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split-spectrum · 2 days
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Concessions
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Chapter 3
Pairing: Obi Wan/FemReader
Tags: SMUT (MDNI), oral sex (male receiving), orgasm denial, dubcon, noncon, Obi Wan gets chained to the wall and edged within an inch of his life
Description: Obi Wan chooses to undertake a trial that prevents him from sex for one year, and asks you to serve as his witness. As his close friend, you don't mind helping him.
☆☆☆
You should end this. 
For the sake of your friendship. For the promise you'd made to help him finish the Nikkama. For your own sanity. You should really end the call. But it seems too cruel, now, after what you've done. 
When you'd sent the pictures, the most you'd expected out of him had been irritation. Your goal had been to disrupt his thoughts; possibly to ruin his day with distraction, the way he'd ruined yours. Revenge may not be the Jedi way, but sometimes with Obi Wan it's so difficult not to give in to the urge to tease; to toy with him. Now, the only question left is how far you're willing to go to atone.
The right thing to do would be to shut off your commlink. To look into his glassy eyes, ignore his indecent, combative gaze, and click that impossibly merciful button. But no matter how long your finger rests at it, you can't bring yourself to press down. 
Obi Wan hasn't said another word. He's hardly moved. But what little patience may have remained in his expression when he'd answered is now gone. The deep blue of his irises is hidden within the gradient of the hologram, but the black of his stretched pupils is easy to pick up when he widens his eyes accusingly. As if to say, "Well?"
He's waiting, against his will, to be put out of his misery. Cut him loose; end the call, or...
"Give me a moment."
You shut off your commlink before he can respond, then dress yourself, tying your robes with clumsy, hurried fingers, and slip quietly out into the hallway.
Trying to remain true to your promise of only a moment while keeping your footsteps soft enough not to wake any of the other Jedi in their quarters, you reach Obi Wan's door, rapping twice before he opens it. You find him in a state of half-undress, trousers fastened at his waist, but mid-section still bare. He's pulled his arms through his light undershirt, still working on wrapping it around his torso and tucking it as he steps back from the door to let you in. 
"You're dressed," you say, struggling to keep your voice steady as you walk forward, closing the distance between you. "I said I would only be a moment."
He finishes tucking his shirt, the open neckline still giving ample view of the soft curls that are begging you to run your hands over his chest. "Yes, but a moment for what, you didn't quite say."
You look down his body, backing him toward the corner of a wooden dresser near the doorway. You line your hips up with his, watching as he mirrors you, either consciously or subconsciously. "You're awfully clever, Obi Wan. Let's not pretend it wasn't obvious."
His bright pink lips hang slightly open when he stares down at your hands, traveling upward. The blush begins to creep into his face. "I... couldn't possibly be so presumptuous."
Your hands find his stomach, your noses now inches apart, and the soft smirk on your face evaporates when you draw your gaze back up to his. Using your thumb to peel open his shirt, you loosen it from his waistband and slide your other hand across the warmth of his skin, feeling him shudder at the contact. 
Your lips naturally gravitate towards his, when suddenly a thought stops you painfully short: This isn't a passion-soaked tryst between two lovers. This isn't the closing of a romance that's long been harbored beneath the working partnership of two friends. This is you, helping him find relief, and nothing more. 
You drag your eyes away from his mouth, down to his neck, and the urge gushes to taste the skin there, too. Instead, you pull back while turning your hand down into his waistband. His eyes, which had been fixed on your face, roll to the ceiling. 
"You shouldn't-" He shifts, rubbing up against the dresser. "This is hardly-" he tries, not finishing either thought. 
One of his hands comes up to the small of your back, touching you with a respectful lack of weight or pressure, somewhere between holding you closer and warning you off. When you slither your palm between his legs and stroke it over the hot, dribbling length of him, though, he changes his grip. He grabs your waist and squeezes, looking down between your bodies, watching you touch him. 
You hadn't realized until now just how much you'd wanted his hands on you. Feeling him grip you hard, pulling you closer as his hips start to shallowly draw up with each pull of your hand - you're starting to ache. Bending the fingers of your other hand around the fabric, you start to pull down his trousers. 
His hand flies to your wrist, and you freeze. His eyes are closed, his breaths shallow. He shakes his head, almost imperceptibly. 
"No," he pants. "No, we- we can't."
He opens his eyes and you nearly pull away before you catch the way he's looking at you. It's clear he's being serious. But there's also... something else. A certain kind of frustration; almost desperation. 
You flatten your hand, grazing it over him, watching his eyes go foggy and his brows knead tight. He doesn't let go of your wrist, but he doesn't pull away. 
Suddenly, it all makes sense - why he chose you to help him in this; to be his witness. 
He trusts you. And more importantly, he knows you. He knows that when he needs it, you'll find a way to bend the rules, while allowing him to keep his lofty ideals intact. Because you've done it in the past, time and time again.
Though he'd never admit it, your willingness to compromise has often been an asset to him. You could skirt the rules, blurring the edges of the safe, moral choices, while he got to feign uninvolvement. Whether intentional or not, he'd chosen you because some part of him knew this.
And lucky for him, you know a path you can take, just as you always do. 
"Obi Wan, let me ask you something," you say, enjoying the unsteady breath he takes when you slide your thumb slowly up and down his shaft. "Do you trust me?"
You graze his head, then slip your hand away, and he drops your wrist, immediately gripping the edge of the dresser behind him. He gathers himself, and eventually, he nods. "Yes. Of course."
You straighten up, fixing his clothing back in place. "I hope you're not about to change your mind. Because I have an idea."
--
A few minutes later, after you've convinced him into one of the small cargo ships the jedi temple keeps on hand for communal use, Obi Wan is no further enlightened on the details, and he's starting to lose patience. 
"And why can you not just tell me the location?"
You force an easy smile, though your stomach is buzzing with anticipation. You need him to have faith that you know what you're doing. And you do. You convince yourself that you do. "I already gave you the coordinates."
You'd sent them directly from your commlink to the navicomputer, yet Obi Wan had insisted on flying manually. He glances down at the screen in front of him, with glowing numbers and no map. "Yes, somewhere in the Federal District. Very helpful. Is there a reason you haven't chosen to be more specific?"
With a smirk, you answer, "As I said before, you're clever enough to know the answer to that."
He glances out the window, clearly suppressing a scowl, then brings his attention back to the lane in front of him, shifting a hand to adjust his speed. "In other words, I won't like it."
You press your lips together, watching the shadows roll over him as you speed through the flashing lights of Coruscant nightlife.
"I never said that." You pause. "But you certainly wouldn't approve of it."
He shoots you another look, then brings his gaze forward again as you reach your destination. He can't take his eyes away from the monitor since he's in the middle of landing, but his scowl grows more pronounced. The Center for Republic Military Operations looms in front of you. 
"What in blazes are we doing here?"
"I thought you were trusting me."
He follows you down the ramp, keeping his voice low. "Yes, but the extent of my trust is rather proportional to the circumstance." He nods at a passing Coruscant Guard solider, then catches up to you. "And at the moment, they're about even."
You just smile. "Good. I can work with that."
You turn to enter the main building, Obi Wan trailing close behind. More soliders pass you on either side of the hallway as you make your way to security check-in. You walk past the manned stations and head straight to the automated keycard wall. You find the number you're looking for and enter your security code.
"You've dragged me here to work an extra shift in the detention cells?"
At that, you can't help but smile wider. You pick up the key card when it appears in the slot, then brush past him to head down the hallway. "In a manner of speaking."
You get the attention of one of the guardsmen as you near the end of the cell block. "Officer, we're conducting an investigation and we need to inspect cell 98. Please tell the other guards we are not to be disturbed."
The guard accepts your orders, assuring you they'll be passed along, and continues on his way. You swipe the keycard and, hesitatingly, Obi Wan follows you inside. You look both ways down the hall before closing the door, double-checking the lock. 
"Well, if you were looking for privacy, you've certainly found it, but that wasn't-"
"I wasn't looking for privacy," you interrupt, stepping toward him and reaching out. He looks around warily, but allows you closer. You take his wrists in your hands, walking him back. "I thought about what you said."
He raises his brows, saying nothing as you clasp around him gently at first, then start to firm your grip. "I do want to help you through this." 
His eyes widen and he glances behind you to the empty walls of the cell. "You don't need to-"
"Oh, I know that," you tell him sweetly, then press his arms upward. 
He pushes back, shaking his head as his back hits the wall. He hisses your name in admonishment. "The cams."
"Are broken," you assure him, lifting his arms above his head as his resistance lessens. "And the cells are soundproof, as you know."
"How do you-"
You activate the switch on the wall beside his hands. "I was down here last week with Master Sinube. We had to move some prisoners and we couldn't use this cell for that reason." The binders glow softly above Obi Wan's head. "Cams won't be fixed until next week."
He follows your gaze upward and a beat of silence passes. You wait for him to protest. You wait for him to rip his arms down and push you off. But all he does is drop his gaze and let out a low breath of air. The sound he makes, sighing softly through his nose, is disapproving, but the intensity of his stare betrays what he really wants. 
You press the button, locking the binders around his wrists, then stare back at him, watching the emotions swirl in his eyes. It's like you can see him traveling through all the same thoughts you'd had when this idea had come to you back in his quarters.
In any other scenario he would be giving in. He'd be at fault for not stopping you. But now... You've taken away his choice. You've lifted that burden from his shoulders. All he can do is protest. And you're ready to see if he's willing to do so, or pretend innocence as he's done so many times before.
You sink to your knees in front of him, sliding your palms down to his thighs, then running your hands up beneath his tunic. Your fingers curl at his waist, slowly dragging his clothes down, and you feel his cock twitch when you graze your thumb over the bunched fabric. You snap your eyes up, waiting from him to say the word. 
His chest is rising and falling with quick, shallow breaths. His eyes are piercing you with an aching, tight-jawed, guilty look. But he's silent.
Overwhelmingly, obliteratingly silent. 
You finally free him, staring with an obscene lack of restraint at the glossy river of precum soaking down the side of his dick. 
"Oh," you murmur softly. "Obi Wan..."
At the edge of your view, you see his eyes flutter heavily when you say his name. You gently settle your fingers around him, enjoying his soft breath of relief. Sliding your thumb up along his shaft, you spread out the slick, coating more of his skin. 
This should be a utilitarian exercise in urgency. You should be using your hand to get him off, hard and fast. But you left 'should' behind a long time ago. So you slowly turn your wrist, pumping your hand a few times, not with any real pressure, just for the pleasure of running up and down the full length of him. Then you lick your palm and do it again, listening to him suck air above you. 
You swallow, caught gazing up at him, and have to urge yourself to keep going. You want to go slow; wring out of him every carnal desire he's pent up for the last several months. But you're already pushing it by drawing it out this long, and part of you is still afraid he'll ask you to stop. 
When you finally lower your mouth to his pulsing, straining cockhead, you suck at the tip, flicking your eyes up to look at him again. His hairline is dark with sweat and he's panting like he's losing an agonizing battle. You lock onto his gaze and flatten your tongue to lap slowly at the slit of his cock, watching his eyes widen as your mouth drops open to swirl lazy circles. 
"You taste so good," you drawl before slipping your lips around him, suckling softly. 
"Ah- hmm..." That earns you a sound something like a sudden, abrupt hum. Like he's trying to get ahold of himself before words begin to fall out. 
You drag your lips back up to the tip, then spread them wide and push his head inside the wet heat of your mouth. He goes rigid. Closing your eyes, you focus on giving him all the warm, soft pressure he needs. You engulf his thick head like he's going to pull away at any moment, hollowing your cheeks to suck him sweetly, realizing to your dismay that you could do this for hours.
When you open your throat and take him deeper at last, he rewards you with a loud, plaintive groan. He hits the back of your throat, making you gag for a moment, tears springing to your eyes. You squeeze your legs together, soaking between them, and swallow his twitching cock. You make a small sound in the back of your throat as you wrap your hand around him and start to bob your head, one hand pushing into the back of his leg to bring him closer and the other hand drowning in your own spit, pressed tight below your mouth and running over the length of him as you find your rhythm. 
"Stars-" he grinds out. You open your throat and take him even deeper, watching his mouth fall open at first, and then watching him snap it shut to look down at you, face screwed up in a pained expression. His eyes crinkle hard at the edges and his brows pin together, a deep line creasing his face between them. 
"This feel good?" you pop your mouth off for a moment to ask him. "You can tell me."
You slide him back in, falling right back into your rhythm, waiting for an answer. But he says nothing. You want to be generous. You want to keep going. In fact, nothing could possibly make you want to stop. But you need to hear him say it just once. You won't be doing this again, and you can't pass up your one chance to hear him say that he liked it. That he wanted it. 
You feel his cock throb beneath your tongue, but he doesn't answer. You pull away again, pumping him with your hand. 
"Come on." You lower your voice. "You can say it."
His teeth are just visible when he opens his mouth, almost baring them at you. His gaze is somewhere between warning and pleading. 
"Tell me it feels good, Obi Wan." You're practically suffocating him with your mouth between interrogations, now. You squeeze him with your slippery hand, lips gliding over him in punishing, repetitive strokes. 
You gasp off, panting, "Does it feel good?"
"Yes," he moans. 
You're practically dripping, pulsing between your legs at the hoarse groan he lets out. You can't help it. You want to hear more. You pull off again. 
"Would you like me to keep going?"
His head lolls to the side and a harsh sigh escapes from deep in his chest, as if to say you know the answer. As if he's scolding you for asking it, and desperate not to reply. 
So you relent, and you give him back the slick, perfect heat of your mouth until he's bucking his hips softly with each dip of your head to meet you, and you look up again to see the wrecked look on his face. His cock is pulsing, his breath wild and ragged. It's like he's ready to come, but for some reason, he's holding back. 
Then you realize it. You haven't told him, and he can't ask.
"Mmf," you mumble, pulling his cock free of your mouth one last time to tell him, "You can come in my mouth, just like this. Please. Come down my throat."
"Oh, fucking-" he spits out, then seems to melt into your grip, hips falling out of rhythm as his head tilts up-
...only to snap it back down, his body curling in and shuddering violently to a stop when the door lock clicks open. 
His cock pops free of your mouth, bouncing when he jerks away, and you're already standing up and scrambling to put his clothes in place before your mind can fully register what's going on. 
The door swings open just as you desperately slap the button to free Obi Wan's hands and straighten your own clothes. A pair of soldiers look extremely surprised to see you. 
"Master Jedi," one of them says, trading his looks between you and Obi Wan, clearly not sure whom to address first. "I... I didn't know this cell was, um, occupied."
You take a step to the side, trying to block anything unprofessional in Obi Wan's appearance. "Yes, I checked in and gave orders not to disturb us. We are... investigating the... presence of the criminal who occupied this cell last week."
"I see," the guard answers. He doesn't seem suspicious to find you here. They both just seem put-off by your jumpy demeanor. 
"Yes, so if you would be so kind as to-"
"I'm sorry, ma'am, no one told us the orders. I've escorted the security technician down here to work on fixing the cams. I'm afraid you'll need to come back later."
"Oh, I..." you trail off.
"That's quite alright, gentlemen," Obi Wan finishes for you. "We can report our findings thus far. Have a nice evening."
He gestures calmly toward the door and you obediently join him in leaving, grateful for the end of the conversation. 
It's a long, stiff, quiet walk down the hallway. Thankfully, you don't cross paths with anyone else on the way out. You're nearly at the other end of the hall before you dare to lean in and whisper, "We can, um... We still have the ship."
He gives you a quick head shake in response, and you can feel the frustration in it. "For thirty more minutes before Master Fisto will be looking for it. We need to have it back at the dock before the next shift."
You take a breath, realizing that wasn't a 'no'. 
"Well," you say slowly; carefully. "We still have your quarters."
Back at his quarters, he can't pretend innocence anymore, but perhaps you've pushed him past that.
You wait. And wait. And he doesn't answer. 
And you board the ship. And he doesn't answer. 
And when you land back at the dock a few minutes later, you realize: He's given you his answer. 
--
A/N: The next chapter might be the last; possibly two more, depending on how long it ends up. Please feel free to comment or message me to be added to the tag list. :)
Taglist: @slinkygail @wheres-mylove @millercontracting @cacti5539 @b0xerdancer-writes
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split-spectrum · 3 days
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Lmaooo RIP Penchar was not the takeaway I expected but that has me dying. So true. He's probably halfway down the nexus route refreshing his texts like :/
"Who was Reader's master? I have questions for the Council."
And if I said Rael Averross? 🤔😏 KIDDING no but for real this reader is absolutely questionable
"I keep recalling things we never did
Messy top lip kiss
How I long for our trysts
Without ever touching his skin
How can I be guilty as sin?"
I'd never heard that song before, but wow you're so right! Thank you for the rec! Funny enough there's a line in the upcoming chapter where I use the word 'tryst' which I normally never would, so that's gotta be some type of psychic link haha
Anyway ugh you spoil me so much with your thoughtful comments, and I can't thank you enough!! 💛💛💛
Concessions
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Chapter 2
Pairing: Obi Wan/FemReader
Chapter Length: 3.4K
Warnings/Tags: edging, orgasm denial, sexting, masturbation, dubious consent
Description: Obi Wan chooses to undertake a trial that prevents him from sex for one year, and asks you to serve as his witness. As his close friend, you don't mind helping him. The rules of the trial are very clear. You make it your personal mission to find every exception.
☆☆☆
Sweeping a towel around your body, you smirk as your personal commlink chirps again. 
Hm, eager this time, you think, tucking the towel around your chest and watching the holoscreen illuminate with a text reply. 
It's not entirely a bad thing, his eagerness. Penchar is on world very infrequently, and your last meeting a year ago was rather to-the-point, which works well for both of you. His career as a merchant brings him to every corner of the galaxy, while the same goes for you as a Jedi. When your paths cross, you can usually find some no-strings enjoyment.
[if i make it into port next week, will you be around?]
You tap the side of your commlink with your finger, thinking over your schedule. You send back a non-commital response. It would be nice to make the time for it, but you can't be certain. 
[can i have a little preview, just in case?] his message reads in reply.
You press your lips together, staring down at the message, dripping wet and naked beneath your towel. His timing is impeccable. Taking only a short moment to think it over, you decide to indulge. 
You set the cam to auto, placing it across from your bed, on your nightstand. Then you peel away the towel and lie back, easing yourself into the soft blankets covering your bed. You fold an arm across your chest, pressing your breasts in close and giving a sultry smile. When you're satisfied with the handful of clicks the commlink emits, you pick it back up to look over your work.
You find the one you like - smile soft and eyes half-lidded as you brush the soft, dewy skin of your forearm arm against your nipples. You can't see much; only the tops of your breasts, but the angle is perfect and the light catches the curve of your cleavage nicely. 
You select the file, scroll down to his name in your contacts list, and press send. 
When you finish dressing a few minutes later, you check your commlink - no new messages - and blink in surprise. It's a little odd since he normally responds quite quickly, but you shrug it off and pick up your datapad, settling in for a night catching up on your work. There's an excursion Master Plo has planned for a group of Jedi knights to some of the planets along the Shaltin Tunnels and you've been tasked with charting the fuel stops. As usual, you've left it until the last minute and you finally have some spare time to get it done. You cross the room and lie back on your couch, flipping through some of your files and messages, determined to keep your concentration where it belongs. 
When an hour has passed, you raise an eyebrow and finally allow yourself to stand back up and check your commlink. He might have gotten busy, of course, but this is a bit excessive. 
No messages.
With a slightly furrowed brow, you pull up the file. 
Sent
Mentally shrugging, you set the commlink back down and you're just about to return to your work when a message chimes. 
[i guess youd rather make me wait ey?]
There must be a bad connection where he is at the moment. Hovering your finger over the file briefly, you press down on resend.
Many long minutes later, you pass the device again, eyeing it as you pace around your kitchen, making yourself a cup of tea. The screen remains blank and silent. 
By the time you have a hot drink in your hand and ease back into the cushions of your couch, you decide to let it rest. This has happened before; he'll either call when his reception is better, or he won't. If not, you'll catch one another next time he's in the quadrant. 
Stretching your legs, you take a sip of your tea and settle in for more charts and maps.
The next thing you know, the beeping of your commlink wakes you, and you take in a heavy breath through your nose. It's morning. 
Peeling yourself from the couch, you drop the datapad, still in your hand, on a side table. So much for getting caught up on your work. Standing up and rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, you yawn as you bend over to look at the commlink. You squint at the glowing screen. It's just one word; your name. And it's from Obi Wan. 
You blink to focus your eyes, scrolling up in your messages from him. 
The soft edges of your sleep-soaked mind are sharpened into stark, bright reality all at once when you see the previous message you'd sent him.
Stars above, no - please, no, you think desperately.
Then another message comes through.
[If this is a joke, I am not laughing]
--
The minutes of every activity have seemed to crawl punishingly slowly from sunrise to sunset. You've been checking your commlink so often it's become irritating, and yet... you pick it up again. 
Still nothing. 
You'd decided not to respond back, after attempting to type several explanations through text that had been woefully inadequate. Calling him seemed impossible at the time, and eventually you'd come to the conclusion that speaking in person would be the best way forward. 
When the time finally comes and you're knocking at the door to his quarters, you realize that having all day to rehearse what you'd wanted to say has done absolutely nothing to help you. 
"Hello."
Seeing his face at last, you fail completely to come up with anything. 
You decide to try your best at an honest apology anyway. The words come out jumbled, and too quick. 
"Look, I just need to say, I am so, so sorry."
He gives the faintest of smiles, and he steps to the side, allowing you in. 
"That was... incredibly inappropriate. A stupid, clumsy mistake on my part. Alright? And I'm really sorry," you finish, not able to meet his eyes until you're done talking. 
The light in his quarters is warm and the glow of Coruscant's sun paints his sparse furniture. Obi Wan is still wearing his tunic, belt and boots. He must have just finished his duties, as you have. He waves a hand toward one of his chairs, inviting you to sit as you enter, but you give him a look that says you prefer to remain standing.
"There is no need for apologies, I assure you."
With that, your shoulders finally lose some of their tension. "Thank you. But for what it's worth, I'd still like to offer one."
His faint smile turns deeper, spreading over his face. "You needn't worry. We have all been a shot of spotchka past our better judgement from time to time."
Your words stop short of your mouth, brain reconfiguring. "It wasn't... that isn't what happened."
He doesn't miss a beat. "Right. Well, in any case, apology accepted."
Then he turns from you, casually removing his belt and lightsaber and placing them on the table nearby. Something about his easy demeanor makes you feel the need to clarify. 
"Obi Wan. It was an accident. I hope I'm making that clear."
His smile drifts into a smirk, and then he makes a show of dropping into a serious expression. "No, of course."
"You don't believe me," you say softly.
"I never said that."
His words stun you, and you need to gather yourself before trying again. "It was an accident."
He raises his brows, making it clear he thinks you're the one being obtuse. "Oh, certainly. Those commlinks can be so tricky; I can't tell you how many times I've tried to send a simple message, only to find that my clothes have come off."
Your face heats. You wouldn't have minded him being entertained by a stupid mistake. But his implication that you would try to cover it up is getting unexpectedly under your skin.
"That's not what I meant."
"I know," he says, still not fully dropping the amusement from behind his eyes. "I know; I'm sorry. But, come now. We are friends, are we not? We can be honest with one another."
The nerve. You release a slow breath. "So you do think I'm lying."
"There is no need for such harsh words."
"Listen, I'm sorry you got that picture, but I really didn't send it to you on purpose."
"Ah. Surely you meant to send the schematic for my new ship. Instead, you must have tripped, taken this photo, and sent it. Twice."
That's it. You've tried to be generous. 
"No. Taking the picture wasn't an accident. And sending it wasn't, either. I just didn't mean to send it... to you."
The easy smile is gone. "Oh." 
He holds your gaze, never faltering before he turns his attention back to the table. "I see. My apologies."
He begins unclipping his lightsaber from his belt with quick, deliberate movements. 
"I really didn't mean to make things more difficult for you."
"You haven't." 
His answer is much too quick. There's a pause where you wait for him to soften the blow, but he just looks up at you, holding his belt and saying nothing. Then he crosses the room to hang it up. 
"You haven't," he reiterates. "You needn't worry about that."
If there's one thing Obi Wan does not like, it's appearing foolish. He pretends not to have an ego, and while he's proven his humility time and time again, you also know the younger, sharper, harsher man he used to be. And you see glimpses of him now and then. 
"Good," you affirm. "Because I hope we are friends, after all, and I didn't mean to... rub it in your face. You know, having someone to-" You let the statement hang. "...when you don't."
He blinks at you. "What makes you say that?"
That stings. Not the idea that he could have someone else, but the idea that he would keep it from you. Or, worse yet, that he would let his wounded pride lead you to believe he does. 
"Just because I have chosen not to partake at the moment doesn't mean-"
"You're right. I shouldn't have assumed." You cut him off, shaking your head, and start to back toward the door. "I'm just happy to hear you haven't been affected by my... lack of better judgment."
He walks after you. "Wait; there's no need for you to go. You have nothing to be embarrassed about."
Your eyes widen. "Oh, I'm not embarrassed. Believe me, I'm not the one who should be."
He follows you to the door, and as you exit, you promptly close it in his face.
--
Embarrassed?
Jedi should not allow petty, small feelings of annoyance to grow into the frustration you're currently feeling. And knowing that he's likely suffering from months of depriving himself a certain outlet should really allow you to give him more grace. 
But, embarrassed? 
You finish your meditation for the evening more irritated than when you began. It's almost impressive. 
Getting into bed, you scroll back in your messages to find the picture you'd sent. No, you absolutely have nothing to be embarrassed about. 
You chew your lower lip, and in spite of your attempts to think of anything besides Obi Wan, you can't help but imagine his face when he'd opened it. 
In fact... 
[Since that picture didn't seem to bother you, you probably wouldn't mind another?]
Still rubbing your bottom lip between your teeth, you hesitate before slipping off your outer robe and committing to your decision. 
You're still wearing your undergarments, and you pull down the bodice you usually wear beneath your tunic, just until your breasts are lifted and squeezed deliciously tightly. Your nipples are barely visible, starting to spill over the top of the dark fabric, and you take a few pictures in the dim light, popping your mouth open slightly for good measure. You review the pictures, then lick your lips and take another. 
There - the one with your cheeks flushed and saliva shining, almost as if your mouth is watering for something to be pressed inside. 
You press send, and you get no response. But you go to sleep with a satisfied smirk. 
-- 
"And during the latter half of the temple visiting hours, please be mindful that the docking bay area is restricted to 40 percent landing capacity due to..."
The Coruscant municipal enforcement officer drones on, entering the third hour of the mandatory annual community guidelines seminar. Your eyelids would normally be struggling to stay apart by this point in the day, if it were not for the golden-haired Jedi currently pretending to absently scratch at his short beard as he glances downward. 
You check your commlink again, making sure your settings are silenced. 
[if you got my last message, it's rather rude of you not to reply] you'd sent him shortly after he'd walked through the door.
He'd looked around until he'd spotted you. Then he'd pretended not to. 
[i can only guess you didn't get it, then. don't worry. i took a few more]
He still didn't answer, but you watched as he slowly seemed to look down into his lap more often. After a few more moments without reply, you'd carefully covered your screen with your sleeve and sent him another angle of the shot from last night - this one leaning forward more, with the soft curve between your breasts on prominent display. 
You'd been stealing glances ever since. And so had he. 
[i think you're right, by the way. don't think i have anything to be embarrassed about. do you?]
You watch as he looks down again, then looks back up as if giving his rapt attention to the presentation on imported fruit. The lights lower, and you see his screen glow as he receives another message from you. 
[if you want me to stop, just say so]
His hand swipes over the message, closing it. The screen goes dark. 
You look over your shoulder casually, shifting in your seat, and you take a very long time before sending one last message. 
This one is closer - much closer. It's an image of your nipple, peeking from between your two fingers. Your hand is cupping the bottom of your breast and your index and middle finger gently fix themselves on either side of your stiff bud, coaxing the sensitive tip to harden for him. You swallow and quickly press send, closing your screen again and casting a sideways glance to ensure only your eyes had seen. Thankfully the eyes surrounding you are half-closed in boredom. 
When you chance a look in Obi Wan's direction, you see his screen illuminating the inside of his sleeve, and no reaction as he turns it off again. He remains completely motionless, looking back up at the presenter. 
But you catch it when the muscle of his jaw clenches, hard. You also catch the way his adam's apple bobs in his throat with a swallow. And you absolutely catch the way he turns his head to look at you, then suddenly flicks his eyes forward again, unblinking, and doesn't look back for the remainder of the day. 
 
--
You're starting to soften a bit by the time you're back in your quarters that evening, finally beginning to feel that the punishment has outweighed Obi Wan's offenses, as you look back through your very one-sided conversation. Despite yourself, you smile, taking a bite of your jogan fruit snack before bed, and decide to relent. 
[just checking if i've made another error in sending... you are getting these, yes?]
You aren't really expecting an answer, just trying to lighten the mood. But you get one. 
[yes]
[i see. i'm glad i haven't embarrassed myself further. what do you say we call it even?]
You get no response. Perhaps he's more irritated than you'd realized. You smirk. The thought really shouldn't be so pleasing. 
Then your commlink chimes. [it would take a greater fool than i to refuse a fine gift, freely given]
The fruit juice drips down your chin. You scramble to wipe it, as caught off-guard as you are. Is he... asking for more?
[who says these are gifts? i considered them more as punishment]
You stand up to wash the fruit from your mouth and face, then cross the room to stare at the screen again. This was the last response you'd expected. 
He doesn't reply back. You could leave it here. You could have mercy and respect the trial; make it easier on him. But then, he always seems to want to make things harder for himself. You might as well help him. 
Leaning back and spreading out on your bed, you send another picture. Then another. Minutes pass without any response, so you send another. You get creative. 
You're talking to a wall - he doesn't answer. But you're starting to get wet, thinking about why he might not be. 
You dip your fingers into your own slick, and then a thought occurs to you. You send him an image of your glistening fingers. Then you set down the cam, closing your eyes and circling your clit, sucking in a breath through your teeth as you play with yourself, imagining searing blue eyes and the weight of his body on top of yours. 
You're close. It's now been several long minutes since your last message and still nothing from him. So you decide to send one final message. A sign-off for the evening. 
You tip the cam down between your legs and take a dimly-lit shot, touching yourself for him to see. 
It feels like you've been holding your breath, right at the edge, for hours. But it can't have been more than a minute before your commlink chimes. 
It's an image. You open the file.
Thick fingers grip like death around the base of a hard, leaking cock.
You choke, pussy twitching wildly as you stop yourself from tipping into an orgasm at the sight of it. He's dripping; a mess. You can see every vein in his hand bulging with the effort of strangling his swollen, drooling dick. 
Dialing. Now. 
The hand you aren't using to call him is still wet, but you manage to pull it from between your legs, covering yourself with your bedsheets. 
The chimes come to an end. He didn't pick up. 
You realize you're incredibly stupid for dialing again, but your brain took its leave the moment you opened that file. 
His holoimage glows bright and blue before you, and it strikes you all at once that he's actually answered. You sit up straighter, covering your chest with your bedding, and stare at him. 
He's staring right back, shoulders bare, muscles tight. You can see a hint of dampness at his temple. 
"Wh- why did you send that?" you ask, blurting the first words that come to mind. "We can't..." You try again. "What was that for?"
His eyes seem to cut through the hologram and straight into you, burning down to the pit of your stomach. "Presumably, to show you've achieved your goal."
He doesn't sound pleased. In fact, he almost sounds... frustrated. Defiant. You notice his right shoulder clenching. Your eyes are roving hungrily over every bit of his body, bathed in the dim blue glow of the hologram. You lick your lips, panting out, "My goal? What would that be?"
The muscles of his neck tense as he swallows, but he stays silent. Then, slowly, he clicks a button which expands the screen and shows where his other hand is. 
It's dark between his legs, but you can definitely see the outline of his pulsing, dripping cock. And you can see how hard the muscles of his hand are working to choke himself off. No movement. Just the shadows trailing over his clenched stomach as he breathes in and out. 
"I imagine," he grinds out, "this is what you wanted, is it not?"
You drag your gaze back up from his center, trying to force a cool, detached tone in your shaky voice. "And... what are we going to do about that?"
He looks almost furious at the question, and his answer seethes out between his teeth. 
"You tell me."
--
Taglist: @slinkygail @millercontracting @cacti5539 @wheres-mylove @holdingonforheaven
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split-spectrum · 9 days
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Concessions
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Chapter 2
Pairing: Obi Wan/FemReader
Chapter Length: 3.4K
Warnings/Tags: edging, orgasm denial, sexting, masturbation, dubious consent
Description: Obi Wan chooses to undertake a trial that prevents him from sex for one year, and asks you to serve as his witness. As his close friend, you don't mind helping him. The rules of the trial are very clear. You make it your personal mission to find every exception.
☆☆☆
Sweeping a towel around your body, you smirk as your personal commlink chirps again. 
Hm, eager this time, you think, tucking the towel around your chest and watching the holoscreen illuminate with a text reply. 
It's not entirely a bad thing, his eagerness. Penchar is on world very infrequently, and your last meeting a year ago was rather to-the-point, which works well for both of you. His career as a merchant brings him to every corner of the galaxy, while the same goes for you as a Jedi. When your paths cross, you can usually find some no-strings enjoyment.
[if i make it into port next week, will you be around?]
You tap the side of your commlink with your finger, thinking over your schedule. You send back a non-commital response. It would be nice to make the time for it, but you can't be certain. 
[can i have a little preview, just in case?] his message reads in reply.
You press your lips together, staring down at the message, dripping wet and naked beneath your towel. His timing is impeccable. Taking only a short moment to think it over, you decide to indulge. 
You set the cam to auto, placing it across from your bed, on your nightstand. Then you peel away the towel and lie back, easing yourself into the soft blankets covering your bed. You fold an arm across your chest, pressing your breasts in close and giving a sultry smile. When you're satisfied with the handful of clicks the commlink emits, you pick it back up to look over your work.
You find the one you like - smile soft and eyes half-lidded as you brush the soft, dewy skin of your forearm arm against your nipples. You can't see much; only the tops of your breasts, but the angle is perfect and the light catches the curve of your cleavage nicely. 
You select the file, scroll down to his name in your contacts list, and press send. 
When you finish dressing a few minutes later, you check your commlink - no new messages - and blink in surprise. It's a little odd since he normally responds quite quickly, but you shrug it off and pick up your datapad, settling in for a night catching up on your work. There's an excursion Master Plo has planned for a group of Jedi knights to some of the planets along the Shaltin Tunnels and you've been tasked with charting the fuel stops. As usual, you've left it until the last minute and you finally have some spare time to get it done. You cross the room and lie back on your couch, flipping through some of your files and messages, determined to keep your concentration where it belongs. 
When an hour has passed, you raise an eyebrow and finally allow yourself to stand back up and check your commlink. He might have gotten busy, of course, but this is a bit excessive. 
No messages.
With a slightly furrowed brow, you pull up the file. 
Sent
Mentally shrugging, you set the commlink back down and you're just about to return to your work when a message chimes. 
[i guess youd rather make me wait ey?]
There must be a bad connection where he is at the moment. Hovering your finger over the file briefly, you press down on resend.
Many long minutes later, you pass the device again, eyeing it as you pace around your kitchen, making yourself a cup of tea. The screen remains blank and silent. 
By the time you have a hot drink in your hand and ease back into the cushions of your couch, you decide to let it rest. This has happened before; he'll either call when his reception is better, or he won't. If not, you'll catch one another next time he's in the quadrant. 
Stretching your legs, you take a sip of your tea and settle in for more charts and maps.
The next thing you know, the beeping of your commlink wakes you, and you take in a heavy breath through your nose. It's morning. 
Peeling yourself from the couch, you drop the datapad, still in your hand, on a side table. So much for getting caught up on your work. Standing up and rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, you yawn as you bend over to look at the commlink. You squint at the glowing screen. It's just one word; your name. And it's from Obi Wan. 
You blink to focus your eyes, scrolling up in your messages from him. 
The soft edges of your sleep-soaked mind are sharpened into stark, bright reality all at once when you see the previous message you'd sent him.
Stars above, no - please, no, you think desperately.
Then another message comes through.
[If this is a joke, I am not laughing]
--
The minutes of every activity have seemed to crawl punishingly slowly from sunrise to sunset. You've been checking your commlink so often it's become irritating, and yet... you pick it up again. 
Still nothing. 
You'd decided not to respond back, after attempting to type several explanations through text that had been woefully inadequate. Calling him seemed impossible at the time, and eventually you'd come to the conclusion that speaking in person would be the best way forward. 
When the time finally comes and you're knocking at the door to his quarters, you realize that having all day to rehearse what you'd wanted to say has done absolutely nothing to help you. 
"Hello."
Seeing his face at last, you fail completely to come up with anything. 
You decide to try your best at an honest apology anyway. The words come out jumbled, and too quick. 
"Look, I just need to say, I am so, so sorry."
He gives the faintest of smiles, and he steps to the side, allowing you in. 
"That was... incredibly inappropriate. A stupid, clumsy mistake on my part. Alright? And I'm really sorry," you finish, not able to meet his eyes until you're done talking. 
The light in his quarters is warm and the glow of Coruscant's sun paints his sparse furniture. Obi Wan is still wearing his tunic, belt and boots. He must have just finished his duties, as you have. He waves a hand toward one of his chairs, inviting you to sit as you enter, but you give him a look that says you prefer to remain standing.
"There is no need for apologies, I assure you."
With that, your shoulders finally lose some of their tension. "Thank you. But for what it's worth, I'd still like to offer one."
His faint smile turns deeper, spreading over his face. "You needn't worry. We have all been a shot of spotchka past our better judgement from time to time."
Your words stop short of your mouth, brain reconfiguring. "It wasn't... that isn't what happened."
He doesn't miss a beat. "Right. Well, in any case, apology accepted."
Then he turns from you, casually removing his belt and lightsaber and placing them on the table nearby. Something about his easy demeanor makes you feel the need to clarify. 
"Obi Wan. It was an accident. I hope I'm making that clear."
His smile drifts into a smirk, and then he makes a show of dropping into a serious expression. "No, of course."
"You don't believe me," you say softly.
"I never said that."
His words stun you, and you need to gather yourself before trying again. "It was an accident."
He raises his brows, making it clear he thinks you're the one being obtuse. "Oh, certainly. Those commlinks can be so tricky; I can't tell you how many times I've tried to send a simple message, only to find that my clothes have come off."
Your face heats. You wouldn't have minded him being entertained by a stupid mistake. But his implication that you would try to cover it up is getting unexpectedly under your skin.
"That's not what I meant."
"I know," he says, still not fully dropping the amusement from behind his eyes. "I know; I'm sorry. But, come now. We are friends, are we not? We can be honest with one another."
The nerve. You release a slow breath. "So you do think I'm lying."
"There is no need for such harsh words."
"Listen, I'm sorry you got that picture, but I really didn't send it to you on purpose."
"Ah. Surely you meant to send the schematic for my new ship. Instead, you must have tripped, taken this photo, and sent it. Twice."
That's it. You've tried to be generous. 
"No. Taking the picture wasn't an accident. And sending it wasn't, either. I just didn't mean to send it... to you."
The easy smile is gone. "Oh." 
He holds your gaze, never faltering before he turns his attention back to the table. "I see. My apologies."
He begins unclipping his lightsaber from his belt with quick, deliberate movements. 
"I really didn't mean to make things more difficult for you."
"You haven't." 
His answer is much too quick. There's a pause where you wait for him to soften the blow, but he just looks up at you, holding his belt and saying nothing. Then he crosses the room to hang it up. 
"You haven't," he reiterates. "You needn't worry about that."
If there's one thing Obi Wan does not like, it's appearing foolish. He pretends not to have an ego, and while he's proven his humility time and time again, you also know the younger, sharper, harsher man he used to be. And you see glimpses of him now and then. 
"Good," you affirm. "Because I hope we are friends, after all, and I didn't mean to... rub it in your face. You know, having someone to-" You let the statement hang. "...when you don't."
He blinks at you. "What makes you say that?"
That stings. Not the idea that he could have someone else, but the idea that he would keep it from you. Or, worse yet, that he would let his wounded pride lead you to believe he does. 
"Just because I have chosen not to partake at the moment doesn't mean-"
"You're right. I shouldn't have assumed." You cut him off, shaking your head, and start to back toward the door. "I'm just happy to hear you haven't been affected by my... lack of better judgment."
He walks after you. "Wait; there's no need for you to go. You have nothing to be embarrassed about."
Your eyes widen. "Oh, I'm not embarrassed. Believe me, I'm not the one who should be."
He follows you to the door, and as you exit, you promptly close it in his face.
--
Embarrassed?
Jedi should not allow petty, small feelings of annoyance to grow into the frustration you're currently feeling. And knowing that he's likely suffering from months of depriving himself a certain outlet should really allow you to give him more grace. 
But, embarrassed? 
You finish your meditation for the evening more irritated than when you began. It's almost impressive. 
Getting into bed, you scroll back in your messages to find the picture you'd sent. No, you absolutely have nothing to be embarrassed about. 
You chew your lower lip, and in spite of your attempts to think of anything besides Obi Wan, you can't help but imagine his face when he'd opened it. 
In fact... 
[Since that picture didn't seem to bother you, you probably wouldn't mind another?]
Still rubbing your bottom lip between your teeth, you hesitate before slipping off your outer robe and committing to your decision. 
You're still wearing your undergarments, and you pull down the bodice you usually wear beneath your tunic, just until your breasts are lifted and squeezed deliciously tightly. Your nipples are barely visible, starting to spill over the top of the dark fabric, and you take a few pictures in the dim light, popping your mouth open slightly for good measure. You review the pictures, then lick your lips and take another. 
There - the one with your cheeks flushed and saliva shining, almost as if your mouth is watering for something to be pressed inside. 
You press send, and you get no response. But you go to sleep with a satisfied smirk. 
-- 
"And during the latter half of the temple visiting hours, please be mindful that the docking bay area is restricted to 40 percent landing capacity due to..."
The Coruscant municipal enforcement officer drones on, entering the third hour of the mandatory annual community guidelines seminar. Your eyelids would normally be struggling to stay apart by this point in the day, if it were not for the golden-haired Jedi currently pretending to absently scratch at his short beard as he glances downward. 
You check your commlink again, making sure your settings are silenced. 
[if you got my last message, it's rather rude of you not to reply] you'd sent him shortly after he'd walked through the door.
He'd looked around until he'd spotted you. Then he'd pretended not to. 
[i can only guess you didn't get it, then. don't worry. i took a few more]
He still didn't answer, but you watched as he slowly seemed to look down into his lap more often. After a few more moments without reply, you'd carefully covered your screen with your sleeve and sent him another angle of the shot from last night - this one leaning forward more, with the soft curve between your breasts on prominent display. 
You'd been stealing glances ever since. And so had he. 
[i think you're right, by the way. don't think i have anything to be embarrassed about. do you?]
You watch as he looks down again, then looks back up as if giving his rapt attention to the presentation on imported fruit. The lights lower, and you see his screen glow as he receives another message from you. 
[if you want me to stop, just say so]
His hand swipes over the message, closing it. The screen goes dark. 
You look over your shoulder casually, shifting in your seat, and you take a very long time before sending one last message. 
This one is closer - much closer. It's an image of your nipple, peeking from between your two fingers. Your hand is cupping the bottom of your breast and your index and middle finger gently fix themselves on either side of your stiff bud, coaxing the sensitive tip to harden for him. You swallow and quickly press send, closing your screen again and casting a sideways glance to ensure only your eyes had seen. Thankfully the eyes surrounding you are half-closed in boredom. 
When you chance a look in Obi Wan's direction, you see his screen illuminating the inside of his sleeve, and no reaction as he turns it off again. He remains completely motionless, looking back up at the presenter. 
But you catch it when the muscle of his jaw clenches, hard. You also catch the way his adam's apple bobs in his throat with a swallow. And you absolutely catch the way he turns his head to look at you, then suddenly flicks his eyes forward again, unblinking, and doesn't look back for the remainder of the day. 
 
--
You're starting to soften a bit by the time you're back in your quarters that evening, finally beginning to feel that the punishment has outweighed Obi Wan's offenses, as you look back through your very one-sided conversation. Despite yourself, you smile, taking a bite of your jogan fruit snack before bed, and decide to relent. 
[just checking if i've made another error in sending... you are getting these, yes?]
You aren't really expecting an answer, just trying to lighten the mood. But you get one. 
[yes]
[i see. i'm glad i haven't embarrassed myself further. what do you say we call it even?]
You get no response. Perhaps he's more irritated than you'd realized. You smirk. The thought really shouldn't be so pleasing. 
Then your commlink chimes. [it would take a greater fool than i to refuse a fine gift, freely given]
The fruit juice drips down your chin. You scramble to wipe it, as caught off-guard as you are. Is he... asking for more?
[who says these are gifts? i considered them more as punishment]
You stand up to wash the fruit from your mouth and face, then cross the room to stare at the screen again. This was the last response you'd expected. 
He doesn't reply back. You could leave it here. You could have mercy and respect the trial; make it easier on him. But then, he always seems to want to make things harder for himself. You might as well help him. 
Leaning back and spreading out on your bed, you send another picture. Then another. Minutes pass without any response, so you send another. You get creative. 
You're talking to a wall - he doesn't answer. But you're starting to get wet, thinking about why he might not be. 
You dip your fingers into your own slick, and then a thought occurs to you. You send him an image of your glistening fingers. Then you set down the cam, closing your eyes and circling your clit, sucking in a breath through your teeth as you play with yourself, imagining searing blue eyes and the weight of his body on top of yours. 
You're close. It's now been several long minutes since your last message and still nothing from him. So you decide to send one final message. A sign-off for the evening. 
You tip the cam down between your legs and take a dimly-lit shot, touching yourself for him to see. 
It feels like you've been holding your breath, right at the edge, for hours. But it can't have been more than a minute before your commlink chimes. 
It's an image. You open the file.
Thick fingers grip like death around the base of a hard, leaking cock.
You choke, pussy twitching wildly as you stop yourself from tipping into an orgasm at the sight of it. He's dripping; a mess. You can see every vein in his hand bulging with the effort of strangling his swollen, drooling dick. 
Dialing. Now. 
The hand you aren't using to call him is still wet, but you manage to pull it from between your legs, covering yourself with your bedsheets. 
The chimes come to an end. He didn't pick up. 
You realize you're incredibly stupid for dialing again, but your brain took its leave the moment you opened that file. 
His holoimage glows bright and blue before you, and it strikes you all at once that he's actually answered. You sit up straighter, covering your chest with your bedding, and stare at him. 
He's staring right back, shoulders bare, muscles tight. You can see a hint of dampness at his temple. 
"Wh- why did you send that?" you ask, blurting the first words that come to mind. "We can't..." You try again. "What was that for?"
His eyes seem to cut through the hologram and straight into you, burning down to the pit of your stomach. "Presumably, to show you've achieved your goal."
He doesn't sound pleased. In fact, he almost sounds... frustrated. Defiant. You notice his right shoulder clenching. Your eyes are roving hungrily over every bit of his body, bathed in the dim blue glow of the hologram. You lick your lips, panting out, "My goal? What would that be?"
The muscles of his neck tense as he swallows, but he stays silent. Then, slowly, he clicks a button which expands the screen and shows where his other hand is. 
It's dark between his legs, but you can definitely see the outline of his pulsing, dripping cock. And you can see how hard the muscles of his hand are working to choke himself off. No movement. Just the shadows trailing over his clenched stomach as he breathes in and out. 
"I imagine," he grinds out, "this is what you wanted, is it not?"
You drag your gaze back up from his center, trying to force a cool, detached tone in your shaky voice. "And... what are we going to do about that?"
He looks almost furious at the question, and his answer seethes out between his teeth. 
"You tell me."
--
Taglist: @slinkygail @millercontracting @cacti5539 @wheres-mylove @holdingonforheaven
Please feel free to comment or message me to be added to the taglist :)
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split-spectrum · 15 days
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Water and Rock
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Chapter 14
Pairings: Obi Wan/FemReader
Warnings/Tags: slow burn, angst
Chapter Length: 5.5K
Description: There are only so many excuses a master and padawan can make to kiss under "extenuating circumstances" before circumstances stop arising and start being created. You are an expert at your craft - a Jedi knight in service as a spy for the Republic. When your former master Obi Wan joins you on a mission, it's clear things aren't the same as they once were. The trials you face together may break your bond, or turn it into something else entirely.
☆☆☆
Hour Fifty-Eight
The hot water feels good on your skin, and Obi Wan's soft strokes down your arm feel even better. 
Your refresher wasn't built for more than one person at a time, so it's a tight squeeze. You aren't complaining, though, with his arm slung so nicely around your waist. You've finished washing up, having luxuriated in the heat long for far too long, but you don't want to step out. 
His hand grazing your arm feels nice, but it isn't quite comforting. Not with the way his aura is slowly dissipating around you. When you'd stepped in together and turned on the water, he'd felt so serene through the Force. Now, he's pulling back into himself.
You lean a little harder into the hot, unrelenting stream. He kisses your shoulder, resting his chin in the crook of your neck, his skin warm and wet against yours. Then, he starts to drift away. As if his hand is slipping away from yours, his Force signature dims and finally disappears, leaving only emptiness. 
"No," you say, a little too quickly. You turn your head a bit, although you can't properly see him while he's holding you this close. "Not- not yet."
Without a word, he opens the bond you've created and you close your eyes, feeling him again. 
You're ready. You're ready to lose him. But not a moment - not a second earlier than you must. 
--
He'd moved his robe near the door sometime before breakfast. You catch sight of it behind his head when he leans in to kiss you, leaving the refresher. You're half-dressed - clothed from the waist down, and his hands are taking advantage of every glimpse of skin you're still offering him. You step slowly backward, quietly guiding him into your bedroom. 
Now that the heat is restored, your quarters are warm and inviting, and exactly where you'd like to keep him. It's been light outside for a long, long while, and as he lays you down into the blankets, you try to ignore the way the sunlight spreads down the angle of his cheek. The starlight only reaches Ilum every nineteen days. Normally, you try to enjoy every moment out of darkness. But right now, all you want to do is close your eyes and shut it out.
He catches your lips again, and you nearly flinch away at the softness of it. The end of things is soaking through him and pouring into you. You can't pretend anymore. 
"Obi Wan," you whisper against his mouth, pushing your fingers through the thick locks of wet hair at the nape of his neck. 
"Mm," he quietly answers you, letting his lower lip drag against yours.
You can't stand it. The aching - it's already begun, and he's still here. You press your fingertips hard to the back of his head and open your mouth, breathing deeply through your nose as you crush your lips against him. When you pull back, he looks a little dazed, and he searches your eyes. 
"Don't be gentle with me. Please," you say, gazing up at him. "I can't take it."
His eyes soften with understanding. He's leaving, and drawing it out with tenderness is growing crueler with every touch. He kisses you again, passionately this time. When he pulls away, he cups your face, keeping you close as he lies down beside you in the bed. His aura still glows for you, surrounding you with warmth. That much, you know he can't help.
You press your body into him and he raises an arm to put it around you. He hasn't put on a shirt yet. You can smell your soap on his skin. 
"What do you plan to tell the council?"
Your question pierces the silence, frosts over the heat in the air. 
His chest falls a little with an exhale. "I will tell them I'm prepared for my next assignment."
You lift your chin to look at him. "And when they ask where you've been?"
The muscles of his shoulder shift beneath you in a shrug. "It's quite unlikely they'll ask. And I certainly won't volunteer the information." 
You let the silence linger. "But we aren't keeping your visit a secret?"
His voice lowers when he finally answers. "Being a member of the council comes with many difficulties. But, one of the benefits includes very little questioning."
You blink, letting his indirect response sink in as you consider how well it will go over if you avoid being questioned. You're not eager to lie to Master Tiin, but you've spent more than enough time undercover to learn the art of deflection.
There's no reason for any member of the council to suspect anything beyond friendship between a master and his former apprentice. But, now that you've gone several hours without reporting in... it would be easier to claim technical difficulties with your communication than to explain why Obi Wan hadn't left the minute the storm ended. 
"When you get your next assignment..." you trail off, hesitant to broach the subject but forcing yourself to proceed logically. "When we both get our next assignments... What- what I mean is..."
He takes your meaning without your needing to finish the thought. "The position of High General also comes along with a number of advantages." He shifts you in his arms to look down into your eyes. "If your name finds its way onto one of my duty lists, I will find it another one." 
You pull your eyes down from his, feeling relief at the simplicity and a pang of stunned sadness at how easily you can be removed from one another's lives. It's very unlikely you would have had another mission together anytime soon - Oba Diah had been the first time in years, and when the war ends, you'll be able to choose where you go. But hearing it out loud is... new. 
"So, that's it, then," you say after some time, carefully leaving the bitterness out of your tone. "No loose ends."
He presses his lips together, not saying anything. His eyes trail down your face, and then he leans down to kiss you again. 
When his lips drag, inch by soft, wet inch down your neck, you close your eyes, and you try to imagine a lifetime in a handful of minutes. 
Hour Sixty
Even the brightest days on Ilum are nowhere near the brilliance of a morning on Coruscant, and yet, the sunlight feels like it's searing you down to your core. Your doorway illuminates the back of Obi Wan's head in a faint glow as he faces you.
You hand him something small and wrapped, drawing your eyes down to your hands. "I packed you a few yalo cakes for the road."
You hear the smile in his response. "You spoil me."
Blinking, you force yourself to match his smile and toss a glance at the chrono in your kitchen. 
Six more hours. There were supposed to be six more...
You finally look back at him when he lets out a soft sigh through his nose. "We seem to say goodbye more often than hello."
"It's not an easy thing to do," you respond. 
"Yes, well," he says, stepping closer. "Perhaps we just needed more practice."
It's nonsense, this little back-and-forth. The last few hours have been steeped in these exchanges. Talking just to keep hearing one another. 
You want to kiss him, and instead you just straighten one of the shoulder straps of his bag. "I guess we've pretty much perfected it." 
Heat begins to prick at the back of your throat, so you tighten your manufactured smile, turning away from him to pull on a heavy robe and open the door. "Come on. I'll walk you out."
He says your name quietly, gently placing a hand on your arm to slow your hurried movements. He holds you still in the doorway under his suddenly penetrating gaze. "There are... so many more things I want to say to you."
You don't - can't - say anything in return. He searches your face, then tells you the rest in silence. 
Maybe this would have been easier if you had allowed him to sever your bond earlier. But you don't want this to be easy. You want it to hurt. You want to feel it all, and a small, selfish part of you wants him to feel it, too. Because even after everything, that same small part of you has always believed he could walk away and forget you. 
The larger part of you immediately pushes back with warmth and light, and you take his hand in yours. "You've told me more than... than I'd ever thought possible. You don't need to say another word."
You turn away quickly then, to finish putting on your outer robe and boots, and he follows you out the door to his speeder. He dusts the snow from the seat and straddles it, then starts it without trouble. Your heart sinks a little. Even if it hadn't started, you would still have a speeder to loan him. It wouldn't have bought you much time - just a walk to your supply shed. But it would have been time nonetheless. 
You watch him shift in his seat, getting ready to pull away. You're determined to keep your smile in place, and determined to keep flooding him with nothing but contentment and peace until he's gone.
Suddenly, he leans the speeder to the side and stands up, keeping one hand on the handlebar and using the other to hold your face in his gloved hand. 
"I am not in the habit of asking the Force for favors," he tells you. "But nearly every time I have, it has been for you." He holds you steady in his hand, gazing deeply into your eyes. "To keep you safe. To bring you strength. To bring you peace. To allow me to see you again."
You're speechless at his admission; struck dumb as he lays himself bare.
"May the Force be forever with you."
The words and the sentiment behind them penetrate your mind as he kisses you, tightening his grip on your jaw, sinking his mouth into you like he's taking his last breath before a plunge. Your arm lifts up, your palm snaking around the back of his neck, fingers sliding into his hair, pulling him close-
And he breaks away, tearing his mouth from you in the same swift motion he uses to mount the bike again. The cold whisks away the warmth of his touch instantly. The speeder takes off all at once.
Your fingers are still tingling from where you'd curled them through his hair - hair that's whipped back by the wind as he races across the barren ice sheet, disappearing into the distance. 
He doesn't look back, and it's his last kindness to you. Because when he severs your connection through the Force, your face crumbles.
Your eyes blur and his tiny outline on the horizon trickles sideways into an indistinct line. His form meets the planet's just as his signature sinks back into the hum of the rest of the universe. 
You aren't sure how to stay standing. You're not sure you can walk back to your doorway. After some time, you eventually turn around. Squeezing your eyes against the sting of the wind, you begin by putting one foot in front of the other. 
Hour Sixty-Six
You've finally managed to will yourself to begin tidying your living space, unable to concentrate on meditation or any other means of distraction. You've never been so blissfully full and yet so empty and numb. The hollow feeling in your chest is nearly unbearable. You can hardly think of anything else. But you can force yourself to move, even if it's focusing on simple tasks, for now. 
You pick up a blanket, fold it, and rest it on a chair. 
You gather one candle, and then another. You store them back in the cupboard.
You begin to sweep the bits of ash on top of the wood stove with your hand- 
Your knees nearly give out beneath you, and you manage to catch yourself on the edge of the stove. The hollowness in your chest is replaced with a sudden and unyielding pressure. The Force cries out, stabbing you with a single word. You squeeze your eyes shut.
Utapau.
 --
Days begrudgingly morph into weeks, your determination to keep putting one foot in front of the other the only thing keeping you upright for the majority of the time. The first time you leave your home again, a quick trip to the main base for resupply becomes an extended visit. You spend too much time talking to the port authority workers there, dragging out your conversations until hours have passed. You feel strange and embarrassed when you finally leave.
You'd always been good at compartmentalizing. At least when you'd been performing your security duties and maintaining your outpost, you'd been able to turn off the part of your mind that handled emotions. Up until now, you'd thought you'd gotten pretty good at it. 
As you chart a quick path home, you make a mental note that it may finally be time to return to the land of the living. Meditation can only go so far as a coping method, and evidently you're a bit starved for contact with other sentient beings. Perhaps it's time you finally reach out to a friend - if you can really call any of your working contacts friends - and try to regain some semblance of normalcy over dinner. Maybe a drink. Maybe several. 
Later that night, you lie in bed, as you often have been, wide awake. During your daily duties, it isn't impossible to keep your thoughts from straying to Obi Wan. But as you try to find rest and your mental barricades lower, it's inevitable. You can't hold it off forever. 
Utapau echoes constantly within you. 
You turn, lying flat on your back, closing your eyes. You've had plenty of opportunity to reach out to him and share the message the Force is obviously trying to send you.
But what would you say? What would be worth breaking your promise never to contact him? A vague feeling? A single word? 
"Careful of your thoughts, young one."
Your eyes snap open. Your head turns toward the voice in your room. You loose a sudden breath from your chest. 
You want to say his name, but you're afraid the lump in your throat will harden and choke you. Instead, you just stare long enough to gather yourself and speak. "What are..."
"What am I doing here?" Obi Wan smiles. "I could ask you that very question."
You blink. "I... I don't..."
"You called." He says, slowly stepping closer. Then, kneeling, he reaches a hand up to your face. "You called out in the Force. And now I'm here."
Your eyes search his as he brushes his palm gently against your skin. Is this a dream? A delusion? Or could he really be here? 
"I'm... sorry," you finally manage to say, when the gravity of what you've done sinks in. "I didn't mean to reach out. I didn't mean to... to-"
"Don't apologize," he says softly, interrupting your mumbling. "Sometimes the Force works through us in ways none of us can expect. But I am here now." He moves his hand from your cheek and places a kiss where it had been. "I will always come when you call."
Your eyes close of their own accord when his lips brush your face. You can't fathom a reply. This can't be real. 
"Now, I'll ask again: Why am I here?" He looks at you with that dazzling sparkle in his eye, and it makes your stomach flip. "You called out to me for a reason. What is it?"
The single word that's been thrumming in the back of your consciousness for months bubbles to the surface. You take in a shaky breath. 
"Come now, you must tell me," he says, a bit more sternly. 
It catches you off-guard. He's hardly given you a moment to collect yourself. You hesitate. "I... there is... something. I don't know what it is, really, but-"
"Tell me," he insists, locking his eyes with yours. Your face heats with frustration; uncertainty. He's cutting you off before you can even form your words properly. 
You keep your eyes steadily on his, and you nod. "Okay. Yes. I'll tell you. It's... it's just a feeling, and... and a word - a place-"
The holocomm chirps from the other room. 
Your eyes break away from Obi Wan to the blinking light of the incoming call behind him. His gaze follows yours. Neither of you moves for what feels like an eternity. You know you shouldn't ignore it, but Obi Wan is right here, back in your arms, after everything. You can't simply turn away from him for...
... for your duty.
Suddenly it's all clear again. Like waking from a dream. That part of things is over, and you made your choice.
"I should answer."
He backs away, strangely silent, giving you the space to sit up in bed and push your covers off.
The alert begins to repeat itself, and you step onto the floor, turning back toward him. "Will you still be here when I come back?"
He just looks at you, then behind you to the holocomm. "Take the call, darling. It could be important."
The sense in his words urges you on, and you hurry gracelessly out into the kitchen to catch the caller in time.
You had sent a short update about your "communications issues" many weeks ago, and since Obi Wan had returned without further delay, you'd gotten a brief message back about his safe arrival. If the council wanted to give you a new assignment, they would have left it in a message or sent the orders electronically. You can think of no reason for a direct call.
You release your apprehension into the Force and press the button to allow the call through. Mace Windu appears before you. 
"Good evening, Commander. I am sorry to disturb you outside of your working hours." He gives too brief a pause for you to respond before continuing. "The council is requesting that you immediately report to Coruscant, and we needed to be sure of your availability."
You take a moment to let the information sink in before answering. By the slightest raise of his eyebrow, you realize you've gone too long without a response. 
"Yes. Of course, Master. I am at your service."
He nods graciously. "Please depart within the next standard day. We will arrange for you to meet with the council as soon as possible."
"Yes, Master," you answer, without hesitation this time. 
There's a long pause, and you realize he's not going to continue. 
"Might I ask what this is about?"
"I am afraid all details will need to wait until you arrive," he replies.
"I understand."
"See you soon, Commander. And please, plan on an extended stay. "
You incline your head in a slight bow, and the transmission ends. The glow of the hologram fades into blackness where you're left staring, seeking answers where there are none. 
You turn back to the bedroom, and as you'd slightly expected, it's empty. As you walk through the doorway, you whisper into the darkness. 
"Obi Wan?"
Silence. 
You wait. You close your eyes and reach out in the Force, where you sense nothing. Sitting on the bed, you cross your legs and begin to meditate on the image of the man you'd been trying to wipe from every corner of your mind. 
You stretch out your consciousness to its furthest limits, finding nothing and hearing no one. Squeezing your eyes shut, you're determined to continue trying anyway.
Hours later, you've finally given in. Your heart is no longer racing, though your mind will continue to spin with the implications of both Obi Wan's visit and the council's order. You decide it's best for now to try and get some rest. And just as you begin to slip into the fog of sleep, you swear you can feel a familiar presence. 
You hear your name as if called from a great distance; stretched across the stars. Blurring the lines of reality as you drift from the waking world, you hear the voice, closer now. 
"You must tell me. Bring me the message the Force has sent you."
Falling into the warm blackness, you take in the words without responding, half-certain they're a dream.
"We will speak again soon, my dear."
 --
When your journey to Coruscant finally ends, you exit the landing dock as if it's been an eternity since your last visit. Your legs feel unsteady beneath you, the Jedi temple looming over the rest of the skyline before you. You've had plenty of supply trips here, but this is different. This is coming home. 
You've arrived early. Your meeting with the council isn't set until tomorrow, which will give you some time to check if your old quarters are still available and settle in for the night. 
On your walk down the corridor, you take a moment to greet some old friends and catch up briefly. The tightness in your chest begins to unwind. 
Until you hear the name you'd been hoping to avoid. 
"Have you heard the news of your Master Kenobi and General Skywalker?"
Your master. That, he will forever be. It will be especially hard to ignore here, of all places.
You shake your head, and then you listen to the tale of the two Jedi heroes rescuing the chancellor from the clutches of the Separatists and defeating Count Dooku at last. The story is filled with brilliance and chaos - everything you would expect from the pair in question - and when it comes to an end, you politely thank your friend and smile at the comments saying how proud you must be; how lucky to have been his padawan. It brings a glow to your face, despite your best efforts of tamping down your pride and affection. 
The galaxy's greatest hero. No surprises, there.
The conversation flows on, and when you've caught up on the latest reports of temple life and the war, you take your leave to locate your quarters. It's a bit of a relief when you find them unchanged from your time away. You decide to take your meal for the evening alone, a bit overwhelmed at the idea of dinner in the main hall - every old acquaintance no doubt dying to discuss your master. 
As you fall asleep that night, a heavy weight seems to press down on your chest. You're exhausted from your trip and from the anxiety tugging at your mind about your meeting with the council. You keep your eyes closed, letting yourself drift into the welcoming current of the Force, reminding yourself to let it all go. 
And yet, somehow, the weight worsens. It's like you're pinned to the bed. Your breath becomes tight and restricted. You try to open your eyes but you're sinking ever deeper into a black abyss, unable to awaken. 
"Blast him!"
An eerily familiar voice calls out the command and you see his body plummet from the cliffside, careening through the air...
He's been shot down by a blaster cannon. He's falling, and there's nothing you can do. If only you could reach out. If only you could-
He will die.
Unless...
You gasp awake. The vision is gone. 
You chase after it in your mind, reaching out desperately to the Force for answers. The harder you claw for the images to come back, the more quickly they seem to dissipate, like mist, swirling away from your touch. 
You catch your breath, panting in the darkness.
The room is cold all night. Your sleep is fitful. 
 
--
When the light is just beginning to hint at the horizon, you close the door to your quarters behind you. The gardens are usually quiet during this time of the morning, and though your body is aching from a mostly sleepless night, you think perhaps your mind can find rest in meditation, if the surroundings are a bit more suitable. 
You're wrapped in full robes, walking down a familiar hallway when you catch sight of Master Windu leaving his quarters. 
"Good morning, Master."
He greets you with a soft smile and a slight nod. "It's good to see you, Commander. How was your journey?"
"Long," you admit. "But it's nice to be back."
He turns to match your direction as you continue toward the gardens. "Your absence has been noticed. It's a shame your return was not under better circumstances."
You hesitate, then decide to use the opening. "Might I ask what circumstances have brought me back?"
"Unfortunately I am not at liberty to discuss it." He slows to a stop, facing you with hands folded beneath the long sleeves of his robe. "The good news is that Master Kenobi is expected to return from the senate ceremony early this evening, and then our meeting can commence."
"There's a ceremony today?"
His solemn expression seems to brighten a little. "Not even he can say no when the entire senate insists on a ceremony in his honor."
You quirk an eyebrow. "An afternoon with politicians?"
"Indeed. He didn't seem very enthused when Anakin informed him that they would both need to attend."
"I'm sure he was thrilled," you say, smiling. "And you must be very proud of your former padawan."
He lifts his chin. "Anakin... has become a very impressive Jedi. He has come far, and learned much."
It isn't quite an admission of pride, but then, you weren't expecting one. You nod in agreement. "It seems the senate would agree."
Master Windu doesn't mirror your affectionate smile regarding Anakin. He's never been one to overpraise the young man, but you're surprised when he stays completely silent. If you didn't know better, it would almost seem like a sore subject for the Jedi master. 
His lack of response draws out until you decide to change the subject, turning toward the adjacent hall leading to the garden.
"I thought I would spend the day in meditation. I'll be visiting the gardens on the lower level if I'm needed," you tell him, smiling, while he gives you another unreadable expression in response. "I look forward to our meeting, Master."
"Be well, Commander."
You note that he didn't reciprocate your eagerness for the meeting, either. You decide not to dwell on it, and take your leave. 
Master Windu has a lot on his mind at all times, let alone at this critical point in the war. You all do. 
When you turn the corner, your feet are suddenly held in place. With the sight before you, it's as if gravity has become insurmountable. 
Obi Wan is sweeping down the corridor, looking as if he's stepped directly from the pages of Jedi legends. 
You haven't seen his ceremonial regalia since early in the war, and you'd nearly forgotten how incredible he looks in it. 'Handsome' is a word that falls short in every way, and yet it's the word running rampant through your head, replacing all other thoughts at the moment.
He's wearing full armor, brilliant white in all the places it isn't marred with battle damage. The shining golden pins on his chest plate hold in place a long, flowing cape which is draped behind his broad shoulders. His face is stoic, but his eyes are bright. He walks with the type of swagger that you imagine gives even non-Force users an idea of the latent power he holds. 
You suppress your own signature, stepping into the recessed doorway to a closet where gardening supplies are kept. There's quite some distance between you - there's a good chance you could still make it to the exit where the lower level gardens begin without him seeing you. Blaming your lack of sleep for your questionable judgement, you stay still, watching him for a moment longer. 
A padawan - a human boy - scampers down the hallway toward Obi Wan, skidding to an awkward stop a few feet behind him and forcing himself into long, dutiful strides. He carries a datapad, and when Obi Wan turns around to look at him, he seems to nearly drop it. 
"Good- good morning, Master," the young man stammers, glancing down at the floor as he hurries to catch up. He reaches out, offering up the pad. "I was told to bring you the new seating chart for the ceremony."
Obi Wan slows to a stop, thanking the boy as he takes it. After a quick glance, he makes a 'tsk' sound between his teeth. "Of course, he must he seated next to the Chancellor..." 
He seems to be mumbling to himself, but the young man tenses at his irritation. "Sir?"
"Hm? Oh, nothing, nothing." Obi Wan raises a hand to wave off the comment, then finally glances up to see the padawan's face. It's striken with nerves. 
It's not like it had been in the old days of the temple, when masters spent much of their time with the younglings. Nowadays, serving on the front lines means that most Jedi don't encounter the younger generation until they join the battle. Many of them have become more like stories than flesh and blood. This padawan clearly hadn't thought of this as a normal errand. 
At last, Obi Wan seems to notice, looking down at him.
"What's your name, young one?" he asks with a slightly softened voice. 
"Jeerick, sir."
"Thank you for bringing this to me, Jeerick."
The boy smiles, bowing his head slightly. The padwan is probably not yet attuned enough to the Force to feel the way Obi Wan is calming him like a frightened bantha. But you can sense the subtle shift in the air when he extends a bit of comfort.
"Will you and your master be attending the ceremony as well?" he asks, handing back the datapad. 
Shaking his head, Jeerick looks down at his hands. "No, I have an assignment with the younglings today."
"Ah. No doubt a better use of your time than an afternoon of long-winded speeches."
That earns a small smile. Jeerick seems to hesitate - perhaps working up the courage to say something else. When Obi Wan bows politely and turns to go, Jeerick finally blurts, "Master Kenobi, is it, um, true what they say? That you blew up a whole Separatist fleet and saved the Chancellor?"
Obi Wan raises an eyebrow. "Oh, dear. I hope that isn't what they're saying in the training halls. I'm afraid General Skywalker did most of the heavy lifting. I was barely involved."
As deferential and magnanimous as always. Some things will never change. 
"Oh," says the padawan, nodding. "I see."
A whisper of a smile touches Obi Wan's mouth. "But as for the Separatists... it wasn't quite the whole fleet. I had to leave some for the rest of my men."
A grin lights up Jeerick's face again. 
"Run along, now. Mustn't keep the younglings waiting."
"Yes, Master!"
Your smile mirrors Obi Wan's as you watch the padawan hurry on his way. You take the opportunity with Obi Wan's back turned to slip out of the doorway and make it to the exit. Your footfalls are soft and careful, and when you're far enough away, you look over your shoulder one last time. 
He's beautiful, truly. You wish you could tell him just how magnificent he is. 
Instead, you step out into the gardens and put distance between you as quickly as you can. You let out a soft sigh when you finally allow yourself to sit and relax, easing into your meditation, hoping the Force will help you pass the time without feeling every minute of it. Unfortunately, you're already well aware your hope is futile. 
Knowing that you'll be presenting yourself before the council with Obi Wan presiding had been hard enough. Knowing he'll be looking like that while doing it...
You close your eyes, sending a silent prayer to the Force for strength. 
For strength, and for a short meeting.
A/N: For anyone who might be interested, I have a new, short, multi-chapter Obi Wan/Reader fic that will be straight smut with very little plot called Concessions. The first chapter is up here and on AO3.
--
As always, thanks for your support and readership. It is very much appreciated!
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split-spectrum · 17 days
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Omg 🥺 💗💗💗 as always, you are far too kind and I'm so, so happy you liked it! Never a need to apologize for reading whenever you want, though! I write for your enjoyment (as well as mine, of course) so I'm just happy you find the time for it.
This comment made my week! You're just the best!!
Concessions
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Pairings: Obi Wan/FemReader
Warnings/Tags: (more to come) sexually explicit content, explicit language, edging, orgasm denial (like a lot of it - that's the whole fic)
Chapter Length: 3K
Description: Obi Wan chooses to undertake a trial that prevents him from sex for one year, and asks you to serve as his witness. As his close friend, you don't mind helping him.
The rules of the trial are very clear. You make it your personal mission to find the exceptions.
☆☆☆
"They call it the Nikkama."
"A full cycle?"
He pauses, taking in your incredulous tone. "Yes. A full Coruscant cycle."
"And you're asking me to... what, participate?" 
He shakes his head. "Of course not. This is simply a... personal matter for me."
You raise a brow even higher than it already was, not saying anything in response. He seems to be on the edge of an explanation, but never quite getting there. Your silence invites him to continue. 
"By the end of a standard year, it is my goal to come away with a new understanding of the Force, and of myself."
"That's very... respectable," you manage. "So, if you need someone as the keeper of this... trial, why not ask a master? Why me?"
His eyes search your face. He's trying to determine if you're toying with him. The truth is, you have an idea of why he wouldn't approach Yoda about this, but you want to hear him say it. 
"I had... rather thought it would be obvious."
So you had guessed correctly. But he won't admit it. 
You smirk; an acquiescence. You won't make him dance around the details any longer. You are friends, after all. Friends who happen to know one another more intimately than most friends do - the real reason he's come to you with this request. 
"Alright. Tell me the rules."
--
No sex. That's the essence of it. 'Seeking bliss through denial', as the ancient Jedi texts stated it. To complete the trial, one must deny themselves the pleasures of the flesh for the time it takes the Jedi temple to finish one full cycle. 
The rules are quite simple: The Jedi must make the trial known to one witness - the keeper. The Jedi can not bring themselves to completion through sex or by any other means. There are allowances, of course. Orgasms beyond the Jedi's control are permitted. This way, one cannot fail the trial while sleeping. Finally, the Jedi must not speak of the trial with anyone aside from the keeper. Like many other trials, it was a battle meant to be fought internally.
If he failed, Obi Wan had explained to you that he could not simply begin again. One was not allowed to attempt the Nikkama for ten more cycles. It was not meant to be taken lightly. Much like everything Obi Wan has ever done, but especially like the things he's been doing lately. 
Since becoming master of the Chosen One, it seems like all he's done is push himself, as if trying to prove he's worthy of the position. Having known him since padawanhood, his capability has always been clear to you. But with his new responsibilities, he seems to be seeking new and creative ways to strain himself. You know nothing you say will be enough to slow him down, so most of the time, you can only offer your begrudging support. 
Three months in to this latest self-imposed trial, you can already tell the strain is starting to wear on him. 
"Anakin, I've told you before," his voice carries over the crowd of padawans on the landing platform as you walk past. "The way we present ourselves is a choice."
"Yes, master," mumbles the boy in front of him, his eyes clearly more focused on the ship he's about to board than his master's words. 
"...and today you've chosen to present yourself to professor Huyang with a wrinkled robe because you did not hang it properly as I asked, did you?"
"Sorry, master." Anakin's words are contrite, but the way he shrugs Obi Wan's arm off his shoulder says this will not be the last conversation they have about it. 
Obi Wan looks around, clearly asking the Force for patience. He squeezes a blink just a little longer than normal, gathering himself, and when he opens his eyes, he catches you watching the display. You press your upper lip down into a poorly-hidden grin and keep walking, using the mug of caf you'd retrieved from the refectory in the temple's main hall to hide your smile.
Once Anakin is sent on his way with the other padawans, Obi Wan strides down the hall to match your pace.
"I saw that," he grouses. He's putting on a half-joking tone, but you can tell there's a current of real irritation running beneath. "You won't find it quite so entertaining when you have a padawan of your own."
You let your grin loose. "That's the beauty of volunteering for the most distant and dangerous missions. They can't keep me at the temple long enough to assign me one."
It's an exaggeration you're putting on for him, but it's partially true - you do tend to volunteer for the most exciting assignments you can find. That's where you and Obi Wan differ the most. Part of you craves adventure in a way that's almost unbecoming of a Jedi. Obi Wan starkly contrasts your eagerness, content with whatever duties he's given. He always has the serene air of a proper Jedi knight about him. And you truly enjoy pushing his buttons until his calm demeanor breaks. 
"You look like you could use one of these," you tell him, changing the subject by pointing to the mug in your hand. 
He looks down at your hand, then glances dejectedly out of one of the windows as you pass it. "Oh, I could use something much stronger than that. If only I had the time. I promised Master Sinube I would help him question some suspects for an investigation this afternoon."
You click your tongue against your teeth. "Poor thing."
"Yes, no rest for the wicked, it seems."
"More like 'no rest for the stubborn'." 
He gives you a look. 
"No rest for the decidedly overbooked," you go on, pushing those lovely buttons of his. 
He sighs, shaking his head in annoyed bemusement and not rising to your bait. 
You turn to face him before your path peels away, dropping your antagonizing grin. "If you're too busy this afternoon, what about this evening? We could meet up in my quarters for 'something stronger' if you'd like. I have a bottle of Alderaanian red that's been gathering dust."
"Hm. Dusty wine; how very tempting," he sniffs, crossing his arms at you. 
You roll your eyes, but he doesn't give you a chance to retort. 
"It's a kind offer, but-"
"But, Anakin is gone for the week and you'd rather be alone in your quarters, falling asleep early?"
"Well, yes, in fact, I would."
You shrug. "Do as you please, then. My charitable offer stands, if you decide you'd rather enjoy yourself than become a hermit at the ripe age of twenty-seven."
You turn down an adjacent hallway, leaving his mood behind you without another thought. 
--
Later that night - very much later, in fact - you had almost forgotten about your offer when a knock at the door to your private quarters reminds you. 
"Obi Wan."
You won't spoil the surprise by gloating, though you sorely want to. You just smile instead, glad to see him despite his dour expression. 
His lifts his eyes tiredly. "Might I request that you hold off on any clever commentary until I have my promised drink?"
Your grin broadens as you step to the side, inviting him in. "You might request it, but my cleverness won't be silenced." 
Passing you, he manages to flick up an eyebrow despite his otherwise muted demeanor. "Oh, dear. If I had known you'd started without me, I'd have-"
"You'd have come sooner?" you finish for him, sweeping up the bottle on your counter and topping off your glass. 
He drapes himself over your couch, sinking into the cushions as he spreads an arm over the side. 
"I may not have come at all. I would have gone to my quarters and gotten some well-deserved-" You hand him a filled glass. "Thank you. Some well-deserved rest." 
He finishes his statement with a long sip, then swirls the glass and closes his eyes, pinching his brow with his other hand. 
You just roll your eyes, nudging his boots to the side and sinking into the couch next to him. "Master Sinube really putting you through your paces, then?"
He sighs through his nose. "Master Sinube is a wonderful teacher in the art of... patience."
Your lip quirks upward. His patience has never been tested before by the kindly old Cosian. And it's rather odd for Obi Wan to admit it. You consider pointing it out, but seeing him so worn out by the experience dampens your desire to wind him up. You turn on the holovid screen instead. 
"After a few more glasses of this, trust me, you'll feel better."
--
When you awaken, you feel something soft and warm beneath your face. It's the cloth of Obi Wan's tunic. 
Your head is buzzing faintly as you press your nose into the fabric, breathing him in. You only marginally care that what you're doing is inappropriate. It's been a long time since you've been this close, and you can blame the drinks if you really must.
You swallow, blinking slowly as you register that the room is filled with the sound of some holodrama you've never watched before. The music is swelling, and you reach over Obi Wan's chest to press the volume button on the remote. His head turns, following your movement though he's still half-asleep. 
You feel his breathing pattern change below your cheek, and you look up at him. His long eyelashes part slowly. His body shifts so that he's facing you, though he removes the arm that had fallen to your shoulder. He puts a hand on the back of the couch. 
And he looks at you.
The moment where he should have moved away - where one of you should have - comes and goes.
You lift your face, staring at his lips. You know you're caught in his gaze. He's watching you, not saying a word. 
The idea of leaning up to press your lips onto his is so far removed from your mind that it's basically an impossibility. You aren't padawans stealing moments in the temple anymore. Your heart doesn't pound with the fear that you'll give into your baser instincts. You're fully aware of what you're enjoying - the look in his eyes; the space between your mouths. Holding your faces so close that it's almost another kind of kiss. 
Then you shift your hips, just slightly, and you feel it. You feel the way his clothes pull tight at his center. Your leg brushes the taught line of fabric just below his stomach, running up his thigh. 
Considering his circumstances, it's a normal reaction. You tell yourself this as you feel a blush spreading over your face and down your neck. It's a physical response to repressing his body's urges. You try not to take it personally. You won't mention it. 
You blink, lowering your gaze from his and starting to extricate yourself from his side. He swallows, pulling away from you.
"I'm sorry-" His voice is throaty and a bit slurred. "I-"
The inner side of your hip brushes against him as you turn to get up, and a soft, almost dejected moan pours out of him. He snaps his mouth shut. You freeze, looking up at him.
That noise will not be so easy to avoid taking personally.
Suddenly he's sitting up. "Terribly sorry, I- I don't know what came- came over- "
You force a smile, though your heart is racing, and you pat his shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Only nine more months to go, right?"
A slight look of relief passes over his wide eyes. "Yes," he agrees, clearly grateful you've decided to blame the trial and not him. "Yes. Quite right. My apologies."
When Obi Wan finishes his many further apologies and excuses himself, leaving you alone in your quarters, you are grateful for one thing: As you lie back in your bed, imagining the way his hips had twitched at the slightest brush, you thank the stars that the Nikkama doesn't go both ways. 
--
You'd had your fun. 
That's what you keep reminding yourself. When you have to keep your eyes from lingering a little too long during a shared smile. When your heart kicks up a little faster anytime you see that he's returned safely from some far-off world. When you kiss someone else and it doesn't feel the same. 
The Jedi are not forbidden from physical pleasures. There's no reason not indulge in sex, so long as attachment isn't involved. But when you'd both realized as padawans that kissing and touching was swiftly turning into longing and wondering, you'd agreed it was for the best not to continue. 
That conversation was so long ago, and the boy who'd made that promise was so far removed from the man who was currently pinning you down on the training room floor. 
"Yield," he pants, teeth glistening in the fading sunlight. His breath is hot, and you're swallowing it with gasps of your own. 
You flex your thighs, using the Force to lift both of you off of the ground. "Not until you've beaten me."
Huffing an exasperated laugh, he looks over your head in disbelief. Then he tightens his grip on the hand that holds your lightsaber and feels where your thumb is located. He stills. You're holding the empty hilt against his side, and your thumb is just below the pressure sensor. You grin, open-mouthed, sweaty, and undefeated. 
"In a non-lethal match, I have indeed beaten you."
You're just about to reply when he crushes your wrist in his palm, wrenching it upward and holding both of your arms harmlessly above your head. You yelp in surprise and no small amount of pain as he presses the weight of his body onto you, holding himself up by pinning you down. 
"But just for good measure - there," he says, digging his knees onto either side of your hips to hold you still. "Now yield."
You struggle against him, but it's like trying to break out of a durasteel cage. Then you catch sight of a dewy patch of golden skin and make a move that neither of you are expecting. 
Your teeth sink into his neck before you can catch the impulse, and the muscles there vibrate when he gasps in shock. He releases your hands, but catches them again quickly. His face is suddenly flushed when he pulls away.
"There can be some honor in defeat, you know," he scowls down at you. 
You smirk, pleased at getting a rise out of him. "A Jedi doesn't accept defeat with any reasonable chance at victory."
You lift your hips again, this time sending a concentrated pulse through the Force to try and wriggle out from under him. He holds you steady and you rock to one side, attempting to flip him off and reverse your positions, but to no avail. You take a few deep breaths, then try rolling your hips one last time. 
"Stop that."
His tone snaps you out of your concentration. You look up to see him glaring down at you, looking unsteady for the first time in your match. You hesitate, then decide to take the opportunity he's giving and make the same move again. You grind your body against him and watch as his eyes widen. He releases your wrists and rolls off of you, standing up. 
"I yield."
His turns his back on you, stalking over to where you've left your water canteens, and takes a long drink. 
You lie there a moment in stunned silence, then shake it off and stand up, following him. "Are you... okay? What was that?"
"It's nothing," he snips back immediately.
Then you see his shoulders soften and he turns to face you. "Forgive me. I'm not... feeling very well."
He gives you a forced smile, then reaches to pick up his robe from the floor. "Perhaps we could continue this later?"
You shrug, at a loss. "Sure."
"Very well," he answers, heading for the doorway. "Thank you."
You frown, his sudden formality making you uneasy. "Obi Wan... did I do something wrong?"
"No," he says, shaking his head. "I just need to get some rest."
You take a beat before pressing him again. "I'm sorry about the bite."
He sighs. "There's no need to apologize. The fault is mine. Perhaps... it would just be best if we hold off any sparring sessions for the time being."
"Oh?" you ask quietly. "For how long?"
"Just... just for now."
You furrow your brow. Then it clicks. "Until the end of the Nikkama?"
He looks caught-out, sending his gaze past you.
Of course. It's been six months, now. He hasn't mentioned it, but you might have known by his mood.
Now you're the one struggling to make eye contact. You pick up your own canteen, drinking, then wiping your mouth. 
"Is it that bad?" you finally ask.
He lets out a soft laugh. "Well, it's not meant to be easy."
There's a long, unbroken silence as you wonder how to approach this. Or whether to approach it, at all. 
"Do you... want to talk about it?"
He shakes his head. "It's simply a matter of discipline. There isn't much to talk about."
"Well," you tell him slowly, carefully. "I've read the texts. And I want you to know that if you need... help, getting through to the end, I'm here for you."
His face drops. "What does that mean?"
You take a step closer, your heart pounding as you try to put the words together. "The trial has rules against you seeking pleasure. But, everyone has needs. And if you aren't seeking it... if it- it just happens..."
He looks down at the space between your bodies, and it's like you can see every thought running through his head. He doesn't answer for a very long time. 
"Anything that were to happen," he says in a low tone, nearly a whisper. "Would need to be without my request."
Your breath is shortening with every word he says. "You asked me to help you with this," you reply. "And we are friends, are we not?"
He nods. "Of course."
"Then if you need it, let me help you."
Your hand tingles as you reach out to touch his side. He gently takes your hand and lowers it, almost grazing between his legs, and holds you there just a moment too long. 
Your fingers lift from his hand to unclasp his belt, but he pulls you back. 
"No," he says, swallowing and letting out a few slightly labored breaths. "No, I wouldn't- No."
You wait for an explanation, but he doesn't finish his thought.
"Well, as long as you know the offer stands," you tell him, straightening up. "If you change your mind..."
"I won't," he cuts you off. "There is no- no need."
Smiling for his benefit, you nod. "Of course. My mistake."
You can feel his gaze follow you as you bend over to pick up your own robe and brush past him out the door. 
In any other situation, Obi Wan would hold his own in a debate. He's quite well known for having opinions that aren't easily swayed.
In this matter, against your better judgment, you find yourself wondering if you might be the exception. 
--
A/N: I'm planning for this to be a short multi-chapter, maybe 3-5. Completely self-induglent. I want this man to be edged within an inch of his life. I want him whimpering, your honor.
On a side note, forgive me for this interruption in posting Water and Rock! It's been challenging because I've needed to basically write the full ending before I can be sure the plot/pacing is right for this chapter. It will be up soon, promise! In the meantime I've been using this side fic as a bit of a creative outlet lol.
As always, if you'd like to be tagged for this fic, feel free to comment or message me. :)
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split-spectrum · 2 months
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Concessions
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Pairings: Obi Wan/FemReader
Warnings/Tags: (more to come) sexually explicit content, explicit language, edging, orgasm denial (like a lot of it - that's the whole fic)
Chapter Length: 3K
Description: Obi Wan chooses to undertake a trial that prevents him from sex for one year, and asks you to serve as his witness. As his close friend, you don't mind helping him.
The rules of the trial are very clear. You make it your personal mission to find the exceptions.
☆☆☆
"They call it the Nikkama."
"A full cycle?"
He pauses, taking in your incredulous tone. "Yes. A full Coruscant cycle."
"And you're asking me to... what, participate?" 
He shakes his head. "Of course not. This is simply a... personal matter for me."
You raise a brow even higher than it already was, not saying anything in response. He seems to be on the edge of an explanation, but never quite getting there. Your silence invites him to continue. 
"By the end of a standard year, it is my goal to come away with a new understanding of the Force, and of myself."
"That's very... respectable," you manage. "So, if you need someone as the keeper of this... trial, why not ask a master? Why me?"
His eyes search your face. He's trying to determine if you're toying with him. The truth is, you have an idea of why he wouldn't approach Yoda about this, but you want to hear him say it. 
"I had... rather thought it would be obvious."
So you had guessed correctly. But he won't admit it. 
You smirk; an acquiescence. You won't make him dance around the details any longer. You are friends, after all. Friends who happen to know one another more intimately than most friends do - the real reason he's come to you with this request. 
"Alright. Tell me the rules."
--
No sex. That's the essence of it. 'Seeking bliss through denial', as the ancient Jedi texts stated it. To complete the trial, one must deny themselves the pleasures of the flesh for the time it takes the Jedi temple to finish one full cycle. 
The rules are quite simple: The Jedi must make the trial known to one witness - the keeper. The Jedi can not bring themselves to completion through sex or by any other means. There are allowances, of course. Orgasms beyond the Jedi's control are permitted. This way, one cannot fail the trial while sleeping. Finally, the Jedi must not speak of the trial with anyone aside from the keeper. Like many other trials, it was a battle meant to be fought internally.
If he failed, Obi Wan had explained to you that he could not simply begin again. One was not allowed to attempt the Nikkama for ten more cycles. It was not meant to be taken lightly. Much like everything Obi Wan has ever done, but especially like the things he's been doing lately. 
Since becoming master of the Chosen One, it seems like all he's done is push himself, as if trying to prove he's worthy of the position. Having known him since padawanhood, his capability has always been clear to you. But with his new responsibilities, he seems to be seeking new and creative ways to strain himself. You know nothing you say will be enough to slow him down, so most of the time, you can only offer your begrudging support. 
Three months in to this latest self-imposed trial, you can already tell the strain is starting to wear on him. 
"Anakin, I've told you before," his voice carries over the crowd of padawans on the landing platform as you walk past. "The way we present ourselves is a choice."
"Yes, master," mumbles the boy in front of him, his eyes clearly more focused on the ship he's about to board than his master's words. 
"...and today you've chosen to present yourself to professor Huyang with a wrinkled robe because you did not hang it properly as I asked, did you?"
"Sorry, master." Anakin's words are contrite, but the way he shrugs Obi Wan's arm off his shoulder says this will not be the last conversation they have about it. 
Obi Wan looks around, clearly asking the Force for patience. He squeezes a blink just a little longer than normal, gathering himself, and when he opens his eyes, he catches you watching the display. You press your upper lip down into a poorly-hidden grin and keep walking, using the mug of caf you'd retrieved from the refectory in the temple's main hall to hide your smile.
Once Anakin is sent on his way with the other padawans, Obi Wan strides down the hall to match your pace.
"I saw that," he grouses. He's putting on a half-joking tone, but you can tell there's a current of real irritation running beneath. "You won't find it quite so entertaining when you have a padawan of your own."
You let your grin loose. "That's the beauty of volunteering for the most distant and dangerous missions. They can't keep me at the temple long enough to assign me one."
It's an exaggeration you're putting on for him, but it's partially true - you do tend to volunteer for the most exciting assignments you can find. That's where you and Obi Wan differ the most. Part of you craves adventure in a way that's almost unbecoming of a Jedi. Obi Wan starkly contrasts your eagerness, content with whatever duties he's given. He always has the serene air of a proper Jedi knight about him. And you truly enjoy pushing his buttons until his calm demeanor breaks. 
"You look like you could use one of these," you tell him, changing the subject by pointing to the mug in your hand. 
He looks down at your hand, then glances dejectedly out of one of the windows as you pass it. "Oh, I could use something much stronger than that. If only I had the time. I promised Master Sinube I would help him question some suspects for an investigation this afternoon."
You click your tongue against your teeth. "Poor thing."
"Yes, no rest for the wicked, it seems."
"More like 'no rest for the stubborn'." 
He gives you a look. 
"No rest for the decidedly overbooked," you go on, pushing those lovely buttons of his. 
He sighs, shaking his head in annoyed bemusement and not rising to your bait. 
You turn to face him before your path peels away, dropping your antagonizing grin. "If you're too busy this afternoon, what about this evening? We could meet up in my quarters for 'something stronger' if you'd like. I have a bottle of Alderaanian red that's been gathering dust."
"Hm. Dusty wine; how very tempting," he sniffs, crossing his arms at you. 
You roll your eyes, but he doesn't give you a chance to retort. 
"It's a kind offer, but-"
"But, Anakin is gone for the week and you'd rather be alone in your quarters, falling asleep early?"
"Well, yes, in fact, I would."
You shrug. "Do as you please, then. My charitable offer stands, if you decide you'd rather enjoy yourself than become a hermit at the ripe age of twenty-seven."
You turn down an adjacent hallway, leaving his mood behind you without another thought. 
--
Later that night - very much later, in fact - you had almost forgotten about your offer when a knock at the door to your private quarters reminds you. 
"Obi Wan."
You won't spoil the surprise by gloating, though you sorely want to. You just smile instead, glad to see him despite his dour expression. 
His lifts his eyes tiredly. "Might I request that you hold off on any clever commentary until I have my promised drink?"
Your grin broadens as you step to the side, inviting him in. "You might request it, but my cleverness won't be silenced." 
Passing you, he manages to flick up an eyebrow despite his otherwise muted demeanor. "Oh, dear. If I had known you'd started without me, I'd have-"
"You'd have come sooner?" you finish for him, sweeping up the bottle on your counter and topping off your glass. 
He drapes himself over your couch, sinking into the cushions as he spreads an arm over the side. 
"I may not have come at all. I would have gone to my quarters and gotten some well-deserved-" You hand him a filled glass. "Thank you. Some well-deserved rest." 
He finishes his statement with a long sip, then swirls the glass and closes his eyes, pinching his brow with his other hand. 
You just roll your eyes, nudging his boots to the side and sinking into the couch next to him. "Master Sinube really putting you through your paces, then?"
He sighs through his nose. "Master Sinube is a wonderful teacher in the art of... patience."
Your lip quirks upward. His patience has never been tested before by the kindly old Cosian. And it's rather odd for Obi Wan to admit it. You consider pointing it out, but seeing him so worn out by the experience dampens your desire to wind him up. You turn on the holovid screen instead. 
"After a few more glasses of this, trust me, you'll feel better."
--
When you awaken, you feel something soft and warm beneath your face. It's the cloth of Obi Wan's tunic. 
Your head is buzzing faintly as you press your nose into the fabric, breathing him in. You only marginally care that what you're doing is inappropriate. It's been a long time since you've been this close, and you can blame the drinks if you really must.
You swallow, blinking slowly as you register that the room is filled with the sound of some holodrama you've never watched before. The music is swelling, and you reach over Obi Wan's chest to press the volume button on the remote. His head turns, following your movement though he's still half-asleep. 
You feel his breathing pattern change below your cheek, and you look up at him. His long eyelashes part slowly. His body shifts so that he's facing you, though he removes the arm that had fallen to your shoulder. He puts a hand on the back of the couch. 
And he looks at you.
The moment where he should have moved away - where one of you should have - comes and goes.
You lift your face, staring at his lips. You know you're caught in his gaze. He's watching you, not saying a word. 
The idea of leaning up to press your lips onto his is so far removed from your mind that it's basically an impossibility. You aren't padawans stealing moments in the temple anymore. Your heart doesn't pound with the fear that you'll give into your baser instincts. You're fully aware of what you're enjoying - the look in his eyes; the space between your mouths. Holding your faces so close that it's almost another kind of kiss. 
Then you shift your hips, just slightly, and you feel it. You feel the way his clothes pull tight at his center. Your leg brushes the taught line of fabric just below his stomach, running up his thigh. 
Considering his circumstances, it's a normal reaction. You tell yourself this as you feel a blush spreading over your face and down your neck. It's a physical response to repressing his body's urges. You try not to take it personally. You won't mention it. 
You blink, lowering your gaze from his and starting to extricate yourself from his side. He swallows, pulling away from you.
"I'm sorry-" His voice is throaty and a bit slurred. "I-"
The inner side of your hip brushes against him as you turn to get up, and a soft, almost dejected moan pours out of him. He snaps his mouth shut. You freeze, looking up at him.
That noise will not be so easy to avoid taking personally.
Suddenly he's sitting up. "Terribly sorry, I- I don't know what came- came over- "
You force a smile, though your heart is racing, and you pat his shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Only nine more months to go, right?"
A slight look of relief passes over his wide eyes. "Yes," he agrees, clearly grateful you've decided to blame the trial and not him. "Yes. Quite right. My apologies."
When Obi Wan finishes his many further apologies and excuses himself, leaving you alone in your quarters, you are grateful for one thing: As you lie back in your bed, imagining the way his hips had twitched at the slightest brush, you thank the stars that the Nikkama doesn't go both ways. 
--
You'd had your fun. 
That's what you keep reminding yourself. When you have to keep your eyes from lingering a little too long during a shared smile. When your heart kicks up a little faster anytime you see that he's returned safely from some far-off world. When you kiss someone else and it doesn't feel the same. 
The Jedi are not forbidden from physical pleasures. There's no reason not indulge in sex, so long as attachment isn't involved. But when you'd both realized as padawans that kissing and touching was swiftly turning into longing and wondering, you'd agreed it was for the best not to continue. 
That conversation was so long ago, and the boy who'd made that promise was so far removed from the man who was currently pinning you down on the training room floor. 
"Yield," he pants, teeth glistening in the fading sunlight. His breath is hot, and you're swallowing it with gasps of your own. 
You flex your thighs, using the Force to lift both of you off of the ground. "Not until you've beaten me."
Huffing an exasperated laugh, he looks over your head in disbelief. Then he tightens his grip on the hand that holds your lightsaber and feels where your thumb is located. He stills. You're holding the empty hilt against his side, and your thumb is just below the pressure sensor. You grin, open-mouthed, sweaty, and undefeated. 
"In a non-lethal match, I have indeed beaten you."
You're just about to reply when he crushes your wrist in his palm, wrenching it upward and holding both of your arms harmlessly above your head. You yelp in surprise and no small amount of pain as he presses the weight of his body onto you, holding himself up by pinning you down. 
"But just for good measure - there," he says, digging his knees onto either side of your hips to hold you still. "Now yield."
You struggle against him, but it's like trying to break out of a durasteel cage. Then you catch sight of a dewy patch of golden skin and make a move that neither of you are expecting. 
Your teeth sink into his neck before you can catch the impulse, and the muscles there vibrate when he gasps in shock. He releases your hands, but catches them again quickly. His face is suddenly flushed when he pulls away.
"There can be some honor in defeat, you know," he scowls down at you. 
You smirk, pleased at getting a rise out of him. "A Jedi doesn't accept defeat with any reasonable chance at victory."
You lift your hips again, this time sending a concentrated pulse through the Force to try and wriggle out from under him. He holds you steady and you rock to one side, attempting to flip him off and reverse your positions, but to no avail. You take a few deep breaths, then try rolling your hips one last time. 
"Stop that."
His tone snaps you out of your concentration. You look up to see him glaring down at you, looking unsteady for the first time in your match. You hesitate, then decide to take the opportunity he's giving and make the same move again. You grind your body against him and watch as his eyes widen. He releases your wrists and rolls off of you, standing up. 
"I yield."
His turns his back on you, stalking over to where you've left your water canteens, and takes a long drink. 
You lie there a moment in stunned silence, then shake it off and stand up, following him. "Are you... okay? What was that?"
"It's nothing," he snips back immediately.
Then you see his shoulders soften and he turns to face you. "Forgive me. I'm not... feeling very well."
He gives you a forced smile, then reaches to pick up his robe from the floor. "Perhaps we could continue this later?"
You shrug, at a loss. "Sure."
"Very well," he answers, heading for the doorway. "Thank you."
You frown, his sudden formality making you uneasy. "Obi Wan... did I do something wrong?"
"No," he says, shaking his head. "I just need to get some rest."
You take a beat before pressing him again. "I'm sorry about the bite."
He sighs. "There's no need to apologize. The fault is mine. Perhaps... it would just be best if we hold off any sparring sessions for the time being."
"Oh?" you ask quietly. "For how long?"
"Just... just for now."
You furrow your brow. Then it clicks. "Until the end of the Nikkama?"
He looks caught-out, sending his gaze past you.
Of course. It's been six months, now. He hasn't mentioned it, but you might have known by his mood.
Now you're the one struggling to make eye contact. You pick up your own canteen, drinking, then wiping your mouth. 
"Is it that bad?" you finally ask.
He lets out a soft laugh. "Well, it's not meant to be easy."
There's a long, unbroken silence as you wonder how to approach this. Or whether to approach it, at all. 
"Do you... want to talk about it?"
He shakes his head. "It's simply a matter of discipline. There isn't much to talk about."
"Well," you tell him slowly, carefully. "I've read the texts. And I want you to know that if you need... help, getting through to the end, I'm here for you."
His face drops. "What does that mean?"
You take a step closer, your heart pounding as you try to put the words together. "The trial has rules against you seeking pleasure. But, everyone has needs. And if you aren't seeking it... if it- it just happens..."
He looks down at the space between your bodies, and it's like you can see every thought running through his head. He doesn't answer for a very long time. 
"Anything that were to happen," he says in a low tone, nearly a whisper. "Would need to be without my request."
Your breath is shortening with every word he says. "You asked me to help you with this," you reply. "And we are friends, are we not?"
He nods. "Of course."
"Then if you need it, let me help you."
Your hand tingles as you reach out to touch his side. He gently takes your hand and lowers it, almost grazing between his legs, and holds you there just a moment too long. 
Your fingers lift from his hand to unclasp his belt, but he pulls you back. 
"No," he says, swallowing and letting out a few slightly labored breaths. "No, I wouldn't- No."
You wait for an explanation, but he doesn't finish his thought.
"Well, as long as you know the offer stands," you tell him, straightening up. "If you change your mind..."
"I won't," he cuts you off. "There is no- no need."
Smiling for his benefit, you nod. "Of course. My mistake."
You can feel his gaze follow you as you bend over to pick up your own robe and brush past him out the door. 
In any other situation, Obi Wan would hold his own in a debate. He's quite well known for having opinions that aren't easily swayed.
In this matter, against your better judgment, you find yourself wondering if you might be the exception. 
--
A/N: I'm planning for this to be a short multi-chapter, maybe 3-5. Completely self-induglent. I want this man to be edged within an inch of his life. I want him whimpering, your honor.
On a side note, forgive me for this interruption in posting Water and Rock! It's been challenging because I've needed to basically write the full ending before I can be sure the plot/pacing is right for this chapter. It will be up soon, promise! In the meantime I've been using this side fic as a bit of a creative outlet lol.
As always, if you'd like to be tagged for this fic, feel free to comment or message me. :)
123 notes · View notes
split-spectrum · 3 months
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new sideblog :)
@splitt-spectrumm
For personal posts
6 notes · View notes
split-spectrum · 3 months
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Water and Rock
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Chapter 13
Pairings: Obi Wan/FemReader
Warnings/Tags: explicit content (i.e. SMUT), dubcon, rough sex, oral sex, cum play
Description: There are only so many excuses a master and padawan can make to kiss under "extenuating circumstances" before circumstances stop arising and start being created. You are an expert at your craft - a Jedi knight in service as a spy for the Republic. When your former master Obi Wan joins you on a mission, it's clear things aren't the same as they once were. The trials you face together may break your bond, or turn it into something else entirely.
☆☆☆
Thirty-Eighth Hour
 
You've felt his lips on yours before.
But this? This is a kiss. 
The knee he'd pressed between your thighs earlier slips down as he bends over you on the chaise, mouth insistent and hands still hesitant. It's at once familiar and new. You've been here before, and yet, you haven't.
His lips on your lips in fear; in doubt - His tongue on your tongue in domination; in greed - His mouth on your skin in debauchery; in madness - You've been to all these places before, but never in the certainty you feel now. 
His mouth is on your mouth in raw desire; in unfiltered passion. In total admission of the sin between you. 
You tilt your chin to feel more of his beard. You sigh, the bristly sensation making the back of your neck tingle. There's a thrumming inside your chest that has you nearly shaking in anticipation. 
He licks sharply into your mouth, then swallows your tongue when you offer it to him, sucking you down whole, like a delicacy he's been denied for too long. Sighing when he releases, you spread your palm further along his jaw, the tips of your fingers meeting the softness of his hair. Then you pull back to pause for a moment and so does he, your eyes bouncing over every detail of his elegant, refined face and falling still on his blushing lips. 
You need a moment to convince yourself that this is real. That he is real. Then you crush your mouth back over his, dragging your tongue across his bottom lip, thrilled at how plush and swollen you find it. Though your eyes are closed, you're tracing the image of him in your mind as your lips and fingers drink him in. 
You kiss him until your breath turns ragged and your mouth is nearly numb. You kiss him until there's nothing left in your mind but his taste. And when he's kissed you for too long to go on without feeling more of him, you begin to curl your hands around the nape of his neck, peeling gently at the tan fabric of his outer layer. His hands have been decidedly unmoving from either side of you; one above your head and one beside your shoulder. He uses them now, to push up and away from you. 
He plants one leg firmly back on the floor, his other knee resting at your side as he keeps his body crouched over yours, but just out of reach. 
"This is reckless," he breathes, holding your gaze. It isn't quite a warning. It's almost as if he's asking permission - asking for you to acknowledge the gravity of what you're doing. He lets the statement hang, waiting for your reply. 
You sit up, pulling your legs closed and placing your palm back where it had been on his cheek. Smoothing your fingers down his beard, you hold him by the chin and lean in for another kiss. He returns it - sweet and soft and lovely. Then you pull back to look at him again. "Do you want to stop?"
You hate the question, and you hate the silence that follows. He swallows, then brushes his lips over yours, still unanswering. 
You wrap your fingertips lightly around either side of his neck, smoothing your hands between the fabric of his clothing and his skin. He kisses you slowly, languidly, as you lift the collar of his robe. You break away to suck at the exposed skin of his neck and you feel his shoulders drop. 
His hands are still motionless, and daring to reach out in the Force, you sense his hesitation. Despite the finality of his earlier comment, it seems he still needs convincing. But that's not asking more than you're willing to give. 
For months, while he'd been accepting and allowing the thoughts and memories to pass, you'd been drowning in them, fighting to control your thoughts and losing every time. And now? Your battle is finally over. You're more than prepared to help him ease the tension within. He's at the precipice, and you're only so eager to pull him fully into the darkness with you. One of your hands is still wrapped around his neck, holding him as you suck softly at his skin. The other hand moves down to his clothed stomach. 
You pull your mouth away while your hand slides to his belt and wait for him to respond, but he doesn't. You watch his chest rise and fall in the dim light. His long lashes are pressed closed, his stomach pulled in tightly. 
You press another kiss to his mouth, then murmur against his lips, "I won't stop until you tell me to stop."
You gently unclasp his belt and take it off, and he opens his eyes to follow your movements. When your hand drifts lower to rest at his hip, he sucks air. You feel a small ripple in the Force when you touch his stomach, and it's only then that you realize you haven't felt his presence this entire time. 
Even now, he's holding back. 
Your aura, on the other hand, must be flooding through him with all the subtlety of a hurricane, and you make no effort to quell it. It doesn't matter. None of it matters, because this will end. When the storm lifts, you'll be gone from one another's lives, and he'll have ruined you. And you want him to feel just what he's done to you before it's all over.
So you know he can feel the way you're burning when your hand moves lower. You reach below his tunic to spread your palm between his legs, and you feel him, hard and warm and heavy beneath the fabric. 
He blinks, long and slow. His sharp blue eyes are hidden beneath a pinched brow. Then his lashes flick up through the shadows, and he brings his gaze back to you. 
"You have no idea- no idea, how I've wanted this."
His words barrel through you like a blaster bolt, your arousal growing almost painful, and you stroke your hand over him, winning a breathy sigh as his shoulders cave toward you. 
Slowly pulling off his tunic and then his undershirt, you luxuriate in the feeling of letting your eyes fall exactly where they want to. No more hiding. No more pretending you don't want to see. 
The shadows play in the ridges of his muscled frame, firelight licking at his taut stomach, at his rigid shoulders, at his well-carved arms. Arms of a swordsman. The swordsman. He draws one arm up to card his fingers through his hair, absently straightening it as he looks down, entranced by your soft touches. You hook your thumbs around the fabric at his waist. He stands still for you as you tug down. 
His cock hangs heavy between his legs, drooling a slow river of his own slick mess. He's in your hand at once, pulsing as you give him a gentle squeeze. His jaw goes slack, eyes rolling back as he inhales indelicately through his nose. You lean forward, not even bothering to push his pants the rest of the way down, all your concentration centered on the thickness of him in your hand. 
Part of you had believed you must have exaggerated the memory. But he's not just big. He's... intimidating. You had been sore the next day after your experience on Oba Diah, but he hadn't been gentle. Seeing him again with no drugs to cloud your vision, you realize you're going to struggle to take him, gently or otherwise. 
And that thought shoots straight to your core, sending you off the edge of the chaise, dropping to your knees before him as you lightly trace your fingertips up and down his shaft, bottom lip popping open to fit around him. You drag your palm over his skin only a few times, ready to envelop his leaking tip in your greedy mouth before he nearly doubles over, pulling you back up by the arm. 
"Ah-" he chokes out, half gasping. "No, young one, please."
He's seated you back on the chaise, one palm at your cheek as he lowers you. Your eyes meet, electricity tearing though you at his use of the entirely inappropriate title. You watch his cheeks flush, guilt spreading beautifully over his features. Then he collects himself, his hands coming to rest on the tops of your thighs. "That would end things far too soon, I'm afraid." His eyes dance over your body. "Allow me to take my time, won't you? Let me have you the..." He goes silent for a moment, hesitating. Then the fire returns to his eyes. "...the way I'd imagined."
Your body responds to him with a desperate, wanton kiss before you can manage a word in reply. 
He leans forward and wraps his free hand behind your head, kissing you back so deeply you give up on attempting a response. Then his hand moves from behind your head, his fingers trailing down your body, gripping you through your clothes and starting to tug at the soft fabric. When his thumb brushes your skin, you whine into his mouth. Fuck, you need him to touch you so, so badly.
His movements are achingly slow, yet things seem to be building so fast you can hardly keep up. He pulls your shirt up, fingers flattening on the small strip of your stomach, teasing at your waist. He peels your mouth open with another devastating kiss as your mind scrambles to commit every detail to memory. 
When he spreads his body back over yours, he loosens your waistband, pulling your pants off of your hips. His fingers find you wet and aching. He closes his eyes, breath soft at your ear.
He rumbles your name as he sinks his fingers into your warmth, and you nearly choke on a sob. His tone is one of pure astonishment. He sounds dazed, almost scandalized at the state he's found you in. And the constant wild pulses of need that you're brazenly sending him through the Force can't be helping.
One of your hands wraps around his wrist to feel him as he dips a digit inside. You break your lips apart from his; gasping, eyelids fluttering. You make a curse out of his name. 
He rocks his finger inside you, your wetness smearing over his knuckles. Your inner thighs are soon soaked where he brushes his hand with each pump of his wrist. You loose a whimper. 
"Oh, stars above," he sighs in return, sounding helpless. "If we are stopping, you must tell me now."
All your lust-addled brain can register is the word 'stop'. Panting and blinking up at him, you give him another whine, forcing words out. "I can't- No. I-" You gather yourself. "Not unless you say. If you feel you're making a mistake, just- just tell me. We'll stop."
At that, the hint of a grin takes shape beneath his beard. "This is undoubtedly a mistake," he tells you, pulling his hand from between your legs and freeing your lower half entirely. "But one I am terribly eager to make."
His arms sweep up, then, to remove your shirt and underclothes. You're bare before him, throbbing; drunk on the sight of him. He presses in, leaning you back over the cushioned surface and nudging your legs apart with his knee. 
There are no more words, no more soft kisses, no more longing looks. He slides his cock through the growing wetness between your legs. You brush your hands desperately at the back of his hair, rubbing a thumb through his golden locks, urging him along, and at last, he breaks you open, every bit of pain drenched in immeasurable pleasure as the ache between your legs is replaced with a full, rippling bliss. Waves of tingling, delirious relief flood your body. 
You let a moan escape as he pulls back, coating the thickness of his head in your dripping arousal and pushing in deeper. The stretch of your muscles around him is every bit as sweet as it is painful, and as he begins a slow, steady build of rocking into you, the sharpness of the pain quickly starts to melt into a deep, burning pleasure.
Your eyes are closed so tightly you're starting to feel heated pressure beneath your eyelids. It doesn't matter. Your only focus is on feeling him. Feeling every inch he drives deeper and deeper on every thrust. Letting the pleasure consume you. 
When he finally buries himself in full, your eyes tear open to look at him. No longer the picture of boyish charm, he's absolutely obscene in his beauty. His long lashes are hanging low over his darkened gaze, his hair is a mess and his lips are parted in the silent gasps of his movement. He leans down to kiss you and you meet his lips with carnal fervor. His hand cradles your jaw, his thumb at the corner of your mouth. His hips are grinding you into the furniture's edge with a maddeningly steady rhythm, and he slips his thumb inside your mouth to fuck into you from two directions at once. You suck it gratefully; adoringly.
Keeping his thumb between your mouths, he continues to kiss you brokenly, a moan clambering up his throat and penetrating the hot air between your tongues. The sound is so filthy that your breath hitches. Your back arches without your command, and the head of his cock hits a spot so deep that you whine pathetically, your cunt tightening around him. 
"Stars- you feel so-" Obi Wan trails off, his voice shattered. 
You blink to get a better look at his expression in the darkness, hoping it matches his voice, but it's then that you realize the room is pitch black, and you're not even certain how long it's been like this. The fire, neglected for too long, has finally gone out.
Obi Wan seems to notice at the same time. He slows his thrusts until he's easing in and out of you, dragging your sanity to its limit. He runs a thumb along the top of your thigh, seemingly in hesitation. Then it occurs to you. 
No, no, no, don't stop...
"It's fine," you assure him. "Everything's frozen already. I don't mind the dark."
He gives you a few more agonizingly slow pumps, pulsing deliciously inside you before he stops, whispering, "Only a moment, I promise."
He slides out of you, holding your hips steady until he leaves you empty and barely able to suppress a keening moan at his absence. You let a frustrated breath leave your nose in protest. He kisses your stomach, pulling away.
You hear him moving across the room, then his figure illuminates in the corner when he lights a candle. He brings it closer, setting it on a nearby table. "I mind the dark, if it means I can't see you."
His gaze drags slowly up your body, and you absolutely cannot take any more. You stand up, covering his mouth with your own and curling one leg around him, pulling him into you. He rewards you with a deep groan, wrapping his arms around you and lowering you to the floor covered in soft blankets. You'd moved them to the side when you'd cleared the room, creating a ring of bedding next to the furniture. As he spreads you over it, his hands glide over your skin, lightly palming your breasts before he grips your waist and slides back into you effortlessly, as if he'd never left. 
"Ohh, yes..." you sigh into his neck when he brings his body close to yours. "Fuck, don't ever stop again. Please, Obi Wan-"
"Hmm," he hums his pleasure right into your ear. "I don't intend to."
You tilt your head back, unleashing a gushing stream of euphoria into the Force as he sucks at your neck, finding his rhythm and beginning to pound into you. 
As the pitch of your moans grows higher, Obi Wan meets every movement of your hips, never breaking the intensity of his pace. You watch the angelic softness leave his eyes as they grow heavy and finally close. He's hitting you so deep, and it's just so... right. 
Yes, that's the feeling. The word that's been on the edge of your mind all along. Right. This is all so right.
"Feel... so good... so perfect..."
The sound of him losing himself, of his gentle praise - it's all too much. You moan, twisting your fists into the blankets, and give in to the rising flame within you. "Oh, shit... I'm going to- You're going to make me-"
"Fuck," Obi Wan grits, driving you into the floor harder and harder with each breath. His arms cradle you on either side, caging you in as he obliterates any remaining shreds of self-control you'd thought you had. The pleasure is mind-numbing. His pace is relentless - no faster, no slower. Just harder and harder.
When he lifts one arm to reach between you, thumb circling your clit, stars burst behind your eyelids. You go soaring past what you'd thought to be your orgasm and reach a new wave of ecstasy. The taste of him on your tongue, the smell of him surrounding you, the sounds you'd never dreamed to hear in his voice - everything culminates into the perfect coalescence of the divine and leaves you breathless and shaking beneath him until you can no longer move. 
When you finally manage to catch your breath, you swallow, turning your face up to the ceiling. Obi Wan makes a rough sound. 
"Eyes here, darling. Please."
You bring your thoroughly-fucked, blissed-out gaze back down to him. And that's all it takes.
"Fuck," he whines. "Where-" 
Before you can say anything to stop him, he pulls out of your soaking cunt and spills over his hand, painting your stomach with thick, hot streaks of cum. His mouth drops open and his shoulders slump, and he wrings himself out, bucking his hips like his body has gotten away from him. 
You watch him fuck his fist, eyes glassy and lost, and you reach down to swipe two fingers through his cum, bringing it to your lips without a thought. 
"Oh-" he chokes, muscles snapping like he's been struck by lightning. Tightening his grip, he spends the last of himself over you until he finally drops onto his forearms, shaking. 
You suck his mess from your fingers, swallowing and gazing up at him. "Sorry," you murmur, suddenly struck by your own brazen behavior. 
He huffs a broken laugh, looking down at you, sweat dampening the locks of hair half-covering his face. He takes a moment to collect himself before replying, "Oh, 'sorry', are you?"
You can't help but grin, your smile matching his reflexively. You shake your head, panting. "No."
He covers your grin with his lips, then pushes himself up to retrieve his undershirt. He swipes it across your stomach, cleaning you up before collapsing on the ground beside you.
The moment you allow your eyes to close, all of the adrenaline and tension of the past several days catches up with you at once. You hadn't realized just how tense every muscle had been until now.
You are finally, well and truly, for the first time in what feels like eons, relaxed. 
The wind outside has died down. There's only silence, and two beings, two souls, breathing in the dark. 
"Regretting this mistake, yet?" you whisper when you finally catch your breath. 
The feeling of him wrapping his arms around you sends a warm hum through your body. "No," he tells you, kissing just below your ear. "There are many more mistakes I want to make with you."
Fourty-First Hour
 
When you awaken, Obi Wan is stirring beside you. Your body convulses with a violent shiver and you press into him, trembling hands finding his warm skin. Your nose feels like it's about to freeze off.
"Shh-shit," you whisper. 
"I know," he murmurs softly, pulling you closer. "We should have tended to the fire before sleeping."
Your whole body seems to buzz. Everywhere he touches you feels like you're glowing, despite the cold. You hear the crackle of wood, realizing that he'd just returned to the makeshift bed after restarting the fire. You don't know how long it's been out, but judging by the faint puffs of frozen breath leaving your mouth when you speak, you imagine it's been a while. 
Perhaps the fire burned out long ago and this has all been a dream your mind has conjured as you drift into a frozen death slumber. Seeing the faint outline of his face beside yours, you're finding it hard to care.
"I guess we lost track of the time," you murmur.
"We've lost track of everything," comes his quiet reply. 
You can't quite place his tone. You cast your mind out gently in the Force to try and get a sense of him, but find only emptiness. He's still closed off.
"Thank you," you tell him, reaching a hand to stroke his beard. "For fixing up the fire."
For some reason, you hesitate before making contact. His arm is around you, yet you're unsure of where you stand. Can you touch him? Is it over? He said he hadn't regretted it, but that had been in the heat of the moment. Should you get dressed? Should you talk about this, or is now the time when you begin to pretend this didn't happen?
You decide it's worth the risk, and you run your hand along his cheek, staring up into his eyes. He'll have to be the one to push you away. 
But the push never comes. He leans into your touch and spreads his fingers through your hair, tilting your face up to give you a lush, unhurried kiss. You melt into him, silently sliding your tongue against his. The windows don't tremble anymore with the noise of the storm. The soundtrack is gone. It's just you, and it's just him. 
You shift in the blankets to bring your body closer to his, and the icy air hits your bare shoulder. You shiver, and his mouth turns into a smile against yours. "Oh, dear. We can't have that."
He pulls back, extricating himself from your arms to wrap a sheet around his midsection. Then he drags his robe down from a nearby chair and wraps you in it, the heavy fabric covering your entire body, quickly trapping the little heat you have remaining. You sit up to slide your arms in, and rub your cold nose into one of the sleeves. The smell of him settles in your chest, and it deepens your hunger. It makes you bold. 
You come up to your knees, letting the robe drape over you, falling open in the middle. Obi Wan's gaze follows you, the soft smile disappearing from his face. 
"By the stars," he whispers, sitting up with his back against the chair. His eyes trail down the line in the center of the robe, and a blush rises to your cheeks. You feel yourself getting wet under his stare, and when his eyes flick back up to your face, you can't help but obey the breathy command he gives you.
"Come here."
His hand reaches out to pull you closer and you lift a leg to straddle him, the sheets creating a barrier between you. His gaze falls to your cunt and it stays there as you ease yourself into his lap, hovering over him on your knees. He rests his hands on your bare hips, pushing the robe aside. "Sit down, please."
You wish you had the strength to hold off; to hear his voice become plaintive and desperate. But all you can think about is how fucking good it would feel to sink down on him. You sit.
Despite the sheet covering him, you can feel the warmth coming off of his lap. His adam's apple bobs and he glides a hand along your jaw, pulling you into a slow, easy kiss. He cradles your face with one hand while the other slides beneath the robe to your breast, kneading it softly. Your nipples are already hard from the cold, and as his palm drags up and down, he teases lightly, cupping and grazing it. You moan into his mouth when he holds your head still, kissing you deeply while softly rolling your nipple between thumb and forefinger. 
"Fuck, Obi Wan..." you mumble, lost in the sensation, back arching for him. He goes on teasing you until you start to grind against him, dampening the sheets. "Let me... let me feel you."
He looks down between you, to where you're rubbing your needy cunt against him, and raises a brow salaciously. "I'm in no position to argue, darling." He slides both hands to your hips, as if to signal his helplessness, and presses you down harder. 
You take a shaky breath, catching his eyes. "That's not what I mean."
He looks at you, unspoken question hovering in the air, and you shake your head slightly. "I... I want to feel you. Can I?"
His eyes drop away for a moment when your meaning hits home. He swallows. "It may make things more difficult... later."
So he had been intentionally suppressing himself. A calculated decision. The thought should make you consider the fact that you weren't. Perhaps it should even shame you a little. But it doesn't. Knowing he'd been holding back, too hesitant, too afraid of what would happen if he didn't... 
Your master didn't hesitate at any threat. Didn't fear loss or pain or even death. But he feared corruption. He feared it because of you.
You glide your tongue along his neck, a dark thrill running through you, taking the words from inside you and spilling them out of your mouth. "I'm not thinking about later."
He stares deeply into your eyes, mouth set in a rigid line, and for a moment, you worry you've pushed things too far.
"If you don't want to-"
He cuts off your words with a kiss. "If I had the strength to deny you, I would have used it long before this." 
You can't wait even a second longer. You pull the sheet down, finding him so, so ready for you. His erection twitches under your touch, and his eyes are filled with nothing but desire, and his big, warm hands are holding you so steady, just waiting patiently for the chance to help you slide down the length of him. 
And so you give in, and you let him guide you down his throbbing cock until he's buried. He watches the place where your bodies meet until he disappears, then lets a long sigh escape him, sounding equally relieved and tortured. 
You give yourself a moment, catching your breath at being so full of him. You brush your lips over his, then wrap your arms around his neck and start to move.
And slowly, faintly, blessedly, you start to feel him in the Force. 
And oh, fuck, that is it for you. You're gone.
His cock is filling you, and his mind is beside yours, and within yours, and surrounding yours. You feel him more and more with each pull of your hips. Every time you slide down the length of him, it's like you're drawing more of him out. 
It's nothing like it ever had been when you'd meditated together. His mind is truly open to you, and it's more intense than you'd ever thought possible. 
You're overwhelmed with a vast wave of pleasure, feeling the urge to rock his hips, and you realize his thoughts are so entwined with your own that you can't differentiate between them. You tighten your body to his, the heat growing between you, and when your breasts press into the bare skin of his chest, you feel his spike of desire flowing through you. You feel so exposed, so on display for him like this, and at the same time as your pleasure builds, his lust is just as present and just as intense. 
When his thumb begins to softly circle your nipple again, the feeling from both sides at once is so overwhelming that you nearly cry. It's hard to breathe; hard to think. Hard to be anything but viscerally present in the moment.
You give yourself over to him completely, realizing only now that you've been bouncing roughly on his dick, moaning his name for some time. It might have been a minute or an hour. Time doesn't have much meaning, now. You hear the echoes of your own voice as if it belongs to someone else. Then you hear his voice inside you, from every angle. 
"Yes, yes, yes..."
He sounds as lost as you are, and you close your eyes, needing to hear more. 
"So good for me, taking me fucking perfectly, just look at you, look at you..."
He dissolves into curses in languages you don't recognize. Then he uses his voice again. 
"Closer," he pants into your collarbone, hips bucking beneath you. "Come closer."
You blink your eyes open, panting senselessly, trying to form a thought besides the thickness of his cock. As you stare at him, he smiles gently, the warm glow of his aura softening, and it makes you fucking blind with the sheer pain of your desire for him. He bleeds the light into you and it makes you seethe with want. You want him in every way possible. You have him and you want him still. 
"You've done so well," "Padawan" his mind's voice finishes the thought, and your eyes widen to search his, waiting for him to apologize; waiting for him to excuse the slip. But your minds are as one, and he can feel the white hot lust the word sparked through you, and he just continues speaking. "Now let me."
He pulls you closer and sends you a thought, which you obey. Wrapping your legs around him, you sit in his lap properly and he fucks up into you, sending wild, violent waves of bliss through both of your bodies. He holds you by the hips and pounds you hard into his lap, coaxing you right to the edge. When you reach it, you know he can feel it.
"It's there, darling, isn't it?" he says, slowing and holding you still, letting his cock pulse deep inside you. "Right there."
You nod feverishly, eyes wide and desperate. You're only sending a single, depraved, broken thought to him: "Please, please, please, let me, let me..."
He never breaks eye contact when he slips two fingers into his mouth, wetting them before reaching down and pressing warm, deliberate circles around your clit. He feels the sensation through your mind when it sends you careening toward your orgasm, and then he pulls his fingers back.
But the feeling stays. 
The depravity of his using the Force in this way hits you like a supernova.
The firm, perfect pressure of his touch stays between your legs and he starts to thrust again, using both hands to help you ride his cock, sliding up into you over and over again until he hears your whimpering plea to come inside, and the sound of your voice brings him right to where you are - coming, moaning, delirious with pleasure - shooting his load deep into you, spilling out of your cunt, and thrusting and thrusting and thrusting until he's emptied everything; mind, body, and soul.
He finishes, and you finish, and all is warm and soft and silent.
He takes a breath. It's your breath. 
You open your eyes when he pulls away, suddenly realizing you'd been kissing. How long had you been kissing? Had his mouth ever left yours?
With your eyes now open, you struggle to remember what it's like to breathe as just one person. His aura diminishes and you register that he's pulling away from you. He does it slowly, locking his eyes to yours as you feel him fading away. When he's beside you again and no longer inside your mind, you gather your strength and manage to blink, breaking the spell you'd been under. 
You look down, watching him pouring out of you. It's impossible to move; you're transfixed. He shifts his hips and more of him spills out. He groans softly at the sensation, and it makes you pulse between your legs. 
Leaning your head against his shoulder, you catch your breath. 
This was worth it. All the pain and suffering; the waiting and the endless, endless distance between you. It had all been worth it. 
You sink into the warmth his presence had left within you. It will be worth it when he's gone, too. 
You will never, ever regret this.
Hour Fourty-Five
 
It's warm this time when you wake up. 
Obi Wan is sleeping beside you, his hair a tangled mess and his breaths slow and even. It's still dark. You still have time.
You want to crystallize this moment forever: General Kenobi at rest. 
You've never seen him look this peaceful. You want to brush the hair from his face, but you hold back, not wanting anything in the galaxy to disturb this. 
His arms are spread above his head, his legs splayed wide beneath the covers. His eyelashes paint beautiful silhouettes over his smooth skin. Not a tight muscle or a clenched jaw in sight. 
You close your eyes and focus on the feeling of pure comfort, pure bliss. You form it and shape it in your chest, holding it close before sending the thought out into the Force. 
You don't know if it's possible to influence someone's dreams this way, but you hope it is. 
He doesn't stir. And after sinking down deeper into the blankets, neither do you. 
Hour Fourty-Eight
 
Slurping at your fingertips, you hum your appreciation for Ilum's basic supply shipments including fruit. Obi Wan seems to concur, but he's a bit more refined in showing it. He takes another bite, placing it down on the plate rather than devouring it all in one go. 
He's sitting above you, one arm draped around your shoulder, shirtless and feeding you from the plate you'd prepared earlier - an extremely late breakfast. 
Your head is resting on his stomach, and he smiles down at you. "Quite the messy eater."
He brushes a thumb beneath your lip where the juice is running down. You grin. "We're not in the temple. No one to impress with my manners here."
"Ah. And here I thought I was a guest worth impressing."
He picks up another piece of the fruit, easing it into your open mouth. You smirk as you chew. "In some cultures, messiness is a sign of respect. Trandoshans, for instance."
"Yes, well, I wasn't aware we were abiding by Trandoshan customs."
"Could have fooled me."
"Pardon?"
Your heart quickens a bit at teasing him like this. "Those words you said, earlier... some of it was Trandoshan, wasn't it?"
He doesn't answer right away, looking caught-out. Then his voice lowers a bit. "Some of it."
You sit up from his lap, reaching over him to get your own fruit. "Can I ask what it meant?"
His face seems a hint redder than it had been a moment ago. He mumbles something you can't quite hear.
"Hm?" 
"Roughly translated, it means 'bed'."
You swallow another bite, licking your lips. "And... less roughly translated?"
He throws a look up to the ceiling, then casts his eyes sideways. "There are no Basic words that truly suit the meaning. But a more precise translation would be a threat. Or a promise."
"A promise," you echo.
He meets your eyes again, a sparkle in his gaze. "To fuck you through the bed."
Your mind is decidedly no longer on breakfast. "Perhaps a demonstration would be more helpful?"
He just laughs, picking up another piece of fruit.
Hour Fifty
 
"Obi Wan" you breathe, arching your back as he pulls you closer. 
He looks up at you, lapping slowly, slowly, slowly. He closes his eyes, flattening his tongue and dragging it through your wetness. 
His name leaves you again when he slicks his fingers through you, spreading you open to lathe his tongue against your clit. He growls his approval when your hips jolt at the pressure. You moan his name again. 
He lifts his head from between your legs at last, beard glistening and an indecent grin marring his virtuous face. "Yes?"
"Please. Don't stop."
He gives you two of his fingers and watches you squirm, your mouth falling open. "Oh, I assure you that won't be happening."
He pumps his fingers, pleasure streaming through every facet of your mind and body as his aura surrounds you, shameless in his intentions. 
"Will you give me one more, darling?"
You throw your head back, reveling in the filthy smoothness of his voice. It's deep, and dark, and impossible to disobey.
You give him one more. 
Hour Fifty-Four
 
Sucking in a desperate breath, you squeeze your eyes shut, Obi Wan's hands gripping you from behind. His cock is buried deep, his hips tight against yours, and your face is inches from the kitchen table.
It had started as a simple offer of tea, and his lips were on yours again, and your hands had found him hard and wanting, and your clothes were parted, torn open yet again. You could have him and have him, and still you would never tire of his skin, of his voice, of his movements. He holds you close, shifting his hips, rolling with you as you grind back on his cock. 
You know he can feel the way you're aching for him through the Force. Your body is shaking with it, and your aura has been begging wordlessly for him to pound into you. But he's sending you back patience, and diligence, and control. He knows that if he draws out of you and starts to fuck you the way you ask, you'll tumble over the edge within minutes. And he's enjoying this. And so are you.
So he keeps his hips flush with yours, panting soft praises against your shoulder as he works you from within. Both of you are still fully clothed, pants hastily pulled down with just enough room where your bodies are joined. The feeling of him grinding you into the table, fabric rubbing at your clit with every slow thrust of his hips, is making your eyes roll back inside your head. 
You are a Jedi, and as such, your patience is renowned throughout the galaxy. And yet, his patience is driving you to the point of madness. 
"Faster. Please, I- I need-," you mewl, brows pulled tightly together in agony. 
He rubs slowly inside you, the heat in your abdomen becoming unbearable as wetness drips down your inner thighs. Then he tightens his fingers around your hips through your clothing. "Words, sweet one. I need to hear them." Methodically, he continues pumping until your moans are threatening to turn into sobs. "What is it that you want?"
You let out a whine, shaking your head and pressing back into him. You can't articulate what you need. You're just sending roaring, messy obsecrations directly to his mind. It's like throwing a handful of water into a wildfire. He burns so brilliantly, so powerfully in the Force that your roaring demands fall silent at his feet. You won't sway him.  
You part your lips at last. "I need you to fuck me. Let- let me have you, Obi Wan, please."
He flattens one hand on the table, sliding himself out of you, parting your bodies by inches and then driving back into you with a devastating act of mercy. His groan matches yours, and his hips stutter before he begins to set the pace. His hand comes back to your waist, both palms holding you steady, and just as the vulgar sound of his hips meeting your ass starts to fill the room, the lights suddenly come back on.
You hear the crackle and soft whirring of electricity beginning to fill your home again, but it's something of an afterthought with Obi Wan filling you so perfectly. Your forearms meet the table and you moan when his thumbs press into your lower back, bending you harder, pushing his cock deeper. 
"Yes, just like that-" he grinds out his approval when you arch your back to take more of him. 
"Ungh, shit, Obi Wan," you hiss, lost in the feeling of him splitting you open. "You're so deep."
"Is it too much?" he asks you. His voice is soft despite the power behind his thrusts. He draws back, cock easing in and out of you shallowly. 
Your head jerks back and you shake it violently, panic running through you at the idea of him pulling out. "I don't want to be able to move tomorrow..." You pause to grind on him, sucking him back into your heat. "Without feeling you."
You can feel the effect your words have on him, his aura turning electric, and he makes a low noise as he starts to rut against your soaking cunt. The filthy sound drowns out the quiet buzz of the long-range holocomm switching on. 
"Good afternoon, Commander. I trust you have been well."
The voice of Saesee Tiin suddenly jolts you, his holo-image filling the corner of the room. It's a pre-recorded message, playing automatically now that the power is back on. 
Obi Wan's dick is striking up against something stunning inside you, and you can't hold back a whimper. Master Tiin just keeps going. 
"As you may be aware, General Kenobi was expected for duty in the Gaulus sector roughly one standard day ago, and has yet to report in."
Obi Wan's rough panting is beginning to turn into a grunt. The sound of your pussy swallowing him over and over makes your face flush with heat. You grip the table, concentrating on sending him every bit of your pleasure through the Force. His grunting turns decidedly upward in pitch. The sounds he's making are going straight between your legs, and your thighs clench together as your orgasm nears.
"The council requests that you report if you have any contact with Master Kenobi. We would like to ensure his safety, just as I am sure you would."
"Ahh-" You wail, the head of his cock pummeling you over and over until you're shutting out the image of the Jedi master on the holocomm and only thinking of the one between your legs. Your climax rips through you with a ferocity that frightens you, feeling like your very soul is being torn apart when the pleasure echoes through your body and out into the Force, Obi Wan working to amplify it and send it right back to you. 
"I understand you have had some communications issues of late, and we look forward to hearing from you as soon as power is restored to Ilum's main base," the Iktotchi Jedi drones on as Obi Wan shatters you, your legs going weak and your mind exploding into fragments. 
"Oh, that feels- Oh, I'm-" Obi Wan's voice is slurred, and you can feel him losing control of the pace as your cunt tightens and flexes around him, trembling with the aftershocks of your orgasm. You cling to him in the Force as the pleasure overcomes him.
His cock slams into you a few more times before he grunts raggedly, bursting inside you, shoving his load deeper with every grind of his hips. His cum drips down the insides of your legs, leaving you messy, full, and satiated in every way.
He's still buried to the hilt when the message on the holocomm fizzles out, leaving you with, "May the Force be with you."
You let your body slump forward, legs shaking. Behind you, Obi Wan is still and silent, cock pulsing in time with his breaths. When you finally gather the strength, you push up and away from the table, and Obi Wan slides out of you, tucking his softening cock back into his pants. He wraps his arms around you, turning you to face him as you pull your own messy clothes back into position. You'll wash them when your brain begins to function again. 
You meet his eyes, smiling shyly, coming back down to reality while the warm glow of his presence surrounds you. "I suppose we'll need to come up with some excuse, because I am not returning that message. At least, not for a few more hours."
Obi Wan's glassy eyes and dazed smile turn slightly confused. He leans in for a kiss before tilting his head to inquire, "What message?"
--
A/N: please see this post for updated tags (includes spoilers - after the next two chapters the spoilers will be included in the tags) and thank you again for all the support. I truly appreciate it!
Tag List: @cosmicsierra @projectdreamwalker @guacam011y @thriving-n-jiving @reverieisaway @cursedfaechild @honeymoon7770 @hedvighedvig @cool-ontherun-world @ladytano420 @eddythewitch @immajustvibehere @thegreatwicked @marrily @millercontracting
Feel free to comment/message me to be added to the tag list :)
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split-spectrum · 3 months
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Water and Rock Update
Please look at this pretty gif of a pretty man and think only of that. Don't think about the actual words I'm saying. See how pretty? 💜
**Spoilers Below**
☆☆☆
First, the good news: Chapter 13 will be up very soon. Just doing final checks and formatting.
Now the possible bad news:
***If you don't want to spoil the ending, hit that back button babes***
I established up top with chapter 1 that there would be very little canon divergence. In finalizing the rough outline of the story, I've really kissed canon goodbye. This was tagged from the start with angst, hurt/no comfort, main character death, etc. I never gave any indication it would be a happy ending. But I'm making it clear now: the next couple of chapters are where you can still get off the ride while it's fun.
I'm extremely grateful for the amazing readership and lovely engagement everyone has given me, and the last thing I want to do is take that kindness and repay it with disappointment. But at the end of the day, I'm writing this for my own pleasure and this is the ending that's always been planned. I just didn't have a clear path how to get there until now.
The tags will be changed on AO3 starting with this upcoming chapter. I struggled for a long time to decide whether to spoil the ending or leave it in suspense, but ultimately I don't want to pull the rug out from under anyone, so to make things explicitly clear, new tags include main character death, unhappy ending, and canon divergence. I hope not to lose too many of you, but if you choose not to continue, I completely understand and appreciate all the support you've given! I also hope you enjoy the next two chapters as a treat for sticking with me so far. 😏😈
I honestly expected to have maybe 5-10 readers so to all of you, my deepest and most sincere thanks. 💕
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split-spectrum · 4 months
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Water and Rock
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Chapter 12
Pairings: Obi Wan/FemReader
Warnings/Tags: (please read updated tags for this chapter <3) explicit content, i.e. SMUT, 18+ only - minors DNI. sex, oral sex, cum play, dubious consent, drug use, hair pulling, very slight violence
Chapter Length: 8K
Description: There are only so many excuses a master and padawan can make to kiss under "extenuating circumstances" before circumstances stop arising and start being created. You are an expert at your craft - a Jedi knight in service as a spy for the Republic. When your former master Obi Wan joins you on a mission, it's clear things aren't the same as they once were. The trials you face together may break your bond, or turn it into something else entirely.
☆☆☆
Thirty-Second Hour
When you sink back into the vision, you let out a slow, albeit shaky breath, to steady yourself. The instant that you can see again, it's clear the effort was wasted. 
He's brought you right back to the spot you'd left - the sudden, choked noise in the back of his throat letting you know he's close- so close. Everything in his body language is telling you he's seconds from spilling into you. 
But no matter how much the drugs may have altered his mind, Obi Wan is still Obi Wan, and he is nothing if not brutally controlled. 
He's dragging it out, you realize. The obscene sound of him fucking you has slowed into a steadier rhythm and you hear the first half of a desperate moan escape you before it's cut off. You watch your own hand fly up to cover your mouth. Your jaw looks tight from this angle. 
Obi Wan doesn't slow down, doesn't miss a beat of rocking his hips, releasing his hand from your throat and deftly sweeping up to uncover your mouth. He pulls your hand away, dragging it down and pressing his grip over yours until you're holding your own throat. 
"No, no," he admonishes next to your ear. "If it feels good, young one, you mustn't be quiet about it."
You hear the whining groan that answers him. You nearly mirror it, in the here-and-now. 
It's beyond you, how he's able to keep his voice so composed while the rest of him is nearly snapping, at the obvious precipice of his orgasm. Every muscle is taut, glistening with sweat as he pumps diligently into your body. Your thighs clench around him, a sign that you're close, too, and he notices. 
The hand he'd been using to hold your hip slides between your legs and though you can't see it, you feel the movement in his thoughts when two of his fingers drag the wetness from where you're dripping around his cock, spreading it over your clit. Your desperate noises turn strangled. 
"There we are," he soothes. "Be a good girl and show your master. Let me feel-"
The vision blurs, the Obi Wan in the room with you breathing unsteadily. You feel him shake his head, dropping the tips of his fingers away from you. "Forgive me, I-"
But you're aching now, and you don't hold back your impulse, lifting your hand to his head, brushing your middle finger gently up from the hair at his ear over to his temple, and resting it there. "Oh, don't stop. Please."
His aura is so thick with desire that when you open your eyes to look into his, you're not sure if the air around you has turned hazy. He relents almost immediately. 
"Let me feel you come," the Obi Wan in the vision purrs, the sound of his voice filling your mind again. The honeyed rumble of his command burns through your bloodstream and coils up hot in your stomach. You're about to come in the vision. You might come now, just from watching. 
Your body shudders on top of him, doing as he's told you, tumbling over the edge hard and fast, and crumbling against him with a mess of moaning and finally a high, keening sound that could be his name. He turns it into a choked whine, tightening his grip around your larynx and fucking into you even harder when your climax starts to taper off. 
Your voice goes quiet, and when your movements begin to slow, he pulls his hand from between your legs and folds you onto your side. His other hand finally releases your throat as you roll, and his leg hooks behind your knee, opening you up for him to reach even deeper. 
"That's it," he pants roughly, your body spasming beneath him and your voice pitching upward again. His mouth is pressed into the nape of your neck, where the marks from his teeth are starting to turn dark. 
One of his thumbs hooks down to brush your nipple, his lips meet your neck in a kiss that you remember feeling, and all at once, you recognize what you're seeing. This is the scene he'd shown you, back on the ship, during your meditation. 
But he hadn't shown you all of it. 
You can see the dazed, glassy look in your own eyes as he bears down on you, his thrusts turning ragged, grinding you into the floor. 
"Obi Wan," your plea comes out guttural, wrecked, and the sound of it it makes your head swim. You realize it's his reaction you're feeling, and suddenly it's like you're floating out of your own body. It's overwhelming and at the same time, not enough. It's you; it's him. You can't tell whose feelings you're having anymore, or whether they're a part of the vision, or something happening right now, in the room you're sharing. You don't know where the line is. You don't know if there is a line. 
"Fuck-" he says, hard and clipped. He leans into his forearm, pinning you down, and you bite the inside of your lip to keep from becoming a whimpering mess while watching the man you'd always known as tender, who'd never accepted anything not freely offered, bury himself into you. Watching him take and take and take exactly what he wants, losing himself in cruelty; in pleasure... 
This time, when Obi Wan brings the vision to an end, it's a slow stop. Like breaking the surface of the water and coming up for air. It's not as definitive and sudden as before. You can still feel it while you're gazing into his eyes. His lips are bright, pink, and slightly parted. He closes them into a hard line, to swallow.
You're so wrapped in the vision and in wanting to feel more of him that your consciousness keeps pressing up against his, at first. To the point where Obi Wan not only cuts off the contact between you, but actually begins to push back. The walls of his mind are rigid once again, and his presence is firmly closed off. 
It takes an eternity for you to gather yourself. You're too afraid to speak. Your hand is still at his temple, resting against the warmth of his face, and you stay there. You're not ready to break your connection with his skin.
"Obi Wan..." His name leaves your mouth before you're ready to talk, and the rest of your mind catches up clumsily as you realize your tone is too breathy and far too intimate. His eyelids dip deliciously, and it nearly sends you over the edge. But you swallow, vehemently tamping down your desires, and force yourself to even out your voice. 
"Thank you," you tell him simply. "For showing me. Now I know."
You shift in the bedding, bringing your noses just a bit closer. 
"Now you know," he says back. There's a long, loaded silence hanging over you. He's trying to remain unreadable, as he always does, but you'd caught that first look he'd given when the vision ended, and it was enough to tell you why he's still lying next to you instead of moving away. 
The wind howls outside, and it's the first time in hours that you've thought about the rest of the world existing.
"Was it... as you thought it would be?" 
His question catches you completely by surprise, and you have no idea how to answer. 
The silence that envelops you is perilous. The kind of silence that threatens to make you into a fool. The kind of fool that would lean in and close your lips over his. And you can't allow that to happen.
Because even as you're coming down from the high of watching him take you in ways you'd never even let yourself imagine, you know - you know that if you were to press your lips against his, he would stop you. He would do it gently, but the disappointment and shame would tear you apart. 
So, you allow yourself to bask in the feeling of this moment for just a little longer before you pull away. You feel numb when you speak, forcing yourself to operate on auto pilot. 
"I don't think there's a good answer to that question," you murmur, almost lowering your voice to a whisper.
His eyes betray nothing, but he smiles softly, and you see the tightness in it. 
"Right," he says. "Of course not."
A thousand words go unsaid. You want to tell him that it was nothing like you'd imagined because you can't allow yourself those kinds of thoughts for even a moment - even a second - or they'd seep into you so deeply you'd never be able to think of anything else. 
"I'm... going to get some sleep," you tell him instead, flatly, breaking your gaze apart from his at last. 
You roll over, putting some distance between your bodies. You close your eyes. But you can't find sleep.
Thirty-Sixth Hour
 
"Fuck-" he says, hard and clipped. He leans into his forearm, pinning you down...
You've seen this before. 
Obi Wan cums, and it fills you, and he fucks you through it. He keeps fucking you until the air has left your lungs, and until the room is silent, and until his muscles drop him to the floor, cock still wrapped inside you. He looks down, watching himself drip down the backs of your thighs. He moves slightly, watching himself ease out of you and then disappear inside you again. He's dripping. And still hard. 
"You-" your voice beside him sounds far away, delirious, blissed-out. Like any words are an afterthought. You can hear yourself panting, and after a long time, you try speaking again. "You... finished inside me."
Obi Wan's gaze flicks up to your face, looking at your closed eyes, your face pressed sideways against the floor. He's still moving in long, unhurried strokes, and after a while, he brings his eyes back to where he's slow-fucking you. 
Your body is still so pliant, so willing, beneath him. The noises you make are warm and soft, inviting him to stay exactly where he is. "I wasn't aware," he drawls, "we were in the midst of making careful decisions."
The filthy sound of him entering you again and again ends when he bends down and presses his hands around your waist, pulling himself out of you with a soft groan. 
"Turn over," he tells you, settling back, pants still around his legs. 
You sit up slowly and your hand wraps around his cock, keeping your connection as you start to turn around. He stands up, looking down at you, and you come up to your knees, bobbing your head forward to spread your lips eagerly around him. The warmth makes him stop still, easing the lower half of his body into your welcome embrace. 
His knees unstiffen for a brief moment while you swallow his cum, cleaning him dutifully with eyes locked on his. It only lasts a moment before he's snaking a hand behind your head. It's not clear at first whether he's pulling you closer or stopping you, but when his fingers tighten in your hair, the message is clear. 
He jerks your head up, your mouth still full of him.
"Did I say, 'get on your knees'?" His hand follows your head as you shake it gently back and forth, gagging on him. "No, I didn't. I told you to turn over."
He releases your hair and drags his hand down to your chin, pressing into your jawbone. "You don't listen." 
He pulls you off, your face pinched between his thumb and his knuckle, shoving you backward and sinking down between your legs all in one fluid motion. He crowds you, aligning his hips with yours, your body half-pressed against the floor and the wall of the ship. You dimly wonder how he could still be hard, but decide to simply attribute it to the drugs, not particularly caring about the cause so much as the effect.
Slowly pressing inside you again, he rubs his thumb tenderly over the spot he'd squeezed on your jaw. "What was all that training for, hm?" 
He pulls back, dropping his other hand to the juncture of your hip, and shoves his cock into you so hard it draws out a yelp, even as his hand gently cups your face. "So disobedient."
Obi Wan ends the vision like slamming a book shut. This time, when your eyes open to meet his, they're stormy, dilated. Dark.
You aren't prepared to mask your feelings when you're suddenly awakened and blinking back into consciousness. You just gaze back at him, not hiding your hunger. Not keeping your energy hidden, but letting it bleed out so that he can feel what he's done to you. The fire is all but gone, dying embers lighting the corners of the room. The air is sharp and icy.
"I'm sorry. That was not-" He breaks off, shaking his head. "I'm sorry."
"Don't-" you tell him, moving closer to his warmth. You try to calm your breathing, and into the cold silence you whisper, nerves raw, "Fuck." The obscenity escapes you before you can think to catch it.
He stares. Then he seems to gather himself and clears his throat. "In my sleep I... failed to guard my thoughts." You're silent, still reeling, and he lowers his voice. "Now you remember as much as I do. Or... nearly."
You're taking careful breaths, drinking in the way his mouth curves when he speaks. "Nearly?"
The muscles in his jaw tighten. "I would... prefer it if only I remember the rest."
Despite his somber tone, you can't help your body's reaction. You want to pull him to you. You want to beg him to take you further into this darkness. You're flushed with heat when you think about the things he did. Imagining him taking it further is driving you to the point of madness.
"I understand," you tell him instead, finding your voice weak. 
"I regret it," he says, more of a statement of fact than an apology. "Hurting you."
"And," you surprise yourself, speaking without thinking, "the rest?"
He doesn't say anything for several long heartbeats. 
"I wish none of it had happened," he says at last, with stark directness. Then his gaze softens. "But, if I could have chosen, it would not have been... like that."
Your heart thuds wildly. Your voice is barely audible. "No?"
His eyelashes dip once, then twice, as he seems to hold back his answer. He looks stunningly beautiful, pinning you under a deadly serious expression. "No."
It's a long time before you can bring yourself to say anything back.
"I should go." 
The spell over him suddenly seems to break, and he tilts a brow, watching you reach for the robe lying on the floor behind you. "Go? Where?"
It's late. Or it's early. But you've rested enough to call this morning, and though there's only darkness outside, you push your blankets to your waist and sit up. If you stay here even a few more seconds, you will try to have him. Looking at him like this - hair a mess, eyes wild - you stand absolutely no chance.
You wrap the robe around yourself, stepping carefully out of the makeshift bed you'd been half-sharing, and you back away slowly. "I think I should meditate," you tell him. "I think I should be... alone."
You can tell he's trying to read your expression in the dim light of the fire, and you turn away, after giving him a curt bow of your head to take your leave. It's so overly formal that your stomach turns in embarrassment. You don't know how else to behave. 
It's cold and dark inside your sleeping quarters, and as you turn the knob to close the door, you heave a sigh of relief. You won't be able to stay in here for long without any heat, but cold and dark is exactly what you need. You sit on your freezing sheets, pulling your legs up and crossing them with a shiver. 
But you know now that it doesn't matter how cold it is. He's burning through you, and it won't stop.
 
Thirty-Seventh Hour
 
When you emerge from your room, you find that Obi Wan hasn't gone back to sleep, either. He's lit another candle in the kitchen, and his hands are busy in the sink, washing one of the cups you'd used earlier. When he sees you walking up beside him, he finishes rinsing and sets it to the side. Then he turns to you, wiping his hands on a towel. His face holds some concern, but it's reserved.
"You don't need to do that," you tell him, nodding to the cup. 
"I thought it best to take advantage of the running water while we still can."
Sensible as always. 
He holds the towel, just looking at you, not making any move to come closer. He looks unbelievably handsome like this - wearing his bed clothes, a simple brown undershirt and pants, with his sleeves rolled up to keep from getting wet. 
"Are you alright?" He floats the question quietly to you. 
You nod, crossing the short distance between you and sitting down at the table to look up at him. "I'm sorry for leaving."  
"I understand. You needed time."
You nod again, not elaborating on his comment. "Can I ask you something?" you venture.
"Of course."
"Back on the ship, when we were... meditating," you begin haltingly. "You showed me such a... small part. Why didn't you tell me you remembered so much more?"
His features are contemplative for just a moment before the corner of his mouth turns up. "You didn't ask."
Your throat feels sticky as you try to push out your next words. "I wanted to tell you... Not that it matters now, but..." you sigh, then try again. "I'm on a contraceptive. I don't know if you worried about-"
"Yes, I know."
That catches you by surprise, and you stare at him for an explanation.
"You told me, later," he elaborates quietly. In your long silence, he adds, more seriously, "I would have spoken to you about it. All of it. I wanted to, for some time."
The pain his words cause you is unintentional, but you nearly wince anyway. While you'd been ignoring him, focused on dealing with your own feelings, you hadn't shown any concern for his. He'd wanted to be open and honest about everything. But you'd kept him alone, instead.
You open your mouth to say something - to apologize, or try to make it right. But he goes on, closing the subject. "But perhaps it was for the best. After all, what could it have changed?" He places the towel on the counter, looking down, then smiles back up at you. "Sometimes talking only complicates a simple matter."
You have no response. Just an aching feeling. Your chance to make this right is long gone, and anything you say would seem empty. Finally, dumbly, you glance over at the wood stove in the other room. "I should make us something to eat."
His smile softens, tapering off. A thousand thoughts seem to be playing behind his eyes, but he only answers what you've said. "Breakfast would be very nice. Thank you."
You stand up and busy yourself with the kettle, picking up the towel from the counter to dry it, and he begins washing another dish. You don't stop him this time.
--
"Would you mind if I borrow these?" He holds up a small pair of scissors, their golden shine twinkling in the dim light, pulling your attention from the simmering water you'd been checking.
You glance up from the fire, replacing the lid on the kettle. Then you look down at the table where he'd presumably found the scissors, sitting next to a plant. "Hm? Oh. Sure. What for?"
He brushes a hand over the edge of his beard. "I've been in need of a trim."
You turn to face him, quirking an eyebrow. "I use those to cut my plants. They might be dirty."
He gives you a smile. "Oh believe me, I've made due with worse." He turns toward the refresher. "Thank you. I'll give them a rinse."
You stand up from where you'd been crouching next to the fire, deciding to leave the water a little longer to come to a full boil, and go back to preparing the jogan fruit. 
As you finish cutting up the last of the fruit, you reach for a plate, and when your fingertips graze its edge, a cool, creeping sensation suddenly trickles down your spine. You stop, staring at the ceramic pattern in front of you. Stretching your mind into the Force, you try to capture the fleeting feeling, but it leaves as quickly as it came.
You stand there another moment, almost wondering whether you should ask Obi Wan if he'd felt it, too. But really, you aren't even sure it was anything in the Force you'd felt. You glance around one more time, and sensing nothing more, you place the fruit down on the plate and head back into the main room. 
Picking up the packet of polystarch portion bread and shaking it in one hand, you use your other hand to lift the lid on the kettle and check for a proper boil. Seeing the bubbles break on the surface, you reach down, using a cloth to move the kettle from the stove. 
...Bright red feathers. Scrabbling claws digging into the crevices of a rocky cliff face at a dizzying speed. A leap, and a blinding light...
Your hand slips, the kettle jolts forward-
...the teal of protective outer scales turn into the tan of a soft underbelly. The tan and brown of a Jedi's clothing isn't far behind. Hands grasp to reach leather reigns, a futile gesture as the creature and the Jedi are now falling, falling... His blue saber's light is extinguished and you can feel his pain and confusion as the explosion of rubble surrounds him, following him down into the endless abyss...
You bark out in pain and jerk your hand away, the boiling water splashing over your skin as the kettle crashes to the ground. Sucking air through your teeth, you instinctively grasp around your wrist and look down at your burned hand. 
Before you can get a good look at it, you hear the door of the refresher swing open and Obi Wan call your name with concern. 
You turn to face him, wincing. "Sorry, it was nothing, I-"
When you catch sight of him, you stop talking. The connection between your mind and your mouth has fizzled out. He crosses the room, trading looks between you and the overturned kettle, clearly trying to decipher what had happened, while you stand speechless, pain in your hand momentarily forgotten. He's bare-chested, presumably to keep his shirt clean while trimming his beard, and he's nothing but angled brows and perfect lines of hard muscle as he approaches you cautiously. 
You take a breath, embarrassed, and try again. "It's nothing, I just got distracted and I dropped the kettle."
His eyes slide to your hand, where you're still holding your own wrist. "Are you alright?"
You pull your hand up, inspecting it properly for the first time. It's a little red, just on the back of your thumb down to the start of your wrist, where the water had splashed. 
You shake your head dismissively. "I'm fine. I'll run it under cold water."
He gently reaches a hand out. "May I see it?"
Your heart is still racing from your... dream? Vision? Whatever it had been. But it doesn't slow down at all when he takes your hand in his, holding you still. He looks back up at you. "You should put something on this."
You make no effort to pull your hand back. "It's just a little burn."
"Burns can be deceiving," he tells you, then turns around, heading back to the refresher. A moment later, he emerges with some bacta gel and a gauze wrap. He's also carrying his shirt, but he doesn't put it on quite yet. 
His hand finds the small of your back and gently guides you into the kitchen, toward the sink. "Don't be difficult."
You try to ignore the way your mind turns immediately back to the same commanding tone he'd used in the earlier vision.
He turns the faucet on for you to run your hand under cold water while he twists off the cap. The cool relief does wonders for your hand, but it does nothing for the heat in your face as he stands in front of you like this, on display. 
His body has always been lithe, almost wiry, but it seems the war has made him a little bulkier. His shoulders are rounded, his ribs lined with lean muscle. You're doing your best to keep your eyes trained on the water pouring out of the sink, but when he turns around briefly to find a place on the counter to set down the cap, you drink him in from behind, trailing your gaze from the lines of his trim waist up to his shoulder blade, where the stark contrast of dark ink paints his skin. 
The symbol there has lived at the edge of your consciousness ever since you first saw it, back on Keoth. Watching his muscles move underneath the tattoo is making you weak in the knees, and your chest rises with a weighty breath when he turns back to face you. 
"Come now, it can't be that bad," he says with a half-smile. The way his eyes glitter in the candlelight sends a shiver through you, and you shake your head again, trying to remain in control of your thoughts, despite the way they're continually running away from you. 
"It isn't. Not that bad," you murmur. He puts his hand out for yours again, and you turn off the water and offer yourself over to him. He holds you carefully, tenderly turning your arm to the side and patting it dry with a dish towel. 
He pauses, holding your hand in his, drawing his eyes up to meet yours. For a moment neither of you speaks, and you both seem acutely aware of how close you're standing, how little clothing separates you, and how tenderly he's touching you. 
He lowers his gaze. "This will sting."
Normally, you'd make a sarcastic comment at that. You're both intimately familiar with using bacta to treat wounds. But he's filling the silence, and you know it, and since neither of you is going to comment on why this silence is so pervasive, you bite your tongue.
He swipes the gel onto his fingers, then gently dabs it across your skin. You try to concentrate on anything besides the feeling of his touch. Your eyes drift to his shoulder again, though you can't see the tattoo from this angle. He catches the glance and you lower your eyes quickly. 
He doesn't say anything for a moment, and you wonder if you've offended him by staring. But when he pulls back his hand to get more bacta gel, you find him looking more pensive than anything. He's using one hand to slick a finger over the top of the gel tube, and he's still holding your wrist with the other. "I've never told you what it means - that symbol of mine. Would you like to know?"
You flick your eyes up from his hand. You nod, half-opening your mouth to say "yes," but never quite getting the word out.
"It's an ancient dialect of Mando'a," he tells you, "When I was very young, Qui Gon and I spent some time on Mandalore. We were still finding our balance as master and padawan, and having some... difficulties."
He slides the cool gel across your skin again in a second layer, two fingers gliding flat over your wrist. "While we were staying with a small band of Mandalorians, I had decided to partake in their clan's tradition and get a tattoo. The design I'd chosen was the symbol of the Republic, as I felt there was nothing by which I could better define myself."
His finger traces along your thumb. "But when I told my master, he was not as enthusiastic as I had expected." He looks down, carefully using his own thumb to swipe away the excess gel from around your burn. "He told me to think carefully about the way I chose to define myself, and the ideals to which I committed. Of course, lacking any understanding of nuance at the time, I believed that he was disapproving what I'd chosen, and it led to a heated discussion."
He looks wistful for a moment, then melts into a smile with a shake of his head, and starts to unwind the gauze. "I said that I would never regret branding myself with the symbol of that which I held most dear. "
He finishes wrapping your wrist and uses the scissors to cut the gauze, tucking away the end, then draws his gaze up to meet yours. "And he, in turn, told me that the Force created living beings for a reason. That reason is simply to live. To experience all that the universe has to offer. Some experiences are worth a stain. Worth a scar." Obi Wan gently removes his hand from yours. "'We all carry scars in the end, but it's up to us to decide which ones are worth having.'"
You shift your arm back down to your side. "But, you got the tattoo anyway?"
He gives another smile. "Oh, yes. The next day, I returned to him with something I was very proud of. I'd gotten tattooed with their symbol for 'regret'."
You look at him in utter confusion and he goes on to explain. "You see, I thought I'd taken my master's words to heart. After our disagreement, I wanted to show him I understood. I now had a permanent reminder that any decisions I made about how to define myself would stay with me forever."
You raise your brows. "...and Qui Gon? What did he say to that?"
Obi Wan picks up his shirt from the countertop, then starts to pull it over his arms. Your eyes dart to his exposed stomach, then quickly dart away. "I believe it was the most disappointment he'd ever shown in me." He finishes pulling it over his head and down his stomach. "Which annoyed me to no end, of course. And we never spoke of it again."
You watch the candlelight play across his features, his thoughts seeming far away. Brushing your hand over your bandaged wrist, you lean your hip into the countertop and look down at the floor. 
His voice is very soft when he speaks again. "It wasn't until much later that I realized how I'd missed his point entirely." 
You look back up at him. "It's still a beautiful symbol."
He meets your eyes. "Yes, it is. And the lesson becomes clearer each day."
He holds your gaze a little longer, then picks up the bacta and the scissors, and leaves to put them away. You stare at the overturned kettle on the ground, and your thoughts linger on his words while you pick it up, and refill it, and while you finish preparing the food. You want to ask him what he'd meant, but you know. 
The way he'd looked at you - you know. 
Through breakfast, you talk about the war.
 
Thirty-Eighth Hour
You exhale, the Force rolling through you, and release your tension from your shoulders down to your fingertips. Your eyes are closed, the hum of your saber the only noise in the room. 
After breakfast you'd tried reading again in an attempt to distract yourself from the unbearable tension plucking at your mind, but had found yourself unable to sit still. After having pushed most of the furniture in the main room up against the walls, you're now standing in your makeshift dojo, practicing lightsaber techniques. 
You run repeatedly through your opening stance, then begin to move through more advanced forms, muscles glad for their use. As you bring your saber upright, you shift your body around it slowly and deliberately. It's a type of meditation you've practiced so much that it's second nature.
Sliding one foot backward, you glide into the next pose and you hear the door to the next room open, Obi Wan leaving the refresher, presumably finished with the trim that he'd started earlier. You can feel him watching you, saying nothing until he crosses the room.
"If that's meant to be 'circle of shelters', your left arm is a bit low."
Your eyelids open smoothly. "It's 'singing fortress'."
"Ah, well in that case, you would want to tighten your stance. Your knees should be aligned with your shoulders."
You drop your blade slightly, reforming your body around it and easing back into the same position, with an emphatically tighter stance. 
"Better. Now, your chin-" You look at him, and the rest of his sentence hangs in the air, then dissipates as he gives a slightly rueful smile. "I'm sorry. Old habits die hard, I'm afraid. I'll leave you to it."
Many years ago, when you hadn't known each other in the same way, you might have tensed under his scrutiny. But not now. For the first time since he'd arrived, his comments had made things between you feel almost... normal. He's always shown his affection, even what could be called compassion, through criticism. 
"Would you like to join me?" you ask suddenly, opening your stance back up, "Whatever guidance you have to offer, I'll gladly take."
It's meant as an olive branch to his intrusion. It is, just for a moment, like you're back in the temple, during one of the many times he'd found you running through exercises and stepped in. It's only courteous for you to invite him. It's courtesy that should keep him from accepting, now. But, surprisingly, it doesn't. 
He looks around. "There isn't much room."
You take that as your answer, tightly whipping your saber behind your shoulder with a bit of flourish. You face him. "Never been a problem before."
The tightness in his face sifts away, his eyes brightening. "True."
You had practiced in many a smaller space than this, although those spaces were designed for training in tight quarters and not surrounded by your personal belongings. Still, your blood is thrumming unexpectedly at the prospect of a spar after two days cramped inside, and you don't much mind if your walls get singed. 
Obi Wan reaches to his belt. Having changed out of his bed clothes, he has his lightsaber clipped back at the waist of his tunic. Unless asleep, even in this setting, he's still battle-ready. 
He illuminates his saber, then eases into a simple opening pose, arms raised, both hands on his hilt. "Perhaps this will do us both some good."
For a moment, you're silent, feeling one another's signatures.
You strike first. 
The burst of light and sound that erupts across the room is cathartic. Green and blue, groaning through the air, then exploding against the darkness. It makes your fingers tingle; your muscles tighten. 
You press in, then let him push you back, testing strengths, listening in the force for the hum of his aura. He winds his wrist casually around in a circle, grinning. "I see your hand has healed nicely."
Buzzing, you begin to circle him. "You'll go easy on me since I'm injured, won't you?"
He mirrors you, winding around the room in slow half-steps. "Have I done so in the past?"
You lunge, a quick swipe, and he crouches, hardly dodging. You'd anticipated the movement, using his shifted center to let you roll your blade in a semi-circle and drive back toward him. He meets it with a graceful side swipe, redirecting your attack to the ceiling. Whipping around, you stab at him and you feel a puff of air leave him as he cracks his blade against yours, pushing you back without so much ease as the first time. 
When you step back, his lightsaber comes crashing over you in ruthless, repetitive swipes. He knocks you back into yourself until your shoulders are tight and beginning to ache from the effort of rebuffing him. Relenting at last, he leaves you to catch your breath. His careful, slow steps around you are no longer playful. 
"Your speed has improved," he tells you. "I can feel you sensing my attempts as the thoughts form. Very good." As he finishes the word 'good', his blade crosses yours suddenly and he presses in until his face and the two blades are inches from your face. "You should be careful, though, when my thoughts are guarded."
He'd closed himself off and attacked so quickly, you'd barely had enough time to counter, let alone anticipate. Your eyes narrow. "You never tried that trick when I was a padawan."
He lets out a soft, breathy laugh. "There are many things I've learned since you were my padawan."
Shoving him back, you roll your shoulder and widen your stance. "I see. So this is new."
With a twinkle in his eye, he lets his shoulders drop into a deceptively relaxed pose. "You know me. I'm full of surprises."
You whirl on him again, and for a long time neither of you says another word, blades and muscles speaking for you. You're well-trained in defensive positions, so you make as many attempts as you can to bait him into attacking, but your few successes are hardly worth the effort. It's clear he's driving the fight from every angle. By the end, though, you're both panting. 
"You've practiced well, young one," he admits, swiping the back of his hand across his mouth as he straightens his back, ready for another round. 
You catch your breath, swallowing. "Not much else I could do with my time."
He slashes, you block. He slashes again. "That's not entirely true, though, is it?"
You take a step back, letting his next swipe pass, then raise a brow. "What do you mean?"
"You chose to come here. You speak as though the choice was someone else's."
You have to struggle to repel his next strike, caught off-guard by the remark. "I know. I know it was my choice."
"If you were bored by the assignment, you could have returned to duty."
"Yes," you say, your voice growing softer, but your returning thrusts becoming more ambitious, more intense. "I could have."
"Then why not come back?" He bats your attempts away with equal fervor. "After a year? Why not come back to Coruscant?"
Your wide eyes meet his. "What?"
He draws back from you, his arms spread, his saber to the side. Still on guard, but not locked into your aggression. "You heard the question."
You take one, then two breaths. Then you lunge at him wildly, pinning him against the wall. "You know the answer."
"Then tell me."
You're panicking, and you know he can feel it. You sink your blade downward in a futile attempt to rend his hilt away from him, but he blocks it easily. 
You force your expression to remain steady as you step away, pulling your shoulders back, hard. "The same reason you came here to tell me we can't work together."
His face drops, and he echoes your earlier heart-wrenched, "What?"
You shake your head slightly, confused at his reaction. When he stares at you, you raise your saber in defense, staring back. "Is that not the answer you expected?"
His saber is low at his side. "I... had thought it was fear that kept you here. I wanted to help you admit it. Face it."
"It was fear." You stand still for a moment, then remember your lightsaber and swing it. "What did you think I meant?"
He parries. Then he stabs at your side, forcing you to step left, where he pulls back his blade to meet your throat. "You told me you'd stayed because you could no longer trust in the Force."
He's won the round, in more ways than one. You've let too much slip. 
You raise your arms and concede the point to him. He backs off, but his gaze is still pinned on you, waiting for your answer. You admit as much as you can without admitting anything at all. "When you said we shouldn't work together - you were right." 
"Meaning?" He presses, and somehow you can still feel his blade at your throat. 
A long, slow, painful silence. You tighten your palm around your hilt until it hurts. "I think I've made my feelings clear." Anxiety ripples from you, the Force crashing around your aura erratically. You flick your wrist, swinging your saber down and behind your back, where you trade hands. Your left arm brings a surprise attack down on Obi Wan, who catches it at the last second. It isn't a particularly impressive move, but you know he wasn't expecting it from you, which made it useful in the moment. "Something I can't ask from you."
It isn't fair for you to turn things on him like this, but your goal isn't to be fair. It's too late to turn back. You can only redirect. He raises a brow, then spins to deflect your left-handed strikes backhanded. "And what does that mean?"
The words are pouring out of you now, thoughts half-formed as you jab and dodge, pulse pounding. "It means you can't expect me to talk about my feelings when you showed up at my door to tell me we'd never see each other again with hardly a goodbye."
He meets you blow for blow with ease, but the look on his face is disoriented. "I never said that."
You match his shocked expression. "You told me this was the last time we'd ever work together."
"The last time that I thought we should work together, yes, but certainly not the last time we should see one another."
It's as if you can actually hear the sound of your final shred of sanity being torn apart. Though your mind is racing in a thousand directions, you try to calm yourself enough to speak as your sabers meet. You hold still, and so does he. "And why did you say it?"
For the first time in your spar, his eyes are pleading for mercy. He says nothing. 
You grit your teeth, holding your blade against his, unable to pull away from the path you're set on. You need to know. "You told me not to pretend anymore. Please, Obi Wan. The truth."
"You already know the truth. Must I say the words?" He bends your arms back, putting more weight against you. 
You step back, put off-balance, and the back of your knee brushes against the chaise lounge. There's no room left for you to back away.
"Yes," you tell him, forcing yourself to keep looking into his eyes, and not to look away. 
He crushes his blade against yours, then relents, finally allowing you to push him back. He doesn't turn off his lightsaber yet, and neither do you. He stretches out his other hand toward you in the darkness. "For all of the reasons we work so well together." He lowers his hand, his body tense; frustrated. "Because you are... resilient, and remarkably clever. And passionate. Obstinate at times, and unpredictable. And because you are beautiful. Because I look at you, and I wonder what could be. Those are dangerous thoughts in the best of times. In battle, they're an unacceptable risk."
"Obi Wan..." you murmur, unable to come up with any other word but his name in reply. 
"But that is my burden to bear. And though I won't allow it to interfere with a mission, I cannot let it be the end of our friendship."
There's absolutely nothing you can say back. You're stunned speechless, but beyond that - to say anything truthful back to him would rip you apart.
Instead, you step toward him, leveling your blade in front of your chest. "You've been holding back."
The earnestness in his face drains away at your response. He drags his gaze down from your eyes to your lightsaber. His tone is guarded again. "Of course I have. Haven't we both?" 
It's obvious he isn't talking about the sparring. 
"Fight me." It's the only thing you can ask for that's real. "It's going to be the last time."
The silence bears down on you, and the room is so much darker, now. You let your emotions show on your face, and you let him feel you in the Force. But you can't bring yourself to say the words. When you meet his eyes, you know he can feel you burning. 
His shoulders come down, and his body takes a new shape. He seems almost more relaxed than before. It occurs to you, then, how much effort he was putting into keeping himself from dominating you. Then, all at once, he shows you why he's one of the most celebrated duelists of your generation. 
His speed is frightening when he lunges at you. It takes all your strength to keep from toppling over. Two of his brutal strikes rattle your arms bone-deep as you struggle to keep your lightsaber upright. You suck in a sudden gasp of air, letting him force you backward. You try to return a blow, but he catches you swiftly, knocking your saber wide and stabbing at you, making you hop back again. 
It's over before you can even fully register what's happened. He knocks you back with two more thrashes of his saber, and you lose your balance when your knees hit the furniture. You fall back onto the chaise in a seated position, legs splayed apart. You're panting and arching your back to get away from him, but he digs a knee into the cushion between your legs and reaches out with a hand to deactivate your lightsaber and pull it to him. He uses his other hand to bring his blade just below your chin. Yet again, he's caught you out. 
You tip your face up toward him, heart racing as much from his close proximity as it is from the duel you've lost. His chest rises and falls in front of you. He doesn't look triumphant. His eyes are penetrating. He's waiting for you to speak. 
You catch your breath. His hand is tightening around his hilt threateningly, but there isn't anywhere in the universe you feel safer than with his blade at your neck. You take your time, staring deeply into his eyes, and you finally find your words. 
"I said you were right that we shouldn't see each other, and I meant it. The boundaries between us are broken. Nothing can set that right. I don't want to set it right. But I can accept that. I can move on. I just can't do it with you." 
The light beneath your chin goes out. He holds your two hilts in each hand and simply looks at you. 
"I understand," he says then, quietly, and leans into you, setting down your two lightsabers on either side of your thighs. 
You inhale his scent, struggling to keep your eyes from closing. "Stars, Obi Wan..."
He knows he's too close. You both know it. He should have stepped back, and his knee shouldn't still be surrounded by the warmth of your body. You're half-lying down, one arm still spread over the top of the chaise, too afraid to shift a muscle. Too afraid for the moment to end. 
Instead of standing up, he stays close, eyes locked onto yours, and says softly, "What is it?"
The finality of it all truly sinks in, and you shake your head slightly, just drinking in every detail of him. There's no point anymore to lie. You'll never see him again. "Even now. I want to kiss you, so badly."
You watch the conflict on his face melt away, into something else. He whispers his reply against your mouth. "Then kiss me."
You blink. You close the gap between you, pressing your lips against his and opening up, giving yourself over to him. 
You don't care that he shouldn't have said it. You don't care that he might stop you. You want his mouth against yours. The feeling is as sweet as you'd imagined for over a year, while making every desperate effort to drive it from your mind. 
He tastes just as you remember, and as he lets you slip your tongue into his mouth, your body shudders with a mixture of desire and relief that leaves you dizzy. 
Please... Please... you silently beg him not to stop you. To let you feel as much of him as you can, and keep the memory of the softness of his lips, the feeling of his jaw working beneath your palm, and the gentleness of the sigh he lets escape when he opens for more of your tongue to slide in. 
He doesn't stop you. He tilts his head to the side, leaning in for more. When he presses his chest to yours, you finally regain enough of your sense to break your mouth away from his. Every part of you is screaming, but you claw back to sanity just for a moment, to breathe a weak, confused, "Why...?" against the corner of his mouth. 
He catches your lips in a searing kiss once more before answering, driving every last thought of stopping from your mind. 
"If this is truly the end..." he murmurs, then pulls back to look at you properly, and his eyes sparkle like sapphires in the dying light of the fire. "Let us be miserable for good reason."
--
A/N: Sorry for the missed promise of an update last week! Holidays really get crazy fast. Thank you, as per usual, for tolerating my schedule. Planning shorter chapters upcoming, in hopes of quicker updates. :) For anyone who has tagged me in recent posts, I appreciate it and I'll respond as soon as I can!
Tag List: @cosmicsierra @projectdreamwalker @guacam011y @thriving-n-jiving @reverieisaway @cursedfaechild @honeymoon7770 @hedvighedvig @cool-ontherun-world @ladytano420 @eddythewitch @immajustvibehere @iwanturkiwi @thegreatwicked
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split-spectrum · 4 months
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Hello wonderful person! I’ve just started Water and Rock and so far I LOVE it. It this a completed fic?
Hello! Sorry for the delayed response. Thank you, I'm glad you're liking it :) It is, however, not yet a completed fic.
Thanks for the ask!
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split-spectrum · 5 months
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Quick update on Water and Rock chapter 12 below the cut
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Tags/Warnings: swearing, sex, drug use
(preview with spoilers)
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It's been a minute, so yet again I'd like to thank everyone for the lovely comments and encouragement, and give an update that the next chapter will be out sometime this week. Ideally, Sunday, if my free time permits.
**second spoiler warning, just in case**
It's literally so smutty that at this point I'm in a hurry to upload and get it off my devices...
Thanks as always for your support! Here's a preview for your time.
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Tag List: @cosmicsierra @projectdreamwalker @guacam011y @thriving-n-jiving @reverieisaway @cursedfaechild @honeymoon7770 @hedvighedvig @cool-ontherun-world @ladytano420 @eddythewitch
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split-spectrum · 6 months
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Water and Rock
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Chapter 11
Pairings: Obi Wan/FemReader
Warnings/Tags: slow burn, explicit content, SMUT
Chapter Length: 6K
Description: There are only so many excuses a master and padawan can make to kiss under "extenuating circumstances" before circumstances stop arising and start being created. You are an expert at your craft - a Jedi knight in service as a spy for the Republic. When your former master Obi Wan joins you on a mission, it's clear things aren't the same as they once were. The trials you face together may break your bond, or turn it into something else entirely.
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You stare at the door for a long time after it closes. 
When the shock starts to wear off, the regret seeps in. There's so much more you should have asked him; so much you should have told him. Instead of almost silently accepting the end of your friendship, why hadn't you tried to make him slow down and talk to you?
Your eyes drift downward as you feel the truth settle into the pit of your stomach: You'd known as well as he had, saying anything more would only have led to further pain.
As you turn away, your blank gaze slides from the door and falls to the small table nearby. On top of the table, you keep a little bowl with trinkets and a few scrap pieces for your speeder bike. Beside these items sits a heap of cloth, which you don't recognize. You draw nearer, noticing that it's wrapped neatly around a cylindrical object. Picking it up and pulling back the cloth, you're taken aback to see the hilt of a lightsaber. Your lightsaber. 
You slide it out of the fabric, feeling the weight of it in your hand for a moment, then place it delicately down on the tabletop just to stare at it. 
You'd been facing Dooku when you'd lost it, completely on the opposite side of the outpost from where you'd been rescued. He would have been the only one there to retrieve it. And yet, he'd told you at that time he'd believed you were dead. 
Your chest suddenly aches. 
You tell yourself not to think about him, fleeing for his own life, half-dead himself, but stopping to pick up the only remnant he'd thought he would have of your existence.
Facing away from the table, you shut your eyes and do the same thing you've been doing for the past two days - immersing yourself in the force with a fervent determination you've never known before.
Your eyes flutter open again. You look out the window. The snow whirls. 
Despite your better judgment - despite the fact that you know he'll feel it - you reach into the force and try to sense him. His speeder should be halfway back to base by now. You might not sense him at all. But you want to try.
To your immense surprise, you feel him instantly, his presence not halfway back to base as expected. In fact, he's not far away at all. 
Pacing back to the door as quickly as your legs can carry you, you pull the handle and wince as the spray of icy wind crashes against your face again. His figure emerges slowly from the white abyss, one of his arms upheld to break the lashes of snow whipping around him. He's only a few feet away, but it's still hard to make out the shape of him through the dense flakes of ice.
"I don't suppose," he shouts over the rising gusts, "I could trouble you for a ride back to the main base?"
You wrap one arm around yourself, shivering and leaning out of the doorway to wave him in. "Come inside!"
He finishes his trek, entering your house once again,  and you swiftly close the door behind him. After catching his breath, he lowers his hood again and sighs. 
"I'm sorry to impose. I didn't realize the storm would be so..." He gestures to the window to indicate the ferocity of the wind beating away at your home. "The speeder bike I rented can hardly lift off the ground."
You give a shake of your head. "You aren't imposing. I don't think anyone expected it to be this bad. But I can't give you a ride back to base. I loaned my ship to a friend off world." 
When he raises a brow, you shrug. "They needed a ship, and I didn't expect to be leaving anytime soon. My speeder is all I have at the moment."
Brushing a hand through the front of his snow-dusted hair, he sends a worried look off to the side. You stand, a bit stiffly, not quite knowing what to do or say. You try another solution. "I suppose you'll need to call someone at base for a pick up."
He doesn't answer for a few beats. Then he shrugs off his coat again, placing it gently on the bench. He seems to hesitate when looking downward, and you realize he must have noticed that you'd found your lightsaber. 
He flicks his gaze back up to you. "I would prefer not to. This trip wasn't exactly... above board."
You'd started to back toward the kettle you'd had boiling before his arrival, but that makes you stop in your tracks. "Oh?"
You pose it half as a question, half as a statement, not wanting to force an explanation. He clears his throat, though, correctly reading your tone as curious.
"I was meant to deliver a mission report on Coruscant, then return to the Gaulus sector for further duties. But I left my duties in the hands of Commander Cody for the time being, and I... took a short leave. For my health."
"I... see," you answer, turning away and walking to the stovetop, fiddling with the knobs while you process his words. His second lie of omission to the council. You consider this, not saying anything in return. 
He hovers at your home's entrance, and you both listen as the long-range holocomm goes off again, detailing the inclement weather. The storm is worsening. 
The kettle is warm again by the time the report ends, and when you turn back to him with a reheated cup of tea, he gratefully accepts it, taking a seat in your kitchen when you motion for him to do so.
"Isn't there a friend you could call?" you ask, sitting down across from him at the small table. "Someone you trust not to share your... change in plans?"
He strokes a hand down his chin just once, shaking his head. "Anakin is on assignment, several days away."
It's been a long time since you'd heard mention of Mace Windu's former padawan. The young war hero had very nearly become Obi Wan's padawan when they'd first met, but the council had seen the bond between the two following Qui Gon's untimely death and had thought it better not to encourage their closeness, placing him with Master Windu instead. An unlikely friendship had still unfolded, despite their efforts, and you'd often joked that the Skywalker boy had always been Obi Wan's second padawan.
You want to ask more about Anakin, but that sort of lighthearted talk doesn't seem relevant at the moment. Instead, you sip your tea and think. 
You try to keep your eyes locked onto the drink in your hand, instead of roaming across the lines in his face. His features are drawn down, stern and contemplative, and you want to paint over every inch of him, getting a second chance at your last encounter. 
Clearing your throat, you try to force nonchalance into your voice. "Well, these storms don't usually last long. A few hours, or a day at most. You're welcome to stay until-"
You quiet down on the word "until", both of you listening as the holocomm goes off again, this time with an even more severe warning. The storm is now expected to last nearly a full rotation. Neither of you makes a comment right away, though the shift in energy is palpable. Ilum's rotations are sixty-six hours. 
When the broadcast ends, Obi Wan's eyes flicker up to yours with a far-off look. They're a little dulled, his expression restrained and distant. It's the look he often holds when giving orders. The look that duty brushes over him.
"Perhaps I will make a call, after all."
Standing up, you start to make your way over to the holocomm to help him dial out, but you freeze in place when the lights cut out, and the low electronic hum throughout your home suddenly drops into silence. You look around the darkened room, then back at him, catching only the faintest outline of his expression in the soft light coming through the window.
"Don't worry," you assure him, once the initial jolt of susprise has worn off. "I have a generator."
"Oh," he answers, the shadow of his face peering around your dim surroundings. A few seconds later, he adds, "good."
A few seconds after that, he gives you a mildly concerned look that has you crossing the room to check the fuse panel. 
"Which definitely should have started up by now," you say, opening the cover. The normally illuminated buttons are completely dark. 
"Damn," you whisper to yourself. Then you turn back to Obi Wan, who's also now standing. 
"I'm sure it's just a loose connection somewhere," you tell him, reaching for your own jacket and pulling it over your robes. "I'll have it fixed in no time. Don't worry."
He gives you an uncertain look. It's the same one he always employs when you're failing to sell him a lie. But he doesn't argue as you finish dressing and head back to the door. 
After he's followed you into the small maintenance shack behind your home despite your insistence for him to stay inside, Obi Wan finally gives his opinion. 
"That does not look good."
You glance up at him from your kneeling position on the ground, flashlight fixed on the gnarled remnants of the main rotor. "No, it's-"
You're interrupted by the sound of skittering feet, and you jerk the light to follow the movement, catching the barest glimpse of grey flesh along with a flash of multiple eyes. Yelping at the sight, you tip back onto your feet to stand up. 
Before you can so much as bend your knees, a pulse of energy rips you backward, and the creature on the opposite side of the shed crashes into the wall with a dry slapping sound. Obi Wan lunges in front of you, lightsaber brandished, and you belatedly realize he's force-pushed you to the ground. 
"Obi Wan, it's a lisk!" you tell him, getting up to stand beside him. "It's just a lisk."
You've managed to pin the reptilian-looking thing under the light, finally, and you both watch as it drops from the wall and scrambles out of the maintenance shack, through a hole in the corner. The animals aren't dangerous, or at least, certainly not a threat to a Jedi. You find them creepy, but they aren't really more than a nuisance. 
Obi Wan would have - should have sensed this. But he hadn't responded to the danger. His response had been to your yelp of surprise. As you look at him, a loose lock of hair threatening to dip into his eyes, his teeth jutted in what you'd very nearly call a snarl, snd his body held in a distinct Ataru pose, the meaning of what he'd said earlier - about not working together - is suddenly ringing out to you with crystalline clarity.
And he knows it. He silences the hum of his weapon, deactivating it and clipping it back to his belt with one smooth, hurried movement. 
"I didn't realize it was- " He starts and stops, tenses his shoulders, then drops them. "I'm not familiar."
Neither of you addresses the fact that he'd thrown you to the ground. Neither of you says anything about his taking an offensive attack position that he hasn't used since before you'd met - since before the death of his master. 
You gather yourself, trying to move past the discomfort of the moment by looking back down at the torn mess of metal on the ground. "They're common, here, but not dangerous," you tell him. "Not unless you're a generator."
Obi Wan's gaze follows yours. "Evidently."
"They like the warmth, I think. But they've never caused this much damage." You back away from it, sighing. "I don't suppose you have a long-range commlink you've been keeping secret?"
He shakes his head. "I'm afraid not."
A particularly loud gust of wind wails through the small crack between the open doors of the shed, widening the opening with drifting snow. 
A full rotation. Sixty-six hours. 
"We'd better get back inside," you tell him, turning off your flashlight. "We'll need to keep all the warmth we have left."
--
First Hour
"And how much is left, exactly?"
You swiftly close the small door of the wood burning stove, having tossed in another log. "Enough to get through about two standard days, comfortably. Or four... uncomfortably."
"I take it we're rationing, then."
You stand up, brushing the splintered wood from your leggings. "To be safe, yes. I can't heat the whole house, either. We'll have to close off the two other rooms."
He nods, firelight flickering across his face. He seems to hesitate, and you've turned back to the stew hanging in an old-fashioned durasteel kettle above the fire before he speaks again. 
"I suppose it doesn't serve much purpose for me to mention it now, but, was it wise to keep such a small stock of emergency supplies?"
You stir the food, looking over at the paltry woodpile. "I don't, normally," you answer, mouth closing in an 'M' shape that nearly became the word 'Master'. Old habits die incredibly hard, it seems. Especially when he takes that tone with you, thinly veiling his judgment. 
"There was a storm recently before this one, and an outpost on the southern quadrant needed urgent resupply. I split my stockpile in half, and I meant to replace it. A few days later, I was called away to an emergency mission," you look at him pointedly. "Never got around to it."
"Yes, well," he absently runs the back of his knuckles down the side of his beard. "Your ship is loaned to one friend, your supplies to another... it's a shame I made my visit after you've run out of favors to give."
You smirk a little, dishing some of the stew into a bowl and handing it to him. "I don't know about that. Here."
He takes it with a curious look and follows you when you close the lid on the kettle, leaving the main room and heading back to the seating area in the kitchen. Sitting down across from him again, you invite him to eat with a gesture, while pouring two drinks. He's taking his first bite when you open your cupboard and take out a couple of small cakes, placing one down next to him and taking a bite of the other. 
He raises his brows in surprise. "Is that..." He bites into it, politely finishing his chewing before starting again. "Where in blazes did you find yalo cakes?"
You give a genuine smile. "Made them myself."
"Very impressive," he says, bringing warmth to your face with the compliment. "They're delicious. Where did you get the yalo root?"
"Picked it up on a supply run on-" You stop yourself, then look up at him. There's no point in not finishing the sentence. He knows where to get yalo root. It's his favorite. That's why, on some level, you'd wanted it on hand. It brought you back to those days in the temple, with him. "... on Coruscant."
There's a long silence and it's obvious he's deliberating on whether to say anything. But you both know what he would say, and you both know there's no point in posing any questions. Eventually, you say something anyway. 
"I would have visited, it's just-"
"Of course," he interrupts. "There's no need to explain. I would have likely been away on duty anyway."
You drop your gaze down to the table. You wish you could just... tell him. Seeing him would have only made things worse for you, and you dealt with it the only way you knew how. You want so badly to just tell him, so that he can understand. 
So you do.
"I wanted to see you more than anything," you say quietly, and his spoon clinks against the side of the bowl as he sets it down. You can't bear to raise your eyes yet. "But I thought if I did, it would make thinking about you... harder." 
You drag your gaze up to him, forcing yourself to look. "You know what's funny, though? I don't think it made any difference."
His blue eyes are set, wide, unflinching. His mouth is tightly closed, and his expression is indiscernible. 
You let the silence drag on, finally breaking it again when he doesn't say anything. "I'm... going to go shower. Before the water in the tank freezes."
He watches you go, not saying a word. 
 
Third Hour
You've both spent some time in the refresher, your hair still a bit damp as you begin to light a few candles. You don't have many, so you've rationed them as well, placing them together in the middle of the room, on a table. 
Obi Wan is sitting in a chair, holding a book, one leg crossed over the other. His hair is dark, the ends sparkling with water in the dim light when he shifts in his seat. You're both wrapped in tunics and full robes, thick socks bound high above your ankles, and yet, you can still feel the chill in the air. 
He'd asked your permission to borrow the book - a high fantasy novel set on the seas of a fictitious planet - and to your amusement, he seems rather engrossed. You sit down in the makeshift sleep roll you'd created out of blankets on the floor, looking up at him. "I didn't expect you to enjoy that one so much."
"Hm?" He glances over the page. "Oh. No, I- it's quite, uh, interesting, but..."
You raise your brows, imagining he's feeling caught out for enjoying something so childish, but he surprises you. 
"I'm having trouble seeing the pages, in this light."
"Oh," you say, understanding now why he'd been staring so intently. "Well, it's much better near the fire. Come sit down here."
He gives an uncertain look through the grated door on the wood stove, and then down to the floor, next to you. "It's alright. I can see well enough, thank you."
You bite your lip, then decide to let it be, picking up a book of your own.
Ninth Hour
"Before I had studied the ways of the Force, the mountains were mountains and the waters were waters. When my knowledge of the universe became more intimate, I saw that mountains were not mountains and waters not waters. But now I have come to know the truth and can be at peace. I see that mountains are mountains again and waters once again are waters."
You blink at the page of the copied Jedi text before you, eyes growing heavy. Obi Wan is lying above you, now, spread long and lean over one of your couches. Actually, it's more of a chaise lounge. He'd dragged it over, closer to the light of the fire, and you'd sat down in front of it.
You turn to look at him, finally looking a bit more relaxed, one arm behind his head as his eyes slide down the page. You're close enough to hold your book up for him to see. 
"Have you read this one?" you ask, indicating the first paragraph of the longer text. 
He turns his head a little, angling himself to see the page. "I think it's safe to say I've read all of them, young one. I was assigned to the archives more than most padawans." He finishes reading, then flicks his gaze to you. "And perhaps I should have assigned you there more often. That passage as well known as the 'empty cup'."
You're sorely tempted to roll your eyes. "I'm aware. Just trying to be polite. I just really like that one."
He's quiet for a beat. "It's a good passage."
"Yes, it is," you say absently, turning the page. "One of my favorites."
You go on reading for a while, then speak again without looking up from the page. "Perhaps you'd care to share one of your favorites?"
You turn back to look at him and he places the book he'd been reading down on his chest. "Alright," he says, reaching out as you hand him your book. "Which one is this?"
"Poetics IV, Farseeker," you tell him, handing it up. "...but I thought you might have known that, Master."
He lifts his brows just a bit at your smirk, then turns his attention back to to book, paging through it, skimming for a few minutes while you sink into the comfort of the blankets surrounding you. 
"Ah, here. I've always thought this one interesting," he says, and you feel him shifting on the chaise behind you to get into a better position. 
"A single bundle of thread is made up of innumerable strands..." he begins, voice a bit smoother and deeper than it had been before. "but, if they are joined in a rope and laid down on a plank, they can easily be cut with one stroke of a sharp blade..."
The rich lull of his voice pushes you deeper into the blankets, and soon your eyes fall shut. His softly spoken words interspersed with the crackling of the fire is almost melodic. 
"...as many as the threads may be, they can not resist the singular blade. So we come to the truth: the threads of selfishness, of mistrust, of passion, are cut by the diamond of wisdom..."
Fourteenth Hour
You stir, pressing your nose into the warmth of his robes. He makes a humming sound deep in his chest, breathing softly into your hair. The warmth of it tickles your neck, and makes you open your eyes.
You flinch, breath stuck in your throat as you pull back. 
You sit up, shivering in the darkness. The fire is almost out. You stand up to stoke the embers and feed a few logs back into the stove. The sound of the door closing makes Obi Wan roll over to his other side, his breathing soft and steady. 
You look down at the floor, realizing you'd had to cross over several feet to get into his bedding. 
You must have been very cold.
You drag your blankets a little further away, then crawl back into your makeshift bed. 
 
Thirty-Second Hour
It's pitch black outside, now. The day cycle has turned fully to night, and after spending the morning eating, talking, and cleaning out your kitchen, and the evening mediating, there's nothing left to do but read until you're tired enough for bed. Obi Wan is lying down on his back, in front of the fire. You light another candle, then join him. 
The smell of him mixed with the smoky scent of the fire is... making it difficult to concentrate on your book. You're starting the same paragraph for the fourth time when he clears his throat softly. 
"Perhaps tonight, we should take shifts, to watch the fire. It nearly went out last night."
You freeze. "That's a good idea."
He says nothing more, and you lie still while your heart races. If he'd known the fire was low, he'd been awake. How much had he been awake for? 
"You... noticed that."
"I did," he says slowly. "By the time I noticed it, though, you'd already gotten up to fix it."
You're certain he can hear the blood thrumming in your ears. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were awake. I didn't mean to... to..." You start over, totally unsure what to say, but knowing you have to say something. "I was asleep when I must have rolled over, and...gotten into your bed."
He'd been watching you struggle to speak with a curious look, but finally, understanding seems to dawn on him. "Oh. I... had thought it was intentional."
The thoughts in your head run over a cliff. 
"It was cold," he offers. 
You have no idea what to say, blinking in embarrassment. "It wasn't intentional."
You'd found it difficult to concentrate on your book before, but now it's nearly impossible. You turn the pages a little longer, finally giving up and deciding to meditate instead. You close your eyes.
When you open them, you feel warm, and you feel safe, and once again, you realize you've curled into his arms. 
But you don't pull away this time. This time, you just... stay. You rest your head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, shifting your fingers in his robes. Feeling the heat between your bodies. 
It doesn't matter, you tell yourself. None of this matters, because in two days he'll be gone from your life.  
What's the difference whether you dream of holding him like this, or if you simply let it happen? He'll plague your thoughts either way. 
You feel the rise and fall of his chest change its rhythm. He swallows, and you realize he's waking up. You lie still, then tilt your head up to look at him. 
"Cold again?" he asks, and it hangs between you. An open invitation for you to move away and pretend it's all been a misunderstanding. But you don't. 
"No."
The howling wind outside is the only sound, distant and ominous, as you stay motionless against his chest. Then he softly brings a hand to your face, gliding the back of his thumb down your jawline. 
You could cry, the way his skin meets yours with such tenderness, without hesitation. You can feel the tension in his force signature, bleeding through although he's suppressing it. 
"Go to sleep," he tells you. "We will get through this. It will be over soon."
"I know," you say immediately, his hand leaving your skin and making you give in to boldness. "And when it's over?"
"We've already discussed it," he says tightly, and you can feel the muscles of his arm behind you tense. He's not quite lying it down, not quite touching you. "We agreed, didn't we?"
"Yes, we did. After this, we won't see each other. So," you whisper into the thick fabric covering his undershirt. "I want to be honest. I don't want to lie to you anymore."
"Is this wise?" he asks, his words gentle but his gaze intense. 
"There is always wisdom in truth," you answer, knowing he'll recognize the words he's told you many times.
"I want you. It's terrible how much I want you. But I think it could be easier if I didn't have to pretend that I don't."
He doesn't say anything for a long time, but the shifting emotions in his eyes speak for him. "Then you should not pretend. Not for me."
You desperately want him to reach down and kiss you, but he stays still, as you knew he would. You let out a silent sigh, resting your ear to his chest. His signature is mostly hidden from you, but he can't disguise the rapid beating of his heart. "I think it's been more for me." 
"There is no need to hide your feelings," he murmurs. "But there is every need not to act on them."
You know he's right, but hearing him say it just makes it so much worse. And in some ways, it stokes the heat inside you even higher. Your leg is already nudging against him, and some depraved part of you is dying to lift your knee and hook it over him, to spread yourself open, to touch him in any way he'll allow it. 
But the larger part of you, the part that knows right from wrong, tells your body to roll onto your back, and you do. 
His arm lifts around you to let you separate, and you both stare upward, listening to the fire and the storm.
After so much time passes that you're not sure if he's asleep, you whisper one last thought that's been tormenting you for a very, very long time. "It's just a shame. For all we've been through, even the pleasure of breaking our vows... we didn't even get that." 
He stirs beside you, head turning slightly, but he doesn't answer. 
"If we had to break our vows, I'm just sorry we didn't even get to remember it."
Carefully, you turn to read his expression. His eyes are downcast. "I seem to remember much more than you do."
"I know," you whisper, a thrill that you know you shouldn't feel running through you. You're on edge, like you're trying not to frighten off a wild animal, with every word you shouldn't be saying. 
"If you wish," he says, voice forcedly calm, "I could show you."
The words hang in the air; low, heavy, dangerous. You part your lips with some effort. 
"Show me."
He rolls to his side, facing you, and wordlessly places a fingertip to your temple. It isn't necessary to form a bond through the force, but it helps.
Before he closes his eyes, and before you close yours, you feel it passing between you - an unspoken acknowledgement. What you're doing is precisely on the edge of sin and salvation, just teetering on the illicit line; a line which has been crossed and uncrossed so many times between you that you've lost count. 
You close your eyes anyway. 
The image is pristine. So real between sight and sound that you can hardly distinguish it from reality.
Your skin is on his skin. Sweaty, brazen, unashamed. You're lying naked on your back, and he's beneath you, pants unfastened, inside of you.
You squeeze your eyelids tight, overwhelmed and instantly aching between your legs.
He drags his cock slowly from you, one hand splayed across your stomach, holding you steady on top of him. Your body shudders involuntarily, imagining the pressure of his head moving from deep inside to pressing shallowly within you. 
"Tempted me for too long," the Obi Wan in the vision growls, voice surrounding both your ears as if he's speaking from everywhere at once. 
Then he pushes back in, hot and slick. "So tell me," he says, pulling out and sinking into you over and over, "Now. Tell me how you wanted this." 
"I wanted this," your voice comes - bare, powerless. Like you're clinging to him, adrift and keeping yourself afloat by saying anything he asks. 
He gives a long, tortured groan. "No, not just this." He drives into you, pulls out, coated and sliding so perfectly between your legs. "Say it."
"Oh, fuck," you moan, trembling against him, sounding too distracted to answer. 
"Young one," he warns, quickening the pace just slightly as he wraps one hand around your neck, tilting your chin upward as he spreads his fingers out, feeling your pulse skyrocket as he tightens. "Do as you're told."
"I wanted this, Obi Wan. Wanted you inside me. Wanted you to fuck me," you answer him, words spilling out of you without pause. "Wanted this forever."
The hand on your stomach has moved to your hip, now, gripping you to stop you from moving. He's writhing beneath you, and even from this perspective, from the catch in his breath, from the wet sounds in the room, you can tell he's gone from fucking you to pounding into you. 
"You've done this to me," he rasps, the muscles of his arm flexing between your breasts as he squeezes your neck tighter. "Do you understand that? You will answer for it."
You nod against him and he sinks his teeth into your neck, burying his moan in your skin. 
He's about to fucking cum, you realize.
Why had he started the vision here, of all places? Was he trying to make you lose your mind?
His thrusts are getting deeper, harder, staying buried longer, and, there- you hear it in the open-mouthed choke of his voice. You see it in the way he drives up into you and stays there. He's-
Obi Wan breaks the bond, bright and vivid imagery bursting into nothingness, fizzling right before you.
You blink, eyes falling open to meet his own. His lips are parted, his face as flushed as yours must be. You take in a breath, and it occurs to you how empty your lungs had been.
He straightens his shoulders, but he doesn't move away. His eyes dip down to your lips, then swiftly back up to your eyes. "I must tell you that what I said..." he pauses for far too long. "It wasn't true, of course."
"I know," your response is automatic. You're unsure precisely to what he's referring, but you want to reassure him.
"Shall I stop?" he asks the question softly, but his voice is too rough for him to feign innocence, now. "Or would you like to keep going?"
There's some shame in your breathless answer, and no doubt he hears it. No doubt he feels it, too. But it's outweighed by scraping, seething, agonizing want that's been buried for so long. 
"More," you tell him, never more certain of anything. "Don't stop."
There's conflict in his gaze, but the same animal you've been fighting wins out within him, too, and he closes his eyes once more. 
--
Tag List: @cosmicsierra @projectdreamwalker @guacam011y @thriving-n-jiving @reverieisaway @cursedfaechild @honeymoon7770 @hedvighedvig @cool-ontherun-world @ladytano420 @eddythewitch
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split-spectrum · 6 months
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20 Questions for Fic Writers
Thank you for the tag @thegreatwicked :)
1. How many works do you have on AO3? Three
2. What's your total A03 word count? Just over 65K
3. What fandoms do you write for? Just Star Wars, right now.
4. What are your top five fics by kudos?
I only have 3 total fics 😅 but I'll list them in order of kudos:
Water and Rock - Obi Wan x Reader, slow burn with smut
Four Hours - Din Djarin x Reader, basically a one-off but in two chapters, porn with minimal plot
Pretty Young Thing - Obi Wan x Reader, one-off, porn with almost no plot
5. Do you respond to comments? Yes! I really appreciate people taking the time to comment, so I certainly want to let them know 💜
6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? In the Star Wars fandom, I don't have any multi-chapters with endings, so I'll say Water and Rock since it contains the most angst lol
7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Pretty Young Thing is just shameless wish fulfillment on my part lmao
8. Do you get hate on fics? This is so funny and I'm glad I get a chance to answer it - yes! I've written for several fandoms in the past and had mild criticism, and a long time ago there was actually ~drama within the same realm as my work, but not directed at me. However! I very nearly stopped posting after only two chapters in the Star Wars fandom because I immediately got an incredibly rude DM right off the bat. Honestly, it stung to the point I wasn't interested in sharing more. But after that, I received so many other kind comments it really turned things around and made me want to continue. I'm so grateful for all the sweet messages and comments you guys send. It makes it fun to share, which of course is what fanfic is all about :)
9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Absolutely, yes. I write F/M currently although in the past I've also written M/M. I just don't feel as comfortable or good at it. I like vanilla stuff for the most part with some kinks, but I'm not really into BDSM or anything that includes violence beyond mild things.
10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? I have, but not for Star Wars. In a past fandom, I wrote a crossover for Futurama that was very fun. Nothing smutty, just for laughs.
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware. One of the funniest crimes, though, if you ask me. Not to anyone who's had a stolen fic. That must feel awful. But for the person stealing someone else's work and taking credit? What on earth could you be trying to accomplish with that?
12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Yeah, I had a 30-something chapter AU once upon a time that was completely translated into Russian. I didn't even find out until a few years later that it was on a Russian website with like a devoted readership and the translator giving author's notes on what they felt I was trying to convey in certain chapters. It was overwhelmingly flattering, but also strange that the translator never tried to reach out to even speak to me about it lol. Still, an amazing feeling, that someone enjoyed my writing enough to translate it for others. Gets me choked up 🥲
13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes, I was once a part of a 4-person google doc collab for a fic and it was unbelievably fun.
14. What's your all-time favourite ship? All TIME? That is a tall order. I have to cheat and give multiple answers, I'm so sorry. I think it was @pickleprickle who mentioned Diana×Worf from Star Trek TNG and I absolutely love them.
Ben and Leslie from Parks & Rec.
A niche mention, but: Aloy and Kotallo from Horizon Zero Dawn (the videogame). I am OBSESSED with their dynamic and clawing, gnashing, biting, etc that it's not canon.
And since I just finished the Chiss Ascendancy Trilogy: Thalias and Samakro girlies please rise up, I am so in love with them 😭
15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Speaking of Thrawn... still have a fic with him on the back burner, and I don't ever know that it will get posted.
I also have a smutty Obi Wan one-off that was started ages ago, like 4-5 months ago or something and I'm about 50% sure it won't get finished but I really really want to. I keep coming back to it but never finishing which is VERY ironic considering it's... uh... it's edging.
16. What are your writing strengths? I feel like my answer to this could change based on the time of day lol but I will say I feel strongest when writing dialogue and I've had the most compliments regarding characterization.
17. What are your writing weaknesses? Oh, where to begin? 😄 I definitely suffer from the classic overuse of commas. My setting descriptions leave a lot to be desired, and I really wish I made more use of similes. I once had my work described as "clinical" regarding an interaction between two characters. I like to think I've learned and grown since then, but I still find myself jealous of people who are skilled with real, fleshed out, poetic descriptions.
18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? All depends on the writer. I know people who are amazing at it, and it comes off as natural. Myself? Not so much. And I wouldn't care to attempt it, tbh.
19. First fandom you wrote for? Listen... it was a long time ago...
Inuyasha 🧍
20. Favourite fic you've ever written? My all-time favorite is from an old fandom I don't particularly like to engage with anymore, and it's sadly no longer posted for that reason. I will say my current favorite fic is Water and Rock and I can't wait to post the next update. :)
No pressure tags! @cosmicsierra @djarins-cyare @grapenehifics @firstofficerwiggles @spicemaidenfic @eveningserenityyy
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split-spectrum · 6 months
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Water and Rock
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Chapter 10
Pairing: Obi Wan/FemReader
Warnings/Tags: slow burn, explicit content, mild violence, character death
Description: There are only so many excuses a master and padawan can make to kiss under "extenuating circumstances" before circumstances stop arising and start being created. You are an expert at your craft - a Jedi knight in service as a spy for the Republic. When your former master Obi Wan joins you on a mission, it's clear things aren't the same as they once were. The trials you face together may break your bond, or turn it into something else entirely.
☆☆☆
Several years ago, in the gardens of the Jedi temple on Coruscant...
"Please, Master. Be honest."
His eyes seem to snap back into focus when the tone of your voice goes up at the end of the question. He'd been looking at you, you realize, and you don't know for how long. The way he reset his posture before answering, he'd almost seemed... uncomfortable? On edge? You can't quite place it. Perhaps, you think, he senses your uncertainty. Your weakness.
With each second that passes before he responds, your anxiety increases. He shifts on the bench, sliding his gaze to the foliage in front of him, a whisper of a smile on his face.
"Often I am told," he says softly, "that these final days before one's padawan completes the trials are celebratory. Peaceful and reflective..."
You widen your eyes a bit and tilt your head, expectant - knowing he's feeling the tension of you staring at him without needing to look in your direction. But he does, eventually, turn to face you, dropping the act of the put-upon master.
"The council believes you are ready. They would not have asked you otherwise."
"That's not what I asked."
He holds your gaze. "I know you will pass. I have every confidence in your abilities."
You break eye contact. "Thank you. But that's not exactly what I asked, either."
He gives you a wry look. "Then perhaps you could clarify precisely what question I'm answering?"
You're tugging a loose thread at the end of your sleeve, hands in your lap. "Do you truly believe I'm ready?"
Your fingers still, stopping their fidgeting when you force yourself to look at him again. "Is it not normally the master who approaches the council when a padawan is ready for the trials? Isn't it unusual for the council to make a request like this?"
His brows raise in acknowledgement, and he nods slightly. "It is indeed unusual. But these are unusual times. And you possess a unique gift. The council does not make these decisions lightly."
"You still haven't answered my question."
The corners of his bearded mouth tip up into a melancholy smile. "Whether I believe you will pass or that you are ready may be two different questions, but my answer changes nothing. As Jedi, we have a responsibility to protect life and serve the Republic. You have been called upon, and if you are capable, you must answer." His expression becomes more sincere. "And you are capable."
You try to mirror his smile, but your stomach is upside down. "I understand."
You watch another pair of Jedi as they stroll through the greenery in the distance, seeming to take much more pleasure in their surroundings than you presently are. 
Silence hangs between the two of you, and it's a kind of silence that's never been there before. You're on the precipice of something, and it's not just the trials. Something about him in this moment is different. It's in the way he's looking at you; the way he hesitates before answering. He's not just thoughtful, or pensive. It's something else.
But then, something has changed in you, too - ever since the council shared those fated words.
You venture another question, your voice even quieter this time.
"Once I'm... no longer your padawan," you begin haltingly, "is it still permitted for me to seek your guidance, if I need it?"
As you tense your shoulders in anticipation of his answer, he just offers another smile. "You have my guidance whenever you are in need of it."
His words might have brought you comfort, if he'd left it at that. But he goes on.
"Even if I were to fall in battle tomorrow, the lessons I have passed on will always remain, as a part of you." He places a hand very gently at the side of your shoulder. "The teachings of generations of Jedi are within you. You need only ask for guidance, and you shall always have it."
He's rarely this affectionate, and it forces the rest of your words to stay wrapped up tightly inside you. It seems ungrateful, now, to ask whether you can still bother him for tea and meditation.
You bite back the question you'd really wanted to ask - the one that had been on your mind ever since your first discussion of the trials: Even when things were different, would you still be a team?
You pull your mouth into a tight smile that lacks the proper strength. All you can do now is nod.
Then, you do as he's always instructed - as you always have - and reach out into the force, releasing your feelings.
"Thank you, Master. You're right. I am ready."
--
Several years later, approaching the Separatist outpost on Asar-2...
"Are you alright?" Obi Wan asks after your second sigh permeates the silence in the cockpit.
The closer you get, the more reality is setting in, and you're struggling to hide it. Your initial thought is to lie, but it occurs to you that you're both in too far at this point to turn back. You tell the truth.
"I'm nervous."
A beat passes. He flips a couple of switches and you can't be sure whether he's silent in response to your answer, or just because he's concentrating on flying the ship. You squirm, just slightly, but enough for Obi Wan's muscles to stiffen. Yet again you have to remind yourself to stay still, and more words tumble out of you.
"The time pressure, and what's at stake... If we don't..."
"Commander," he interrupts you softly. "You have made your decision. Now you must be at peace with it."
This silences you. He's correct, as he usually is. And after this morning's heated discussion regarding your part in the mission, you can't have expected him to comfort you.
But he does anyway.
"There is no emotion; there is peace," he reminds you, his voice decidedly calm and even.
All at once, everything - the noise in your head, your buzzing nerves, the tense air that surrounds you - all of it begins to fade. The familiar mantra leaves your lips in answer to him. "There is no ignorance; there is knowledge..."
You finish the lines, and he helps you, murmuring the words just behind yours, as he moves a gloved hand here and there to keep the ship on course.
"There is no death," you complete the last line slowly. "Only the force."
There is no death...
"We'll be landing in a moment. Remember, we approach from the West. That means landing South and walking over that ridge, there." He gestures through the windshield and your eyes follow. "You'll need to deactivate the lateral thrusters for me. I can't reach them with you sitting like this."
He points again, to a switch just above your knee. You lean forward. "Alright. Just tell me when."
His breath is shortened, his voice strained when he answers. "Thirty more seconds."
You shift between his legs, only now feeling how the curve of your ass is pressing up against him. You move again, trying to sit forward and away, but it's impossible in the small space. You only manage to grind up and down, over the fabric covering his lap.
You keep your head tilted down, blinking rapidly in embarrassment and trying to keep your focus on the switch, listening for his instruction.
"Almost," he says tightly.
You nod in response, reaching out to rest a finger on the switch, and the slight movement of your back makes his legs tense.
"Now."
You reach all the way forward, flipping the switch. The combination of your movement along with the ship's rapid loss of speed presses you hard into his lap, your left hand involuntarily gripping his knee.
You arch your back, trying to get away from him, cheeks flushed with heat, and you can feel him suck in a sudden breath.
"Stars," he whispers, so softly, so seriously.
But you must have misheard.
Because if he had said that, in that voice, against your neck, you wouldn't be able to hold it together. And you desperately need to hold it together right now.
So you definitely misheard him.
The ship sets down without another word passing between you, and you quickly exit, nearly bursting out of the cockpit when the latches release. You hop to the ground, feet skidding across the metal fuselage and dropping into powdery grey dirt. With your back turned to Obi Wan, you let out a long-held breath and center yourself for the challenges that await.
When you turn around, straightening the creases of your uniform, you watch him switch on the R4 unit, instructing it to stay onboard the ship and pilot back to base if discovered. He'd had it powered off for the inbound flight, presumably to limit the number of detectable electronic devices on approach. You could swear the beeps in response to his instruction are a bit haughty - the little droid almost seems indignant at being left out of action and expected to catch up quickly. It brings a smile to your face. Droids take after their masters, they say.
Turning back to you, Obi Wan brushes his palms briskly down his stomach and tugs at the sides of his uniform. Then he raises his wrist. "Captain Shrike, we've landed. Heading to the entry point now. Status?"
"No changes, sir," comes the modulated reply. "No sign they're aware of a communication interruption with the remote base."
"Very good," Obi Wan replies, turning to follow you as you begin to make your way up the ridge, but your feet slow when he calls after you, "Just a moment."
He catches up, reaching a hand to the back of your collar.
"There," he says, untucking the curled fabric. You try not to think about your jacket collar crumpling under his chin when he'd pressed it against you, or his beard scratching across the nape of your neck. You also try not to notice that your clothes smell like him, now.
You do notice the way his eyes don't match the tenderness of his touch. His gaze is hardened and distant at the same time. You squint, trying to read his expression, and tilt your head just slightly when you can't.
"What is it?"
He blinks. He seems just on the edge of saying something, and you can almost see it disappear from behind his lips when he decides against speaking. He glances in the direction of the listening post. "Nothing. Let's get going."
He doesn't give you the chance to ask again, restarting the hike over the ridge. You walk a few paces, and as the sight of the Separatist station comes into full view, your moment of doubt is swiftly put behind you. Years of training surface all at once, and the instant you set foot into enemy territory, your body no longer holds any space for uncertainty. You won't lose your focus, because you can't. It's as simple as that.
As you walk, you consider the clone captain's update. There wasn't any indication they knew of Storne's infiltration. Additionally, there was no indication he was successful in disabling the extra security measures. But no one, including you, cares to acknowledge that part.
If he's disabled backup communications to the base in orbit, the only danger lies in what's in front of you. If not, the moment something is reported out of place, it could trigger an alarm that would bring down ray shields faster than you could hope to jump out the nearest window. You may be marching into a death trap, and you won't find out until it's too late. All you can hope is that the plan is working as intended as you approach the main security checkpoint.
The imposing metal walls of the outpost reach high above your heads, jutting up dramatically from the bleak, rocky surface of the moon. There are no guards posted at the front, not even droids, which is to be expected. It's not as if you're on an inhabited world. Still, it gives you an eerie sense of apprehension to walk up to a blank wall without a hint of what's on the other side.
You find yourself falling naturally into a more military gait as you get close, Obi Wan in nearly perfect lock-step with your stride. When you reach the main entrance, a set of heavily armed blast doors, you pull out a key card from the interior pocket of your uniform. Obi Wan tugs at the front of his cap, straightening it as he watches you. If you didn't know better, you would read his expression as uncertain; almost nervous.
You let out one last breath before the plunge. "Ready, Commander?"
He turns to face the door, smoothing his expression as you swipe the card. "Let's not keep them waiting, Lieutenant."
The scanner emits a low beep, and the blast doors open. You step inside to a secondary checkpoint, this time meeting with a human guard. Your shoulders stiffen as you present yourself for check in.
"Code cylinders, please."
You get the impression from the woman's delivery that the 'please' wouldn't be there if you weren't a higher rank than her. You reach again into the interior pocket of your uniform, fingers brushing the lightsaber tucked there, and produce your code cylinder, handing it over. Obi Wan retrieves his from the blaster holster hanging from his side.
The security guard glances up as she slides the first cylinder into the computer's interface socket. "Are we under inspection, sir?"
Obi Wan wraps his hands behind his back, waiting patiently, almost looking a bit bored with the process. "Not formally, no. There are some upcoming personnel transfers in this sector. We're here to review the last six months of transmissions and determine the necessity of this outpost's crew numbers."
She finishes the first upload, removing the cylinder and handing it back to him, then loads the second one. "We just had a transmission review nine rotations ago. You're inspecting them again?"
He raises an eyebrow, just barely. "Yes - I recall. There were some details that weren't included in our last inspection."
She looks up from the data screen. "You did the last inspection? I don't see your code in our records."
Your jaw tightens. Obi Wan has been an unquestioned Jedi war hero for too long, it appears. He's forgotten what it's like on the lower levels of military rank, still subject to so much scrutiny.
"We were provided the records after the inspection," you interject. "But the commander found the data... lacking."
Her mouth quirks to the side. "I can assure you, any reports from this post include all requested records. I can provide you any copies you may need."
You'd hoped to avoid conspicuous use of the force this early in the mission, but you can see it's becoming unavoidable. Perhaps, though, you can use the situation to your advantage.
"I'm curious," you begin, making a show of flicking your eyes down to her badge number. "Are all of your personnel so insubordinate?"
Her eyes widen. "Insub-" she trails off in shock, darting a half-frantic, half-insulted look over to Obi Wan. "Sir, please inform your lieutenant that I was only-"
He raises a hand. "You will address the officer speaking to you."
You give a reserved smile, just bordering unprofessional. Glancing behind her, you can see a few heads turning in your direction at the raised voices. Good.
"Ma'am, I only meant that-"
You stop her short again. "As the commander has already said, the data was lacking. Now, tell me, are you calling him a liar, or just illiterate?"
From the corner of your eye, you catch a tooth escaping Obi Wan's lips in the beginnings of a smirk, before he drops his jaw back into place, rigidly fixing the security guard back under his stare. Not for the first time, you're reminded that while he has many strengths, controlling his expressions isn't one of them.
"I beg your pardon?"
The guard's voice has reached a new level of volume and looking around, you can see you've achieved your goal of drawing enough attention. Time to put an end to this.
You lean in, lowering your voice. "That's enough. Calm down."
Her face twists into a combination of confusion and indignance. But she does as you instruct, and stays quiet. You reach down in front of her and remove your code cylinder from its socket. Then you let the force flow through you as you say your next words.
"This is an unlisted inspection - well above your pay grade. You’ve done your duty, and I commend you on your adherence to procedure. I assure you, your diligence will be rewarded once we've completed our reports."
Your eyes stay trained on hers as you impart your thoughts into her mind.
I do my tasks as instructed. I will be rewarded with a well-deserved promotion.
Often rather than changing someone's mind, you can redirect them toward another strong emotion with more success. This time proves to be just as successful as the rest.
Her gaze becomes a little duller as she slowly looks from her data screen back up to your hand, which is tucking your code cylinder back into your pocket.
"Your cooperation will be noted," you tell her, not giving her time to respond as you stride through the narrow doorway that leads into a wider control room, filled with monitoring stations, droids, and soldiers. Obi Wan gives the guard a curt nod and follows you into the bustling room.
There's no time to pause in the doorway to catch your breath. You immediately step to the side, letting Obi Wan, your commanding officer in both fiction and reality, take the lead again. As you make your way across the main floor to the turbolift at the back, you cast your eyes and your mind around the two of you, glad to find that your gambit was well-played. The rest of the soldiers in the immediate vicinity seem to be making a point of minding their business.
It's a trick you've used often - getting confronted and being let on your way by one individual is much better than convincing a large group. Most people have very little interest in doing their jobs. They simply need to appear as if they are. And once you're confronted in public and cleared, no one else has a reason to concern themselves with you. Now, all you have to do is maintain that disinterest.
I'm not concerned with what anyone else is doing.
You radiate this thought as you walk behind Obi Wan to the turbolift, avoiding eye contact with the pair of security guards talking amongst themselves as they patrol.
You give yourself a moment to catch your breath once you've stepped on board the turbolift and the doors have closed. Glancing over to Obi Wan, you briefly lock eyes before you turn to stand beside him in silence. His chin is jutted upward, shoulders back and down, looking every bit the Separatist, even when out of direct sight. You mirror him, knowing the turbolift - and probably every square centimeter of this outpost - is likely under surveillance.
When the doors open again, your breath catches. You knew the base had a significant number of human crew, but you hadn't expected quite this many. There must be a full platoon on this floor alone, in different modes of work behind desks and stations. Several dozen pairs of eyes glance in your direction, and you instantly lock into your role as Obi Wan leads the way forward.
I'm busy. I have a lot of work to do. I'm not interested in what others are doing.
It's becoming strenuous, pulling the weight of so many thoughts and emotions at once, but it's nothing you haven't dealt with before. You keep your focus and allow the force to lend you its strength. Before you realize it, you've reached the door to the comms center, having been following Obi Wan in a nearly trance-like state. He takes out his key card and you plead to the force that it works. Your intel sources were good enough to get you into the base. Hopefully they won't fail you at this critical point.
To your immense relief, the keypad beeps and flashes green. The door slides open, and just as you're about to enter, a voice calls out from a few feet away.
"Sir? Excuse me?"
You tense, frustrated with yourself for your momentary distraction. You'd let your concentration drop just for an instant when watching the keycard swipe.
Obi Wan turns around to face him. "Yes?"
"I'm sorry, sir - that area is restricted to level six officers only."
Obi Wan's face remains neutral. "That's quite alright. I am a level six officer."
While still maintaining your connection with the rest of the nearby personnel, keeping them disinterested, you turn your direct attention to the mind of the officer in front of you.
He is a level six officer.
The young man's eyes drop to the insignia plaque on Obi Wan's chest. He answers slowly, as if having trouble putting his thoughts together. "I, er, thought..."
Your mind is torn, keeping the dozens of soldiers behind him complacent while also trying to send a very specific thought into an unwilling mind. Either task on its own is manageable, but holding both at once is almost physically breaking you down. Your breathing is labored, a thin line of sweat beginning to dampen your hairline.
The young man stares at you. He's left you some room to work. He's still uncertain. You repeat the thought over and over in your head, envisioning it radiating directly outward.
His glazed eyes squint, still looking at your uniforms. "...thought only generals and above were... level six."
He is a level six officer.
Obi Wan regards him with something akin to annoyance, possibly disdain. It's a look you've seen on the face of many a superior officer in Separatist command. "Your thoughts are of little interest to me."
He turns back to enter the comms room again, and the young officer reaches for him, not actually touching him, but blocking his path with an arm.
"Sir, I think you should come with-"
You let go of the thoughts of the surrounding officers and direct all your efforts onto this one.
I have no authority here. I'm uncertain and afraid. I need to let them go.
His face drops, and you catch Obi Wan glancing up to the rest of the room. A couple of pairs of eyes are starting to pull in your direction. He seems to realize what's happening and raises a hand in concentration.
"You will let us on our way."
You feel Obi Wan's presence in the force radiating a little brighter. The uncertainty on the young man's face evaporates and he turns and begins walking in the opposite direction, leaving you behind.
You slip out of the young officer's consciousness and turn your mind back to the rest of the room, redirecting their attention to their tasks as you step into the comms center and close the door.
As the door slides shut, Obi Wan immediately begins searching through stacks of data tapes, and you take a moment to extricate yourself from the half-meditative state you're in, taking in a shaky breath. You want to thank him for stepping in, but it was risky enough for him to blatantly use the force, saying his command out loud. You don't know how many droid systems are monitoring your every word.
You try to quiet your panting breath as you look around the room. Folding your arms behind your back, you try to play your part as a Separatist lieutenant for any cameras currently watching.
The minutes pass in tense silence as he inserts and removes data tapes from the computer terminal, listening to each one with a headset held to one ear. He pages through screen after screen of information and suddenly, more quickly than you'd expected, he jerks up from the station, dropping the headset. He brings his wrist to his mouth, speaking in a low voice.
"Captain Shrike, do you copy?"
"Yes, General, go ahead."
Obi Wan's eyes meet yours as he speaks, and your heart is in your throat.
"The transmission was intercepted, but they were unable to decode it. Report back to the main fleet: The attack will go on as planned."
For a brief moment, you feel the immense weight of the mission leap from your shoulders, held aloft by the turn of events. It feels like it's been ages since anyone's had any good news in this war, and you hadn't realized until now how desperate you were to finally hear some.
"Roger that, sir. Sending the transmission now."
You can't help your smile as you turn to follow Obi Wan back to the door. You quickly activate your own commlink, raising it up. "Captain, has Storne made it back out yet?"
"No, Commander. He's on the fourth level."
Your brows furrow, and you look up at Obi Wan. He gives you a blank look in return, as if to say he doesn't know about the change of plans, either.
"Do you know why?"
"No, sir," he responds to you. "He's been going up level by level. I thought-" His voice is replaced with the crunch of static, and you catch the end of his statement. "...ut it wasn't."
You bring your commlink closer by reflex, knowing it won't make a bit of difference in the signal. "You're cutting out. Say again?"
"...can't... el... either..." More static.
"Captain Shrike, do you copy?"
There's a long pause before he comes through again.
"... packing up base." His words are mostly garbled, and then one phrase gets through clearly. " ...I've got a visual on the ship."
Obi Wan's head snaps to the side, his gaze suddenly tense. "What did he say?"
"What ship?" you press.
"Can't hear... -th. ...try to- "
Suddenly the unmistakable sound of an explosion bursts through the speaker. An ear-splitting electronic squeal pierces the air and you jerk the commlink away from your face. You're reaching to turn it off when the screeching ends. You lift it back up.
"Captain?"
Silence.
"Captain, do you copy?"
You send a wide-eyed glance over to Obi Wan, your voice tightening. "Shrike?"
Nothing.
Obi Wan's mouth opens for a moment before he speaks, as if he's finding the right words. "There could be interference."
You blink. You lower your arm. "Right."
You turn to the door, knowing that commlinks don't just stop working - interference or not. Your signal was scrambled intentionally. And that sound...
"We should get moving. The longer we're without communication the more dangerous this becomes."
"Right," you repeat, voice hollow.
The door clicks open again and Obi Wan steps through it without hesitation, slipping seamlessly back into character. You follow suit, blanketing your consciousness over every solider in your immediate vicinity. You make your way back to the turbolift, thankfully seeing fewer officers in the area this time.
In fact, the room seems almost empty compared to the bustling activity you'd seen earlier. You cast your consciousness out a little further, trying to feel for the missing soldiers, and you find them - guarded, seeking, hostile.
You open your mouth to speak as Obi Wan pushes a button to activate the lift, pulling back his fingers just in time for a spray of sparks to erupt from the control panel, blaster fire searing across the surface.
You both whip around, then immediately duck as more blaster fire fills the air, pouring relentlessly out of two hovering security droids, which are closing in fast.
"Intruders located, level fifty-two."
Obi Wan pulls his own blaster, firing back as you punch at the buttons on the lift, quickly realizing the panel won't respond. You duck and dodge, turning down the nearby corridor to find another way out. The droids pursue, one sent spinning off to the side when Obi Wan's blaster bolt pierces its metal.
You're fighting the urge to reach for your lightsaber. Right now you're just a couple of Republic spies, which is why he's chosen to use the blaster. You've agreed not to reveal yourselves to be Jedi unless absolutely necessary. But you certainly wish that Lieutenants were allowed to carry blasters outside of combat zones.
As you turn the corner, a sickeningly familiar sound approaches - the rolling bodies of droidekas. Peeling into view, they raise their twin blasters and light up the hallway with lasers concentrated on your annihilation.
Absolute necessity arriving much more quickly than expected, your hand grips your lightsaber, ripping it out of your clothing and blocking several shots all in one fluid motion.
"Well, I'd say that's our cover sufficiently blown," Obi Wan remarks, casually illuminating his own lightsaber and dual-wielding it between returning blaster shots.
"Did you have another option I don't know about?" you grit, slicing through the air to bat a laser away from your face.
He spins ferociously and sends a double volley of blaster fire straight back at the remaining security droid, dropping it to the floor. "No, Commander, but perhaps next time you'll consult me before altering the plans. Again."
You raise an eyebrow, caught off guard by his tone, but unable to respond before human voices start to echo down the hallway, and your retreat turns into an all-out run. You take turns covering the firestorm behind you as you barrel down the hall, turning whichever way looks most like an exit. Obi Wan veers off into what looks to be a maintenance hangar, and you follow closely.
"I didn't exactly-"
The air around you suddenly shimmers, engulfing you in a rippling cylinder of light. You both skitter to a stop, hands pulling up to avoid touching it.
Ray shields surround you. It's not unheard of, using them on such a small scale, but it's definitely a surprise to see one set up as a trap. And you now realize the droids were driving you straight into it.
Training a weapon pointlessly on you, a human Separatist officer enters the room flanked by droids on either side.
You keep your lightsaber at the ready, knowing there's nothing you can do to pierce the shields, but hoping against hope that someone will be foolish enough to lower them.
The man sneers at you as he approaches. "Might as well put away your weapons, Jedi. They're of no use to you now."
Neither one of you moves an inch, the low hum of your sabers filling the quiet room.
"Oh, we're quite comfortable, thank you," Obi Wan responds, his voice mild but his eyes deadly. "Though I am curious about your plan. You must realize as soon as the shields are lowered, you'll need to finish the task of disarming us. A task at which, so far, you've been less than successful. "
Grinning, the man leans toward the pulsating shield. "Your concern is appreciated." He meets Obi Wan's gaze steadily. "But not to worry. I'll leave that task to Count Dooku."
You freeze, suppressing the urge to look over at Obi Wan in shock. Out of the corner of your eye, you see his hand tighten slightly on the hilt of his saber, but he says nothing more. Not missing a step in his pace, the officer circles you as if observing animals in a cage, then makes his way back toward the doorway.
"He'll be here momentarily. Don't go anywhere."
The door slides shut and the room goes dark, save for the dim maintenance lights in the distance, the swirling glimmer of the ray shields, and the lightsaber you're now gripping to the point of pain. You push the pressure sensor, extinguishing your blade, and drop your defensive stance to turn and look at Obi Wan.
"Dooku..." you breathe the name, looking around as if it could summon him.
Obi Wan's lightsaber still glows between the two of you, his stare penetrating the darkness as he looks past you. "Yes, I can feel it. He's here."
You don't know if he's responding to you, or just talking to himself. You calm your racing thoughts and try to focus. And then you sense it. A dark, malicious presence. A clear signature.
"Why would he be here? How could he have known?"
Several beats pass in silence. He drags his eyes from their distant stare to place them directly on yours. Then his blade collapses into the darkness. It's much quieter in the room, now, and he doesn't need to raise his voice above an icy breath to be heard.
"I should think that much would be obvious."
You dip one brow, again confused by his tone. His words hold the same edge as they had earlier, but you can't place where it's coming from.
"Not to me," you invite his explanation.
"We've been betrayed," he says lowly. "He has an informant."
When your expression goes slack in surprise and you're clearly looking at him for more, he answers your unasked question with a carefully controlled mask of calm. "Your friend. Storne."
You pull your head back in disbelief. "What?"
He sets his jaw, slowly and quietly continuing. "This mission was kept secret from everyone but the most necessary operatives. He is the only one that hasn't been completely vetted, and the only member of this mission whose whereabouts have been unknown for extended periods of time leading up to now."
You shake your head, at a complete loss. "It isn't possible. You don't know him."
"Apparently, neither do you," he quips, a little too quickly.
You can see the immediate regret on his face. But the damage is done. He softens his voice, adding, "He's a mercenary."
You step a little closer in the already small space between the ray shields. "I do know him. He's not as much a mercenary as he is a con artist. Who... kills when he has to. He isn't capable of doing something like this."
"Look at this from a logical perspective." He speaks over your last few words, staunchly refusing to let go of eye contact. "On Oba Diah - the bar where he sent us to get information... did we ever get the information? How were we discovered?"
"Any number of Black Sun members could have reported us."
"And on Keoth," he continues. "When he came to our aid - how convenient for him to be tracking our transponder."
You shake your head. "What possible reason could he have for saving our lives and then handing us over to the enemy?"
"An informant would have every reason to keep us doing the Republic's bidding. The more of our activity he could report, the more we would be worth to him."
You drop your gaze, unable to look at him and speak at the same time. "I would have sensed his deception."
"I'm certain he would have kept his motives well hidden."
"Not from me." You snap your head up. "People can't hide their true intentions from me."
You're staring at one another, and you take in a breath, then let it out. "Obi Wan, I know he wouldn't do this. I've worked with him for so many years. I've known him even longer than that. I'm not asking you to trust him. Just to trust me."
His steeled blue eyes are still fixed on you. He looks as if he's fighting not to look away. "I trust that you will do what you believe is right." And then he does look away. "My faith in your judgment is... another matter."
You're speechless for a moment, stomach wrenched. "My judgment?"
Several long seconds pass before he speaks again.
"When we were on the ship, Storne mentioned a specific time when he seemed to know exactly where we would be. It wasn't discussed during his briefing, and yet, he knew." He pauses, watching for your reaction. "How did he know?"
Your chest is pounding. "Because... I told him. Because I sent him the details of the plan while we were enroute."
"So you don't deny it?"
Although you're nearly shaking, you manage to keep your words steady. "I work in secrets. I know the value of classifying information. But I also know the value of a well-informed team. The captain was instructed to keep the plan compartmentalized, but if Storne needed to escape, or to help us escape-"
"Do you realize you could be arrested as a traitor?"
Your face is heating in frustration. It's like your words aren't even reaching him at this point.
"I told you, on my missions, sometimes I need to bend the rules to get things done. You taught me to follow my instincts."
"I did not teach you to disobey direct orders."
"No, but you taught me to use my own strengths and trust my own judgment. The captain is bound by chain of command to protect classified information. I would never get approval to share it." You hesitate before continuing. "Just like I often don't get approval from the council for certain aspects of my missions. If I'm going to be considered a traitor for getting results, they should have arrested me years ago."
"This isn't a joking matter." His voice cuts sharply through the forced lightness in your tone.
"I know. I'm aware of what's at stake," you say, dropping all your false bravado and letting the earnesty come through. "That's exactly why I knew we couldn't afford to leave Storne in the dark."
"And look where it's gotten us," Obi Wan bites out, his calm expression finally breaking. "Where are your senses? Blindly trusting-"
"It isn't blind trust!" You match his growing tone. "It's rational, well-earned knowledge."
"Your judgement is clouded, young one." His voice holds a dangerous edge which he's never directed at you before. "This mission was doomed from the start - a mission you were never meant to be directly involved with. There's every chance we have just sent thousands of soldiers to their deaths."
His words settle in your stomach like lead, poisoning your bloodstream. You blink rapidly, trying to maintain what's left of the slipping grasp you have over your emotions.
"I-" you croak the syllable, interrupted by an opening door.
A heavy, commanding voice puts an abrupt end to your conversation.
"Obi Wan Kenobi."
Your head is still reeling from your argument, but you no longer have time for emotion. As Dooku approaches, the huge maintenance hangar suddenly seems like a much smaller room.
Your lightsaber is lit again, back in your hand, your arm raised before the rest of your mind can catch up to your reflexes. You watch as he paces slowly up to you, and you sink deep into the force to let go of your inner turmoil.
Dooku's chin is held high as he inspects you. "And the young apprentice. How... unexpected."
He turns back to Obi Wan with a glint in his eye. "We can end this swiftly, my friend. For your padawan's sake, I hope you choose the right path."
Obi Wan's eyes are locked on him. "She is no longer my padawan. And you have nothing of value to offer us."
He arches a brow, looking back at you. "Really."
You can feel him sensing you through the force, and while you close yourself off from him, you can't help but feel him dominating the space between you.
Hearing Obi Wan say you're no longer his padawan stings. You aren't sure whether he means to dissolve the history between you, or if he simply means that you are a Jedi knight. Perhaps it's both. Regardless, you try to keep your focus on Dooku's cold, hard stare.
"A pity, what the war has done to the Order."
Neither of you gives him a response, and though his words are insulting at face value, you can't help but wonder if he means them sincerely, sensing that you're out of your depth.
"Come now, Master," Dooku drawls, directing his attention back to Obi Wan and letting his condescension drip through. "We need not fight a battle which is over already. Surrender your weapons and you will be brought before the Separatist council to discuss your release."
The reverberation of Obi Wan's lightsaber coming back to life echoes through the hangar. "The galaxy is filled with the remains of civilizations who chose to believe in your empty promises, Count."
There's a heavy silence, and Dooku nods to a soldier standing in the doorway. "So be it."
The soldier flips a switch and the ray shields dissipate. Everything next seems to happen in the blink of an eye.
Dooku extracts his own saber, and as Obi Wan melts into his familiar Soresu stance, your muscles barely have time to react before Dooku is striking at you, baring down with clear intent to kill.
You manage to dodge one of his blows, and his second connects with your blade, the sheer power of which nearly knocks it out of your hand. Obi Wan attacks him from behind, drawing him back for an instant, before he whirls on you again and uses the force to send you soaring across the room.
All the air leaves your lungs and you slam into the wall, the intensity of his blow leaving you to gather yourself momentarily. You watch as Dooku turns his full attention on your master, the two of them trading devastating strikes as if it's nothing. The air almost seems to be crackling; glowing within the force.
You crawl back up to your knees, then manage to get your legs beneath you once more. You know you have no hope of challenging Dooku, but Obi Wan does, and you need to do everything you can to give him an advantage. Taking a breath and giving yourself over to the force, you leap forward again and swing at Dooku's unguarded back.
Without missing a beat, he parries Obi Wan with a particularly savage blow, then whirls on you with a look of disdain. Slicing elegantly through the air, he meets your blade with such an impact that it rattles through your entire body. Your saber clatters to the ground, and Obi Wan's next strike is the only thing that keeps Dooku from piercing straight through you.
With a curled lip, Dooku turns on him again and drags his saber down the length of Obi Wan's. "I will not ask you again for your surrender."
Obi Wan answers with a polite smile that's betrayed by the ferocity of his blade. "Good. It was getting tiresome."
The two enter a new phase of the fight, their lightsabers clashing so brutally and quickly that you can hardly follow it enough to get a single strike in. Each time you swing, Dooku rebuffs your attacks seemingly without effort. He's pressed Obi Wan into a corner, and you're helpless to stop him when he finally breaks through his defenses to send his saber skittering across the floor.
"No!" the word wrenches out of your mouth involuntarily, and just as he pulls back to deliver the final blow, you swing your blade toward Dooku's neck, forcing him to turn and face you.
He's still holding his saber over Obi Wan, but his scowl deepens as he raises his other hand toward you. Force lighting erupts from his fingers, and you don't even have time to consider blocking it. It saps the strength from every muscle in your body, pain shooting through you in every sense of the word. You can feel your flesh burning, and just as painful are the deep shocks of pure hatred driving through the force.
Your limp body slams against the wall again, and before your head connects with duracrete, the last thing in front of your eyes is the bright red glow of a lightsaber aiming straight for your master's chest.
--
It's dark, now.
Your lungs ache when you try to draw breath. Everything aches. Even your eyes hurt when you blink, squinting through the darkness and seeing nothing.
Have you been blinded?
You reach for your lightsaber, but it's not there. The hazy memory of it falling from your hand comes into your mind, but fizzles before you can really picture it properly.
There's a sound. There's been a sound, and you're just starting to register it. Someone is calling your name.
"Can you hear me? Please, answer."
Your arm throbs as you bring your commlink to your mouth. "St-Storne?"
"You're alive!" the muffled voice answers. "Yeah, it's me. Listen, there's not much time. I think you're in a holding cell, and I think I can get you out."
You get halfway up from the ground, leaning over your own arm, a thought screaming into your mind when you're reminded of your surroundings. "Obi Wan! Where is he?"
"I... don't know. We lost track of him. But we can get you out, and we'll figure the rest out later."
You swallow, a different kind of pain enveloping you. Exhausted, you can barely gather the strength to look out through the force. You can't sense him. Your heart flutters, slamming inside your ribcage so hard you're afraid it will break you open. You can't sense him.
A few more panicked seconds pass before you remember to speak. You clear your throat, trying to keep your grip on reality. "Who is 'we'?"
"Backup. Captain Pais sent in clone troopers and took out the orbital base. Unjammed the comm signals, too. But we still can't get around the ray shields. Only chance we have is to blow up the entrance on the east side of the outpost where there are no ray shields and hope we take out enough walls to get to you."
Your mind is still spinning, and you're only taking in about half of his words. "What do you need me to do?"
There's blaster fire in the background as he answers. "Get on the west side of the holding cell and stay there."
You look around. "I can't see anything. I don't know which side is which."
He pauses and you can hear rumbling outside of wherever you currently are. "Then just... cover your head. And wait."
You let the words echo inside your pounding head. "Roger that."
"Three minutes. Be ready."
"Wait! Storne. Have you talked to Shrike?"
There's a heavy silence. "Three minutes."
The background noise cuts out, leaving you alone in the dark, fighting to stay conscious when the world is black no matter whether your eyes are open or closed.
Things happen very quickly. You realize when you hear the explosion nearby that you actually have been losing consciousness. Ten seconds seemed to pass, and the promised destruction is already happening. You scramble to the opposite side of your cell, trying to get away from the sound of laserfire.
You open your eyes. It's light now. There are clone troopers pouring into the cell. The smell of burnt flesh fills the air. Powdered duracrete dusts your skin.
You open your eyes. You're being carried on a stretcher to the edge of a cliff, near the water. It's brighter still. You can hear the crashing of the waves. A clone gunship is hovering nearby. There's so much shouting.
You open your eyes. The clone ship is pulling away from the cliff's edge, engines roaring. You sit up. You're still on the stretcher, facing outside. Below you, back on the ground, there's a body being dragged by two clone troopers, legs limp and head hanging. The face is too bloody to make out any features.
Then, you sense it. It's not a body - it's a being. He's alive in the force, and he's looking back at you now, head raising weakly from his shoulders. When he seems to register you, his eyes snap upward and he struggles against the troopers to stand up.
He calls your name.
"Obi Wan!" His name rips out of you raggedly, and you scramble to get off of the gurney.
"Commander, no," the clone medic next to you reaches for your arm. "You can't sit up right now."
Some part of you is aware that you're badly hurt and should listen, but he's alive and nothing else has the space to enter your mind right now.
Suddenly, you hear a high pitched tone and everything goes white. The last thing you feel is Obi Wan reaching out in the force, his mind searching for yours. Disoriented, urgent, pleading...
--
You awaken, finally and properly, to the living world, back on board the Republic cruiser.
Captain Pais is the first person you see, standing at the side of your bed. You stifle a groan as the full extent of your injuries make themselves known.
"Welcome back, Commander. How are you feeling?"
You roll to the side, sitting up a bit and looking over at the glass of water on a nearby table. He jolts, realizing what you're looking at, and hands it to you. You gulp down a few swallows, then catch your breath.
"Thank you."
He nods, and you pull back your bedding to sit up all the way. "I'm... alright. Where is-" you stop just short of using his name. "Is the general okay?"
"He's fine. Back on duty already, in fact."
You blink, thinking of the battered, bloody wreck you'd seen him in. "How is that possible?"
The captain shrugs and smiles. "You know General Kenobi. He didn't stay in the tank for long. He came to see you, of course, but you were..."
He indicates the stark white medbay bed, and you nod. "Right. What about Captain Shrike? And Storne?"
The captain gives a hard, tight look. "Captain Shrike... managed to alert the main fleet before Dooku destroyed his base on arrival. It's the only reason we were even aware to set up your extraction."
"And he sent R4 to get me, which was a plus in my book, if that counts."
Storne gives you a smile as he enters the room, arm bandaged but otherwise in one piece. Relief floods you at seeing him alive. "Yes, that counts," you tell him.
"He was a good man, and he'll be remembered," Captain Pais finishes solemnly.
You feel a deep pang of guilt at Shrike's loss. If you hadn't taken his place...
"That he will," Storne agrees. "But you'll be glad to know, our efforts weren't for nothing. The blockade is expected to fall soon."
You turn to the captain, his face affirmative. "Indeed. We should reach the people of Aaloth within two standard days."
"So the intel was-"
"Was good, yes. We launched the attack as planned and the Separatists had no forewarning."
Your body sinks back into the bed, immense weight lifting from your mind. "Thank the force."
"Yes, I very much agree," the captain tells you. "We will be on our way to join them shortly; finishing preparations now. I understand it's been recommended that you do not join us in your current state, Commander. I've arranged for your ship to be prepared to leave within the hour."
Back to Ilum. You nod, taking in the new information.  You have to go home. What next? What comes after this?
Your pounding head tells you not to think that far ahead. "I see. I'll get ready." You hesitate. "Is, uh, is the general available?"
"He was called to join the attack on the blockade as soon as he was ready. He left a few hours ago."
"Right," you brush it off, keeping your tone as even as possible. "Thank you, Captain. For everything."
"It was a pleasure to serve with you, Commander."
He inclines his head in respect, then turns and leaves, with Storne taking his place at the side of your bed. You scoot to the edge and place your feet on the floor, and he reaches out with his good arm.
"Here, let me help."
Thanking him, you take it, and he helps you get to your robes. They're dirty and torn at the edges, but nothing that can't be repaired when you get home. You pull your hospital clothes over your head.
"Turn around," you tell him, arms waiting halfway up.
"How about I cover my eyes?" he asks playfully, slipping his unbandaged hand over his face and then breaking his fingers apart, looking at you through the gaps.
"How about you leave the room?" you retort, rolling your eyes.
He chuckles and turns around until you're dressed, then helps you down the long hallway to the turbolift. You find your ship prepared just as the captain had said, and Storne opens the hatch for you to board. When you finish the calculations for your flight path home, you turn back to face him.
"I can't thank you enough," you tell him, a mix of emotions in your voice. "I guess I owe you my life twice over, now. You'll have to call me when you want to get even."
He smirks. "I'll call you either way, sweetheart. And you can pay me back by making sure I get triple the normal rate, as your Jedi bretheren promised."
You smile and roll your eyes. "Of course. But you can stop with all the sweetheart stuff - we're alone, now."
He glances around the ship's interior. "Right. Sorry, hard habit to break. Besides, you know you like it."
You give a genuine laugh at that and he returns a genuine smile; the first time you've interacted alone in a long time.
"Anyway, I'll make sure you get your proper pay. And tell Tasana I hope she's well."
Tasana is the wife Storne has hidden from the galaxy since their marriage many years ago. You've known and cherished her as much as him, and you've gladly protected her identity by playing along with the incorrigible flirt Storne has chosen for his fake persona. Even during your "marriage", it was heavily implied that his infidelity had lead to your parting of ways, as he just couldn't keep to one woman.
As his childhood friend, you're privy to a story not many other people know. He prefers to keep it that way, and his secret will always be safe with you.
"She is, and I will," he says, backing toward the closed hatch. "Take care of yourself out there, master Jedi."
"Not a master," you call over your shoulder as you make final adjustments to your flight controls. "Just a Jedi."
He snorts before hopping out of the hatch. "Whatever you're calling yourself these days."
You lift off shortly after he closes the hatch and gets clear of your ship. The stars greet you as you exit the hangar bay of the massive cruiser, and you release a heavy sigh, beginning the long flight home, alone with your thoughts.
Somehow, the darkness of space seems emptier than it ever has before.
--
It's been two standard days since you arrived back on Ilum, and it's been two standard hours since you received a report of a nasty ice storm approaching your small home on the outskirts of nowhere. After you'd received the latest weather update on your long range holocomm, you certainly hadn't been expecting company anytime soon.
Which is why you nearly leap out of your skin when, over the howling wind outside, you hear a knock at your door.
You set down the drink you'd been holding, rising from your seat to cautiously approach. Looking through the little window at the top of the door frame, you can just make out the fur of an unfamiliar parka through the furiously whirling snow. Beneath it, you catch sight of a brown hood, and beneath that, a pair of eyes that you'd never mistake for anyone else's.
You throw open the door.
"Obi Wan?"
He stands there, squinting through the wind, and yet, still unmoving.
"What are you doing here?" you ask, the words falling out of you in shock. Quickly, your thoughts turn to the worst. "Did something happen on Aaloth?"
He gives a distracted half-shake of his head. The frost is sparkling in his beard and the arches of his brows when he raises them. He looks achingly beautiful with his blue eyes reflecting the cold. "No. No, everything went according to plan. I just... needed to reach you. Needed to speak to you."
"About-" you cut yourself short, realizing he must be freezing while you stare at him stupidly, mind not yet convinced that he's really here. "I'm sorry - please, come inside."
He almost seems relieved at your invitation, as if he hadn't been expecting it. He still stands hesitantly in the doorway once you've gotten the door closed with him on the inside of it. Lowering his hood, he runs a hand down the front of his beard, smoothing it and raking out the snow.
"Thank you."
"Of course," you respond, still too stunned by his presence to really speak. "You came all this way to talk? Why didn't you call?"
He blinks, halting the hand that had been running through his messy hair. "Historically, I've had difficulty reaching you."
The saved messages play over in your mind and you flush a little with embarrassment. "Right. Sorry."
He brings the hand back down, waving it in gentle dismissal of your words. "No, don't apologize. It's quite alright. In fact, I am the one who should begin with an apology."
Now you're truly speechless. An apology? After what you had done?
"I owe you an apology for my outburst during the mission. And I owe you a debt of gratitude for your actions. Had you not involved Storne, we both may have lost our lives."
You swallow, dropping your gaze to the side. "I don't know if anything I did was right or wrong. Things may have turned out differently if I had never come. We don't know for sure."
"You're right," he allows. "We don't. All we can be sure of is that we provided the intel that was needed to save lives, and we escaped with ours. And that is thanks to you, whether you will take the credit or not."
You don't say anything back, still not able to agree, but unwilling to argue.
"But that is not what I came here to say."
He unclasps the front of his parka and removes it, setting it on a bench near your door. You wait patiently for him to continue, watching his chest rise and fall beneath his robes as he passes a long breath. Then he turns back to you slowly, expression withholding; tentative.
"When we fought Dooku, I believed I had prepared myself for any outcome. As in any other battle, the will of the force mattered over all else, and I never considered-"
He stops talking, seeming to gather his words. You let him, having no idea what he's trying to say. "When I saw them drag you from the room... I could no longer feel you in the force. I didn't know you were only unconscious. And I..."
You knit your brows together, hanging on his every breath. His eyelashes are dark; wet from the melting snow, and they cast shadows over his face when he looks down. "I managed to escape from Dooku by using techniques of which I am not proud. I felt things I should not have felt, and I reacted in a way that a Jedi should not."
There's a long, heavy silence. You want to comfort him, but your mind is barely functioning. What he's saying is so impossible that you can't even fathom it.
"I... don't understand," you finally say in response. "You're saying... because you thought I had died, you...?" You trail off, unable to complete the thought.
"I am saying," he pauses. "That... I think it would be best if this was our last mission together."
Your chest feels like he's blown a hole through you. Your throat is burning and you can hardly murmur, "But, why?"
He gives you a pained look, stepping closer, closing the short distance between you.
"Commander-" And then he corrects himself, using your name, and it sounds so soft, so warm in his mouth that your knees go weak. "You must know."
You draw your eyes up to his and he's looking at you so plainly, the emotion written all over his face. He reaches a hand out to you, just barely, and drops it back into his own hand, clasping them as if holding himself away. You feel his presence wrap around you, and for the first time, you feel the longing within him. His voice lowers.
"You must know."
He says it as if it's been clear to you for so long, and yet, you'd never thought- never even dreamed...
You're standing so still, afraid that if you move, you'll fall into a kiss that neither of you wants. Yet, every fiber of you is dying for it. An eternity passes, just like this, and you'd be happy in this perpetual agony if only you didn't know it had to end.
And end, it does.
An emergency alert beeps through your holocomm, breaking the silence and pulling your eyes away, just for an instant.
But it's long enough for Obi Wan to remember himself and step away. He swallows thickly. "I shouldn't stay any longer."
You take a deep breath, willing the force to relieve you of your desperate thoughts. "Right. You should go if you don't want to be caught in the storm."
He pulls his jacket back on, facing away from you, giving you a few seconds to gather yourself. When he turns back, you force a smile, knowing it comes out wrong, but trying anyway.
"At least our last mission together was a success."
The corners of his eyes crinkle, but his smile is as broken as yours. He pulls his hood over his head. "From you, I would expect nothing less."
Your smile fades, and you follow him to the door. There are a million things you want to say to him, but you know saying even one of your thoughts out loud would destroy you. So, you say the only words you have left.
"Goodbye, Obi Wan."
The snow stings your eyes when he steps outside, turning back to you.
"May the force be with you," he says over the sound of the wind. "And may it keep you safe."
You watch him go, ice whipping against your skin, until you're numb. Until there's nothing left on the landscape but white. Your lips break apart as you whisper into the empty air.
"And may it bring us back together someday."
--
Author's Note: For those of you following the AO3 tags, although Captain Shrike is a major character in my heart (🥲) I don't consider him a major character for tagging purposes.
I apologize for the length of this chapter! Thank you to everyone again for being so patient and kind during the wait between this chapter and the last. Your encouragement was much appreciated!
Tag List: @cosmicsierra @projectdreamwalker @guacam011y @thriving-n-jiving @reverieisaway @cursedfaechild @honeymoon7770 @hedvighedvig @cool-ontherun-world @ladytano420 @eddythewitch
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split-spectrum · 6 months
Text
Water and Rock
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Interlude
Pairing: Obi Wan × FemReader
Warnings: None
Length: 1K (A Short Preview)
Spoilers below the cut...
☆☆☆
I wanted to show some appreciation for everyone who's been so kindly and patiently waiting for chapter ten, so here's an (early) WIP Wednesday bit.
This chapter is longer than the others, and I'm admittedly less comfortable with the technical aspects of spacey things so I'm very, very grateful people have been so nice about the long wait while I edit down 9K words, which I initially thought of splitting into two chapters, but eventually realized flows better as one.
I hope to have it posted very soon (this week-ish) and in the meantime, I'd like to share the first 1K in gratitude for those who have stuck through the wait.
Thank you again!
--
Several years ago, in the gardens of the Jedi temple on Coruscant...
"Please, Master. Be honest."
His eyes seem to snap back into focus when the tone of your voice goes up at the end of the question. He'd been looking at you, you realize, and you don't know for how long. The way he resets his posture before answering, he'd almost seemed... uncomfortable? On edge? You can't quite place it. Perhaps, you think, he senses your uncertainty. Your weakness.
With each second that passes before he responds, your anxiety increases. He shifts on the bench, sliding his gaze to the foliage in front of him, a whisper of a smile on his face.
"Often I am told," he says softly, "that these final days before one's padawan completes the trials are celebratory. Peaceful and reflective..."
You widen your eyes a bit and tilt your head, expectant - knowing he's feeling the tension of you staring at him without needing to look in your direction. But he does, eventually, turn to face you, dropping the act of the put-upon master.
"The council believes you are ready. They would not have asked you otherwise."
"That's not what I asked."
He holds your gaze. "I know you will pass. I have every confidence in your abilities."
You break eye contact. "Thank you. But that's not exactly what I asked, either."
He gives you a wry look. "Then perhaps you could clarify precisely what question I'm answering?"
You're tugging a loose thread at the end of your sleeve, hands in your lap. "Do you truly believe I'm ready?"
He doesn't answer right away. Your fingers still, stopping their fidgeting when you force yourself to look at him again. "Is it not normally the master who approaches the council when a padawan is ready for the trials? Isn't it unusual for the council to make a request like this?"
His brows raise in acknowledgement, and he nods slightly. "It is indeed unusual. But these are unusual times. And you possess a unique gift. The council does not make these decisions lightly."
"You still haven't answered my question."
The corners of his bearded mouth tip up into a melancholy smile. "Whether I believe you will pass or that you are ready may be two different questions, but my answer changes nothing. As Jedi, we have a responsibility to protect life and serve the Republic. You have been called upon, and if you are capable, you must answer." His expression becomes more sincere. "And you are capable."
You try to mirror his smile, but your stomach is upside down. "I understand."
You watch another pair of Jedi as they stroll through the greenery in the distance, seeming to take much more pleasure in their surroundings than you presently are. Silence hangs between the two of you, and it's a kind of silence that's never been there before. You're on the precipice of something, and it's not just the trials. Something about him in this moment is different. It's in the way he's looking at you; the way he hesitates before answering. He's not just thoughtful, or pensive. It's something else.
But then, something has changed in you, too - ever since the council shared those fated words.
You venture another question, your voice even quieter this time.
"Once I'm... no longer your padawan," you begin haltingly, "is it still permitted for me to seek your guidance, if I need it?"
As you tense your shoulders in anticipation of his answer, he just offers another smile. "You have my guidance whenever you are in need of it."
His words might have brought you comfort, if he'd left it at that. But he goes on.
"Even if I were to fall in battle tomorrow, the lessons I have passed on will always remain, as a part of you." He places a hand very gently at the side of your shoulder. "The teachings of generations of Jedi are within you. You need only ask for guidance, and you shall always have it."
He's rarely this affectionate, and it forces the rest of your words to stay wrapped up tightly inside you. It seems ungrateful, now, to ask whether you can still bother him for tea and meditation.
You bite back the question you'd really wanted to ask - the one that had been on your mind ever since your first discussion of the trials: Would you still be a team, even when things were different?
You pull your mouth into a tight smile that lacks the proper strength. All you can do now is nod.
Then, you do as he's always instructed - as you always have - and reach out into the force, releasing your feelings.
"Thank you, Master. You're right. I am ready."
--
Several years later, approaching the Separatist outpost on Asar-2...
"Are you alright?" Obi Wan asks after your second sigh permeates the silence in the cockpit.
The closer you get, the more reality is setting in, and you're struggling to hide it. Your initial thought is to lie, but it occurs to you that you're both in too far at this point to turn back. You tell the truth.
"I'm nervous."
A beat passes. He flips a couple of switches and you can't be sure whether he's silent in response to your answer, or just because he's concentrating on flying the ship. You squirm, just slightly, but enough for Obi Wan's muscles to stiffen. Yet again you have to remind yourself to stay still, and more words tumble out of you.
"The time pressure, and what's at stake... If we don't..."
"Commander," he interrupts you softly. "You have made your decision. Now you must be at peace with it."
This silences you. He's correct, as he usually is. And after this morning's heated discussion regarding your part in the mission, you can't have expected him to comfort you.
But he does anyway.
"There is no emotion; there is peace," he reminds you, his voice decidedly calm and even.
All at once, everything - the noise in your head, your buzzing nerves, the tense air that surrounds you - all of it begins to fade. The familiar mantra leaves your lips in answer to him. "There is no ignorance; there is knowledge..."
You finish the lines, and he helps you, murmuring the words just behind yours, as he moves a gloved hand here and there to keep the ship on course.
"There is no death," you complete the last line slowly. "Only the force."
There is no death...
"We'll be landing in a moment. Remember, we approach from the West - landing South and coming over that ridge, there." He gestures through the windshield and your eyes follow. "You'll need to deactivate the lateral thrusters for me. I can't reach them with you sitting like this."
He points again, to a switch just above your knee. You lean forward. "Alright. Just tell me when."
His breath is shortened, his voice strained when he answers. "Thirty more seconds."
...
--
More to come soon!
Tag List: @cosmicsierra @projectdreamwalker @guacam011y @thriving-n-jiving @reverieisaway @cursedfaechild @honeymoon7770 @hedvighedvig @cool-ontherun-world @ladytano420
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split-spectrum · 7 months
Text
Four Hours
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Chapter 2
(Complete)
Pairings: Din Djarin/FemReader
Warnings/Tags: explicit content, swearing, mild violence, SMUT, 18+ minors please DNI
Description: A quiet day in the repair bay goes sideways quickly when the Mandalorian next door catches you stealing his tools.
☆☆☆
It's been one hour, now.
He's standing in front of a makeshift table built of cargo containers, cleaning his weapons and glancing at you every few minutes. Four hours. Four hours is what you'd told him when he'd asked how long you'd need to wait out the poison. Time is ticking by agonizingly, and you can feel every second of it. You'd spent most of the first hour watching hyperspace streak past in the cockpit before your eyes had started to ache and you'd followed him down below, into the main cargo hold.
"Can I give you a hand?" you ask him from across the room where you're seated on a smaller cargo container. Based on the rest of his ship's inventory, you can guess the containers are either filled with weapons or ammunition. It seems to be the recurring theme. 
"No." He answers quietly, then adds, "Thank you."
The silence starts up again, and you want to fight against it. It's not uncomfortable silence; it's just a blanket that seems to follow him. But you want to talk, now more than ever. You want to be occupied.
"Can I ask you a question?"
He says nothing, but it's an inviting sort of nothing.
"Why did you help me? Why are you helping me?"
He places a piece of the blaster he's currently disassembling onto the shelf. "Because you asked."
That catches you so off guard that you don't respond for a moment. "There has to be more to it than that."
He clicks the firing mechanism back into place, holding the blaster at a distance and tilting his head to inspect it. You wait, then give up on a response.
The poison edges a little deeper into your bloodstream...
Or does it?
Your eyes close briefly as you try to push the thoughts from your mind. You'll either live or die, or you'll live in a different way. One way or the other, these hours will end. The only way to get there is to pass the time.
When you draw your gaze back over to the table, he's finished with the previous blaster and picked up a different one. You sink back into your seat, trying to come up with another reason for him to speak to you, and look down at your arm, still purple. The dark, blurred mark on your skin is starting to form into the distinct outline of his hand.
"You still haven't apologized for this," you say, holding it up. 
He glances over to what you're indicating, making you a little self-conscious. Your arm drops back into your lap while he looks at you.
"Where I come from, thieves are punished."
Your lip quirks. "I'm not a thief. I explained everything, remember?"
His helmet angles back down to the weapon. "You took things that didn't belong to you."
"And I brought them back," you point out.
"Yeah. That's why you're still breathing."
Your chest flutters a little, and your face heats. You've known a lot of hunters, and you've heard a lot of the same empty threats. This Mandalorian, you're starting to realize, is in a class all his own. His comment isn't careless; he didn't say it to intimidate. He means it. And it stirs something in you. 
You don't have anything to say in argument, and after a moment, you try a different subject.
"You know, I can't afford to pay you much for this," you admit softly. You can't afford to pay him anything, really. You'll hardly be able to cover his fuel costs.
"You don't need to pay."
It's your turn to be silent, now. You bring your eyes back up. "Why would you do this for nothing?"
His visor lowers from your eyes down to the side of your body again. "Your... arm. It's... something I try not to do. Hurt people who aren't deserving."
You shift in discomfort and despite his serious tone, you let a little smirk escape. "Might be in the wrong profession for that."
He doesn't answer, and he doesn't move his gaze from your arm for a while. Slowly, he goes back to his work. 
You know a joke probably wasn't the right response, but it makes you uncomfortable when people are too sincere. Unfortunately for you, sincerity seems to be his default setting. "Besides, have you considered I'm more deserving than you think? You haven't asked why he was trying to kill me."
He still doesn't ask. But you tell him anyway, after a moment's hesitation. "I killed his brother."
He stops looking at the blaster. You squirm again. Is he... angry? Surprised? Is he judging you? You don't like it.
"Everyone is somebody's brother, Mando."
"I know."
He says it quietly, softly, and you can hear in his voice that he means it. He knows. The same way you know.
"Something you should know about me, though..." you offer a more genuine tone. "I try not to hurt people who don't deserve it, either."
From the way he slows his movements, you can see he's listening and he takes your meaning, but he says nothing in return. It really makes you want to tell him the whole story - to prove that you're more than a ruthless killer - but you bite back the words. You don't know why you feel you owe him an explanation.
Instead, you just stand up and walk closer. "Another thing you should know: I pay my debts. So..." You hesitate, pulse quickening as you lower your voice. "Maybe there's another way I could show you my appreciation."
Both his hands go still. "You don't owe me anything."
You bite your lip nervously, then decide to take another chance and push further. "Maybe I want to, anyway."
You watch his helmet for any sign, any reaction. Nothing. Your heart is thrumming wildly now, but you force yourself not to look away.
He places the gun down flat on the table and his helmet tilts just slightly in your direction. "What you're thinking... is a bad idea."
A jolt of excitement runs through you. You'd expected an immediate "no".
"Oh? I don't think so. Why do you think so?"
When he turns to look at you properly, in this close proximity, it's the first time you realize how big he is. His shoulders dwarf you on both sides. "Call it intuition."
"Maybe your intuition isn't as good as you think it is."
The broad chest in front of you slowly rising and falling is the only movement between the two of you. "Kept me alive this long."
"So what is your intuition telling you about me, exactly?" you press, looking up at him from beneath your lashes. 
You catch the faintest shift beneath the fabric covering his neck.
"That you're as likely to fuck me..." He leans his head down, lowering his voice even further. "...as you are to kill me."
Your whole body tingles with electricity, his velvet voice raising the hair on the back of your neck. You can hardly breathe your words back at him, but you force yourself to speak. "So you're afraid of me?"
He pauses, and you wait. It's a line you've used before on many a hunter, and you can't wait to see the effect it will have on him. They love to assert dominance. You can tell it'll drive him where you want him to go. 
But you keep waiting, and his hands don't move. His body remains where it is. He finally shifts his weight to his other leg and speaks. 
"What is it that you want from me?"
This throws you. You're pinned beneath the intensity of his black stare, and you open your mouth just to close it again with no response. You mentally cycle through several lies and irreverant, vulgar comments. Finally, you settle on the truth. "A... distraction."
Another pause. You know it's impossible to see, but his expression behind the metal seems so clear. Somehow, you know his eyes are fixed on yours, and that his brows are dark, and that they're raised at you. "That's it?"
You swallow. "That's it."
He shifts almost imperceptibly closer to you. "And if the poison hits you? What then?"
"I told you, that won't happen for another couple of hours."
"That's why I asked."
Fuck. That shoots straight to your core, making you bold enough to carefully, tentatively reach out a hand and graze his armored stomach with your fingertips.
He lets you drop your fingers lower to where his belt hangs, and then he speaks again, voice a little thicker, a little more breath behind it. 
"How do I know you even know what you're doing? It could be affecting you already." 
You're distracted with tracing a line across his belt, slipping your fingers behind it to feel the fabric padding his armor. You don't answer right away. He stops your hand when it slides behind his belt to remove it. 
"I asked you a question."
You look back up at him, loving the way his voice surrounds you, up close like this. "You want to know if I'm drugged? I'm not. That's not how it works."
His neck rolls to the side a bit as he inspects you, clearly weighing whether or not to believe you. He's still holding your wrist, but you push against his grip and unclip his belt, grasping it with one hand. "If you don't believe it, ask me a question. Test me."
His belt makes a heavy clinking sound as you set it down on the table next to his blaster. 
The Mandalorian says nothing.
You slowly and carefully lift up the fabric covering his stomach, giving yourself access to his waistline.
The Mandaloran says nothing.
Your breath is getting quicker and more shallow with every second. You slowly separate a line between the bottom of his armor and the top of his pants, revealing a strip of beautifully tan skin.
The Mandalorian says nothing.
Your fingertips glide over him, almost working of their own accord, and you hear a whisper of a breath through the modulator when you dip your thumbs first upward, to briefly feel the muscle beneath his shirt, and then down to stretch his waistband and allow you to get into his pants properly. 
His stomach pulls inward and the contact seems to jolt him into finally speaking. "What star system was the hangar in? What planet was it orbiting?"
You're holding up his shirt with one hand as your other one is moving steadily downward, underneath his clothes. 
"I don't know," you answer. "Some scummy little backwater."
You press closer to him to get the angle you need. "Can't remember the name," you murmur absently as your hand brushes the warmth of him, half-hard and growing harder. 
He stifles a modulated inhalation when you brush your palm softly over him, his helmet falling forward.
"Good enough."
You feel a wild thrill run through you at his permission, but you're too fixated on the feel of him to look up. He's getting harder now, the front of his pants straining to keep him contained, and as you drop your hand lower, you start to realize you may have asked for more than you can handle. He's thick, and as the palm of your hand brushes over his head, your eyes widen at his size. 
You look up at him inquisitively, a thought crossing your mind that hadn't before. "Human... right?"
He gives a single low puff of air that sounds almost like a laugh, and he pulls your hand back, stepping to the side and crowding you up against the table. 
"You want a distraction," he says, placing a gloved hand over your hip. "I can give you that." 
He uses the other hand to start unclipping your belt, not looking down. "But that's all I can give you. Understand?" 
The belt gets set down next to his own, and you look over at it, then back up at him. You swallow, trying to keep the arousal out of your expression and forcing a smirk instead. "That's all I need, Mando."
His voice tightens up, low and in the back of his throat when he grabs your hips and twists you around to face the table, yanking your pants down.
"Good."
One of his gloves drops beside you onto the floor and the next thing you feel are his bare fingers dragging through your wet cunt. Your shoulders immediately go slack and your back arches before you can really think about it, giving him better access when you spread your legs. You let out a little "ah," and cut your own air short when he turns his hand flat and slides his open palm from your ass down between your legs, middle two fingers lying flat against your pussy. 
He hums low in his chest, the modulator turning it into a noise so deep it's almost grinding, as he palms you. He doesn't come close to your entrance, doesn't let his fingers wander. It just seems like he wants to feel as much of you as he can, all at once. Like he's claiming you, mapping out territory he intends to own. 
You're seeing stars with the slow brush of his hand, wishing his fingers would spread out and tease you properly, and finally, blessedly, they do. The thick pads of his fingers are surprisingly soft. It makes sense, you think absently - they're always covered in gloves. His hands would be soft, his fingertips smooth. 
But you're wrong - the tips of his fingers glide against your skin, but when he shoves them deep inside you, burying himself to the knuckles, you can feel the coarseness of his hands. He's got callouses across all his knuckles, a testament to the brutality of his fists. His fingers were made for pulling triggers. The rest of his hands are worn by years of less civilized use. You moan when he twists them inside you, making you ache for more as he drags them slowly in and out. 
He holds you down like this, pressing you into the makeshift table and pumping his fingers deftly, methodically, in perfect pace with the arches of your spine. You're pressing your own fingers down against the metal surface in front of you, eyes closed and focused only on the way he's effortlessly drawing the pleasure out of you like it's his job. Like it's something that comes to him so naturally that he's just silently absorbed in the pattern of it. You can feel the way he flexes his wrist against your inner thigh each time he presses up and into you and his rhythm is relentless, measured and perfectly in control.
Your eyes pop open of their own accord, your vision slightly blurred when he suddenly changes the pace to curl one finger further than the other, finding the perfect spot inside you, brushing over the bundle of nerves that makes you want to howl. Instead, you grit your teeth and take in a shallow, sharp breath. 
"Fuck, Mando. That's so- you're gonna make me..." 
You're already panting for him and it's only been a few minutes. He's about to shatter you, with only a single, steady hand. 
"Shit," you squeeze your eyes closed again, a whine entering your tone. You're nearing the edge when a soft beeping starts to drift down from the cockpit. 
"Shit," Mando says, in a tone completely different from yours. 
He slows his movements as you buck against his hand, embarrassingly desperate to keep him touching you. But as the alert continues to go off, you feel him pulling back, and finally stopping altogether. You suppress a noise rising in the back of your throat, blinking and looking over your shoulder. His palm flattens over your back, pressing you down. 
"Stay."
His single instruction sends electricity through your every nerve - and it's not just the way he delivers the word. It's the sound of his voice. It's deeper, fuller, richer. It's heavy with everything he's not saying aloud. When he stood behind you silently pulling you apart, the heat was building in him, too, and now you've heard the evidence. 
You feel him adjust himself before walking away, leaving you bent over, spread for him. As soon as he disappears up the ladder to the cockpit, though, your nature of disobedience wins you over and you decide not to be left alone. You remove your boots, stepping out of the pants that were left around your ankles and shrug out of your vest, leaving only your untucked shirt to cover your naked body down to the tops of your thighs. You follow him up the ladder and back to the cockpit.
He's sitting, looking a bit uncomfortable, when you find him at the ship's controls. He doesn't turn around. 
"Thought I told you to stay."
A grin emerges as you softly roll your eyes. "You did."
You round the side of his chair and his helmet tilts in your direction, then abruptly tilts the rest of the way when he sees what you're wearing. Your shirt is low-cut and the full curve of both breasts is visible through the thin fabric. You clasp your hands behind your back and shrug, then release. "I told you to distract me. Guess we both didn't get what we wanted."
You're standing at his knee, now, and he's looking at you while pressing a few buttons on the side. "Needed to change coordinates. Fuel consumption is too high. We won't make it to our original destination."
He's still working at the controls, but as you press nearer, he turns his seat toward you and starts to spread your legs with his knee. "Would have been back in a minute."
Your eyes flick down to what he's doing, and you place a hand over the metal covering his leg. "Didn't want to wait."
You watch him continue to input new coordinates as you lower yourself down onto his thigh, eyes fluttering a bit when the heat between your legs makes contact with cool metal. You've gotten wetter just standing in front of him, and the slickness covering both of your inner thighs is now wrapped around his leg. 
Your clit pulses with need when he leans back in his chair, broad and stiff, muscles tensed as he takes you in. His left hand is still punching in coordinates, but his right one falls to your leg, holding you on top of him.
You start to grind into his armor, searching for contact any way you can get it. You drag your pussy across him, over and over again, riding him, working yourself up as he gives you half-attention, still typing instructions into the ship's computer. 
Somehow his casual indifference makes you burn more, and you start to rock your hips down, grinding over the cool brown metal. When he finally finishes his work, both of his hands shoot up to unfasten the clasp at the top of your shirt, revealing more of the smooth skin of your chest. 
When he realizes that the clasp doesn't open your shirt all the way, his motions are laced with impatience, almost irritation, as he drops his arms down and grabs the bottom of your shirt. You give no resistance when he pulls it over you, leaving you naked, breasts inches from his face.
...from his helmet. 
It's unnerving, not seeing a reaction of any kind. It makes you feel like prey. And although you didn't think it was possible, it makes you wetter than you already were. 
He drops one ungloved hand to squeeze your breast and drags it across your soft skin. Then he palms himself, watching you. 
"That feel good?" he rumbles, dark visor fixated on your movements. 
You arch your back more, displaying yourself for him as you rub your slick pussy up and down the length of his stiff thigh. "Mm." You can't give a proper answer at the moment, too lost in the thrill of riding him.
He gets your attention, though, when he drops his hand from an open palm down inside his clothes, pulling out his cock and starting to stroke it for you. He's slow, languid with his movements, jerking himself softly and with a focused intensity. 
It's all you can do not to moan at the sight, your eyebrows pushing together in a pathetic expression of need.
"Stars, you look good, Mando. Let me sit in your lap." You watch his grip tighten. "Please."
His lazy strokes become more intentional, more heated. You try not to let your movements become ragged the same heat pools in your stomach. "Pl-"
You're about to repeat the word "please", but you only get half of it out before he's grabbing you by the waist and pulling you off of himself. He stands up and turns your body, standing you next to the chair and forcing your shoulders down, bending you over it. 
He slides the head of his cock through your wetness, pushing up against you, pressing inside. You almost choke at the relief after spending so much time rocking against him, feeling so empty, but you choke instead at the fullness of him stretching you open. 
Gasping, you grip the hand rest of the seat that's in front of your face. As he presses in further, you suck in a string of curses through your teeth. He pauses, holding your hips still and letting his swollen head sink slowly, slowly deeper. After only an inch or two, he pulls back out, letting the muscles of your legs relax. He lets you breathe for a moment before he pushes back in, sliding shallowly back and forth, as your pussy gives him more room. 
It takes a long few moments for you to stop clutching the hand rest, but once he's slicked with you and starting to push in all the way, his movements become more even, more fluid, and your eyes roll back in your head as you feel every inch. 
"Oh, fuck-" you groan, head tipping forward as he starts to move his hips at an even pace, burying his cock deeper and deeper with each thrust. 
He splays one hand flat over your back, pounding into you and striking up against the spot that makes you shudder with bliss. You're starting to hear soft grunts escaping the strangle of his modulator, barely audible but enough to send you over the edge. 
He fucks you perfectly, giving you exactly what you need until you're almost begging for the relief of orgasm to pull you back from the brink of losing your mind. And then he lets you. 
"Shit, shit. Shit."
You grind out the words, barely registering that you're talking at all, and you tumble over the edge, groaning and squeezing at the chair to keep yourself upright as he steadily pounds into you, not stopping, not slowing until you sigh, shakily pushing yourself up and turning to face him. 
"Fuck," you smile, wiping the hair from your eyes. "Fuck, that was good."
He's still inside you, sliding in and out, slow and controlled. He doesn't answer you right away, just keeps fucking up into you, waiting for your shaking breaths to subside. Then he grips the side of your hip and pushes, letting you feel every part of him inside you. "Yeah?"
You nod, blinking up at him, drained and delirious. "Yeah. So fucking good."
His voice is so deep it sends a shiver up your spine when he leans close. You could swear you actually feel the bass in his tone as it rumbles through the muscles of your back. "Then why are you smiling?"
"Hm?" You're caught so off-guard you can't even form a word in reply. You're still buzzing from your orgasm as he pulls out of you, yanking you up from the chair and sliding back into the chair himself. He drops you into his lap, making you gasp when he positions himself back at your entrance and shoves you down on his cock in one hard thrust.
"Let's get rid of that fucking smile."
Before you can say anything back, he puts two fingers into your mouth and you suck them, jaw slack and willing, so overstimulated from the sensation of him fucking you hard and deep like this that you can hardly breathe. He rips the fingers from your wet mouth, dropping them between your legs and stroking, firm and relentless and perfect. He circles your clit until your voice is a high, keening, wrecked thing and you're bouncing on his cock, recklessly seeking a second high. It comes over you quickly, ripping through you without mercy this time, and making you whimper brokenly as you impale yourself over and over on his stiff cock.
When you finally finish - really finish, and you're left panting, completely unable to form a coherent thought, you feel him start to twitch inside you, pulsing with the final few thrusts, and he lifts you off of himself, releasing his cock with a vulgar, wet sucking sound. 
"Fuck, I'm gonna-"
He drops you back into his lap with his cock warm against your pussy, your legs spread wide as he shoots hot, thick ropes of cum over the both of you. You reach down to grip him, pumping every last drop out of him until he's spent over your stomach and legs, his chest rising and falling raggedly against your back.
You lie there against him, unable to think, or move, and hardly able to breathe, for a long, long time.
After so much time has passed that you feel guilty for sinking your weight into him, you finally stand up and bend over to pick up your discarded shirt. He extricates himself from you, tucking his softening cock back into his pants as he leaves the cockpit, mumbling something like, "Be right back."
When he returns with a damp cloth, he finds you staring at the chrono behind the second chair, your eyes unfocused but your face concerned. You snap to attention when he enters. He starts to gently swipe up the mess he's made on your stomach, and looks over to where you're staring. 
"What?"
"Why does that say 17:00 standard hours?"
He pauses. "Because that's the time."
You tear your eyes from the glowing numbers to look at him. "That's the current time?"
He seems to register what you're saying, and answers more slowly. "Yeah. That's the time."
"Then why does that one say 14:00?" you ask, heartbeat slowly quickening as you point at another chrono.
"Oh," he says quietly. "These are all set to local time."
"Even the one in the cargo hold?"
He nods the helmet once, slowly, then turns back to the one in front of you. "That's the only one I keep at standard time."
A smile crosses your face and breaks out into a wide grin as you read it again, just to be sure. You could kill him right now, but honestly, it doesn't matter. You can't stop smiling.
It's been five hours. 
--
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