Author's Note: Someone commented on Trial of the Times once, wondering about the different ways which Obi-Wan had to wake up Anakin... and I decided to write this. Enjoy! :D
~ Amina Gila
Anakin isn't a morning person. Obi-Wan has to deal with it. Or, the five times that Obi-Wan had to wake up Anakin, and the one time Anakin woke up Obi-Wan.
It was obvious from the start that Anakin didn't like waking up early in the morning, but at first, Obi-Wan didn't think much of it. His new Padawan was always dressed on time and ready for his classes. In retrospect, Obi-Wan couldn't say how it changed, just that it had. Probably, it had been happening over a period of time as Anakin realized that he wouldn't be punished harshly for sleeping late.
No. No. Obi-Wan doesn't know how to deal with children, much less ones which aren't exactly listening to him. He was certainly not ready for a Padawan. Sighing, Obi-Wan runs a hand through his hair and crosses his arms as he stares at Anakin's sleeping form. The boy should have been ready by now; he's not. He's still sleeping. True, they did stay up a bit later than normal doing katas and meditation exercises, but nothing to warrant this.
"Anakin," Obi-Wan's voice is firm. He takes a step into the room. "Anakin, it's time to wake up." Six months. It's been six months since Anakin became his Padawan, but he's still not used to it. He probably never would have been.
In response, Anakin groans, pressing his face into the pillow and pulling the blanket closer. They don't have time for this. "Anakin," Obi-Wan tries again, exasperation rushing through him. "I'm not going to tell you again."
"It's too early," moans Anakin and pulls the blanket over his head, clearly intent on going back to sleep. Well, if talking won't work, maybe action will.
Obi-Wan shakes his head, marching over to the bed and yanking the blanket away. He knows that Anakin can't stand the cold, so he should be wide awake shortly. "It is unfortunate that you're tired," he begins, tone gentle, "But the time won't wait for us."
Anakin lets out a squawk of indignation and reaches out to snatch the blanket back. Obi-Wan keeps it out of his reach, watching with satisfaction as the boy finally sits up, giving him a grumpy glare. "Good morning to you too, Padawan," Obi-Wan quips, with a half-smile. "Now, I advise you get ready, because we still need to eat."
Mumbling something which definitely sounds like Huttese under his breath, Anakin climbs out of bed, still frowning. Mission accomplished. Maybe, just maybe, Obi-Wan can manage a Padawan after all. When Anakin's not being stubborn, dealing with him isn't hard.
***
Fifteen minutes. Anakin should have been ready fifteen minutes ago, but Obi-Wan had let him sleep a little longer, hoping that he'd be up on his own. Apparently not. Yelling at him from the kitchen hadn't helped either, so now, he has to go do it himself. It's become a ritual almost. If Anakin doesn't wake up, Obi-Wan goes to drag him out of bed by whatever means are necessary.
Over the past several weeks, waking Anakin in the morning slowly has become something of a challenge, especially if he's tired. The first few times weren't difficult, because Anakin does, occasionally, listen to him. Once they became more familiar with one another, the situation became exponentially worse, meaning Anakin is all too willing to sleep in, even when Obi-Wan explicitly told him not to. But on the positive side, that time has given Obi-Wan enough opportunities to get to know Anakin better, knowledge which he can use to his benefit.
He doesn't usually have to yank off Anakin's blankets anymore, because cooking his stubborn Padawan's favorite food in the morning has proven even more effective. One thing which Obi-Wan learned is that Anakin – like many others – dislikes eating his food after its cold. Except breakfast is on the table and the boy has yet to make an appearance. What could be holding him up this time? For that matter, is he even awake?
Sighing heavily, Obi-Wan marches down the hallway and opens Anakin's bedroom door. The sleepy ten-year-old is completely cocooned within his blankets. He may not have even heard his name being called. "Rise and shine, Padawan mine," calls Obi-Wan, intentionally using the sing-song tone which Anakin finds annoying. Anakin doesn't move a muscle.
Alright. It's time for more creative measures then. Feeling unusually – well, Obi-Wan wouldn't normally use the word mischievous on himself, but it's the only one which fits – mischievous, Obi-Wan walks across the hall to the 'fresher door and steps inside, filling a glass with ice cold water.
Without hesitating, he begins pouring it slowly onto Anakin's head. The Padawan comes awake with a startled screech, nearly knocking the glass out of Obi-Wan's hand. He pulls it back just in time as Anakin runs a hand over his wet hair, wiping water off his face. The death glare he gives Obi-Wan only serves to make the latter chuckle. "Breakfast is cooling," he informs Anakin calmly. "You don't want it cold, do you?"
Anakin whines wordlessly, flopping back on his bed and closing his eyes. "Up. Up," urges Obi-Wan. "There's work to be done." His Padawan doesn't respond, so Obi-Wan goes for another method. "If you're ready in ten minutes, I can show you a new kata," he coaxes.
"Really?" Anakin asks, bright blue eyes giving him a hopeful look.
"Yes, little one," Obi-Wan answers gently. "Now, come along."
Anakin bounces out of bed so fast that he nearly trips over his own feet as he begins straightening out his blankets. Well, that was far more effective than Obi-Wan had thought it would be. He turns to leave the room, so Anakin won't see him smiling. It won't be good if he thinks Obi-Wan isn't serious about being on time.
***
"Yes, I know you're tired, but you were sick last week, Anakin." Obi-Wan is ready to throw up his hands in despair. "Three days is more than enough time to recover from getting a virus."
"I don't wanna," whines the twelve-year-old, tightening his grip on the blanket, seeming unperturbed by both his cooling breakfast and wet, cold hair and face. "Sleep," he mumbles, turning over and pressing his face into the pillow. Sighing contentedly, he pulls the blanket over his head.
Obi-Wan stands there, at a loss of how to handle the situation. "You've skipped enough classes," he finally declares firmly. "You can't miss any more simply because you don't want to wake up." He crosses his arms, keeping his tone firm and unyielding. Anakin has to learn that he needs to listen sometimes.
"But it's too early," protests Anakin, opening an eye and scowling up at Obi-Wan. "The sun's not even risen yet!"
Obi-Wan looks at the chrono to check the time. "If you're not ready to leave in twenty minutes, I'll be forced to take you to your first class against your will," he threatens.
"How'll you do that if I'm not up?" Anakin demands, pushing his blanket down further.
Obi-Wan can't hold back the smile. "Like this." He steps up next to the bed and scoops Anakin into his arms, blanket and all.
The Padawan lets out a startled shriek. "Put me down, Master!"
Instead, Obi-Wan carries the thrashing bundle towards the bedroom door without giving any signs of backing down or stopping. Anakin tries unsuccessfully to pull away, a failure which is, in part, due to having his limbs trapped inside the blanket. "I'll get ready! I promise!" Anakin cries desperately as Obi-Wan steps down the hallway towards the living room.
Smirking slightly, he gently puts the boy back on his feet. "See that you do," he says sternly. "We wouldn't want you walking around the Temple in your nightclothes, would we?"
Anakin pouts up at him, but a grin soon ruins it as he gathers his blanket and races back to his room to get ready for the day. Miracle of miracles. Maybe threats like that are actually more effective than Obi-Wan gave them credit for.
***
When Obi-Wan stumbles out of bed, he immediately knows that he overslept. He supposes he shouldn't be surprised having barely slept three hours, but now, he'll be late for the Council meeting which is also a debriefing of his last mission with Anakin, and his new Padawan, Ahsoka. If he's not even ready yet, there's no way Anakin would be.
He goes through the motions to prepare for the new day, eyes half-closed. It's not until he leaves the 'fresher that he's fully awake, albeit still exhausted. "Ahsoka?" he tilts his head in confusion when he sees her sitting on the couch in his apartment. Oh. Right. She and Anakin had joined him last night to finalize their reports, and the pair had decided to stay overnight. It made more sense than stumbling around the halls of the Temple in the middle of the night.
The Togruta in question is doing something on her datapad, probably homework for one of her classes. "Morning, Master Obi-Wan," she calls cheerfully, smiling up at him.
"Is Anakin up?" Obi-Wan asks, already knowing and dreading the answer.
She shakes her head. "I'm only up because I slept some on the flight back. He was working on his fighter the whole time, I think."
Yes, he probably would have been. He'd accidentally led a group of his men right into a trap, and most of them had been killed or wounded. They'd still managed to root out the Separatists, but knowing Anakin, he would be filled with guilt. He probably hadn't wanted to sleep so he wouldn't have nightmares. Unfortunately, that's showing up now.
Sighing, Obi-Wan moves towards the kitchen to get himself a drink and prepare a quick breakfast. He needs to get Anakin up too, but it's too much work right now. A few minutes later, he feels vastly refreshed by the warm drink he's consumed. Now, he just needs to get Anakin up, so they're ready for the debriefing in twenty minutes; he's already late for the Council meeting.
He moves to his former Padawan's bedroom door – Anakin never really moved out, even though he has his own apartment now – pushing it open. "Anakin," he calls, leaning against the doorframe. Anakin doesn't so much as twitch. He probably didn't even hear.
Obi-Wan doesn't try again, going back to the living room instead. "Want me to try?" Ahsoka asks, grinning impishly.
He hastily shakes his head. That could cause more of a scene than he needs right now. He'd best handle it himself – or not. His gaze falls on Anakin's astromech droid, Artoo, resting unobtrusively in the corner. "Artoo," he calls, "Go wake up Anakin. Use an alarm if you must." He considers going back to the kitchen but finds himself following the droid as it beeps affirmatively and rolls to Anakin's bedroom.
The droid lets loose a series of beeps and whistles as it rolls up to Anakin's bed. It doesn't stop until he groans and turns over. "Stop it, Artoo," he moans groggily. "'M not getting up yet."
"You don't have a choice," Obi-Wan calls firmly, yet gently. "We have a debriefing in twenty minutes." Anakin grumbles something unintelligible before pressing his face into his pillow.
Artoo trills something, but Anakin appears to ignore him, attempting in vain to return to sleep. Suddenly, it turns on a shrill alarm, which makes even Obi-Wan jump in surprise. "Turn it off!" Anakin all but wails, pulling his pillow onto his head.
Obi-Wan sighs, wincing at the loud noise as he moves over to his former Padawan's bed. "There will be time to sleep later," he reminds him. "And Artoo won't stop until you're awake."
Anakin lets out a muffled whine, but obligingly sits up, glaring fiercely at the droid. "Traitor," he huffs at his droid. Obi-Wan smirks slightly before making his way back to the kitchen. They all should eat before going to the meeting. Who knows how long it will last?
***
Obi-Wan raises a confused eyebrow when he sees Ahsoka standing in the hallway outside his apartment at the Temple. "I thought you and Anakin were planning to spar this morning?" he queries. All three of them have been given a week to recover before going on another mission. The rescue mission at the Citadel was far from easy, and this time, Obi-Wan thinks they deserve a break. Maybe more than one, but the Republic still needs them.
"We were," the Togruta replies cheerfully. "That's why I'm already up."
Obi-Wan smirks slightly. It's Anakin's fault, most likely, that Ahsoka has developed an aversion to early awakenings. "And what changed it?" he wonders. He thinks he already knows the answer, but he still wants a confirmation.
"Half an hour ago, he said he'd be up 'soon'," she explains. Ah. Well, that answers everything. "And he said the same thing a few minutes ago, so I thought I'd come find you. Do you want to spar with me instead?"
He wouldn't mind; he probably will later, but former Padawan or not, Anakin is still in need of disciplining occasionally. "I'll come," he agrees, "But maybe we should go get Anakin first."
Ahsoka shrugs, so they walk down the hallway together towards Anakin's apartment. Obi-Wan is fairly sure the only reason Anakin is even in the Temple is because Padme is on Naboo attending to something there. If she weren't, they'd both be at her apartment, no doubt, not that he'll ever tell Anakin that. He's not stupid, but he's been waiting with the hopes that Anakin will confess to him.
He pushes the thoughts aside when Ahsoka enters the code for the apartment. He has a former Padawan to drag out of bed, something which, unfortunately, isn't uncommon. Why does he always have to do it? Not that he minds. It just has the potential to be highly exhausting at times.
Ahsoka follows him into Anakin's bedroom, and Obi-Wan pauses for a moment. Anakin is laying on his face, clearly still fast asleep. His expression is far more peaceful than it is while he's awake; Obi-Wan almost regrets having to awaken him. "Anakin," he calls. There's no movement from the bed.
"I yelled several times before he answered," offers Ahsoka, stepping around Obi-Wan and moving to the center of the room. "You'll have to try something else. Be creative."
"Creative?" snorts Obi-Wan. "Do you have any ideas how many things I invented just to drag him out of bed when he was a Padawan?"
She swivels to look at him, expression intrigued. "Do tell, Master Obi-Wan," she prompts.
"Maybe we should wait until he's awake for the retelling," he muses in amusement.
Ahsoka hums quietly before frowning down at her Master's sleeping form. "Is he ticklish?" she asks randomly.
"I hardly think that –" Obi-Wan cuts himself off mid-sentence. No, Anakin won't be happy, but maybe he should have thought about that before ignoring his Padawan. With the hint of a mischievous smile on his face, he creeps over to Anakin's bed.
Through the Force, he can feel Ahsoka's glee when they attack Anakin in unison, tickling his sides and, in Obi-Wan's case, everywhere he knows will have Anakin unable to move, much less flee. The half shriek, half yelp that escapes makes the entire situation worth it. Obi-Wan can hardly hold back his own laughter, especially after Anakin ends up rolling onto the floor with a crash and Ahsoka erupts into giggles at the murderous glare on her Master's face.
"What in the name of the Force are you doing?" Anakin hisses, scowling up at them.
"Waking you up," Ahsoka tells him, her innocent expression spoiled by intermittent bursts of laughter. She ducks when Anakin throws a pillow at her head. "You missed, Skyguy," she teases gleefully, "You'll have to try harder. Race you to the cafeteria!" With that parting shot, she bolts to the door, slipping through before Anakin has a chance to retaliate.
"Traitor," mumbles Anakin, throwing an arm over his face. "Both of you are."
Obi-Wan suppresses laughter at his antics. "I believe your Padawan is waiting for you," he reminds Anakin. "You might want to get there before she has a chance to spread the story too much." He doesn't actually think Ahsoka will do that, but the threat might be enough to make Anakin get moving.
"Fine," mumbles Anakin, sitting up, and untangling himself from his blankets. "I'm up now. You don't need to help me get dressed. I'm not an invalid, Master."
Grinning, Obi-Wan leaves the room, pausing to throw one parting shot over his shoulder. "Don't forget to make your bed, Padawan." Anakin groans.
***
With no urgent business to attend to in the morning – the Council meeting isn't until later in the day – Obi-Wan decides to take the opportunity to catch up on some much-needed rest. He does, in fact, know how to take care of himself, despite everyone's beliefs to the contrary. Just because he neglects sleep in favor of eliminating stressful Council work doesn't mean he's incapable. It simply means that he prefers peaceful sleep which isn't interrupted by nightmares about falling behind in his duties.
Despite what Anakin might believe, Obi-Wan secretly detests having so many reports to do. Who knew that being a Council member would require so much time and effort? No wonder most Jedi Masters who end up on the Council never take a Padawan. The stress would be more than most of them could handle.
Sleeping in is harder than it sounds though, especially when Obi-Wan is always used to getting up early, so he opts to lay on his bed in a half-awake and half-asleep state. He'll have to make do. At first, he isn't sure if he heard Anakin's voice in his apartment; his former Padawan was with Ahsoka the previous day, after all. He ignores it, keeping his eyes closed, sunlight falling through the drapes onto his face. It's so peaceful like this. If he didn't have to get up, he wouldn't, and he can suddenly understand Anakin's reasoning for sleeping in.
"Obi-Wan?" Anakin's voice is quiet, and he sounds as though he's near the door.
"Go 'way," mumbles Obi-Wan, knowing exactly how childish he sounds. He really doesn't care because this is too comfortable and –
He vaguely registers Ahsoka's voice, but he doesn't bother trying to figure out what she said, or what Anakin responded. Maybe he should have. Not even thirty seconds later, he's jostled by a large, heavy thing on either side of him. He doesn't need to use the Force to know that Anakin and Ahsoka all but jumped onto his bed.
"Come on, Obi-Wan," coaxes Anakin, pulling back the edge of the blanket. "Ahsoka and I want to cook breakfast this morning, and you're so much better at it than we are." Saying that Anakin can't cook would be incorrect, but his skills definitely do not lie in that area. Ahsoka isn't much better if he's being honest. Still, he doesn't want to get up.
Opening an eye, he looks up at Anakin, who's lounging next to him. Ahsoka is touching him on the other side; the bed was not made for three people after all. "Not yet," he mumbles in reply, gaze flicking to Ahsoka for a moment.
"I'm never going to let you live this down," Anakin teases with a wicked grin. "I never thought I'd see the day you refused to get up."
"There's a different," Obi-Wan points out, dryly. "I don't have anything urgent to do this morning. You, on the other hand, usually do."
Groaning dramatically, Anakin flops out on his side, resting his elbow on the pillow, palm cupping his chin as he stares over Obi-Wan's head out the window. "Snips, we might need to reconsider," he finally says to her.
"I think we can just wait," she counters. "We have time." She seems to have a silent communication with Anakin before she also lays back on his other side, crossing her arms behind her head, her arm nearly hitting Obi-Wan in the face.
"Do you mind?" he mumbles, shifting closer to Anakin to give her a little more space.
"We're staying here," Anakin chirps, poking Obi-Wan's arm with his other hand. "We'll leave once you're ready to come help us."
It's actually much more comfortable now than it was before, especially with Anakin and Ahsoka – miraculously fitting – next to him. He really should get up, but he just doesn't want to. "In a few minutes," he finally concedes, relaxing against the bed and closing his eyes again. In a few minutes, he suspects he'll probably say the same thing again, but he doesn't think they'll mind in the least. He would never want to give up times like these when he can be with Anakin and Ahsoka without the war stressing them out. If he had a choice, it would always be like this. He wouldn't give this up for anything, and he knows they feel the same.