The nice thing about Obi-Wan is that when Anakin has a nightmare, Obi-Wan doesn’t care if Anakin wakes him.

Instead, Obi-Wan will either make Anakin a cup of sweetened milk tea or let him curl into bed with the Jedi.

His master.

Anakin still… struggles with that.

It helps that Obi-Wan sat down and explained to him the difference, but only after they had been to the Halls. Obi-Wan had been with him the entire time, Maul hovering just behind them, as the healer took Anakin’s blood sample, measured him, weighted him and set up a meal plan.

She had also scheduled an operation, removing Anakin’s explosive implant.

Anakin’s back had felt itchy for days after that and he had slept in Obi-Wan’s bed more than his own.

Sometimes, they slept out in the living room too, curled up together on a mattress with Maul laying over their legs. The zabrak never said anything about it, simply glared at either Obi-Wan or Anakin if they mentioned it but Anakin noticed the other had difficulties meeting Obi-Wan’s eyes.

When he asked about that, because Obi-Wan encouraged questions, which was wizard, he explained that whoever had been Maul’s pack leader, his alpha, had been harsh to him, had hurt him, so Maul was struggling too.

So Maul had a bad master too.

Like Anakin.

Some of the older slaves and the gladiatorial slaves particularly, were very aggressive, just like Maul.

So Anakin got it, even if he didn’t like it when Maul glared at them angrily or became cold in the Force, as if ice was being shoved down Anakin’s tunic.

Which he was still struggling with too.

It was hard to wrap the clothes and make them look neat but… well… Obi-Wan helped him.

So did Maul.

Obi-Wan had been sleeping in for once and Anakin had lessons and had been scrambling with his tunic and tabards, desperately working with them while ignoring the overnight oats Obi-Wan had made for him with honey and fruits. He just wanted Obi-Wan to sleep properly without being woken for once but if he came into lessons disheveled, that would reflect badly on Obi-Wan!

He knew that his induction to the Order was considered weird and a lot of the Initiates were jealous even if they didn’t say much.

Tru and Siri, friends he made in his class and also padawans, said that taking a padawan that young wasn’t normal and that many younglings were worried about aging out. Anakin didn’t… quite understand that either.

Apparently if they became too old, they couldn’t become Jedi?

He had asked Obi-Wan about it and Obi-Wan had quietly explained that at a certain point, your mind became more difficult to train, to guide and that at that point, becoming a Jedi knight had often lead to issues.

He had also said that there were difficulties with the system, a grimace and a dark look on his face before smiling and gently pulling on Anakin’s stubby braid, promising him a dessert if he did his chores properly.

He’d kind of forgotten about it after that.

He was still learning a lot about the Jedi and the things they could and could not do but first he had to learn the basic, like the stupid tunic, tabard and sash wrap!

He’d been wrinkling it rather badly but then… Maul had knelt down and taken the tunic and tabards in hands, gently pressing them in and down, pulling the sash and wrapping it as proper was.

Without a word, the zabrak had then ruffled Anakin’s short hair and then made his way to the fridge, pulling out his own food as Anakin whispered a quiet thank you, not wanting to wake Obi-Wan.

He still missed his mom.

But curling into Obi-Wan on those cold days…

Well, Obi-Wan was always warm. Something about the wolf inside of him made him, and Maul, warm as could be and Anakin enjoyed that, the warmth wrapping around him. Because Obi-Wan wraps around him when they’re curled up together.

Wolf or human, always warm.

It makes him miss his mom even more but when he said that to Obi-Wan… he’d smiled and poked him gently on the nose. “To miss someone is natural. That feeling? Its the feeling of love, despite the person not being there, you don’t stop loving them. But you can’t let that love stop you from moving forward.” Then he leaned in and pressed a kiss to Anakin’s forehead, quietly murmuring that a few of his friends were going to Tatooine, winking as he leaned back.

Anakin could take a hint, to not speak about what the other had whispered to him.

His mom would be fine.

She had to be.

Obi-Wan’s friends were going to Tatooine. And if there was anyone beyond his mom and mr Qui-Gon that he fully trusted… it was Obi-Wan.

Warm Obi-Wan, careful Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan, who let him sleep in his bed and made him breakfast and taught him how to write basic.

Anakin loved Obi-Wan.