Chapter Text
“Did you really grow up here?” Anakin asked as the farmer showed him around the moisture farm the following night. That was indeed the feeling that Anakin got, only… that did not make much sense. Wasn’t he constantly being told that the oldest a child was usually picked to come to the Jedi Temple was five? Meaning that most younglings barely remembered their home planet, let alone the home they had been born and lived in with their family. And yet the way the farmer would enter rooms, looking around, as if expecting someone to be there, only to find the rooms to be empty, Anakin picked up on each and every new wave of sadness that washed over the farmer, the grief over loved ones long gone, and Anakin wanted to distract him, to cheer him up, maybe.
“Yes, I did. With my Aunt and Uncle.” The farmer replied softly causing Anakin to immediately wince for he recognised the tone the farmer used and knew well what it implied.
“I’m sorry.” Anakin mumbled and the farmer gave him a fond smile before leading him to his workshop, where Anakin immediately ran over to inspect half built droids and other parts.
“I built a protocol droid once,” Anakin told the farmer as he turned processing unit over in his hands, “for my Mom, to help her around the house.”
“Oh?” Anakin had hoped to cheer the Farmer up, but he hadn’t expected him to look quite so amused, not understanding the reason behind his almost secretive grin.
“Yeah, C-3PO. He,” and here Anakin rolled his eyes in exasperation back at the farmer, “he’s a real fusspot.”
The farmer let out a bark of laughter, almost in agreement before looking away with a shake of his head.
“I didn’t mean for him to turn out that way.” Anakin continued sheepishly, “he just...”
“Did?” the farmer finished with a grin.
“Yeah. But he’s a good droid,” he added quickly, suddenly anxious to defend his droid whom he left behind, unfinished, “even when he drove Mom up the walls, he was only trying to help.”
“I believe you.” The farmer replied with a fond grin.
Anakin put down the processing unit when he spied a model skyhopper, picking it up eagerly. Partly because he wanted a closer look – it was a model he did not recognise – and because… it felt familiar to him…
No, wait, that wasn’t quite right, the model itself wasn’t familiar but…
Obi-Wan?
“I tried looking you up.” He said not taking his eyes away from the model – Obi-Wan? Why-why are you here? “In the archives, but there’s not been Jedi from Tatooine in… a real long time.”
I’m the first in a millennia. Though Anakin can’t help but wonder if this is more due to Jedi’s rarely ever visiting Tatooine looking for Younglings, than there being no Force Sensitive children being born on the planet at all.
“Are you trying to ask if I’m lying about Tatooine being my home planet?” the farmer asked quietly, coming to crouch in front of Anakin, when Anakin refused to look at him.
Anakin shrugged, holding the skyhopper close to his chest.
“Don’t know why though,” Anakin muttered grumpily, “If I could, I’d lie and say Tatooine wasn’t my home planet.”
“Hmm, I imagine so.” The farmer agreed softly, before giving Anakin a friendly poke. “and maybe I did as you suggested, and lied about my home world in the archives.”
Anakin peered at the farmer and shook his head.
“No, you didn’t-haven’t… I don’t think you’re in the records at all.”
“Oh?”
“You’re different. I’ve been in the Temple for almost three months now and you’re nothing like the Jedi I see every day.” He felt a flare of sadness from the farmer, making Anakin feel awful as he hurriedly pressed on. He hadn’t meant to make the farmer sad!
“You’re fresher, like rain, cleansing. I like it, I like you.” In the same way he had immediately liked Qui-Gon, he felt safe and calm in the presence of this farmer even though this was only their second meeting, even though they were meeting within a dream.
He went a little red at his admission though when he saw how stunned the farmer looked, and still blushing hotly went back to staring at model skyhopper.
“Thanks.” The farmer sounds a little strangled, like a knot has formed in his throat, like he’s fighting back a desire to cry, but the warmth that Anakin has come to associate with the farmer is constant and bright.
“Can I ask you something?” Anakin peered up at the farmer shyly. When the farmer smiled encouragingly back in return, Anakin pressed on.
“What’s your name?”
“Still trying to look me up?” the farmer teased even as Anakin shook his head.
“No, just curious.”
The farmer thought for a moment, chewing over Anakin’s question as if it was somehow a life-changing.
“You can call me Ben.”
“Ben the Farmer?” Anakin asked, thoroughly disappointed at how boring that sounded. Ben wasn’t a very Jedi name.
“The Farmer?” Ben asked with a laugh.
“You look like one, even though you’re a Jedi.” Anakin nodded at his worn clothes.
Ben looked down as well and let out another laugh.
“Yes, I suppose I do. Well,” He let out a good-natured chuckle, “I guess it beats being known as the ‘strange old hermit’.”
“Huh?”
Ben waves him off with another chuckle.
“Nothing.”
“I’m Anakin.” Anakin said remembering his manners with a blush as he held out his hand sheepishly.
Ben smiled as he grasped and gave it a gentle shake, warmth seeping into Anakin’s chilled bones.
“Yes, I know.”
“Y-you do?”
Ben nods and Anakin mulls over this.
It did not scare him that Ben knew his name, but he did find it odd when not even Qui-Gon had known his name when they first met. And these were his dreams, and yet he hadn’t known Ben’s name until just now.
Cocking his head to one side, he stared long and hard at Ben who met his gaze without hesitation, the warmth of his inner sun still soothing.
He remembers his question from last night, that had been left mostly unanswered due Anakin becoming side-tracked.
“Why did you bring me here?”
“Because I wanted to meet you.” Ben replied simply as he moved from crouching to sitting upon the workshop floor. Anakin was quick to follow suit, blinking in surprise because no one had ever wanted to meet him before. They just ended up meeting him, randomly or by chance, but never because they wanted to.
Sometimes they would meet him again, because they wanted to, like the Chancellor, who called him to his office only a handful of days ago, asking about how he was settling into life at the Temple, was he enjoying his studies, and what was he finding difficult to adjust to here on Coruscant?
Anakin had been so nervous before his meeting with the Chancellor, but the old man had been so kind to him, so different to the Jedi, not looking down on his struggles with adjusting to his new life or when he admitted to missing his mother, that even though he had left the Chancellor’s office feeling colder than ever, he was glad he had been allowed to visit, even if he got the distinct impression that Master Obi-Wan had not been happy about their visit at all. But then, Obi-Wan didn’t like politicians, did he?
“What is it?” Ben asks, his tone gentle but there is almost a wariness to him and Anakin frowns when he feels Ben gently prodding at Anakin’s presences in the Force.
“Sorry.” Ben says when Anakin continues to frown, pushing his newly formed shields – Learning how to form shields were one of the first thing Obi-Wan had taught him. A desperate necessity, with just how strong, and bright, and loud as Anakin’s presence in the Force was, causing everyone in the Temple to form a headache when near him. Of course, Obi-Wan hadn’t said that that was the reason behind the lessons. Of course not, but Anakin knew the truth. He had heard, even in three months, how much of a problem he already was for the other inhabitants at the Temple. – between them a little to get Ben to leave him alone.
“You just…” Ben pauses, thinking for a moment before asking, “are you cold?”
“I’m always cold.” He can’t quite help the grumble in his voice, and he suddenly wishes he hadn’t been quite so thorough with his shields, not when they’ve so effectively cut him off from Ben’s warmth.
“Coruscant is a very cold planet.” Ben agrees easily and some of Anakin’s unease fades and his shields lower and he is once more bathed in warmth.
“And space.”
“And space. My first time in space,” Ben remembers with a groan, “I thought I’d shatter my teeth, they were chattering so hard.”
Anakin laughs, having thought something similar during his own first trip through space. Grinning, they trade stories about their adventures in space, Ben looking suitably impressed when Anakin tells of his part during the battle for Naboo.
Anakin
They both pause in their chatter at the sound of Anakin’s name being called, far away and close all at once, and a different kind of warmth seeps into Anakin as the ghost of hand falls upon his shoulder, shaking it as if to wake him.
Anakin
“That’s Obi-Wan.” He explained to Ben excitedly, “My Master. My Jedi Master.” He corrected himself quickly, as he has had to do, many times since being freed. The title of “Master” did not mean the same thing on Core Worlds, he knew this, he understood it but still little moments would make him forget and he would find himself resenting the fact that yet again, there was a Master controlling his life.
Guiding, he corrected, because even in his most exasperated moments, Obi-Wan is not the Master that Watto was.
He shoved such thoughts away, hating how his good mood has been soured because he once again allowed himself to feel conflicted over a title.
“Can I tell him about you?” he asks instead, feeling the pull to wake up grow stronger and stronger, as was Obi-Wan’s exasperated tone.
Ben thought for a moment, before giving a slight shrug.
“If you like.”
“He’s gonna think you’re just a dream though.” Anakin pouted.
“Possibly.”
“Will I ever see you again?”
“If you like.”
Anakin rolled his eyes.
“You’re as bad as Obi-Wan.” He grumbled without any real heat, before giving Ben a final grin – because Ben was grinning, seemingly pleased to be compared to Obi-Wan, something Anakin can only dream of ever happening to him – before he wakes up to find his exasperate master looking seconds away from pulling all of Anakin’s blankets off, a sure far way to wake Anakin from even the deepest of sleep.
“Morning Master.” He chirped brightly.
And despite his master still looking utterly exasperated with him, he still returned Anakin’s bright smile with one of his own, smaller one, a little guarded, but it was there and it was genuine and that was enough to convince Anakin out of his nice warm bed.