#okay I lied this is the last fic before CWRB

[ihathbenobiwankenobied]

slowly going numb

Summary:

An exhausted Cody returns from a mission to find that Obi-Wan is not in a better state than himself.

Cody could not have escaped the debrief sooner. 

Rex shot him a confused– then mildly apprehensive – look as he gathered his discarded plastoid plates of armor, and pressed his helmet underneath the crook of his elbow. 

Cody had been on his feet for going-on nineteen hours, which in his professional opinion , was long enough. After being stationed on Naboo for several weeks with strict orders to avoid engaging in battle at all costs, he was more than thrilled to get a break from the constant thrum of anxiety that burned deep in his chest. 

An active threat had been made by the Separatists and the 212th had been sent to wait it out. It had been weeks of doing nothing at all , just waiting for something to happen with intensity hanging ominously in the air. The orders for them to return to the Negotiator had finally come after Cody’s last report that there had been no evidence of the threat coming to fruition at all ; not one piece of evidence. 

But then–

A mechanical issue had stalled their cruiser after making it only half of the way back to the Negotiator. 

Hours later – many, many brutal hours later – they had made it to the landing bay with a worse-for-wear cruiser and a very annoyed Commander Cody who did not, in the least, want to spend the next two hours of his day reporting on all of the nothing that had happened on Naboo. 

As he listened to the incessant drawl of each attending Jedi and General, he let his mind wander.

I hope Obi-Wan is faring better than me. 

Unlike Cody’s assignment, Obi-Wan had been called to address a far worse situation: diplomacy. 

There were times Cody wished he were in Obi-Wan’s position, sometimes even wishing he were a Jedi himself. However, when it came to politics, Cody was more than happy to keep himself at a safe distance. 

The second the debrief had been called to a close by Mace Windu, who raised his eyebrow as Cody passed him by, and a concerned-looking Rex who seemed to realize the impatience that had become a permanent fixture on Cody’s face. 

Cody turned on his heel, marching from the briefing room and swiftly making his way through the numerous hallways that would bring him back to his tiny quarters where he could finally take a hot water shower and put on a fresh pair of blacks. 

Maybe he could even escape the impending nervousness that was still, somehow, making his fingers shake even as he tried to steady them in fists by his sides. 

He punched in the code to his door a little more aggressively than usual and messed up the order of the numbers more than once in his haste. Finally, once he had taken a moment to stop swearing under his breath, he managed to break into his own room with a harsh tug to the handle. 

Without bothering to even flick on the lights, Cody dumped his loose armor and bucket onto the chair by the door and slid his boots off of his feet. He let out a relieved sigh as finished removing the last of his armor and peeled the sweat-soaked shirt from his chest. 

He headed toward the door of the refresher, flicking on the light switch just inside the door, when suddenly, he heard a soft noise come from the bunk that sat pushed against the wall on the opposite side of the small room. 

His heart skipped a beat when he noticed an unusual lump situated on the bed, but in the dark he could not quite make out what it was. 

Cody stepped forward and reached for the lamp by the bedside. Once he had pulled the string, he was left dumbfounded by the image in front of him. 

On the tiny bunk, tunic slightly rumpled, and belt still fastened tightly around his waist, Obi-Wan was laying on his side, fast asleep.

He isn’t supposed to be back for another three days, Cody thought as he smiled to himself and pressed a gentle thumb against the little wrinkle that had formed on Obi-Wan’s brow. He looked neither calm nor strained, mostly just exhausted. 

Cody sat on the edge of the bed and considered the way that Obi-Wan was laying slumped on his side, almost as if he had been sitting up and had dozed off. He looked as though he had taken to waiting for Cody in his room.

Apparently, Obi-Wan had endured just as an exhausting time during his diplomatic meetings on Alderaan. 

Cody’s lips curled into a soft smile as he brushed his fingers across the shell of Obi-Wan’s ear and tucked a stray piece of hair behind it. 

Cody considered waking him and attempting to coax him out of the thick cloth and into a soft pair of sleep pants, but he looked immeasurably peaceful, face smashed into the sheets and cheeks glowing a soft red due to the heat of the extra clothes. It would be easiest to simply leave him in his clothes and curl up next to him, but Cody knew Obi-Wan ran hot when he slept and he always seemed to wake up sweaty if the temperature was too warm.

Instead, Cody slowly went to work, starting with unhooking the clasp of Obi-Wan’s belt and ever-so-gently unraveling it from around the Jedi’s waist. He pulled away the obi, and the tabards, and reached for the hem of Obi-Wan’s tunic and undertunic with careful hands. 

Managing to pull the cloth over Obi-Wan’s shoulders and head without disturbing his sleep, Cody started on pulling his boots off his legs and stripping his pants and undergarments down and off his legs. 

Obi-Wan stayed still, his hair wildly splayed across his forehead and his eyelashes only fluttered a couple of times in his sleep. Obi-Wan had never been a light sleeper, but normally he would be awoken by movement going on around him, but this time, his slumber was deep. 

I guess the only way to get you to sleep is a strong dose of politics , Cody thought and shook his head. He retrieved a fresh set of underwear and the pair of red flannel pants that he knew were Obi-Wan’s favorite. 

Like with his tunics, Obi-Wan didn’t stir at all as Cody made quick work of pulling the sleep pants up onto his waistline. 

In the morning, Obi-Wan would complain about Cody’s insolence. 

You should have woken me. You know I have responsibilities, Cody. 

Cody knew Obi-Wan would reprimand him for not reminding him to shower, and not waking him to file the last of his reports, but Cody did not care. 

Cody understood what it was like, what it felt like to be exhausted by something as simple as trying to navigate the perils of uncertainty– sometimes intangible issues were more toilsome, more punishing than the effects of physical war. 

So he let Obi-Wan sleep, like he deserved to, with messy hair, and red flannel pajamas, and his faded Jedi robes in a heap on the floor. 

Cody crawled behind Obi-Wan in the bed, his own overgrown hair in an unruly pile on his head, and bare chest pressed against the warmth of Obi-Wan’s back. He curled an arm over Obi-Wan’s chest and placed his hand over his heart so he could feel the beats against the tips of his fingers. 

Subconsciously, Obi-Wan pressed closer into Cody’s chest, a sigh of contentment released as he settled into the gentle, loving hold of his Commander. 

Not a General and a Commander, but a couple. Not two soldiers, but a family.

#okay I lied this is the last fic before CWRB #found this one in my 357 page fic document 👀 #not sure how good it is #but it is cute #codywan #CODYWAN #obi wan kenobi #codywan fanfic #the clone wars #cody/obi wan #cc 2224 #commander cody #clone wars fandom #cody x obi wan