Chapter Text
Look...Quinlan knew that technically, he and Obi weren’t raising Aayla together, not when Obi was still a padawan and spent a lot of time away on missions, but when he was in the Temple, they spent a lot of time together.
Was it wrong to feel just a touch of envy when Obi-Wan introduced the pair of them to Anakin?
Obi-Wan's eyes were still red from crying, what was he thinking? What were the Council thinking, letting him take on a padawan so soon after Jinn’s death?
Aayla didn’t look impressed either and when she rushed over to give Obi-Wan a hug, Quinlan did not appreciate the look Skywalker gave her.
“Thank you.” Obi-Wan returned the hug, looking over at Anakin, who was standing awkwardly off to one side, “Anakin, this is Aayla.”
The pair stared at each other for a moment, before Anakin mumbled a hello, which Aayla responded to politely.
Together, Quinlan and Obi-Wan looked at each other.
It was a start.
….
Anakin wasn’t being grumpy, no matter what Obi-Wan said. However, after being stuck on this sofa for the third day in a row, his ankle still healing, he was bored as all Sith hell.
And now he was ill as well.
And Obi-Wan wasn’t even here, leaving him with…him.
Quinlan Vos.
“It’ll be good for you two to get to know each other a little better.” Obi-Wan had tried to explain to him, but when Anakin tried to then explain that he didn’t want to know Quinlan better, Obi-Wan was already rushing off.
Aayla was in her lessons, so it wasn’t as if he could spend time with her.
“You alright?” Quinlan asked from the doorway, looking just as uncertain as Anakin felt.
“Yeah.”
“…You hungry? I was just about to make something.”
“No.”
Anakin could practically hear Obi-Wan telling him not to be so rude, but at the moment, he just didn’t care. He didn’t even get why he was here…why was Obi-Wan always pushing him to spend time with Vos and Aayla?
Why did Obi-Wan always seem happier with Quinlan?
Happier than he had been when they first met.
Which is why Anakin was willing to tolerate…whatever was going on.
“Obi said to make sure that you ate something.” Quinlan sighed, “So, what do you want?”
Anakin crossed his arms over his chest, “I’m not hungry.”
“Don’t care.”
“...What did you make?” Anakin huffed, “Obi-Wan says that I need to ease into certain foods, remember?”
“That was six months ago, when you were still getting used to everything.” Quinlan raised an eyebrow at him, “Don’t try it...I made soup and a toasted sandwich. A meal that even Obi’s strict dietary rules can’t fault.”
Anakin’s stomach rumbled, prompting him to glare down at it.
Traitor.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Quinlan smirked, as Anakin decided not to say anything, crossing his arms over his chest. When Quinlan emerged seconds later, with the bowl of soup and the other food on a tray, Anakin couldn’t stop his stomach from rumbling again at the smell.
“Best way to feel better this.” Quinlan handed him the tray, “Ask Obi. I used to make this for him all the time when he got ill.”
Anakin never thought of Obi-Wan getting ill. He always seemed to be above mortal concerns like that...like germs wouldn’t dare touch him. He tucked into the food eagerly, and before he knew it, it was gone.
“That was wizard!” He gushed, holding the bowl to his face to get to the last bits of the soup, “Don’t worry, I’ll tell Obi-Wan that you fed me properly.”
“…I don’t think he would have thought otherwise, you know.”
Anakin just huffed, hearing Quinlan sighed wearily, before the older man was taking a seat on the arm of the sofa, “Look...did I do something wrong?”
“No.”
“And yet, it feels like I have.” Quinlan threw his hands up in the air, as Anakin fought valiantly not to flinch at the movement, not sure that he managed to completely hide it going off Quinlan’s face.
“I’ll...get an ice pack for that ankle.”
When Quinlan came back, there was an awkward silence between them for a moment, before the older Jedi sighed. “Look, talk to me...have I given you a reason to not trust me, because the rumours exaggerate just a little and- “ He took a deep breath, “- Look, I’ve tried hard to get you to like me and I know we don’t have a lot in common but me and Obi- “
“-What is going on between you and Obi-Wan?” Anakin interrupted, not caring that he was being rude, “I saw you cuddling on the sofa the other day.”
“...And?”
Anakin had no answer for that.
“Look kid, I just want you to like me, is that so hard to believe?”
“Only because Obi-Wan wants me to like you, that’s why we’re always together. We can pretend in front of him.” Anakin turned away, not liking the look on Vos’s face.
“Obi and I have been...friends since we were kids. You being his padawan isn’t going to change that, so isn’t it better that we get along?”
“Hm.”
“You don’t have to believe me now, but you will one day.”
Anakin ignored him.
Never.
Even if it disappointed Obi-Wan.