Ezra and Zeb had been at each other’s throats all morning. The two had been arguing about anything and everything - who was the better shooter, who Chopper liked better, what color Sabine should dye her hair next. Frankly, it was getting on everyone’s nerves. Sabine and Kanan had already disappeared from the Ghost - the former making an excuse about needing inspiration, the latter needing a quiet place to meditate.

You had barricaded yourself in the cockpit with Hera, desperate to get away from the chatter. Despite being on the other side of the ship, you two could still hear their bickering through the closed cockpit door. 

“No, I’m telling you, she should dye her hair pink!”

“Are you dumb? Purple is obviously the way to go.”

“It’s purple right now, you idiot.”

With a roll of your eyes, you glanced over at Hera from where you sat in the co-pilot’s seat. You found her already looking at you with a mischievous smile. You raised your eyebrows curiously at her, “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking I’m ready for some quiet,” she responded with a laugh.

You laughed along with her as she told you the plan - she would send them to find meilooruns. The fruit wasn’t unheard of on Lothal, but it was certainly rare to find. It would get the two out of the ship and likely cause them to be away for a while. It was genius. 

Zeb and Ezra hadn’t objected to the ‘mission,’ seeing it as another opportunity to try and one up each other. Zeb thought he’d be able to find two. Ezra bet he could find four. You and Hera nodded along to their promises of meilooruns, all the while giving each other glances of amusement.

You had tried to hold back your laugh as the two departed from the Ghost. “I doubt you’ll be able to find four meilooruns, but I admire your determination anyway,” you had said.

Hours later, Zeb and Ezra were the last to return to the Ghost - with six meilooruns, one for each of the crew. You hadn’t been able to hide your laugh as he handed you the fruit, making sure his hand grazed yours for a moment longer than necessary.

“It seems I underestimated you, Ezra.”

“I do love to prove you wrong,” he had responded.

Oh, how you missed the days of traversing the universe with your best friends, your family. It had been years since you all were in the same place. Sabine was stationed on Lothal. Zeb was flying missions for the Republic. Kanan and Ezra were… gone. The only ones you saw regularly were Hera and Chopper.

You run your thumb over where Ezra stands in the photo with a sad smile. He stood next to you, holding a meiloorun in one hand while the opposite arm was draped around your shoulder. Your head was leaning against his, thrown back in laughter. You missed him dearly. It had been over a decade since he had saved the galaxy. Over a decade since you had last laid eyes on him. Over a decade since you had made the biggest mistake of your life by not telling him you loved him. 

You had both been 17 during that final battle with Thrawn. With the war raging on and a battle around every corner, you hadn’t thought your feelings to be of the most importance. There were other things to worry about at any given moment. In your youthful ignorance, you had always expected to have another day together, to have a lifetime together. You had never expected to lose him and that loss had haunted you every day since. Not a day went by that you didn’t think of the young Jedi and what could’ve been.

You’re brought out of your reminiscing by the faint beep of your comm device. You grumble as you reach for your discarded jacket, pulling the beeping device out of its pocket. So much for your moment of peace.

You accept the call with a sigh, “Lieutenant General.”

Hera says your name softly and it causes you to sit up. You hadn’t heard her sound so hopeful since….well you can’t remember when. 

“What is it?” you ask softly.

“There’s an unregistered ship asking to land. They’re coming from undocumented space,” she responds.

You’re already standing and grabbing your uniform off the floor, quickly putting it back on. “Ahsoka… and Sabine?”

“I hope so,” Hera responds. “I’ll meet you in the hangar bay.”

Of course, the hangar is on the complete other side of the cruiser. You go running across the cruiser, praying to the Maker that the unidentified vessel held your two friends. You had been there when Ahsoka left this galaxy in the mouth of a Purgil, hoping to find Sabine. And you had been worried about both of them since. Nobody had traversed space in that manor before. Maybe she found Thrawn and Ezra, too. Ezra. The thought nearly causes you to stumble but you push forward making it to the hangar just in time to see the ramp come down from the ship. Down comes one trooper with armor unlike any you had seen before.

You stay in the shadows by the hangar door for a minute, observing the moment as it unfolds from across the large room. You watch Hera and a handful of others raise their weapons at the stranger, who appears to be by himself. You watch as Chopper rushes forward to greet the newcomer, seemingly finding the person familiar. Your heart is racing now and you step from the shadows to join the others, not wanting to miss out on the action. You’re halfway to the group when the stranger removes their helmet to reveal the face of Ezra Bridger.

You gasp and your knees go weak, causing you to stop dead in your tracks. How is he here? Where was Ahsoka and Sabine? What had happened? Hearing your gasp, Hera turns her head to where you stand, causing Ezra to glance your way as well. When your eyes meet it feels like the whole galaxy vanishes. You’re taken back to being 17, crushing on the goofy boy who liked to argue.

You’re immediately moving again, running full speed toward the boy you lost years ago. When you reach him, you jump into his arms, causing him to stumble backwards. Your arms are wrapped around his neck, your legs around his waist. You feel the rumble of Ezra’s chuckle against your chest as his arms wrap around you tightly. You can’t help the sob that comes from you as you bury your head into his neck.

You both stay like that for a moment, relishing the physical presence of each other after over 10 long years apart. It’s you that speaks first, your voice coming out in between sniffles.

“Please tell me this isn't a dream,” you breathe against his skin, “That you’re real.”

Ezra brushes his thumb across your back as he leans his head against yours.

“I’m real,” he says softly. “I’m home.”

Just the sound of his voice causes more tears to slip from your eyes. Ezra is still holding you up, both of you oblivious to Hera still standing next to both of you, a massive smile on her face.

“I thought you were dead,” you whisper, pulling your head away from his neck so you can see his face.

Ezra laughs, a beautiful sight and sound to you, and a devilish smirk appears on his face, “I’ve never been happier to prove you wrong.”

You shake your head with a laugh, your memory drifting back to meilooruns. Lots of things had changed while Ezra was gone. Each of you were older, wiser. Each of you had experiences that had shaped you, motivated you, pained you. No longer were you the young rebels of the past. But maybe some things from that time together remained - the memories, the lessons, the love.

You had once joked with Ezra that he could never find interest in you. But as you stand in front of him now, taking in the way his face has matured, the way his hair has grown and and the way he looks at you as if you’re the most precious thing in the world, you’re not so sure.

Now, as you stood across from the man you had loved, and thought you lost, you knew why the Force had willed you to listen. Surely, where Obi-Wan Kenobi went, the Empire was to follow. But for the first time in what seems like forever, you choose to forget about the inquisitors and the promise of death, focusing only on the Jedi in front of you and the time you had with him now.

You don’t really remember seeing him again for the first time. You don’t remember his name leaving your lips. You don’t remember hearing him call for you, either. You do, however, remember the way he smiles, eyes lighting up as his gaze meets yours, as if the years hadn’t passed cruelly. You remember moving swiftly, nearly knocking NED-B over in the process, to throw your arms around him. You remember the way he chuckles softly and returns your embrace.

You both sit in the moment for a while, a peace falling over the two of you. Obi-Wan runs his hand through your hair, whispering that he missed you, that he can’t believe you’re here in front of him. You return the adoration by snuggling into his chest, making you feel as if you were still the young Knight back on Coruscant sneaking soft touches with the Jedi Master you loved. It’s a soft, tender reunion - one that you’re sure you'll remember for the rest of your life.

After what feels like forever, you pull away from him. You glance around the room, and upon noticing it’s empty, thank the Maker that the others had given you the moment alone with Obi-Wan you had so deeply desired for years.

You reach up to place your hand on the side of Obi-Wan’s face, tears still glistening in your eyes, “Obi, you’re alive.”

He laughs and you notice there's a gloss in his eyes that matches your own. The ghosts of tears now gone are still present on his cheeks.

“I go by Ben now,” he says, causing you to quirk your eyebrow in amusement before he continues, “but yes I am, and so are you. But how?”

The pain you see in his eyes following his question confirms he’s asking about that fateful night at the temple. As wonderful and tender as this reunion is, you know it’s also shrouded in a shared, but unspoken, pain and confusion. It’s obvious you both had thought the other to be dead up until now - and the questions of your revealed survival remained.

You sigh and take his hand, leading him toward a small sitting area that sits along the far wall of the safe room. You both find a place on the small bench, his hand finding your knee in comfort, and your hand falling over his, fingers intertwining.

“I almost didn’t survive,” you say softly, “I… well, I…”

Your words come out choked as you picture the scene that so often plagues you. Obi-Wan senses your discomfort and squeezes your hand softly. You look up at him and offer a nod, understanding what he’s asking for despite no words being spoken. You close your eyes and lay your head on his shoulder. It had been years since the two of you had used your Force connection like this, but you are unwilling to speak of your nightmares. You hope the Force wills him to see what you are unable to say.

And he sees it all.

He sees the image of a hooded figure, turning to face you and revealing itself to be Anakin. He sees you fighting for your life. He sees Anakin hovering over your weak form, lightsaber ready to strike. He sees you gather the strength to block one last blow and make your exit, despite your injuries and the burns from the saber on your shoulder.

And you see as well.

You see a heated conversation between brothers. You see Obi-Wan pleading for Anakin to stop. You see Anakin, unwilling to yield and ready to use his power. You see fighting, you see pain. You see Obi-Wan strike a final time, leaving Anakin laying crumpled on the ground. You see Anakin’s yellow eyes, scorning Obi-Wan for the last time.

Obi-Wan’s voice is what brings you back to reality.

“I’m so sorry, darling,” he whispers, remorse and sadness falling from his words.

You frown and shake your head. You turn your body to face him, your hand leaving his to cradle the side of his face.

“Don’t apologize. We both did what we needed to.”

He nods at this and you both return to a comfortable silence, taking a moment in the aftermath of revelation to truly see each other for the first time in years..

You notice the wrinkles around his eyes, the product of older age, that grow more prominent when he smiles.

He notices the beauty in the sadness found in your eyes, the result of hiding away for years and hearing the stories of the many on the run.

You notice the way his beard has become fuller, allowing him to look more of a man, rather than the boy you used to know.

He notices that you still wear the bracelet he gifted you all those years ago, and his heart swells at the realization.

You discover that despite these small changes, you still love him.

He realizes that nothing, not even years apart, could change the way he feels. He still loves you.

You’re smiling at each other, Obi-Wan is leaning in, and then….

…. a shift in the force. One so sudden and dark that it causes you both to jump back from each other. Obi-Wan gasps in what seems like pain. It’s a feeling that echoes in your chest - it feels menacing, purposeful, familiar.

Tala, hearing the commotion, comes running back into the main room, calling your names, Leia in tow. But you can’t focus on her - or on anything that isn’t this energy that’s consuming you.

You shuffle over to the door separating the safe room from the main building. You quickly open it and stumble your way through, the pain in your heading only worsening as you approach the front door. Obi-Wan is behind you, as well as Tala and Leia. The four of you glance out the slits in the door and find chaos, Inquisitors, and worse, DarthVader. When your saber had called out to you this morning, you had expected Inquisitors. You had not expected a Sith Lord.

The next few seconds feel like they pass by in slow motion. You listen as Obi-Wan tells Leia to go back to the safe room. You watch as Vader walks up the street, closer to you. Your blood runs cold as the Sith easily kills multiple innocent townspeople. You watch in horror as he continues to walk, unphased, toward where you hid. If you could sense him in the Force, surely he could sense you.

“Obi,” you whisper urgently, forgetting his new alias, “We need to get you out of here, now.”

He stands still, unmoving. You sigh and turn to Tala, who is already moving back into the safe room and opening the tunnels, “Get them to the hangar. Our pilot should be waiting, I’ll buy you some time but you need to move quickly.”

Suddenly, Obi-Wan is behind you, a gentle hand landing on your shoulder as he passes by. He speaks in hushed words to Tala, who nods and takes Leia’s hand and begins running into the tunnels leading to their escape. He, however, returns to stand next to you at the door.

“Are you crazy? You need to go!” you whisper.

“I wasn’t leaving you to face him alone,” he counters, grabbing your hand, “I won’t ever leave you alone again.”

You let out a playful sigh and look up at him, “I love you, you know.”

“I never stopped loving you.”

You give him a sad smile and squeeze his hand. You had only just reunited and now your relationship was threatened yet again. You hoped that you would both get out of this alive. Neither of you had fought since your individual battles against Anakin Skywalker. You were stronger then, you were sharper, more in tune with the Force. And while you were certain that Darth Vader was stronger than Anakin, and you and Obi were not as experienced as you used to be, you still had an advantage in this new battle.

You had each other.