Rain

Obi-wan sat in a soft chair, reading over his daily report of their current mission for the last time before he sent it out. Every now and then as he worked he would glance down at Anakin who sat at his feet, doing his homework. The boy never seemed to notice though, so engrossed in his homework that his Master began to wonder if anything could pull his attention from it.

His answer to that thought came in the form of a violent storm. The  moment the rain began to pound harshly against the windows the young blonds head snapped up, eyes wide with with surprise and something akin to terror. Obi-wan knew the young boy didn't like storms of this kind, having never really experienced them before on his home planet, but to see him react this strongly to the beginnings of one was surprising. Anakin always tried to be so strong and brave no matter what happened that it was only in moments like this when the Knight realized how truly young his Padawan was.

They sat there in silence as the weather continued to rage outside, one not knowing what to do and the other too frightened to do much of anything besides stare at the nearest window. It wasn't until the lights went out that anything happened.

Anakin leaped into his Master's lap and clung to his robes like his very life depended on it as the darkness surrounded them. Obi-wan was taken aback by this and stared down at the boy, unsure of what to do, before he slowly wrapped an arm around him and held him close in an attempt to comfort him. He lifted his other hand to Anakin's chubby cheek and wiped away the wetness he found there.

"It's alright, young one," he said softly as lightning flashed outside and illuminated his Padawan's tear stained face.

"I, I'm sorry, Master," Anakin murmured back, ashamed of his behavior, at the fact that stormed like this could still terrify him.

"There is no need to apologize, Anakin," Obi-wan reassured, "I was scared of storms once too, you know."

"Really?" Anakin asked. He couldn't believe that. Obi-wan wasn't afraid of anything, he was the bravest and kindest man Anakin knew.

Obi-wan chuckled, sensing the thought through their bond. "It's true. I hadn't been Qui-gon's Padawan for very long and on one of our missions we were trapped in our quarters by a storm. If I remember correctly I curled up in the corner and refused to move, too terrified to even cry."

Anakin tried to picture his Master like that, but it just seemed out of place to him.

Obi-wan continued, "Qui-gon picked me up and told me something that I still remember to this day, every time it rains. Do you want to know what it is?"

Anakin nodded eagerly, his short braid bobbing about.

The older man smiled. "The same rain that draws you near me right now also falls on rivers, on land, on forests, on sand, and its part of how life goes. It makes the beautiful worlds that are all around us. The rain will be gone in the morning, but you'll still be here in the morning."

Anakin was smiling now too and he hugged his master tight. "Thank you, Master," He said softly, "I'll never forget that."

Obi-wan smiled wider, a father-like affection coloring his features. Anakin was as inconsistent as the rain.