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"Stay safe, general." Cody brought their foreheads together, closing his eyes for a moment.
"And you be careful, commander," Obi-Wan answered when Cody moved back and put on his helmet.
"I'll try, general."
"There is no try, my dear. Do, or do not." Obi-Wan smiled. "Go. We'll meet on the other side."
Cody saluted and left them, matching towards the group of troopers.
"And what was that?" Anakin asked, confused.
"It's something Cody started doing some time ago. As goodbye, mostly, sometimes in greeting. I think it means he trusts me with something that is exclusively in clone culture. I saw some of the troopers do the same gesture a few times."
"And you never thought about asking him what does it mean?"
"It's nothing bad or humiliating. That is all I need to know at the moment. Maybe when the war ends I'll be able to ask."
"Isn't that fear that makes you wait?"
"I'm not afraid. I'm simply not curious enough to ask. I'm just... Happy to be included in something that exists solely between troopers."
Anakin looked like he wanted to continue the topic but the conversation was cut off by the loud "INCOMING!" from Rex, who was running for his life to escape a missile. Anakin focused on stopping it mid-air before it managed to hit the ground and do real damage.
***
The next time Anakin was able to witness the strange way of showing affection was after their mission with Zygerrian slavers after Obi-Wan and Rex spent too much time in the mines of Kadavo.
Cody brought their foreheads together so quickly and with such a force Obi-Wan winced a bit before relaxing into the calmness of Cody's embrace and his steady force signature.
"Don't you ever do something like this again," Cody said quietly, this time putting his hand on the back of Obi-Wan's head as if he was afraid his general wanted to move back too soon.
"I'm not planning on it, my dear commander, but the war already proved itself to be unpredictable."
Cody chuckled, the warm breath on Obi-Wan's cheek made him smile.
"The same goes for you, vod'ika" Cody looked at Rex when he finally moved away from his general and gripped his brother's shoulder tightly. "Don't let yourself be put in this situation again."
"As bad as it sounds, I'm glad I wasn't alone there. In the mines. It is possible I wouldn't be back if it wasn't for Rex," Obi-Wan said quietly. Cody looked at his brother, gratitude in his eyes.
"Vor entye, Rex."
"Ba'gedet'ye, vod."
***
"You're not angry?" Obi-Wan asked, his voice shaking when he looked at Cody. His commander removed his helmet and pulled him gently into keldabe.
"No, cyare. I'm just glad you're back."
"Cyare?" Obi-Wan asked and Cody cursed himself internally for slipping.
"It's not important. Just glad you're with us again," he answered quickly.
"Anakin wasn't so... Understanding. I know why, I know I decided not to tell him, but he should understand. It was duty, an order, and..."
"You're like a father to him, general. It's not this strange for him to be upset about the situation. I'm sure he is happy you're not dead as well. Anger is always stronger than positive emotions."
"Were you angry when you found out?"
Was he angry? First, when he learned about Obi-Wan's death, he was grieving. Crying on the holocall with Rex, angry at himself for not telling his general how he felt sooner. After, it was only a relief. That he still has time.
"No," he finally answered. "Like you said, it was an order. And good soldiers follow orders."
Something about these words made Cody shudder.
***
“See you later, general,” Cody said as he moved from the keldabe he pulled Obi-Wan a moment earlier. “Good luck.”
“I’m sure I’ll be needing it,” Obi-Wan answered with a laugh. “Are you sure you won’t join me?”
“Oh no, never. I’m not in the mood to listen to all these senators speak of me like I wasn’t there.” Cody shook his head with a smile.
“This happens?” Obi-Wan frowned.
“Constantly.” Cody shrugged. “They love to call us it in front of the generals.”
“And no one’s doing anything?”
“Senate is funding the war, so we just smile and nod. Our generals intervene, which we are thankful for, but we’re used to it.”
“You shouldn’t be.”
“And you shouldn’t fight the war as a keeper of peace,” Cody said, referring to their last conversation about the Jedi as an organization, the one they had after losing too many troopers in one battle. “I guess the war isn’t kind to anyone.”
Obi-Wan looked so hurt that Cody gently pulled him into once more keldabe, offering him a last moment of comfort before another senatorial gala.
***
"You need to tell him, vod." Rex crossed his arms on his chest.
"I can't! How do you think it would go?! Yeah, general, the troops are ready for to next battle. Oh, and by the way, we were kissing for the last two years and it was apparent to my brothers but I didn't tell you what it was the whole time?" Cody said sarcastically. "Yeah, great idea, vod'ika."
"I would be surprised if he didn't already know." Rex shrugged. "It has been two years as you already said."
"I don't think he would let me do it if he knew it is considered a kiss."
"Maybe you underestimate him. And his feelings."
"He is a Jedi. He barely acknowledges his feelings."
"I don't think you could be more wrong." Cody looked at him annoyed and Rex grinned. "You're stupid, ori'vod. And you can regret it terribly one day."
Cody didn't answer and when a moment later his general commed him, asking for his presence, he left his brother without a word.
Rex's grin only became wider.
***
"Commander?" Obi-Wan's voice was full of concern, and Cody caught himself not really following what his general was saying the entire time. He felt his cheeks become warm from embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, general." He didn't meet his eyes.
"Are you all right, Cody? You seem... Lost in thought."
"I'm still thinking about my conversation with Rex. We were talking when you asked me to come here."
"Would you like to talk about it? Maybe it would raise some burden from your shoulders, my dear."
"I should tell you," Cody said. "But I'm worried you wouldn't want to work with me anymore."
"I don't think there is anything that could make this happen."
"You might rethink this statement in a few minutes." Cody chuckled humorlessly. He came closer to his general, bringing him into keldabe for what he thought was the last time he was allowed to do it.
"It's about this," he said quietly. "I should have told you earlier. It's... It's a kiss. A Mandalorian one, but a kiss nevertheless."
"I know."
"You know?!" Cody moved back. "For how long?!"
"A few months, perhaps? After I... Came back from the undercover mission."
Cody cursed.
"I knew it was one slip too much," he murmured, and Obi-Wan laughed.
"I must agree that it was this word that really got me thinking about the whole nature of the gesture."
"Please don't tell me you asked any of my brothers about it," Cody pleaded.
“I could say that, but I don’t want to start our relationship with a lie, Cody.” The clone groaned.
“Who?”
“Well, at first I just looked that in holonet, but I wanted to make sure I’m not misunderstanding something before I act. So I went to Rex.”
“REX?!” Cody yelled. “And still he had the nerve to say that he would be surprised if you didn’t already know what keldabe meant! When he told you himself! I’m going to kill him.”
“Please don’t,” Obi-Wan said. “I might have promised him I’ll talk to you about not killing him when you find out?”
“So he knew what he had been doing and still betrayed me!” Cody said dramatically, but he smiled nonetheless.
“I think you have it in you to forgive him, my dear.” Obi-Wan smiled as well. “Well, there is only one last thing to do.”
“Which is?”
Obi-Wan put his hand on the back of Cody’s neck bringing his head closer and touching their foreheads together.
“Ni kar’tayl gar darasuum,” he whispered and Cody’s heart skipped a beat.
“What?” he asked, stupidly.
“I don’t think I have to translate for you?” Obi-Wan teased, and Cody needed that smirk gone.
So he kissed him on the lips.