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Rating: NC-17

Archive: Yes, and at my site, www:wyomingnot.com/rita/rita.html. Also, the story with writer's commentary appears on my livejournal (jedirita.)

Summary: Bail behaves badly, chasing after another guy in front of Obi-Wan.

Category: Obi/Bail

Timeline: As always, I jump around in my chronology. Project yourself way back in time, when Obi-Wan was still a padawan, before things had gotten at all serious, before they even said those Three Little Words. This story takes place about three years before TPM, and before "Forgiven."

Angst-o-meter: 5

Mush alert: low

Warnings: Once again, I attempt to write explicit sex. Once again, I find it more funny than smutty. I guess I'm a hopeless case. On the plus side, I squicked both my betas, which is really saying something.

Feedback: opinion varied on LJ as to whether or not Bail really does behave badly here, or whether Obi-Wan is the one behaving badly, or some combination of mutual bad behavior. What do you think? How much of a jerk is either one of the boys?

Necessary ass-covering: The characters belong to Master George. The sexual situations belong to me!

Thank yous: to Helens and Emma for the beta, and to the gals on LJ for seeing this through the first draft. Your comments and encouragement helped me wrassle this obstinate story to completion!

Story order:
Perhaps
Maybe
Falling
Back for Seconds - Obi-Wan and Bail
Bailing Bail
Padawan Games
Greener Pastures <--You are here
Forgiven
Reality Check
Better Than Destiny
A Cross-Cultural Affair
Deconstruction
Reconstruction
Rewoven
Night Visitor
Father Figure
A Model Padawan
Not All Dreams Are Visions
You Don't Bring Me Flowers
Dangerous Fame
Labyrinth
Private Lessons (off-site link)
Owner's Mark
Epicenter
Duty
Penumbra
Nightfall
Batter My Heart

The negotiations were winding down, and Obi-Wan found himself with some free time on his hands, so he logged onto the holonet in search of news about Bail.

This had increasingly become a habit of his, one he didn't particularly care to think about in any depth. It implied that he thought of Bail as more than just a sex partner, that he actually missed him. Whatever his reasons, the holonet searches seldom disappointed him. Bail always seemed to be in the news, both for his actions in the senate and for his personal pursuits. The prince was still very much the darling of the press, who covered Bail whenever he went out to eat, or visited a local charity, or attended the premiere of an arts event, or just went dancing. Consequently Obi- Wan was kept well informed of the prince's "private" life, perhaps more so than he wished. He told himself that he followed the society news so closely because the coverage included more holopics of Bail, but he also felt unjustifiable curiosity to know how Bail kept himself entertained in Obi-Wan's absence.

With sick fascination, Obi-Wan pored over the holos of Bail's parade of companions, even stooping to read the slaverings of the gossip wags as they speculated on the prince's love life. Was it true? he wondered, as he scrutinized another holovid starlet or glamorous socialite weaving their possessive tentacles around his boyf- er, friend. Was Bail really dating that person? If the pic showed Bail kissing such-and-such a person, wasn't it likely to be just a friendly greeting? You couldn't really tell from a frozen image whether a kiss was platonic or not, though Obi-Wan did study the pictures closely to discern whether there were any tongues involved.

Obi-Wan knew it was likely that Bail slept with at least a few of these people. He also knew these companions seldom showed up in more than two or three images at the most. He knew perfectly well that Bail had frequent but short-lived flings. Obi-Wan certainly had no reason whatsoever to be jealous. Whenever he was on Coruscant, Bail reserved his attention exclusively for Obi-Wan. He wondered about that sometimes, wondered who might have been swept aside by his arrival, wondered who might be waiting in the wings for his inevitable departure. There was no point in speculating about it: Bail was always amazingly discreet, to the point that Obi-Wan seldom showed up in the gossip columns anymore. The media had long ago ceased to speculate about the prince's Jedi companion. Obi-Wan supposed he wasn't glamorous enough to warrant attention, and as the prince knew of his aversion to public displays of affection, they rarely did anything to pique the interest of the paparazzi. The press had evidently written Obi-Wan off as one of the prince's uninteresting friends. That was fine. Obi-Wan didn't want to see his name in the gossip columns or have strangers speculate about his relationship with the prince.

At least that's what he told himself. As for whom else the press might care to speculate about with regard to the prince, well, Obi- Wan knew the truth. Sort of.

Obi-Wan scrolled first through the senate affairs sites, reading every article containing Bail's name, thereby apprising himself of numerous tedious committees and inconsequential bills. Qui-Gon might have been pleased with Obi-Wan's newfound attention to political issues if he knew about it. Which he didn't.

Having read through the dry reports, Obi-Wan turned to the more satisfying but frustrating society pages. There was Bail at a fundraiser with Lys Kenna. Nothing to worry about there. Lys was an "old friend" of Bail's, and therefore not a threat. Er, rival. No, that wasn't good either. Competition? No. Obi-Wan shook himself for thinking that way. He knew Lys. She was one of Bail's few friends who almost liked Obi-Wan. Dismissing her as harmless, Obi-Wan focused on the image of Bail. The picture didn't quite do him justice. Paparazzi shots were seldom flattering. The shot had been taken while he was in the midst of saying something, so his mouth was pursed rather strangely. But his eyes sparkled, and those curls were misbehaving in that particularly naughty way that made Obi- Wan's fingers itch to tame them.

Obi-Wan sighed deeply and scrolled through the next images. A crowd shot at a sports event, followed by one of Bail presiding over a session of a mock senate in a local secondary school. It was a nice image of Bail in formal robes, relaxed and at ease among the youngsters. An embarrassing fondness spread through Obi-Wan's stomach, and he downloaded the image onto his datapad.

He scrolled through a few more pictures until he came to two head shots on a teeny-bopper site: Bail, and a separate image of a young man with black hair, dark eyes, and the studiously disheveled look of a pop icon. "Could This Be Love?" the title read. The images were surrounded by little hearts, and Obi-Wan smirked. He loved to tease Bail about his popularity in the teeny-bopper sites, with their vapid factoids: the prince's favorite color is blue, and he loves long walks in the park. Right -- with me, Obi-Wan would silently add.

Obi-Wan read through the text to see who they were matchmaking for now. A singer from Nal Hutta called Karvan. Obi-Wan knew of him. He specialized in the kind of vapid music known for its generic lyrics and rhythms. Bail, with his broad musical tastes, managed to enjoy even the mediocrity of kid bands and crooners, and he had gone nuts over Karvan's debut album, inflicting it upon Obi-Wan until Obi- Wan made him stop. The singer was talented, and he'd caused something of a sensation with his sudden popularity in the Core worlds, given that his lyrics were in Huttese. The pop scene in the Core tended to scorn Mid and Outer Rim performers. But the man's talent couldn't possibly make up for his appalling taste in music, in Obi-Wan's opinion.

The article said that Karvan was coming to Coruscant for a tour, noted that Bail was a fan, and spewed forth the usual speculation of a possible meeting and romance. It seemed Karvan was eager to meet the senator as well. Obi-Wan frowned. That was odd. Perhaps Karvan was one of those pop idols who nurtured a political image in order to make himself seem like a thinker. Oh, well. Obi-Wan reassured himself that Bail had learned his lesson not to be manipulated by someone else's egotistical motivations. He didn't need to let this pop pretender bother him. Besides, he would soon be back on Coruscant, reclaiming his reserved spot at Bail's side.

Obi-Wan had all but forgotten the singer by the time the mission ended and he and Qui-Gon returned to the Temple. As soon as they had gotten settled in, Obi-Wan called Bail on his commlink, as was his custom.

The prince answered, "You're back already?"

This was not exactly the reception Obi-Wan had become accustomed to. "What do you mean 'already'? It's been three months!"

"Oh, I know, I just meant I wasn't expecting you right this instant."

"Is this not a good time?"

"N-no, it's fine. It's just -- no, it's fine."

"Well, would you like to get together?" Stupid question. Of course he would.

But there was a hesitation. "Sure," Bail said at last, sounding less than wildly enthusiastic.

"Are you sure this isn't a bad time?" Obi-Wan tried again.

"No, really it's fine. Only I've been invited to a party tonight. You're welcome to come, but you probably wouldn't enjoy it."

Suspiciously, Obi-Wan queried, "Why not?"

"It's one of those fashionable parties. You hate those."

That was true, but Obi-Wan wasn't about to admit it, not when Bail seemed so strangely reluctant to see him. "I don't mind going if it means I get to be with you."

"All right, then. I'll swing by the Temple and pick you up. And Obi- Wan, since it is one of those -- I mean, I hope you'll dress up a bit."

Obi-Wan frowned. It was very unlike Bail to make such a blatant comment. "I don't have anything rich, you know that."

"That's not what I meant," Bail hastily assured him. "I'm sure whatever you wear will be fine. I just, well, wanted to be sure you knew."

They exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then signed off. Obi-Wan had a bad feeling about this.

Bail seemed distracted when he picked Obi-Wan up that evening. He asked Obi-Wan how his latest mission had gone, but then barely paid attention to his answer. He was only a little less vague when Obi- Wan asked him about his work in the senate.

The conversation continued in a disjointed and distracted vein until they were rescued by their arrival at the party in a suite of rooms at an expensive hotel. It was indeed a very fashionable crowd. Obi- Wan assumed all these people were famous. While he only recognized a few of them, they all just looked famous. He couldn't explain it. His own clothes were quite nice, attractive and well-made, but somehow everyone else just looked more fashionable than he. It had to be something about the celebrity ego that set them apart. Even Bail assumed that ego as soon as he walked through the doors, the way he greeted people with exaggerated enthusiasm, the way he kissed and shook hands: smooth and superficial. Obi-Wan realized he really didn't care for it at all.

He trailed along in Bail's wake, all but ignored -- not only by the other partygoers, but by Bail himself. Bail's fashionable parties were all about seeing and being seen. Obi-Wan was neither important nor famous, hence no one felt the need to court him. Among all these socialites, he was merely a Bail Organa groupie. And that was about how Bail treated him. Obi-Wan held Bail's drink while Bail chatted and flirted with everyone in the room. More and more admirers crowded around the prince, and Obi-Wan was finally just pushed off to the margins, scarcely noticed.

He was watching Bail in the center of attention, when someone sidled up to him. "Well, if it isn't Jedi Kanuki!" the voiced drawled.

Obi-Wan turned to see an unfortunately familiar face. "It's Kenobi," he corrected, then smoothly lied, "It's good to see you again, Khieri."

"You remember me!" the predatory young man gushed. "I'm thrilled."

"You remember me as well," Obi-Wan noted.

"Of course I do! Everyone knows the legendary heartbreaker of Coruscant."

Obi-Wan couldn't resist a wry smile. "I think you have me confused with someone else."

"Not at all. Whenever you're on Coruscant, hundreds of hearts break, because it means the prince is temporarily off the prowl."

Obi-Wan frowned, not sure what to say to that, but Khieri continued, "I ought to hate you. Not for myself, of course. I had my turn with Bail a long time ago." His lips curled in a wicked smile, then he sighed dramatically. "No, my membership with Club Organa expired long ago, and no one is allowed to renew, except you."

Khieri paused, and his eyes narrowed as if he were waiting for Obi- Wan to say something, but Obi-Wan was not about to enter into this game. He looked across the room, trying to catch a glimpse of Bail through the crowd.

But Khieri refused to be put off. "Still, I ought to hate you on principle. My friend Niarana got dumped when you returned from one of your mission things. Shoved out the door without so much as a goodbye."

Shocked, Obi-Wan whipped around to face Khieri. This had to be part of the man's game. Surely it couldn't be true. Obi-Wan desperately wanted to ask, but pride would not allow it.

Khieri noticed his interest, however, and lightly dismissed, "It's her own fault really. She should have known better. Happens all the time, after all." He slid his arm through Obi-Wan's, chirping, "Actually I'm thrilled to see you here. With you keeping a tight rein on Organa, it means the rest of us stand a remote chance."

Curiosity and irritation at last got the better of Obi-Wan, and he demanded, "What are you talking about?"

Before Khieri could answer, Bail suddenly appeared at Obi-Wan's side. The prince took Obi-Wan's free arm and pulled the Jedi toward him possessively, as he purred, "Why, Khieri, you old leech! What an unpleasant surprise to see you!"

"Bail, you nerf-stealer!" Khieri returned in the same icy tone, keeping a firm grip on Obi-Wan. "Jedi Kanuki and I were just talking about you!"

"Too bad for you the Jedi have a very low tolerance for bullshit. I'll just save you from any further embarrassment by delivering Obi- Wan from your clutches." With that, Bail tugged on Obi-Wan's arm, bodily dragging him away, but not before Khieri blew him an exaggerated kiss.

Obi-Wan allowed himself to be appropriated by Bail, even though he wasn't too pleased to be fought over like that. At least Bail had noticed him.

"I can't believe someone invited that slime eel here," Bail was muttering. "He must have crashed the party."

"Things seem to have gone downhill between the two of you since the last time I saw you together," Obi-Wan observed.

Bail fixed a disbelieving eye on him. "It's obviously been a long time since you've seen us together." His expression grew slightly worried. "Whatever he may have told you was nothing but slander."

"Really?" Obi-Wan quirked an inquisitive eyebrow. "I'm impressed that you can make such a judgment, considering you don't know what he said."

Warily, Bail replied, "I don't have to know what he said. I know him -- that's enough to ensure the accuracy of my judgment."

By now Obi-Wan was thoroughly intrigued by whenever bad blood existed between Bail and Khieri, and his interest was not entirely dispassionate. He didn't like the kinds of things Khieri had hinted at, but now was not the time to discuss it with Bail. Besides, he was pleased enough to have recaptured the prince's attention.

Indeed, Bail now kept him close at hand, but that wasn't necessarily an improvement. The prince continued to circulate among the crowd, which meant Obi-Wan was dragged along through numerous inane conversations. Bail had been right about one thing. Obi-Wan did have a low tolerance for bullshit. It was a toss up whether Obi-Wan had been better off when Bail had forgotten him. At least then Obi- Wan hadn't had to listen to all this meaningless gossip.

About half an hour went by like this, when Obi-Wan sensed a spike in the level of excitement in the room. Someone new had arrived, someone the partygoers had evidently been waiting for. Unfortunately it appeared Bail had been waiting for this person, too. He continued chatting away with his current companions as if nothing had happened, but whereas he had maintained constant physical contact with Obi-Wan since retrieving him from Khieri, he now did something unexpected.

He let go of Obi-Wan's hand.

Bail betrayed no other excitement, but it was clear he was waiting for something. Now Obi-Wan wished he had paid more attention to the gossip. He might have a clue what was going on.

A tight knot of people slowly made its way into the room. The mystery guest was in the middle, but Obi-Wan couldn't see him through the close-packed throng of hangers-on. Bail studiously showed no interest in the approach of the group, until someone called out, "Bail! Bail, come on, darling!"

One of Bail's friends divorced herself from the hangers-on and ushered Bail forward. The prince followed without a backward glance at Obi-Wan, who resolutely pressed ahead to keep his place at Bail's side. He wasn't about to relinquish it now.

The two of them squeezed through the wall of admirers to find themselves face to face with the mystery guest. He was of medium height, olive skin and black hair, dark eyes rimmed with impossibly thick lashes. He was artfully mussed, hair hanging in his eyes, shadow of stubble on his jaw, clothes far too casual for this crowd. His shirt had a rip across the chest, and his boots were scuffed and held together with lock pins. He looked all too familiar.

The woman who had called them forward introduced, "Prince Bail, I want you to meet Karvan."

A chill of instant dislike shot through Obi-Wan's veins. The pop singer from Nal Hutta. This could not possibly be good.

A subtle smile on his lips, Bail said, "It is a distinct pleasure to meet you, Karvan." Obi-Wan eyed the prince warily.

The singer's full red lips curled in an answering smile, as he replied, "Please, your Highness, call me Van."

"And you must call me Bail," the prince purred in response, his voice low, sultry.

Obi-Wan's heart thudded to a stop. He knew that tone, the expression in those heavy-lidded eyes. Bail was in full-scale "fuck me" mode, something Obi-Wan had previously only seen directed toward himself. He clenched his teeth so hard his jaw popped. The teeny-bopper gossips had been right, and Obi-Wan did not like it one bit.

He crossed his arms over his chest, and the gesture managed to catch Bail's eye. He turned slightly toward Obi-Wan, introducing him to Karvan. "This is Obi-Wan."

The pop singer nodded at him. "Hi."

Obi-Wan?! That was it? No "Jedi Padawan Kenobi," not to mention "my boyfriend." Granted Obi-Wan usually preferred to keep a low-profile with regard to their relationship, but right now he wanted it to be made known. He certainly didn't want to be introduced so casually, as if he really was nothing more than a groupie.

Now the small talk began between the prince and pop singer. Damn! Even the man's accent was sexy. Obi-Wan hardly needed the Force to pick up the chemistry between the two of them. They were practically glowing with sexual heat. And Obi-Wan was once more forgotten.

The crowd of hangers-on pressed tightly around Karvan and Bail, and Obi-Wan was forced onto the margins. He gravitated to the edge of the room, his eyes locked onto the knot of people surrounding his lover. He could barely even see Bail, and what glimpses he caught only displeased him further: Bail laughing and flirting with the singer, arm around his shoulders, their heads close together.

Khieri glided up to him once more. "Well, look at this," he drawled. "You've lost your magical power over him."

Obi-Wan refused even to look at the irritating man.

Undeterred, Khieri continued, "Welcome to the world of Organa rejects, Kanuki. Don't worry, though." His arm slid around Obi- Wan's waist as he leered up into Obi-Wan's eyes, "You get a consolation prize."

"No, thank you," Obi-Wan stated firmly as he slid from Khieri's embrace.

He floated around the edge of the room, watching the unfolding friendship between Bail and the singer. Someone had put on some music, and the two of them were now dancing. It was a fast song, but Bail and the singer danced slowly, arms around each other. Obi-Wan watched as Bail's hand slid down to come to rest on the singer's ass. He couldn't take it anymore.

He shouldered his way through the crowd and positioned himself directly in Bail's line of vision. It took a while for Bail to notice him -- far too long. When he had at last caught Bail's eye, he said, "I've had enough of his party. I'd like to leave." The singer looked from Obi-Wan to Bail and back again.

"Oh." Bail's face fell slightly. "Aren't you enjoying yourself?"

Obi-Wan couldn't believe Bail would have the gall to ask such a question. "Not really," he replied, pursing his lips together.

"I'm sorry about that," Bail offered, though Obi-Wan sincerely doubted he meant it. "Would you like my driver to take you home?"

Obi-Wan was livid. Bail had never been anything but polite and courteous. If nothing else, he had unfailingly good manners. He ought to offer to take Obi-Wan home himself, or at most beg for an extra half-hour before leaving with Obi-Wan. But this? If Obi-Wan had the slightest doubt about Bail's intentions toward the singer, he sure didn't anymore.

"No, thank you," was his curt reply. "I'll take public transport."

Bail's brow wrinkled. Perhaps he realized how crassly he was behaving, but his next words hardly helped. "Are you sure? Would you at least like cab fare?"

Was he being bought off? Obi-Wan struggled to keep his voice even. "I'll be fine. Enjoy your evening."

"I will," Bail replied, to all appearances without guile. "Good night."

Obi-Wan spun on his heel and walked away. Behind him Bail called out, "I'll call you later."

Yeah, right. He headed toward the door but was intercepted once more by a smirking Khieri. "You don't have to go home alone, you know."

Obi-Wan pinned Khieri in place with a thunderous gaze. "Not in a million years," he hissed, and stormed past him before Khieri could respond.

Obi-Wan's mood did not improve the next day. This was one injury that time alone would not heal. He scowled his way through the day.

His commlink buzzed in the afternoon. "Yes?" Obi-Wan snapped in greeting.

"Erm, it's me." Before Obi-Wan could shut off his commlink the prince continued, "I apologize for my behavior last night. It was atrocious of me. I'm so sorry."

Obi-Wan hadn't quite expected that. He paused, waiting to hear what else Bail would say.

"I was invited to that party some time ago, and I had really been looking forward to it."

I noticed, Obi-Wan thought sourly.

"But that's no excuse. Please, let me make it up to you."

That sounded a little better. "How?"

"Let's reschedule. Just you and me this time. I'll take you out somewhere really nice."

The just-you-and-me part sounded best to Obi-Wan. "Tonight?"

"Ah -- not tonight, I have a previous engagement."

"Tomorrow?"

"A political caucus meeting. I'm afraid those run rather late." He hesitated. "Perhaps we should try for lunch instead?"

"I don't want to have lunch with you," Obi-Wan grumbled.

A short laugh. "Right. Well?"

"What about the next night?"

"I'm afraid that won't do, either. That's... the night of Karvan's concert," Bail sheepishly informed him. Obi-Wan winced. "He gave me a backstage pass. I'm guessing you wouldn't want to go."

"No." Sith hells, no. "What about the weekend?"

More awkward silence. "I have tentative plans. But they may not work out. I'm not sure yet. Perhaps we can talk later in the week when I know for certain?"

Obi-Wan didn't like it, but what else could he do? "All right."

"We could still have lunch some time," Bail offered. "I have tomorrow free."

"If you're going to make up last night to me, it'll take more than lunch," Obi-Wan insisted.

"Right," Bail purred. "Then we'll have to see if the weekend works out, won't we?"

After a little more chit-chat, they signed off. It wasn't until much later that Obi-Wan realized Bail had made no promises.

The next day found Obi-Wan feeling strangely listless. All day it seemed as if there was some place he ought to be, something he ought to be doing, but he couldn't think of what it was. He sparred as usual, and picked up a dozen saber burns due to lack of attention. He attended a seminar on the history of interstellar migration which normally he would have found very interesting, but his mind kept wandering during the lecture. He did research duty in the archives where, over the course of two hours, he managed to compile only three paragraphs worth of information on the Forna system. He had things to do, but he did not do them well. Meanwhile all his energy and attention were focused on an impending task which did not in fact exist.

A breakthrough occurred in his restlessness when during the course of his research on the Forna system, he stumbled across an article on Lassi Fornata, the great Alderaani grass painter. For the first time all day Obi-Wan was able to concentrate, and over the next hour he amassed an impressive amount of knowledge on the last four centuries of Alderaani grass paintings and nothing whatsoever on the Forna system. He also discovered what the elusive task was that he had been waiting for: a date with Bail.

Normally they would have set up a day and time by now. It had become part of his routine every time he returned to Coruscant from a mission. Drop things off in his quarters. Put in a request to the quartermaster to replenish whatever supplies had been lost, broken, or singed. Pick up a handful of antibiotics at the healers to flush out any intestinal parasites he had brought home with him. Call Bail and work out a time to get together.

He had called Bail. They had set up a time. But it hadn't worked out to mutual satisfaction. Worse, they had scheduled no follow-up date. Hence his problem.

Sexual frustration.

Of course that's what it was. Once he'd made the diagnosis, the remedy was obvious enough. But getting his hands on that particularly obstinate remedy - yes, that was why he couldn't concentrate. Now that he understood his problem, he could be justified in his grumpiness. It did not do at all for a Jedi to get bent out of shape over relationship problems, but sexual frustration was another matter entirely. Surely even Master Yoda - if he could even remember as far back as his own young adulthood - could be sympathetic to that. Obi-Wan felt better, at least a little, knowing the source of his ennui.

Sadly, Qui-Gon had his own social plans for the evening. He, Mace, and Adi were going pub crawling. No Padawans Allowed. So Obi-Wan headed to the refectory to grouse and feel sorry for himself over dinner.

Unfortunately, the general gossip among the padawans was all about the upcoming Karvan concert. A number of Obi-Wan's peers were planning to attend. He wandered from table to table, searching for a Karvan-free zone, but he could not escape talk of the singer. Needless to say, this did nothing to improve his mood.

He finally settled on a table in a far corner where he sat, stabbing crossly at his chopped steak, when Bant plopped down in the seat across from him. He glanced up to see her large eyes staring mournfully at him.

"Oh, Obi-Wan," she sighed. "I'm so sorry. You should have said something."

He blinked in confusion. "About what?"

"About Prince Bail!"

Alarmed, Obi-Wan repeated, "What about him?"

"About the fact that he's --." She stopped in sudden realization, her mouth puckering in that fishy way that meant she was embarrassed. "Oh, never mind. My mistake."

"About the fact that he's what?" Obi-Wan insisted.

"Nothing!" Bant dismissed. "Clearly I jumped to conclusions. Sorry."

"Bant," Obi-Wan warned.

She wriggled in discomfort. "Well, I guess you must know all about him dating that singer."

"Dating him?!"

"Yeah. It's all over the news, how they stayed out after that party the other night until 3 a.m. And then last night they were all over Coruscant together until almost as late."

"Last night?" Obi-Wan echoed, paling. So that's what Bail's previous engagement had been.

"The Prince has a VIP pass to the concert tomorrow, and the rumor is that they're going to spend the weekend together."

Obi-Wan stood up. He couldn't take it anymore.

"You didn't know this?" Bant cautiously ventured.

Obi-Wan only shook his head.

"Oh." Bant's wide lips drooped. "Then I guess condolences are in order after all."

Obi-Wan retreated to his computer and logged onto the holonet. Sure enough, it was exactly as Bant had said. He found pictures of the two of them everywhere, always close, usually touching, and sometimes kissing, mugging together for the cameras. They looked like best friends, like lovers. And the stories were even worse. While both the prince and the singer declined to make any formal statements, the press gleefully reported how happy the "couple" appeared together, how rapidly they had grown close. And the hangers-on were eager to supply the reporters with stories about the infatuation, how well the two had connected.

Obi-Wan had seen this kind of thing before, the press gushing over one of the prince's more intense flings, but it had never happened when he was on Coruscant. It never happened with someone he had actually met. He tried to tell himself that this was no different from one of those other short-lived affairs, but it felt different. In one very important way it was different: Bail was clearly picking this man over Obi-Wan.

He stewed over it for the rest of the day, not at all decided about what he should do. He wanted to ignore Bail, to make the prince miss him, to wait for Bail to call and throw himself on Obi-Wan's mercy. But he sincerely doubted it would happen like that, not when Bail had such a pleasant distraction before him.

It was not at all in Obi-Wan's nature to fight over a lover. He figured lovers would either want to be together or not. Then again, he didn't have much experience in this department. His partners in the past had been more friends than lovers. Bail was his only serious relationship, and he had always known Bail had other partners. He ought to just wait, let this affair burn out like the rest of them, knowing he was the one Bail would come back to in the end, the way one relies on a familiar old cloak hanging in the closet. Bail might buy new clothes, but when the weather got cold he would reach again for that trusty cloak in the back of the closet. Always patient, always there, always available, within reach for whenever Bail needed him.

Except that Bail didn't hang on to old clothes, and Obi-Wan certainly didn't want to be an old cloak. It was humiliating to think of calling Bail on this, to demand his attention, to fight, but the more Obi-Wan tried to ignore it, the more he felt like he was the one being ignored, shunted aside, stuck in the back of the closet behind all the shinier, more fashionable and expensive clothes.

He somehow made it through the evening. Anyway, Bail had said he would be at a political caucus dinner, and he had never lied to Obi- Wan before, although in his spiteful mood, Obi-Wan began to wonder if it was a lie after all. But he didn't call that night. He managed to wait until the next day, the day of the concert. He tried to calm himself, but he was not really successful, and he trembled as he called up the prince's comm frequency. When Bail answered, Obi-Wan demanded, "How are your plans for the weekend working out?"

Bail paused. "Um, it looks like this other thing is going to happen after all."

Obi-Wan squeezed the commlink so hard it dug painfully into his palm. "You're going to be with him, aren't you?"

Another silence. "It's probably better if you don't know."

"Oh, who do you think you're fooling, Bail?" Obi-Wan exploded. "Did you think I wouldn't find out? It's all over the news, about you and that singer!"

"I never thought you wouldn't find out," Bail said quietly. "But this has nothing to do with you."

"It doesn't? Explain to me, please, how my boyfriend fucking someone else has nothing to do with me."

"I've always fucked other people," Bail pointed out, his voice taking on a sharp edge. "I never made any secret of it. We've never been exclusive. You've always known this."

"But you never fucked any of them when I was here!"

"I know the timing is unfortunate--"

"Unfortunate?!" Obi-Wan protested.

"Is it my fault you came back just when Van arrived on his tour?" Bail testily rebuked. "I've been wanting to meet him for a long time, and he wanted to meet me. I'm sorry it happened while you're here, but it's not as if you consult me when arranging your mission schedule."

"Are you saying it would have made a difference if you knew I was coming back?" Obi-Wan said. "What, you arrange your affairs to suit my schedule?"

"In fact, I do! This is the one time, the only time I have ever been interested in someone else when you're here. Why should it matter? I do this all the time when you're off-world, and it's never bothered you before."

"Who said it didn't?"

"You never complained before!"

"That's because I wasn't here!"

"Precisely! You know you're my number one. The others don't mean anything to me, so why should you complain now?"

"Karvan doesn't mean anything to you? Then give him up!"

"Why should I? I've been looking forward to meeting him."

"So he does mean something to you!"

"It's just an affair," Bail dismissed.

"Then you expect it to end?"

"Well... that's not something I like to think about in the beginning."

"So it might not end? Is that what you're saying?"

"I -- I.... look, Obi-Wan, you know you're my number one."

"Then pick me."

"No." The word hung between them with a foreboding sense of finality.

Obi-Wan was stunned. "No?"

"I'll pick you, but later. After I've picked Van."

"Not acceptable."

"Well, what you're doing isn't acceptable, either! You can't just change the rules on me like this. We never said we were exclusive. Never! Is that what you're saying now? I should give everyone else up for you?"

Part of Obi-Wan wanted to say it. But he doubted Bail would agree, and he wasn't sure it was what he really wanted, either. They hadn't ever claimed to be exclusive. Why was he so jealous? It couldn't be that he loved Bail. It was just sex. He should be able to let this go, but he couldn't. He just couldn't. It's still wasn't right. He didn't know why, didn't know what he wanted, but he knew it wasn't right. "I'm not saying you have to give up everyone," he begged, "just him. I don't want you to sleep with this man. Call it off, because I asked you to."

Bail sighed, and when he spoke again his voice was gentle. "I'm not doing this to hurt you. I will pick you, Ben. Just not right now."

He squeezed his eyes shut, his breath ragged from trying to control his suddenly ferocious emotions. "Don't call me Ben. You don't mean it."

"Of course I do."

"You're sticking me in the back of the closet."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are, the way you put the others aside when I come back. This time, you're doing it to me."

"That's different."

"It doesn't feel any different to me! I don't think I like this at all. I don't like that you do this to other people, and I sure as hell don't like that you do it to me."

"Well, get over it, Obi-Wan," Bail snapped. "It's my life. You don't get to dictate who I sleep with. This is nothing new. You're still my number one. You know I'll come back to you when this is all over."

"Except this time someone else is your number one, and maybe this time when you come back, I won't be there waiting for you."

"That's your decision. I won't be blackmailed like this. You know where I stand, and you'll do what you have to do."

"And you'll do what you damn well please." And Obi-Wan shut off the commlink.

Bail was still stewing about his conversation with Obi-Wan hours later, as he stood on the landing platform waiting for his sister, nephew and nieces to arrive. Why did Obi-Wan have to make everything so complicated, anyway? Jedi were not supposed to get jealous. Bail told himself he should feel a little flattered that Obi-Wan was so upset about all this, but he did not feel flattered. He felt disturbed, and he didn't know why.

For the hundredth time he resolved not to worry about it. His family was coming, the concert was tonight, and he faced a weekend with an exciting new lover. The last thing he wanted was to fret over Obi- Wan. The Jedi would get over it, Bail was sure. There was no reason why he couldn't continue to enjoy the best of all worlds.

A shuttle detached itself from the traffic lanes overhead, and Bail watched as the vehicle settled onto the landing pad before him. The hatch opened, and three young figures bounded out toward him. Grinning wildly, he knelt, arms outspread as the children collided with him in greeting, smothering him with kisses.

"I'm so excited!" Maia exclaimed, bouncing up and down and pulling on Bail's hair. "We're going to see Karvan! He's sooooooo cute!"

"Is he gonna have dinner with us?" her younger brother Arel asked, almost as excited as Maia.

"No," Bail reported. "We'll meet him before the concert, but he won't be joining us for dinner."

While Arel moaned his disappointment, Maia continued, "Is he cute? Is he nice?"

Bail answered with a mischievous grin. "Both."

His sister Rani stood above the excited throng of children, glaring sardonically down at Bail. "I'm so glad we finally arrived. You get to field the questions from now on."

Bail winked at her, then looked at the youngest of the threesome. "What about you, Shanti? You haven't said anything. Are you excited?"

She remained silent, but pulled aside her sweater to reveal a sticker of Karvan plastered to her shirt.

"No sticker of me?" Bail asked in mock hurt. "You are excited to see Karvan, but you don't care about your old Tatu anymore."

His comment earned him kisses from both girls, but Arel pointed out, "We can see you any old time."

"Not true," Bail rebuked. "I don't see you nearly often enough. Look how much you three have grown. I hardly recognize you." He stood up. "And what about me? Do I look taller?"

"You look shorter," Maia observed.

He ruffled her hair, laughing. "Yes, that's the way it works. You get taller and I get shorter."

The children continued to chatter excitedly as Bail flagged down a cab. As he ushered them into the vehicle, he asked Rani, "So, how's the rest of the family?"

"Everyone is fine," she replied. "Veena and Burra were delighted when I said I'd bring the kids. I think they were terrified that they might have to sit through the concert themselves."

He made a sour face. "They have no musical taste."

"On the contrary, they have too much taste!" she retorted. "Who wants to be in a stadium full of screaming, star-struck kids?"

"Not all his fans are kids," Bail pointed out. "And I notice you're here."

She smirked at him. "Well, as you say, not all his fans are kids."

"Veena and Burra are mothers," Bail dismissed. "They're too old to go for hot young pop singers."

"I'd like to see you call them middle-aged to their faces!"

"I'm simply saying that they're not full of youthful energy, like the two bachelors of the family."

Throughout the trip to the restaurant the children talked about the concert, singing Karvan songs, and asking their uncle about him. When they arrived at the restaurant and got settled at their table, Shanti suddenly asked, "Tatu, is Karvan your boyfriend?"

"Erm," Bail hesitated. "He's my friend."

"Really, thranta-brain," Maia scorned. "Don't you remember that Jedi? He's Tatu's boyfriend."

Bail felt a sharp twinge of guilt as Shanti's face brightened in recognition. "Oh, yeah. Bibi-Wan!"

"His name is Obi-Wan," Bail softly corrected.

Shanti's brow furrowed in confusion as her two cousins laughed. Maia offered, "I like 'Bibi-Wan' better."

"Yeah," Arel joined in. "Bibi-Wan is Tatu Bobo's boyfriend."

"Bibi and Bobo! Bibi and Bobo! Bibi and Bobo!" the children chanted, delighting in the consonance.

Bail dryly observed, "I'm sure Obi-Wan would be thrilled to hear his new nickname."

"Doesn't Bibi-Wan live here on Coruscant?" Arel asked. "Are we gonna see him?"

"He does live on Coruscant," Bail confirmed, hoping to avoid the second question.

"Is he coming to the concert?" Maia continued.

"No, he has other things to do."

"Will we see him later?"

"I don't think so," Bail answered. Why did they have to keep bringing Obi-Wan up? "Besides, you won't have time. You're leaving tomorrow."

"I want to see Bibi-Wan," Maia protested. "I like him."

"Me, too!" Shanti added. "I like his hair."

"I like his warts!" Arel piped up.

Confused, Bail echoed, "Warts?"

"The warts on his face!"

"Those aren't warts, they're moles," Bail corrected. "And I like them, too."

"I have warts!" Shanti announced proudly, showing Bail her hand.

Bail appraised her warts and announced, "I'm very impressed. Now, why don't we eat so we can get to the concert?"

With such an incentive, the children finally made an attempt to concentrate on their meal. This basically meant that they talked and ate at the same time, something the grown-ups, in their eagerness to be off, forbore to comment on.

While the children were distracted, Rani leaned close to Bail. Switching to Old High Galactic so the kids couldn't understand, she said, "So he's on Coruscant, is he? I thought you didn't date other people when he was around?"

"Generally I don't," Bail agreed, "but there's a first time for everything."

Rani frowned at him. "Honestly, is that any way to treat your boyfriend?"

"Not you, too," Bail sighed.

"What do you mean me, too? Who else knows about this?"

Bail said nothing, sheepishly poking at his vegetables with his fork.

Shocked, Rani gasped, "Don't tell me he knows?" When Bail merely shrugged, she demanded, "What does he think about this? Does he mind?"

"Well, let's just say he was less than ecstatic about it."

"'Less than ecstatic.' Yet you're still going after Karvan?" The look she gave him could freeze water.

Bail squirmed a bit and protested, "It's my business. Despite what you may think, Rani, you are not my mother, and you do not get to dictate my life."

Rani said nothing, returning to her meal, and for a moment, Bail thought he was going to avoid any further scolding. The silence lengthened, however, and he began to think he was going to be given the cold shoulder instead, when Rani at last spoke up. "You are my baby brother, and I will always love you."

Relieved, he smiled in triumph and leaned over to kiss her, but she raised a finger to his lips to stop him. "But you can be such an asshole," she pronounced, tapping him lightly on his nose.

After dinner they headed to the stadium where they were admitted backstage to meet the singer in his dressing room. Once they were finally before the singer, the three children retreated into awkward shyness, their eyes wide.

Suppressing a smile, Bail introduced, "Karvan, I'd like you to meet Maia, Arel, and Shanti."

Karvan shook their hands in turn. "I'm honored you came all the way from Alderaan to see my concert."

"Oh, Alderaan's not that far," Arel helpfully pointed out.

"Can I have your autograph?" Maia interrupted.

As Karvan obligingly signed their tickets, Bail continued, "And this is my sister Rani."

Karvan's dark eyes smiled at her. "I'm pleased to meet you. You have lovely children, madam."

Rani's insides fluttered at that smile. She might not approve of Bail jilting Obi-Wan, but she could well understand why he would do it for someone like Karvan. It wasn't fair that her baby brother got to all the good ones first. She wanted to flirt with the charismatic pop star, too. But first she had to disabuse him of his misunderstanding. "Thank you, but the kids aren't mine. I'm just their aunt."

"They belong to two other sisters," Bail added.

"Yes," Maia said. "Me and Arel's mom stayed home with Lati. She's too little for the concert, but she wanted to come. But Pico -- that's Shanti's brother -- he didn't want to come because he had a smashball game."

"He's more of an athlete than a music lover?" Karvan guessed.

"He should have come to the concert instead," Maia pronounced. "He's terrible at smashball."

"He never scores," Arel agreed, shaking his head.

"Well, you have to follow your own dreams, no? Maybe with practice he will improve. And one day I will go to one of his games to see the famous Pico from Alderaan."

Maia and Arel both answered with an expression that said they highly doubted it.

Laughing, Rani announced, "Why don't we go find our seats, kids? Karvan has to get ready."

As the children said goodbye, Bail whispered to his sister, "I'll catch up with you in a minute."

"Don't take too long," Rani tossed back.

When they were gone, he turned back to Karvan, and the singer slid into his arms, greeting him with an enthusiastic kiss. When they broke apart, Karvan said, "Your family is very nice."

"Thank you. They are quite excited about the concert. Are you?"

"I'm nervous."

"You? Nervous?"

"Yes. This is my debut in the Core. And on Coruscant, no less. Do you know how rare it is for Mid and Outer Rim singers to make it to Coruscant?"

Bail nuzzled against Karvan's stubbled cheek. "Van, you're already a hit. Everyone in the Core is eating out of your hand." He nipped at one of Van's fingers. "Especially me. You'll be terrific."

The singer leaned against Bail, resting his head on his shoulder. "I'm glad you're here. I'm looking forward to the weekend."

"Me, too," Bail sighed contentedly.

Van idly smoothed his hand over the front of Bail's shirt. "When the tour stops on Alderaan, I would like to meet the rest of your family."

"All of them?" Bail laughed. "That could take a while. But I know how eager you are to meet my famous smashball-playing nephew."

Van raised his head. "And your parents. I want to meet your parents."

His insistence struck Bail as odd, but he agreed, "All right, but they aren't much for pop music."

A knock on the door, and an assistant stuck her head into the room. "Time to get ready, Van," she announced as a stream of assistants flowed into the room.

"All right," Van nodded to her. His dark eyes sought Bail's. "I'll see you after the concert."

Bail answered with a wicked grin, then left to join his family in the stadium.

The concert was a typical glossy, pre-packaged affair, with plenty of fireworks, laser lights, backup dancers, and no fewer than four costume changes. If Bail were in a more cynical mood, he might have found the staging trite, but in his state of happy anticipation he enjoyed the slick pop extravaganza for what it was. His little nieces and nephew delighted in the spectacle, and Bail was quite content to be serenaded by Karvan's sultry voice, to watch his languid, erotic movements, and to fantasize about that body like everyone else in the stadium -- but unlike everyone else, to know that he would get to sample the delights so enticingly displayed on the stage. For he had not sampled them yet.

Karvan had proven to be decidedly demure, or so Bail interpreted the reaction of anyone who did not immediately jump into bed with him. Karvan was clearly interested in Bail, but so far had permitted nothing more than kissing and a bit of petting. Bail did not like to be kept waiting. Why should he wait, when there were always other people eager to bed him? But he was willing to wait for Karvan. He'd already waited a long time, ever since the debut album came out.

But not as long as he had waited for Obi-Wan.

Bail frowned, remembering their fight. They didn't fight very often. Argued, certainly. Obi-Wan was constantly expressing sanctimonious disapproval of Bail's excesses in one way or another, but this was different. And what bothered Bail the most wasn't Obi- Wan's jealousy or his demand that Bail give up Karvan or even his threat to break up with him. Obi-Wan would come around eventually, Bail was sure of it. No, what bothered Bail was the nagging suspicion that he really was treating Obi-Wan unfairly. And it didn't help that Rani saw it that way, too.

But what did Rani know, anyway? Bail and Obi-Wan had never claimed to be exclusive. After all, Obi-Wan was in love with someone else, so why shouldn't Bail pursue other people when Obi-Wan wasn't around? All he and Bail shared was friendship and sex, both of which they could easily continue to share. There was no reason why an affair with Karvan needed to disrupt either of those activities.

Despite this obvious conclusion, doubts continued to plague Bail throughout the concert, which he didn't enjoy half as much as he wanted to. He was relieved when the show finally ended, and he and his family headed once more backstage. They joined the elite crowd at the post-concert reception, where they found Karvan embroiled in the usual round of photo-ops, hobnobbing with contest winners and other VIPs. The children had lost their shyness in the excitement of the concert and reproduced their favorite dance moves, to the photographers' delight. Bail made sure to stay close to Karvan, so the singer's preferential treatment of him would be obvious to everyone. Thus reassured, Bail's spirits rose once more, and his future began to look brighter and brighter.

At last the photographers and journalists were sent on their way, and the flock of hangers-on began to disperse. The kids drooped from exhaustion, and Rani said it was time for them to go. They bid yawning farewells to the singer. Bail kissed them good night, and Maia was awake enough to have the presence of mind to ask, "Aren't you coming home with us?"

"No, I have other plans. You have my apartment to yourselves."

The others woke up at that, disappointment shining in their eyes. "What about tomorrow?" Arel asked.

"Not tomorrow either, I'm afraid. You'll be leaving early, and I'm going to be busy." Bail glanced surreptitiously at Karvan, who smiled slyly back.

"Say hi to Bibi-Wan for us, then," Maia admonished. "Tell him we missed him."

"Bibi-Wan?" Karvan repeated, laughing at the strange name.

"She means Obi-Wan," Bail explained. "You remember, you met him at the party the other night."

Karvan wrinkled his brow, striving to recall him, and Shanti, drowsing in Rani's arms, sleepily chanted, "Bibi-Wan is Tatu Bobo's boyfriend. We like his warts."

Bail laughed, not noticing Karvan's frown, and kissed Shanti. "All right, that's enough. Sleep well, little ones, and give the others a kiss for me when you get home."

Rani gave his dark curls a final tug. "Try not to have too much fun this weekend," she teased, before leading the children away.

It took another half-hour before the last of the groupies and assistants were finally ushered out of the room, and Bail and Karvan were left alone. Bail's skin -- and other parts -- tingled with anticipation, and he slid up to Karvan, wrapping his arms around the singer's waist. "I am so looking forward to this weekend," he murmured, nuzzling kisses against Karvan's cheek.

The singer's arms rose to wrap around Bail's shoulders, and he softly said, "I didn't know you had a boyfriend."

Bail froze, his earlier doubts surfacing to taunt him once more. He did not want this to be an issue. It shouldn't be one. Trying to sound casual, he said, "Yes, he's -- a good friend."

"I met him at the party?" Van's brow wrinkled as he struggled to call up the memory. "I think I remember him. He didn't seem pleased to see me."

"Well, he's not much of a music lover," Bail said, drawing Van closer.

The singer's hands slid down Bail's chest, holding him slightly away. "Is he your lover?"

Damn. Bail did not want to answer, but he refused to lie. "Yes, but we're not exclusive."

Van's eyes darkened, and he slowly extricated himself from Bail's embrace. Bail anxiously assured him, "Don't worry about it. Obi-Wan has nothing to do with us."

"You didn't tell me you had a lover."

"I didn't know you wanted to know," Bail dismissed.

Van studied him for a moment, his expression sober. "What am I to you? What do you want with me?"

Switching to seductive mode, Bail purred, "I think you know what I want."

But Van's eyes hardened further. "You want to sleep with me and then go back to your boyfriend. You're just like the others."

"No, I'm not! What others?"

"The ones who just want to fuck me. I thought you were different, Bail."

"I am different," Bail protested, even as he was painfully aware of how stupid he sounded. "I really like you, Van!"

"I was hoping for the chance of something more between us. But how can that be if you have a boyfriend?"

"Something more?" Bail paused, uneasy. "You mean, a relationship? That's moving a little fast, don't you think?"

"Yes, but how can there even be a chance for something like that if you already have a boyfriend?"

"Look, forget about Obi-Wan. Let's just take this to the next step and see what happens."

"Do you really like me?" Karvan asked.

"Yes," Bail assured him.

"Do you want me?"

"Oh, yes," Bail exhaled.

"You want to take this to the next step?" Karvan continued.

Bail could only nod.

The singer scrutinized Bail, as if trying to gauge his sincerity. His jaw clenched briefly, and he pronounced, "Then give him up."

Bail balked at the demand. "That's hardly fair."

Van's jaw clenched again, and his eyes flashed in displeasure. "It's not fair to start something with me when you are involved with someone else. I don't want to share, and I don't think your boyfriend wanted to share, either. You can't have both of us. You have to choose, him or me."

The words echoed in Bail's memory, recalling Obi-Wan's plea. Give him up. Pick me. Why did he have to make a choice at all? Why couldn't he have them both, as he always did? He could choose Karvan, and then when the affair ended, he could go back to Obi-Wan, and in the end everyone would have what they wanted. It was a perfectly reasonable arrangement.

Except that it would be duplicitous. He couldn't do that to either one of them. Why did he have to get embroiled in all these complicated, messy relationships? All he wanted was a good fuck. What was so wrong with that?

He looked into Karvan's eyes. Force, the man was gorgeous. Delectable, and oh-so-sexy. And funny, nice, intelligent, thoughtful, and.... Could Bail see himself involved with this man, something more than a fuck? He could. He really could.

But that would mean giving up Obi-Wan. He'd have to give up a sure thing for the potential of something new.

He ought to be bored with Obi-Wan by now. They had been together for going on two years. The sex was good, but it wasn't that great, not compared to other lovers Bail had had. Good as it was, it had gotten to be rather predictable by now. Bail had discovered all of Obi- Wan's hot spots and knew to avoid the ticklish areas. He could interpret the sounds Obi-Wan made during sex as surely as if they were a spoken language. Bail had heard all of Obi-Wan's jokes and could anticipate how he would respond to an argument. He knew Obi- Wan quite thoroughly by now. It wasn't love he shared with Obi-Wan. Or not exactly. Affection, yes, friendship, good sex. Companionship, conversation, understanding. All these things were good, but not earth-shattering. Obi-Wan wasn't irreplaceable. But was he prepared to give the familiarity of Obi-Wan up in favor of the unknown possibility of Karvan?

It was tempting. Very tempting.

But even Bail wasn't a big enough fool to throw away a good thing when he had it. He'd made a mess of things, certainly, but it wasn't too late for him to pick Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan could still be his number one. He would forgive Bail for his fit of temporary insanity, wouldn't he?

Bail was seized by the sudden, desperate fear that he might not.

"I'm sorry, Van. You're right. I'm not being fair to either one of you." He paused, cupping Van's cheek. "I already have a boyfriend."

Van closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, his eyes were sad but bright once more. "If it doesn't work out, you know, you can always look me up."

"Yes, but by then you'll have found someone better than me."

Van smirked. "Perhaps. We'll see. I had a good time with you, Bail."

"So did I. Good luck with the rest of your tour. You're a terrific person, Van. Don't ever forget that."

"Thanks."

Bail kissed him gently on the lips, and turned to leave.

Hopefully he wasn't too late.

Bail caught a cab, and within half an hour was standing at the main entry to the Jedi Temple. The sight of the colossal doors made his stomach churn, and he rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants. Odd. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so nervous. Taking a steadying breath, he approached the entrance.

The doors slid noiselessly open before him. With people coming and going on missions at all hours, the Temple never closed. Nevertheless, the entry hall was empty. Bail approached the sentry desk. "Night duty again, Padawan Milinex?"

The Scimeran's fur rippled in annoyance. "Yes, though I don't see why my master should be so angry. I didn't technically steal that swoop, since it had already been stolen in the first place."

Despite his nervousness, Bail grinned. "There must be an interesting story, there, but I'll have to hear it another time."

"What brings you here so late? I thought you were-uh," Milinex hastily stopped himself, his fur standing on end. "I mean - is Kenobi expecting you?"

Bail's smile faded slightly. In his eagerness to get here, he'd neglected to comm ahead. "Well, no, actually. But you can let me in anyway, can't you?"

"I'm not supposed to admit anyone who isn't expected."

"But you know I'm not a security risk," Bail wheedled. "I'm a senator; surely that ought to be clearance in itself."

Milinex shrugged. "It's not just that, your Highness. If he's not expecting you, he might be out, or he might even be asleep."

"Please, Mil. It's really important. You can trust me running around."

The padawan broke into a grin. "All right, but you owe me one. Think you can get me a ticket to the next Novas smashball game?"

Laughing, Bail agreed, "I'll let you have mine in the skybox. Thanks!"

Milinex buzzed him through the security doors, and Bail struggled not to just run down the hallways. He wasn't sure where Obi-Wan might be at this time of night, but he decided to start with Obi-Wan's quarters first. He didn't even let himself think about possible rejection. Obi-Wan would take him back, he was sure.

He arrived at the quarters and rang the door chime. A long minute passed before the door was opened.

By the imposing figure of Obi-Wan's master.

Qui-Gon Jinn, hair hanging loose around his face, datapad in hand, stared down in surprise at Bail. He didn't exactly look pleased to see him.

Bail swallowed hard. "Good evening, Master Jinn. I wonder if Obi- Wan is in?"

Qui-Gon simply stared at him for several moments before stepping back and ushering Bail into the room. Quirking an eyebrow at him, Qui-Gon called down the hall, "Obi-Wan, you have a visitor."

Bail stood awkwardly in the center of the room as Qui-Gon continued to glare at him. He became aware of the sound of running water. Obi- Wan must be in the 'fresher. The water shut off and Obi-Wan appeared, wearing sleep pants and no shirt, a towel draped across his shoulder and a toothbrush in his hand.

Obi-Wan's jaw dropped open when he saw Bail. "What are you doing here?"

He sounded more surprised than angry. Still, this wasn't quite the reception Bail had been expecting. "I...I wanted to talk to you," he stammered.

"At this hour?" Obi-Wan scoffed. "You don't even know what time it is, do you?"

Bail suddenly realized that Obi-Wan had been getting ready for bed. Sheepishly, he said, "I guess it is rather late."

"It's midnight, Bail," Obi-Wan corrected.

"Sorry," Bail apologized. He probably should have checked the time before he rushed over here. "I just...needed to talk to you."

Obi-Wan scowled at him in what didn't seem to be a very friendly manner. Qui-Gon cleared his throat and said, "I'll leave you two alone, then."

"That's all right, Master. We don't need to disturb you." He shot Bail a withering look, then headed toward his room, flicking his head to indicate that Bail should follow. Bail cast an uneasy glance at Qui-Gon, who still looked forbidding, and followed Obi-Wan down the short hall.

Once they were in the room, Obi-Wan closed the door behind him, and Bail glanced around. "I forget how tiny your room is," he remarked. "Even my room at university wasn't this small."

Obi-Wan sighed in exasperation. "What did you want to say, Bail? He kicked you out, didn't he?"

"No! No, that's not what happened."

"Of course not," was Obi-Wan's sarcastic retort. "Why else would you show up here at midnight on the weekend you are supposed to be spending with Karvan?"

Bail fidgeted nervously. "It doesn't look very good, does it? But that's not what happened. He didn't kick me out. He found out that I have a boyfriend." Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed at that, and Bail continued, "I didn't think it would matter, but it did to him. He said I couldn't start something with him when I already had a boyfriend. I had to choose between him and you." Bail gave a helpless shrug. "So I picked you."

"Did you," Obi-Wan stated, crossing his arms over his chest. "Interesting that when I gave you the same choice, he was the one you picked."

"Yes, well," Bail paused, running a hand through his hair. "With you it was a choice between who I was picking for the weekend. With Karvan, it was who I would pick permanently."

Obi-Wan studied him for a long moment, before echoing, "Permanently?"

"Well, you know what I mean," Bail stammered. "Look, I understand why you're angry with me, and I haven't handled all this very well. But I never intended for this thing with Van to be some huge affair. It's true that normally I drop other people for you--"

"So I've heard," Obi-Wan interrupted.

Bail caught his disapproving tone. "What else do you expect me to do, Obi-Wan? You are the only person I see over the long term, but you aren't here very often. When you do show up, you're seldom here for long. Are you saying that when you come back to Coruscant and only have a few days before your next mission, if I'm involved in a fling with somebody I met in a club, I should say, 'Sorry, Obi-Wan, I can't get together with you; I'm fucking someone whose name I won't remember a week from now'? It may seem harsh, but believe me, most of them don't mind. I tell them an emergency came up in the Senate, and I 'forget' to call them again. They almost never call me back, either. And even for those that resent it, it's only a matter of a week or so before we would have broken up anyway. I was excited about Karvan, but in the end he would have been just another fuck. But you -- you're my number one."

Obi-Wan remained silent, thinking over what Bail had said.

"You have to tell me what you want from me," Bail said. "I can't -- I can't make any guarantees. I mean, if you want me to stop seeing other people --"

"No, I don't expect that," Obi-Wan sighed. "I just - don't understand how you can treat people like that."

"What else would you have me do?" Bail asked.

Obi-Wan looked away, worrying at his lower lip. "I don't know," he confessed, "and I suppose it's really none of my business. I just don't see how you can sleep with people you have no feelings for."

"Not everyone gives sex the meaning you do." Bail shrugged. "Think of it as a kind of hobby."

"Karvan didn't seem to think of it that way."

"No," Bail admitted softly. "That was my fault. Usually my partners and I agree on expectations. That's where I messed up with Van. And with you. I am sorry, Obi-Wan. I should not have dismissed your feelings so lightly."

"I just don't want to be taken for granted."

"Do you think that's what I do?"

"N-no," Obi-Wan hesitated. "But it is hard sometimes, knowing you're with those other people. They're so beautiful and glamorous and interesting. I get jealous seeing you with them."

Bail's brow furrowed in puzzlement. "When do you see me with them?"

"Well, I--," Obi-Wan turned red. "Sometimes when I'm away, I look you up on the holonet. I like to know what you're doing. I read the senate minutes and I look up pictures of you. You're often with other people."

A relentless grin spread across Bail's face. "You read the senate minutes?"

"Yes." When Bail laughed, Obi-Wan protested, "Is it really that funny?"

"Yes, because I read the Temple mission logs!"

Obi-Wan paused. "How do you have access to those logs?"

"I'm a senator. I have a level three security clearance. I can't read about your most classified missions, but I read all the ones I can."

But Obi-Wan's confusion continued. "Then why do you ask about my missions if you've already read the logs?"

"Because I like to hear you talk about your work." Bail's features melted into a leer. "It's very sexy."

Obi-Wan didn't really know what to say to that.

"Aren't we a couple of sentimentalists?" Bail drawled. "It appears we are rather fond of each other."

"Perhaps so," Obi-Wan slyly confessed.

Bail brightened. "We could come up with a code! You could have some special word or phrase you slip into your mission reports that I know is meant for me."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "That would not be proper-"

"I could have a gesture of some kind, so when they take my picture, you'd know you're still my number one." He held up his forefinger in demonstration "Or better yet, I could get a tattoo!"

"What?!"

"Everyone's doing it these days. I could get a tattoo, perhaps on my hand. Something subtle but meaningful. A number '1.' Or - I know! 'O-b-1.' People wouldn't know it's you, but -"

"Absolutely not!" Obi-Wan protested.

"Why not? It's perfect! I can get it tattooed on my hand, and-"

"Don't you dare! Don't tattoo my name anywhere on your body."

"But it's a great idea, and you'd know -"

"I do not want my name used as a decoration!" Obi-Wan was furious. "I mean it, Bail, don't do it!"

Bail paused. "All right."

But Obi-Wan knew him too well. "Promise."

Bail sighed in annoyance, then placed his hand over his heart. "I promise," he solemnly vowed. "You're right, it's probably not such a clever idea. Though tattoos are removable...."

"Bail."

"Sorry. But Obi-Wan, you do know you're not like the others to me, don't you?"

"I know," Obi-Wan admitted.

"I may sleep with other people, but I have only one boyfriend. You have to admit, I never lied to Van about that."

"I suppose not."

Bail smiled, easing closer to Obi-Wan. He dropped his chin, looking at Obi-Wan through thick eyelashes. "You know, my plans for the weekend fell through. I don't suppose you're free?"

A hint of a smile twitched at Obi-Wan's lips. "I'll have to check my calendar."

Bail narrowed the distance between them, close, but not touching. "Perhaps we could just start with tonight?"

"Well, I was planning on going to bed," Obi-Wan teased.

"That sounds good to me," was Bail's husky reply.

Obi-Wan hesitated. He was certainly entitled to his make-up sex, but though he very much wanted to collect on it, he wasn't sure he wanted to do it here. They'd never had sex in his quarters before, and for a very good reason. "Bail, my master is in the next room."

"So?" Bail countered. "Would that be a violation of Jedi code? Padawans aren't allowed to have sex in their own rooms?"

"N-no, but the walls are rather thin, and I don't particularly care to subject my master to that kind of entertainment."

"I can be quiet," Bail assured him.

Obi-Wan quirked a disbelieving eyebrow at him. "You will, I'm sure, forgive me if I find that very hard to believe."

"Try me," Bail taunted.

"Is that a dare?"

"Only if you want it to be."

"You're on." Without further ado, Obi-Wan grabbed Bail's shirtfront and pulled the prince toward him in a heated kiss. Bail moaned softly into Obi-Wan's mouth, fingers digging into the Jedi's shoulders as Obi-Wan deftly unfastened the prince's shirt.

But this presented no challenge, since kissing kept the mouth occupied. Obi-Wan pushed Bail away from him, back toward the narrow bed. "Remember, now. No noise," he cautioned as Bail lay back on the bed, Obi-Wan climbing over him.

"Yes, master," Bail retorted as Obi-Wan lowered his head to kiss along Bail's neck and shoulder, working a hot, wet path down his chest, lingering here and there over particularly sensitive spots. Bail gasped and uttered the occasional groan, but he managed to remain more or less silent. His skin burned beneath Obi-Wan's touch, and he writhed in ecstasy, trying to touch as much of Obi-Wan's skin as he could. They grappled fiercely together, and Bail slid up the mattress until his head lay on the very edge of the bed, which didn't provide much support. Nor did his legs have anywhere to go. One dangled over the side of the bed, while the other was squashed against the wall by the weight of Obi-Wan's body. The position was not exactly comfortable, but Bail had no desire to complain. The thought of Obi-Wan's master in the next room was unbearably erotic, and as Obi-Wan unfastened Bail's pants and tugged them down his hips, Bail's appreciative moans grew a little louder, hoping they might reach Qui-Gon's ears.

Obi-Wan shot him a rebuking glance. "Quiet, now."

"Sorry," Bail said, trying to sound contrite.

Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he allowed himself to be appeased. He ran his fingers lightly across Bail's inner thigh, watching the prince. Bail bit his lip hard, but remained silent. Thus reassured, Obi-Wan shifted lower on the bed. Never one to rush things, he teased and aroused Bail with licks and kisses long before finally reaching his objective. Bail writhed beneath Obi-Wan's attentions, sliding further off the edge of the bed. The position was definitely getting uncomfortable, and he was about to draw attention to that fact when Obi-Wan's lips closed over the tip of Bail's cock. The prince jerked, letting out a harsh cry and inadvertently kneeing Obi-Wan in the ribs.

Obi-Wan raised his head, admonishing, "Careful, I almost bit you!"

"I'm sorry," Bail panted, "but I'm about to fall off the bed."

"Can't have that," Obi-Wan conceded, grabbing Bail's hips and pulling him firmly back onto the bed before returning to his task.

So thorough was he in his ministrations that Bail forgot about his efforts to draw Qui-Gon's attention. He bit his lip, making pathetic whimpering noises, his hands bunching in the bedclothes until at last he cried out, "Stop!"

Instantly Obi-Wan looked up at him. "What?"

Bail gasped desperately for breath. "I don't want it to be over so quickly."

A calculating gleam shone in Obi-Wan's eyes. "You've been very good so far. Are you saying you're ready to face the next level of torture?"

"Oh, yes, please," Bail shivered.

Obi-Wan slid up to kiss him while shedding his sleep pants. Abruptly he raised himself on his elbows. "Shit."

Bail blinked in breathless confusion. "What?"

"I'm afraid my quarters do not come as equipped for the arts of love as yours do."

Completely baffled, Bail said, "I beg your pardon?"

"I don't have any lube," Obi-Wan clarified.

"Oh." Bail writhed against him. "I don't care. Spit will do."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you just said that."

He climbed off the bed and Bail rose onto his elbows. "Where are you going?" he protested. "I didn't mean to offend you!'

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm just looking for something...," Obi-Wan muttered as he jerked open drawers, rummaging through the contents.

"Come back!" the prince wailed.

Obi-Wan grinned and shook his head. "Honestly, I haven't gone far." He found some lotion, so old the plastic tube was cracked. He twisted off the top and sniffed it. "Ewww," he wrinkled his nose. "I think it's gone rancid."

Bail reached out to him. "I'm not particular."

Smirking, Obi-Wan returned to the bed and Bail's eager arms. The prince covered him with frantic kisses, wrapping his legs around Obi- Wan's hips and rubbing their groins together. Obi-Wan gasped at the contact and squeezed the tube so hard, it burst, squirting rancid lotion all over his hand. "Force, that stuff stinks!" he exclaimed.

"Not important," Bail panted between kisses. The combined force of the recent fight with Obi-Wan and the fact of having sex in Obi-Wan's room with his master nearby was almost too much for Bail to bear. Frantically, he gasped, "Need you. Inside me. Now!"

But Obi-Wan only laughed. "What's this? You're suddenly speaking in sentence fragments?"

"How can you be critiquing my diction at a time like this?" Bail growled in desperation. "Normally you complain about me talking too much."

"But you're starting to sound like a cliché," Obi-Wan teased. "I expect better of you, your Highness."

His patience wearing thin, Bail shouted, "Would you just shut the fuck up and fuck me already?"

"Not so loud!" Obi-Wan shushed him, but to no avail. Bail whimpered and keened, until at last Obi-Wan shut him up by kissing him. They wrestled together, smearing rancid lotion all over themselves and the sheets, and when Obi-Wan thrust home, Bail broke away from their kiss, lustily crying out, "Yes! Give it to me, Obi-Wan!"

Embarrassed, Obi-Wan hissed, "Shut up!"

But Bail wasn't about to quit now. "Your lightsaber is sooooo huge!" he shrieked. That ought to get Qui-Gon's attention, for sure.

"For pity's sake!" Obi-Wan protested amid helpless giggles. "Honestly, Bail, do you want me to kick you out?"

Bail only laughed. "And deprive yourself of this pleasure?"

"Don't flatter yourself," Obi-Wan tried to growl.

"You must enjoy it," Bail pointed out, "or you wouldn't have put up with me for so long."

Obi-Wan had no ready defense against that, so he skipped the issue entirely. "I have ways of bringing you back under my complete control."

"Oh, I certainly hope so," Bail purred.

And with a wicked gleam in his eye, Obi-Wan set out to prove his mastery.

-fin-