Master Apprentice Archive So Far Away Quick search:

Archive: m_a. Anyone else, sure. Just tell me where and keep my name and email addy attached.

Category: A/U, Angst, PWP.

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: None

Spoilers: For that scene. However, it's different so I suppose it doesn't count.

Disclaimer: George's. Not mine. They die with him. With me, they have great sex. No wonder they like spending time with me so much.

Summary: Qui-Gon gets a welcome surprise.

Feedback: Feedback would be greatly appreciated, privately or on-list.

Thanks: To Antigone for being a great Padawan! This story is lovingly dedicated to her:)

Qui-Gon awoke with Coruscant's artificial sunlight bathing him. He swung his long legs over the side of the bed, stood up, and walked to the window. Looking out over the already-bustling city, he raised his arms above his head, stretching. He winced and drew in a breath as he over-extended, straining muscles not yet fully healed.

He walked over to his closet, removing his sleeping pants and tossing them in the general direction of the laundry basket before heading to the 'fresher.

Shortly, he was standing in the shower, letting the warm water sluice over him, cleansing and refreshing. He lathered his hair with his preferred shampoo, a blend of tingling Arconan mint and musky Jandar flowers, and then rinsed himself off, stepping from the shower and wrapping a towel around his waist.

Patting his hair dry with another towel, he headed to his mirror, where he combed his hair, noting the presence of seemingly more gray than yesterday. Pulling the silken strands back into a tail at the

nape of his neck, he carefully fastened a leather binding around the hair, smoothing it down with his fingers.

Dropping the towel, he walked to the closet, pulling a pair of leggings from their hanger and sliding them on. He then pulled a tunic and two under-tunics, as well as his sash and belt, from their proper places.

He walked back to the mirror and stood before it, contemplating his reflection. Bringing his hand up, he ran long fingers across his chest, skimming over the circular scar, examining the hairless pink skin.

Although the healers could have completely regenerated the skin, leaving no scarring, Qui-Gon had chosen to keep the scar to remind him of Obi-Wan's devotion.

As if he didn't thank Obi-Wan for each day he lived.

When he had been struck down by the Sith, Obi-Wan had jumped into the fight, besting the Sith and then expending almost all of his own life Force to keep Qui-Gon alive until the Queen's medical staff could be summoned.

Qui-Gon had spent a month in a bacta tank, and then undergone several months of physical therapy. Just recently released from the therapists' clutches, Qui-Gon was slowly returning to the physical level he had been at before the confrontation on Naboo.

He finished dressing, and then headed to wake Anakin. The boy was a constant source of joy in his life, eager and inquisitive, learning each lesson with vigor and enthusiasm. He also had a grasp of the Force that many masters never achieved, and all this with almost no formal training. Sometimes daunted by the task, Qui-Gon was still grateful the Council had allowed him the honor of training Ani.

He awoke a slightly recalcitrant Ani and sent him grumbling toward the 'fresher. For all his talents,

Ani was harder to wake up than anyone Qui-Gon had ever met.

Breakfast, prepared by a more awake and much more cheerful Ani, and then off to classes for the boy. He would return in the late afternoon with stories of the teaching Masters and his fellow students, delighting Qui-Gon with his vivid and often scathingly accurate mimicry of the others' voices and mannerisms.

After Anakin bounded out the door, on his way to his favorite class, Master E'shelha's 'saber training session, Qui-Gon cleaned up the few dishes he and his Padawan had dirtied, then walked around, looking for something to do. He tended the few living plants he and Ani kept in their quarters, picked up the debris from a model Ani had made and tossed it in the recycler, and then inspected his bookshelf. He chose a volume, sat down, almost immediately lost interest, put the reader down, and resumed his wandering.

He considered visiting Mace or Yoda, and found himself wishing he had taken the time to become more friendly with some of the other Knights and Masters during his brief stays at the Temple.

Finally, he abandoned the pretense and gave himself over to his favorite occupation-thinking of Obi-Wan.

When he'd stopped thinking about the young man as simply a Padawan and started thinking of him as so much more, he couldn't say. He could only say that it had happened, and left him with conflicting emotions that seemed to be in turmoil.

He'd kept his feelings carefully in check while Obi-Wan was still his student, not wishing to break the trust that existed between himself and his Padawan. He'd held on to the hope that when Obi-Wan

passed his trials, he would come to his master and offer his love.

But Obi-Wan had been Knighted and had left on his first mission about six months ago, without giving so much as an indication that his feelings were any more than normal respect that a Padawan should feel for his Master.

Qui-Gon heard from Obi-Wan frequently, but in the transmissions, there was no hint, either. Qui-Gon took great joy in the fact that Obi-Wan was a fine knight-one of the best, in his entirely unbiased opinion. Qui-Gon was proud of Obi-Wan, and loved Anakin dearly, but somehow, it wasn't quite enough.

Suddenly, the sound of the door chime interrupted his reverie. He cursed softly, and then got to his feet, wincing again as his muscles reminded him he shouldn't be jumping out of chairs at this stage in his recovery.

He walked to the door and opened it, preparing a welcome for whoever stood on the other side.

The words died in his throat at the vision standing on the other side of the door.

Obi-Wan, clad in the traditional Jedi brown and cream, stood with his hand on his hip, his hair longer by far than it had been the last time Qui-Gon had seen him, hanging nearly to his chin, which was covered with a faint scruff of beard. The familiar gray-green eyes greeted him with a bit of impatience as Obi-Wan asked, "May I come in?"

Qui-Gon recovered his composure, and said, "Of course, Obi-Wan. But why...?"

"Why am I here?" Obi-Wan asked, smiling cryptically. "I needed to tell you something."

"You know that you may tell me anything, Padawan." Qui-Gon said, ushering Obi-Wan inside and offering him a seat.

Obi-Wan eschewed the chair that had been his favorite, opting for the couch, and patted the cushion next to him, inviting Qui-Gon to sit.

Qui-Gon did so, and waited for Obi-Wan to speak. It was obvious that Obi-Wan was keeping something carefully shielded from him, for what reason, however, Qui-Gon didn't know.

Obi-Wan appeared to be focusing and gathering his thoughts, contemplating what he was going to say.

"Master... I thought you should be the first one to know."

Qui-Gon's heart plummeted at that. Phrases like that were usually the beginning of something bad.

"I..." Obi-Wan began. "I've fallen in love with someone."

Qui-Gon wasn't able to keep the disappointment out of his voice as he said, "Oh. How wonderful for you, Padawan."

"I'm planning to ask him to pair-bond with me."

So it was serious, Qui-Gon thought. Pair-bonding was the Jedi equivalent of marriage, except, unlike marriages in many cultures, once a pair-bond was initiated, it couldn't be broken, except through the death of one of the bonded.

"You must love him deeply." Qui-Gon said, knowing Obi-Wan was looking for a response from him.

"I do." Obi-Wan replied.

"And who is he? Do I know him?"

"Yes, very well." Obi-Wan responded.

Then, abruptly, Obi-Wan dropped his shields. All of his shields.

Qui-Gon was hit with a rush of emotions from his former Padawan, and in the few moments it took him to sort them out, was reeling.

Then he looked up at Obi-Wan with wonder in his eyes.

"It was me?" he asked, disbelievingly.

"It was always you." Obi-Wan replied, leaning toward Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon also moved forward, anticipating a kiss, and was surprised when Obi-Wan reached up to unfasten the tie at the nape of Qui-Gon's neck, loosing the heavy, silver-brown fall of Qui-Gon's hair.

Qui-Gon luxuriated in the sensation of Obi-Wan's fingers gently running through his hair, as he leaned forward, finally kissing the man he'd loved for so many years.

A long moment later, Obi-Wan pulled away with a gleam in his eye.

"Qui-Gon, I believe we have a little time before Anakin is due to return."

Qui-Gon pretended to study his chrono, then stood and grasped Obi-Wan's hands, pulling the younger man up to stand with him.

He backed toward his bedroom, pulling Obi-Wan along with him.

"So we do, Obi-Wan. So we do."

fin