Tell Me a Story

by KatBear (katbear@cox.net)

Archive: MA, QJEB. Any others please ask.
Category: AU, Romance
Rating: PG
Pairing: Qui-Gon Jinn/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Feedback: Appreciated.
Thanks: To the beta reader who made this a better story (Sian). All mistakes are my own. Additional appreciation to Sian for first publishing this story in the ConStrict 2005 zine.
Summary: A year after his knighting Obi-Wan finds he still has things to learn.
Warnings: Very little plot and rather high sacharine level. No bedsheets were harmed in the making of this story.
Spoilers: None, this is AU.
Disclaimer: The boys belong to George Lucas, I'm just playing with them.

~ ~ Character internal thoughts

Catching sight of a tall familiar figure heading for the lift, the young knight hurried his steps to slip in behind him.

"Good evening, Master." A smile brightened Obi-Wan's tired, grimy face as he let his travel pack drop to the floor. "It is good to see you again."

"Good evening, Knight Kenobi." Qui-Gon bowed. "Welcome back. I haven't seen much of you since your knighting."

"Obi-Wan, please, you know you don't have to be formal with me."

"Perhaps when you remember to call me Qui-Gon I will be able to persuade myself to forego the pleasure of calling you knight." Qui-Gon smiled, a touch of pride peeking from his mask of serenity.

"I'm afraid we're at a standoff, then," laughed Obi-Wan. He gave an exagerated bow before pressing a brief but affectionate touch to Qui-Gon's arm. "You trained me far too thoroughly, and you will always be my Master to me."

Obi-Wan missed the sudden tightening of Qui-Gon's smile as the knight looked down and toed his travel pack.

"And yes, you haven't seen me because it seems like I've been on practically non-stop missions the whole year." Obi-Wan shook his head ruefully.

"We do keep our new knights busy." The mask was firmly back in place. "You are well, though, I hope."

"I'm fine, just tired. It's been interesting, even if not always very enjoyable." Obi-Wan smiled warmly. "You know, in two days it will be the first anniversary of my knighting. I will be having several friends over for an informal dinner. Nothing fancy, just a sandwiches and ale sort of a gathering. I would really like it you if you would come, Master."

"I'm not sure that would be a good idea. I don't want to put a damper on things with your other friends."

"You're not a damper on anything, Master. I've never seen a place you didn't fit in."

Qui-Gon shifted his weight and hesitated noticeably before speaking. "I didn't want to mention it, but you know Knight Aneshel has never been particularly fond of me. She made it pretty clear that she doesn't feel that it's my place to be at your side any more."

"Oh, that." Obi-Wan blushed as he shuffled his feet. There was a prickly silence between them for a moment before Obi-Wan sighed and looked up. "I realize that half the Temple had assumed Votha and I were going to be bonded, but after we were knighted it seemed that we both started wanting different things from life. Her attitude toward you was just the final straw, and our relationship has been very much over for a month now." He grinned ruefully. "I know you've never gloated or lectured after any of my various 'this is really the one I love forever' affairs, but I am very glad you asked me to wait a while on this one and I'm sorry you had to put up with her spitefulness. I'm even more glad you've always been there to pick up the pieces for me afterward." He tugged on Qui-Gon's cloak, put on a mournful expression and stared at his former master. "So I am greatly in need of comforting again, and would truly like it if you would stop by tomorrow."

"Stop that, Knight Kenobi. It didn't work when you were fifteen and it's not going to work now," Qui-Gon said firmly as he pulled his cloak out of Obi-Wan's grasp. His expression was stern, brows drawn down, but a corner of his mouth was twitching.

"Pretty please, Master? For your poor little padawan?" Obi-Wan shifted to what he knew were his most woe-begone puppy dog eyes.

"Oh..." Qui-Gon gave an exasperated snort. "All right, I'll come, at least for a little while."

"Thank you, Master." Obi-Wan grinned widely as the lift door opened. "We'll be starting around seventh hour." He waved jauntily before striding down the hall.

Qui-Gon stared after the retreating figure for a long moment. The beep of the door alarm finally shook him from his reverie, and he only just escaped the lift at the last moment before the door closed.

Obi-Wan had managed to gather together over a dozen friends who were currently in the Temple between missions, a mix of new knights and senior padawans. Fueled by abundant food and ale, they regaled each other for several hours with tales of adventures and miseries. Theirs was a shared friendship based on hard work and a common goal and they treasured these opportunities. The time passed quickly, and all too soon Obi-Wan found himself at the door bidding good night to the last of his peers.

Obi-Wan leaned against the door for a moment, a huge yawn stretching his face. He turned around and wandered back across the room. He stopped in front of the long sofa.

"You've certainly been quiet tonight, Master."

"Your friends were here to see you, not me," Qui-Gon replied. "Don't worry. I don't get to see much of our younger generation since you left, so I enjoyed being able to listen." He started to rise. "It is getting late, though, and I really should be going."

"Please stay a bit longer," Obi-Wan pleaded. "We haven't had a chance to talk in quite a while. At least let me fix you some tea."

"All right." Qui-Gon sat back down. "Just one cup though."

As Obi-Wan bustled about the small cooking area preparing the tea, they chatted casually about places they had visited on missions. He quickly found himself humming slightly under his breath, falling easily into their old camaraderie.

~ I know the training bond was released when I was knighted, ~ Obi-Wan mused, ~ yet ever since then I still seem to feel that same warm glow in the back of my mind when I'm with Qui-Gon. ~ He glanced at his master. ~ I wonder if that is some sort of left-over effect... perhaps it just means we're still good friends. ~ The whistling of the kettle broke his chain of thought as he hurried to cut off the heat and noise.

Obi-Wan steeped the tea, pouring it off at exactly the right moment thanks to years of practice as Qui-Gon's padawan. He carried the steaming mugs to where Qui-Gon sat. He handed one to his master before sitting to Qui-Gon's right in the middle of the sofa.

"Here you go, Master. I found this blend on Vunchora. It has a nice body with just a touch of sweetness. I hope you like it."

"Thank you, Knight Kenobi."

Obi-Wan fondly watched the familiar ritual. Qui-Gon took a deep breath of the steam, holding it in as he took a careful sip. He then smiled as he swallowed, and nodded as he slowly exhaled. "Yes, it is very good. Not too strong, but a pleasant presence. Sort of like an old friend."

"I was just thinking about that same thing." Obi-Wan leaned back, one arm along the back of the sofa, his untouched mug sitting on the cushion beside him.

Saying nothing more, Qui-Gon watched a brooding expression take over Obi-Wan's half smile as his chin slowly sank down toward his chest.

The silence lasted for several minutes as Qui-Gon simply studied his former apprentice, his eyes fixed on the young man, his face a carefully controlled blank. He took in every detail - the bloodshot eyes, the lines at the corners of eyes and mouth, the slumped shoulders.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Qui-Gon finally asked gently.

Obi-Wan started. "I'm sorry, Master. I didn't ask you here to wallow in my problems." A flush reddened his cheeks. "I should be able to stand on my own now."

"A burden shared is a burden halved, and even the strongest sometimes have burdens that need sharing." Qui-Gon smiled a bit wistfully. "Just because I am no longer officially responsible for your well-being does not mean that I stopped caring. I made a promise to you that you could talk to me about anything and I would do what I could to help; that promise still holds."

"Thank you, Master." Obi-Wan sighed. "I guess this is a little more serious than losing a pet repra or getting in a fight though." He fell into silence again, however, and worried at his lower lip.

Qui-Gon cupped his mug in both hands, letting the steam tickle his nose. He took a small drink, savoring the mild flavor as he thought about how many times in the past they had repeated this scene, knowing that Obi-Wan would open up when he was ready.

Staring down at the floor, Obi-Wan finally began to speak. "When I first met Votha Aneshel, it felt like love at first sight. It seemed that we had so much in common, but in looking back I think it may have been that we were simply both so caught up in those last few months of preparing for our trials that we weren't seeing very much of each other's true personalities." Obi-Wan shook his head. "It wasn't until after our knightings that we started to talk about other plans, what we wanted to do with our lives."

Qui-Gon waited patiently through another stillness before nudging the conversation again. "It is a difficult transition from padawan to knight. Nurturing a new relationship can be difficult in any situation, but especially as your responsibilities changed and you both had new challenges to face."

"Difficult, yes, but I welcomed the challenge, and, I'll admit, the excitement of it all." Obi-Wan glanced up. A wry smile lightened his expression. "I wanted to make you proud, and perhaps there was some eagerness to prove to certain grumpy naysayers that the infamous Master Jinn could turn out a good knight."

Qui-Gon smiled in turn. "You don't have to prove anything for my sake, Knight Kenobi. I will always be proud of you, even if you decide that your real calling is to be the next Temple librarian."

Obi-Wan gave a half-snort of amusement before the smile fled and his gaze returned downward. "In any event, it turned out that Votha was not nearly so fond of field assignments as I was. She decided to pursue advanced studies in engineering and wanted us to have more time together here at the Temple. We started to have disagreements when I volunteered for field duty, then she wanted to monopolize all of my time when I was home. I didn't realize it at first, but she managed to keep us so busy together that I wasn't seeing any of my other friends. It wasn't until she outright started attacking you, though, that I started to see how selfish and jealous she really was." Obi-Wan shrugged. "For a long time I suppose I was just too infatuated to do anything about it, but her comments started getting more spiteful, even in public. She accused me of preferring you to her. We argued whenever I talked about visiting you."

"I think I could have put with almost anything except that." Obi-Wan looked up and again turned to face Qui-Gon, this time twisting his body instead of just his head. "When she put you down it was very hurtful to me. I finally had to break it off and leave her, just like I ended so many other relationships that I thought were love." His eyes were dark gray with distress. "I know we are supposed to find fulfillment in our duties as Jedi and in our devotion to the Force, but I can't help feeling that there is something else missing in my life. I feel so lonely, Master." Obi-Wan gestured helplessly. "I feel driven to keep seeking a mate, but is it wrong to want another spirit to share in my life? Does that make me a bad Jedi?"

"You have always been a good Jedi, but I can understand your confusion in this matter." Qui-Gon paused a moment, sipping his tea as he gathered his thoughts. "None of us are perfect, and for most, it is a life long pursuit to try to understand the code and to live by its tenets." He hesitated a moment, eyes hooded, one hand stealing to trace a leather cord around his neck that led to an object hidden under his tunics. He continued softly, "Each of us has different needs, and sometimes it can be difficult to reconcile those needs with what we believe the code asks of us. And, of course, we must strive to understand the will of the Force, which is not always the same thing as what the code might seem to tell us." A half smile crossed his face as he briefly touched Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Have you meditated upon this matter?"

Obi-Wan leaned forward. He spoke very quietly. "Actually, that is one of the other things that bothers me. I have tried to meditate for years about my feelings for others, but it seems that the Force has always been silent on this matter. Lately I have spent a great deal of time meditating, trying to understand." He ran a hand through his hair, rubbed at the back of his neck. "I still don't hear anything. I don't know if the Force disapproves or simply doesn't care. It's very discouraging." He sighed and let both hands drop to his knees.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Actually..." Obi-Wan sat up straight. "There is something that you could do that would cheer me up."

"And what is that, my despondent knight?"

"Well, if you wouldn't mind." Obi-Wan blushed a little as he ducked his head. "Tell me a story."

"What?" Qui-Gon blinked. He tilted his head, one brow raised quizzically.

"I want you to tell me a story. You know, the one you always use for the younglings."

"Aren't you a little old for that sort of thing?" A bemused smile lingered as Qui-Gon stroked a thumb along the edge of his chin, ruffling his beard the wrong way.

"The first time I heard it I thought I was already too old, but I've come to realize since then that listening to you telling that story has come to represent warmth and comfort in my mind." Obi-Wan smiled as he reminisced. His eyes were unfocused pools of blue-gray. "That first time was on C'Brekno, not too long after my fourteenth nameday. It was just a miserable little planet with another miserable little civil war and we were caught in the middle. I remember the rain, the mud, the cold... that night we had rescued a dozen children from a burning village and we were all huddled together in an old hut."

"I remember," Qui-Gon said softly. "It was so wet it took a long while to get a fire going. Those poor children were scared and lonely, not knowing what was going to happen to them."

"Yes, and you used the last of our rations to make soup for them once you finally got the fire started. Then later, they all crept up around you, the two littlest ones in your arms. I was pretty resentful, truth be told, feeling cold and hungry and a little left out. Then a tiny voice on the edge of the darkness begged for a story. For a little while we were all taken to a different world, a simple, happy place, while you wove a little piece of sunshine for all of us." Obi-Wan shook his head and sighed. "Even though I quickly realized that it was really the same basic story you used every time, I think that became part of the comfort for me. Your voice, your presence, the way you cared about others... well, your story always made me feel better inside, no matter how dark it was."

"I'm glad you liked the story, but I would feel pretty silly telling it to a grown knight." Qui-Gon shook his head. "It's just a little something I got from a children's storybook. All I did was adapt it to use an animal or character from whatever planet we were on."

Obi-Wan slipped down to the floor and sat cross-legged at Qui-Gon's feet. He reached up to tug at the bottom of Qui-Gon's legging. "Please, Ser Jedi?" he asked in a small voice. "Please tell me a story?"

Qui-Gon looked around awkwardly and shifted in his seat. "This is ridiculous," he muttered.

Obi-Wan sat and stared up silently.

Qui-Gon rubbed the side of his face with his free hand and muttered to himself some more. His tea sloshed in his mug as his other hand wavered.

Obi-Wan still sat and stared up silently.

"Oh, all right. Just stop staring at me like that."

Obi-Wan grinned a little but said nothing.

"Hmmmph." Qui-Gon gave a huge sigh before carefully setting his mug on the arm of the sofa. "What is this new generation of knights coming to, anyway?"

Obi-Wan's grin widened considerably as he settled himself into a comfortable position.

"A story, hmmm?" Qui-Gon pretended to ponder for a moment. "I think I have just the thing. How about the story of The Initiate's Big Adventure?"

Obi-Wan nodded eagerly. "Yes, please, Ser Jedi."

"Very well." Qui-Gon nodded sagely. "Once upon a time, in a Temple far away, there lived a little initiate. He wasn't a particularly special initiate, neither better nor worse than the other many initiates he lived with. He had several friends, and liked many of his teachers, and many of them liked the little initiate. Most of the time he lived a very simple life. He got up every day, and went to his classes, and played with his friends. In fact, he generally lived a very ordinary life, perhaps much like you might have had when you were an initiate."

Obi-Wan let the familiar voice sweep him up into the simple tale. Gradually the old magic began to assert itself and push his troubles away.

"... the little initiate's day had been pretty much like all of his other days. After lunch, though, one of his favorite teachers gathered his class together and announced that they were going on a special trip. Naturally this made everyone very happy and they all started talking at once. The teacher had to ask them several times to be quiet. Once everyone stopped talking, the teacher then told them that they were going to one of the special gardens..."

The warmth of Qui-Gon's presence began slowly dissolving the chill that had permeated Obi-Wan's heart these last few months. Gradually, almost instinctively, he found himself shifting closer to his master.

"The teacher led them through a big gate. As they followed, the initiates were amazed to see all of the beautiful flowers along the path. They crossed a small bridge over a clear stream and soon found themselves among many large trees..."

Obi-Wan was filled with a warm peaceful feeling as he changed position to sit on his haunches directly in front of Qui-Gon's legs. He inhaled the familiar scents of boot polish, herbal shampoo and the unique scent that was Qui-Gon himself; he closed his eyes and felt a calming sense of homecoming, a special warmth he had never achieved with any of his lovers.

"After eating a snack, the initiates carefully cleaned up all of the trash. It was a very warm day, but the shade under the trees was very nice. The initiates each found a spot in the tall grass under the trees and prepared to take their naps. Soon most of the initiates were asleep. The little initiate wasn't very sleepy though, and decided to explore on his own..."

Obi-Wan was drawn ever closer to his master's presence. Eventually he found himself leaning against the long legs. He was so lost in the imaginary world that he was oblivious to the growing hoarseness in Qui-Gon's voice.

"Although the garden had many beautiful flowers and plants, the initiate still wasn't satisfied. He was sure there were even more wonderful things to find and wanted to look around some more. It..." there was a small break in Qui-Gon's voice. He cleared his throat before continuing. "It was a very warm day, and he was starting to get a little tired. The little initiate decided that before he continued his search he would find the small stream so he could wade in it and cool off..."

The hesitation went unnoticed by the enthralled knight. It had been far too long since he had felt this happy, so at peace with the world. Even the Force seemed to smile upon him, feeding the euphoric buzz at the back of his mind where the training bond used to live. Eyes still closed, almost unconsciously, Obi-Wan wrapped himself around Qui-Gon's legs and let his head rest in Qui-Gon's lap. A contented sigh escaped his lips.

"The little initiate stepped into the water. It was very cool." Qui-Gon paused, roughly clearing his throat again. "The water was cool and felt good. It was very warm, very, very warm, and the little initiate waded further into the cool water."

Obi-Wan snuggled closer into Qui-Gon's lap, almost purring.

"The little initiate left the stream and wandered back among the trees. He was lost for a while, but the teacher found him and they went back to their home and hadapieceofcakeandtheyalllivedhappilyeveryafter. The end."

"What?" Obi-Wan was jolted out of his reverie by the abrupt jerk of Qui-Gon's knees against his chest. "That's not how it's supposed to go." He sat up straight.

"I should leave now." Qui-Gon's face was red and his hands were clenched.

"What is wrong, Master?" Obi-Wan asked anxiously. "You don't look well."

"I... I need to leave." Qui-Gon started to stand up, his arms swinging forward.

Both men saw the neglected mug of tea on the arm of the sofa as Qui-Gon's left hand hit it. Obi-Wan surged upward at the same time that Qui-Gon tried to jump forward. The crack of Qui-Gon's jaw hitting Obi-Wan's forehead resounded in the quiet quarters. Qui-Gon slid down to the floor, landing on his rear with a solid thump. Obi-Wan tried to regain his balance by grabbing at Qui-Gon, but ended up snagging a pendant that swung free from Qui-Gon's tunics and snapping it off. Obi-Wan fell to his knees, straddling Qui-Gon's right thigh, his arms braced against Qui-Gon's chest.

"I'm sorry," mumbled Qui-Gon as he carefully felt his jaw. "Are you all right?"

"I think so." Obi-Wan tenderly probed along his hairline with his right hand. "My ears are ringing a bit, but I don't think anything is broken."

"I really must leave now." Qui-Gon shifted uncomfortably.

"What is wrong, Master?" Obi-Wan demanded. He leaned back, balancing on his knees.

"Nothing... please, I should just go." Qui-Gon looked away, refusing to meet Obi-Wan's eyes.

"You're not going anywhere until I'm sure you are all right." Obi-Wan reached over and lifted Qui-Gon's chin.

There was total quiet for a long moment.

"Oh Force," Obi-Wan whispered, dumfounded by the look of absolute misery in the dark blue eyes. A nudge from the Force caused him to look down at the pendant he still held in his left hand. A coiled russet object was encased in the finest of crystallerion.

"Is this..." Obi-Wan was suddenly almost afraid to ask. He looked into Qui-Gon's eyes. "Is this my braid?

Qui-Gon nodded dumbly.

Obi-Wan's attention was drawn even lower while he was trying to digest the implications of this new fact. He realized that his right knee was pressed firmly into Qui-Gon's crotch, and the heat from what he now realized was undeniably a very large, very hard erection was suddenly mirrored in both men's cheeks.

"I'm sorry." With a wild shove Qui-Gon pushed Obi-Wan aside and staggered to his feet. "I have to go." He hurried toward for the door.

Obi-Wan caught Qui-Gon at the door. He spun the taller man around and pinned him against the wall.

"Please, just let me go." Qui-Gon struggled to free himself but was severely hampered by his unwillingness to hurt his former apprentice. "I'm sorry. Just let me go. I promise I won't bother you."

Obi-Wan held fast, finally putting his hand over Qui-Gon's mouth to stop his babbling.

The uncomfortable silence was broken by the heavy breathing of the two men pressed closely together.

"How long?" Obi-Wan demanded as he dropped his hand from Qui-Gon's mouth to his shoulder.

Qui-Gon refused to meet Obi-Wan's eyes, but made no pretense of misunderstanding the question. "Since you were nineteen," he said hoarsely.

"And you never said a single word."

"You know the code forbids a master from initiating a physical relationship with his apprentice. It was not my place to impose my feelings on you."

"Since when did the code ever stop you from expressing yourself?"

"The Force..." Qui-Gon's whisper of despair echoed in Obi-Wan's head. "The Force told me I must wait... that it was my duty to ensure that your choices were yours alone."

Obi-Wan took a ragged breath as he felt Qui-Gon sag against the wall. He shook his head in wonder at his own years of fatuous self-centeredness.

"You always kept putting me back together despite all the lovers I kept parading through our quarters."

"I would have done anything to keep you from hurting, but you were entitled to have your own life, to live and to grow from your own experiences." Qui-Gon closed his eyes, bowed his head. "I learned to stay silent and keep to my proper place in that life."

Obi-Wan wrapped both arms around Qui-Gon and leaned his head against the broad chest. He sighed heavily as he considered the pain that silence must have cost Qui-Gon.

Qui-Gon opened his eyes, then straightened to his full height. "Please let me go. I'll stay away if you wish and we can pretend this never happened. You will always have my heart, but at least let me keep my dignity." He tentatively tried to break Obi-Wan's grip.

"No." Obi-Wan tightened his hold.

Qui-Gon squirmed a little. "Please..."

"You're not going anywhere until I tell you a story." Obi-Wan leaned back a little, all too aware of the heat between their two bodies. He kept a firm grip on Qui-Gon's arms.

Qui-Gon started to speak, but closed his mouth in the face of Obi-Wan's clear determination.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath. "Once upon a time there was a young Jedi apprentice. He lived in the Jedi temple with his master and for many years the apprentice was very happy. He worked hard, had many friends, and his master taught him many things. But like the little initiate, the Jedi apprentice wanted to have adventures, and he was sure that there was always something better waiting to be found."

Obi-Wan felt that the beating of his heart must surely be audible throughout the Temple. "And so the apprentice kept looking, and going on to adventure after adventure seeking true treasure of the heart. Eventually the apprentice became a Jedi knight, and he thought he had found happiness and even better adventures."

"But you know what?" Obi-Wan stepped back slightly, let his arms fall to his sides. He swallowed hard. "The silly young Jedi knight did not realize that the treasure had been right in front of his own eyes all along, and true happiness had been waiting for him to grow up enough to let the light pierce his blindness."

"Qui-Gon Jinn, I have made my choice. Will you go adventuring with me?"

"Obi-Wan," whispered Qui-Gon. He had to stop, his breathing rough. A suspicious moisture brightened his eyes. He tried again. "Obi-Wan Kenobi, it would give me great pleasure to share your quest."

Obi-Wan reached up to pull Qui-Gon's head down so he could brush his lips across Qui-Gon's lips.

The two men embraced tightly. For a long time they simply stood, enjoying their feelings.

"And they lived happily ever after," whispered Obi-Wan as the Force finally smiled upon them.

finis