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Cruel - wilfully causing pain or suffering to others, or feeling no concern about it.
Luke Amidala Skywalker Kenobi swung into the palace, past the guards and along the main corridor. He hummed a little, wondering up the main staircase and along to his father’s office.
“Hey Vos,” He grinned, greeting the guard who was present. “He free?”
“For you or your sister,” Vos said, “Probably. I’ll check.” He pressed a button on the intercom. “There’s a lost boy here who wants to see you, you free?”
Luke smiled at the nickname. Vos had been with them since he’d been born, white lightsabre and all. He liked the colour. It wasn’t as pretty as his fathers’ red, or his dad’s old blue. But it cut a certain style nonetheless.
The old friendship meant Vos could take certain liberties others couldn’t, but also that he was trusted and known by everyone there. Well, trusted as much as anyone was that wasn’t family.
“You can go in,” Vos told him, “But be warned, the whole search party’s there.”
Oh. Great. Well, it was probably still better to get this over with now. If he didn’t ask, it wouldn’t happen.
Luke took a deep breath in and steadied himself, before pushing the door open and finding the furniture pushed to the side. Fortunately, there seemed to be an order to it. He blinked, before being grabbed by his mother, avoiding getting skewered by either the red or the white blades.
“Luke,” She hugged him, still sticking to the wall. “Just watch this for a moment.”
His dad jumped onto of the desk, grinning at his partner’s frustrated face. “Hey, hold the whiskey,” He said, then leapt off, summersaulting three times and stealing the other lightsabre on the way past. He landed the other side of Luke’s father, clearly broadcasting amusement.
“Anakin…” Obi-Wan sighed, but it was layered with amusement. “What did that prove?”
“That I’m not old, old man.” Anakin grinned. “Hey Luke, you might have to give your poor old father a moment over there.”
“WHAT WAS THAT?” Obi-Wan yelled, pretending to strain to hear them, “I DIDN’T QUITE CATCH THAT.”
Padme sighed. “Why do I love those two so much?”
Obi-Wan turned back towards them, amber eyes glowing as he crossed the room in two strides. “I don’t know, why?”
Padme grinned into the kiss he pulled her into, messing up his already ruffled hair.
Luke coughed.
“Right,” They separated just before Luke gave up and fled the room. “What was it you wanted Luke?”
“It can-“ Luke began to say, before reconsidering. Given how busy they were, this might be his only chance. “You know my eighteenth birthday is coming up.”
“Yes,” His father said, drumming his fingers on his lightsabre.
Luke followed the gesture. Right, hurry up. “Iwaswonderingifyoudthoughtaboutwhetherornottotrainmeyet.”He rushed out all at once.
“Slower.” Obi-Wan
Right, breathe. Just father. “I was wondering if you’d thought about whether or not you were going to train me yet.”
Obi-Wan took a sharp intake of breath. “You were, were you?”
“Obi-Wan,” Anakin put a hand on his husband’s shoulder. “Hear the boy out.”
His father didn’t respond straight away, instead moving around the room, breathing heavily. Luke watched him as he moved over to the side cabinet, then to where the desk had been pushed to. “Did you know, the Jedi Order that was would consider you far too old to train?”
“I’m not that old.”
“No,” He said, “They believed that you were only right if you were in there from birth. Occasionally they’d make a special exception and take a two or three year old, but they were considered to be have a major disadvantage.” He glanced over at his partner, “The oldest they ever took was nine, and they were never exactly welcomed.”
Anakin huffed.
“Your Aunt Ahsoka was in a war zone at fourteen.” Padme volunteered. “Mind you, I was running a planet at that age.”
“Genius.” Anakin kissed her forehead.
“They were wrong.” Obi-Wan said, then, in the speed of a blink, held the point of his red sabre at Luke’s throat. “But then were also right. I do wonder, my dear boy, if you can be cruel.”
Luke kept his eyes on the tip of the lightsabre, desperately trying not to move. It was just his father. It was his father. He wasn’t going to hurt HIM. Neither of other two parents seemed bothered.
“Your sister yes, you?” He tilted his head, considering, keeping a very loose grip on the sabre.
It was fine. It was absolutely fine. Luke exhaled steadily, and took a normal breath in. Then he said: “Maybe, but there’s more to this than cruelty. There’s more to ruling than being a Sith. Maybe you can’t teach me it all, but teach me what you can. Please, father.”
Obi-Wan changed his grip on his lightsabre. Then he looked at his son.
The lightsabre sliced away from Luke’s neck as Obi-Wan let out a string of laughter. “Good, you know once we had thought that you’d take after your dad, and that Leia her mother. It turns out to be the other way around.”
Luke smiled, still carefully maintaining normal breathing. “Thank-you, father,”
“You might even actually stay calm.” Obi-Wan smiled.
Luke froze, then nodded. “Thank-you, father.”
“You knew what the right reaction was,” Padme said, coming forward to hug her son. “It’s to your credit that you tried. I’m proud of you.”
Luke released her from the hug. “Thank-you,”
“Me too,” His dad said, eyeing his father, “Can you go and tell Vos that the three of us are going to be unavailable for the rest of the day.”
“Right!” Luke said, bowed to his parents and scarpered before he witnessed something really cruel.
Obi-Wan waited until after Luke had left to begin laughing.
Anakin waited for a moment, watching the way the other man had his head held back, the bobbing of his throat. Then Anakin shot across the room and grabbed him by the throat.
Obi-Wan stopped laughing then, instead curling his mouth into a vicious smile.
Anakin matched it, “And what do you think is so funny?”
Padme perched on top of the desk, watching them. Her smile was less vicious, more… interested. Very Interested.
“Your son has some amusing thoughts.” Obi-Wan said.
“He’s your son too,” Anakin pointed out. Their faces were almost touching.
“True,” Obi-Wan said, staring at Anakin.
“True,” Anakin repeated. Then he used his grin on Obi-Wan’s neck to pull him closer, into a hungry kiss. Anakin growled.
Obi-Wan pulled out of the kiss, uncurling Anakin’s hand from his neck using the force. “Now, now.” He took a step back, then turned to Padme. “We can’t leave people out.”
She slid off the desk and grabbed Anakin, turning him around and pulling him down for a greedy kiss. She felt her dress begin to undo from behind. Obi-Wan was standing behind Anakin.
She stopped the kiss to Anakin just long enough the smirk at him.
The innocent face fooled no-one at all these days.
As Anakin kissed her again, his arms curling around her neck this time, she felt her dress being undone from the bottom, as well as the top. Obi-Wan was now stroking Anakin’s hair. She did love having her husbands, even if they were wearing too many clothes right now.
She might not have the force, but she did have hands.
It looked like it was going to be a good afternoon.