Without The Force ~Obi-Wan Kenobi x Reader~

32- A dark, quiet room

It's menacing. The temple looms over the three of you as you ascend the steps together. Stone on stone, the empty hallways echo your footsteps, your sins bouncing off every wall. It's as if the building has eyes, ears keen to hear your secrets as you turn a corner. The bag on your shoulder weighs down on you, and you can feel the stare of Master Windu as he waits, stood in a doorway, watching as the three of you approach. The words you all rehearsed stick in your throat, will he see through your lies?

"Master Kenobi, young Anakin. It's good to see you have returned unharmed." He nods down the corridor, "Walk with me, Master Yoda wants to see you all."

Master Windu's footsteps echo down the corridor, and you fall into line with them. You cannot talk, even your breathing is shallow and uneasy. Obi-Wan can't comfort you, and you can feel the tension radiating off him, his eyes stare ahead blankly, his jaw is tight. You cling to the edge of your robes, pulling at the fabric. Can they feel it? The air that is thick and suffocating? It's as if the force is pulled tight, ripping at your throat, you cast your eyes down and follow the group. Obi-Wan looked back at you over his shoulder,

"Are you ok?" He mouths, nodding in Windu's direction,

You nod, and for a moment he extends his arm back towards you, as if to take your hand. Anakin coughs and his arm pulls back, falling limp at his side. You turn your head away, pretending to be interested in the walls full of intricate scriptures scratched into the brick. You can't read a word of it, but your face is burning and you need something to distract yourself from it.

Finally, Windu approaches a door. It opens, and Master Yoda hobbles out, cane shaking in his frail hand. He smiles at you, but his eyes narrow as they pass over Obi-Wan, not in a malicious way, but almost... curious?

"Returned, you have. Good. Catch the Separatist, you did?"

Anakin shakes his head solemnly. Yoda turns around,

"Enter."

The door leads to a meditation room. Four cushions sit in the room, plush and aged from years of sitting and thinking. The air smells of citrus and leather, and its dark, deep shadows in every corner. You immediately feel kind of sleepy as you enter, and Obi-Wan sucks in a sharp breath. Yoda sits on a cushion and sighs,

"Want to know how you failed, I do." He closes his eyes slowly, "Sit."

Obi-Wan and Anakin take their seats. You suppose the last cushion is for Windu, but he hovers by the door, glaring from out of the darkness, 

"Y/N, sit down." Obi-Wan nods to the last seat. You hesitate, Obi-Wan appears to be sweating, and you can feel his fear from across the room. 

But you do as you are told, crossing your legs and letting out a shaky breath. Visions start to cross your mind, memories, fantasies, long lost dreams you thought had left your brain. You can hear everything, Anakin breaths deep and slowly, but Obi-Wan appears to choke on the air, stifled and struggling to escape. Why is he so worried? You let your mind flutter through everything it contains, and a lot of it contains Obi-Wan. Yoda hums when you think over your more tender moments, all of the kisses and touches, fleeting words, the dangerous games you played together. Even in the city, where anyone could have spotted them. You smile to yourself in the dark, and you hope that nobody can see. 

"Now, I want the truth, all three of you," Windu says, "Why did you fail?"

With that prompt, your mind flashes back to it all- to them. You remember taking them out of the house, remember the escape, the sabre by your feet, the hesitation. Are Obi-Wan and Anakin thinking the same thoughts? You feel as if your minds are connected in this moment, theres a tension in the air, the air taught between your three bodies. There's a humming in the air, and you feel your breathing slow, until the rise and fall of your chest matches that of everyone else's. 

Suddenly the tension snaps and Obi-Wan stands quite suddenly, 

"No more, please." He walks towards the door, Windu stops him.

"Master Obi-Wan, you will return to your seat, we aren't done here."

"Done, we are." Yoda says, "Strong, the person was."

Anakin rises to his feet, "There was nothing we could do, they were armed, and they had the support of the general population." He's lying through his teeth. Yoda must know. Why doesn't he say anything? 

Master Windu crosses his arms and tuts, 

"I will find people more capable to take care of them. All three of you are excused, I expect you to succeed next time."

You bow to Master Windu on your way out, and you feel yourself relax as the air cools. Obi-Wan is last to leave, and you catch him wiping his sweat from his brow, almost panting as he walks down the hallway. 

"Come on Y/N, let's go back to our room."

Our room? At what point did you stop being a guest and became a resident? You follow Obi-Wan down the corridors, and after some time away you thought you would have forgotten your way, but no. These halls have become home, you could probably find your way to your room blindfolded if you wanted to. And yet, nothing beats the feeling of following Obi-Wan, wondering what will happen when you next have a private moment together. He turns to smile at you, and the redness from his face has faded, and the sparkle has returned to his eyes.

You smile back, it's good to be home.