Warnings: um - well - there's a couple of inside jokes
involved.
Summary: Negotiations become too much.
Feedback: I love feedback, but given the discussion of the last
few days I'm almost afraid to say yes.
Notes: This is not my fault! Among other things I caught myself
singing a BackStreet Boys song the other day - my children have
corrupted me. Special thanks to Pumpkin for the once over.
I'm in need of a Beta reader, the people who usually do my
stuff are not into this fandom. Volunteers welcome
"Master, I beg of you, end my life."
Qui-Gon smiled in spite of himself "Obi-Wan no. I understand
the pain, I feel it too."
Obi-Wan clutched at his master's tunic; desperation oozing from
his very pours. "No, Master, I cannot stand it any longer. It
has been three lunar cycles and the pain, the horror of it all
too much for me - please, Qui-Gon, do it now."
"Obi-Wan, it is our duty as Jedi. We must finish these
negotiations; we must put an end to these senseless battles. We
must end the suffering of the millions of parents who will lose
their children to the madness."
"Oh, Master, I know. Forgive me my weakness."
Qui-Gon gently lowered his padawan to the bed and with a subtle
wave of his hand sent the young man into slumber. "Rest, my
young friend. Tomorrow all will be brighter."
But with the dawn returned the agony.
Qui-Gon felt the weariness overtake him. With a force enhanced
thought, he ended the negotiations for the day and ushered his
padawan out of the room.
"Master are you well?"
"No, my Obi-Wan, I fear that I too am feeling the effect of the
pronounced difficulties we have encountered. Come, we shall
retire and meditate, perhaps we can find a way to survive this
with our sanity intact."
The two men returned to the rooms they had been assigned. To
Obi-Wan this was the one bright spot of this entire mess. He
and Qui-Gon were sharing a spacious room, well appointed and
serene. The best part was that in this culture if two men were
travelling together it was assumed that they were lovers, so
they had been issued a one-bedroom suite.
For the last six lunar cycles they had been sharing one big,
very comfortable, bed.
Paradise.
Except, of course, for the fact that instead of being able to
take advantage and finally seduce his reluctant master he had
been falling into a Force enhanced sleep in his master's arms;
the agony of the daily conversations taxing him beyond his
ability to cope.
A minute faltering of his master's step brought Obi-Wan back to
the present. Qui-Gon was so very tired and Obi-Wan instantly
felt a flash of guilt.
"No, Obi-Wan, duty aside, little is as important to me as your
well being. You have needed me, and I have found I enjoyed
being needed."
The smile that Obi-Wan gave him made everything worth while.
Obi-Wan sank into the deep hot water and moaned aloud at the
sheer wanton pleasure of the feeling. The soft scent of Giala
flowers, somehow masculine despite their ethereal perfume, only
added to the experience. Oh Force, how he needed this.
"You look most happy in that tub, my Padawan."
"Mmmm, join me." The moment the words were out of his mouth
Obi-Wan could only wish that the water would turn to molten
lava and engulf him.
To his relief, and his disappointment, Qui-Gon simply smiled at
him. "You are relaxed. Call me when you decide you have had
enough - I shall rebraid your hair and perhaps help you with a
guided meditation - it has been too long, my Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan relaxed back into the aromatic water, the long hard
negotiations of the day temporarily set aside, nudged from his
mind by the simple joy of being near his master.
"Master - kill me now!"
Sith take it, were they back to this again? Qui-Gon had hoped
that his Padawan had finally made peace with himself, if not
the Negotiators. Qui-Gon sighed. Obi-Wan did have a point;
these last two had been the worst so far. Very nice beings -
only...
"Master?"
"Apologies, my Obi-Wan, I was lost in thought. Have you decided
to live after all? Perhaps I could help you to find something
worth living for."
Obi-Wan blushed from his toenails to the top of his head. Or
perhaps it was more than a blush... Whatever it was, Qui-Gon
found he quite liked it.
They continued on to the room, and the bed they shared. This
mission held an entirely different set of difficulties for
Qui-Gon than it did for his young apprentice. He was beginning
to wonder how much longer he could ignore the desires of his
soul and the song of the Force telling him to follow his heart.
"New Ambassadors, Master? Again? How much longer are we
expected to deal with this? Master, I beg of you, find a way to
end this." Obi-Wan stalked across the room and knelt at his
Master's feet. "Qui-Gon Jinn, I tell you now that if we have to
remain here for very much longer what little control I have
left will be... Oh Master..." He bowed his head, in
frustration, in apology, in despair.
"Come to bed, Padawan, you need sleep."
"Sleep, Master, is not what I need."
"Then perhaps, my Obi-Wan, you should come to bed and tell me
what it is you do need."
Obi-Wan raised his head and looked into the dark depths of his
master's eyes. It was time. The Force guided him in all things
and now it was telling him that it was finally time. "Yes,
Master, I believe you are correct, that is exactly what I
should do."
He rose to his feet with a fluid grace and took Qui-Gon's hand.
Together they walked to the bed and together they began to
disrobe. Obi-Wan looked up into the eyes of his master, the man
he loved with a depth that amazed him. "Is it really this easy,
Master?"
Qui-Gon broke into an easy grin. "Not everything must be a
challenge, my Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan ran his fingers over the now naked torso of his soon to
be lover. So many scars, so many stories, so much life lived.
How he loved this man. Joy sang in his mind and in his heart as
he reached up to kiss the lips that had tantalised him for so
very long.
"I love you."
"Do you know how long I have loved you, Obi-Wan? How I have
longed to touch you, to make you mine? Come to me, let me show
you."
"I am yours, my Master, I always have been."
Fatigue, their constant companion during these long
negotiations, also joined them in their bed. But it did nothing
to diminish the wonder Obi-Wan felt as he made love with
Qui-Gon for the first time. A thousand times his master had
touched his face, but never before had the gentle fingers left
a trail of fire in their wake. The beard burned, but the tender
lips caressed and soothed. The heat of Qui-Gon's body seeped
into his, warming him though he had not realised he was cold.
Theirs was not a passionate joining, for that was not the Jedi
way. Theirs was a coming together of souls. Not a raging river
of desire but a stream, ever gentle, ever flowing. Obi-Wan felt
the Force gather within him as Qui-Gon worshiped him with his
mouth and hands and he found himself trembling with the power
of it.
A caress, demanding as it was gentle, swept down his spine and
over the soft round flesh then become even more intimate as
Qui-Gon asked without words. Eyes shinning, he looked into the
eyes of his love, but saw a brief shadow in them. He knew, as
surely as if he had heard the words in his mind, what troubled
the older man.
"No, my Master, not take - for it is a gift I give to you
freely, and with all the love I can give to another." A ripple
of pleasure, soul deep, passed thorough him as Qui-Gon's
fingers took what had been offered.
There was no pain. Only pleasure beyond any he had ever known.
He felt Qui-Gon's release, fire within fire marking his soul
and then his body surrendered and he knew Serenity.
"Master, please kill me."
"Obi-Wan, I promise you there will be an end to this soon. I
suspect we shall eventually run out of negotiators."
Obi-Wan didn't even try to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.
"There are 158 different races on this planet and I refuse to
meet with any more of them. Master, I refuse."
Qui-Gon looked at the two newest Ambassadors standing before
him and for the briefest moment in time considered honouring
Obi-Wan's request. Only the sweet taste of his Padawan's love
had allowed him to survive these last few cycles. But enough,
quite honestly, was enough.
"No more, gentle beings. I will state my name for the scribes
for the last time. If we are unable to finish today we shall
leave this place while we still are able. You are a proud and
honourable coalition of races, but even the patience of a Jedi
is not without end."
"I am Master Qui-Gon Jinn, Ambassador for the Republic, I come
in peace."
The Negotiators stepped forward and identified themselves for
the records
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