Archive: yes to M_A and The Nesting Place. Anywhere else, just
ask
Rating: PG
Category: H/C, angst
Summary: A frustrated Obi-Wan takes a walk in a summer's
rainstorm.
Feedback: I'll beg for it, if need be.
Warning: Not beta'd. Just me and my little spelling checker.
Um, no smut, as you can see in the rating. It just wouldn't
fit!
Disclaimer: George Lucas created a playground called Star Wars.
Then he gave us toys known as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn.
How could I possibly resist playing with them? <g>
Obi-Wan Kenobi sat in the middle of the covered garden, deep in
meditation. Or, at least, he would've been deep in meditation
if there hadn't been a constant pounding rain on the
transparisteel coverings. He opened his eyes and inhaled
deeply. The scent of several exotic flowers filled his senses:
not just smell, but taste and touch, also. He smiled despite
his earlier feeling of annoyance.
Laying back on the hard concrete ground of the garden, he
looked toward the transparent ceiling and watched the rain pour
down, hitting the glass, then rolling off to the sides. It was
peaceful. Annoying, yet strangely peaceful. A comlink buzz
broke through the serenity.
"Yes, Master?" he asked into the device.
Qui-Gon Jinn seemed surprised that his student knew it was him.
Obi-Wan was turning out to be a well-disciplined student after
all. "Padawan, the weather reports predict that this storm is
going to last all night and well through tomorrow morning. Will
you be alright by yourself?"
"Master, it won't be the first night I've spent alone." He
smiled into the comlink, trying to disguise his pained voice.
"Of course, Obi-Wan. I will see you tomorrow, then. Good
night." The link was closed off.
Obi-Wan shut off the com and folded his arms behind his head.
It had been a week since he'd told his Master his real feelings
toward him. When he was young, there was sort of a hero-worship
he connected with Qui-Gon. As he grew older, the admiration had
grown into love. He loved his master, not only as that, but as
a friend and as something more. Slowly, he realized that he was
in love with Qui-Gon. He had promised himself that the
other man wouldn't find out, but no matter how deep he buried
his thoughts, they still betrayed him. Obi-Wan could still
remember that day, one week ago when Qui-Gon sat him down...
"Padawan. Something troubles you."
They were sitting at a table in their common room. Obi-Wan was
concentrating on his cup of tea, avoiding eye contact. Qui-Gon
was obviously worried. In all the years he had trained his
student, no secrets had been kept. He reached forward to take
Obi-Wan's hand, but the other had moved back quickly, as if he
were being burnt.
"I'll be alright," he lied.
The older man sighed. "Obi-Wan, you should know by now that you
can't hide things from me. Especially your feelings."
An hour later, the young man had been at his breaking point.
Near tears, in fact.
"So what troubles you-"
Obi-Wan cut him off sharply. "I'm in love with you!" he burst
out. Immediately he stood and walked into his bedchamber,
determined not to cry in front of the Jedi Master.
A week later and Obi-Wan still didn't know how his Master felt
toward him. Shrugging off the remnants of last week, he
stretched and took off his robe, folding it into a pillow. For
the past week, the garden had been his bed, and he'd only
returned to his shared quarters with Qui-Gon to shower and
change. He even ate out to avoid dining with the man.
He tried to sleep, but he wasn't tired. Standing up, he draped
his robe around his shoulders and began walking the intricate
maze of the garden. He closed his eyes, letting the Force guide
him to the exit. The droid that worked at the garden door
stopped him.
"Jedi Kenobi," it choked out, calling the man by name, "I'm
afraid I cannot let you leave."
"Why not?" he asked.
"According to charts, this storm is very dangerous."
Obi-Wan listened to the small metallic hum emitted from the
droid. He sighed gently, leaned forward, and disconnected the
droid. He hated to do it; LN-494 had been a good companion when
he needed to talk without being judged. "Sorry, LN." He smiled
slightly then walked out of the garden.
The overhang, which was also transparent, went right to the
street, covering part of the sidewalk. He glanced up; there was
minimal traffic. Storms on Coruscant were rare, as most of the
climate was controlled. Unfortunately, nothing is one hundred
per cent effective and the meteorologist droids had failed to
stop this tempest.
He didn't mind, however, letting the cool rain drench himself
and his robes as he walked along the sidewalk. His pace was
slow and confident, his hands clasped nonchalantly within the
sleeves of his robe. The sound of footsteps behind him grew
closer.
"Hey! Hey buddy!" Obi-Wan turned around. An umbrella was placed
over his head and he was greeted by a middle-aged man dressed
in a Republic business suit and raincoat. He wore a look of
ambivalence: worry for the Jedi and shock that someone would be
stupid enough to walk slowly through such a storm. "Are you
nuts?"
"Pardon?"
"The storm's kickin' up. Come on, I'll get you a transport
home." The man's northern Coruscant accent was unmistakable.
"I'll be alright," Obi-Wan answered, his voice perfectly calm.
The man looked him up and down. "A Jedi. Yeah... figures. Your
group is about as nutty as they come."
Before the stunned Padawan could respond, the man was racing
for a transport. He shrugged and kept walking.
A few hours later, he was still trudging through the streets of
Coruscant, the storm was still raging. He looked up, droplets
hitting him on the face. Lightning shattered the sky,
illuminating the dark clouds. He walked a few more blocks. What
started out as a calm walk through a summer storm was now
freezing his body slowly.
The Jedi Academy Temple was a few hundred feet away. Obi-Wan
quickened his pace and reached the doors, welcoming the warm
feel that followed. He took the stairs, wanting to avoid anyone
he would encounter on the turbolifts. Unfortunately, the Jedi
apartments were on the fifth floor. He sighed, cursing himself
harshly, then began the long trek up the stairs.
He tripped a few times and his vision was blurring.
Damnit He sat on one of the steps and his breath
quickened. He realized that he was suffering the symptoms of
one of the many illnesses caused by a Coruscant storm. Using
the Force to nullify most of the symptoms, he climbing the rest
of the stairs quickly. Damn his pride. If he hadn't taken the
stairs he would've been in his bed, wrapped in his warm
blankets by now.
The corridor seemed longer than it used to be, stretching out
before him. He stumbled down the hall, almost forgetting which
door was his. The robes tangled around his feet and he fell.
After untangling the offensive garb, he moved to stand up and
was greeted with a sharp pain in his stomach.
"Ohhh...." he moaned gently, wrapping his arms around his
middle. He bit back a scream as the pain came again.
"Obi-Wan?!"
The voice seemed so frantic and far away. He rolled over,
trying to get the stomach pains to stop. He sneezed once, then
again, followed by a series of phlegm-filled coughs. A taste
rose from his stomach and into his mouth. He clenched his
teeth, determined to force the taste back down.
A pair of strong hands picked him up and soon he was cradled in
someone's arms. He snuggled close, trying to use the Force to
stop his feverish state. He was shivering. The person, whom he
couldn't place at the time, carried him into his bedchambers
and hurriedly stripped him of his clothes. After being dried
with a few towels, he was wrapped in a cotton-like cloak and
tucked into bed.
Obi-Wan tried to enjoy the feel of the puffy blanket that was
around him, but the shivering wouldn't stop and soon he was
sweating and his stomach still hurt something awful. Tears
streaked his face and he clutched another pillow to his chest.
There was an extra weight on the bed and healing hands were
placed upon his forehead. Minutes later, he was unconscious.
Dark. Shadows. He was nervous. Where was he? What happened?
Shadows. Everywhere. The Dark Side. He shivered. Master? he
called out. He was scared. Scared and alone.
"Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan, wake up."
He woke up screaming. The same pair of hands that had saved him
the other night were now holding him down, trying to stop him
from writhing. He calmed down and buried himself in the warmth
of the other body. He was crying again.
"Shhh... Obi-Wan..." The voice was full of concern. He snuggled
closer to it, enjoying the deep, comforting tone.
"D-d-dark s-side," he stuttered. "Sh-shadows."
"It was a nightmare, Padawan. You have nothing to fear."
One of the strong hands came around and rubbed his back slowly,
lulling him almost into sleep. Suddenly he jumped up and ran
into the bathroom. Just barely he made it to the sink, vomiting
whatever he had eaten earlier. He gripped the edge of the sink,
shaking almost violently.
A glance in the mirror. He looked like hell and felt at least
ten times worse. Qui-Gon came up behind him with a glass of
water. Grateful, he took it and rinsed the foul taste out of
his mouth. His master picked up the fallen robe and wrapped it
around the other man's shoulders. Obi-Wan was still shivering.
He allowed himself to be helped to the bed where he was wrapped
again in warm, puffy covers.
The sound of running water in the bathroom lulled him to sleep
slowly.
He opened his eyes then immediately regretted doing so.
Sunlight spilled into the room, nearly blinding him. He winced,
then blinked a few times. He laid in the warm bed for a few
minutes, trying to figure out what happened. It all came
flooding back. The storm, the illness, the pair of strong
hands. He turned to his side and realized the only thing he was
wearing was his master's robe.
Qui-Gon. He glanced around the room and saw the Jedi Master
sleeping in one of the plush chairs in the room. Despite his
condition, he smiled. His teacher had been there to watch over
him. He settled back into the bed, feeling much better than he
had the previous night.
"Are you awake, Obi-Wan?" The bed shifted under the other man's
weight. A hand rested on the Padawan's forehead. "Your fever's
gone down. How do you feel?"
"Relaxed," he said, stretching slightly. He yawned.
Qui-Gon chuckled; a soft, melodic tone. "I'm impressed."
"Impressed?" He would've thought his master to be disgusted
with his actions.
"You used the Force to heal your fever from the inside out. I
hardly needed to help. Even though you were shaking and having
nightmares, somehow you managed to use your knowledge to help
yourself."
"I was stupid," he said quietly.
Once again, strong arms embraced him. "Going out in a storm
isn't quite akin to intelligence, but what you lacked in common
sense you made up with your ability to control and manipulate
the Force. I'm proud of you."
Obi-Wan looked up into his master's eyes. He was greeted with
warm lips pressed against his own. His own arms wrapped around
Qui-Gon's neck, pulling him closer. He opened his mouth to
deepen the kiss, but the other pulled out gently.
"Let's wait until you are completely healed." He winked and
grinned slyly.
The younger man hugged him tightly and whispered into the
tunic, "I love you."
A kiss was placed in the spiky hair, and immediately after, a
whisper, "I love you, too." Obi-Wan glanced up at his master,
seeking confirmation. "I battled with my feelings, but I can't
deny how much I love you." Qui-Gon brushed his lips across his
student's temple.
He snuggled into his master's arms and smiled. Everything would
be alright now.
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