Summary : Torant maneuvers to bring Obi back into the family.
Disclaimer : George Lucas owns everyone and everything in this
story. I own nothing. It doesn't bother me for I have but one
thing I truly want these days : I WANT QUI-GON BACK!!!!!!
Declaration : I wrote and display this story absolutely for
free. (People would pay money for this? PP-leeease.)
Many many thanks : To those who have written to tell me they
liked Torant Kenobi. You know who you are. To Danni who ever
brims with cool insight, intelligent thoughts and life saving
advice, and who never hesitates to share those gems with me.
And MOST ESPECIALLY to Barbara who has stuck with me from day
one and story one, showering me with unfailing support and
kindness along the way.
Feedbk : oh yes, please. Nothing would make me happier, well,
except waking up to Qui-Gon's stunningly handsome face.
Author's notes :
1. This is a sequel to "The In-law". That story is also
archived on M/A. But since I will supply below a back story
which is a summary of what happens in "The In-law", reading
that story helps but is not essential.
2. This story is meant to be an interlude filling in the gap
between "The In-law" and the 3rd story in the series, which I
hope I can start working on soon. So don't yet throw tomatoes
at me if Qui and Obi seem to be left out of any climatic scenes
in this piece. That will come in the next story when the whole
family pays Obi a visit on Coruscant. I swear, before I am
done, Qui-Gon will indeed say *MOM* to the face of Sudsa
Kenobi!
3. **Characters' thoughts or mental conversations**
Back story Obi's family shuns Obi because of his Jedi identity.
Torant Kenobi, the youngest brother who's away from home
studying is the only exception. Obi has reunited first with
Torant after many years of separation. Torant develops a bad
crush on Qui-Gon during his reunion with Obi. But it is
resolved graciously between the two brothers. His heart going
out to his kind and classy brother, Torant is determined to
clear the way for Obi to come
home…………………
"Obi said he missed you and Lars. He'd love to come visit
sometime soon."
For the 4th time, Torant Kenobi brought up Obi-Wan at the
dinner table, which he and his mother were sharing at the
moment. The way he said it this time, however --- slow,
deliberate, each word impeccably articulated, almost as if they
were ground out from between his gritting teeth --- the line
might as well have been, "Mom, if you continue to stonewall me
on Obi, I'd break something precious. I swear!"
Torant's heart sank as he witnessed his words fall dead between
the two of them AGAIN, evidently not making even the tiniest
dent on the impervious armour of Sudsa Kenobi.
Like the previous 3 times, the petite redhead with a
life-hardened will of steel unceremoniously brushed aside the
thread of communication her son had been desperately dangling
in front of her.
"We'll see about that, Tori. Now eat your Picca stew. It's
getting cold." Tone flat and unyielding, Sudsa Kenobi kept her
eyes on her food, not granting Torant even a glance of passing
interest.
Slumped back in his seat with a low hiss, Torant stared at his
Mom mouth ajar, hardly believing the adamantine walls she had
erected to keep Obi out of their lives.
He had expected his Mom to be difficult. But
this……this was perilously close to mean.
If Sudsa Kenobi had caught Torant's expression of outrage out
of the corners of her eyes, it didn't show. Eyes half lidded
and fixed dead on her plate, the woman seemed to be utterly
entranced in the act of eating totally oblivious to the tension
and frustration that her son had been broadcasting all about
her for quite some time now.
A mountain of raw will power.
No! he'd be damned if he let this go just like that. Torant
felt his jaw clench.
Obi deserved better.
His Mom deserved better.
Hell, they all deserved better.
Torant was a man on a mission. He was determined to bring Obi
home. His reunion with his older brother on Iaatra deepened
further what already was an unusually close brotherly bond
between the 2 Kenobis. That happened in spite of the disastrous
crush he had on Qui-Gon. If anything, that unfortunate episode
made him love Obi even more. Ever since his crush on Qui-Gon
came to light, Obi had treated him with nothing but
unquestioned love, understanding and kindness. That showed
class, lots of it. For heaven's sake, the man he coveted was
his brother's bondmate! The mere thought of it made his cheeks
burned with shame. Obi should have been incensed by it,
irritated at the very least. Yet his brother was totally big
and gentle about it. Not one single harsh word had he uttered.
That spoke volumes of Obi's love for him. He would be forever
indebted to his brother for that. Just one more reason why he
had to try his darnest to give Obi back his rightful place in
the family. Besides, it was totally wrong for the family to
shun one of its own like that. Obi had done absolutely nothing
to deserve that kind of heartless treatment.
If only he could negotiate past his infuriatingly pig-headed
Mom. Torant sighed heavily.
She was the first and the last of the battle in this titanic
struggle. Lars, the eldest brother in the family, would fall
meekly in line if Mom could be converted, his own dislike for
the Jedi not withstanding.
And time was running out fast. Torant only had this rare
weekend for a home visit on Yuumin before he was due back on
Iaatra for school.
Yet somehow, despite the ticking clock and his lack of success
so far, he was not completely despondent. Instinctively, he
knew there had to be a way to crack his Mom's defenses, which
so far had seemed to be all but impenetrable. He could smell
that Sudsa Kenobi was only feigning the callus indifference.
The bottom line was if the woman had showered Lars and him with
incessant care and love over the years, albeit not always in
the sunniest mood or the most endearing manner because of the
circumstances, she couldn't be that ruthless towards Obi.
It couldn't be his Mom spewing those cold hard words over
dinner just now. Torant mused. It had to be her hurt and anger
talking, one that was caused by a vain, Jedi-worshipping,
philandering and eventually family ditching bastard of a
husband whose idea it was to hand Obi over to a Jedi scouting
for children with high midi-chlorian readings on Yuumin at the
time.
But it was so typical of his Mom --- putting blame where it was
not due. Her hard life had made her a bitter woman who was ever
ready to vent her pain on whatever target was in range. A
rueful smile ghosted past his lips as the dry observation
crossed Torant's mind. **Poor Obi, Mom's practice target all
these years.** The woman was just no good at unraveling
tangled webs of emotions. In her mind, a straying husband, the
Jedi and Obi-Wan were all lumped together in reflexive
association as the source of her years of untold hardship in
body and mind having to carry the family single-handedly.
Maybe it was her defense mechanism.
If thoughts about Obi-Wan and the Jedi always led her to the
very centre of her pain, the thrice damned father of her
children, it was perhaps understandable that to escape the
horrendous memory, it was necessary for his Mom to resort to
sheer brute force and banished all three indiscriminately to
the far side of the galaxy while retreating behind her shield
of hate and resentment.
That could have been the only way for the woman to keep her
sanity in face of the ruthlessness of a merciless fate.
Torant had always felt sorry for his Mom for the hard life she
had had and was only too prepared to excuse the woman for her
faults.
Still, somewhere deep within that scarred, callused heart of
hers, there had to be a soft spot for Obi. Torant felt sure
that it was there. It was up to him to find it and when he did,
nudge it relentlessly until the woman's resistance crumpled.
But it remained his theory until it was proven true. And Torant
was determined to do just that.
He did have exactly that trick up his sleeve that would achieve
the purpose nicely.
Except that he didn't want to bring it to bear, not unless he
was absolutely backed up against the wall. Emotional blackmail
wasn't something he would enjoy deploying on his mother, whom
he adored and respected in spite of her myriad flaws. After
all, there was no denying the fact that she was the one who
kept the family together over the years against all odds. But
if this wasn't being backed up all the way against a solid
wall, he didn't know what was. 4 times he tried to bring Obi
into the picture. 4 times his Mom turned him back with clinical
indifference. This was the time to break out the doomsday
weapon. It was for the greater good. They'd all be better for
it.
**Sorry Mom, love you but nice knowing you.**
At the dry thought, a flinty glint came over Torant's narrowing
eyes. He pressed his lips to a thin line, took a deep breath,
then dropped the bombshell.
"Obi almost got killed in a line of duty 2 moons back. He was
fighting a dark warrior alongside his Master on Naboo. You
know, one of those Jedi things. They both got injured. It was
really close." Except for the extra juice of horror that was
put on the word "really" for good measure, Torant's tone was
surgically clean and detached.
Of course, he fudged the facts quite a bit. Only Qui-Gon was
seriously injured. But that did make it easy for him to inject
that sense of horror convincingly. His heart clenched up even
now as he recalled that his beloved Qui-Gon almost died from
the battle.
It worked!
Sudsa Kenobi whipped her head up and stared at Torant with
widened eyes, a flicker of worry flitted past her hitherto
stony face. Before she could hold it back, a further dead
giveaway escaped from her mouth, " is he alright?" The words
came tumbling out fast with an unmistakable edge of anxiety,
betraying the true extent of emotions.
**Now she wants to know.** Hard pressed to suppress an
almost gleeful grin, Torant moved in for the kill.
"Relax, Obi is fine. Mom, can I ask you something? I thought
you didn't care about Obi." Said evenly and without emotion.
Torant let his words hang in the air for maximum penetration as
his gaze steadily held his Mom's, his expression schooled to
complete innocence except for the knowing taunt gleaming from
his beautiful hazel eyes.
Never one to take it lying down, Sudsa Kenobi opened her mouth
to protest.
"Who said I…….." No, that was a horrible thing to
say. She meant to fake indifference towards Obi, not cruelty.
"I was only………" Only what? The feisty
matriarch's mind went blank as she frantically searched for a
credible cover story to hand Torant. Found none. Cornered and
panicked, she clutched at the last straw in sight, "he is
my………" oh no, that was a trap, she was
walking right into it. She bit her tongue to keep the last word
from sliding out. But it was too late.
"Son. Obi is your son. Thank you Mom!" Torant finished it for
her with a victorious smirk. The trap clanged shut.
"Oh alright. You proved your point. I care about Obi. Shoot me
for it, why don't you. It doesn't change anything." hissing,
Sudsa Kenobi glared at Torant with slitted dark brown eyes, her
strong round face now a picture of defiance and wounded pride.
"Like hell it doesn't, Mom. Obi is one of us. All these years,
we have always had one another, Lars, you and I. Obi was always
out there alone.**But he has Qui-Gon now.** He was only
a kid when he was taken away to a whole new strange place.
Imagine how hard it was. I know you don't care for the Jedi
because of Dad and everything. But Obi's not only a Jedi. He's
your child, he's my brother, our flesh and blood for heaven's
sake. Can't you find it in yourself to see past his Jedi
identity? Now, Mom, you just look me in the eyes,"
Torant moved over to his Mom's seat, squatted next to her and
tugged her shoulders around to face him,
"you look me in the eyes and tell me you don't care for Obi at
all and you never want to see him. I promise I'd shut up and
never bring it up again. ** Not tonight. Can't promise about
the future, though.**"
Steadfastly refusing to meet Torant's eyes, Sudsa Kenobi was
warring with herself. She was on her last leg. That much she
conceded. Torant had ambushed her and had her eating out of his
hand now. She knew if she so much as to take one look at her
son, it would be all over. But to let go of all the years of
resentment and anger just like that? It was scary. It was such
a source of strength for her for so long. She would be left
with nothing.
She stared at the table with a pained expression, the struggle
within her etched into every line on her face. Torant waited on
the side patiently NOT enjoying every minute of it.
Finally, the futility of dodging the inevitable registering,
the headstrong middle aged woman slowly lifted her eyes to meet
his son's. Another long moment passed between them as thoughts
became transparent between mother and son. Then Sudsa Kenobi
moved her eyes away.
"No, I can't say that." A resigned whisper followed by a near
inaudible sigh.
"Oh Mom, I am so glad." As elated as relieved, Torant reached
over and drew his mother into his embrace. "I knew you cared
for Obi. You're too good a Mom not to." He said softly against
the flaming red hair of his mother's.
He had done it. Obi's coming home.
One moon later at Coruscant North Zone Interplanetary Spaceport
Qui-Gon Jinn checked his chrono for the second time in 5
minutes. Brow tightly furrowed, the towering man muttered under
his breath, "it's taking awfully long. Damn charter flights,
always get unloaded last." He knew he wasn't acting very
Jedi-like at the moment with all that impatience seething
inside him. But he made no move to regain his famed serenity.
In fact, he didn't give a damn if his control was slipping. He
hadn't seen his beloved Obi-Wan for 10 days. He missed him
terribly. If he felt a little jumpy because half an hour after
the flight had landed, he still hadn't seen the breathtakingly
handsome face of the young man, he was allowed.
When the flight first broke through hyperspace, Obi-Wan already
touched their bond straight away and flooded it with smoldering
love and searing passion. Qui-Gon almost gasped from the sheer
pleasure the mental caress brought. The reconnection of their
mindlink felt unbelievably good after a 10 day hiatus. So his
young Padawan and lover missed him badly, too. It was
gratifying to know. Qui-Gon allowed a fond smirk to curl his
lips at the sweet thought. He savored greedily the bountiful
love that his beloved sent while returning the same in equal
measure along the bond, letting the young man know how much he
was missed and treasured.
It had been a while since they went on solo trips. As Master
and Padawan, work partners, lovers and bondmates, they
basically were together all the time in work, pleasure and day
to day life. When the odd occasions came for them to be away
from each other, it was invariably because of the call of
exceptional circumstance.
Exactly those that they found themselves in a moon back.
Thanks to the strings that Torant pulled, Obi-Wan's Mom was
brought around and Lars quickly fell into partisan line. The
path was thus cleared for Obi-Wan to reunite with the rest of
the family. Upon Torant's prompting, a swift decision was made
for Obi-Wan to fly out to Yuumin to visit the family as soon as
practicable. If nothing else, that would put a seal on the hard
won acceptance that Mom had granted, according to Torant, not
without reluctance.
Another swift decision was made among Torant, Obi-Wan and
Qui-Gon that since they had already won an important battle, it
would be best to leave the field with the spoils for now than
pushing their luck. The family could only take so much in one
mouthful. In any case, Mom and Lars had made it clear that they
had been brought around on Obi-Wan, not the Jedi. Their
feelings for the Order remained what they were. So that meant
sweeping Obi's heartbond with Qui-Gon quietly under the rug, at
least for the time being. And that meant Obi-Wan was to visit
the family alone leaving Qui-Gon on Coruscant.
The Jedi Master was totally at peace with this collective
decision they made except for the part which entailed his 10
day separation with his Padawan. A tower of strength (literally
and figuratively) and an incredibly strong willed man, Qui-Gon
Jinn was unflinching and immovable on matters of principle. But
when it came to his own personal well-being, the man all of a
sudden turned into someone without a care. Such was the
selflessness of the big Jedi Master and such was the nobility
in him that utterly captivated Obi-Wan's heart.
Of course, Qui-Gon wouldn't mind being acknowledged by the
Kenobi family as Obi-Wan's bondmate. In fact, he would be very
pleased for it because it was a status that he cherished and
rejoiced in every single day of his life. But if forgoing that
recognition would facilitate his beloved's getting back with
his family, he damn well would let it go without a blink. The
only downside was that he knew how much it bothered Obi-Wan. He
ached for his young lover who had to make such an unsavoury
compromise. He knew Obi-Wan was very proud of him and their
heartbond. The young man would dearly love to share the joy
from it with the whole Universe, most of all his loved ones.
The Jedi Master also knew Obi-Wan loved him so much that if he
was denied anything, it wouldn't sit well with the younger man.
That was why Obi-Wan had been in a dumper after the painful
decision was made. The young man had walked around oozing guilt
and sadness for days, beating himself up for what he perceived
to be a huge sacrifice that Qui-Gon was asked to make.
If only his repeated assurance could make the stubborn young
man see that nothing mattered to him except his Padawan's
happiness.
Head shaking, Qui-Gon sighed unhappily at the depressing
thought.
"Master!" The melodious tenor voice that he loved so much
snatched him out of his reverie and effectively ended all his
unhappiness.
He quickly lifted his eyes to catch Obi-Wan hurrying his way
with a huge smile splattered across his face. In spite of his
being saddled with quite a few bags --- definitely more than
when he left Coruscant --- the Jedi Padawan was eating up the
distance with long eager strides, no doubt with a bit of help
from the Force.
A big wide grin bursting onto his own face, Qui-Gon opened his
mouth to greet his young lover when he came within earshot,
"Padawan," the deep silky voice rumbled, the loving and
affectionate grin having found its way into the solitary word
of greeting.
In no time, Obi-Wan was before him. Without breaking strides,
the younger man dumped all the bags he carried in one wanton
move and threw himself into Qui-Gon's waiting arms.
The force of impact was such that Qui-Gon had to manipulate the
Force subtly to avoid getting knocked over. That brought a
chuckle out of the older man, "easy, Padawan. Give the old man
some room to breathe."
Obi-Wan lifted his head to regard the beloved face of his
Master, smile and unmitigated joy spilling from his sparkling
blue-gray eyes. "Yeah, like that's ever going to happen. You
big handsome Jedi. I missed you so damn much." He underlined
his remark by pulling the older man down almost savagely for a
deep devouring kiss, his tongue darting into his Master's mouth
for a ravenous probe.
A long while went by before they parted their lips for air.
Obi-Wan was half boneless from the delicious kiss. He then
buried his head against Qui-Gon's deep broad chest, hungrily
taking in the musky manly smell of the older man's.
"I missed you, too. The past 10 days have been very long
without you." Qui-Gon said softly as he rained small kisses on
the sandy blonde hair of the younger man, his large hand
stroking it gently.
When they broke free again, Obi-Wan took another long look at
his Master and didn't like what he saw.
"You lost weight, didn't you? Have you been eating at all? What
happened to all those recipes I left you? You didn't use them.
I knew it!" Exasperated and pained, Obi-Wan extended a hand to
caress Qui-Gon's bearded cheek as if to gauge how much thinner
the older man had become.
"I am fine, Padawan," Qui-Gon said with another chuckle, "with
you away, I suddenly had too much time on my hand. I used it to
brush up my sabre skills. I didn't lose weight. I trimmed
down." Mischief twinkling in his deep blue eyes, Qui-Gon
flashed a reassuring smile at Obi-Wan as a large hand moved
from below to cover Obi-Wan's caressing one.
"You look exhausted yourself. Was the flight that bad?"
"Oh, don't remind me. It was horrible. Chartered flights are
not meant for human comfort. Yoda might have had a better time
with it." Obi-Wan groaned and grimaced with exaggeration. But
his weariness from travel was quite real. His blood shot eyes
and the dark circles under them testified to his sleep
deprivation. The faint shadow from the day's growth of beard on
his chin only added to his spent looks.
Qui-Gon took pity on the fatigued young man. But at least the
glow in his eyes bode well for how did the family union go.
"Let's get you home for a hot bath and some sleep. Then you can
tell me all about…….you know……
Mommm." Qui-Gon displayed his flair for the theatrical as he
articulated the word with mock reverence and gravity. He threw
in a wink to round up the act.
"You're so bad," Obi-Wan hissed as a hand flew up from below to
thump the wicked Master on the shoulder, "she IS your mother in
law, you know. I rather think a little respect is in order
here. I look forward to the day when you have to say MOM to her
face." But as he attempted to pin the older man with a
withering glare, he wilted under Qui-Gon's snickering gaze.
"Now that a sight. Mom, hmm, there's a nice ring to it."
Qui-Gon followed up straight faced.
Both Jedi stopped for a while to conjure up that scene. A long
pause. An amused glance exchanged. Laughter began to leak from
twitching mouths. Finally, when control gave way at last, both
men dissolved into howling laughs.
It took them quite awhile to get laughed out and when they did,
they were finally ready to leave. Qui-Gon helped carrying half
of the bags for Obi-Wan. With his free hand, the Jedi Master
took Obi-Wan's into his expansive grip and the two Jedi walked
out of arrivals hands entwined.
Walking by Qui-Gon's side, Obi-Wan let out a contented sigh. He
just loved holding hands with Qui-Gon. It was positively
erotic. There was something about that large callused grip of
his Master's that was unbelievably sexy to him. So warm, gentle
and yet so strong. Meanwhile, the public display of affection
gave him a tingling sensation of joy that plucked at his heart
delightfully.
Qui-Gon managed to hail down an aircar quickly. Knowing how
tired the young man was, the Jedi Master took care of the bags
allowing his Padawan to climb in first. By the time he entered
the aircar, Obi-Wan was already dozing. The older man put an
arm around Obi-Wan's shoulder and pulled him in close. The
younger man snuggled in eagerly. Before the driver even stepped
on the accelerator, Obi-Wan already fell asleep cuddled up nice
and cozy against the broad chest of his Master and lover, a
sweet smile curving the corners of his mouth.
**Master…** even in his head, his Padawan's
mental voice sounded languid but rested.
Qui-Gon allowed a small grin to touch his lips as he turned the
heat beneath a simple stewed aooli down to simmering. A glance
at the chrono. About time. Obi-Wan had slept for 10 hours
straight. A measure of how worn out the young man had been by
the trip to and from Yuumin.
**In the kitchen, Padawan.**
Moments later, a handsome face with sleep tousled hair and
bleary eyes poked into the small confines of the said location.
"Anything to eat, Master? I am starving." The tenor voice was
throaty now, the long hours of exhausted slumber not quite
cleared from it.
"I see you're ready to rejoin the living. Stewed aooli and
Panjiib loaf coming right up. Only your favourite. Now go on to
your shower. The food will be waiting for you when you're
done." Qui-Gon's deep voice rumbled indulgently.
"Yippee! Now I know you really love me." The younger man padded
over, leaned up and gave his Master a loving peck on the
bearded cheek before turning to leave for the fresher.
Watching his lover trotting away from the kitchen with brisk,
happy steps, Qui-Gon sighed in contentment. The reunion must
have had gone well. Obi-Wan really deserved the happiness.
Completely rejuvenated after the shower, Obi-Wan's energy and
spirit returned in full force, as did his ability to put away
food. The stew and the loaf were being consumed with youthful
gusto. Qui-Gon joined his heartily feeding bondmate at the
table with a mug of spiced hot tea.
"Didn't you Mom feed you at all on Yuumin?" Amused by the
sight, the Jedi Master asked, incredulous.
"Oh no, nothing like that. It was that chartered flight. The
meals were appalling. I didn't touch them at all. It was like I
hadn't eaten in 3 days. Of course, the prospect of coming home
to your cooking gave me the will to shun bad food." Obi-Wan
paused as he scooped up the last bit of the stew with a wedge
of Panjiib loaf and popped it into his half full mouth, then
took a long pull on the iced preppa juice, his smiling eyes
trained on the older man, love and gratitude overflowing from
them.
"But on Yuumin, whew, not a day went by when I wasn't stuffed
up to here with food," Obi-Wan gestured at his neck with a
leveled palm, "homecoming party here, garden dinner there,
Lars' treat today, Torant's trealluva job laying the ground work. Of course, it was
awkward with Mom at first. It had to be. We were practically
strangers to each other. All those years of separation. I can
tell she was, still is, a bit put off by my Jedi identity. But
Tori has removed the worst of her bigotry. I don't blame her.
She had it the hard way," a sigh, "if she's a little bitter and
angry and funny up here," Obi-Wan tapped his right temple with
a finger, "it's only understandable. We gradually warmed to
each other. Even talked quite a bit towards the end. I guess
with mother and son, the cord is never really severed, if you
will. It's never too late or too hard to rekindle that bond.
Doesn't take practice or anything. It's there, in our blood.
You know what I mean?" He took another pull on the iced juice
as he looked at Qui-Gon questioningly.
"I suppose. But I have had very little experience with this I
am afraid, Padawan." Evenly and matter-of-factly, the Jedi
Master pointed out his complete lack of family ties, not
meaning to invite sympathy whatsoever but got just that anyway
from the one person who loved him more than anything in the
Universe.
It hit Obi-Wan then that at least he had a family to return to,
Qui-Gon had no one except him. He ached for the older man. The
Jedi Padawan shifted his hand to cover the broader one of his
Master's and stroked the back of it with his thumb.
Touched, the older man clasped Obi-Wan's hand with his own and
brought it up against his lips for a kiss.
"You are all the family I'll ever need." Heartfelt truth borne
quietly by deep voice.
Qui-Gon's words hit a soft spot in Obi-Wan's heart. Oh, how he
loved this big, handsome, noble hero of his life. For a
heartbeat of a moment, tears stung his eyes without warning.
The younger man had to hastily blink a couple of times and
start talking right away just so he wouldn't embarrass himself.
"But you know what. I don't think I can handle living with Mom.
From what I can tell, she could be a pain to get along with.
For one thing, she's so used to calling the shots that she can
be a control freak at times. Takes a lot of patience and
tolerance from those around her. I don't know how Tori did it.
But he seemed to be able to make it work til he went off to
study on Iaatra. Well, maybe he couldn't wait to get away." A
wry grin and a shrug.
"Your Mom did so much for the family. Everyone naturally feels
indebted to her. That's how she became such a matriarch and
that's how your brothers find it in themselves to put up with
her *ways* " Qui-Gon observed as he took a sip of his spiced
tea.
"I guess. By the way, we really have Tori to thank for this.
He's a miracle worker. He pulled the whole thing off
single-handedly. Talking my mother into anything is a major,
major feat. I am telling you, Master. Really major." Obi-Wan
said with a nodding head and lips curved downward to show his
amazement.
"I can imagine." Qui-Gon chuckled at the way his Padawan put
it.
Obi-Wan smiled along until he met the older man's eyes. There
was a flicker of something extra ghosting past the deep blue
orbs. Oh right, Tori. Qui-Gon wanted to ask after his younger
brother but was a bit shy to do so because of what happened on
Iaatra.
"And Tori is doing great. He's at peace with himself. He still
loves you very much. That much I can tell. I think it'll be a
while before he gets over his crush on you," lips quirked by a
wry grin, "That's why I love Tori so much. He's totally classy
about it. Just imagine I have the man he wants so badly yet
there's no jealousy at all. He went out of his way to bring me
back with the family. I doubt if there could be a more devoted
brother."
Obi-Wan couldn't help wondering then what it would be like to
switch places with Torant. His beloved Qui-Gon going with his
brother while he watched on the……..too horrid, he
shuddered and shut down that line of thoughts fast. One thing
for sure, he couldn't possibly be as gracious as Tori.
"I know. Tori is one kind, classy soul." Qui-Gon said quietly,
his indigo eyes going soft and tender. "I only wish there was a
way for me to thank him for making you so happy."
They fell silent for quite some time. "We'll think of
something." Obi-Wan finally offered.
"Tell me about Lars-Owen. Tori told me that as much as he
respected and loved him, the man was a bore." Qui-Gon
jump-started the conversation with a new topic.
"Tori's so bad," Obi-Wan chuckled at his brother's wicked but
all so true observation.
"Lars is…..hmmm….how should I put it. He's quiet
and he goes deep. When Dad abandoned the family, Lars was
already in his teens. It got him worse than it did Tori. Maybe
that robbed him of his sparks and exuberance. He does come
across as flat and dour at times. I guess when you're the
eldest boy in a family minus the father, it tends to be
difficult to be all sunny and chirping all the time. But he's
not a bad person. He has stuck with Mom and Tori through the
years. He helped put Tori through schools. He's married to a
wealthy lady, Petrae Simone with 2 kids. With some help from
his wife's side, he started his own drug dispensary business.
He's doing very well money wise now. That helps tremendously
the lots of Mom and Tori as well," evidently about to come to a
funny part of the account, Obi-Wan began to giggle and slap on
his knees, "and… and you'd….. never guess what
his wife tried to do……oh dear…."
"What?" The infectious hilarity started to spread to Qui-Gon as
the large man found himself smiling warmly at Obi-Wan's
giggles. Quite a few more giggles and slaps on his knees before
Obi-Wan could gather himself enough to tell the story.
"She wanted to fix me up with her younger sister, Mirkae. Her
family is fascinated with the Jedi. It was a good thing they
thought of it only very late. So I had to put up with it only
for the last 2 nights. But the whole family saved Torant, of
course, had thrown itself into it. Especially Mom, she was
warming to the idea of 2 Kenobis marrying 2 Simone sisters in a
big, big way. You won't believe the excuses she concocted to
get me and Mirkae together. They were so lame and infantile it
was totally embarrassing." Obi-Wan shook his head heartily
amused by what he considered to be a matchmaking farce.
"Ahh, I see," an eyebrow arched, "sounds like you've had
yourself a blast on Yuumin while this old man was stranded on
Coruscant rotting. I am so glad. Chased after by girls, weren't
we. Hmmm, good, only a teeny tiny problem, though. Love, could
you patch me through to Mom. I need to tell her that the one
she's trying to give away happens to be the love of my life and
I have a bit of a problem with it." Serenely and completely
straight faced, the Jedi Master needled Obi-Wan with mock
outrage. Even his deep blue eyes were feigning glacial fury.
Obi-Wan knew Qui-Gon was only pulling his leg. But all of a
sudden, he felt an inexplicable urge to explain himself
regardless. For reasons unknown to him at the time, Qui-Gon's
benign barb made him seize up with a sense of panic. He stared
at his Master mesmerized suddenly by this broad towering man
who meant everything to him, whom he loved with all his heart
and soul, and who loved him back so unconditionally and
sacrificially. This kind, noble and ever giving man. He had to
let him know he was loved and treasured. He asked so little and
gave up so much already. Precious little was left to him. It
was up to him to give him what was rightfully his. And the
least he could do was to assure him that his place in his life
was well and truly irreplaceable. The need to do so flared up
fast until it became an ache that seethed furiously in the
younger man.
Without conscious thoughts, Obi-Wan blurted out, "Qui-Gon,
you're the only one. You'll always be the only one. I can NEVER
EVER love another." Anxiously and religiously said as if
anything less, the older man would get the wrongest possible
idea. Meanwhile, blue gray eyes held nocturnal blue ones with a
steely, resolute gaze that spoke of total conviction in what
had been said.
Obi-Wan didn't realized how out of place his words sounded
until they left his mouth. He was astounded by his irrational
response. What came over him? Why this sudden burning urge to
prove his love for Qui-Gon? It didn't make sense at all. Their
heartbond was more than enough to ensure their chastity towards
each other. Qui-Gon had never given him a reason to believe
that he didn't trust him. The man was joking, for the Force's
sake. And It was just a silly episode of matchmaking that no
one would take seriously, least of all Qui-Gon.
Sure enough, Qui-Gon was completely taken aback by Obi-Wan's
abrupt mood change to one of bizarre gravity. The older man
scrambled to rein in his playfulness and hurried to reassure
his lover, "easy, love. I was just kidding. I am sorry. I have
never doubted that I am your only one. As you are mine,
forever. I swear." He wore a placating smile on his face but
his brow was creased suggesting incomprehension of Obi-Wan's
strange reaction.
"Obi-Wan, what's wrong?" Deep blue eyes seeking blue-gray ones
for an answer.
Obi-Wan looked away. It began to dawn on him as to what
happened.
"There are certain things I don't say enough." Blue gray eyes
finally turned to lock with deep blue ones for a communion in
love, one soul to another. Their heartbond broke mirthfully
into a chorus of undying devotion.
"Love you, Master." Obi-Wan whispered, then stood up and moved
over to give Qui-Gon a fierce embrace. The Jedi Master rose to
gathered his love into a his arms.
Then Obi-Wan let on as to what was the phantom that was
haunting him.
"How I wish you could be there, Master. Every time the whole
family was sitting down to meals together around the table, I
could only think of you. I kept thinking it was not right.
There should be a place by my side for you at the table. You're
my bondmate. You belong to the family, too. When I saw Petrae
always assured a seat by Lars' side at our family's table, I
tasted bile in my mouth from all that envy and rage that roiled
up in me. Master, as far as I am concerned, until you're
included, my reunion with my family is never complete." Obi-Wan
whispered against Qui-Gon's chest. A big lump caught in his
throat.
That explained the sudden mood swing. The younger man had never
quite gotten over the status thing. It was still eating him.
"Shhh, it's okay, Obi-Wan. How many times do I have to tell you
it doesn't matter to me. Besides, we have come a long way
already, haven't we? One step at a time. Let's give it more
time. We'll work through it eventually, I promise." Qui-Gon
said softly, the back of his broad hand stroking the younger
man's face gently.
It was that sacrificial tone again. Obi-Wan felt his heart
twisted afresh. No, Qui-Gon might find it acceptable to settle
for no status at all. But he mustn't let the older man think
that it was okay with him, that he would allow it to be more
than just a fleeting expediency.
He broke free from Qui-Gon's arms and lifted his head to lock
gazes with the older man, his eyes ablaze with intensity and
vehemence, "Master, I'll have you know that this is not nearly
good enough for me. I allow it strictly for the time being
because of the circumstances. But I fully intend to give you
back what's rightfully yours, and soon. Before I am done, I'll
see to it. Family or no family, that's my bottom line."
A fond smile blossomed on the face of the Jedi Master as his
lover's urge to look out for him touched and pleased him
profoundly. In a swift move, Qui-Gon pulled Obi-Wan back into
his embrace, "oh, my Padawan, now I know you really love me."
Then a hint of humour touched his voice, "and if you really
care about my happiness, you have to stop sulking first."
Obi-Wan kept his arms around Qui-Gon, his face pressed tightly
against the chest of the Jedi Master as he allowed the
comforting touch and words of his mate sink in. He loved
Qui-Gon's embrace. He could easily lose himself in the music of
the strong heart beat of his lover's and basking in the
soothing warmth that those powerful arms brought.
They stayed in each other's arms for quite a while. Then
Obi-Wan snapped his head up and looked at the older man with
something dangerous lurking behind his eyes, raw passion
masking his handsome face.
"I'd stop sulking only if you kiss me silly right this minute,
big Master Jedi." A low predatory growl, blue-gray eyes
darkening with desires fast.
"I have a better idea. Bed chamber!" Qui-Gon clasped Obi-Wan's
hand and together they made for the said part of their quarters
with haste, long neglected urgings boiling up in them both fast
and furious.
A few moments later, Obi-Wan was already reduced to a moaning
and groaning mess. His Master was everywhere at once, kissing
his naked, writhing, blazing body all over with heavenly
deftness. In the midst of the wanton ecstasy, and for the first
time since he set foot on Coruscant again, Obi-Wan was washed
over by an overwhelming sense that he was indeed home.
Archive 