Promises Kept
by Tenshi No Korin
(uintaa2@hotmail.com)
Rating NC-17.. sorta...
Category: umm.. Reunion? Sap? Unabashed sentimentality?
Pairing: O/Q (duh)
Archive:Master & apprentice, anyone else please ask...
Feedback: big glossy anime eyes Pwease?
Spoilers: Only the Big One.
Notes: Much love to Padawan Joy and Sarah, fellow amazon slash
fic writers of the apocalypse... If you think I own these
fellas you really ARE from a galaxy far far away, since I'm
quite sure they have Copyrights on everything from their shoe
size to their favorite milkshake flavor. Fic in response to the
reunion challenge.
"The day is breaking now It's time to go away
I'm so afraid to leave But more afraid to stay
Forgive me For leaving
The sadness in your eyes
Forgive me
Let the wind and ocean water Wash across your hands
Wash away a thousand footsteps
Wash us all away Like sand
The sky has fallen Now the earth is dry and torn
I know you're tired From the violence of the storm
I love you I love you
But you are all I know
Forgive me
Let the wind and ocean water Wash across your hands
Wash away a thousand memories
Wash us all away... Like sand...."
-October Project "Ariel"
"NO!!!"
It echoed strangely to Obi-Wan, a thousand times redundant and
somehow muffled like shattered glass swathed in velvet. It
seemed to him that no other word had ever existed in the
galaxy, and that every meaning in the universe was framed
within that single syllable of denial.
What was he thinking about? Obi-Wan blinked, truing to find his
train of thought. He had that slightly uneasy feeling one gets
when they have been staring fixedly at someone while really
thinking of something mundane, like how best to mend the hole
in one's tunic.
"Sorry about that," he said to no one in particular, to the
pale blue sand he was sitting on, and the ocean sunset
sprawling out forever in front of him. Jedi shouldn't loose
their focus that way; Qui-Gon would be on him in an instant. He
stood up, brushing glittering sand from his robes. Speaking of
which, Qui-Gon should be here. He didn't know why he was so
certain of that, but it was all his fogged brain would give
him, so he held on to it.
"You're late." A familiar baritone rambled, from the spur of
cobalt stone where he sat, eyes on the twin rising moons above
the sea.
"Forgive me master, I was ah.." Obi-Wan thought busily as he
bowed. What had he been doing again? Something terribly
important...
"You were dying," Qui-Gon prompted, as if Obi-Wan had forgotten
some line of recitation.
"That's right, I was dying. How could I have forgotten-WHAT?"
he whirled, braid and robe spinning about his circumference.
As if at his request, the blue sky above the ocean shimmered
into an image. Anakin's son, blaster dangling from his limp
hand, face slack with shock as Vader's boot nosed about in
Obi-Wan's empty robe.
"What are you standing there like a moron for?" Obi-Wan shouted
at the sky. At least Luke's sister had the decent sense to flee
for that smuggler's ship. "Run, Luke!"
Luke tilted his head in surprise, and Obi-Wan realized he'd
been heard. Luke swung his blaster up and nailed the door
control dead on, despite being unable to hit any of the storm
troopers firing at the small group. No doubt, he was Anakin's
son. Obi-Wan watched as the sky shimmered back to empty
moon-filled serenity, the vision of the ship blasting into
space diffusing into clouds.
"Honestly, I don't know how that boy is going to manage to save
the galaxy. He's overactive and emotionally unstable and -"
Obi-Wan turned to see Qui-Gon still sitting on his rock, the
faintest hint of a smile lingering on the corners of his mouth.
Obi-Wan's voice died as his whole life rushed back to him.
Forty years of it, especially. Forty empty guilt-ridden years.
Forgotten was the body that ached when storms blew up, the eyes
that had to peer closely at vidscreens for the text not to
blur. One hand came up unconsciously to his padawan braid; the
familiar slight weight against his ear was enough to saturate
his mind with memories. Qui-Gon was younger than he had been
when Obi-Wan last held him; the long dark honey hair was void
of gray, corners of his eyes just creased barely with laughter.
"Oh." was all Obi-Wan could manage, trembling. His knees felt
weak- but wasn't he dead? Surely venerated dead Jedi didn't get
weak in the knees.
Qui-Gon gave a short laugh. "Why do you think I'm perched on
this rock, padawan? If I stand up, I'll tip over." He held out
one hand, and it was all Obi-Wan needed.
He ran, and when was the last time his body obeyed him so
easily? He knew he barely had to touch the side of the boulder
to reach qui-Gon, that his momentum would carry him as easily
as thought. Sand flew up in blue clouds behind him as Obi-Wan
rushed up, as ridiculously as any lovestruck female in a cheap
holo-film, and was caught in warm strong arms.
"Padawan," Qui-Gon breathed, and his breath stirred Obi-Wan's
hair as he spoke, the hands cradling his face were real and
warm and there was a thundering heartbeat pressed to his own.
"Obi-Wan... it's been so long for you, love."
Obi-Wan could only cry, too shocked to think of the oddity of
him crying now, at all times. His tears made Qui-Gon's cheek
wet as he clutched desperately to his master. "You are real,
aren't you? This isn't another dream? I'm not going to wake up
old and alone and worried for the future and-"
"Hush, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon's hand petted the soft gold hair,
rocking him gently. "You never have to wake up. Not ever again.
You've fought long and hard and waited for this.. it's yours
now. And so am I."
Obi-Wan sniffled for a moment, lifting his head and staring for
a long time at his master. His baffled fingertips relearned the
soft beard, the thoughtful arch of brows and the curve of
expressive lips. He gazed up into his master's eyes, and said
from the very depths of his freed soul, "Master... I'm twice
your age."
Obi-Wan had to bite his lip to stop the giggle; Qui-Gon looked
so terribly serious. That is, right before he shoved the other
Jedi off his lap to land with a plop in the sand below,
smirking down at him from his perch. "Impertinent brat!"
"I've waited YEARS for that!!" Obi-Wan kicked his heels in the
sand, holding his sides, unable and unwilling now to stop the
laughter bubbling out of him. "Arrogant old coot! Damnit! You
picked a really awful time to kick off, you know that?"
"I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter!"
Obi-Wan's smile faded just slightly, staining his eyes briefly
gray. "Master, I tried to-"
"I know, Obi-Wan. I'm sorry I had to leave you." Qui-Gon leapt
down off the rock outcropping with more ease than Obi-Wan had
ever seen in his master, and blocked the gold and silver
moonlight as he leaned over his erstwhile apprentice. "I love
you. I have always loved you, Obi-Wan. I tried to tell you then
but there wasn't enough time- I didn't even know what it really
meant until-"
Obi-Wan's fingers blocked the flow of apology. "No more,
Qui-Gon Jinn. It's all been said." He replaced his fingers with
his mouth, the kiss making every other contact in that pale
shadow life seem like mere illusion. This is what was real,
this was the Truth. His hands tangled in the soft flow of hair,
bringing his master down against him, the familiar weight
pressing him down into the sand.
"We still have bodies?" He wondered aloud, when his lips were
his own again, Qui-Gon kissing a tear away from his padawan's
eye.
"Some of us choose to," Qui-Gon informed him. "Some are more
comfortable without them. And sometimes for what we do, we have
to leave them behind, or change them..." Qui-Gon leaned on one
elbow, cupping Obi-Wan's face in one gentle hand. "Luke will
need you again, sooner and later, and although this shape is
what you choose to be-"
"If some impertinent padawan brat tries to tell him to trust
his feelings, he won't have a clue who I am." Obi-Wan reached
up and laid his hand over Qui-Gon's, keeping it against his
cheek. "I understand. We still have much to do, don't we?"
"You and I never could rest quietly. We still have to muddle
about in business, even when not assigned to it. And Skywalker
will need much help. Others can flit about in a blue haze if
they like..." Qui-Gon brushed his lips over his lover's
forehead, and Obi-Wan shook with a soft sob as he did so. "I'm
sorry, Obi-Wan. Here I am discussing the balance of galactic
power and force destined Jedi when you-"
"It's alright." Obi-Wan took a shuddering breath, smiling up at
his master like he always had, delicately. "You could talk
about anything you like. You could tell me the current going
rate for ton-ton pelts if you damn well pleased, and it would
delight me to no end. I know it's been a long time.. but for
some reason it hasn't. You just left a few minutes ago.. like
stepping from one room into another." His eyes flicked to the
sky above them, sensing the benevolent pulse of the Force
everywhere around them, knowing that there were other souls
within a flicker of his will. The council, Old friends from the
academy, comrades he had seen pale and cold and still, all
there, bright and vibrant. They acknowledged him briefly,
welcomed him, but kept a respectful distance for the sake of
the lovers' reunion. "So much more makes sense now," He
whispered to the sky, to the everything and nowhere that they
were.
Qui-Gon stroked his thumb over Obi-Wan's cheekbone, reminiscent
of a last touch so very many seconds ago. "There are still
troubles to be had, don't worry about getting bored." His
Master smiled. "But some things you never need to fear again."
Obi-Wan's gaze flicked back to his master, drinking in the
sight of him as though he could never have his fill. "Never to
be alone.. never to be without you..." He lifted his head,
asking a kiss, too afraid yet to shut his eyes.
"Silly Padawan... you never were." Qui-Gon kissed him again,
and Obi-Wan knew what it was to be free. The body his spirit
had chosen ached with a hunger he had not felt for at least-
years? Centuries? The past twenty minutes? It wasn't even
relevant anymore. All that mattered was sunset warm sand under
his back, moonlight drenched surf pounding a few feet away, and
the tangled hot embrace of the only man he ever loved.
"Love me," he exhaled into Qui-Gon's hair, drunk with the spice
scent of his master that had never been identified and never
duplicated. "Please, Qui-Gon..."
"Have you forgotten so much?" Qui-Gon's voice purred with
amusement in Obi-Wan's ear. "What do you think I'm doing?"
"Nothing fast enough," Obi-Wan muttered, hands shoving
impatiently at his master's tunic. "We have eternity, so the
slow lovemaking can come later.. For now if I don't have you in
me I'm going to-" He paused, realizing how ridiculous his
unfinished statement would sound.
"Die?" Qui-Gon prompted, half-in and half out of his tunic,
looking insufferably amused.
"You know what I mean," Obi-Wan sulked back. "I'm a crotchety
old man and used to getting my way." He slipped his hand in the
undone front of his master's tunic, running his fingers over
the smooth planes of muscle.
"My love you are anything but old. Some people wandering about
here are heading for their sixth millennium." Qui-Gon made a
little flicker with his will. Obi-Wan glanced down at himself
and then at his master, clad only in the twin gilded moonlight.
"That trick would have saved us a lot of trouble if we'd known
it back then." Obi Wan opened his arms to Qui-Gon, sighing
hungrily as he was folded in that protective embrace again.
Familiar hands sculpted his heat and he arched upward, fire
screaming through his veins at just the simple touch. Any
sensation he had felt before was lost in the wake of this
intensity, leaving him almost dazed just from that. Qui-Gon
drew Obi-Wan's back against his chest; the other Jedi gasping
in stunned amazement.
"That was- you just touched me..?"
"Trust me, Padawan." Qui-Gon murmured, his lips brushing the
back of Obi-Wan's neck. His hands moved over the slighter frame
of his apprentice, nothing but soft touches and relearning.
Obi-Wan moaned helplessly, writhing, so drunk and needy from
the simple contact that he was almost unaware of the urgent
warning pressure from behind.
~Hold on~
Reality shattered into a thousand pieces, the welcome invasion
lacking any discomfort, only the wholeness and perfection
remaining as Qui Gon melded his body with Obi-Wan's. Obi-Wan
did not even realize he was crying again, pressing desperately
back into his master. The wild sensations were leveling off,
still impossibly intense but he no longer thought he would
cease to exist if he was touched again. Their motion was the
same as the tide, the same as the Force running hotter than
mortal blood through them, and Obi-Wan felt his master's soul
kiss and meld with his own, until there were no lines between
them.
He screamed softly as he came like galaxies being born,
spilling himself onto the sand and feeling heat flow in a rush
within him. Qui-Gon murmured his name into his soul and held
him tightly as their shuddering slowed.
Obi-Wan could not even think, as limp and helpless in his
master's arms as he had ever been, panting softly into the
sand. His hair was smoothed tenderly, a smiling kiss pressed to
the top of his spine.
"Forever?" he murmured, in awed disbelief.
"Forever," Qui-Gon assured him, turning him over gently to
smile down at Obi-Wan's tear-wet flushed cheeks. "Welcome
home."
FIN
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