Silent Tears
Author's note: This idea has been in my head for quite some time now, distracting me in the middle of exam time. It slightly resembles my first story, "The Importance of Letting Go", at least in how the plot unfolds. I hope you can appreciate that I wrote this story when I an in fact studying every waking moment… well at least most of them, as obviously I didn't study when I was writing this story. I just had to get it out of my head because I just thought of even another idea, and two ideas whirling around my head while studying was definitely one too much. I hope you enjoy this!
Disclaimer: Short and to the point: Nothing of this belongs to me.
There we are once again in the middle of the Jedi Temple, following someone along one of those impossibly long hallways that seemed to be all over that huge building. The person was walking at a brisk pace but with a slight spring to his step.
It was Anakin Skywalker on his way to the quarters he shared with his Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. He had just come back from an extended sparring session with none other than the Supreme Chancellor. He had been quite surprised to discover that his good friend Palpatine was not only an expert when it came to using the Force but was also highly skilled with that red-bladed lightsaber of his. The Chancellor had taught Anakin some moves and tricks the Padawan strongly suspected would be labelled "dirty" by Obi-Wan. But as these tricks also gave Anakin a slight chance of kicking his Master's butt for a change, Anakin didn't question them. But he was eager to try out on Obi-Wan what he had just learned; and as these new tricks Palpatine had shown him might just give him enough of an edge to finally win a sparring match against his Master he was confident and cheerful.
But now, he was also rather hungry as they had been sparring for quite some time, and he looked forward to dinner.
Preparing food was always Obi-Wan's duty as no one in his right mind would ever touch, much less eat any of Anakin's culinary creations. So the Padawan had been officially banned from the kitchen area and as Obi-Wan's cooking was for some reason much better than what was served at the refectory, Anakin's Master always ended up cooking.
For a second, Anakin wondered why the Jedi Temple would employ such abysmal cooks when so many Jedi didn't have the time to cook for themselves that the refectory was always full despite the dreadful food served there. Surely it couldn't be too difficult to find some decent cooks in the centre of the Republic. But then again, if it was any other way this story would have one bad joke less, and as Anakin didn't have to eat there too often and was always well-fed, he supposed that it was worth the occasional laugh someone gets out of this by now rather well-used joke.
So Anakin was not surprised to smell a pleasant aroma coming from the kitchen area of their quarters.
But he was very much surprised by something else. So surprised, in fact, that he didn't get any further than the kitchen door. There he stood, dumbstruck, staring at what few people in the Galaxy ever got to see.
Obi-Wan was standing at the kitchen counter, preparing dinner. Now, as we already established that that in itself was in no way out of the ordinary, something else must have shocked him so badly.
Anakin blinked a few times, and then he looked again. He hadn't imagined it, though.
Obi-Wan was crying.
It didn't look very dramatic. The Jedi Master still looked very contained. Not even his face gave anything away of whatever was going on inside him. He seemed as calm as ever, except that a single tear slowly trickled down Obi-Wan's cheek. There were no stifled sobs, no hitching breaths, no jerking shoulders. Only one tear after another slipping free from beneath lowered lashes, noiselessly making their way down Obi-Wan's face until they were hastily wiped away by the back of his hand a few seconds later. But strangely, the complete lack of emotions on his Master's face made these tears look all the more sad to Anakin.
The Padawan was still standing mutely in the doorway; his Master obviously hadn't noticed him yet. He was completely shocked. Obi-Wan never cried. At least he hadn't since the Phantom Menace, and no one could be even sure of this one time since it hadn't been completely clear in the movie.
What could be so bad as to make his Master cry? Usually nothing could so much as ruffle the Jedi Master's calm. Instantly, Anakin remembered what he had done lately. It was probably his fault that his Master was so sad. With his constant disobedience he had finally succeeded in making the one person who never gave up on him cry. He had given Obi-Wan a hard time with his rebellious attitude and had more than once posed him in impossible situations where he had to mediate between his Padawan's hotheadedness and the Council's authority. Recently, he had not been easy to handle, he now realized in retrospect. He felt extremely sorry for whatever he had done to upset his Master so.
As he saw another tear falling from too-bright blue eyes, he couldn't take it any more. He rushed towards Obi-Wan to tightly embrace him, almost impaling himself on the kitchen knife in his Master's hand in the process. He felt extremely remorseful now and wanted to comfort Obi-Wan. As Obi-Wan quickly put away his knife before his Padawan injured himself or anyone in his vicinity, Anakin hugged him closely and then drew back, still firmly gripping his shoulders.
Obi-Wan looked a bit stunned. Anakin on the other hand couldn't even look into his Master's eyes.
Instead, he lowered his head and softly said: "I… I am so sorry. Whatever I did, I didn't mean it. Honestly, I didn't."
Remorseful eyes flickered up to Obi-Wan's face, where the tear tracks could still be seen, looking for signs of sadness or accusation. But what he found in these expressive eyes was a huge question.
Then he looked down again, not daring to face this sadly controlled expression that showed neither hurt nor blame.
Finally, Obi-Wan asked in a completely normal voice: "Anakin, what…"
But his Padawan didn't even let him finish: "No, don't. I know it's my entire fault. I have been… difficult as of lately. I am deeply sorry that I caused you so much trouble, that I hurt you in any way. Please forgive me. I will do better, I promise. I will try to do whatever you tell me. I will even listen to the Council's orders. I will clean my room. I will be a good and obedient Padawan. Please just forgive me."
Sincere repentance could be detected in Anakin's voice, he looked guilt-stricken and genuinely remorseful.
Obi-Wan tried again: "Anakin, this is not your fault. In fact…"
But again he was interrupted by his Padawan, this time hugely relieved: "Not my fault? Oh thank the Force!"
But then his mood suddenly shifted again. If it had not been his numerous misdeeds that had caused Obi-Wan's tears, then what or who had been the reason? Instantly, Anakin's hackles were raised. Who dared make his Master cry? Anakin was furious. Nobody should do that to Obi-Wan. Whoever had done that would pay dearly for every single tear that Obi-Wan had spilt today.
Anakin's mind whirled with possibilities. Who could be the one responsible for this? Maybe it had been Mace. He could appear insensitive and even cold-hearted sometimes, although Anakin believed that Mace just tried to hide the huge softie he was on the inside.
Or perhaps it had been Yoda. Although no one would ever expect something like that from the little green Master who seemed always so gentle and wise, Anakin strongly suspected that he was the kind who would callously send a man to kill his best friend and brother without so much as batting an eye.
Anger was now surging through him. He wouldn't just keep quiet when they made his Master so miserable. He would do something.
Again, Obi-Wan tried to calm him down: "Anakin, it's no one's fault. Not yours, not the Council's, not…"
Again, Anakin interrupted him, already having forgotten about his earlier promises of being a good Padawan.
"Don't try to protect anyone. I know how you can be. What happened? And don't pretend that it's nothing because I saw the tears on your face."
Anakin thought back to only a few minutes ago. Obi-Wan's tears had long dried by now and they had stopped flowing shortly after Anakin had come in. But the sad sight that had been in front of Anakin's eyes still was on his mind. It was so like Obi-Wan to prepare dinner or do whatever he perceived as his duty even when he was probably not feeling like it at all. This made Anakin's temper bristle again. No, he would protect Obi-Wan from all this. Even though he didn't exactly look like he needed protection, or wanted it, for that matter.
"Anakin, would you please listen! Don't do anything hasty. It really isn't anyone's fault."
At this, Obi-Wan even chuckled.
Anakin stared at him.
"And don't look so surprised. I think even you would be shedding a few tears under those circumstances." Obi-Wan laughed again when he saw the incredulous look on his Padawan's face.
Then, with another almost mischievous grin, he continued: "So, what do you say to pasta for dinner? I've just been chopping onions when you turned up…"
And with that, Anakin finally looked past his Master to the half-chopped onions on the kitchen counter. They still gave off a sharp tang that made his eyes water slightly. Feeling incredibly stupid, Anakin blushed furiously and mumbled something unintelligible, then he quickly left the kitchen after signalling Obi-Wan that he should hurry up with his cooking as his Padawan was ravenous.
Both Anakin and Obi-Wan learned a lot from this experience, though: Anakin learned that Obi-Wan probably didn't have any feelings, as he had suspected for a long time. Or that Obi-Wan really loved onions so much that murdering them in such a cruel and sithly way simply made him cry.
Obi-Wan, on the other hand, learned that his Padawan would do almost anything to make him stop crying. That might really come in handy if his Padawan ever turned to the Dark Side. He would just have to remember to always carry some onions with him, just in case...
Author's note: I hope you enjoyed. Please review, it makes surviving all these exams so much easier.