Archive: Yes, please, at the Master/Apprentice site.
Pairing: Han/Luke, Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan
Categories: Romance, Angst
Rating: NC-17
Summary: On a rainy day, Luke and Han open an old trunk of
Ben's.
Feedback: Sure!
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, George Lucas does.
(c) September 13, 1999
The rain pattered down the windows of the library, Luke laying
his stylus down and watching the rivulets as they glistened on
the glass. The forest outside was dark and wind-whipped, but he
loved rain. He had experienced very little of it growing up on
Tatooine, and when he had first been caught in a rainstorm, he
had felt afraid but excited. Han had been with him and had
soothed his fears, showing him the delights of running through
the rain and getting all wet, falling to the ground and rolling
around in wet leaves that clung to your clothes...
"And what are you thinking of, kid?"
The hand that fell on his shoulder was warm and familiar. Luke
closed his eyes and smiled. His hand brushed Han's.
"Of the first time we ran in the rain together."
"Ah." Han kissed golden hair. "A fond memory."
Luke grinned, opening his eyes, and took his lover's hand and
kissed the palm. Han came around to sit on the arm of the
chair. "What are you doin'?"
"Just finishing up my article for The Archeologist."
"Gee, there's a bestseller."
Luke dug his elbow into Han's ribs. "It's a scholarly journal."
"Can you sign your own name?"
Luke's smile faded at that bitter question. He looked down at
his lap and Han lifted his chin with a sure hand. "I'm sorry,
kid."
"Don't be." Luke shrugged. "Why shouldn't you be bitter?"
Han sighed. "I guess I just got all tied up in knots over the
date."
"Yeah." Luke glanced at the calendar. Twenty years ago today
they had fought the Battle of Yavin IV and become Heroes of the
Rebellion. Leia had personally decorated them. And then she had
personally helped to banish them six years later when the New
Republic had been established and their relationship had been
exposed. Fourteen years of exile, and it still hurt.
Han brushed his lips over silky hair. "C'mon, kid, let's take a
break and have some spirits. Celebrate surviving."
"Okay, love."
Luke settled into the overstuffed chair in the middle of the
room, looking around proudly at the shelves lined with books.
This library was a circular room with one peculiarity: one side
was an enormous tree trunk. Luke smiled. The huge old maple
tree thrust proudly up throughout their cottage, Han still
occasionally grumbling about living in a tree like a robin. Yet
he was proud of their cottage with its cozy rooms and treasures
collected from years of travel and adventures.
It was here on the Outer Rim world of Jewelline that they had
settled after having been cast out of the heart of the New
Republic. Han had established an import/export business and
Luke had become a Jedi scholar, unable to teach any students
because he was stained with 'immorality', as the new Chancellor
had termed it. He wrote for historical and archeological
journals, happy to contribute to the finances of the household
he shared with Han.
Han had done quite well for himself, his years of smuggling
paying off in legitimate ways, and he and Luke were happy to
have their own careers, yet they spent every waking moment
together aside from business trips that Han had to take or
archeological digs that Luke supervised. Yet even then, they
would frequently accompany each other on these trips, unable to
bear long separations. Han laughed at himself for being such a
romantic, but he always made an effort to keep himself in
Luke's physical proximity.
Love hurt enough without separation.
Han came into the library with a tray of sweetmeats. He set it
down on the small table between their chairs and then went to
the bookcase and rummaged around, moving The History Of The Old
Republic and The Mystery Of The Jedi Temple Murders. "Ah ha!"
He found what he was looking for and pulled it out, turning to
grin at Luke while holding a cut-glass bottle of brandy.
Luke shook his head fondly. "You'll never change." Thank the
Force.
Han poured the amber liquid into crystal glasses. He held out a
glass and Luke took it.
"To survival." Han lifted his glass in a toast.
"To survival."
They clinked their glasses and drank. Luke felt a sadness wash
over him.
"Ben's been dead for twenty years."
"Yeah."
Luke's gaze fell on the small trunk set in the corner of the
room. "I haven't had a chance to look at that yet." He had
rescued the trunk from Ben's old hut on Tatooine.
"Let's do it."
Luke put down his glass and he and Han went over to the trunk.
Intricately carved with symbols unfathomable to them, the
couple opened the trunk and Luke took out a leather-bound
journal. He opened it and smiled. "Ben seemed like the type to
have a real handwritten journal rather than a electronic one."
"Probably practical. How often did the electricity go out on
Tatooine?"
"Often." Luke set aside the journal and took out a
carefully-folded brown and white set of robes. "Funny, these
look too big for him. Like they belonged to a taller man."
Han took out a small red velvet bag and opened it. "Looks like
he was fond of keepsakes." He pulled out a gold chain. A
star-shaped locket was attached. Automatically his hand went to
his own throat and the similar chain there. Luke's chain
glittered in the light from the lamp he had lit on this gloomy
day.
A twin to this chain was found by Han. His eyebrows rose.
Next he pulled out a medallion, the white seashell-shaped
object tied to a leather thong. It was simple yet elegant. Han
carefully laid it aside.
The next object was a long, black box that looked like it would
contain a necklace. Han opened it and saw with surprise that it
contained a lock of chestnut hair, tied with a blue-and-yellow
ribbon. Entwined with it was a long braid, tied with the same
color ribbon.
Luke reached out and took the locks of hair, his hand brushing
Han's, their jewelled wedding rings glittering in the
lamplight. His eyes widened at the charge of electricity that
went through both of them. Licking his lips, he ran a trembling
finger down the unbraided lock.
"Luke?"
Luke looked at his lover and shook his head. It was just a
feeling...
"What else?" he asked softly.
Han took out a packet of holos from the trunk. Luke put his
hand on arm. The ex-pirate looked at his lover.
"Let's wait." Luke held up the journal. "I think we should read
this first."
He read the first entry. "Sunsday, the Twelfth of Atar. My
Master and I have arrived safely on Kaltooine, a planet lush
with greenery and gaily-colored flowers. The local populace are
avid gardeners and it shows in the profusion of color and
variety."
"So we get a travelogue. But Master?" Han asked.
"Jedi were trained by Knights and Masters. They were called
Padawans until they reached full Knighthood."
"So who'd Ben have?"
"I don't know. Let's read a little more..."
"We have found the planet to be exceedingly pleasant and
accommodating. My Master has pronounced our quarters perfect
for what he has planned for us tonight. "
"Hmm. Sounds like a party. Guess ol' Ben didn't always live the
life of a hermit."
"Well, by the year stamped on the title page of this journal,
I'd say he was about 20."
"Wow." Han's smile grew mischievous. "A twenty-year-old Ben
Kenobi. Wonder what kind of partying he could get up to?"
"Han," Luke admonished, but he was curious himself. "Most
likely it was just a meditation exercise or something."
"Read on."
"So I must wait. But it is difficult at best. "
"Impatient brat."
Luke laughed. "Ben was always so calm and controlled. This is
fun, reading about him as a young man." He glanced at the
chains and locks of hair. He turned the page. The next entry
began the following morning.
"It was one of the most incredible nights I have ever
experienced. The perfume of the rosettas outside our balcony,
the glow of the moons amid a sea of stars, the sound of the
ocean as it laps up eternally on the beach...all were
delightfully perfect, as was my Qui-Gon. "
"Whoa." Han took the journal from Luke's hand. "Qui-Gon? His
Master?"
"I'd expect so."
Han took up the reading. "Qui-Gon came to me, his hair
shining over his shoulders, his blue eyes ablaze with his
desire. He grasped me by the shoulders and drew me to him,
kissing me with all the love he possesses for me. "
Han and Luke stared at each other. Han returned to reading.
"His tall body molded to mine. I pressed closer, desperate
to be one with my Master. He chuckled deep in his throat and
said, 'Patience, my Padawan. We have all night in this
loveliest of surroundings.' But I wanted him badly, and he knew
that. He picked me up and carried me to the bedroom, an
indulgence I allowed him as my knees had suddenly gone weak. He
laid me upon the bed and I gazed up at him, adoringly, I'm
sure, and he smiled. My heart thumped. Of all the men in the
universe, surely he was one of the most beautiful! Long,
chestnut hair, eyes that sparkled and shimmered, a tall, strong
body that I knew intimately...ah, how I wanted to feel him
inside me at that moment! '
Han looked up and met Luke's amazed eyes. A grin spread slowly
across the Corellian's face. "Wow, I didn't think the old man
had it in him."
"Not so old, Han." Luke held out the first holo from the
packet. Han saw a beautiful young man with sandy cropped hair,
a long braid draped over his shoulder, tied with a
blue-and-yellow ribbon. He wore the brown and white robes of
the Jedi, and a tall man with long, chestnut hair stood
directly behind him, one large hand on the younger man's
shoulder. They were smiling as they looked into the vidcamera.
A serene, sapphire sea met an azure sky behind them, the beauty
of the surroundings matching the beauty of the couple.
"They're perfect together," Luke said softly, taking out the
next holo. It showed a more formal image, but the couple was
still in the forefront. The taller man's hair was tied back
with a blue-and-yellow ribbon, their expressions calm but the
love was still there. Han and Luke could see it. They reached
out and clasped their hands together.
"Qui-Gon is very handsome," Luke said.
"Ol' Ben's pretty photogenic himself."
Luke smiled, albeit with a trace of sadness. "I wonder what
happened to Qui-Gon. Ben never mentioned him."
"We'll probably find out as we read the journal."
Luke leaned over to look into the trunk. "There are several
journals here. Ben was quite prolific."
"We got lots of time for readin', kid."
Luke leaned back against the trunk. "Yes, we do."
Han picked up the journal again.
"Qui-Gon touched me, my soul aflame, my body ready to scream
out its white fire, and his lips covered mine. His tongue
tasted me, and his hands roamed upon my body, knowing me so
well and yet discovering something new every time. His weight
was upon me, and I breathed in his scent as his cock hardened
against mine. His hands were on my buttocks, squeezing and
kneading and his fingers slipped inside me. I moaned, my legs
parting, and he kissed me gently on the mouth. 'Yes, Padawan,
my Obi-Wan, my love, I will be one with you.' And then he
turned me over and ran his hands down my back and thighs. He
kissed each of my buttocks and then slid his tongue in wetly,
my body shuddering. Then he slipped inside, his fingers combing
through my hair, and he pumped in, then out, then in, filling
me with a hot hardness that drove me right to my soul. He was
Light; he was Laughter; he was Love. He tugged on my braid, and
he spilled his seed into me. I splattered his chest, and I
loved him.
"With all my soul. "
"Wow," Han said softly, and Luke nodded. The blond set aside
the journal and looked into his lover's eyes. "Do you know what
this means?"
"What?" whispered Han.
"The lies they told us. The Old Republic...the Jedi...honored
same-sex relationships."
Han lifted Luke's fingers to his lips and kissed them. "Maybe.
Maybe it was a secret thing." His golden eyes shimmered with
pain and love. "Doesn't matter. They loved each other. We love
each other." He drew Luke to his feet as he stood up. "And if
it's true that we can use Obi-Wan and his Master as proof that
our love should not be rejected, we will." He paused, a loving
smile appearing on his face. "But not tonight."
And then Han led Luke from the room, the rain coming down as
the wind whispered in the trees, and the lamp shone softly on
the holo of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn, lovers from a past
generation, poised to give hope to the lovers of the present.
Archive 