His
soulmate is a Jedi.

Of
that Obi-Wan is about eighty percent sure as he catalogs every pain
and scar he receives through the years, regardless how much it hurts
and how it sometimes tears at him and makes him cry silently into his
sheets at how bad it can be, that makes him proud.

He’s
proud to have a Jedi soulmate.

Proud
and a bit nervous as he’s not sure he will become one himself and
he wants so badly to be a Jedi for his soulmate, to be able to stay
in the temple.

He
knows that if he joins one of the corps he will most likely have to
leave the temple and yes, Jedi do leave the temple, but this is
different.

Soulmates
are generally paired up for missions because of the pain of
separating them can
be vast once they have found each other… that’s why he has to
become a Jedi because if he doesn’t, the chance of meeting them is
reduced to ten percent.

Just
ten.

There
are a few corps members in temple that are soulmated to Jedi but they
don’t go out on missions and have to make due though the occasional
explorer, healer or scholar can get lucky and be required to go with
their soulmate.

Obi-Wan,
however, can feel
that he needs to become a Jedi knight.

He
has to.

But
the time limit is growing ever shorter, ever narrower and finally…
it’s done.

Even
the last ditch, desperate pleading to Jinn will not bring him back
and Obi-Wan ends up on Bandomeer and among the Agricorps.

And
he mourns.

He
won’t meet his soulmate, Obi-Wan knows it even as he feels the
flicker of pain from some kind of injury along his side from his
soulmate.

And
then he gets kidnapped, cause Du Crion thinks he’s a padawan even
though he’s not.

Whelp,
that’s how life is, he gets stuffed in an explosive collar under
the eyes of slavers in the mine and the other captured don’t…

Obi-Wan
can feel their eyes, the way they listen warily to his voice.

He’s
an outsider to them and therefore not accepted into the warmth yet
and without the Force he can not get the blaster collar off and he
feels so tired and weak after just two weeks of this treatment, the
pain from the whips making him slow along with the lack of water and
food to go with the backbreaking work.

And
of course that is when he’s thrown at Jinn, crashing into the man’s
stomach while feeling his own ache.

‘Did
I hit his lightsaber?’ Obi-Wan wondered blearily as he leaned
against the Jedi knight, exhausted and worn out, squinting a bit in
the dark cave.

Carefully,
ever so carefully, Jinn finally sets him down against the cave wall
and checks on him, hissing lightly as blue eyes squint in the dark.
“Force, he’s done a number on you child… we have to get out of
here and get you to a medic or healer.” The man mumbled, standing
and Obi-Wan felt a twinge in his knee that he didn’t think too much
of as the man strode towards the doors Du Crion had sealed.

He
would admit that between his injuries, his lack of water and food,
not to mention sleep along with what he thinks is a head injury,
Obi-Wan doesn’t quite remember the next few hours.

He
has a pretty decent memory of offering to blow himself up though so
Qui-Gon could escape?

And
the absolute look of horror and denial on the man’s face at the
suggestion as Obi-Wan presses himself against the sealed door.

But
that’s about it.

Even
as he’s gingerly carried around by the older Jedi, Obi-Wan doesn’t
quite remember as his cheek rests on a warm shoulder that smells of
earth and sweat and an underlying smell of tea.

But
he knows that they’ve dealt with Du Crion.

He
knows that he’s a padawan and he knows that a medic has taken a
look at him, his injuries been taken care of with bacta and
medication and he knows that throughout it all, Qui-Gon has not left
his side.

Has
outright carried him around against his chest with warm protective
arms around him the entire time if he had to go and it’s… it’s
nice.

Obi-Wan
enjoys the comfort.

Later,
much later, on the ship on their way back to Coruscant, tucked
up in the single bunk by Qui-Gon,
Obi-Wan swears he feels a shaking hand gently caress his hair and
knuckles down his cheek but convinces himself by morning that it’s
just a dream.

It
makes him sigh blissfully in contentment, a warm glow in his chest
that the dream provokes.

A
wonderful dream of his soulmates warm hand giving
him comfort.

If
that’s the kind of strained and tired dreams he gets, Obi-Wan
wouldn’t mind being bone weary a few more times.