Keeping You Warm
a Star Wars story
by tarotgal
"Mmm... hrm..." Obi-Wan made a nice array of thoughtful noises ashe poked around Anakin. "Erm... right." He lowered a hand from theyoung man's chest, looking into eyes with a bit of worry and a bit ofannoyance behind them. He had given an ultimatum, either Anakin wouldbe marched straight down to the healers to be examined, or Obi-Wanhimself would do it. Naturally, Anakin chose the latter. "I'll makeyour excuses for you while I'm out." Obi-Wan told him, checking hisPadawan's eyes, nose, throat. "I want you to stay in bed the rest ofthe day."
"I'm really not that bad off," Anakin complained as Obi-Wanhovered above him, fussing. But he shivered quite violently andretreated under the blankets a bit more, not pressing the complaint.
Obi-Wan tucked another blanket over his middle, pushedanother pillow behind his back, then settled down on the bed besidehim. He put a gentle arm around his Padawan's shoulders. "I stilldon't want you up and about for a while. You're sick enough to needto stay in bed." He placed a worn, rough hand gently against theyoung man's forehead, rating the warmth. "And you need rest, time tolet your body heal."
Anakin grumbled in response, then snapped a hand to his noseand mouth with lightening reflexes. "ehh-Chushh! huh-Shoo!" Hesniffled and opened his eyes, to find Obi-Wan brandishing ahandkerchief at him. He took it reluctantly and gave his nose a goodrub. "I'll be all right, Master. It's just a cold." Albeit a bad one,one that even he with all his healing powers had been unable toprevent.
He'd been coming down with a sniffle all day yesterday, andwoke this morning to the full-blown thing. Despite adamant insistencethat he would be well enough to attend classes, training sessions,and fulfill his other duties, Obi-Wan had not let him leave theirquarters all morning. In fact, the Jedi Master had confined him tobed just after lunch when Anakin suffered from a rather forceful boutof sneezing. Thus he'd spent most of the afternoon lying restless,sniffling and sneezing but otherwise all right. Anakin was sure hewould have been able to get through a normal day but, sick, had notthe energy to fight Obi-Wan on this count.
Softly, sympathetically, Obi-Wan looked down at him. "Try toget some rest while I'm gone, Padawan." Obi-Wan pulled himself up anddawned his cloak. He strode to the door, paused, then looked back inon Anakin. "Don't get out of bed," he commanded, sure that the momenthe left, that was just what the young man would do.
There was a grumble from Anakin which sounded suspiciouslylike "holding me back."
Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry?" And Anakin shook hishead and waved his hand with a `never mind' sort of expression. Witha sigh, Obi-Wan added, "Take care of that cold." He restrainedhimself from shaking a finger in warning, turned, and left.
Anakin waited a few moments, sensing that the man was gonebefore springing from the bed. He took a blanket with him, andsettled on the couch, pulling the communications unit down to thecoffee table. He lay down as communications linked up, snuggled intothe blanket with his head and good arm sticking out.
"Ani?"
He looked up at the soft, gentle face of the now SenatorAmidala. "Hello," he said, his voice smooth, full of a much happiertone than the one he'd used with Obi-Wan. "How are you?"
She smiled back. "Fine," she told him, quickly adding, "Buthow are you? You look..." She reached a hand up and made as if tostroke him from afar.
Anakin could nearly feel the touch, and held a hand to hisshoulder as if to hold her hand in his. "It's just a bit of a headcold, nothing serious." But it certain didn't feel like nothingserious as his nose tickled again. "heh...ehhShushh! EhhChushh!" withhis nose buried deep in the handkerchief to muffle the sound of thesneezes.
And Padmé seemed concerned. "Oh, Ani... I wish I were there totake care of you, keep you warm."
He nodded, rubbing his nose, giving her a weak smile. "I wishyou were here for any reason." She'd just left two days before, butit already felt like years. They were able to see each other often,as some of his duties took him close to Naboo. And she returned toCoruscant for Senate hearings, though with one man as supreme rulerover it she didn't need to be on world as much. Despite this, theyfound it harder and harder to make excuses to see each other. And itwas a rarity that an entirely intimate moment presented itself. "Imiss you already." He tried not to sound sappy, but it was true. Hewanted to smell her, hold her, touch her, be with her. He wanted toroll in the grass, to bathe beneath a waterfall, he wanted to liebeneath her and allow the worlds to spin around them.
Seeming to sense his thoughts, she lay down on her side, too,so they could look into each other's holographic eyes properly. Theprojection did not show the loving sparkle in the eyes, but both knewit was there. "We'll be together again soon." But there was notelling how soon was soon. And for Anakin's current suffering, evensoon was not soon enough. "Ani, I need to go."
He nodded, rubbing at his nose miserably. Just one momentmore of her soft face, gentle eyes, fierce spirit. But he knew theymust be brief. Too long and the transmission could be intercepted,and they could be found out. Too long and a call traced between thetwo of them would be suspicious. "I love you, Padmé," he whispered,coughing shyly, then blowing her a kiss.
She blew one back, "And I you. Feel better my Jedi." And thelast image he saw was her reaching up to turn off the communicator.
He sighed, then reached over and turned his off as well. Theroom seemed entirely too quiet when it had just since been filledwith her beautiful voice. There was no Obi-Wan, no Yoda, no Padmé, noone there except for Anakin, left alone to his cold and his thoughts.If Obi-Wan really wanted him better, why had he so hastily left?Master Qui-Gon certainly would have been more motherly. But then, Obi-Wan had never been the fathering type the way Qui-Gon had been in thebrief time he had known the wise Jedi Master.
Anakin curled on the couch, hugging the blankets to hischest, head sinking deeper into the couch cushion. "heh-Cheshh! eh-Chushh!" The handkerchief was growing damp, and he was growingthirsty. With a cough, he raised his golden hand, waving it towardthe small kitchenette in the quarters. A glass pulled itself out ofthe upper cabinets and filled as a carton of juice floated out of thefridge and began to pour. Then the glass levitated over to him,resting just above his hand. As if it took no effort at all, hegrasped it and smiled. There were benefits to not having his masteraround. He toasted his ability to use the force well despite illness,and sipped the juice, trying to decide which holovids wouldconstitute a restful afternoon. He ended up simply popping one in andfalling asleep before it was even half over.
Anakin awoke hours later to a rough, familiar hand placed onhis forehead. He snuffled, rubbing his nose, and sat up with ayawn. "Good evening, Master Obi... Mas..." His face fell, breath hitchedand he pulled back. "heh-ECHhhh! Uhh-Cheshh! ehh-Chushh!"
Obi-Wan picked up the handkerchief and held it out for himagain. "Good evening to you, my Padawan." He squatted by the couch asAnakin blew his nose. When the young man was done, he spoke again,sternly, "I thought I told you to stay in bed, hmm?" But he wassmiling. He reached over and rubbed the close-cropped, dark blondehair affectionately.
Anakin shook his head, sniffling. "Master... I..." but he neededto sneeze yet again. "I... sneeze... ehhh..." This time, he gripped thehandkerchief tightly, shaking amidst the blankets. "ehh-CHISHhhh!uhhKeshh!" He sighed, rubbing at his nose miserably. "Master, I thinkI need something for this cold." He opened his eyes, giving his nosea blow, and looked longingly over at his comfortable bedroom. Thecouch suddenly seemed small, confining, stiff. And staring up at thecommunicator made his heart fall.
"Come, let me help you. I've brought you some things." Hehelped the young man up, holding onto his arm firmly. Then Obi-Wanwrapped the blanket around his Padawan's shoulders and ushered himback into the bedroom and into bed.
Another blanket was added to the bed, where Anakin snuggledwarmly under the covers, trying to block feelings of wanting to bewarm in bed with Padmé beside him. He yawned, but found sleep muchmore difficult to get a hold on as he sniffled again. "eehh...ehhChushh! Heh-Chishh!" Light, wet sneezes which rocked him. Heclosed his eyes. "I cad't seeb to fall asleeb," he complained,rubbing more at his nose.
Obi-Wan sat down on the bed beside him, and handed over asmall cup of tea. "Drink steadily. It'll help." And he put his armwarmly around the young man as he drank a bit.
Too bad for Anakin that Ryanth Root did not come in a tea form, forthe Padawan Learner did not seem to enjoy the taste of tea. He pulleda face after a few sips and coughed. Then he made to drink more. Butthe pause was long enough to make his nose tickle violently, and itwas all he could do to let go over the cup and command it to hang inmid air as he sneezed. "heh-Ehshhh! ehhhCheshh! Heh...ehhhChishh!EhhhKeshh! HehChishh!" Anakin cupped his hand to the lower half ofhis countenance and continued to sneeze. "heh-CHISH! Ehh...ehhh-Keshh!Chishh! Cheshh! huh-Chishh!"
Obi-Wan smiled, taking the tea, which tipped a bit asAnakin's control faltered a bit during each sneeze. He held a hand onthe man's back and brought the cup to his mouth. "You must keepdrinking, or you'll have more fits of sneezing like this."
Anakin managed to drink, and soon the tickle in his nose dieddown. He yawned and looked up at Obi-Wan. "You could have ward beabout that."
Obi-Wan, exercising great self restraint in not laughing atthe young man's congested speech, replied, "And you could havefollowed my directions more closely." He watched the man yawnagain. "It'll help you sleep as long as you need to, my Padawan." Hetook the empty teacup in exchange for the handkerchief. And, sensingthe young man's feelings to some extent, he offered, "Blow your noseand come here. I know I'm not as lovely as Senator Amidala, but I cankeep you warm." He patted his thigh and helped shift the blankets.
Obeying, Anakin snuggled up to his master, resting his headin the man's lap. Obi-Wan stroked his Padawan's arm soothinglythrough the blankets. While they two had never enjoyed a relationshipas close and as caring as Obi-Wan had had with Qui-Gon, they wereclose in other ways. And Obi-Wan hoped that as Anakin recovered fromthis illness, he would be able to reflect fondly on this closeness.
"Thadk you, Baster Obi-Wad," he said softly, just beforeanother yawn.
Obi-Wan patted the man's arm, then stroked his head a fewtimes. He picked up Anakin's braid, wrapping it around his finger afew times, remarking as to the length. He remembered the first timehe'd ever braided it for the boy. Young, scared, alone. Both ofthem. "I just want you to get better, Ani. You do that for me, allright?" He sent a gentle wave of reassuring healing to his Padawan,who nodded. Anakin closed his eyes with yet another yawn, draped hisgood arm over Obi-Wan's legs in a sort of lose hug, and quickly feelinto a deep, assisted sleep.
The End
They're not mine! I have no affiliation with George Lucas and I don't get a cent from this!