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─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.───

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.───

I had never seen such a sight as beautiful as space until now, gazing out the window in the ship's small dining hall, planets and stars whizzing past. I couldn't wait to learn their names and every star map in this massive universe. Now I'm finally out in it. To walk through a lush green forest and not some beige dune of sand.

"Hello," a warm, now familiar lilt voice of Obi-Wan spoke up from behind me. I quickly moved away from the window, turning to find him standing a few feet away, hands clasped behind him. The same charming smirk on his lips had been earlier, "Liking the view, I take it?"

My eyebrows furrowed together, uncertain if he meant me looking out the window or him. He now glanced towards the window.

"Well, uh, it's my first time in space," I mentioned glancing over my shoulder out the window as the stars streaked past, "I think it's quite enchanting yet beautiful in a way."

"It certainly is."

His smirk had now become something of a more small and tight-lipped smile. My eyes now travelled over him, taking him in as we stood opposite. Yes, he was undeniably attractive in every sense of the word. I'd give him that. Of course, I had thought Padmé beautiful

as well, but all women were in their way. I had always been more attracted to the same sex since I turned twelve.

He had neat short, strawberry blonde hair save for the small ponytail at the back and what was a braid brushing at the bottom of his ribs. Above the cupid bow of his lips were a straight nose and a jaw almost sharp enough to cut paper that would make most swoon like me.

Yet what drew me most were his gentle sky-blue eyes with a hint of grey, which I felt had been giving me a once over. Our eyes are now catching one another, him raising his eyebrows and I raising one. Then, with my bandaged hand, I gestured towards him at one of the dining tables where my bag rested.

"So you're a Jedi, too, huh?" I ask Obi-Wan, who chuckles in response as we now sit opposite one another at the table, resting on his elbow upon it. That charming one-sided smirk made another appearance lifting one cheek with it.

"I'm a Padawan Learner training to be a Jedi Knight," he explains. His gentle accent was something I was now getting used to and never got bored of; I would just let him go on talking to hear it, "Qui-Gon is my Master, and I've learnt a great deal from him."

With crossed arms resting on the table, I lean forward with interest. Now understanding why Obi-Wan had come to Qui-Gon's aid earlier; the man was his guide, his teacher. I had sensed his concern, but he had hidden it well.

"Being a Jedi must be thrilling, right," I remark, my thoughts beginning to wander on what life would be like soon-going to other planets and learning about different cultures. He gave me a severe look, clearing his throat; he straightened up.

"The path to becoming a Jedi is no easy task. We do not desire adventure or do not seek it. We have to..."

"Bring balance and order to the Force to the Galaxy. I know my Master had mentioned it," which made Obi look at me, somewhat surprised. I also knew it because I pretended to be a Jedi when playing with Anakin.

"My Master mentioned he's going to be requesting that you and Anakin be trained."

I nod before reaching into my bag to pull out a hair tie, now pulling it back into a bun of sorts on the back of my head, leaving a few strands hanging around my face, "Yeah, I guess that's true on some level," Obi-Wan's expression now shifted eyes more of a steel blue and shrewd. Fingers rubbing his jaw in thought, "Why do you think he shouldn't be doing it?"

"I don't know how to say this...but you and your brother are both too old. Padawans start their training relatively young, even though Anakin is considered old, and he's what, nine? And you, Ambrose, your..." he indicated to me, but uncertain what to say.

Quickly leaning away, I rolled my eyes and scoffed, feeling somewhat offended to now offer sarcastically, "I think the word you're looking for is ancient, right?" The mood in the room was instantly starting to sour by the second, and my impression of him was now becoming less favourable that I almost wanted to punch him, "You can't be no older than me?"

He snorted and raised his eyebrows at my hand, now the centre of his chest, "I have been training since I was six months old. Yet it's unheard of for someone your age to begin training."

Pursing my lips and clenching my teeth, I began grinding them together, squeaking as I did so. Suddenly Obi rights his expression, now realising he's offended me as if he had now felt it. A hand slid into the air as if soothing. They ducked his head to now gaze at me under his fair lashes. I would be in awe of him now if I weren't so steamed at him.

"I'm sorry I never meant to offend you."

"I'm sure you didn't mean to, but whatever," I return with a stony expression.

"Your emotions give you away too much. They're rather a lot to take like a strong cologne filling the air," he implied, gaze no longer steely but now more composed, "Again, I'm sorry."

"My former slaver used to tell me if something is already broke, don't bother to try fixing it."

"Your enslaver?" Obi-Wan quickly looked up and over at me, eyebrows together, his hands dropping onto the brown and white apparel.

I am doing my best to avoid his handsome face licking my lips. Knowing he's touched on how Anakin and I came to be here twisted my stomach. I can't bring myself to even look at him.

"Nothing that was the past...something I now want to put behind me," I wave it off with my hand.

The air around us becomes uneasy, and silent Obi-Wan's words hit me as all those memories of playing pretend with scrap for lightsabers as a child. Everything I thought I knew was suddenly dashed. That I might not get accepted for training. My brother probably still had a chance, but I now had no hope.

"I...I'm going to look for Anakin," with a quick nod to Obi-Wan, I get up from the table, grabbing my bag, "Nice talking with you..." I wanted to say his name but couldn't, unsure what to call him. With that, I hurried out of the dining hall.

Sliding into a nook not far down the main corridor, I lean against the wall, its coolness pleasant through my thin blue tunic. I suddenly realised how tired I am how my skin itched with sand. How emotionally drained I was. Knowing that maybe if I can't live my dream, I'd ensure Anakin would.

Just then, I hear my brother's voice utter from around the corner, "It's very cold."

I was about to step in when I heard Padmé replying to him, "You and your brother come from a warm planet, Ani. A little warm for my liking. Space is cold," her temperament was comforting. I leaned against the wall closing my eyes as I listened contently.

"You seem sad."

"The Queen is worried," I hear Padmé offer with a sigh of worry, probably not for herself but for the Queen. Then again, she was one of her handmaidens, so the concern is perhaps equally shared, "Her people are suffering, dying. She must convince the Senate to intervene, or...I'm not sure what'll happen."

There was now some rustling of fabric before my brother spoke again, "Here I made this for you," he probably wanted to change the subject, "So you'd remember me. I carved it out of a japor snippet," I frown before recalling Anakin carving the piece of wood the night before, "It'll bring you good fortune."

"It's beautiful," Padmé sounded pleased about my brother's gift. I picture him smirking right now. Then, shaking my head, knowing he was just so young and naive of the changes about to happen that he won't yet understand, "But I don't need this to remember you by. So many things will change when we get to the Capital, Ani, but my caring for you will remain."

"Eavesdropping on your brother now?" a voice whispered to me, so I whipped around, almost falling into the wall, only to catch myself and straighten myself out. Obi-Wan is there, the handsome idiot smirking at me, somewhat amused. He was close to my liking having whispered in my ear and seeing as he was probably about an inch taller than me. Taking a step away, I gave him a dark look, arms crossed, his brows rose, and his smirk grew more expansive, "Someone would think it suspicious."

"And what creeping up on someone without warning isn't suspicious enough?" I scoffed back with a whisper, not pleased with him just showing up. He inclined his head in apology to me, but the smirk said something else. When having tried to make peace earlier after having offended me, it had seemed genuine. But right now, Obi-Wan seemed far too amused for me to keep my cool. So I mocked the same look he had earlier, "Do you always tend to creep up on people you've just met?"

"Like you don't eavesdrop on your brother's conversations?" we challenged each other in silence, but one of us needed to be the bigger person to break it.

"Not always, but when Anakin gets into trouble, I can stop him before he starts something he'll regret. I will," glancing back at Obi-Wan, I wrap my arms around myself to keep warm.

He folded his arms, a hand tucked between his arm and ribs, the other on his opposite bicep, "If you do both become Jedi, you won't be able to fight his battles for him. It's something he'll have to do on his own. You'll train under different Masters and will likely not see one another for years. You both will become your own person. Eventually, you will have to stop looking out for him."

"You think I don't know that I'm not going to be there fighting the battles he'll have to face alone. But like you said, we might not get accepted anyway. We're both too old, like you said," rephrasing what he said, using it in my defence just like a Jedi would speaking rather calmly.

At first, Obi-Wan didn't offer me a response; now tilted his head at me but avoided my eyes, which I already guessed was rather unlike him to do.

"Again...I want to apologise..." Holding my hand up, I cut him off, feeling a change in the air around me, a sudden chill running down my spine. As if it were telling me Obi-Wan was lying.

"I don't know if you're trying to convince yourself or me for telling me about the whole age thing, but something tells me you are lying out of your ass," I scoffed, narrowing my eyes at him, "Now, if you don't mind I'm going to check on my brother."

So, I left now, having noticed Padmé was no longer speaking with my brother. I didn't even bother to catch the look on Obi-Wan's face as I turned the corner and was out of sight. Instead, I find Anakin curled up in a corner blanket around his shoulders. Nearby, Jar-Jar was snoring, resting awkwardly in a chair.

Finally reaching Anakin, I crouched before him, sleepy, shifting his head back and blinking. Then, just as he saw me, I brushed some hair from his eyes.

"Hey, little bro," he snorts sleepily at the term, "How are you doing?" he shrugged the blanket dropping off him slightly and adjusting it as I ran my hand through his blonde locks.

"Cold and tired," he spoke quietly; the hair I had touched now fell back into his eyes, "and I miss Mom."

Shuffling forward, I sat beside him, wrapping an arm around his tiny body. I affectionately kiss the crown of his head and nod, "I know, Ani. I miss her too."

Anakin leaned my arms to lay his head against my chest, "Can you sing to me?"

Just as I began to sing, his eyes dropped closed, the day slowly exhausting us. I gazed at him fondly with a tired smile as I brushed his hair. Our mother used to sing to us to sleep, and when she couldn't, I would sing to Anakin. Now seeing he was utterly asleep, I moved back to rest against the wall listening to the ship hum around my cheek, resting atop Anakin's head. I silently yawn, now suddenly feeling tired. I can only focus on my brother, tightening my hold on him as a chill goes through me with a need to keep us warm. Then I began to drift off into slumber.

It was without knowing somebody had been watching soon after I was blanketed with warmth.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.───

After a much-needed sleep, I awoke sleepily, smiling down at the form of Anakin, still fast asleep. But the rest had made me feel more at ease than yesterday evening, even though I ached a little. Shifting, there's a tug, fabric over me like a blanket. I noticed it was brown but also felt warm.

Now gently removing my arms from around Anakin, I tugged on the fabric, moving it about until I saw sleeves and a hood. Holding it before me, I instantly recognised it as a Jedi robe. Now bringing it back close to my body with a frown, there were two Jedi who only one of them belonged to but varied in shades of brown. Then it hit me. This was Obi-Wan's robe in my grasp as it was far lighter than Qui-Gon's.

My thoughts returned to Obi-Wan again. I still couldn't figure the guy out. When we first met, he had charm in spades, a smirk that would make most swoon, dazzling eyes and, let's not get started on his voice. Sure, he's cocky, something I knew in time would wear away with age.

He was a little arrogant about the whole age thing, but he just confused me.

I thought about waking Anakin but thought it best to let him continue sleeping now, creeping past Jar-Jar into the corridor and nearly bumping into Obi-Wan just as I turned another corner. Quickly I halt, holding a hand up as a bumper. He had good reflexes. I'll give him that stopping as I had, or we'd sail into one another. He smiled at me and gave me a nod. Just as I figured, he's dressed in his white garments.

"Oh, Ambrose, I was just about to come and see if you were awake. We'll be arriving in Coruscant soon," Obi-Wan tells me.

I nodded in response before remembering the robe he had draped over me folded over my arm, now holding it out to him, "Uh, this is yours, I take it." Obi-Wan accepted it without question pulling it on and adjusting it with no smirk.

"You looked cold. It was the least I could do."

"Well, thanks, it was very kind of you," I returned in an appreciative tone rubbing the back of my neck briefly as Obi-Wan smiled at my compliment.

After that, we just gazed at one another, unsure what to say next had not known one another that long either, and our conversations hadn't been great so far. But somehow, I get drawn in by Obi-Wan's sky-blue eyes and get lost. It was challenging to know what he was thinking behind that ever-calm exterior he now gestures from where he had come from.

"I think there's plenty of food left in the mess hall Padmé was in there not long ago with a few handmaidens when I checked last should you require company," Obi advises, "I don't recommend travelling around Coruscant without having eaten first. It's rather oppressive being your first time on the planet."

I nod but feel fine right now, with no groaning stomach or constriction of being full. But I knew Obi-Wan was right. A little something wouldn't hurt to keep me going for the rest of the day, "Not a bad idea now that you mentioned it. I'll get Anakin and take him to ensure we both have something."

"No problem, and thanks for returning my robe," Obi-Wan said as I turned on my heel. Hand now bracing the wall peering over my shoulder at him, a slight cheeky smirk upon my lips, my eyes travelling over his body head to toe, tilting my head. I still can't help but find him attractive, no matter how he confuses me. I have been more attracted to the same sex since I was twelve. When I told my mother, she was more than accepting. But, on the other hand, some on Tatooine who weren't that kind about it is something I'd rather forget.

"Now, we can't wonder about a place such as Coruscant without the proper attire, can we?" I joke as Obi-Wan holds out his arms and chuckles, displaying his attire.

"I do suppose that turning up to the Jedi Council, not in the right clothing, would be what's the word I'm looking for...."

"I think the word you're looking for is uncivilised."

"Yes, uncivilised is correct," he laughed and nodded.

"Oh, certainly uncivilised," I agree with a grin and cheeky wink before turning the corner in search of Anakin, not seeing how it made him briefly blush.