A Walk in the Park

by Merry Amelie (MerryAmelie@aol.com)

Archive: MA only
Category: Alternate Reality, Qui/Obi, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Ian and Quinn mix business and pleasure.
Series: Academic Arcadia -- 1) Wedding Gifts 2) A Symposium on Love 3) Dinner and a Movie 4) Please Call First 5) Masquerade 6)A Change of Clime 7)Christmas in Williamsburg 8) A Paduan New Year's Eve 9) Flux 10) Ki of Tranquility 11) A Rescindable Honor 12) An Honor Conferred 13)Outmaneuvered 14) Valentines by Design 15) Mastery 16) A Walk in the Park
Feedback: Is treasured at MerryAmelie@aol.com
Disclaimer: Mr. Lucas owns everything Star Wars. I'm not making any money.
To Alex, my friend and beta

A month into the semester, Ian and Quinn went for a Saturday walk on the bike path near their home. Their course paralleled the river and brought them into the town park. The day was unseasonably warm, in the 50s, and they wanted to take advantage of it. They chugged along at a moderate pace, talking desultorily along the way.

Quinn said, "Ethan wants me to be a course director next semester."

"That's quite an honor, Quinn. He's trying to make an administrator of you." Ian grinned up at him.

"Indeed. Eth said that he needs my negotiating skills in order to deal with the other professors on the team."

"Sounds like he's grooming you for the departmental council."

"Not interested. They'll only make me join by force."

Ian chuckled. "Doesn't sound that bad. You wouldn't have to teach at all then. Of course, you'd be listening to student and faculty complaints every day."

Quinn managed to shudder while maintaining his pace. "Forget it! But the directorship sounds interesting. A lighter load is one of the perks -- I'd only teach one course next autumn. We'd have a lot of time to spend on research." Quinn looked positively gleeful.

Ian exclaimed, "Sounds great! Which course would it be?"

"I've a choice between Linguistics or Advanced Expository Writing. There are five sections of the former, seven of the latter." Quinn's voice was wry.

A playful Ian said, "Let me guess: you prefer the exposition."

"Of course." Quinn winked at his lover.

Ian winked back. "So typical. I suppose there's greater enrollment in them too?"

"How did you know?" Quinn had often experienced Ian's ability to practically read his mind. "That's why I haven't decided yet."

"Since both courses have T.A.s, you wouldn't have significantly more to do. We'll probably be ready to submit our paper for journal publication by the summer."

"Now you see how lucky it is that Ethan overruled Case about Danny; a reliable T.A. is a necessity. I wouldn't delegate the grading otherwise." Quinn slowed fractionally, adapting automatically to Ian's pace. "Speaking of which, I noticed Siria having lunch with Gary the other day. Our plan seems to be working."

Ian somehow managed to look proper and impish at the same time. "It is. No more moony looks from that quarter. Quite a relief; unlike certain professors on the scheduling committee," he favored Quinn with a mock-glare, "I don't get to choose my T.A.s, so I might have to work with her again in the future."

"It doesn't matter who you get, Ian -- you're good with them. Danny has told me how much he's enjoyed working with you." Quinn felt Ian's smile before seeing it. "I can already tell the difference in his presentation skills. He was able to parry my questions for an hour yesterday, and I asked some difficult ones."

"I can imagine. I have the feeling he would know Saruman's favorite color," Ian said, a quirk to his lips.

Quinn laughed. "Maybe so. Danny pinpointed the first indication that Saruman had fallen to the dark; he gave me the exact page and quote."

"Impressive, but I think we need more extensive preparation." Ian paused consideringly. "You and I, despite our tough questions, are still a friendly audience. When Danny faces the council committee, he'll be talking to a hostile group which needs to be won over."

Quinn was sobered by Ian's comments. "Case thinks I never should have mentored Danny to begin with."

Ian gazed up at Quinn earnestly. "Without you, he wouldn't have been trained at all, since he started years after the other candidates. I don't like to think what would've become of Danny then." Ian flinched when the shadow of a winter-stripped tree crossed their path.

Quinn's smile was gentle. "You're overstating my importance, lad."

Ian's forefinger grazed Quinn's wrist. "It's simply the truth, Quinn."

They walked on in thinking silence for a few moments, while Quinn pondered his options. "Perhaps I can convince Case to give us an hour of his time to see just what Danny can do."

"Good idea. Give Danny another month of prep, then let Case cross-examine him," Ian said.

Quinn and Ian saw the park up ahead, and slowed their pace for a warmdown. Now their most important task had become to avoid the temptation of the numerous vendors in the area, and consume only the granola bars in their pockets and bottled water from the juice stand.

They sat on a bench under an oak tree, some distance from the other picnickers. They ate and drank quietly for a while, basking in the muted winter sunlight as it filtered through the trees. At 2 pm it was the warmest part of the day, and their jeans felt a bit heavy.

"Lovely day," Quinn said, nodding at the blue-green strand of river.

"Mmm-hmm. I couldn't bear to be sitting at my desk, thinking up some dry lecture this afternoon."

"You need to get out more," Quinn said, a glint in his eye, whether from the sun or some other source, Ian couldn't tell. "Preferably with me." Now the gleam of humor was unmistakable.

"I'd be glad to. If the weather obliges, we could take our laptops and work on the lawn."

"By next month, it'll be warm enough to eat lunch al fresco. There's outside seating near Rissian's."

Sitting at the picnic table, Ian could see the effects of their walk on Quinn. He seemed lit from within, the force of his personality irresistible to Ian. Quinn always seemed to thrive in a naturalsetting. The plants had slowly crept back into their office, despite not being creepers. They had also taken over the periphery of the terrace, leaving Ian and Quinn just enough room for their daily katas. Even in winter, Quinn had a notable fondness for the outdoors, bringing Ian with him at every opportunity.

What's more, Quinn's enthusiasm was awakening Ian's appreciation of nature. He'd spent much of his childhood in his bedroom reading or in the gym, oblivious to the pleasures of the backyard. Now he'd come to relish their walks in the fresh air.

Ian had grown even healthier during his months with Quinn: aikido had further refined his gymnast's physique, and their outdoor exercise, despite the season, had invigorated him to a greater degree. He felt like a student under Quinn's tutelage, his mastery revealing talents within Ian no one else had thought to find.

Quinn had respected Ian's silence, and appeared to be in a reverie of his own as he stared at the river. The blue-green current was ignited by the blaze of the afternoon sun; Quinn narrowed his eyes against the glare. Ian tapped his arm, and suddenly Quinn was drawn into fathomless blue-green depths that made the river look like shallows. The men felt joined on a cellular level as they sat in wordless communion.

The coolness of the afternoon finally penetrated their absorption, and they reluctantly rose to begin their walk back. The two didn't talk as much on the way, content to stride side by side, arms occasionally swinging into one another, the contact savored an instant too long to be casual. The sun was lower in the sky now, casting the path in front of them into a burnt orange.

When they got home, Ian began to peel off his shirt in the living room. Quinn gave him a look as he left it on a chair, but Ian's grin was unrepentant.

"What? I'm sweaty," Ian said, as he started to unbutton Quinn's shirt, "and so, it appears," he ran his index finger over a damp patch on Quinn's stomach, "are you."

Ian eased the shirt off completely, throwing it on top of his own on the chair, then pulled Quinn to him for a kiss. Quinn tasted saltier than usual, a flavor Ian savored. He darted his tongue out to taste it again.

A rivulet of sweat inched down Quinn's neck, but Ian caught it with his busy tongue before it could reach Quinn's shoulder. A groan was Ian's immediate reward, followed by Quinn returning the favor and tracing a droplet's path along Ian's temple.

Perspiration from the walk mingled with sweat from their caresses until a shower became both a necessity and a promise of more to come.

Saturday night was shaping up to be better than a walk in the park.

End.