Masquerade 5 – Gros Bon Ange

by Oncidium

Archive: M_A and my own site. Others please ask

Category: PWP, slight angst

Pairing: Qui/Obi

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: None. Well okay one cameo appearance by The Great Satchmo, who is no longer with us except in spirit and song. What a Wonderful World.

Summary: Fifth in a PWP series. The Code may forbid emotional attachments, but it cannot stop them. Two Jedi are about to embark on the greatest masquerade of all.

Disclaimer: The characters in this story do not belong to me; they belong to George Lucas. I just like to play with them and will try and return them in somewhat the condition in which they were found. No money was made.

Feedback: Makes my Obi!Muse dance ( hellsmouth@sympatico.ca )

Notes: Part 4 – Um, there was masks, there was sex. Qui-Gon told Obi-Wan he loved him and Obi-Wan didn't seem to react at all well to that.

Gros Bon Ange – The spirit of love unconditional. Equally benficent is this love; it gives its all to each, giving no thought to time or place, right or wrong.

The smoke from a patron's mouth curled and headed up to join the grey haze at the ceiling. Qui-Gon watched it join the morass that blanketed the ceiling in a thin fog and cringed inwardly. It had been Obi-Wan's idea to go down to one of the numerous music venues that made Vau'Karreh famous, ostensibly to observe more of the native culture of this exotic little planet, but he was becoming suspicious that the true reason was so the young man would not have to be alone with him for very long after last night.

He picked up the large, bulbous glass filled with a highly alcoholic red-orange drink he had been indulging in all that evening, not bothering to purge the intoxicants from his system. He silently watched Obi-Wan's profile as the young man paid rapt attention to the musicians on stage. Instead of a mask that evening, he had decided to let one of the many street artisans paint his face with iridescent scales, the colour of one of the many species of fish that inhabited the deep, murky waters of Vau'Karreh. The effect was startling, as the light caught the silvery paint and it shone and dazzled in small refracted spectrums. But the paint did not obscure his fine features or large, stormy eyes and Qui-Gon was once again struck with how beautiful Obi-Wan truly was. How beautiful, desirable and completely unattainable.

Qui-Gon took another long swallow of the almost sickeningly sweet drink and thumped the glass down on the table with a little more force then what he was intending, causing one of the bar maids near their table to jump slightly and hurry to get him another. Obi-Wan turned and looked at him with one eyebrow cocked, but said nothing. Qui-Gon wished he would, the silence that had descended between them was almost unbearable. He wanted to hear his padawan yell, scream, just say something. Tell him how unfair it was for him to expect more of him than he was able, or even willing to give. But Obi-Wan remained silent and slowly his attention was drawn back to the stage, where a dark, portly man was singing in a smoke-gravelled voice about how it was a wonderful world.

Qui-Gon wished he could believe him.

And what had he been expecting when he told Obi-Wan that he loved him? For his padawan to just throw away years of Jedi training in order to be with him? How could he expect him to do anything he was not willing to do himself? They were not only Jedi first, they were Jedi only and the type of relationship he wanted with the young man was strictly forbidden. He indeed had no rights to Obi-Wan and to tell him he loved him had been unfair. But he still could not entirely quell the possessiveness he felt even now. The bitter taste of bile that rose in his throat when one of the young people Obi-Wan had befriended would stop by the table and companionably squeeze the young man's arm or lean in to share a short conversation, choked him even now.

He wanted to grab his apprentice away from their cloying hands and hungry eyes, take him back to their quarters and ravish him until he also felt he was drowning under the muddy water of emotions that he could not control. Qui-Gon closed his eyes, realising the drink was making him irrational and that it would be best if he left before he made more of a hash of his relationship with his padawan than he had already. He somewhat unsteadily got to his feet, leaving credits to pay for the drinks and left the bar.

He distantly heard the door open and close again behind him and a set of footsteps echoing his own, distinct to him even with the surrounding party goers pushing in at all sides and filling the night with their irreverent din. He could feel his padawan's Force signature shadowing him up the garish main street, not falling behind, nor drawing nearer. He wanted to call to the young man and tell him to go back to the bar that he would be fine, but he knew his dutiful apprentice would make sure that no harm came to his doddering old master while he was slightly intoxicated.

Qui-Gon turned away from the bustling main street into an even smaller cobbled alleyway. A sudden flash of light illuminated the darkened doorways and ornate iron railings that lined the passage and the low rumble of thunder resonated down it's confining depths. A chill wind picked up and caused the flickering gaslights to dance and waver in their lamp prisons, beating against the iron and glass, demanding to be set free.

Another flash of light ignited the night sky, heralding the imminent storm. Still the maddening footsteps trailed behind Qui-Gon, making him impatient. He wished Obi-Wan would either come forward or give up this pursuit. It wasn't as if he were even trying to conceal himself from the older man and the distance he kept only served to remind him that things had now irrevocably changed between them. He flinched slightly as the first fat drop of rain hit his cheek and painted a cool trail down toward his beard. Soon more drops followed and the air was filled with the sound of the staccato beat of the rain on the stones and small, muddy rivers collected in the middle of the alley and rushed toward the sewer grates under the sidewalks.

Qui-Gon bowed his head against the chilly rain and kept moving forward, not fully knowing where he was intending on going. Another bolt of lightening rent the air above him and the sound of the footsteps behind him still didn't falter. He pushed on to the end of the alley and was surprised to see that it led out to the usually busy, central garden. The vendors, musicians and fortunetellers had all made for dryer areas as the storm beat down on the exposed area. The iron gates of the main part of the garden were closed and locked, as was the habit for safety after dark, but with a slight manipulation of the Force, Qui-Gon managed to swing open one of the large, heavy doors and walk in. He had barely made it to the central part of the lush, green park, where a statue of a man on a horse kept silent vigil over the harbour, when a clear voice called out over the din of the storm, "Master! Qui-Gon… STOP!"

Qui-Gon stopped and let out a heavy sigh, but dared not turn around to face his Padawan as he jogged up behind him. "Obi-Wan, you didn't have to follow me. You could have stayed at the club …"

"What, after you up and left without a word? Not a good night, not telling me where you're going? Master, you owe me an explanation," Obi-Wan's voice was steady but had the slight trill of irritation that always exposed when he was fighting anger.

"I just supposed after last night that I might be persona non gratta and that perhaps you might like to find more genial company for the evening," Qui-Gon replied, affecting a lecturing air as if he were simply explaining a finer precept of philosophy for the young man.

"You can't fool me, Qui-Gon, I've known you too long. You were running from me and I want to know why. What about last night?"

Qui-Gon turned to look at Obi-Wan with incredulity. "Padawan, you can't be saying that you don't remember…"

"Yes, of course I remember. We were out having fun, we got caught up in the moment, we…"

"I told you that I loved you and that was unfair and you…"

Obi-Wan looked at his Master, his eyes filled with regret. "I reacted badly and I am sorry for that. I was scared, Master."

Qui-Gon shook his head slowly. "I wish I could take it back, Obi- Wan. Have things the way they were."

"I don't. Yes, I was scared, Master. I was scared because you made me realise at that moment and for the first time ever, I cursed being who I am. I didn't want to be a Jedi. That I would give you my life and my soul if they were mine to give, but when you took me on as your padawan learner, I made a commitment to the Jedi. One I don't want to break and I would never expect you to break yours either." The rain beat down on Obi-Wan's slender frame, drenching him and washing away the paint on his face, bit by bit exposing the man underneath.

Qui-Gon could not find words to answer and felt as if a wave were pulling him under as he looked into the grey-green depths of Obi- Wan's eyes. The young man's chest, pale in the darkened surrounding, rose and fell rapidly with his panting breath. Another bolt of lightening shrieked across the night sky and the sound of thunder overtook the hammering of his heart in his ears.

After a long silence Obi-Wan finally spoke again, "I never imagined before this what it would be like to not be a Jedi and now I wonder what it would have been like to just be two people. No more master and padawan, no more Jedi, just you and me, just Qui-Gon and Obi- Wan. Sith take me, Qui-Gon, I love you."

The last sentence was barely a whisper and he almost didn't hear it above the raging on the storm. "You love me?" he shouted into the gale.

"Yes! You tiresome old goat, " Obi-Wan's voice trickled back to him, ringing with barely contained mirth. Now that Obi-Wan has said it, it was as if a curtain had been lifted from between them. "You're pushy, and headstrong, you never listen to counsel and you like to barge ahead without giving thought to the outcome. What's not to love?"

Qui-Gon joined in Obi-Wan's mirth and his tenor laugh joined and danced in the wind with Obi-Wan's alto voice. The younger man seemed to sombre again slightly as his eyes bore into Qui-Gon's with a decidedly predatory regard.

"You are also kind hearted, generous and just." Obi-Wan stalked forward, the last of the paint washing away from his face, leaving it bare to Qui-Gon's hungry gaze.

He stopped barely inches away from his master, the cool rainwater starting to rise back up from his heating skin in a small warm cloud. "Padawan…" Qui-Gon began to say before a hot, insistent mouth was pressed against his in a demanding kiss. The shock of the intensity of this first kiss caused Qui-Gon to gasp harshly.

"Shhhh," Obi-Wan said as he broke the kiss slightly, keep his lips feather light against those of the older man. "No more padawan, no more master… call me Obi-Wan."

"Obi-Wan." Just saying the name was like a benediction to Qui-Gon. A prayer to the Force itself in thanks of sending him such a beautiful spirit, and that he loved him in return was more then he ever hoped.

He claimed the warm lips pressed lightly against his own in another kiss, this time allowing his tongue to tease and dip into the younger man's mouth. He both heard and felt the smaller man moan as he pressed himself in further, moulding himself to the lithe, young body.

The sky above them had turned into a boiling torrent of cloud and rain, billowing and rolling with barely contained violence, as the two figures in the park clung to each other, writhing together. The sky lit up with a bright white bolt of energy, briefly illuminating the two men as lips parted and Qui-Gon nuzzled deeply into Obi-Wan's smooth throat, the scratch of his beard pulling a soul deep moan from his apprentice. He felt the heated length of the young man's arousal press into him through their leggings, as the young man started to arch and rub sinuously against him.

Qui-Gon ran his hands appreciatively over the bare torso before him feeling the flesh pebble under the onslaught of sensation and chill of the rain. He heard Obi-Wan groan deeply as he rubbed the pads of his thumbs over sensitive nipples and they hardened ever further. He leaned further down to capture one of the rosy nubs in his mouth and sucked hard causing the young man to gasp and start pleading.

"Ohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohplease…" Qui-Gon heard the litany, almost a chant, escape from the younger man, and was not sure if Obi-Wan was begging for him to continue or stop. His answer came when he unlaced and started to push the young man's leggings down. Another bolt ripped through the sky, exposing the rounded buttocks and rampant erection to the greedy eyes of his soon to be lover and the young man let out a hiss through clenched teeth that sounded suspiciously like "Yessssssss."

Qui-Gon fell to his knees before the pale young man and looked up at him. He looked like a living marble sculpture under a courtyard fountain, against the dark, tumultuous sky. His head thrown back in fierce pleasure as rivulets of water cascaded down his shoulders and chest and running from the tip of his padawan braid. The water ran over Qui-Gon's fingers as it gathered and sluiced down the indentation of Obi-Wan's spine and spilled down the crack of his buttocks.

With a firm grip, he held the young man's hips still and slowly ran his tongue up the underside of the rampant erection before him. Obi- Wan's eyes flew open and he looked down to lock eyes with his master. Qui-Gon opened his mouth and took in just the tip of the young man's cock, before closing his lips around it and sucking. He felt the young man's knees buckle, and so released him, in order to manoeuvre him toward the base of the statue, where he let him sag against the rough concrete block.

He kissed and licked Obi-Wan's heated length and the sky grew wilder as it mirrored the chaotic emotions that flitted over the young man's face. Qui-Gon took as much of his padawan's cock into his mouth as he could and used his hand to stroke and fondle what the rocking hips could not push into the welcome heat of his throat, his own throbbing member still trapped in the confines of his leggings. Too soon, he heard the young man start to moan and pant his name into the wild darkness and fingers scrabbled against his tunic, not sure if they were trying to pull him closer or push him away. Obi-Wan's hips began to rock forward harder and he sought purchase on the older man to drive himself to completion.

The rain pounded down around them, swallowing Obi-Wan's cry as Qui- Gon released his erection, but still savouring the salty, bitter taste of the young man's precome as it rolled over his tongue in viscous strands. He wanted to both he and his padawan to find their release while he was buried in the hot grasp of the young man's body.

He made a move to turn him toward the drenched wall so he could access his padawan's most intimate opening, when the young man shook his head. Slowly and deliberately he unlaced the older man's leggings and released the throbbing manhood before he finished removing his own completely and braced his arms a long the top of the cement slab. "Take me like this, Qui, I want to see you."

Qui-Gon didn't know how he found the momentum to carry himself forward just then. But with the wind howling thought the trees and the rain beating into his skin, he moved forward and lifted his padawan's legs over his hips.

He offered his hand to the young man, who greedily sucked on his fingers to wet them further, eliciting a groan from him and causing his erection to grow even more insistent. He withdrew his fingers from the hot, insistent mouth and slowly circled his apprentice's puckered opening with one of the slick digits, then pressed inside.

The moans and cries his padawan was making, as he added a second finger and began to scissor them to loosen the tight ring of muscle, was almost his undoing. But he managed to hold back his impending orgasm and then removed his fingers and slowly slid inside the willing body.

It was so tight and hot, being held within his beloved like this. Even better than he remembered. He slid part way out and them pressed back in, dragging a gasp from the younger man. As his body's needs took over, he found he was thrusting quicker and harder into the compliant man braced against the cement block. He was dimply aware that the rough surface would have to be abrading the tender skin Obi-Wan's back, but he could not stop.

Obi-Wan's gasps and cries and please for more, harder, faster, spurred him on as he picked the pace up to a punishing tempo. The rutting of their bodies was accentuated by the wet slap of skin on skin as his soaked leggings fell to down around his boots and the rain still fell over them.

He was pulling out almost all the way and pressing back in roughly as his need reached a fevered pitch and he buried his face against the side of his padawan's neck. Obi-Wan was keening and bucking down onto the thrusting cock that impaled him, driving his own hunger to a fevered pitch. Qui-Gon reached between them and started to stroke the young man's cock in counter point to his thrusts and all too soon Obi-Wan stiffened and came, the clenching of his body around Qui- Gon's heated length, pulling the him over the edge.

Ha sagged against his apprentice, nuzzling his face tenderly into the crook of the young man's shoulder, trying to regain his breath and just soaking in his presence. Regretfully, his softening cock finally slipped free from Obi-Wan, but still he clung to him as the rain pattered down lightly on them, not wanting to let go but knowing that it would be only a matter of time before it would be inevitable.

Slowly, he lowered Obi-Wan's legs back to the ground and helped him back on with his sopping, muddy leggings, before re-lacing his own.

After clothing was set to right, they walked back out of the park silently. Qui-Gon, who was the Jedi's top negotiator and always prided himself on living in the here and now, was at a loss for words for the second time that night. Nothing seemed to fit such a momentous occasion. To love and know you are loved; would there ever be a way of putting the enormity of it in words.

Standing next to him, Obi-Wan looked up at the pale face of the moon as she peeked out from behind the clouds to smile down on the wet street. He took Qui-Gon's hand and squeezed it.

"Looks like the rain has stopped for now," he said, and smiled at his mentor before he led him out into the street.