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Though Obi-Wan knows better than the refer to what they're doing as hiking out loud, this morning, he and Klaus had left Darrow with comfortable shoes and bags to hold some food and water, and they'd walked out into the woods with the intention of finding a new place to meditate. It had been Obi-Wan's idea, wanting to expose Klaus to different places with different distractions so he could continue to evolve his practice and learn how to focus when other sounds or feelings were doing their best to pull him away.

It makes him smile to himself, the fact that he's convinced Klaus to go on a hike, of all things, to find a new place to meditate, of all things.

But as they walk through the woods, Obi-Wan's smile fades into something more serene. The trees grow closer together out here, the sounds of the city are very far away, and he almost feels as if he's back on Naboo, surrounded by the lush greenery of the planet. The leaves drip occasionally, water having collected on them, and every so often he can hear the sound of an animal moving somewhere off in the bush, possibly a deer at one point, then something smaller, maybe a rabbit or a badger.

"It's lovely out here, isn't it?" he asks as they crest a small rise. The sun has been up for hours, because while they started out in the morning, Obi-Wan had known better than to try and get Klaus out of the apartment too early. It's warm, the air is fresh, and he turns back to look over his shoulder, smiling as Klaus joins him.

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When Obi-Wan cradles his face, Klaus leans in to meet the kiss, eyes falling shut as their mouths come together. It's a long, lingering, beautiful kiss that would make his knees weak if he were standing, and Klaus just holds still and lets himself be kissed by this wonderful man, letting peace wash over him.

Obi-Wan pulls back and Klaus's eyes flutter open, watching Obi as he straightens up. Klaus mirrors his position-- legs crossed, hands on his knees, and he nods as he adjusts his posture to sit up a little straighter.

"I'd like you to guide me, please." He's getting okay at it on his own, and while he's trying not to push himself, he does wonder if maybe Obi-Wan being with him may help him better understand his newfound levitation abilities.

"I would be happy to," Obi-Wan says, sounding deeply pleased as he settles into a comfortable position and indicates for Klaus to do the same. Before he says anything at all, he simply allows himself to breathe a few times, to settle into his own state before he tries to begin guiding Klaus. It's only once he feels comfortable, his body pressed to the blanket beneath them, the Force flowing up and through him, that he begins.

"Start with your eyes open," he says in a slow, even voice. "Settle into your position, make sure you're comfortable and if you need to, stretch out any kinks, anywhere you feel you're not quite relaxed. Take a deep breath in through your nose, then out through your mouth."

He does the same, inhaling and exhaling. "Feel the breath," he advises gently. "Feel it in your nose or your throat, in your chest or stomach. Wherever you're feeling it, focus there and allow yourself to sink into that sensation."

Obi-Wan gets into position and Klaus mirrors him, straightening his spine and taking a breath when he's told to, slow in through his nose, out slow through his mouth. He keeps his eyes open and watches Obi-Wan, focusing on the gentle flow of his words and nodding a bit as he follows the instruction.

His chest expands which breath, low near his diaphragm, and he focuses on that sensation. Slow expansion, slow contraction, over and over again. His shoulders feel tense and he takes another breath and does his best to let them relax on the next exhale, letting himself feel as if he is sinking into the ground.

"Okay," he says after a moment, nodding slowly as he lifts his chin a bit. "Okay."

"Now close your eyes," he encourages gently. His own eyes slip closed, sending him into the dark. "Listen to the world around you. The sound of my voice, my breath, your own. The wind through the trees, the leaves rustling against one another. The sound of the water lapping at the edge of the pool."

For a beat, he's silent, allowing them both time to settle into their breath.

"Don't worry about thinking about anything in particular," he says. "If your mind wanders, be aware, gently guide it back to your breath, but don't berate yourself for it. It's only natural, our minds are wild and wonderful places and we have many fascinating thoughts. Just bring yourself back with kindness, with gentleness."

"Nothing in particular," Klaus repeats, looking at Obi-Wan for another long moment before letting his eyes slowly slide shut. Before Obi-Wan, he was inclined to find all of this shit very cheesy and lame. He tried listening to meditation tapes before, tried yoga, tried mindfulness, but it never worked. It wasn't until Obi-Wan explained it to him, and Klaus saw first hand how much it benefited Obi-Wan, that he began to understand it.

As he breathes, Klaus does as Obi-Wan says. He focuses on one sound and then the next, acknowledging each one. He comes back to Obi-Wan's voice every time, and when he feels the darkness of his power start to creep into his mind, he does not get scared and panic. He takes a breath and nudges it away with gentleness, easing it back until he feels quieted once more.

The water, the wind, the leaves, his breath, Obi-Wan's voice. A distant scream, a deep breath, and then back to Obi-Wan's voice, breathing in and out. He lets out a low hum, shoulders relaxing further as he tips his chin up into a gentle breeze that ruffles his hair.

"I feel light," he murmurs after awhile, pausing to examine the feeling. "A weightlessness, almost. Maybe that's the source of it."

"You don't need to find the source of anything," Obi-Wan says, voice still steady and gentle. "All you need is to be. In this moment. Then the next. Breathing. Returning to your breath each time your mind begins to wander."

He can sense Klaus's weightlessness, though, almost as if it's a tangible thing. Even in the short time they've been practicing, Klaus has been moving deeper and deeper into the meditative state, sometimes without Obi-Wan's help, and he truly couldn't be prouder of the progress Klaus has made. He's dedicated to the practice, dedicated to finding a way to learn to live with his abilities.

Obi-Wan breathes in silence for several rounds, allowing them both the space to settle in deeper. Then he opens his eyes, his gaze soft, and find himself looking not at Klaus's face, but instead the tattoo on his stomach, because Klaus is no longer on the ground.

"All I need is to be," Klaus repeats, nodding to himself as he takes another deep breath. This time, he is so focused that he feels it when he leaves the ground. Instead of opening his eyes and letting the surprise ruin his concentration, he just takes another deep breath and tries to hold it, letting the weightlessness wash over him as he breathes in deeply, blowing it out slowly.

Slowly, he opens his eyes and looks around, trying to stay focused so that he doesn't fall. He dips his gaze to see Obi-Wan looking up at him and smiles softly. This time, he stays in the air and straightens his spine a little, looking around at the trees and over the water as he takes another breath.

"I wonder if I can figure out how to get down," he says slowly. There must be a way, but as soon as he thinks about it, he falls down to the blanket again, laughing as he makes contact with the soft earth. "Well, that's one way, I guess."

It's a wonderful, fascinating new ability and Obi-Wan says nothing at all as Klaus opens his eyes and stays in the air, keeping himself in place for at least a few more moments. Truly, Obi-Wan has seen very little like it in the past and he can't help but be fascinated by the way Klaus floats there, the way he manages to hold his focus.

He doesn't fall quite as hard as before either and Obi-Wan's smile grows, pleased by Klaus's laughter, by his clear pleasure with this new ability. It means much to Obi-Wan that he's been able to help in some small way, getting Klaus to this place, and from here on, he suspects Klaus will progress rapidly. He wants to, he wants to be a success, and Obi-Wan knows he's more determined and disciplined than his father ever believed of him.

Their father didn't believe the best of any of his children, it seems. Obi-Wan thinks the man was a fool.

"You stayed up longer this time," he says. "And you knew you were doing it. Fantastic, Klaus. Truly."

Klaus pushes himself up into his elbows and smiles brightly, flushing at the praise that Obi-Wan gives him so sincerely. As always, it makes him feel momentarily invincible, like he's actually worthy of the proud look on Obi-Wan's handsome face.

"Maybe I'll get the hang of this thing after all." He stares at Obi-Wan and has no idea what to do with all the happiness inside of him, so as usual, he tackles Obi-Wan to the ground and blows a raspberry against the side of his neck. He tickles at his sides and then props himself up over Obi-Wan's body, smiling down at him.

"Thank you for all of your help," he breathes out, leaning down to kiss him on the mouth. "And for everything else."

Obi-Wan can't help but find it charming, the way Klaus never quite knows what to do with his strong, positive emotions. It's endearing and sweet, like someone learning how to be happy for the first time, and Obi-Wan is honoured to think he has any role in that at all. When Klaus tackles him, he readily lets himself be pushed back onto the blanket and laughs at the fluttering of Klaus's lips against his skin.

When Klaus settles, Obi-Wan smooths his hands down Klaus's back, enjoying the touch of his bare skin. All these things he hadn't allowed himself for such a long time, suddenly back in his life for the first time since Satine, and he gives himself these moments to truly appreciate what Darrow has given him. He would be a fool not to.

"Oh, I can hardly take credit for anything," he says. "But rest assured, I'm more than happy to help in any way I can." His smile grows. "I do love you. All I want for you is happiness."

Klaus buries his face in the warm curve of Obi-Wan's neck, wriggling his shoulders a bit at the exhilaration those words send through him. He is truly lucky to have this man in his life, and luckier still to be loved by him.

"I love you, too." He lifts his head and presses a long, lingering kiss to Obi's mouth, scratching his fingertips gently through his beard, before pulling back to look at him. "You make me happier than I ever knew that I could be."

He stretches himself out alongside Obi-Wan, draping himself across his chest and relaxing there, content to doze a little longer. They'll have to start heading back soon so they can beat the sunset, but they have some time. There is nowhere else that Klaus would rather be than right here, in this spot.

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