Luminescence: Fifth Anniversary

by Merry Amelie (MerryAmelie@aol.com)

Archive: MA only
Category: Qui/Obi, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan return to Nemor for a romantic anniversary celebration.
Sequel: Fifth Anniversary is the first sequel to Luminescence: http://masterapprentice.org/archive/l/lumi.html
Series: Luminescence
Feedback: Is treasured at MerryAmelie@aol.com
Disclaimer: Mr. Lucas owns everything Star Wars. I'm not making any money.
For my dearest mother

Master and Knight had just completed treaty negotiations between Marstat Prime and Rocin on the cusp of their fifth anniversary. Now they were aboard the Lightstream, with Obi-Wan performing systems checks before they entered hyperspace. He noted when programming the navicomp for Coruscant that Nemor was on the way home. The visit would cost them one night, which they had been planning to spend in celebration anyway. Smiling to himself, he plugged the new coordinates into the comp, as well as making reservations on Nemor itself.

When they arrived in Nemorian realspace, Qui-Gon stirred in the co-pilot's seat. "Home already, Obi?" he said in surprise, his timesense reliable even in sleep.

"No, Qui. What do you say to a stopover on Nemor?" asked Obi-Wan.

A lazy smile touched Qui-Gon's lips. "Happy Anniversary, Obi-Wan. Sometimes I think your skills are wasted among the diplomats."

"Nothing you've taught me will ever go to waste, Qui." Obi-Wan winked over at him.

Obi-Wan effortlessly made the transition from spaceflight to atmospheric piloting, and set the ship down on the landing strip atop the Fountains Hotel in the business district.

This time, instead of a two bedroom suite paid for by Darantec Corporation, they made do with one bedroom provided by a young Knight in love. Since the Fountains was a luxury hotel, the room was enormous nonetheless, with bathing facilities and bed to match.

The comp system reminded the men of working here on their previous mission, but they were planning to focus on the other amenities during this visit. Dropping their packs by the door, the two placed their boots alongside them.

Qui-Gon looked at Obi-Wan expectantly, eyes dancing. Sure enough, Obi-Wan headed straight for the bed to test its firmness, Qui-Gon in his wake. When they'd been here last, the men had done this in their separate rooms. No more sleeping alone for them now, save on missions which required it.

Obi-Wan had had the foresight to make the dinner reservations at The Grotto for two hours after their arrival, giving them time to take advantage of their accomodations before the meal.

The two lounged fully dressed on the bed, thoroughly enjoying the feel of the clean linen beneath them. They lay side by side, the tension from the negotiations of a few hours ago slowly seeping into the sheets.

Qui-Gon got on an elbow and dove in to kiss Obi-Wan's succulent lips. "It's five years to the day since you gave me the aquamarine, Obi. That's 3600 days on my home planet."

"The happiest days I've known, Qui. Have I made them good for you?"

"Beyond measure, my Knight. Now let me make this good for you." Qui-Gon sought out the treasures found in five years of prospecting, and loved them anew.

By the time Obi-Wan had done the same, it was time to head over to The Grotto. Clean and dressed, the men walked to the park in which the restaurant was located. They were surrounded by blue pala flowers and wisti grass once more, the intervening years falling away, as if they'd never happened.

It felt like Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's first date again, potential coloring the very air around them. They sat on the stone bench, this time with Obi-Wan completely within the shelter of the Master's cloak, intimacy hidden underneath, in the relaxed press of their arms and legs.

The little servodroid who saw them to their table was an updated model; Obi-Wan thought uncharitably that perhaps someone had cut the old one's treads after all. He was glad to see the private alcove he remembered, as well as the short sofa that had forced his tall former Master into some impromptu gymnastics to keep to his own side. Thankful that this was no longer necessary, Obi-Wan followed him onto the couch with no regard for personal space.

As the men sprawled against each other happily, Qui-Gon said, "This is much more relaxing than our first date."

"I know." Obi-Wan grinned. "I was trying so hard to show you that you'd made the right decision in asking me out."

"And I wanted you to feel that way about accepting the invitation."

When the fremta appetizers came, their ease with each other became apparent. It was finger food of the most messy kind, covered in chahet sauce that coated their hands. Five years ago, they'd never have dreamed of ordering this dish. Now, they started to feed one another with abandon, knowing the wait staff was composed entirely of droids.

Obi-Wan said, "We used to waste so much energy in hiding from each other. I'm glad we learned to put that energy to better use."

"And to think it was here, in the midst of the Darantec investigation, that we started on this path."

A droid trundled to their table, a medley of local vegetables in herbed broth on its tray. They tucked into their dinner while thinking of the events that had brought them to this moment.

A mission like any other, transformed into an opportunity for two Knights to begin sharing their love, shedding its platonic trappings, and revealing it as the incendiary force it truly was. For the past five years, every aspect of their lives had been infused with that love, enriching their work, their play, and themselves as men.

The connection between mind and body, once primarily apparent in meditative katas, had exploded into their awareness with the first sensual touch. Now they shared a visceral understanding of one another down to the cellular level.

When Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon left the restaurant to walk to the dance club, they banked the raw eroticism evoked by their return to Nemor, cloaking it in Jedi serenity.

The men slid into a half-moon booth in the dark interior, noting that the burgundy carpeting had been changed to metallic blue. The jazz sounded like it had meandered ceaselessly between their visits, and would continue to do so through all the anniversaries they cared to celebrate there.

This time, there was no need for polite distance between them, and the two deliberately kept on their cloaks so that no one could see how closely they sat together. The men had not indulged in drinks at The Grotto in order to try them here.

Qui-Gon ordered a Blue Fusion: dilanti liqueur and araberry juice over crushed ice. Obi-Wan chose a Swanip Swing: chilled red wine with hulaka pulp. They sipped them appreciatively for the next hour, talking softly and looking at the dancers.

Finally, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon rose as one and walked to a barely lit corner of the dance floor. They reached under cloaks to place hands on waists and shoulders, then swayed into the dance, fabric obscuring the press of hips as they moved together lazily. Heat, jazz, and love made a potent cocktail that kept the men on the floor through many riffs.

However, even the slow burn of two Jedi diplomats had its limits, which they wisely acknowledged. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan set out for The Fountains, thankful for the cool evening breezes on the way.

The lazy sensuality of the dance still pervaded them when they returned to their room. Throwing off cloaks and unbuckling boots, the men hurried to bed, wanting to finish what they'd started on the dance floor.

They felt the familiar rasp of tunics against each other, then on sensitized skin. Finally, nothing was between them as they surged and soared together. The incandescent energy grew beyond their capacity to hold it in, and they flowed together into an ocean of Light.

The Force had gifted them with five years, and counting, of unquenchable flame.