Chapter Text
"Here we are," Obi-Wan announced, gesturing up at the building. The planet you were on reminded you vaguely of Coruscant, but the air was clearer, crisper, and less composed of fumes. You had also spied swathes of green and blue splitting up the thick cityscapes on your way into the atmosphere. You squinted up at the hotel, which gleamed orange-red in the sunset light.
"Aren't we supposed to be meeting with someone?" You asked, having to raise your voice to be heard over the echo of speeder traffic.
"We will meet with them tomorrow morning. It is late now. Our business can wait." Obi-Wan adjusted his cloak on his shoulders and headed for the door.
"We could still talk to them tonight. Then we wouldn't have to get up so early," Anakin chimed in, bracing the door for you to walk through. The hotel was fairly low-tech as far as mechanics went, and the decor was probably popular a few decades ago. In any case, its lack of current fashion kept it low profile. "And we wouldn't have to sleep here."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "Patience, Anakin. It can wait. We also cannot rely on them to afford us board." The diplomats you were to meet with were would-be secessionists, and your job was to convince them not to join the separatist movement. Their planet was particularly valuable to the Republic, and the other Jedi felt they could be won over. Anakin sighed through his nose, but you both followed Obi-Wan up to the front desk without argument.
"Hello. We need three rooms," Obi-Wan said, addressing the individual behind the desk. You were somewhat surprised that their position wasn't filled by a droid, but you supposed it was part of the hotel's low tech charm.
The Rodian looked up, considering Obi-Wan for a moment. "We only have two rooms available," they offered.
"Two of us can share," you suggested. The three of you had once shared a corner in a cargo hold to rest, draped over each other in lieu of pillows. You knew you could somehow make two whole hotel rooms work.
Obi-Wan gave you a short nod and turned back to the Rodian. "We'll take them." He slid the credits across the counter, and scooped up the key cards that were pushed to him. "Thank you."
You followed them into the lift, and Obi-Wan pushed the button for the floor listed on the card. "Anakin, you can share with me," he said, more of a decision than an offer.
You cringed inwardly, remembering every time that particular arrangement had been attempted. It almost always ended in you and Anakin sharing anyhow, because their arguments in such close quarters always escalated them to the point of needing space. If Obi-Wan didn't kick Anakin out of the room, he stomped out himself and slammed the door--somehow managing to do so even if it were a mechanical door. Your companions seemed to be remembering that too.
"Ani and I could share too. That way you have your space."
"Very well," Obi-Wan said, nodding. "Are you fine with that arrangement, Anakin?" He received a nod in response. The doors slid open before you, revealing the polished metal floor of the hallway.
Obi-Wan led the way to the rooms, handing you the shared room key before tucking his own into the card slot. The door slid open to reveal a dark room, golden lines marking the closed blinds on account of their sunset backlighting. "Make yourselves comfortable. I will see you in the morning. Goodnight." He then ducked into his room, taking his key card with him, and disappeared when the door closed.
"Make ourselves comfortable? What if the beds are glorified rocks?" You joked, trying to lighten the mood with some sarcasm.
It seemed to work, because Anakin broke into a small smile. "We should see what we're working with before we mock it too badly, don't you think?"
You returned his smile and slid the card into the slot until it gave a soft click. You took it back as the door slid open, and Anakin followed you inside.
He nearly ran into you when you stopped dead. The blinds in your room were wide open, letting the muted decor gratefully drink in the golden light. Anakin looked around, trying to discern why you had stopped. His gaze drifted from the diminutive dresser, to the tiny bathroom visible beyond it's door, to the open blinds, until it landed where yours had settled. On the single bed.
“It looks like we’re really sharing,” you observed, finding your feet and moving out of the way.
Anakin drifted in behind you, looking over the bed critically. “You know, we don’t have to share if you’re not comfortable with it. I can go ask Obi-Wan if I can bunk with him. It’s not a big deal, (y/n).”
You turned, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. “I never said I was uncomfortable, I was just expecting there to be two beds. There usually are.” The metal floor clicked softly under your boots as you crossed the room. “You don’t need to risk a fight sharing with Obi-Wan over it.”
Anakin shrugged. "I don't have objections to sharing the bed if you’re okay with it. I just thought you might prefer to have it to yourself."
That brought a grin to your face as you turned back to him. "You really think I need that much bed to myself?"
You gestured to the furniture in question. Despite the demure, humble nature of the hotel, the bed was an absurdity that rivaled the beds Padmé had had in her palace. You had begun to think that it was a matter of perspective, that that bed had just seemed huge at the time because you had been small, but no. The bed was as expansive as the Tatooine desert, and you were a whole entire young adult woman now. You could only assume the bed was so big on account of larger species needing a place to sleep.
Anakin's face quirked a teasing grin. "Perhaps. I know you like your personal space."
A laugh snorted through your nose. "Personal space, sure. I don't need a whole personal galaxy." That drew a laugh from him, and you burst out in giggles.
Your laughter trailed off as you brought yourself back to the conversation at hand. "Are you sure you're okay with sharing?"
He nodded. "Of course. We used to share beds all the time, remember?"
You did. "At least now it’s not because we're having nightmares or homesickness too badly to sleep."
You slid your cloak off, tossing it to land on the dresser. Anakin's followed it, the slightly darker shade of brown looking black in the red remains of sunset. Your overtunics followed, and your boots went just under the edge of the dresser. Your lightsabers sat beside each other, ready at a moment's notice.
Dramatically, you flopped back on the bed, only pants and your lowest tunic left beyond anything worn beneath. Even sprawling over the scratchy blanket, taking up as much room as possible, you didn't even take up half the bed. Anakin flopped back beside you, and the protesting bed springs bounced you slightly on impact.
"This bed is ridiculous," you said, and Anakin turned his head to look at you. "But not that much more comfortable than the ones back at the Temple."
He nodded in agreement, then pushed himself up, rearranging the pillows. He tossed himself back on the small cushion pile, stretching out. "You never call the Temple home," he commented, squirming to get comfortable. He tucked his hands behind his head and crossed one leg over the other.
You rolled onto your side, grabbing and folding a pillow of your own to rest your elbows on, before finishing the turn onto your stomach, propped up by your upper arms. "Of course not. The Temple is where we live, sure, but Tatooine will always be our home. It seems wrong to call other places home."
He nodded, seeming to consider that. "I think home can be people, too."
You thought about that for a few minutes, idly untwining your main braid, and finally nodded. "I can see that." You ruffled out your loose hair, letting it fall naturally, before dragging your fingers along your scalp to comb it out of your face. "I suppose I consider you home. You and Mama Shmi." A crooked grin crossed your face. "I guess Obi-Wan can have third place."
That brought a genuine wide smile to Anakin's face. "I consider you home, too," he said softly, dropping his arms. "I know that no matter where we go, no matter what happens to us, we'll have each other. We'll have each others' backs."
You reached out, taking his hand in your own. "We'll always be there for each other, no matter what," you agreed.
The sun had finally set, and the first bright streaks of moonlight glanced in the high windows, shining across the pair of you in the dark. You looked up at him, into those ocean-blue eyes, knowing you both meant what you had said wholeheartedly. Every fiber of you wanted to plunge on, to admit to him what you had felt since before you had left Tatooine. You took the breath to do so, but something choked the words in your throat, and your filtered admission came out as a long sigh. Guilt twisted your insides for not saying it, but the same something kept it from coming out on your next intake of breath.
Instead, that second breath brought different words. "We should probably get into the actual bed," you said quietly. You thought you could hear the regret in your voice, but you decided it was your mind playing tricks on you for your balking. "I think we have a long day tomorrow. Especially if the negotiations are," you smiled, "short."
He beamed back, teeth bright white in the pale blue light. "Good point."
He pulled the blankets from under himself as you pushed yourself up, and flipped them back for you to crawl underneath. You did so, and you both spent a good few minutes fluffing and arranging your pillows. He playfully hit you in the shoulder with one, and you gleefully struck back, initiating a small pillow fight that made your laughter echo through the room.
The door slid open, and you both jumped out of your skins as you turned to look at the doorway. A groggy Obi-Wan leaned against the doorway, eyes sharp despite the pallor of sleep resting on his face.
"What are you two doing in here?" he rasped, blinking away sleep.
You held up a pillow, forcing yourself to maintain your composure. "Pillow fight?"
His scowl deepened, and you carefully put the pillow down where it was supposed to go. "But we're done now and going to sleep," you continued. "Like good Padawan learners."
He nodded, and you felt Anakin stealthily set down his own pillow. "See to it that you do. Tomorrow will be tiring. None of us can afford to lose sleep." He gave you both a pointed look. "Goodnight, Anakin. (Y/n)." He turned, letting the door fall out of his Force influence, and it shut behind him.
You looked back to Anakin, sharing a bemused look and whispered giggles. You took up your pillow again, half-heartedly bopping him on the shoulder with it before putting it back. "He's no fun."
Anakin chuckled quietly. You were both making sure to keep your voices down now. "I can't believe I'm agreeing with him on something for once, but he is right. We should sleep."
You nodded your agreement, letting yourself fall back on the pillows. They were extremely squishy, well-used and probably missing half the stuffing they were made with. You considered Anakin from where you lay, and the temptation to speak your mind hit again when you caught yourself admiring how the moonlight traced his cheekbone and jaw. The words sat in your chest uncomfortably, but you could feel your gaze melt under their influence.
He laid back, turning to look at you. "What?"
"Nothing." It was a lie. The words in your chest grew heavier, but there was no point in letting them out. Attachments were forbidden, and the Order didn’t appreciate how close the pair of you were platonically, let alone anything else.
“You look like you want to say something.” He turned on his side, pulled a pillow under his head, and finished the turn to lay on his stomach, arms tucked beneath his pillow.
Of course he could tell. He always could. You looked away, unable to meet his gaze in your denial. "I'm just tired and spacing out a bit, I think."
He smiled in a reassuring way. "Well, goodnight then, (y/n)." Anakin drew the blankets up over himself, angling away from you as he sprawled out, trying to get comfortable. “Just remember. I’m here if you need or want to talk about anything. I mean it.”
You smiled, though he couldn’t see it now. "Thank you, Anakin. Goodnight."
You stared at the ceiling until time seemed to stop existing in all but the slow shift of moonlight across the room. Regret tore at your conscious. I should have said it, you told yourself, but you knew it wasn't that simple. You squeezed your eyes shut, letting yourself fall into a meditative state to try to discern your hesitation. When you opened your eyes several minutes later, all you had come up with was a lingering sense that you shouldn't say anything, and a strong sense that there was some level of unbreachable platonic layer between you.
You shifted, turning your back to Anakin's as you tugged the blankets over your shoulder. Deep down, you knew his heart dwelled on Padmé. Even almost a decade later, he still spoke of her, still wondered aloud if she thought of him. You wondered if he would talk about you that way if you were ever that separated from each other that long. A loud snore from Anakin interrupted your thoughts, snapping you out of your own head. You let out a long breath that you didn't realize you'd been holding. Looking over your shoulder at his sleeping form, you decided that your instincts had made the right decision for you. Whatever his feelings towards you or Padmé, or vice versa, you knew the Order would never permit acting on them. You pushed down the remnant emotions that begged you to make them known, deciding that what you had now--a friendship and attachment deeper than most Jedi would ever permit-- was the best you could ask for.
You sighed again as you made yourself relax, forcing your mind to stop racing and contemplating. Anakin's low snores and soft, slow breathing helped, reassuring you of his presence. Your eyes drifted shut under the sudden weight of exhaustion, having been staved off by your meditation. The moon now came in the windows fully, bathing the room in reflecting pale light that dimmed into darkness as you faded from consciousness.
~
You woke without opening your eyes, the soft orange-red glow of morning sun through your closed eyelids being all you could stand in your barely conscious state. You shifted your head slightly, your pillow scratchier and firmer than you remembered. The blanket seemed heavier, too. You curled into yourself slightly, and as you became more conscious of your surroundings, you became acutely aware of the fact that your pillow was slowly moving, and giving off a warmth that rivaled the sands of Tatooine in the midday suns. That brought you more fully awake, albeit groggily, and you cracked open an eye.
Sometime in the night, you and Anakin had shifted. Your head rested on his chest, and your frame had molded to his side. One of your legs was draped across his. It wasn't one sided; the heaviness that you thought had been the blanket were his arms, wrapping around your back securely to pull you against his chest, and his other ankle crossed that of your draped leg. You savored the moment, letting his steady heartbeat in your ear be your indicator of time. Snuggling wasn't strange for either of you, but you hadn't done so in a long time. He shifted under you after a few minutes, and you heard his breathing and heartbeat change pace at his consciousness. A complainant noise at waking resounded through his chest, sounding deeper to your ear than it otherwise would have.
"Morning," you murmured, not opening your eyes. You felt him look down at you, and half expected him to peel you off. Instead, you felt his arms tighten around your back slightly in a soft hug.
"Is it already?" He finally replied, voice gravelly with sleep. You nodded against his chest, prompting a long sigh of resignation from him. "We should start getting ready to go. Obi-Wan is probably already up and meditating."
"We should," you agreed, but you also didn't move. You smiled slightly when he didn't make any attempt to either. With no small amount of effort, you pushed up onto your elbow a moment later. You made a face, wiping at your cheek with your hand. "Ew. I'm sorry about that," you said, giving the damp spot on his tunic where your face had been an apologetic look.
He looked down at himself as you unearthed yourself from his arms and the blankets, the chilly room air cold on your bed-warmed skin. "Don't worry about it," he reassured you. "My overtunic will cover it, and I've got a clean undertunic on the ship. Besides, I've had worse things on me than a little drool."
You offered him a sheepish smile as you slid to the end of the bed, finger-combing your messy hair. He returned the smile before rolling to the other side of the bed, gathering his clothes and heading for the bathroom. You wiped the last dregs of sleep from your eyes, then stretched, feeling your spine crack in succession.
While Anakin got ready behind the closed door, you dressed in the main room, pulling on your overtunic and boots. You deposited the cloaks on the bed, respective lightsabers on top, then headed for the bathroom door, giving it a quick knock.
"Just a minute," he called, but you had the sneaky suspicion that it would not be just a minute.
"Come on, you've been in there for ages! Don't tell me you're meditating on the toilet again." A scattering of items fell off the counter inside, followed by quiet cursing.
The door slid open. Anakin was dressed, but he still looked disheveled. "My hair isn't cooperating today," he said. He turned, continuing to run his comb through his short-haired bedhead to no avail. "I need to fix it before Obi-Wan lectures me on it."
You stepped around him and into the tiny bathroom. Odds and ends hotel toiletries littered the counter, and a bottle of shampoo was still under the edge of the toilet.
"Here," you said, grabbing the comb from his hand and wetting it under the water. You turned to him and he looked at you, puzzled, as you pointed at the closed toilet. "Sit. You're too tall for me to do this right standing up." He did as you said, and you pulled the damp comb through his hair, letting the water iron out the stubborn bedhead. Within minutes, it looked several times more presentable than it had before.
"Thank you," he said, standing and appraising your work in the mirror.
You nodded your response, getting to work on your own mess of hair. "Of course. Water fixes everything, right?"
You were glad that hotels provided as much as they did, as Jedi never seemed to travel with any of their own toiletries. The hotel brush tore out the tangles in your long (h/c) hair until it was neat and tidy, and you quickly put toothpaste on the toothbrush, promptly working up bubbles between your teeth. Anakin followed suit, filling the bathroom with the sweet herbal scent of the paste.
The paste swirled down the sink when you finished, and you met Anakin's eyes in the mirror as you checked over your Padawan braid. It didn't often need rebraiding, but you did regular maintenance when the hairs pulled out of the plaits and rendered it loose. It was fine for now, and you moved on to the rest of your hair. "What do you think is taking Obi-Wan so long?" You asked. With a little focus and finger movement, your hair moved on its own, braiding itself in your usual fashion by way of the Force.
"Who knows. Probably still meditating," Anakin said, then looked at you from the corner of his eye, smirking. "He'd be mad if he saw you do that."
You flashed him a grin, turning to him fully. "Of course he would. But you know," you tipped your chin up and dropped your voice and inflection to a vague approximation of Obi-Wan's, "today is a very busy day. We must hurry. There is no time to waste." That got you a full grin from Anakin, who laughed as he followed you out of the bathroom. You swung on your cloak and hooked your lightsaber on your belt loop.
"We should go before he comes in after us," he said, the humor fading from his voice. You nodded your agreement, following him to the door.
"At least you didn't start your day arguing with him," you pointed out, and followed him to the door. "Especially after we interrupted his beauty sleep."