Chosen: From the Ashes

You mean a lot to me

"You mean a lot to me..."

[ we have ]: For the first time in his life Anakin has fun (and it's not podracing, distroying starships or speed-flying with his Master)

He hangs out, has "dates", teases Obi-Wan, hugs his mom, has an embarrassing moment, has a party, Padmé comes, plays with Artoo, gets a present from the Queen, moves Obi-Wan to tears and has another embarrassing moment,
lightsaber lessons
and then there's sparring with Obi-Wan...
it was fun... until it wasn't.
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Anakin isn't being fair, he knows. Well, how can he be, when young Obi-Wan is so easy and delightful to tease, he's developing a bad habit and is growing quickly addicted unable to correct it.

Marry? Really now? If Obi-Wan will find out about his secret marriage story, he'll be sure to use that one slip to poke him, and hard. Oh, Anakin is under no illusion that his Master wouldn't use it to lecture him. (on endless occasions).

Well, a problem for another day. He's enjoying himself now enough and damn the consequences. What does Master Jinn say anyway? Right, "live in the moment." Or even better "Feel. Don't think". By the light, Anakin will live and feel alright, and pointedly not think. (about the future and Co.)

At the end of the day he's just a child and Anakin came to abuse this certain trait(?) to unhealthy amounts. Teasing, messing with his Master, making him get flustered, and then act all innocent and pout and flutter his eyes on him, is working so well for now. Anakin is aware, that someday Obi-Wan Kenobi would learn about it and become immune to his tricks and then, it'll stop being so fun. He's using it while he still can.

They continue their dates, he deliberately singsongs the word each time and catches Obi-Wan's blushing freckles in response. Anakin calls his master's strawberry-flushed cheeks like that, cause only when he's blushing, his skin gets slightly darker, of a lovely shade of red and there, sprinkled across his face like the stars in a most enthralling nebula, tiny freckles rise and get visible suddenly (so get it? -wiggling eyebrows- thus "blushing freckles"). He discovered this particular feature of his Master only now (unbelievable), thanks to the dozens of opportunities he got in this new exciting (for him, sure) game of his. How he missed it until now, it's beyond him, it's such a loss, really. He'll be sure to compensate (for the whole past years).

So dates. He absolutely loves it. Anakin forgot how nice and easy life can or shall be actually. With the Chosen One-brand on his forehead, the misunderstandings with his hurt Master (what with Qui-Gon's death), his own insecurities and then, worry about his mom, he never have the chance to even entertain the thought of having fun and going out as a normal teenager. Later, there was Padmé, but she was a senator, public image and all that, so not a thing either. This, however is so fun and awesome, with Obi-Wan beside him, is really the best time he ever had in both timelines.

They would often visit his mother, who got herself a decent job at a droids service, she's still unlearning the whole slave-mentality, but she's good and even made herself some friends. Anakin is so, so happy for her, he could cry. He does, always when he meets her gaze, but he runs to her and hides any proof of it. If she notices, she doesn't comment on it. Nor Obi-Wan. Anakin's still bewildered that his Master helped freeing his mother, actually when he thinks about it, it's only thanks to his Master's idea and efforts, that they really managed to free his mother so soon and safely. With Anakin's original "ingenious" plans he would have accomplish it in years, if ever. His Master pulled also some strings and Anakin supposes, not without his charming smile and some favors Obi-Wan will have to return, but thanks to that, they got a small flat for a reasonable price to pay in parts, in the middle levels, in quiet a decent area, not far from the central park, which is a quarter hour distance by speeder from the jedi temple. His Master also visits his mother without him, helping her settle in and get the needed papers, often brings gifts and aids her around the house, explains how things work and so on. He is so grateful he could kiss him. Ok, maybe not kiss-kiss. But a peck. On a cheek. That's it. He does just that, when Obi-Wan Force knows from where, but of course he does, finds a group, which members were or are tied in someway with slavery and slaves. Something like a therapy club, yet not really. They don't just meet for discussions and stuff like that, but also help each other outside of it, meet to hang out and do things together. There's where his mother found her new friends and through them her job, and really, he never has seen her talk so fast about herself, not him or the Force, but her own life, feelings and daily stories she shares with them, eyes sparkling and looking so, so happy. He never saw her so happy. He bursts in tears then. Of course not in front of her, he doesn't want to upset her, and barely holds himself until they leave the apartment. Only after, comes his "heroic" moment. He's a crying mess and Obi-Wan just smiles softly there before him and caresses his shoulder, and he can't help it. He jumps on him, squeezing hard enough to knock his Master's air out of him (he hears it!) and scatters a peck on the man's warm cheek, muttering his gratitude in chains and burring his head in the crook of the older's neck, still holding him tightly. Obi-Wan is shocked for a second or two, but recovers quickly and takes him to carry out of the building, without stopping his caressing on the small trembling back. Anakin doesn't move until they reach their quarters, as he doesn't want anyone to see him in that mess, even Obi-Wan or especially him, despite how embarrassing is to be carried like that through all the way back to the temple.