Title: Good Mornings

Author: tarotgal

Fandom: Star Wars

Rating: PG-13 for kissing and unnatural amounts of fluff

Pairing: Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon

Disclaimer: The Lucas one. Not I.

Summary: A series of mornings and sneezes.

Notes: I found this fic in my WIPs folder after about 11 months of not remembering it and finished it up in about an hour and a page. Its middle is the Q/O boykissing fic I wrote last year entitled 'It Goes Without Saying' which I wrote first and the rest of this story was written around it.

 

 

Good Mornings

 

     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.