Anakin

[neverjedi]

Who: Ben and Anakin
What: Post-Skydiving Pancakes
When: Saturday
Where:A pancake place
Rating/Warnings: None that I can think of.

The biggest benefit to getting pancakes with Anakin after jumping out of a plane was that he'd been too nervous to eat anything beforehand. With the nerves gone he was starving. He also had a pizza date later, and-

fine, he'd eat a healthy lunch, or skip lunch.

He ordered his blueberry pancakes, though, because he was looking forward to those, along with a cup of hot tea that he honestly expected to get as a teabag and cup of hot water, and immediately reached for the water glass on the table.

"I am absolutely starved. Must be surprise that I'm still alive." He flashed a really bright grin to show he was joking, though.

Comments

[darkforcerising]

Anakin was used to Ben's energy- one of the things he liked about the man. He could keep up with Anakin, even outjump him in some instances. But Ben was a bit... elevated? Today.

Which was understandable. They'd just jumped out of a plane at 18,000 feet and freefell for about 2 minutes. He chalked Ben's energy up to that.

Anakin was pumped from the jump as well. And starving, too. Not that he'd skipped anything before the jump. He'd just burned through whatever he'd eaten before and now needed more food. He got the pancakes, scrambled eggs, and a side of bacon. And a glass of rootbeer.

"Okay," he started. "I need to know..." he paused, looking expectantly at Ben. "What did you think?"

[neverjedi]

He looked at Anakin over the rim of his glass and managed to swallow before he laughed. "I'd do it again," he admitted. "But probably not all that often. Maybe a couple of times a year."

He was in a good mood. Why wouldn't he be? He was alive and he had a date later.

[darkforcerising]

Anakin smiled. "I didn't think you'd like it."

But Ben did. Actually, really did. NOw that Anakin had taken a moment to focus on the odd background 'noise' he could tap into.

"You... really like it?" Anakin said, focusing on him more intently.

[neverjedi]

Ben has not one hint of a single iota of powers back, but he did remember that Anakin did.

Not that he assumed Anakin was picking up much except what anyone would: that Ben was in a good mood.

He ate his pancakes, paused to swallow and drink water and carried on. "It scared me and I survived. I've got a really good adrenaline rush going, and I would do it again. It was a pretty good start to a great day and I'm going to take not being dead as a good omen for my date tonight."

[darkforcerising]

Anakin was following along, poking at his scrambled eggs and almost concluded that he was reading into things too much - nothing saying Ben couldn't enjoy the experience, in fact, Anakin wanted this outcome. It was silly to think there was something else going-

"You have a date tonight?"

And then a series of emotions crossed Anakin's face as realization dawned on him.

"That's why you're so excited!"

[neverjedi]

That reaction - the complicated nature of it and Anakin poking at his food - worried Ben, quite a bit.

"Part of the reason. I'm looking forward to the date, but I'm pretty happy about having gotten to have fun with you, too."

Or maybe he just feels really, really guilty.

He had to actually stop and remind himself that Anakin was not his ...student-slash little brother-slash child.

[darkforcerising]

"What?" Anakin said, caught off guard by Ben... trying to reassure him.

"I know you had fun," Anakin tried to reassure Ben in turn.

[neverjedi]

He narrowed his eyes at Anakin, and really studied his face. Trying to assess the truth of that, because it was -

"And that's the important thing. Anyway, yes, date." Still kind of careful though in case Anakin felt... abandoned? Unimportant.

He stopped for a second to remind himself that Anakin wasn't nine and ate a bite of pancake while he did.

[darkforcerising]

Anakin stopped and leaned back, looking at Ben.

"You're acting weird..."

Anakin thought about it more. "Are you trying to deflect me from asking more about the date?"

[neverjedi]

"No!"

That was immediate, at least.

"I'd rather talk about the date. I'm excited about that. I just don't want you to feel like I'm... pushing you aside, I guess."

[darkforcerising]

Anakin looked very confused. And everything he was reading through his sixth sense now was making him even more confused.

"Wait... do you think I'm jealous?"

[neverjedi]

"No!"

God, they needed their memories to synch up. It would make life -

No easier at all. Strike that.

He was flailing. Worried, kind of sad, kind of embarrassed, kind of - flailing and frustrated (at himself)

"Can we just talk about my date?"

[darkforcerising]

Anakin tried one question, "Are you acting weird because you're, you know, all twitterpated?"

[neverjedi]

"No. I mean I am." Where the hell did Anakin learn twitterpated as a word? "But I'm acting weird because our lives are weird. Let's just stick with my infatuation."

Please. God please.

Save him.

[darkforcerising]

He learned it from Disney.

"Okay," Anakin agreed. Ben could be weird, he would still like him. And turned to him for support or ask him to do fun thing activities together. Or be there for him when he finally gets those memories about his back. They were friends and that meant still liking someone even if they were a bit weird.

"Tell me about your date."

[neverjedi]

He was a little bit weird in general. That he felt damn near paternal toward someone a handful of years younger than him did not help.

"His name's Bail. I met him at one of the support groups and asked him out without realizing I asked him out. So this is our second date but the first one we're both sure we're having. He's a psychologist." A pause. "And he is drop dead gorgeous."

[darkforcerising]

"You accidentally asking someone out?" Anakin asked. And then he shrugged. "Ya, checks out. Did you do it at one of the Support Group meetings? Mever thought about using the meetings that way. What's his name?"

[neverjedi]

"Plausible deniability's important when you're asking out a guy who might be straight," he says, his tone just a bit dry. "I met him there, yeah, but I ran into him again over lunch. His name's Bail."

[darkforcerising]

"I've never asked a guy out," Anakin said, sidetracked in thought. "It was always the other way around." He shrugged.

"So," he grinned, refocusing on the conversation. "What are you going to do tonight?"

[neverjedi]

"Let me know if you manage to accidentally do it." He was pretty sure it was a possibility at some point in Anakin's life.

"Just dinner, I think. Then see if I can drag him back to my apartment again."

[darkforcerising]

It was quite possible Anakin would do that. It was also quite possible that he would then not notice the whole time, too. Then, would it actually be a date?

"Hold up," Anakin said, zeroing in on that last word. "Again?"

[neverjedi]

"He came over the night after those scars on my back appeared, made me drink something and kept me company."

...Clarifying 'smoothie' would probably be useful, but no.

[darkforcerising]

Anakin stopped shoveling food in his mouth and blinked at Ben, brow furrowing together. "... Made you drink... something? I hope it was just water."

[neverjedi]

"A smoothie, actually." The worried look gave him a clue. "Out of my refrigerator."

[darkforcerising]

Anakin looked at Ben for a moment before shaking his head slightly and going back to eating his food.

"Well, cool!" he said. "I hope it goes well. So this is like getting serious?"

[neverjedi]

"It's a second date and we haven't had sex yet. So no. It's something I hope gets serious but it's not serious now."

He refuses, dammit, no matter what his hopes or emotions are.

[darkforcerising]

Anakin smiled at him because all of that was confirmed via his empathic abilities.

"So who asked who out this time?"

[neverjedi]

He flashes a quick smile, because he's just... twitterpated. "We decided to take turns, so this one's his."

[darkforcerising]

Anakin snorted, because ya. He can tell.

"Do you want me to text tomorrow to see how it went?"

[neverjedi]

"I don't know. Are you offering me a safety check, a recap session that would be gossip except the part where I trust you, or both?"

These were kind of important questions. He was also already pretty touched by Anakin's offer, already.

[darkforcerising]

"Ya," Anakin said. Suddenly very concerned about Ben's safety, but in a weird, general sense. He didn't actually think this Bail person was bad. But in that weird way his emotions bled over from his memories.

He tried to shove the sudden anxiety away.

"Both. Let me know you're still alive and tell me how it went."

[neverjedi]

"Okay. It'll probably be a late check in, maybe even early tomorrow but I'll make sure you know I'm okay with a text or something before then, okay?"

He really really loved this kid-

in a difuse, generalized way he did not completely understand.