Star Wars Oneshots

Rainy Highs (TCW)

TW: implied suicide attempt, self-harm, drug use, running away

Obi-Wan's Point of View

Late one night, Obi-Wan was just putting his bookmark into his book when Ahsoka burst into his apartment in the Temple, dripping wet.

"Anakin's gone," she said, panting from her run and lekku dripping water onto the floor.

Obi-Wan was on his feet in an instant. "Where?" he asked her, urgency bleeding into his tone.

"I don't know," Ahsoka admitted, a tear mixing with the rain on her face.

Obi-Wan grabbed his lightsaber and cloak and left the room with Ahsoka, walking just slow enough to not worry Mace, who was looking at a painting in the hallway. As soon as they were out the enormous front doors and on the rainy front steps, Obi-Wan broke into a run, trying not to slip on the slick stairs. 

Ahsoka pointed to the right, and the two of them disappeared into the bustle of the streets of Coruscant, racing along the roads and weaving in and out of speeders. Obi-Wan was out of breath, but he searched onward, Ahsoka lagging behind. 

Distantly, Obi-Wan thought he should wait for her, but his mind was too focused on Anakin to slow down. He turned corners on a whim, the rain drenching his cloak and hair and puddles splashing underfoot.

His comm chirped from his wrist with a message from Ahsoka. Apparently, she'd broken off and asked one of her contacts in the underworld about Anakin, and they'd tipped her off.

Adrenaline freshly pumping through his veins, Obi-Wan sprinted off to the coordinates Ahsoka had given him. The comm guided him through streets that got progressively darker and took him further underground, into an area of town with sweet smoke drifting through the air and people lurking in the shadows. He passed two scantily clad Twi'lek women who fluttered their fingers at him seductively as he passed. His stomach twisted at that, but he continued on.

When Obi-Wan finally reached the dark corner where Anakin was, he found Ahsoka kneeling next to him, with Anakin sobbing on her shoulder.

"They invaded my mind," he was saying, as Obi-Wan approached. "They came in and stole my thoughts. I want my thoughts back, Ahsoka!" He clutched at the back of her shirt with bloodied hands and mangled knuckles, mumbling, "Give them back, give them back, give them back, givethemback."

"He's high," Ahsoka whispered to Obi-Wan, and indeed, Anakin's eyes were almost all pupil, wide and wet. The sleeves on his shirt were torn off, exposing bruises quickly turning a deep purple that looked painful. The walls of the corner he had wedged himself into had fresh blood smeared on them, and dents that looked like they were brutally made with fists or elbows or shoulders gleamed prominently in the dim light.

"What invaded your mind?" Obi-Wan asked patiently, crouching down to Anakin's level. Anakin's unfocused gaze settled on something slightly above Obi-Wan's head.

"The things! There's one above your head right now! Quick, cover your ears so it doesn't get inside!" Anakin clamped his eyes shut and put his hands over his ears.

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka made eye contact, silently agreeing that they needed to get Anakin back to the Temple. Anakin reopened his eyes and asked Obi-Wan, "So, where did the elephant go? I wanted to ask it to step on me. I bet it would tickle." He giggled.

What elephant? Obi-Wan wanted to ask, eternally grateful that he had turned down those deathsticks all those years ago. He hooked his hands under Anakin's armpits and hoisted him off the ground, but then Anakin was crying again and Ahsoka was guiding the two of them to the surface and she raised her arm to flag down an air taxi. 

Anakin relinquished his hold on Obi-Wan's arm and stepped in front of the approaching taxi, closing his eyes as if in preparation for something. The speeder stopped and Obi-Wan led Anakin into the back seat, putting him between Ahsoka and himself.

Ahsoka talked to the driver while Anakin sniffled and mumbled into Obi-Wan's shoulder, signing strange hand signals like dragging his thumbs over both wrists, and pointing to his chest and then putting a finger next to his other palm.

Obi-Wan made a mental note to ask Anakin about that when he was sober as they got out of the speeder on the Temple steps, the rain still coming down. As it was the middle of the night, only nocturnal species were wandering, and the trio was able to avoid everyone with relative ease.

When they got back to the apartment, Obi-Wan sent Ahsoka to bed, reassuring her that Anakin would be fine and reminding her of their long list of tasks for the morning.

Obi-Wan washed and bandaged Anakin's hands, but opted not to apply bacta to the bruises. Although it made him queasy, he knew that Anakin would appreciate the sentiment of allowing him to keep his pain.

When Anakin was sufficiently clean and dry, Obi-Wan tucked him into his own bed, deciding that it would be best to let him sleep off the drugs. They could discuss in the morning.

To the surprise of absolutely no one, the sun rose the next morning, as it did every morning, and Anakin felt better, equal parts sad and grateful to Obi-Wan for allowing him to keep his bruises.