Title: Half and Half

Author: tarotgal
Rating: PG
Pairing: Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon
Disclaimer: The great Lucas. Not me. Never me. No money.

Summary: Tea always makes things better, right?
Notes: Niki wanted something with Qui-Gon. I thought about it for a whole 10 seconds and then wrote this. Enjoy!

Half and Half

//Master?//

Qui-Gon heard his padawan through their bond, and thought about answering back likewise, but that required far more energy than he was willing to exert from the next room. He whispered a bless you that he was sure his padawan couldn’t hear. Then he raised his voice to call out, “I’m in the common room.”

There was a short pause in which Qui-Gon thought that perhaps Obi-Wan only needed the reassurance of knowing his master was close. But then came the stuffy reply, “Baster, cad you get be adother ihhh… hehIhShhhhh!”

Forcing his heavy eyelids to raise. Qui-Gon pushed himself up off the couch. “You wish me to get you another sneeze?” He walked into the kitchen, however, knowing precisely what Obi-Wan was in need of. There was only enough of Healer Tala’s special tea left for one cup, but it looked as though Qui-Gon had held off for as long as he could.

“Tea!” Obi-Wan finished. “Blease?” He sounded beyond stuffy. He sounded desperate and miserable and Qui-Gon could not allow his padawan to feel like that. So he heated up some water.

The tea requested would take some time, so Qui-Gon leaned against the counter and let his eyes close again.

//Master?//

“I heard. I’m making your tea.”

Qui-Gon did not hear the sigh of relief, but he did feel the emotion overwhelm their bond.

He let the tea leaves steep for a few moments then delivered the tea to his padawan. Obi-Wan was tucked warmly into bed, surrounded by a veritable sea of balled-up tissues. Layers upon layers of covers weighted him down, so he could barely wriggle out when he saw Qui-Gon approach with the mug. “I feel awful,” Obi-Wan said.

“I know.” Qui-Gon sat down on the edge of the bed. He turned and, with one arm, tried to ease Obi-Wan up a little. Obi-Wan unburied his arm and reached for the mug, but Qui-Gon held tight to the handle. “You should sit up or the tea will go down wrong.”

Obi-Wan kept reaching and trying to squirm and wiggle his way free. But sniffles and shivers made him more inclined to snuggle into the warmth of the blankets, not less. He was torn between the medicinal drink and the comfortable warmth. But even when he managed to wrap a whole hand around the mug, Qui-Gon did not hand it over. So Obi-Wan sighed and pushed himself up. He huffed and flopped against the pillows, sitting up in bed. “All right,” he said, once again gesturing toward the cup. “I’b ready for it.”

But Qui-Gon shook his head. He was looking not at Obi-Wan but at the steaming mug of tea.

//Master?//

Obi-Wan flexed his fingers, then wiggled them, indicating he wanted the tea.

“hahh-URtschuhhhh!”

It was a mighty sneeze, a wet sneeze, a sneeze that required tissues and a blow of the nose or at least a decent amount of sniffling to get it back under control.

So Obi-Wan handed Qui-Gon the tissue box. “Bless you.”

Qui-Gon felt his eyes close and did not fight against them. His head spun and nose dripped and, before he knew what he was doing, he thrust the mug over at Obi-Wan. “Take it.”

All of a sudden, Obi-Wan did not want it. “No, you should have it. It souds like you’ve cobe dowd with this.”

Qui-Gon answered, his voice rough. “I have. But I made the tea for you, Padawan Mine. You should drink it.” He tried and failed to look at Obi-Wan, because his eyes would not open.

“I ab too far gode. You should drig it before you get worse.”

Qui-Gon was about to argue back, but then he felt soft lips against his cheek. He opened his eyes at once and slid his arm around Obi-Wan. “We should share it.”

Obi-Wan looked skeptical.

“A little bit of medicinal herbs has to be better than none, right?” With that, he forced the mug upon his padawan. “Drink up.”

Obi-Wan was not one to disobey a direct command from his master. So he drank, checking periodically to be sure he hadn’t had more than half. When he had had his share, he gave it back and immediately reached for a tissue. “ihhh-Kitchhh! ihhKTchoo! Ihhshoo! Ihhh-hihshuhhh! Ehh…”

With the mug lifted to his lips and the first taste of the hot tea striking his tongue, Qui-Gon knew this was a mistake. Tala’s tea was meant to be taken completely and all at once. Any pause caused a sneezing fit, so it made sense that only drinking half would cause the same. By the time Qui-Gon realized this, it was too late to help either of them.

The Jedi master only just managed to set the mug down before bursting into sneezes as well. “hehh-Hahshoo! Hatchuhhh! hahURshhhhh! UrIHShhhhh! Ehh..”

Obi-Wan pulled on Qui-Gon, easing him down. He snuggled into Qui-Gon’s chest, still sneezing. “ihhh-YihShhh! IhhKshhh! Ehh-Yihshh! ihhhhShuh!”

Qui-Gon wrapped both his arms around his padawan and would not open his eyes now even if he could. “hahh-Ihshhhh! Hehh-Urshhhh!” Obi-Wan pressed a tissue against Qui-Gon’s nose. So even though he shook with the force of each sneeze, he felt better about his sneezes. “huhhh-Ahshuhh! HahTchuhh! Hurtchuhhhh!”

//Master?//

“herShuhhh! Uh-Uhshuhhh! I’m… right here, Padawan.”

“If… if I… ehhh-Ihshhhh!  If I had to be ihhh-Hitchhhh! sig, I’b glad you’re with be. Dot… hihhh… ihhh-Yihchhh! Dot glad you’re sig but glad you’re here.”

//Padawan?//

Obi-Wan snuggled closer. “Yes?”

“Bleh… bless… hah-Hishhhh! Bless you.”