of their honesty?"

Obi-Wan smiled. "Count on me."

"Then it is settled." Master Windu declared with a rare side smile. "You will both leave two days from now at dawn. May the Force be with you."

On this, Anakin and Obi-Wan bowed and left the room. "This is going to be exciting!" Anakin declared with a large smile, "A new planet, a new world, a new culture to discover…"

"Indeed…" Obi-Wan agreed. "I simply hope they're not half as stubborn as my last 'first contact' was…"

Anakin chuckled and looked down at Obi-Wan. He knew that the majority of time, the 'first contacts' were mostly undereducated people who knew nothing of the war raging beyond their borders. Most of them thought they could conquer the Galaxy with a snapping of a finger. More than once, poor Obi-wan had had to put them back in their places, and that implied several heated arguments. Thank the Force for his negotiating skills…

"That bad?" Anakin asked, since he hadn't been part of Obi-Wan's last mission off world.

Obi-Wan looked at him and made a tortured expression. "Dear Force, you have no idea… I suppose you want me to read all the 'boring stuff' like I always do?"

Anakin's eyes grew at Obi-Wan proposition to read all the necessary reports and give him the essential. They both knew how Anakin hated to read. "Please, I'm begging you…" He said with a fake pleading tone – he already knew his former Master would say yes.

Obi-Wan shook his head and sighed happily. "Alright, I'll do it. You're lucky I'm enjoying it, though. You should read more, it might calm your mind a little…" He commented, smirking.

Anakin gave a disgusted groan. "No thanks… Also, my mind is already calm. You just can't see it."

Obi-Wan laughed at Anakin's comment. "You may be right. By the way, they're going to elect me queen of Naboo next week…"

Anakin stopped walking and huffed, followed closely by a wide smile. He was used to Obi-Wan teasing him as soon as the older man didn't believe what he had just said. "Seriously? Queen of Naboo? Come on, Master… you can do better than that…"

Several hours later, Anakin emerged from his room and went to the living room, where Obi-Wan was still installed reading the official report of this new planet. For a Jedi, it was critical to know every aspect of the planet and its people before landing there. They had to be prepared for anything – temperature hazard could slow their work down and they could be unable to finish a mission if they didn't know the locals culture properly. One time, Obi-Wan had requested that Anakin read the reports. Of course, since the man hated to read, he had vaguely passed through the important points without porting attention to details. As soon as they had landed, Anakin had bowed to one of the Planet's leaders while forgetting the 'not so important looking but still very critical' fact that bowing was considered an insult in that system. Thanks to Obi-Wan's skilled tongue, they had avoided a monumental disaster with the planet's leaders. That night, Obi-Wan had given Anakin the scolding of the millennium and even though Anakin was taller than his former Master, he had never felt so small in his life. Obi-Wan was a scary man when he was enraged. His former Master's patience might be legendary, but Anakin had promised himself never to cross that line again, no matter how strong it was.

So each time Obi-Wan agreed to read all the important stuff, Anakin was always relieved. He knew that even if he put the effort into it, he might miss important information again. Sighing he went to stand behind the couch were Obi-Wan was installed. "Anything interesting so far?" He asked in a soft tone not to scare his Master.

"Well... I would wildly suggest you pack your snow tunics and your boots. The average temperature in civilized ground is already 20 degrees under the freezing point – and that's if you're staying at the bottom of the Mountains…" Obi-Wan mentioned, keeping his eyes on the datapad.

"Ugh…" Anakin grimaced. He was a man of the desert. After all, he had been born on Tattooine and was used to heat more than anyone he knew. He could handle heat, but freezing colds? Of course, he could manage, but that didn't mean he liked it one bit. "Anything else?"

"Hmmm…" Obi-Wan mumbled, deep in concentration. "Humanoids like us, majority of the population is black of hair with blue eyes, average lifespan of 37 standard years…"

"37?" Anakin asked, impressed. "That's rather low…"

Obi-Wan turned around to face him. "Don't forget that the population starved for more than 25 years, this may blur the statistics with extreme data; I wouldn't be surprised if the children died at a very young age due to the lack of food necessary to their development…" Obi-Wan added, disgusted at the thought. "Also, with a planet temperature where it is easy to freeze to death, a low average lifespan is understandable…"

Anakin nodded. "I guess you're right…" He had known periods of drought when he was young. People of his home-planet died of thirst. Freezing to death was something he really wasn't used to and frankly, the idea gave him chills.

Obi-Wan got back to his datapad. "It says that it is suggested to drink wine an hour before going to bed – quote: 'the effect of the alcohol on the bloodstream will provide some necessary heat to pass through the rough night's frost'. Hmm, that promises to be interesting…"

Anakin laughed and gave his former Master a small tap on the shoulder. "That's great, maybe I'll see you drunk for the first time!" He said with a teasing pang.

Obi-Wan clicked his tongue and shook his head. "I'm a Jedi Master. The Force is all I need to procure me heat when I need it."

"I may only be a Jedi Knight, but I think a little fun once in a while does not hurt anybody. If the report says it is recommended to drink wine, why should I refuse?" Anakin replied, challenging.

"Suit yourself…" Obi-Wan groaned.

Anakin stretched his arms, his strong morning workout starting to wear of his muscles, and went to sit on his usual spot on the lounge chair. As he installed himself, Obi-Wan raised his eyes from the datapad, smiled to him and went back to his readings. Anakin made himself comfortable and sighed in contentment. Jedi may not be allowed to have 'homes', but to be here, alone with his former Master, it felt home enough for him. "Any predators we should worry about?" He asked, suppressing a yawn.

"Uhh…" Obi-Wan said, pressing several buttons on the metal device in his hands, searching for a certain specific information. "The report doesn't mention anything other than wild bears, wolves and boars, but they lived all the way up in the mountains, not close enough for us to get concern. There is another thing, though…"

"What?" Anakin asked, suddenly interested.

Once again, Obi-Wan scrolled though the datapad. "Ah! Here… It says the population has a belief for a certain 'creature of the night'… But on the other hand, it is listen under 'beliefs and religions' and I won't be scared off by tellings and legends." He brushed off, the piece of information not seeming to affect him too much.

Anakin offered his former Master a sympathetic look as the man stretched his limbs on the couch. "You never believed in those things, did you?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "I'll respect anyone's beliefs as long as it doesn't interfere with someone's life. As for the rumored creatures, I'll believe it when my eyes will report it." He said, closing the data pad and tossing it aside, placing his hand in front of a yawn and rubbing his eyes. "Enough for tonight. I'll catch on the rest later."

Anakin smiled, sleepiness starting to catch him too. It was pretty late, and Obi-Wan had been deeply concentrated in those reports for several hours. The both of them would greatly appreciate a good night of sleep. "Understood. Good night, Master." He simply said before heading to his own room.

That night, Obi-Wan suddenly woke up from a dream, panting and in sweat, sitting straight on the mattress and staring at the wall facing his bed. Realizing exactly why he was in that kind of situation, he punched a pillow out of frustration. He had thought he was over this, especially at his age. But his body was screaming otherwise, heat running from his head to his toes, chills covering his pale skin and this forsaken feeling of longing that had bothered him for the last 2 years. That need that had suddenly struck out of nowhere and made his body believe it was still 18 years old. Feeling completely powerless, Obi-Wan fell back on the mattress, his body hitting the soft covers with a small thud, and whimpered in a second pillow to avoid being heard by very curious ears.

Closing his eyes, he tried to send himself into a deep meditative state. Seeking the warm comfort of the Force had sometimes helped him to deal with this kind of… situation. To let his mind flow in the netherlands of the Force and to connect with it was sometimes enough to bring him out of his trance and let him go to sleep. But not tonight. In fact, not for the last nights, also. As comforting as the Force was, his screaming body always found a way to bring him back in reality, and tonight Obi-Wan knew he might need a shower to calm to be able to calm himself. And a very cold one, to say the least.

Reaching for the sleeping man in the bedroom at the other end of the apartment, Obi-Wan made sure that his friend was still sleeping deeply before attempting any kind of movement. Concentrating, he could hear the soft snores coming from the other bed and also feel the peace of slumber coming from the other man. Reassured, Obi-Wan threw the covers over his legs and rushed to the bedroom, locking the door behind him.

The cold water hit his shoulders, making him wince at first but replacing his senses one at a time like he had wanted. Taking a deep breath and urging his skin to stop shaking under the cold assault, he pressed his forehead against the shower's wall and closed his eyes. Slowly, his body calmed itself, the longing feeling washed out like dirt under the water and he finally felt in control of his thoughts again. Thank the Force, maybe he would be able to go back to bed and catch some much needed sleep again…

Obi-Wan had always known he wasn't into women. In his Padawan years, he had always avoided conversations with the other males about their female counterparts. All of his friends were becoming so excited when they started to talk about one's hair, or one's hips and if a boy was courageous enough he might have talked about one's breast. They all used to ask themselves stupid questions: what would she look like naked, if she would be loud or silent under their ministrations, if she would shave or keep it au naturel… And then they would all look at Obi-Wan, waiting for his opinion on the matter. Of course, he would simply nod to satisfy their curiosity, even though he though about one of them at night. Master Qui-Gon always said that it was normal and that he shouldn't be ashamed, but… looking at all his friends lusting after that cute Twi'lek Master sitting on the Council at the time, he had never felt more alone.

So he had learned to keep it all to himself. Since the Code forbade attachments of all kind, it hadn't very difficult to resist the temptation. Also, as they grew up into men with less raging hormones, the question of sex had become less and less important and at one point it flew simply off the table. One time he had shared a bed with another Padawan, discovering themselves and their desires away from judging eyes and cunning opinions. Sadly, the boy had managed to get himself killed on the battlefield before they could meet again. Obi-Wan had cried that night, as he had lost a dear friend and probably one of the only persons in the Temple who understood him. When Qui-Gon had knocked at his door, asked some questions, Obi-Wan had quickly whipped his tears and lied about a nightmare.

As all those memories rushed out of his mind, Obi-Wan dried himself and walked back to his bedroom. He shouldn't have looked. He had made so many efforts to avoid looking, to avoid temptation, but he had looked and now he was paying the price. Absolutely no one could know about this. Especially Anakin. No, Anakin could never know.

How would the boy react if he ever discovered that his former Master was lusting after him?