Hallowed Light

by Merry Amelie

Title: Hallowed Light
Author: Merry Amelie
Archive: MA only
Category: Alternate Reality, Qui/Obi, Romance, Series
Rating: R
Summary: Spooky fun.

Series: Academic Arcadia -- # 183
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

Here are the yearly Halloween Arcadias:

2003 -- Masquerade
2004 -- Hallowe'en Kata
2005 -- Happy Tatooween
2006 -- Happy Tatooween, Take Two: Undercovers
2007 -- A Jedi Halloween
2008 -- Jedi Trick or Treat
2009 -- Return of the Jedi Halloween
2010 -- A Little Halloween Diplomacy

To Inya

A flicker of candlelight lit Quinn's face as he spoke in a low, somber voice.

He and Ian were seated cross-legged on the carpet at the center of a circle of undergraduates gathered around them in the Classical Library on the first floor of Roxburgh Hall. It was 8:30 on Halloween night, and they had invited their students to a reading of M.R. James' stories to celebrate the occasion.

Quinn had the kids in the palm of his huge hand. He was reading from "Casting the Runes," in which Professor Dunning is bedevilled by an unseen menace, after writing an unfavorable review of a paper by a mysterious Mr. Karswell. Since the story began in a library, the setting was perfect for the maximum chills.

The shadows seemed to gather around Quinn -- just as they had around Dunning -- as the haunting tale unfolded, the escalating sense of dread almost palpable in the Halloween air. Then Ian entered the story, as John Harrington, the brother of a previous victim. He offered Dunning hope after he had almost succumbed to despair.

Together, the men planned a way to avoid almost certain doom. They arranged to take the train that Karswell would be on and try to surreptitiously give him back the paper with the runes that he had burdened Dunning with, which had started the dark events.

Quinn and Ian ratcheted up the tension during the train ride, expertly showing that, at any point, their house of paper could be toppled. Even after Dunning had successfully made the transfer, anxiety still shrouded him. Would Karswell realize he had given him back the runes?

Fortunately, the plan went off without a hitch, and our two heroes shared a handclasp in celebration. Quinn and Ian made their stunned elation palpable.

The kids were enthralled.

The spell was broken by the bells of Luke Chapel sounding 9 pm. The students headed out into the Halloween night, thanking the professors with subdued voices as they passed by them. When the last of the kids had left the library, Quinn locked the door for the night.

Quinn and Ian ambled over to the student center auditorium, where Luke-Loves was holding its yearly Halloween party, open to all -- gay, straight, and everybody in between. The auditorium was decorated with orange and black banners overlaying the familiar cream and brown. They saw their friends --Theresa and Alison & Marty and Tim -- by the punchbowl, and headed over to greet them.

Chatting animatedly, they filled paper plates with pumpkin pie and brownies topped with candy corn. The group found a half-full table and sat down. Since they all wore name-tags, there was no need for awkward introductions.

Dancers swirled around them, and Quinn was struck by the difference between this and their usual family parties. Here, they were surrounded by male couples and female couples dancing together, with a few mixed couples twirling among them. Since they were the only ones who'd come out among their relatives, they had to go it alone at parties, dancing in a sea of straightness.

Such a feeling of solidarity tonight -- the last time Quinn had felt this way was when he and Ian were in San Francisco for his Housman lecture at UC: Berkeley. They had strolled up Lombard Street hand in hand, without a care in the world. Here in New York, that was typically reserved for their block in Alder Run.

Some party-goers wore costumes, some did not. Quinn was pleased to see a galaxy of Star Wars outfits -- Jedi Knights, Wookiees, and Ewoks seemed to be the most popular -- and the crowd thrummed with all the diversity of a Tatooine cantina.

Brownies upped their energy level, despite the long day of work and play, with Ian feeling particularly frisky. And when the band started to play the 'Monster Mash', they just had to get up and dance.

Ian held out his arms and boogied like the Frankenstein monster, while Quinn did an adorable mummy shamble -- both a tribute to the legendary Boris Karloff. Soon, they were laughing and dancing, which turned out to be the perfect combination for their buoyant mood that night.

"'Glad to see you're unwinding,' growled the monster to the mummy," said Ian with a chuckle, when Quinn started undoing his tie with one hand.

Quinn's answering groan was so deeply resonant that it could have come from a mummy.

He was so focused on Ian's every move that he didn't even notice it when Case and Billie danced their way beside them. To no one's surprise, a little bit of shop talk ensued, which ended with Quinn's promise to observe the teaching assistants for the 300-level courses, starting in November.

After a few more dances and some cranberry apple cider, they strolled back to Taton Hall, the night breeze blowing cool around them. Taking the shortcut through the quad, Quinn put his arm around his laddie, instantly warming him up.

Ian turned on only the sconce by the entrance of their office, which had a spooky vibe for Halloween, thanks to Lelia and Han's seasonal arts and crafts. This year's decorations made an eerie twosome -- a witch who bore an unfortunate resemblance to their neighbor Prudence, done in watercolors by Han, which had the place of honor on the inside of the door; and a ghost made of blue Play-Doh by Lelia, which was on top of the bookshelf by the window.

Just like Valentine's Day before it, Halloween fell on a Monday this year. This had changed the relaxed weekend vibe of the last couple of years into a carefully choreographed day, mixing work and play.

They'd gone trick-or-treating with the children that afternoon, then traded one set of uniforms for another when they put on their corduroy and wool before coming to work. The early evening had passed quickly, absorbed as they were in marking their midterms. The M.R. James' reading had been just what they needed to relax after all that grading.

Now, they stuffed the exams in their briefcases, more than ready to head home. However, Ian couldn't wait until they got there to get a kiss from his husband -- not after all that dancing, not to mention the unexpected hug in the quad.

He went over to Quinn's desk and looked up at him, with eyes the smoky blue of an autumn afternoon. As Ian had hoped, Quinn could no more resist him now than he could have on their very first date.

Quinn took Ian into his arms, reveling in the contrast between the warmth of his lad's breath on his neck and the coolness of his corduroy jacket, fresh from the night air. The moonlight shivered over them.

"Ah, Halloween! 'Tis truly a night of temptation, laddie mine. Treats for the little ones, treats for us bigger folk." So saying, Quinn brushed his lips over his husband's forehead, evoking an anticipatory sigh from Ian.

"And I promise no tricks," Ian purred, "at least not right now," he added as devilishly as if it were still Mischief Night. And, suiting the action to the words, he pulled his hips back a dutiful fraction so they wouldn't get too carried away.

Quinn's gentle laugh blended seamlessly into a kiss, the combination of laughter and kissing even spicier than their earlier blend of laughter and dancing. He tasted the tartness of the cider, mixed with a hint of chocolate from the brownies, in Ian's welcoming mouth. Instantly craving more, he thrust his tongue deeper inside, relishing his lad's gasp.

Ian opened to him, as generous in lovemaking as he was in all things. He let Quinn explore him, loving the feel of each little bump of his tongue, loving Quinn's sheer enthusiasm. A true gift after all these years.

When Ian started his own oral explorations, Quinn could barely keep from groaning. His laddie felt so good inside him! That amazing mouth was on a search and destroy mission -- to search out all of his favorite spots along his gums and palate, and to destroy his equilibrium.

Mission accomplished.

Quinn knew he had to move back a bit, since even the space Ian had created between them was not enough to prevent his cock from pressing its carefree way into Ian's stomach. This was the hardest step to master in their private Halloween dance. He forced himself to take that one herculean step, almost grimacing with the effort, despite Ian's caresses.

Breathing hard, they both came up for air. Ian could feel Quinn's shudder and knew he'd better save any more teasing for home. He gave his husband a light kiss on the chin, the promise in his eyes clearly visible in the moonlight.

With all but Force-enhanced speed, they headed out into the Halloween night, enchanted.