Master Apprentice
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Two Hundred and Counting
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Title: Two Hundred and Counting
Author: Merry Amelie
Archive: MA only
Category: Alternate Reality, Qui/Obi, Romance, Series
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Luke University's 200th anniversary falls on the Fourth of July.
Series: Academic Arcadia -- # 161
A chronological list of the series with the URLs can be found under the header 'Academic Arcadia' at the Master Apprentice ML.
My MA story page is here.
Feedback: Is treasured at MerryAmelie@aol.com.
Disclaimer: Mr. Lucas owns everything Star Wars. I'm not making any money.
For
My beta team: Nerowill, Emila-Wan, and Carol
Mali Wane for posting
My former betas: Alex, Ula, and Padawan Sue
Story references:
1810 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Frédéric Chopin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert Schumann - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fireworks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The first strained meeting with the Mastersons is detailed in Orbital Anomaly.
Here are the yearly Academic Arcadia Fourth of July stories:
2004 -- 27) Independence Day: Let Freedom Ring
2005 -- 48) Declaration of Independence
2006 -- 81) Meditations on Freedom
2007 -- 105) An Arcadian Picnic
2008 -- 127) A Dazzling Display
2009 -- 145) Fourth and Maine (my favorite)
Academic Arcadia -- It all started with A Symposium on Love back in 2003.
This is my 200th story on the MA archive. I could not have gotten up to 200 without all of your support. Thank you very much!
To Mali and Emila
Luke 200
The cream and brown banner fluttered in the breeze as Quinn and Ian drove by the stadium in the THX. The 200th anniversary of Luke University's founding was sparking celebrations all over campus, especially since it coincided with the July 4th holiday weekend. Summer session, always a bit laid back, had picked up more steam this year because of the festivities.
The Skyhawks' teams were giving a series of exhibitions during the week, and this included the gymnastics squad. On the academic and cultural fronts, 1810 became the focal point of the festival, with a concentration on the luminaries born in that year, as well as the music, literature, and artwork produced then.
"200 years!" Quinn exclaimed. He smiled over at Ian while they waited for the campus bus ahead of them to take on students. "This was before your time, but I still remember how exciting it was in 1976, during the Bicentennial."
"Oh, I wish I'd been there with you." Ian sighed. "You were what, all of four?"
Quinn nodded. "I'll never forget sitting on my dad's shoulders in Times Square." The bus started up again, and Quinn followed suit.
"Aw, you must've been just adorable." Ian recalled some of the photos Ginny had given him of the little Quinn at about this age. He could scarcely believe Lelia was older than that by now.
Quinn blushed, adorable still, especially in the loving eyes of his husband. "I was thrilled. Think New Year's Eve and Fourth of July, all rolled into one."
Ian gazed at him, enthralled, drinking in Quinn's profile as he concentrated on the road.
"My parents let me stay up way past my bedtime to see the fireworks. That's when I saw Roman candles for the first time."
Ian could just see it, thoroughly captivated by his favorite storyteller. "Well, I don't think we can top that, but at least there'll be fireworks tonight."
After a concert at the Student Center, the university was hosting a display on the banks of the Saastan. They'd passed the phalanxes of folding chairs on their way to Taton.
"The important thing is that our parents are going to be here." Quinn hummed under his breath.
"Even with my folks staying overnight with us?" Ian teased.
Quinn chuckled for him. "We'll get a chance to practice the art of tranquility. It's not a challenge if there's no one to hear."
Quinn had won that round definitively; Ian's mouth was open, but he couldn't muster words. He'd assumed that they'd skip the lovemaking tonight. Now this was a challenge he had to take on.
Quinn pulled into a parking space at Taton Hall, scanning the lot for their guests. No sign of them yet, so he and Ian checked their mail before heading upstairs. The cleaning crew was off for the weekend, freeing the office for just themselves until their parents showed up.
Their parents' visit was an echo of that first strained meeting years ago, where they'd seen Wilde's 'The Importance of Being Earnest' and later endured the skewed commentary of the Mastersons. Back then, who would have thought that they'd ever give their blessing to Ian and Quinn's relationship? It seemed like a different universe now for all of them, what with three married couples attending the celebration, truly something to celebrate.
They would walk to the Student Center theater at a quarter to seven, where the Luke Symphony Orchestra, conducted by William Johnson, was performing that night. The program featured the works of Chopin and Schumann, both born in 1810, as well as Independence Day favorites. After the musical fireworks, they'd head out to see the real thing. In deference to the open-air activities to come, the dress code for the theater was suspended for that night.
Quinn chuckled as he sat back in his chair, wondering if his parents had saved their cruise clothing, memories of Hawaiian shirts and flip-flops still all too vivid.
Ian perched on Quinn's desk, one of his favorite positions, especially while wearing shorts that allowed him to drum his sneakers on the drawer in comfort. He took his herven's hand, relishing the relaxed curl of Quinn's fingers around his own. "I remember how tense you were the first time we got together with your folks and mine."
Ian would never forget that night --
Quinn began to pace as soon as he and Ian walked through the door to their office. After a few passes, Ian intersected Quinn's path to grip his upper arms bracingly. They exchanged a fierce look, as if they were about to go to war.
-- And neither would Quinn, but they had come through it together and ultimately won. Eyes aglow, Quinn said, "No need for a battle anymore."
"None whatsoever," Ian agreed.
Quinn squeezed his hand, love shining in his eyes. They had won through, finally attaining the freedom that was at the very heart of the Fourth of July.
They heard footsteps in the corridor and rose to greet their parents together. Their office hadn't been this animated since Kathy and Monty had brought Lelia over for a visit last month. A happy group set out for the Student Center, the couples naturally gravitating together as they strolled along in pairs.
Arriving at the theater, they headed for the balcony, because tickets in the orchestra had been sold out for weeks. The professors had the unique experience of sliding into their theater seats dressed in Luke t-shirts and shorts, while their mothers wore sundresses and their fathers sported polo shirts and summer slacks. Ian felt lighter, more than could be accounted for by the weight of his clothes. He grinned at his considerate Quinn, who slouched in his seat as usual, to give the woman behind him a better view.
Chatting while the musicians tuned up their instruments, they saw a few students waving to them and waved back with a smile. Then the lights dimmed and their anticipation soared.
The performance started with Chopin's Minute Waltz, followed by one of his mazurkas, then Schumann's Fantasy in C. The orchestra really hit its stride with the Fourth of July tribute that capped the program. Sousa's marches roused the audience, and the concert reached a crescendo with the national anthem. Enthusiastic applause made the perfect coda.
Ears ringing, though not nearly as loudly as the Liberty Bell would, they filed out of the theater and joined the swirl of the crowd heading for the fireworks by the Saastan. Most of the chairs were taken by the time they arrived, since Jo and Ginny set the pace. They couldn't find six together, so they split up by couple. As soon as they took their seats, Quinn rested his arm over Ian's shoulders, and all of a sudden, the metal chairs became more comfortable for both of them.
The fireworks started with a bang when a blue sparkler sizzled over the water. Green palm shells were next, then a rain of stars drenched the night sky with their silvery beauty. Quinn and Ian were delighted to see that their Roman candles had not been forgotten this year. The duelling green and blue sabers took their breath away, as always, when they blazed their way into the heavens. The display worked up to a crescendo, as the music had done before it, and many different types in red, white, and blue were fired off in rapid succession for the finale.
Mildly shell-shocked, they reunited with their family on the pathway that bordered the seats, and the little group walked over to the Taton Hall parking lot. Ginny and John were driving home, while Jo and Keith were staying over with their children. Goodbye hugs all around, then everyone got in their cars and drove off.
Quinn pulled into the driveway first, and he and Ian sat thigh to thigh on the front stoop waiting for his folks. His laddie playfully pushed against his bare calf as they revelled in the velvet darkness lit by the natural fireworks of the stars. Now he had even more reason to be thankful for the relaxed dress code at the theater tonight. Ian's skin felt wonderfully warm against his own in the coolness of the night. He loved shooting the breeze with his laddie, as well as basking in it.
When the Prentices joined them, Jo was yawning already, so Quinn tactfully suggested going to sleep. He gave silent thanks that he'd thought of taking the lube out of the nightstand in the second bedroom that afternoon. After hugging goodnight and tending to the puppies, they headed to their bedroom, where Ian locked the door with a satisfying thunk. They used the facilities quickly, eager to begin Quinn's challenge.
Quinn took Ian in his arms by their bed. "Okay, lad. There's only a bathroom between us. They're all but next door. Think you can keep quiet?"
"Think *you* can, Mr. Serenity?" Ian answered in his best cocky drawl, while hugging Quinn closer.
"That's Professor Serenity to you, m'lad." Quinn matched his laddie's cockiness with relish, even as he swooped in for a kiss, immediately testing Ian's control.
"Well, *Professor*," said Ian. "I've got the edge now. I have a practicum on my vita that yours is sorely lacking." His eyes were dancing. "Remember, my bedroom was right next to theirs all through puberty."
"Don't know how you did it." Quinn shook his head in disbelief. "I was on the other side of the apartment from my parents and still worried that they'd hear me."
"Well, you are a bit loud." Ian grinned into his eyes. "Let me show you how it's done, m'love. Shall we?" Ian disentangled sinuously from Quinn's arms, so he could pull off his own t-shirt, teasing Quinn with his slowness.
Quinn ran his hands along Ian's newly revealed skin, his touch authoritative. Teasing aside, he wanted to make his herven feel good, not have him worry about errant sounds. He smiled into his laddie's eyes, lips quirking irresistibly. Tickling was right out, since the biggest chance they'd be heard was from Ian's laughter, which he was valiantly struggling to suppress.
They'd both win if they could just keep quiet long enough to go off with a bang, just like the Luke fireworks.
With that in mind, Quinn took off his shirt with nary a flourish. The gratitude in Ian's eyes was well worth the lack of theatrics. Just as Quinn had before him, Ian went straight for his husband's chest, petting the skin there with a firm touch.
Both sets of nipples were pebbling from more than the air conditioning by now.
Just as thick fingers dipped under the waistband of Ian's shorts, Ian heard the creak of heavy footsteps in the hall. He caught Quinn's hand and held it away from his stomach, which was even tauter than usual from tension. He only relaxed when the door of the guest bathroom closed.
No need for words -- they'd wait it out until Keith was back in bed. In the meantime, they completely undressed and slid under the covers. When Keith's retreating steps had faded into the night, Ian reached over to reclaim lost territory, knowing Quinn was waiting for him to make the first move after the interruption. Lying on their sides with their free arms around one another, totally at ease now, they rubbed into each other in a slow dance, trying to feel as much skin as possible.
"Wonder if they've been trying to keep it down, too?" Quinn breathed into copper hair.
"Oh, Quinn, don't go there. Those are my folks you're talking about." Ian was caught between a shudder and a snort as he tried not to think of his dad keeping it down.
But Quinn knew the best way to get them back on track. He kissed Ian with that special passion he always felt on Independence Day. The only thing keeping them quiet was consideration for Jo and Keith, not any sense of embarrassment.
Ian kissed him back with sheer exhilaration. This was the kiss he'd been waiting for. The little sounds he was making would not even be audible one inch outside their door, but Quinn heard them just fine. Ian was pure temptation in his arms.
"Couldya be any more of a turn-on, laddie?" Quinn murmured, then licked the bridge of his nose.
Ian was already glowing with arousal, so his blush was nearly invisible. "Could you?" he purred, nuzzling Quinn's chin.
Quinn's soft laugh stirred his laddie's hair. "Two questions don't make an answer, young man," he said as he pressed his erection into Ian's thigh.
Ian shivered, blithely ignoring Quinn's logical conundrum. "You go right to my cock."
A redundant statement, since Quinn could feel that gorgeous erection butting into his stomach urgently. Ian's jabs were spreading pre-come all over his skin, and Quinn loved the slick creaminess of it. His own cock glided along happily, burrowing into the softness and furriness of Ian's inner thigh.
Finally, Ian pushed Quinn flat on the bed, so he could thrust even harder, this time sliding alongside Quinn's cock. "Ah-ahh-ahhh," he stuttered, somehow keeping it to a whisper.
Quinn loved reducing his eloquent lad to incoherence. He grabbed Ian's backside and pulled him roughly against his cock. They were grinding into each other, completely overcome by the force of their passion. "Feel me, laddie, that's it." He got his hand over Ian's mouth just in time as his lad tried to shout out his orgasm. Biting his own knuckle, he came more explosively than the fireworks.
Ian just gulped in air for a moment. "Thanks." He kissed Quinn's palm before his husband removed it. "No way I could've kept quiet. You're just too sexy for me."
Despite the muffled volume, the fireworks they made together outshone any Fourth of July display, even the one for Luke 200.