Homesickness

by Sphinxey

Title - Homesickness
Author - Sphinxey (sphinxeykb@hotmail.com)
Archive - Um, MA please, and anywhere else as long as you let me know
Category - Qui/Obi, hurt/comfort,
Rating - um, PG?
Warnings - Emotional Jedi...and fluffiness, AU in that it ignores TPM
Spoilers - Um, maybe a few to Jedi Apprentice books, althought I haven't read all of them and so have used wookiepedia to fill in gaps...might be wrong on bits
Summary - Despite being a Jedi Obi Wan never quite got over feeling homesick when he went somewhere new.
Feedback - Yes please, in any way
A/N - I have ignored TPM completely, so if having no explanations annoys you then please feel free to imagine that some other team went to Naboo and that Anakin is now training with Master Yoda.

Age 13

As Obi Wan looked around his new room he couldn't help feeling rather sad. The sleep couch was bigger than the one he was used to and twice as soft, he had his own desk and chair, and the curtains blocked out all the light coming in from the window, all of which were a vast improvement on his previous room, but there still seemed to be something missing.

He headed out into the unfamiliar living room and collapsed onto the sofa, unsure why he felt like he was about to cry. This should be one of the happiest days of his life, he had a master, he was going to be a Jedi, so why was he upset?

Picking up a datapad he flicked through the text listlessly. It took him a while to realise that part of him was waiting for Bant to come barging into his room and start gossiping, or for Garen to come and rave about the latest starfighter model. He blinked rapidly, fighting back the urge to cry. Everything was so different and he wasn't sure he liked it after all.

His master walked through the door as he fought his emotions, and he tried his best not to show his weakness in front of the Jedi Master. Despite his attempts something must have shown, as Qui Gon looked him closely before opening his arms slightly, offering a hug. Obi Wan dived into it, hiding his face in his new Master's shoulder.

"I know it feels strange, Padawan, but you'll get used to it quickly. And all your friends will find masters soon, or another post that will suit their talents."

Obi Wan nodded jerkily, still fighting back tears. Qui Gon sighed and shifted until he was sat on the sofa, his new padawan in his arms. "Obi, it's fine to miss your friends, everyone does when they move out for the first time." He gently rubbed the boy's back, holding him tight as the flood of tears he had been holding back poured out.

It took quite a while before the tears slowed, gradually reducing until only the odd sniffle remained, but Qui Gon kept up the soothing litany of words until his new apprentice pulled away.

"Sorry," he whispered, wiping his eyes on the back of his sleeve.
Qui Gon shook his head. "There's nothing to be sorry for, everyone needs a hug from time to time. Are you going to be able to sleep, or do you want me to put you under?"

Obi Wan shook his head. "No thank you master, I think I need to learn to get to sleep on my own, or else I won't feel any better."

Qui Gon nodded in understanding. "Off to bed with you then, padawan, and I'll see you in the morning."

The young man nodded shakily and got to his feet, stumbling towards his new room. Sleep wouldn't come easily that night, he knew, but maybe, just maybe, everything would work out after all.

Age 14

As he looked around the cabin Obi-Wan tried to suppress the now familiar feeling that he didn't belong there. It was hardly his first time in such a room, he had shared a similar one on his way to Bandomeer, but that time he had been more worried about other things. Now however he was all too aware that he was leaving the planet for an as yet unknown period of time, and even though he was going with his master the feeling was unnerving.

He slowly tugged off his still unfamiliar tunic and sash before lying on the slightly lumpy bunk and closing his eyes. No matter how he tried to think of other things his thoughts kept returning to his friends back on Coruscant and how far away from them he was.

He was so absorbed in trying to ignore his thoughts that he didn't notice the door opening and the large form of his master slip through. He did however notice as the older man lowered himself onto the bed beside him and held him gently.

"Relax, padawan. You will be back home soon enough. Just think of all the stories you'll be able to tell everyone when you get back." Qui Gon rubbed the younger boy's back gently, soothing him off to sleep without even needing the force. He could remember when he was in a similar position, nervous and away from home, but no-one had comforted him. Instead he had spent the night crying, and then been shot the next day because of his lack of sleep. He wasn't going to let that happen to anyone else, not if there was something he could do to stop it. As he felt his padawan relax completely he slowly moved away, stripping off his own uniform with the ease of long practice before lying down on the second bunk. He knew he wasn't the best master in the world, but he refused to be as bad as Dooku.

Age 26

Obi Wan looked around his new room in satisfaction. Finally everything was put away, the boxes unpacked, the pictures hung, the furniture arranged. It didn't feel quite like home, but he knew that that would come with time. He nudged one last rock into position before surveying his handiwork and collapsing onto the couch.
Almost before his feet left the ground the door buzzer sounded. Obi groaned, but heaved himself upright and went to open the door, expecting one of the numerous cleaning droids come to deliver laundry or possibly one of his padawan friends come to see his new room. Instead he opened the door to find his old master leant against the frame.

"Master?" He said, surprised. "Um, come in, please."

Qui Gon straightened up and slipped through the door. "I was just passing, figured you might like some company. I remember moving out as being decidedly lonely for the first few days."

Obi Wan shrugged. "I suppose. I've just been trying to get everything sorted before I have to start on missions. This is the first time I've had with nothing to do since I moved."

"Ah." Qui Gon looked uncomfortable. "I can go if you'd prefer some time alone," he offered, looking awkwardly around the small flat. "You seem to have most of it done though."

Obi nodded. "Everything's unpacked and sorted except for one last case of books that were in storage and haven't been found yet. And I doubt I'll need them for a while anyway, I covered that material in year 2, so unless they put me to teaching straight away..."

Qui Gon laughed softly. "I doubt they will. You're too good a knight to be stuck teaching younglings their times tables and how to do basic katas."

Obi Wan blushed slightly and busied himself with straightening the papers on the small table by the sofa. "Can I get you a drink?" He asked quickly, changing the subject. "I have tea or caff, or water, but none of that hideous blue stuff you like I'm afraid."

His master smiled. "Tea would be fine, thank you. Convincing you to like Angerean Ice Water was one thing I definitely failed at wasn't it? I've never known anyone to have such a hatred of such an innocuous substance!"

Obi Wan snorted. "Innocuous? It's disgusting! It looks like acid and tastes like rancor piss, only worse."

Qui Gon laughed. "And how would you know what rancor piss tastes like?" he asked mildly.

Obi glared. "Three words master. Tatooine hostage recovery. That time when you oh so conveniently came down with Angleen Flu the day before we were due to land, leaving me to do the mission on my own, including being thrown in with the bloody rancor!"

"That mission got you recommended for your trials!"

"Yes, well given a choice between drinking rancor piss and taking my trials early or not drinking it and waiting a while, I would have preferred to wait a while!"

Qui Gon just snorted softly and accepted the cup of tea his old apprentice shoved at him.

"And you never let me take the worst parts of missions I suppose?" he asked sardonically. "The joining ritual on Chirith, the sacred drinking of sour milk and slime on Hendint, they were perfectly acceptable?"

Obi Wan glared. "As I remember I was 14 when we went to Chirith, and was therefore not considered an adult for the ritual, and on Hendint you volunteered because the princess fluttered her eyelashes and you agreed without asking what you had agreed to."

Qui Gon looked peeved. "You make it sound like I forget all my training if a woman looks at me."

Obi snorted. "It's true! Well, maybe not forget everything, but you certainly go out of your way if a female asks you to do something."
"I do not!"

"You do. Let's see, there was the princess on Hendint, the Queen on Ranthor, that young maid on Jentrix V, the servant on Grint..."

Qui Gon pouted and Obi relented with a smirk. "You know I love you really Master," he said. "And I'm sure the experience of rescuing you from women will come in handy one day."

Before long the pair found themselves curled up on the new knights sofa, drinking tea and reminiscing over past missions, the good, the bad and the downright embarrassing. It was over 3 hours later when Qui Gon finally refused to ignore his ex-padawan's badly hidden yawns any longer and levitated him into the bedroom, where despite his protests the younger man curled up around his pillow and was asleep in seconds.

Qui Gon smiled softly and let himself out, treading softly down the corridor to his own room. He was glad he'd thought to go visiting, because he suspected that without his company Obi would have spent the night fussing, tidying and generally not being settled. At least this way he got a good first night's sleep in his new apartment. Qui knew that no matter what the other man said he had never quite got over his tendency to be homesick whenever he went somewhere new, and moving into a new apartment certainly counted.

Age 28

Obi Wan Kenobi smiled softly as he carried in the last box. "All done," he announced cheerfully. "Just this one to unpack and I'm sorted."

Qui Gon smiled too. "That was quick. Does that mean we now have to start the endless fretting and general homesick grumpiness that I have had to help you avoid so many times?"

Obi looked at the older man and grinned slightly, moving towards his new lover and wrapping his arms around his waist. Their move from friends to lovers had been an unexpected but thoroughly welcome change after he had been released from the medical wing after a mission gone badly wrong. Qui had been distraught, and it hadn't taken much to advance things to the next level. Less than 3 months later here he was, moving back into his old Master's apartment, although this time he wasn't in the padawan's room.

He sighed and snuggled closer. "How could I be homesick?" he asked softly. "You have always been my home."