Disclaimer: The Lucas one. Not I.
Summary: A series of mornings and sneezes.
Qui-Gon
woke early while it was still dark out. Though he could not tell that from
their bedroom as there were no windows, he had an innate sense of time and knew
it was hours before the time they normally rose. What woke him was a noise, but
it was the abnormal coldness against his front that made him open his eyes and
look around. Obi-Wan was conspicuously absent from their bed and the blankets
were pulled back. The sound of running water filled his ears but stopped as
soon as he had half a notion to get up. He closed his eyes and slowed his
breath, pretending to be asleep.
Obi-Wan
walked back to bed, his feet quiet on the soft carpet. As though in slow motion
he sat down on the bed then leaned to the side and back into place with his back
to Qui-Gon. Very slowly he reached over and pulled the blankets back over
himself. Then he sighed deeply and relaxed into the mattress and pillow. He
closed his eyes.
"Are you
all right, Padawan?"
Giving a
loud gasp, Obi-Wan jumped about a foot in surprise. "Force! Master, I did not
realize you were awake. I was trying to be quiet." He looked over his shoulder.
"I am sorry."
Qui-Gon
reached out and stroked the side of his padawan's
head and then his ponytail. "Is everything all right? You do not usually wake
in the middle of the night unless you are in need of... a little loving..." Qui-Gon
scooted forward and took his padawan in his arms again. He hugged the man close
and nuzzled his bearded face into the smooth neck.
With a
yawn, Obi-Wan shook his head. "I was thirsty. I'm sorry to have woken you."
"The
coldness woke me. But it is all right now," Qui-Gon said with a matching yawn. He
snuggled into Obi-Wan and closed his eyes again. He was warm again, warm and
cozy with his padawan to snuggle. He was comfortable and secure. There was no
better way to sleep than like this.
Obi-Wan
pulled out from his arms with a cough. He turned and made sure the covers were
pulled up over Qui-Gon. "I'm sorry, I need another drink of water. I'll be back
in a minute." He kissed Qui-Gon lightly and left for the 'fresher again.
Qui-Gon
tried to stay awake until Obi-Wan's return. But he was exhausted and his
eyelids went heavy. His head sank into the pillow and his eyes closed. He was
asleep before the water stopped running.
Later that
morning, Qui-Gon woke with Obi-Wan in his arms like usual. He stirred and
yawned, then nuzzled his face into the back of Obi-Wan's neck. With soft
morning kisses, he roused his lover. "Good morning, Obi." He sat up a little,
kissing the temple and then the soft cheek.
Obi-Wan
stirred a little but kept his eyes closed. Sleepily, he said, "You may have the
'fresher first, Master."
Not a
stranger to Obi-Wan's morning sleepiness, and knowing his Padawan had suffered
a restless night, Qui-Gon nodded. "All right. But I want you to wake up, all
right?" Obi-Wan nodded sleepily to indicate he was still awake, but only just.
After his
morning ritual in the 'fresher, he began making breakfast for them. If he
craned his neck from where he stood at the stove he could see Obi-Wan lying in
bed through the open bedroom doorway. The padawan was not moving, and certainly
not getting up out of bed for as long as Qui-Gon watched. Qui-Gon made eggs and
pancakes, which was a sure bet to get Obi-Wan out of any mood and into a good
one. He made the tea last, preferring it to be hot and fresh. But by the time
breakfast was ready, Obi-Wan still had not risen for the morning.
With a
sigh, Qui-Gon padded back over to the bedroom. "Obi-Wan, Love," he said softly.
Obi-Wan stirred out of a light sleep. Then with a firmer, warning tone, "You
must get up now and break the fast. Do not make me have to tell you this a
third time."
Certainly
not wanting to incur his master's wrath so early in the morning, Obi-Wan pulled
himself up and made slowly for the bureau to gather his clothes for the day.
Qui-Gon
smiled approvingly as he returned to the kitchen area. He carried the food to
the table as he listened for the whistle of the teapot. When it was ready, he
filled two cups and set them upon the table as well. He wanted to wait until
his padawan joined him before starting in on the food, but he leisurely sipped
his tea while waiting a little while. And then a little more. And then more. Though
he knew exactly how late it was, Qui-Gon checked the time.
Thinking he
heard something, Qui-Gon raised his head and fixed his gaze on the 'fresher.
"Obi-Wan? Are you all right in there?" There was no reply and Qui-Gon grew a
little concerned. He reached out to the force to help calm himself.
Not a
minute later, however, Obi-Wan emerged and joined him for their meal. He
approached the table, his pace slow and his cheeks flushed from the hot water
he had cleaned himself with. He still looked tired, and unkempt. Qui-Gon
pointed to his waist. "Mind your tunic, Obi-Wan." Obi-Wan suppressed a yawn and
tucked part of his outer tunic beneath his belt and pulled it into place
neatly.
"Good
morning, Master," he said. He placed a soft kiss on his master's forehead and
then bowed his head for Qui-Gon to return it as was customary between master
and padawan. Then they kissed good morning as lovers did, mouth pressed to
mouth, tongues becoming restless behind lips and then joining together. Then
Obi-Wan took his seat across the small table and raised his glass of water in
appreciation for the meal.
They sat in
silence for the beginning of their breakfast. Qui-Gon was feeling particularly
hungry, having dined earlier than normal the night before because of a late
night concert they had both attended. Qui-Gon supposed it was this shift in
routine that had made Obi-Wan so sleepy this morning, though he knew the real
reason was that they had been intimate with each other after the concert and
had gone to sleep far later than usual.
"Following
the council meeting tomorrow the delegates will arrive. Today I would like for
us to make sure their assigned quarters are outfitted with the proper
environmental settings. And we will need to make arrangements for their special
diets--"
"h'Kshh!" Qui-Gon looked up from his eggs to
see Obi-Wan with his nose buried in the crook of his arm. "Excuse me. Sniff! Sorry."
Qui-Gon nodded
to show he did not mind. "As I was saying, we should check to be sure the food
does not contain..." Qui-Gon looked across the table to see Obi-Wan looking down
at his food, swirling it about on his plate with his fork. But the young man
did not seem interested in eating a bit of it. Though he had taken some tea and
water, Qui-Gon was certain he had not seen his padawan eat anything yet. More
importantly, Obi-Wan's attention seemed elsewhere. Qui-Gon cleared his throat. "Padawan,
are you listening?"
Obi-Wan
lifted his head at once, eyes wide. "I'm sorry, Master. Could you please repeat
that last part?"
Setting down
his fork, Qui-Gon sighed. "Is there something troubling you this morning?
Something I should be told about?"
Quickly,
more quickly than anything he'd done yet that morning, Obi-Wan shook his head.
"No, Master. I'm very sorry for letting my thoughts wander. I am feeling more
tired this morning than I expected."
"And not
very hungry, either," Qui-Gon observed. "Is there something wrong with the
food?"
Obi-Wan
shook his head again. "No, Master. Thank you for preparing it." He took a
forkful of egg and forced himself to chew and swallow. Qui-Gon noticed his
padawan wince a bit at the swallowing part. "You were explaining what we needed
to do for the day, were you not?" he asked, apparently feeling Qui-Gon staring
at him.
There was
something in his padawan's voice that made Qui-Gon
forget his food and lean forward a little. He studied Obi-Wan's eyes and then
called the young man over to him. He stood and peered into Obi-Wan's eyes for a
moment, resting a hand heavily on Obi-Wan's shoulder. He pressed the back of
his other hand against Obi-Wan's forehead. "Open your mouth for me?" he
requested, and Obi-Wan obeyed. Then Qui-Gon closed his eyes and sent a small
bit of energy through their bond, probing gently. When he opened his eyes
again, he spoke softly. "Go back to bed. This is not just fatigue."
Obi-Wan
hesitated a moment, then nodded and turned back towards the bedroom. The lack
of an argument was more shocking to Qui-Gon than anything else, and he quickly
cleared away the breakfast dishes in order to attend his padawan sooner rather
than later.
Qui-Gon
found Obi-Wan burrowing beneath the covers of the bed, instinctively seeking
out the pillows and the middle of the bed for comfort in Qui-Gon's absence. "I
know you're tired but do take your uniform off," Qui-Gon told him. "I'll have
it cleaned along with my best one so they're presentable when meeting the
delegates tomorrow."
Obi-Wan
coughed and nodded. Moving slowly beneath the covers, he slid out of his
uniform and handed the pieces to his master one by one. Before he could lie
back down, Qui-Gon handed him a glass of water. "Is your throat worse than it
was last night?" he asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed and Obi-Wan
drank, wincing after every swallow.
"Worse,"
Obi-Wan agreed when he'd had enough of the water. He lowered the glass to his
lap and sat back against the wall. He rubbed a few times at his nose.
"That's
probably due to the congestion," Qui-Gon noted. "I can hear that in your voice.
Feeling a little sneezy, are you?"
Obi-Wan
nodded again. "Just a little. Not as bad as last... last time... ihhKshhhh!" He cupped a hand to his nose and
mouth and snapped forward again. "hihhSchhhhh! Sniff! Excuse me. At least not as bad
yet."
Qui-Gon
could sense his padawan was in for more as the day went on, and was rather glad
they had agreed for him to stay in bed today. "Rest well, my Obi-Wan. With luck
you will be well enough tomorrow to perform your duties concerning the arriving
delegation."
Obi-Wan
looked uncomfortable at the reminder of work, but a kiss on the forehead from
Qui-Gon calmed him again. He set the glass aside and lay back down. Not a
minute later, however, his breaths caught and his body shook with the force of
the sneezes. "hihkShhhh! ehhShhh! UHHShhhhh!"
"Bless
you." He watched Obi-Wan sniffle and rub his finger against his nose again
before Qui-Gon got up to help. A quick trip to the 'fresher brought a filled
glass of water and a box of tissues. Qui-Gon sat back down on the bed and
handed over a few tissues, then bent and kissed his padawan's
forehead before rising. Obi-Wan blew his nose weakly and then closed his eyes. Qui-Gon
took the used tissue from his hand and placed it in the trash container beside
the bed. Then he collected their clothing to be laundered.
Qui-Gon knew his padawan understood
that there were things they had been entrusted to do. But with Obi-Wan feeling
so poorly as to not insist upon helping, all Qui-Gon wanted to do was crawl
into bed with him and make him feel better. "I'll look in on you a little bit
later," he promised. Obi-Wan nodded slowly and closed his eyes. Qui-Gon sighed
silently and left their quarters for the day.
* * * * *
Morning
broke on Coruscant as the sun's light spilled onto the Jedi temple along its
eastern side. It crept into the room where Qui-Gon was preparing breakfast,
piling plates on a tray instead of the table. While their common area was
bright and filled with sunshine, the bedroom was dark. Qui-Gon left the door
open behind to let in just a little light.
Obi-Wan was
still in bed, sleeping soundly. His snores were soft but steady, and did not
break as the bed sagged and Qui-Gon scooted up along his padawan's
side. "Obi-Wan..." Qui-Gon kissed his padawan's cheek
gently. "Wake up, my sniffly, sick lad." Obi-Wan
lifted his hand and swatted sleepily at Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon chuckled and continued
to kiss cheek, neck, forehead, whatever he could reach and wherever he could
get past Obi-Wan pushing him away. After a few unsuccessful attempts at pushing
his master away, he turned his head away completely to get Qui to stop.
But Qui-Gon
had absolutely no intention of stopping. He continued to kiss, lips brushing
against every bit of skin Obi-Wan had showing, hands included, until Obi-Wan
began to chuckle and could not fall back to sleep. The young man turned his
head back. A kiss on the lips from Qui-Gon was his reward and made them both
smile a little. Then Obi-Wan turned his head back again to sleep. "Mmm, nope. Come on. Time to wake up. I want to talk with
you before I leave for the day."
Obi-Wan's
eyelids were heavy, but he pulled them open. After a snort and a few coughs, he
resigned himself to staying awake. Qui-Gon gave him another gentle kiss on the
lips smiled down at his padawan. It was a wonderful way to wake up, Obi-Wan
knew. But several other factors were getting in the way of pure happiness.
Obi-Wan raised a hand to his face to cover a yawn, and then a quick sneeze. "kCHISH!" He sniffled lightly.
"Good
morning." Another kiss accompanied the sentiment.
With
another sneeze coming on, Obi-Wan merely nodded. His mouth hung open in
expectation and his breaths were shallow. "uhhh... uhh-uh-KSHHH! ehhhKshhhh!"
Qui-Gon
supplied him with a fresh handkerchief. "Sounds like you'll be staying in again
today?"
Obi nodded
and reached up to kiss Qui-Gon's cheek as an answer.
"Have some
breakfast then," Qui-Gon insisted. Obi-Wan shook his head. "Tea? Toast and
eggs?"
Another
shake of his head answered, then a sneeze. "uhhh-IKShhhh!" And another. "EhChishhhh!" As
Obi-Wan rubbed the handkerchief at his nose, Qui-Gon took the younger man in
his arms with a snuggly sort of hug. "You've got to have something... just a
little bit of tea? I want to be sure you get something in you before I have to
leave." Qui nuzzled his face into Obi-Wan's hair, the fuzz brushing softly
against nose and cheeks. He kissed repeatedly and squeezed Obi-Wan to his
chest. Obi-Wan sighed finally, giving in. "That's what I like to hear." Qui-Gon
nuzzled him again, then pulled a cup of tea from the tray.
From
behind, he reached around Obi-Wan with one arm so that he had an arm on both
sides for the younger man. He held the cup and Obi-Wan drank slowly but
steadily until he needed to sneeze again. He struggled to swallow just before
his breath caught and he went stiff against Qui-Gon. It was not the sort of
stiff either of them would have preferred. "hehhh..." Qui-Gon set the tea aside, to be safe, and Obi-Wan relaxed a
little. "ehh-HKshhhhh! ihhShuhhh! Uhhh-uh-KShhhh! Chishhh!"
"Goodness..."
Qui-Gon hugged the younger man. "Bless you." Obi-Wan finished the tea and
immediately turned onto his side, leaning against his master's chest. He
snuggled into Qui, curling, nuzzling his face into his master's robes. "Oh,
don't give me that. You know I cannot stay home today with you."
Obi-Wan
whimpered and sniffled wetly. He clutched the robes tightly as he tensed up
again. "Don't sneeze on my robes, either. They were just cleaned."
Obi-Wan
didn't seem to be able to do much about it, as he was already drawing a deep
breath. Qui-Gon lifted his hand and pressed it over Obi-Wan's mouth, with his
index finger up against the bottom of Obi's nose. "hhh'Chufffff! KShffff!" Obi-Wan sneezed quickly. He
sniffled and looked apologetic. Qui-Gon kissed him softly to tell him not to
worry about it, and wiped his hand off rather thoroughly on a handkerchief.
Then
Qui-Gon wrapped his arm around the smaller man and kissed the top of his head.
"I wish I could stay. But I absolutely must meet with the council this afternoon.
I do wish you could be with me, but I understand you are ill and you should
stay in bed until you feel better." His thumb stroked Obi-Wan's cheek
soothingly. "If you stay here and rest I'll try to make it home early to
snuggle more."
Looking up
with a question in his eyes, Qui-Gon kissed him again to seal his promise. Then
he pulled away and got up, straightening his robes.
Though
Obi-Wan looked hurt, he let Qui-Gon tuck him back beneath the covers with a
handkerchief. One he needed almost immediately. "hehhh-UHShhhh! Chishhhh! Uhhh-Hihshhhh!"
He blew his nose a little and sank heavily into his pillows, welcoming the
chance for more sleep.
Qui-Gon
kissed him goodbye on the cheek and told him to get as much sleep as possible.
Obi-Wan snuggled into his covers and nodded weakly. Qui-Gon was on his way out
when Obi-Wan called out, "Udless you cad stay just a
little loh... logger?" Qui-Gon paused at the door. "uhh-uh-HITCHH!"
Qui-Gon
turned, leaning with his back against the door and his head against the door
jam. He watched his padawan snuffle into the handkerchief and then pull back
with a yawn. "You know," Qui-Gon said thoughtfully, a smile slowly growing on
his face. "I have been kissing you quite a bit this morning, haven't I?"
Obi-Wan nodded. Qui-Gon continued, speaking slowly. "And I am feeling
abnormally warm this morning." Obi-Wan looked momentarily concerned, then
understood what Qui-Gon was saying. "Perhaps it would be wise to remain here
for a few hours, just to be sure I have not caught that cold from you. Because
it would be terrible to meet up with the council and delegates if I were sick.
I certainly wouldn't want them to catch this from me." Obi-Wan shook his head
and sniffled.
Wriggling
out of his robes, he slipped beneath the covers in just a tunic and his
leggings. He took his padawan in his arms. Obi-Wan snuggled into Qui-Gon, then
reached up and kissed his master's cheek in appreciation.
* * * * *
Obi-Wan
rolled over in bed the next morning, the bed cold beside him and the sounds of
movement in the room keeping him from falling back to sleep. He lifted his
head. "Qui, it's too early," he said sleepily, barely registering his master's
actions. His voice was heavily with congestion. "You should be id bed."
"I'm all
right," Qui-Gon replied, pulling out his newly-pressed tunic. "When I met with
the council yesterday we arranged that I would oversee the safety of the
delegates during their morning sessions with..." Qui-Gon's voice died away and he
grabbed the edge of the bureau to steady himself. "HEHShoo! HAHChooo!"
Obi-Wan
reached over to the bedside table, past the glass and pitcher of water to pull
a tissue from the box. He held it up and waved it in Qui-Gon's direction. Resignedly,
Qui-Gon walked over and took it from his padawan. His head was cloudy, his nose
stuffed and runny, and he certainly wasn't going to refuse a tissue at this
point. He sat down on the edge of the bed and blew his nose thoroughly.
Obi-Wan
reached up and wrapped his arm around Qui-Gon's shoulders, pulling him over a
little. Qui-Gon snuffled into the tissue and tossed it into the now rather full
trash can. "Obi-Wan..." he pulled away. "I need to--"
"You deed
to get back idto bed add rest."
Shaking his
head, "No. The delegation--"
"Would dot
fide favor with you sdeezig od
theb. You caught by code, Qui-God." Obi-Wan came a
little more awake with a smile at the memory of yesterday's kisses and snuggles
in bed. "Too buch sdugglig,
I thig."
Qui-Gon
looked scandalized, though exaggerating a bit on purpose. "There is no such
thing as too much snuggling!" he proclaimed. "Not when it comes to you." He
sniffed hard and shook his head. "Maybe I'm a little fatigued, but it's nothing
to worry... about today." He rubbed at his nose to head off a sneeze that could
not have come at a worse time.
But Obi-Wan
duplicated his master's head shake. "Doe. This is bore thad
just fatigue. You're sick add you should't let theb catch this frob you. You
said so yourself yesterday." He massaged Qui-Gon's shoulders. //Please, Master. Keep your sleep clothes on
and get back into bed with me now. You really shouldn't be up. You need your
rest.//
Qui-Gon's
shoulders sagged and he sighed deeply. He rubbed his forefinger and thumb
against his forehead, wincing slightly. "I need to contact Mace. And I need
some water. I'm parched."
"I'll do
both," Obi-Wan insisted, getting up from the bed. He kissed Qui-Gon's forehead,
then pulled back. He had tissues in his hand and quickly unfolded them. "Hitchhhh! Chshhhh! heh... h'KShffff!" He sniffed
and met Qui-Gon's gaze.
For a
moment they stared at each other, seeing sickness and companionship and knowing
that the upcoming day would involve neglecting their duties and snuggling in
bed together with a tissue box. Then, simultaneously, they both wished the
other a "Good morning," though Obi-Wan's sounded far more stuffy and both
sounded tired.
Obi-Wan
turned and headed to the kitchen for a clean glass by way of the communications
terminal in the living room. Qui-Gon crawled up the bed and got under the
covers. He closed his eyes, his head spinning and his throat scratchy. When his
nose tickled, he didn't bother with a frantic search for a tissue, simply
covered his nose and mouth. "HAHSchooo!"
Before he
knew it, Obi-Wan was snuggling up to him in bed and his head was on Obi-Wan's
chest. Obi-Wan poured him some water from the pitcher and Qui-Gon lifted his
head briefly to drink it. Then he snuggled up to Obi-Wan, wrapping his arm around
his Padawan in a hug.
After a few
moments of thought, Qui-Gon smiled. He felt terrible, and could have easily
listed off thirty complaints he had, starting with his bothersome nose. But at
that moment, snuggling with his padawan in their bed to set the precedent for
what he would be doing for the rest of the day, Qui-Gon simply couldn't
remember a better morning.