Chapter Text
Obi-Wan wakes to the sound of waves gently crashing on the beach, a warm body pressed against his side and soft breath ghosting over his skin.
It’s the same tranquility he’s woken up to for the past two weeks.
Even if they hadn’t been on a well-deserved vacation, waking up next to Cody every morning is a gift he had only hoped he’d ever receive.
He turns himself slightly so he can look at Cody, who looks blissfully peaceful.
The corner of Cody’s lips quirks up just a little.
Obi-Wan chuckles. “I know you’re awake,” he murmurs and leans in to peck Cody’s lips.
Cody’s lips curl up into a smile before he presses back into the kiss. When Obi-Wan pulls back, Cody gives him a lazy, teasing smile. “Good morning to me.” He turns around, laying on his back and stretching his body with a pleased groan. “Still can’t quite believe the war is over,” he says, turning his head to look at Obi-Wan. “I keep waiting for someone to change their mind,” he admits.
An impossible thing, for there aren’t any Sith pulling strings left to change their mind.
Dooku is imprisoned, Grievous dead just like Chancellor Palpatine—Darth Sidious.
No-one could have guessed that Palpatine was the mastermind behind the war. The man playing a game of chess with control of all pieces on the board. It’s sickening, and Obi-Wan thinks it’s a good thing the man is dead—thanks to a team of Jedi and the Coruscant Guard led by General Windu, from what he’s heard.
One man that orchestrated so much death and destruction.
But he’s gone now and while the general state of the Republic and its Senate are a mess, the Separatists have officially waved the figurative white flag leaving the Republic the task to sort itself out. And figure out what to do with the millions of soldiers not technically recognized as sentients nor Republic citizens.
Melidaan has offered the clones every free spot in their refugee centers and the Oirschot base. Even more, discussions are being held to see if it will be possible to provide the clones some land to settle on. Flevoland is an empty region that they’ve long been wanting to breathe new life into and this would be the ideal scenario. Surprisingly enough, it’s Nield leading the initiative with Cody representing the clones.
Flevoland would be a place where they can settle if they wish, come and go as they please. Not by any means a permanent solution for all the clones. But Melidaan knows like no other that any help is needed after a war. And so they offer what they can.
“Hey, you with me?” Cody asks softly, drawing Obi-Wan out of his thoughts. He turns to his side so he can cuddle up against Obi-Wan’s side again.
Obi-Wan turns his head and gives Cody a re-assuring smile. “Just thinking.”
“It looked serious,” Cody says with a thoughtful hum.
Obi-Wan looks at Cody, those fond amber eyes shining with love and warmth, inviting lips he’s now free to kiss whenever he wants and the scar curling around his eyes.
The same curve he vaguely remembers stroking around Curie’s eye.
He smiles tightly. “We’ve been very lucky.”
For a moment Cody doesn’t move, then he glances down at Obi-Wan’s chest. Raises a finger to trace along the edges of the scars forming around the blaster wounds that nearly took Obi-Wan’s life.
There is a wave of sadness in the Force.
It’s muted, now that all is fine. So very difference from the panic and worry that had hit Obi-Wan when Cody had first entered his hospital room two days after the clones’ chips being activated.
On Melidaan, it had cost the life of one of the men and left three of them plus Obi-Wan and Bant in the hospital. In the GAR in general the consequences had been similar, with thankfully minor casualties due to de-chipping having been close to completion.
A relief for everyone, although Cody would later admit he had only felt relief when he was sitting next to Obi-Wan’s hospital bed. When he’d been able to press a tender kiss against Obi-Wan’s temple and hold his hand, stroking his thumb over Obi-Wan’s skin. When he’d heard the full story and had threatened Obi-Wan to never try to be the hero again. When Obi-Wan had said that that wouldn’t be needed now that the war was over and Cody was on Melidaan.
“Yea,” Cody whispers. He turns so he can press a soft, tender kiss against Obi-Wan’s lips, the palm of his hand gently covering the skin above Obi-Wan’s heart. “We have been.”
They’re in the kitchen, the front door open and allowing the soft Summer breeze to sweep into the cabin preparing the ground meat for the meatballs. There’s soft rock music playing in the background—Cody’s choice—while Obi-Wan explains what they’ll be doing next.
That’s when an insistent meow from the front door interrupts them.
“Hah,” Cody turns around and grins at the tooka sitting in the door opening. “Our little friend is back.”
Obi-Wan turns as well, looking at the white-brown furred animal with an amused raised eyebrow. “Well, that’s what happens when you keep feeding a stray.”
Cody waves a dismissive hand in the air and scoops a little bit of meat from the bowl before making his way over to the door.
Obi-Wan chuckles, shaking his head. “If only your men could see you now.”
“Not my men anymore,” Cody shoots back and then smirks. “Plus, they’d never believe you.”
“Rex might,” Obi-Wan muses, wondering if he should snap a holo as proof for when he will tell Rex.
They’ll be seeing him in a week, when they’re going to Naboo to visit Padmé and her newborn twins.
He would have gone sooner, considering the situation, but stubborn as she is, Padmé had demanded Cody and him take a vacation first. Now that that’s over, they will go to Naboo.
Both he and Cody can work from Naboo, and they’re both more than happy to come and help. Padmé might have half an army of people at her side to help her out, that doesn't mean raising twins on her own is easy.
Because Padmé is now left to raise her children on her own.
She is still rather tight-lipped about it, but from what Obi-Wan has gathered something changed in Skywalker when the Council confronted him about his silence regarding the chips. A little shadow told him about Skywalker's meltdown. The shouting, the accusations and, when confronted by the fact it was potentially Palpatine himself responsible, the desperation and darkness so easily given in to. Because according to Skywalker, it was only Palpatine that could save Padmé from a fate any gynecologist could help prevent. But Skywalker hadn't asked, not when he'd married Padmé—and Obi-Wan wanted to shake his friend, demanding if she'd lost her mind altogether when falling in love with Skywalker. The man wanted it all, and now he has nothing. Shunned by the Jedi Order, put on trial for murdering a Tusken tribe and an annulled marriage with strict visitation rights for his children.
Padmé herself is still recovering, seeing a mind-healer at the urgency of her family and friends and she has been so stupid, so blind. But that doesn't mean she isn't Obi-Wan's friend and now, at least, he can support her. And her twins, radiant in the Force like twin suns that have already stolen Obi-Wan's heart.
They've also stolen Rex's heart, from what Cody has told him with a smirk and a tease about a soft heart, which is why the other is on Naboo so often nowadays.
As Obi-Wan watches Cody with the stray that's trying—and succeeding—to have the man imprint on her, he thinks Rex isn't the only one with a soft heart.
Rex will certainly have a good laugh at Cody’s expense.
Cody barks a laugh. “Rex knows better than to tattle.”
Obi-Wan watches Cody squat down, hold up his hand with the meat in it while scratching the rather impatient tooka’s head. “Hey now,” he chides, “head-scratches first.”
Obi-Wan leans against the counter and crosses his arms in front of his chest. “You know we can’t just bring a tooka home, right?”
Cody lowers his hand, putting the bit of meat down onto the ground and the tooka devours it within the blink of an eye. “It’s a she, I think,” he muses.
“When I said let’s start a treasure shelf, this isn’t quite what I meant,” Obi-Wan mumbles to himself.
The tooka bumps her head against Cody’s knee, meowing very loudly and insistently. Cody chuckles. “Oh! You’re a hungry thing, aren’t you?”
Obi-Wan shakes his head with a fond smile. “We’re gonna have to get a bigger shelf.”
“Can’t believe it’s already been three weeks,” Cody says with a sigh as he carries the last of their luggage out of the cabin and to the speeder they’ll take to get back to the nearest transportation hub.
“I know, time’s really flown by,” Obi-Wan says, standing next to the speeder. “We can make it an annual thing. Travel for a few weeks, see new places.”
Cody shrugs. “Well, we’re already going to Naboo. And Coruscant afterwards.”
The visit to Coruscant is a mix of work and pleasure, so it doesn’t really count. But Obi-Wan won’t complain, not when it provides the perfect opportunity for Cody to see some of his brothers and Obi-Wan to catch up with Quinlan and Bant—and have tea with Jinn, a cautious start to a potential friendship.
“They’re not exactly the exploration of new places,” Obi-Wan says, thinking of Fives and Deila.
With Council elections coming up, Deila has decided not to run for another term. At least not for now. Instead, she’ll take some time off and explore the Galaxy with Fives—and whatever members of Torrent decide to tag along.
Off to grand adventures and exploration.
“Obi-Wan, I know what you’re thinking. But I’m not Fives,” Cody says, putting the luggage down and stepping up so he can stand in front of Obi-Wan. He reaches out a hand to intertwine their fingers. “I’d love to travel with you as an annual thing, but now that the war is over I’d like to give this mundane life thing a try. With you.”
Before Obi-Wan can reply, the tooka they apparently adopted, meows loudly and pitifully from her transport carrier.
Cody laughs. “And Trillian.”
“As in, Trillian from the Hitchhiker’s Guide?”
Cody nods. “Trilly for short.” He looks at Obi-Wan with a proud grin. “That’s how natborns name their pets, right?”
Obi-Wan can’t help but smile, looking at this adorable and nerdy man. “Force, I love you.”
Cody laughs. “Love you too,” he says and leans in to kiss Obi-Wan. “Now, let’s go home.”