If Hate Leads to Suffering... | Obi Wan Kenobi

Act I. i

Xaela being woken up by Anakin's sleep talk was not uncommon, so when she heard his incoherent mumbling with a string of 'Padme's here and there, she didn't bother to get up. What made her throw her pillow at his face was when he started to moan.

"Ack!" Anakin woke up when the pillow came in contact with nose and jaw.

Xaela used the Force to bring it back to her. She turned her head to look at him and rested her cheek on the pillow.

"Stop having dirty dreams about Padme, I'm trying to sleep." She mumbled, one eye half open.

Anakin rubbed his eyes, sitting up and letting the sheets fall off of his torso.

"And put a shirt on." Xaela finished and buried her face into the pillow, trying to catch a few more minutes of shut eye.

"You don't know how intoxicating she is, Xaela." Anakin's deep voice was rough with sleep, and Xaela mocked the boy in a high pitch voice that was muffled by her position.

"Don't act like you've never dreamed of Obi-Wan." He teased and Xaela stopped breathing.

She knew she didn't talk in her sleep. There were absolutely no physical signs that indicated she had any non-platonic feelings towards her Master. Xaela didn't know if Anakin was joking or not, and she didn't know if she wanted to find out.

"Maybe you should stop thinking of him and it would be less obvious." She could feel his smug look.

Xaela got up from her bed and grabbed her pillow. Their room was small so it was only a couple steps until she started beating down on him with the feather filled decoration.

"You little snot!" She said and Anakin squealed, blocking himself with his arms and trying to sink deeper into his bed as if that would protect him. "How dare you read my thoughts!"

Anakin started to laugh and Xaela stopped hitting him. She made a note to better protect what she was thinking, and she glared at Anakin.

"How dare you think like that about our Master?" Anakin arched an eyebrow and Xaela lifted the pillow to hit him again.

Anakin threw his arms up again but they were interrupted when the door slid open and in walked their Master.

"Good, you're both up." He noticed the situation. "Xaela, what are you doing?"

She looked at Anakin and knew that if she admitted what she was doing he would snitch on her. She narrowed her eyes at his shit eating grin and knocked him in the head once more with the pillow. He fell backwards with a groan and she tossed the weapon back onto her bed.

"Nothing, Master." She said, but he didn't look convinced.

"Be out in five minutes." He said and left the room.

Xaela huffed and Anakin started making kissing noises.

She willed the pillow back to her hand and it took a little longer than five minutes to shut him up.

~*~

"Good, young one." Obi-Wan nodded and walked by him, "keep your wrist loose and your stance light."

Anakin made the corrections and Master Kenobi nodded. He walked over to Xaela.

"Not bad, but your form is off, center your hips."

Xaela moved square and her Master shook his head.

"No, like-" He raised his hands as if to move her, but stopped midway.

"May I help you?" He asked, looking into her eyes for an answer.

Her Master was too much of a gentleman sometimes.

"Of course." She nodded, completely comfortable with him.

Obi-wan held the leg that Xaela extended, his other hand went to her hip and moved them to be parallel. She tried not to think of the shivers his touch sent through her.

"Like that, otherwise the swipe won't work and you'll be off balance." He moved away from her and she held the position to memorize it. "Anakin, come here, we're going to spare."

"Can't we use our real lightsabers, Master?" Anakin twirled the training one as he walked over to the two. "I want payback for this morning."

Xaela relaxed from her position and shrugged as she stood back up.

"I don't see any pillows around, Ani."

Her friend was going to say something back but Obi-Wan cut him off.

"Stop bickering, you two." Their Master said. "Jedi do not bicker, you're acting like children."

"But, Master, Anakin is a child." Xaela said and saw Anakin stick his tongue out at her.

"Are you a child, Xaela?" Obi-Wan retaliated and crossed his arms. Xaela instantly shut up.

Anakin smiled as if he won, which made Xaela throw the first swing.

The two started sparring. Their moves, both similar, yet with an underlying presence of personal flare, made for a well choreographed fight. Their Master was impressed as he watched, noting minor improvements, but liking the balance of lightsaber and Force use in both his Padawans.

"Light on your feet." He would remind. "Keep focused."

The apprentices became lost in the battle as they always did. It was funny, the one time the two never bickered was when they were fighting. They could appreciate each other's commitment to doing their best and let go of their egos for a bit. Until someone was bested.

Xaela extended her mock lightsaber to Anakin's neck.

She smiled and helped him off the ground.

"Nice job." He towered over her and Xaela missed when he was smaller and his voice hadn't dropped. She didn't like having to look up at him.

She ruffled his short hair in order to annoy him.

"Same to you."