Short Stories and Oneshots

Hello There - Part 3

Some nights were longer than others. The longest ones were always the first nights back from a mission, when the door to his sleep quarters would shut behind him and seal him off from the rest of the world.

He wearily stripped and showered, trying to wash both the dust and memories away of the desert planet he and Qui-Gon had returned from. It was best left in the past – or in the dirt's case, washed down the drain and out of sight.

He wasn't planning on leaving his room tonight, although he did keep his robe hung on a hook by the door in case he needed to cover up more than his pants allowed for. Hopefully though, he'd be able to spend his night sleeping and avoiding his thoughts for several hours.

Realistically, he'd end up staring at the ceiling for hours.

Reality could be cruel.

The ceiling hadn't become any more interesting after an hour of gazing blankly up at it from his spot where he laid on his bed. He could feel his jaw unconsciously tighten with every intrusive thought and memory that crossed his mind. Alone in the still darkness and silence, there was nothing he could do to fend them off. Unless...

His thoughts drifted to his soulmate. He hadn't seen her again in the several weeks since he had been transported to her side to help protect her. While that was most likely a good thing, since that meant she had been safe from harm during that time, he still found himself wishing she was there with him. Normally he'd try and ignore such a selfish thought, but his weariness had worn down the rest of his sensibilities at this point anyways. One harmless wish wouldn't hurt.

He wasn't sure how he missed the signs of her arrival; maybe he'd inadvertently fallen asleep. Either way, he had closed his eyes one moment and in the next he had felt the gentle touch of fingers carding through his hair.

"I'm glad neither of us seems to be in imminent danger this time." Her voice was soft, only a hair above a whisper but clear enough that he could hear her amusement and bewilderment at their situation. He finally blinked his eyes open and shifted his head to the left so he could see his soulmate.

"An astute observation," he replied with faux severity, although he knew his growing smirk gave his joy away. "I hope you weren't pulled away from anything important, Hermione."

She let out a quiet laugh and finally paused in her ministrations. "Nothing earth-shattering. Only a cup of tea and some old tomes on potions."

"Potions? For what purpose? Do they heal?"

Hermione shrugged the shoulder that wasn't pressed to the bed. "Some do. I was researching two specifically – one changes the drinker's appearance into a chosen person. Say, if I had a few hairs of yours," she wiggled her fingers where they were still entwined in his hair, "and I put them into the potion and drank it, I'd look exactly like you for an hour."

Obi-Wan winced at the mental image her words gave him. "I think one of me is more than the universe can already handle, Hermione."

He was glad to be rewarded with more of her soft giggles. "If you say so, Mr. Kenobi."

"And the other potion?"

She pursed her lips hesitantly. "Harry's been having...issues sleeping," she said slowly. "So I was searching for a more effective dreamless sleep potion to help him."

Obi-Wan stared at Hermione as f he were seeing her again for the first time. She had heavy bags under her eyes, and he could see her cheeks were looking a bit shadowed. Her slow, shaky stroking motions to his hair, which he first thought were in an effort not to disturb him, signaled her lower energy levels. He had a feeling Harry wasn't the only one having sleeping issues.

"Mi..." He rolled onto his side so he could reach out to caress her cheek, praying she wouldn't pull away from his touch. To his surprise and relief, her eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment before meeting his gaze again. "You need to rest."

"I'm perfectly fine, Obi-Wan..." She trailed off with a sigh at his unimpressed stare.

"Mia-love, you're amazing but you're not invincible." He brushed a stray bunch of curls off her forehead. "You need to rest."

"You do as well," she shot back, refusing to give in first.

"Well...it does appear that both of us are already in a prime location for resting," he pointed out as he watched her carefully to gauge her reaction.

She tapped him on the nose. "Resting only. And only for tonight."

That was agreement enough for him. Obi-Wan tugged her closer and marveled at how perfectly they seemed to fit together as Hermione's arms curled up against his chest. Her breathing evened out over the following minutes as she relaxed into a slumber just after he placed a soft kiss to her forehead. He fell asleep several minutes later, his worries worlds away thanks to his soulmate still in his arms.