ARCHIVE: M_A only please.
PAIRING: Q/O
RATING: PG
CATEGORY: Romance.
SERIES/Sequel: Yes, this is the fourth part of my Foreplay
series.
SPOILERS: Some minor spoilers for the JA books.
WARNINGS: None.
DISCLAIMER: Not mine, never going to be. Only George Lucas
makes money with them.
Every Jedi currently at the Temple knew about the future
bonding of the couple thanks to the intense emotions
broadcasted by Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan during their meeting with
the Council and although it had surprised everyone, their
happiness and love pleased them all. The lingering feelings
were so strong that for the rest of the day every Knight,
Master and Padawan had walked around the Temple with smiles on
their faces.
And now, as night fell, everyone was getting ready to
celebrate.
**
The preparations for the celebration in honor of Qui-Gon and
Obi-Wan progressed quickly, thanks to a very old and very
excited Jedi Master. Yoda himself had organized and planned
everything, and now he was in the huge Assembly Hall, watching
the Padawans he had enlisted to help him in this task decorate
the Hall and set tables with the food and drinks the excellent
Jedi cooks had prepared for the occasion. He gave orders to
everyone in a harsh tone, watching amused as the young beings
hurried to obey him.
He was enjoying himself, it had been a long time since the
Jedi had gathered to celebrate, more often than not, when they
reunited was to discuss some terrible event happening somewhere
in the galaxy. They needed this, all of them. They needed to
forget, at least for a couple of hours, all the sadness and
ugliness around them, they needed to be together like this, in
a celebration of love and of the Force which had made that love
possible.
He was also incredibly happy for more personal reasons.
Finally, his former Padawan had found someone who loved him as
he deserved, his days of loneliness were over, and Yoda wanted
to show Qui-Gon how happy he was for him and his future mate by
giving them a beautiful party.
**
Qui-Gon was finally ready. He wore his formal Jedi whites, his
boots were polished and his hair and beard were neatly trimmed
and combed. He looked at the chrono on the wall. It was time to
go. He hoped Obi-Wan was ready as well.
**
Obi-Wan was checking himself for the fourth time. Vanity
wasn't a Jedi concept, but still, he wanted to look his best
for the occasion, after all, it was not everyday that he
assisted to his Bonding announcement party! He heard a buzzing
coming from the small chrono on his bedside table.It was time.
He took a deep breath and walked towards the door.
**
Qui-Gon was just coming out of his bedchamber when he heard
the door of his Padawan's room opening. He smiled and turned in
that direction, anxious to see Obi-Wan again, even though they
had been separated for only one hour.
"Obi-Wan...", he stopped, unable to say anything more, the
sight before him knocking the breath right out of him.
Obi-Wan, hearing his Master's voice, turned around, ready to
greet him, but the words never left his lips. Qui-Gon
looked...wonderful, perfect.
The two men stood, staring at each other, taking in the little
details surely nobody else would notice.
Qui-Gon saw the way Obi-Wan's eyes seemed to look bluer when
he wore his dress whites. He wondered, not for the first time,
what color those eyes would be when their owner was in the
middle of making love. Obi-Wan noticed how carefully his Master
had trimmed his beard and mustache, how soft his long hair
looked. He imagined that same hair loose and spread on his
pillow.
Slowly, they moved closer, each lifted one hand at the same
time and found their partner's, Obi-Wan's smaller one fitting
perfectly inside Qu-Gon's .
With his free hand, Qui-Gon took Obi-Wan's long braid,
caressing it and wrapping the silky strand around his fingers,
until he reached the base of Obi-Wan's head. Leaning down, he
looked into the eyes he loved so much, the soft lips he had
dreamed of tasting for so long only a couple of inches away
from his own ....
Obi-Wan's breath quickened as he looked at his beloved Master,
pressing closer to his large body, one of his hands still
inside Qui-Gon's, his other arm sneaking around Qui-Gon's
waist. He licked his lips and parted them slightly, his
excitement growing when he saw Qui-Gon's eyes darkening with
passion, and he waited for his Master to finally, finally kiss
him...
*BEEP, BEEP *
They jumped, startled, the moment ruined by the comlink.
Qui-Gon sighed and smiled sadly at Obi-Wan. "Looks like we'll
have to wait a little bit longer love".
"But not much longer, I hope", Obi-Wan said, annoyed by the
interruption.
"No, not much longer, I promise", Qui-Gon squeezed the hand he
was still holding and tugged Obi-Wan towards the common room,
where he answered the beeping comlink.
"Jinn here".
"Qui-Gon, everything's ready here, only the happy couple is
missing", Mace Windu sounded amused.
"Thanks Mace, we're on our way", Qui-Gon turned to look at his
smiling Padawan. " I know they mean well, but I really would
have prefer to spend this night only with you", he said,
softly.
"So would I love, but we can't disappoint Master Yoda, he's
worked very hard to prepare this party".
"You mean he made those Padawans he recruited work very hard
to prepare this party", Qui-Gon said dryly.
Obi-Wan laughed, and walked towards the door, Qui-Gon trailing
behind him. They exited their quarters and went to meet their
friends and colleagues.
**
They arrived quickly and stopped outside the Assembly Hall,
standing a few feet away from the huge doors.
"Are you ready?",Qui-Gon asked to his nervous Padawan. He was
feeling somewhat uneasy himself. This was a rather informal
gathering, but still, the thought of all of his peers reunited
for the sole purpose of honoring him and his Padawan was...
"Overwhelming, yes", Obi-Wan said, smiling up at him.
Qui-Gon smiled back. Already their bond was getting stronger.
Now they could practically read each other's minds.
"Let's think about this as a rehearsal for our Bonding
ceremony", he said, softly, as he lifted the hand he still held
and kissed it reverently.
Obi-Wan nodded slowly, his heart beating even faster at the
thought of the day when he and his beloved would be united
forever in mind, body and soul.
They turned to face the doors and walked to them. They opened
silently, allowing them to hear the noise coming from inside,
the sound of hundreds of different voices talking animatedly
surrounded them as they stepped inside the Hall and the huge
doors closed behind them.
Their presence was felt instantly by all and silence fell as
all heads turned to look at them. Then, suddenly, the room
filled with a deafening applause as all the Jedi, human and
non-human, welcomed the couple.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan smiled happily at their fellow Jedi, both
men incredibly moved by this show of love and support.
The crowd parted, opening a path for them, and they started to
walk, smiling and waving at everyone. They also took the
opportunity to look around them and saw that Master Yoda and
his aides had done a beautiful job.
The Assembly Hall was a majestic place by its sheer size, and
now it looked even more impressive thanks to the deep crimson
of the velvet drapes hanging around each of the eight large
windows which reached the high ceiling and opened to the
star-filled sky, and the eight thick white marble columns, four
on each side of the Hall, which were now decorated with
garlands of hundreds of astrais flowers, which went around the
columns, the velvety petals, of a rich red color and the green
leaves, gave a wonderful splash of color to the cold white
marble.
The cooks had forgotten the simple, yet nutritious meals they
usually prepared for their fellow Jedi and had taken special
pleasure in this chance to show their talents. Juicy meats,
colorful salads and vegetables from all over the galaxy were
displayed on the tables, and of course, the Master Cooks had
done their best work with the desserts. Rich, dark Alderaanian
chocolate torte, Obi-Wan's favorite, and the sweet berries
covered with cream which were Qui-Gon's favorite dessert.
A discreet mental nudge, as well as a persistent tapping on
the white marble floor, got everyone's attention. The clapping
died down, and all the Jedi turned to look at the ancient
Master and the rest of the Council members. They were standing
on a high platform at the back of the room; Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan
stopped right in front of the platform and when everyone had
settled down, Master Yoda took a step forward and addressed all
the Jedi.
" My Jedi brothers and sisters, the reason we are gathered
here you know already. To celebrate the future union of our
brothers and wish happiness to them. Create a Bond between them
they wish, their love demands it and our blessings they have.
Let all Jedi respect this wish, from now on, no one may come
between them. May the Force be with you, Qui-Gon Jinn and
Obi-Wan Kenobi", the voice of the Jedi Master trembled slightly
at the last sentence, he didn't say anything more, it wasn't
necessary. His wise, ancient eyes shined with happiness and
every Jedi could feel the Force singing with the love he felt
for his former Padawan and his mate.
Qui-Gon's eyes moistened, he was touched by his Master's
lasting affection; it didn't matter how many disagreements they
had in the past or how many more they would have in the future,
Qui-Gon knew that his Master would always be there to love and
guide him when he most needed it. For once, Qui-Gon didn't hold
back, he sent the love and respect he felt for his Master
through the bond they'd shared for many years. Obi-Wan sensed
this and he added his own love for the ancient Jedi Master and
the gratitude he felt towards him for having supported them,
for offering them this beautiful celebration and, above all,
for having raised and loved the wonderful man standing besides
him.
Yoda's ears went up when he felt the warm waves of love coming
from the two men standing before him and he smiled delightedly
at them.
"And now that we have finished with the formalities, let the
celebration begin!", Mace Windu's joyful voice broke the
silence, the crowd cheered and clapped and everyone turned
again towards Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, all their friends and peers
wished to congratulate them.
It was Mace Windu who got to them first. He quickly descended
the platform's steps and stood in front of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan,
both men looked at him with amazement in their eyes. He was a
strange sight indeed. The commonly sober Master was smiling
brilliantly and he had shed his heavy cloak and his
cream-colored tunic and leggings, for the occasion he wore a
dark blue silk shirt and pants of the same color.
"Well old friend, I must apologize to you. I never believed
you could convince anybody to bond with you", he said to
Qui-Gon as he embraced him tightly.
" That's not strange Mace, I never thought I could
either", Qui-Gon replied as he returned his friend's embrace.
"But you did Qui and I hope you know that I...I am truly happy
for you. And for you as well Obi-Wan", he said, as he turned to
Obi-Wan, hugging the young man awkwardly. " Well, I'll see you
later, there's more people who want to congratulate you", he
smiled and moved away.
Adi Gallia took his place. The beautiful woman placed her
hands on Obi-Wan's shoulders and leaned forward, kissing him on
his right cheek, then the left. She did the same with Qui-Gon
and after that, she smiled warmly at them. " I may not
understand some of your methods Qui-Gon, but I have always
respected you, now more than ever. You've had the courage and
the honesty to accept your love for Obi-Wan and to embrace that
love fully, as the Force wills it. And you Obi-Wan, you have
always followed your heart and it's brought you home. I'm sure
you two will be very happy". She bowed and walked away before
they could say anything.
"Qui-Gon!", the crowd parted, respectfully making way for the
tall, beautiful woman approaching. It was Tahl, the Jedi Knight
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had once rescued together. Her lovely gold
and green eyes were sightless but she moved with grace and
security towards her friends.
"Tahl, I'm so glad to see you! I thought you were off planet",
Qui-Gon hurried to his friend's side and hugged her. She had
always been very special to him and Qui-Gon was very pleased to
be able to share this moment with her.
"I returned to Coruscant only a few hours ago and everybody
was talking about a future Bonding. When I learned it was you
and Obi-Wan the ones to be bonded I felt so happy. You two have
always been good for each other". She took Qui-Gon's hands in
hers and squeezed them gently. "Qui-Gon, you deserve to have
joy in your life and I know Obi-Wan will bring it to you. As
I'm sure Qui-Gon will do everything in his power to make you
happy Obi-Wan", she continued, her lovely face turning towards
the younger man.
"Thank you Knight Tahl, I know he will and I assure you, I'll
make sure he has everything he could possibly want", Obi-Wan
smiled and bowed respectfully, even though she couldn't see,
her other senses were extremely sharp and Obi-Wan knew she
would somehow feel his gesture.
"Please Obi-Wan, there's no need to be so formal with me, we
known each other for a long time now, and you and Qui-Gon did
save my life once", despite her protest, she seemed pleased by
his obvious respect for her.
"Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan!",the excited cry startled them, before they
could move, a lithe form lunged at Obi-Wan, two arms embracing
him fiercely. It was Bant, Obi-Wan's best friend.
"I'm so, so happy for you Obi", the normally shy girl talked
excitedly, finally releasing her friend. "Oh, I'm sorry, Master
Jinn, Knight Tahl, I, I didn't mean to interrupt you, I just
wanted to congratulate Obi-Wan...and you too of course Master
Jinn," only then she remembered to bow respectfully, looking
rather embarrassed.
"It's all right Bant, I'm very glad you are here with us",
Qui-Gon smiled reassuringly at the young Padawan.
"Yes Bant, thank you for being here, it means a lot to me!",
Obi-Wan beamed at her. She was one of his oldest, and probably
his best friend. This was already a very special moment for
him, being able to share it with her made it just perfect.
"After all those years you spent complaining to me and being
totally miserable because you thought your Master would never
look at you as anything more than his Padawan, I would never
have missed this Obi-Wan" she said, teasing her old friend.
"Bant!",now it was Obi-Wan's turn to blush and look mortified.
Bant had been his confidant, she was the only one he had ever
told about his feelings for Qui-Gon, and she had always found a
way to comfort him. Now, of course, she could also tease him
and make jokes about it.
Qui-Gon laughed and put his arm around his Padawan's
shoulders, looking adoringly at the charmingly flushed face. "
I wish you had told me this sooner Bant, you would have put us
both out of our misery. I too wasted a lot of time
thinking Obi-Wan could never love me as anything more than his
Master".
"Well, I think that just proves you two are really made for
each other! But I'll have to ask you to let me steal him for a
while Master Jinn, there are a lot of our Padawan friends who
wish to congratulate him, Reeft and Garen are here too and they
are anxious to see Obi-Wan".
"Reeft and Garen, Force, I haven't seen them in a long time!
How are they?", Obi- Wan asked, thrilled to have the chance to
see his old friends again.
"Go with Bant and find out Obi-Wan", Qui-Gon said, glad to
know that Obi-Wan's friends were there to join him in this
moment.
"Are you sure Qui-Gon? I don't want to leave you alone now."
Obi-Wan was reluctant to leave his Master's side, but he and
his friends hadn't had a chance to get together since they were
all chosen by their Masters and sent on missions to different
parts of the galaxy.
"I think I can let Bant take you away for a while...for a
short while" Qui-Gon whispered those last words on Obi-Wan's
ear as he bent to kiss his temple.
"And he won't be alone Obi-Wan, I'll stay with him and there
are still others who wish to talk to him", Tahl said, smiling
at the two young Padawans.
"Thank you Tahl...I'll hurry back Master", Obi-Wan promised as
he kissed Qui-Gon's cheek.
"Yes, thank you Master Jinn and again, congratulations", Bant
linked her arm through Obi-Wan's and led him away.
Qui-Gon watched as they disappeared among the crowd, feeling
absurdly lonely and wishing his Obi-Wan would indeed return
soon to his side.
"Ah, my friend, your heart is truly lost to him", Tahl said,
sensing her friend's sudden discomfort.
"No Tahl, I've found my heart and it's him", Qui-Gon's
voice was soft but Tahl could feel the truth in his words.
"Come and talk with me Qui-Gon, I want to know when and how
you two fell in love", she said, now more curious than ever.
"I know why I love him Tahl, but to tell you the truth, I
still don't know why he fell in love with his old Master", he
answered, laughing.
"I'm sure we can figure it out together Qui-Gon", Tahl sounded
amused by her friend's admission. She took his arm and allowed
him to guide her through the crowd.
**
Two hours had passed since Obi-Wan had left Qui-Gon. He'd
talked and laughed with his friends, but despite enjoying their
company, he wished to go back to Qui-Gon. Finally, he couldn't
hide his impatience any longer, and Bant had told him to go
ahead and leave already, his other friends had joked about how
he couldn't keep away from his Master. He accepted their banter
gracefully, because he knew they understood him and were happy
for him.
He made his way slowly through the Hall, looking for his
Master, but it was going to be near impossible to find him in
the middle of the hundreds of beings still in the Hall. It was
much simpler to use their growing bond to find Qui-Gon's Force
signature. Obi-Wan sent a small Force pulse through the Hall,
almost immediately he felt a twin pulse responding, guiding him
to his Master.
Obi-Wan followed the pulse to one of the balconies and there
he found his Master. Oui-Gon stood with his back to him, the
gentle breeze played with his long hair and the light of a
thousand stars bathed him, making him look like a magical
creature. Obi-Wan wanted to go to him, but for a minute, he
simple stood where he was, admiring his beloved Master.
Suddenly Qui-Gon turned around and smiled at Obi-Wan, his arms
opening in a silent welcome. Obi-Wan didn't waste any time, he
flew to his beloved's arms, resting his head on a firm
shoulder, his own arms encircling Qui-Gon's waist. He closed
his eyes and sighed happily. It had truly been a perfect
night...well almost perfect. Just one thing was missing, the
one thing that would make this night complete.
He felt something incredibly soft caressing his cheek. He
opened his eyes and saw that Qui-Gon was holding one of the red
flowers decorating the Hall. Obi-Wan lifted his head to look at
Qui-Gon and his Master took the opportunity to continue his
caresses, running the velvety petals along Obi-Wan's other
cheek, up to his forehead and down the bridge of his nose.
Obi-Wan laughed softly, enjoying the sensation. Finally,
Qui-Gon touched Obi-Wan's sensual lips with the petals. His
hand stopped moving for a moment, the flower simply resting
against Obi-Wan's mouth. Slowly, he started the gentle caress
again, watching mesmerized the way the red petals moved across
those soft lips.
Obi-Wan's was breathing harshly now, his heart hammered inside
his chest. He couldn't wait any longer. He closed his fingers
around Qui-Gon's hand, stopping the caress and looked at his
Master, his desire clear in his eyes. Qui-Gon was fairly
shining in the starlight and Obi-Wan thought he had never
looked more beautiful.
Qui-Gon was thinking the same thing of the young man he held
in his arms. Obi-Wan's hair had a fiery shine and his eyes,
full of love and desire, glowed like two jewels. He used his
fingers instead of the flower to touch Obi-Wan's lips,
marveling at their softness. Suddenly, he felt the touch of a
wet tongue licking his fingers and he withdrew his hand
quickly, his fingers throbbing as if they had been burned by a
flame. He took his fingers to his own mouth, sucking them
slowly, tasting Obi-Wan's flavor on them.
He heard a soft moan and felt Obi-Wan's arms tightening around
him. Obi-Wan felt hot, he seemed to be on fire and Qui-Gon
wanted to feel that fire, he wanted to be burned by the living
flame he held in his arms. He took a deep breath as he inclined
his head, seeking Obi-Wan's mouth.
Obi-Wan couldn't breathe, he couldn't move, as he felt a large
hand cupping the back of his head, bringing him closer to
Qui-Gon, until finally, their lips touched.
Gently, Qui-Gon caressed Obi-Wan's lips with his own, as he
had done before with the astrais flower, he traced them with
the tip of his tongue, tasting the sweet perfume of the flower
on them. It was delicious, but he wanted more, wanted to taste
Obi-Wan .
Obi-Wan was in heaven, even this gentle touch of his Master's
lips on his was enough to make his knees tremble and he had to
lean on the larger body to stop himself from sliding to the
floor. But this wasn't enough, he wanted to taste Qui-Gon
fully, so he parted his lips, inviting Qui-Gon inside.
Qui-Gon needed no further encouragement, sliding the tip of
this tongue inside Obi-Wan's mouth, his whole body shaking when
he felt the answering touch of his Padawan's tongue. Finally,
finally, he was going to really kiss ...
"Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan! I've been looking everywhere for you two".
Mace's cheerful voice interrupted them yet again. They quickly
separated and tried to compose themselves.
"Mace! Force, you really have to work on your timing", Qui-Gon
couldn't hide his irritation. He had waited a long time to kiss
Obi-Wan and now that he had the right to do so, it seemed that
he just couldn't find the right time and place.
"What do you mean? I...Oh, Qui-Gon I'm so sorry, please
forgive me", Mace was no fool, he could see the state they were
in; their breathing was still heavy, their eyes still shined
with desire and now they also shined with impatience.
"It's all right Master Windu, I guess we must wait a little
longer", Obi-Wan answered, graciously trying to put the Jedi
Master at ease, but he was just as frustrated as his Master.
They didn't seem to be able to find a moment for themselves.
"I'm afraid you must Obi-Wan. Everyone is waiting for you and
Qui-Gon, we are going to make a toast in your honor, it's
traditional, you know. I'll go tell everyone you are coming",
Mace was still a bit uncomfortable and he quickly walked back
inside the Hall
"Well, a toast, that is nice, don't you think Master?",
Obi-Wan asked teasingly.
"What we were doing was very nice Padawan". Qui-Gon
sighed, and tried to center himself, pushing back his
impatience and his desire, promising himself that there would
be time later for enjoying his Obi-Wan's kiss. He saw that his
Padawan was smoothing his rumpled tunic, trying to calm
himself.
"Come Obi-Wan, we better get back inside now", he said, taking
his Padawan's hand.
"Yes Master",Obi-Wan smiled and squeezed his beloved's hand.
They entered the Hall and a nervous Mace quickly directed them
to the center of the room, were they stood surrounded by their
peers. Master Yoda walked slowly to them with two crystal cups
on his small hands. He offered the cups to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan,
the two men took them and Master Windu filled them with a
golden wine. Meanwhile, everyone in the Hall took their already
filled cups, and they waited for Master Yoda to begin. Finally
the old Master raised his cup, everyone followed his example,
raising their cups and listened attentively to his words.
"To Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, may the Force guide their love always
and may that love be a blessing to all Jedi". His words were
repeated by everyone and when all the cups were emptied, Master
Yoda spoke again.
" Time it is for the traditional dance", he was smiling
mischievously. He knew well that Qui-Gon wouldn't like that at
all.
"Dance?", Qui-Gon looked dismayed at the idea.
"It's traditional Master",Obi-Wan said, obviously enjoying his
Master's distress. "Don't you want to dance with me, my love?",
he asked softly.
Qui-Gon looked at him and smiled. " Yes my Obi-Wan, I want to
dance with you", he answered, taking the young man in his arms.
The Jedi were trained not only for battle and diplomatic
affairs, but also in many arts, music being one of them. The
Jedi musicians were very talented and for this occasion, Master
Yoda had selected the very best. They were on their places,
their instruments were ready and when Master Yoda signaled
them, they began playing. A soft, romantic melody filled the
air and the two men standing in the middle of the floor began
moving, their bodies gracefully following the music.
"Well Qui-Gon, we couldn't have our first kiss, but we're
certainly having our first dance together", despite enjoying
being in his Master's arms, Obi-Wan sounded a bit disappointed.
He'd thought that this night would be perfect for sharing their
first kiss but they had already been interrupted twice and the
night would be over soon.
Qui-Gon shared his disappointment and was about to say
something to console his Padawan, when an idea struck him.
"I think it's time for me to take my own advice Padawan and
live in the moment", he said to a confused Obi-Wan.
He stopped moving and took the handsome face between his
hands. They had waited long enough, he thought. He inclined his
head and kissed Obi-Wan hard, ignoring the clapping that
erupted around them.
Obi-Wan was taken completely by surprise; he had never
expected his reserved Master to kiss him right there, in front
of so many people! But Qui-Gon was right, this was their
moment. Obi-Wan responded to his Master's kiss, forgetting
everything and everyone around them, focusing only on the man
he loved.
They both knew they would share many other kisses, but they
would always remember this one, their first kiss, given and
received with the purest love and joy and witnessed by the
friends who loved them and the colleagues who respected them.
It was the perfect way to end the night.
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