#kingdomvel

“There you are,” Qui-Gon’s voice made him look behind him. His brother was holding a little board with Obi-Wan’s name just like a cliché from a movie. He even seemed amused by the fact, as if he couldn’t believe himself that he was doing it. Obi-Wan wouldn’t have thought twice about it, but there was something about the way the board was decorated, with small spaceships and planes surrounding Obi-Wan’s name that spoke of a story for it that made Obi-Wan curious enough. “I was afraid your flight had been delayed. Come along, I have my car parked outside.” 

They caught up as Qui-Gon put Obi-Wan’s luggage in the trunk, and as they drove away from Ezeiza, the highway thankfully was not full. “We can’t be late, I have a previous arrangement.” Qui-Gon had explained. 

“And what that arrangement may be?” Obi-Wan teased, a smirk on his face as his brother huffed a chuckle and changed lanes. “Has your husband finally decided to be a romantic?” “We both know Dooku would never.” Qui-Gon shot back. “No, Anakin is coming over today and I want everything ready before he arrives.” 

The name sparked something inside Obi-Wan. “You still meet with him?” Anakin had been Qui-Gon’s student when he was in high school and they had bonded over the subject Qui-Gon had taught back then. As he grew up, he often kept visiting the man even after graduating, seeking advice and comfort. Eventually, a friendship had been established, with Qui-Gon often inviting Anakin for tea while he studied in university. Both Obi-Wan and Dooku had been dubious about their strange friendship, but Qui-Gon had always been great at ignoring everyone and doing whatever he wanted and it seemed like Anakin had benefited greatly from Qui-Gon’s guidance. 

“Even more now than before, his kids love colouring with me.” 

“He has kids now?” Obi-Wan had met Anakin eventually, and had understood why his brother had taken him under his wing. Temperamental and moody, the then nineteen-year-old seemed to soften under Qui-Gon’s calm demeanor. And in turn, it seemed like Qui-Gon rejoiced in sharing conversation with someone that matched his interests in mechanics and engineering. He may have enjoyed talking literature with his husband and philosophy with his brother, but Anakin also provided Qui-Gon with something related to his own field of study. 

“Yes, he got married two years ago. Sadly, his wife passed away during childbirth. I don’t think being a single father so young must be easy so I’ve been offering extra support.” “Only extra?” Obi-Wan wondered. “Is he getting help from somewhere else?” “Of course, his stepbrother took him back in when rent became too expensive and I think he has a cousin that babysits here and there.” Qui-Gon explained. “The children also go to kindergarten and swimming class. And of course, they come to play sometimes.” 

Obi-Wan thought back to the cardboard decorations back in the airport, it all made sense now. “It’s wild to think about Anakin with children and a life now.” 

Qui-Gon didn’t answer, just chuckled and nodded. 

—

The bell rang as Qui-Gon turned off the gas and dropped the water into the thermos. “That must be Anakin, can you let him in?” 

Obi-Wan got up from the stool he was sitting in and let Qui-Gon grab the yerba and the mate. 

He heard childish voices from the other side of the door, among a much deeper one answering, and checked the peephole by reflex before opening.

“Hi, Anakin, it’s been a while,” he began, as the man looked up from his children and blinked confusedly at him. The two kids at both of his sides had fallen quiet at the sight of Obi-Wan, most likely shy at the new stranger. 

“Obi-Wan?” Anakin asked, unsure like Obi-Wan had never heard him before. 

“In the flesh,” he answered, opening the door wider and gesturing with his free arm. “Please come inside, I don’t want you three to get cold. Qui-Gon is inside.” 

Anakin looked down at his children, who were gripping his pants like their life depended on it. “Come on, say hi like I taught you.” 

“Oh there is no need—” He didn’t even get to finish the phrase, the kids had already slipped by him without a word. Anakin sighed and shook his head, before letting himself inside too. 

“I’m sorry, we're working on being polite with people they are not familiar with.” He explained, taking off his coat. “It’s taking a while.” Obi-Wan laughed good naturedly. “We all go through that stage, I refused to kiss my aunts hello for years! My mother did not appreciate it at all.” 

Anakin answered with a small smile and it tugged at Obi-Wan’s heart. He remembered Anakin at nineteen. He had had more baby fat on his cheeks then, but even at that time, he had been a gorgeous young man. He was sure Qui-Gon had tried to play matchmaker but it had come to nothing. While admitting Anakin was beautiful had not been particularly hard, Obi-Wan had refused to act on his attraction, their age difference something he worried about. People already commented on Qui-Gon and Anakin’s friendship to add a wild romance with the remaining brother to the mix. 

He had grown taller in the years that had passed. His hair now fell in wild curls to his shoulders and his features had become more refined, though Obi-Wan did not miss the deeper bags under his eyes, probably a result of being a single parent of twins. 

“Give me a second and I’ll be polite myself,” Anakin teased, before putting a hand next to his mouth and loudly saying: “Luke! Leia! Come and get your coats off before bothering Qui-Gon!” 

Obi-Wan heard twin groans before the pitter-patter of their feet running towards the door again. Anakin rolled his eyes at Obi-Wan with a complicit smile before kneeling down and catching the first kid in his arms as he crashed against his body. “Hi, Luke, let’s take this off so you can go play, alright?” 

The boy nodded eagerly and hummed under his breath as his father helped him out. His sister had arrived in the meantime, and she was looking up at Obi-Wan less fearfully now. Obi-Wan smiled and exclaimed “Hello there!” She startled a bit and stayed quiet, until his father turned to look at her. “What do we say, Leia?” With the tiniest voice, she waved back as she said: “Hi!” before quickly hiding her hands behind her again. By that time, Anakin had finished with Luke and gestured to her to get closer. Luke stayed standing close to his father, not looking up at Obi-Wan at all. 

“Now, Luke, it’s your turn.” The kid shook his head and pouted. Anakin frowned but didn’t turn towards him, instead keeping his focus on Leia. “Come on, he won’t bite you.” The second push didn’t work either. Obi-Wan was about to tell Anakin that, really, he did not mind the children ignoring him but Anakin was faster. “You don’t want to make Qui-Gon’s brother sad, do you?” It worked like a magic spell. Both kids looked at Obi-Wan, the new information piquing their curiosity. And then, hiding a bit more behind his father, Luke said “Hi.” 

“Hello, Luke, nice to meet you.” Considering the niceties done, the kids turned and left for the kitchen where Qui-Gon still was. Anakin got up and smiled at Obi-Wan again. “We’ll work on the kisses next time.” 

–

Heavy rain poured down making anything hard to be seen. With that in mind, Obi-Wan drove with special care, even when the streets were almost empty. As he stopped at a red light, movement on the sidewalk caught his attention. Two kids were jumping around in heavy raincoats, uncaring about the rain or the cold weather. A couple of steps behind them, their parent held two colourful umbrellas over a curly haired head, taking advantage of the children’s eagerness to play. 

Could someone be embarrassed from recognising someone by their hair? Obi-Wan pondered about it as he lowered the right car window and leaned over to scream “Anakin!,” making the man turn around and almost drop one of his children’s umbrellas when trying to wave at him. “Do you need a ride?”

Five minutes later, he had two kids in his backseat, soaking the seats while cheerfully arguing on how to put on their seatbelts. Anakin had thanked him profusely before he told Obi-Wan where to go and focused on calming down his children. 

The kids had loosened up around Obi-Wan since that first meeting at Qui-Gon’s. It had helped that Obi-Wan had been there the other two times Anakin had dropped by and that his colouring skills had been deemed appropriate for the twins. 

“You must stay for a coffee after that favour, Obi-Wan,” Anakin told him as they stopped in front of a building’s glass door. Behind them, the twins cheered at Anakin’s proposal and Obi-Wan sighed. 

“Only a coffee, I don’t want to impose.” –

Anakin’s apartment was much tidier than what Obi-Wan would have expected from a single man living with two young children, but then again, Anakin had always been neat in his own spaces when he wasn’t in the middle of an exam period. 

Luke and Leia scrambled away, probably hiding in their room, as Anakin led him towards the kitchen and made him sit on a stool. He began setting the coffee machine up while humming under his breath and Obi-Wan relaxed against the wall. 

“This place is lovely, Anakin,” Obi-Wan commented, signalling for one sugar when Anakin showed him the sugar can. 

“All thanks to Padmé,” Anakin shrugged. “I mean, we chose the decoration and furniture together but she was the one with enough money to actually find us a place to buy instead of renting.” Qui-Gon had filled Obi-Wan in regarding Anakin’s dead wife situation so he could avoid messing up when talking with the man but he hadn’t expected Anakin to so casually bring her up. 

At his silence, Anakin turned and quickly deduced what had quietened Obi-Wan. He smiled sadly. “Qui-Gon told you about Padmé, I see. I miss her dearly but I’ve been working through it with my therapist.” He turned around to grab two small mugs and continued. “Don’t tell Qui-Gon, though, I’m not ready to admit to him that I’m going yet.” 

“I don’t think he would judge you, he’s your friend, after all.” Obi-Wan jumped in to defend his brother. 

“Oh, I know, it’s just that I still can’t believe it myself so I need a bit more time.” 

They moved on from that as Anakin made them move towards the sitting room. Obi-Wan told Anakin about some of his trips, and he in turn filled the holes in Qui-Gon’s retell of their shared history since Obi-Wan had left. 

“You know,” Anakin began casually, staring out the huge window where rain still fell with fury. “I used to have a huge crush on you when I was younger.” 

He side-glanced at Obi-Wan to gauge his reaction. And for a moment, Obi-Wan was not a much older man drinking coffee with his own brother’s much younger friend, but a single, lonely man who had returned to his home country because he missed it and had a gorgeous man saying he used to like him so long ago. 

So, as any sensible person would do, he choked on his coffee and had to cough for a while as Anakin chuckled at his misery. It took him several minutes to compose himself, straightening up as Anakin gently patted his back. He took a deep breath and then risked another sip of what remained of his coffee before turning towards Anakin again. “Used to?”

Anakin’s eyes widened as Obi-Wan realised what he had actually said. Blushing, he clumsily thrust the almost empty cup into Anakin’s hands and stood up. “Well, I have overstayed my welcome, I need to go back home, Qui-Gon must be waiting for me and…” “Obi-Wan,” Anakin interrupted his tirade of excuses, standing up as well. “If you’re interested we can…” He paused, unsure on how to continue. “I mean, that is to say, maybe we could actually go out, uh, for a drink?” 

He cringed at himself and looked down towards the cup. “I mean, nevermind, I didn’t actually….” “I would like that.” Obi-Wan cut him off. “I always thought your relationship with Qui-Gon was a bit strange.” He began, doing his best to ignore how Anakin cringed again at his words. “But he always told me I would have to get to know you before making my opinion. And seeing your bond remain after all these years, even becoming stronger with your children… I think I may enjoy getting to actually know you, Anakin.”