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Obi-wan slips out of the doors onto the balcony towards Cody, who had escaped the celebratory ball they were obliged to attend as heroes of the war, to watch his brothers celebrating in the square down below.
He's wearing his grey dress uniform, but his familiar perfect posture has been abandoned as he leans forward, forearms resting on top of the railing, hands clasped together.
Obi-wan breathes out at the sight, something inside him settling. As it has done for years now.
Amber eyes glance briefly at him, a glint of amused commiseration, then go back to watching the vode, much louder and rowdier than the senators and dignitaries in the room behind them. Significantly happier as well, Obi-wan's willing to wager.
He joins Cody by the railing, tucking his hands up into his sleeves. He isn't nervous. He has no reason to be. He knows he doesn't. But the familiar motion is comforting all the same.
After a minute, Cody tilts his head to look up at him. Eyes scan his posture, and a knowing smirk stretches the edge of Cody's lips.
Obi-wan huffs. Of course Cody knows exactly what Obi-wan's about to say.
"You are a menace." He tells him, amused, and turns around to lean his back against the railing. He can see the edge of Cody's face in his peripheral vision, where he's turned back to look at his brothers, and he's smiling. Soft and unrestrained. Whatever anticipation Obi-wan was feeling is long gone, washed out by a wave of fondness.
"I didn't know what to expect," Obi-wan tells him, "after '17." He takes a breath, and lets the words settle between them. There's no urgency here. They have all the time in the world. "He said he'd picked you out personally. Someone to keep me out of trouble. Well," Obi-wan adds, "those weren't his exact words, but I'm sure you can fill those in yourself. No," he says quietly, "I didn't know who to expect at all." He chances a glance at Cody, who's still looking out over his brothers, head tilted as he listens. "I felt your force presence before anything else, of course. I don't know that I've ever told you what it's like. It's a difficult thing to describe." Obi-wan mulls over his words, but he doesn't really need to. It's something he's spent a long time thinking about. "The closest I can come, I think, was the first day of spring on Concord Dawn. The first full day of sun. Bright and strong and steady, but still gentle. The first wash of warmth and hope after the winter. Powerful but still soft." He glances at Cody, who's watching him. Steady. And he can't help the fond smile that tugs at the corner of his mouth. "A beautiful thing." The faintest hint of a flush stains Cody's cheeks, and Obi-wan's heart feels swollen, far too big for his chest. "And then," he says, aggrieved, "you turned out to be quite the most competent person I've ever met. Calm and capable and able to handle everything and anything the Galaxy could throw at you. Steadfast and unwavering." He meets Cody's eye. "You are incredible, Cody." And as much as Cody knows his own abilities, complements, despite the fact Obi-wan has been showering him with them for years, still cause that pleased little thrum in his force signature. "Although, how you convinced everyone that's all you are, I'll never know." The corner of Cody's mouth twitches up into a familiar smirk, and Force, but the man is beautiful. "You're a cunning little bastard." Obi-wan accuses, and his voice is thick with fond annoyance. "You've caused just as much chaos I have, and you've still convinced everyone you're the responsible one." Although, if he was being perfectly fair, Obi-wan would have to admit that he did what he could to encourage that impression. It was much easier to get away with chaos after all, when everyone thought you had a responsible minder to keep you in line.
"I have no idea what you're referring to." Cody says, without even bothering to wipe the smirk from his face. Warmth fills Obi-wan, as it always does. Has every time since -
"That first time you felt comfortable enough to sass me."
Cody grins at him. "I'd not seen your eyebrows climb quite that far up your face before." The wash of fondness through Cody's eyes is another familiar thing. "You were delighted."
Obi-wan smiles, soft. "Yes." He agrees. Resists the urge to fiddle with his hands, mostly only because he's leaning back on his elbows and doesn't want to move. "I still am." He doesn't add a comment about Cody being delightful, even though it's the truth. Leaves the words sitting there, bare and raw. Simple. Because what he feels is simple. "I love you." He says. Feels his lips twitch up into a smile. "I know you know this. But I thought you might like hearing it."
Cody chuckles next to him, soft.
"I did, thank you."
They stand in contented silence for a time. Music from the ball mingling with the chaotic joy of the party below them.
"When did you know I loved you?" Cody asks, curious and teasing.
Obi-wan laughs. "Far, far later than I should. Late enough that I had to ask the force for guidance, to make sure I wasn't imagining what I wanted to see. It's such a quiet thing, your love. Powerful, certainly, but soft and sure. It just settled in as part of you, nestled under your love for your brothers." Obi-wan shakes his head slightly. "The way you care, Cody, is so..." Obi-wan trails off, because he's not sure there's a word for it in basic. Or mando'a. It's just so much. "It's selfless and practical, and mesh'la. It grows from so deep in your heart, such a fundamental part of who you are." Obi-wan is self aware enough to know he sounds utterly besotted. He is besotted. It's the only appropriate reaction to have. Because Cody is... Cody. "It's a truly precious thing, Cody, to be loved by you."
Cody's force presence swells with a wash of affection. His smile is so unbearably soft when he tilts his head to meet Obi-wan's eyes. "It's a precious thing to love you."
The force nudges Obi-wan. What? Oh. Oxygen. He sucks in a breath.
Cody is watching him, smug, wondrous, and amused.
"Are you trying to kill me, cyare?" Obi-wan teases.
"Well," Cody says, and there's a glint in his eye that causes a familiar warmth to curl deep in his stomach. "There is still quite a large bounty out on you."
Obi-wan hums, pretending to think.
"You would make a spectacular bounty hunter, my dear." It's true. Cody would be terrifying.
"I know."
Obi-wan laughs, but this is a perfect opportunity.
"Have you thought about what you wanted to do?" Obi-wan asks.
"Yes." Cody says, looking out over the sea of his brothers. He's quiet for a minute, and Obi-wan waits for him to order his thoughts. "There's a lot of options." He says eventually. "I don't have enough experience to know which is the best choice. I've only ever done one thing. There are several things I want to do, but the one I want most..." He tails off. "I don't know how much of that is just because it's familiar."
Obi-wan doesn't prompt him for more. If Cody wants to share, he will.
"What about you?" Cody asks. "You've told me Jedi are usually peacekeepers, but what does that actually entail?"
"The war has left quite a few vacancies in the order." Obi-wan says. "I've been offered the post of Battlemaster." Cody raises an eyebrow at him, a request for clarification. Because Obi-wan has never made secret his dislike of war, and the title is... warlike. "The Battlemaster has oversight of the temple guard, but most of their duties involve combat training. Everyone from the younglings to knights and even masters."
Cody smiles. "You'd be good at it, and you'd enjoy it. You love teaching." There's something calculating in his eyes. He's rethinking plans based on new information. "You'd stay on Coruscant?"
"For the most part, yes." Obi-wan agrees. "There'll be an announcement tomorrow, although it shouldn't be a surprise to any of you. The Jedi Order will be offering to take in as many of the vode as want to stay. The agricorps and exploracorps especially are desperately excited to meet any of you who want to join. But we all want the temple to be a home for you. Somewhere you're always welcome, either to stay, or as somewhere you can always come back to."
Cody's eyes are soft. Obi-wan swallows. "Cody." He asks. "I know you said you had a lot of options, but can I offer you another one?"
Cody is watching him, steady, assessing.
"Always." He says softly.
"I asked them to make the Battlemaster position a joint one." He wants to say that it's too much work for one person. That he's seen Cody training the shinies, and the satisfaction and enjoyment he gets from it. That it's in those moments that he looks truly settled. Truly happy. That some people say that home isn't a place it's a person. And if that's true for the vode, then Cody is that person for them. Tell him that Ashoka says he has 'insane ori'vod energy, like the king of ori'vods'. That if he's in the temple, then it will be a home for his brothers. But he doesn't. This is Cody's decision to make, and Obi-wan doesn't want to pressure him. Cody's staring up at him, still lent on the railing, with wide eyes, just starting to glint with humour.
"Yes." He says. "Yes, I want to stay with you. Yes, I want to train adorable little Jedi cadets to stay alive. Yes, I want to help create a home for my brothers. Yes, I want all of those things." He smiles, soft. "Those are all the things I've ever wanted." The soft smile widens into a grin. "Maybe I won't take that bounty on you after all."
Obi-wan laughs, and he's not sure when he last felt this happy.
"I'm glad to hear that, cyare."
Cody's grin grows, then he sends another look over the railing towards his brothers, and straightens up.
"Do you want to join an actual celebration, Obi-wan?"
The sound of his name on Cody's lips is a new beautiful thing. A thing to savour. It's Obi-wan's turn to grin wide.
"I thought you'd never ask."
Cody's grin turns sharp, and they both slip over the railing. Obi-wan holds onto the ledge with one hand, and tucks Cody into his side with the other. The absence of armour, the close press of warmth is a shock to them both, if the simultaneous sharp inhales are anything to go by. Obi-wan laughs, still indescribably happy, and Cody joins him a moment later, curling closer. Bright with love and relief and joy. Obi-wan lets go, and they fall towards the ground and their family celebrating below.