The Ondarian Virus

Part 21

This part's rating: PG13 for nudity and teh lurve :-)

See part 0 for full header

Additional Notes: The credit for one of the elements in this part totally goes to the Queer Eye boys. I've been inspired by the idea ever since I heard it mentioned in an episode and am excited to finally be able to work it into a fic :-)

     With his eyes closed, Obi-Wan's mouth hung open as he breathed heavily. "uhhh..." His throat was hot, and his breaths were likewise. "hihhh..." Sometimes he found it hard to breathe enough to fill his lungs and even without the blankets on him his chest felt as though there were a warm weight on it. "huhhh..." He felt weak and swayed back and forth as he sat, panting. "huh-ehhh..." The corners of his mouth turned down, and he lifted his hand with the tissue clutched in it. He pulled back with deep breaths inward, "huhhhhh... huhh-hehhhh... ehh-EH-" Then he snapped forward. "SHIIIIH!" He pressed the tissue to his wet nose. He winced but bore the discomfort and gave a hard wipe. "Ugh!" he groaned deeply. He balled up the tissue, tossing it into the growing pile on the couch beside him, then picked up a handkerchief and blew his nose into the soft folds.

     Feeling another sneeze brewing in his nose immediately, Obi-Wan pulled another tissue from the box in his lap. He frowned and his breaths hitched. He closed his eyes, waiting with his hand hovering with a tissue at chest level. But as his rapid gasps grew deeper and more desperate, he lifted his hand a little. "hehhh...hehh-EHHHHShhhhh!" He snapped forward, his nose burying itself right into the tissue. Grimacing, he wiped his nose and blew rudimentarily into it. His nose was so full that he couldn't give a proper blow with a single tissue. And as he already felt another sneeze on its way, he did not bother retrieving a half dozen for the task or switching to his handkerchief.

     "ihhh-Ehhhhhh!" his sneeze built and he closed his eyes, grabbing blindly for another tissue. His fingers brushed against the cardboard, searching for the opening out of which the tissues popped. But even when he found it, his finger tips did not find the familiar sensation of tissues. "hihhhh... HIH!" He lifted a finger to his nose, pressing hard, as he pulled his eyes open just enough to squint at the box. Sometimes the tissues simply did not pop up the way they were supposed to. But that was not the case this time. "ih... ih-hih-hih-Baster?" he said, his voice unusually high yet heavily weighed in congestion. "I'b out of tiss... of tiss... ehhh!" His eyelids fluttered closed and he pitched forward again, his finger still under his nose and unable to prevent the sneeze though it did make it sound funny. "EhhhPLTHHH!"

     A soft, clean handkerchief was pressed to his face, rubbing with a gentle tenderness. Obi-Wan did not need to open his eyes, and instead sent appreciative thoughts to his master through their bond. He rubbed his nose into it instead of letting Qui-Gon do all the work. He pulled back after a minute, breathing through his mouth as his nose was far too stuffed.

     "I will get you a new box right away," Qui-Gon said easing the handkerchief into Obi-Wan's hands under the assumption that the man would no doubt need it while he ducked into the 'fresher for twenty seconds.

     By the time the words registered in his stuffed up head, prompting him to start to nod, Qui-Gon had already left. By the time he realized Qui-Gon was gone and that he should stop nodding, his nose had begun tickling again. And by the time he lifted the handkerchief to his nose, Qui-Gon had returned with the tissues.

     Even with his Jedi reflexes, Qui-Gon was not able to rip open the box, pull out a few tissues, and hand them over before the sneezes struck. "EhhhGshhfff! hehhhTChhffff! UhShhffff! Yugh..." he groaned, plucking tissues out of the newly opened box, one after the other, then blowing hard into the bunch.

     Qui-Gon snuggled closed to Obi-Wan on the couch, putting his arm around the younger man leaning into him. Unsteady and weak, Obi-Wan was pushed over a little. "Qui..." he whispered. "I thig I'b dyig."

     The truth was that his congestion really had not been this bad yet. After yesterday's lack of taking care of himself and the fact that Obi-Wan was feeling absolutely sick of drinking so much tea, it was to be expected. But that bit of logic was hardly enough to assure Obi-Wan that he was not really dying. He clearly looked, sounded, and felt badly enough to be dying and Qui-Gon could nothing more than hug Obi-Wan reassuringly. He did not like to see his padawan like this.

     Obi-Wan smiled briefly at the gesture, then went straight for the tissues again. "ehhh-hahhhhhhh..." He shivered as the urge to sneeze seized him fully. His nose was practically dripping already, as he cupped tissues to it. "yehhhh..." His tender nostrils flared against the harsh tissues and he leaned back with a deep breath. "yahhh-IHGhshhhhhhhh!" The sneeze rocked him forward, and he blew his nose while he was still hunched over. He plucked out more tissues and blew again. No matter how many full, gurgling blows he gave, it did nothing to relieve the pressure in his nose. He stayed hunched over, though, as he blew repeatedly, not really wanting Qui-Gon to see in such vivid detail what a mess he was in.

     Qui-Gon heard well enough to melt with sympathy. He waited patiently, making a worried face every time Obi-Wan finished blowing and discarded the tissues into a pile and then immediately went for the tissues to blow some more.

     When Obi-Wan finally gave in and wiped his nose to make it as dry as it could be at the moment, Qui-Gon pulled him closer with an affectionate cuddle. Even just a few minutes of this was painful to watch, but Obi-Wan had been at this for hours no, finding no relief at all.

     Qui-Gon made up his mind to find something that would help. If his suggestion turned out to do no good in the long run, at least Obi-Wan was no worse off and at least it made Qui-Gon feel a little more useful. "Time for a shower," he decided out loud.

     His mouth hanging open again, Obi-Wan lifted his head a little. His eyes were glazed with fatigue and his nose was running albeit not visibly yet. His brow furrowed, a defined line showing in the middle of his forehead. "I cad't stob sdeezig for eved a seh... sehhhhcod..." he tried to explain, the congestion and the need to sneeze again taking him over. "ehhhh-hehhhhh... hehh-IHHHhhhhh..." His hand seemed to function as a separate entity, snaking over to the tissue box and pulling the right amount of tissues out to catch his sneezes. "ehhh-ehh-ihhhh..." He froze a moment, waiting. Then he opened his eyes and sniffed.

     The tickle played in the tip of his nose, building just enough to make his breath catch but not quite enough to make him sneeze. "IHH!" He exhaled strongly, trying to draw the sneeze out. The few moments just after a sneeze, when he most needed the tissues and most felt the pain of the tender parts of his nose, at least provided him with a sense of relief that that particular sneeze was out. And now even that had been denied to him. "HEHHH!" He tried again, and his body shook in reaction as though countering his intentions.

     "Obi-Wan..." Qui-Gon began, but stopped when he realized Obi-Wan was going to sneeze this time.

     His eyes snapped shut and he was thrown forward. "EHP'CHIHHH!" He blew and wiped his nose quickly. Then he looked up at Qui-Gon again. "I cad't breathe, let alone take a shower." He sniffed to demonstrate his stuffiness, and hardly any air managed to get through his nose.

     Qui-Gon shook his head. "Nonetheless, it is time for one. I will start it and come back for you when it is ready. And while I'm gone I want you to try to start to take off your clothes."

     Obi-Wan blinked wearily and coughed from the congestion. "I'd rather you took off by... by clothes... ohh Sith..." He covered his nose again. "EhhhGshhhhhh! EhhFTchhhhhh! ihhhhKShuhhhh! KUH-Shhuhhhh!"

     Qui-Gon let him deal with the aftermath of these sneezes in private. "I'll be right back." And he headed back to the refresher to start the shower. He returned once the showerhead blasted hot water and the room was filled with steam. He found Obi-Wan still on the bed, still in his sleepwear, and still sneezing.

     "ehhhhKITChh! hehhKShhhh!" He sniffed and rubbed his nose. "ehhhKUHShhhh! hehhhTchhhh!" He looked up briefly, acknowledging Qui-Gon's return and looking apologetic. "hihhh-KUFChhhh! YehhKTchhh!" He pulled back, preparing for one more that appeared somewhat stuck. "hehh... hehEhhhh... Ihhhh!" Very stuck, in fact. He blew his nose and shook his head. Then he looked up wearily. "By dose... the sdeezes... If I could just..."

     Qui-Gon nodded in understanding. He scooped Obi-Wan up and carried him to the bathroom. He could walk perfectly well, but rather liked being held in Qui-Gon's strong arms where he did not have to worry about feeling lightheaded from so much sneezing and collapsing during the short journey from sofa to the 'fresher. Not to mention that he just plain liked when Qui-Gon touched him. Obi-Wan snuggled into his master's chest, which he was sure smelled of laundry detergent as it did every laundry day, but he could not smell anything at the moment. He had taken a sonic shower that morning, after shaving and brushing his teeth so there was no need for him to wash. He knew why Qui-Gon had suggested he take a shower, though.

     The room was warm and filled with thick steam. As Obi-Wan stood, with Qui-Gon expertly stripping off the younger man's clothes, he looked across the small room to the mirror. It was so fogged up that Obi-Wan could not see a trace of his reflection. Knowing how he must look, with a handkerchief held to his runny nose and remembering catching that unexpected glimpse of himself in the spare room the other day, Obi-Wan was glad for the steam. As he breathed in, it felt warm and moist against the itchy roof of his mouth and felt quite comforting as it entered his lungs. He took a slow, deep breath in and let it out even more slowly.

     Qui-Gon eased his shirt off, then bent and pulled down his sleep pants. He slid them off, one leg at a time, as Obi-Wan obliged by lifting his feet and steadying himself by putting a hand on Qui-Gon's shoulder. Dangerously close to Obi-Wan's manhood, Qui-Gon grinned at the temptation before him. Despite his horribly runny nose and a sneeze building, Obi-Wan twitched and grinned back. Then he doubled over at the force of the sneezes. "YihhhSCHhhhh! EhhhhTshhhhh! Ihh-hih-HIPShhhhh!" His sneezes seemed were strong and even wetter than they had been minutes before. He blew his nose repeatedly, folding and refolding the handkerchief to find dry spots. Then he balled up the well-used handkerchief and set it on the sink.

     Thanks to the steam, his nose was still running and now he had no handkerchief. He straightened with a sigh and rubbing his finger beneath his nose, then alongside it, and then beneath it again. Qui-Gon put his arms around Obi-Wan who shivered a little now that he was naked. "Into the shower with you. I believe I have another handkerchief in my top drawer. You get in and warm up and I will get it for you."

     A bit shaky and extremely sniffly, Obi-Wan opened the door and stepped in. He flinched at how hot the water was when it struck his skin. Quickly he pushed past the spray and turned down the heat a little. "huh-huh-HEEshhh!" He sneezed and then stepped beneath the stream of water. The water almost completely enveloped him. And he swayed back and forth beneath the water to get it to cover all of him almost at the same time.

     "ehhh..." But even with the steam making it a little easier for him to breathe, he still felt the need to sneeze. He turned his head and cupped his hand over his nose and mouth. Then he wiped the steamed-up glass of the shower door to see if Qui-Gon was back yet with the handkerchief. He wasn't. Obi-Wan had almost been certain that he'd been through every hanky in their possession now and that Qui-Gon did not have one hiding in the back of his top drawer somewhere. But he hoped that was just the foggy part of his mind talking because he knew he was really going to need to blow his nose after the sneezes tickling in his nose now escaped. And he certainly couldn't use tissues when he was sopping wet.

     "hahh-ehhhhhhh..." He panted, leaning against the wall to keep himself steady. The worst thing would be to lose his footing and crack his head open on the slippery wet tiles. He shivered a little as he left the hot water. "ehhh... ehhh..." The sneezes built up slowly but steadily until they seized him entirely. "HEHSHhhh! ehhKShhh! ahhhKShhuhhh! ahhhhKShooo!" He dragged his hand beneath his nose, then moved back into the spray of water, letting it wash his face clean. He snuffled and coughed but it did not feel too badly not to have a handkerchief at hand.

     The water somehow felt a bit cooler than it had a while ago so he turned the knob to the left towards the heat and sighed as it got warmer around him. "Ohhh yes," he whispered, closing his eyes and letting the water take care of his runny nose. Though the constant pounding of water against it tickled it, the heat and steam around him soothed it, also. But as he was finding it much easier to breathe without launching into coughs or sneezes, he definitely enjoyed being in the shower. His master always knew how to make him feel better.

     "YihhhSchhh!" he sneezed quickly with hardly any build-up. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination or if his nose was feeling just a little less stuffy. Either way, he stood up on his toes, getting his face closer to the nozzle. The small holes in the nozzle sent separate streams down onto his shoulders, chest, and back at the same time. He pulled his arms close to his chest, under the warmth. Then he reached over and turned it up a little more.

     Qui-Gon still had not returned, which concerned Obi-Wan slightly. But the shower felt so nice that he did not mind so much. Even though it had taken a bit of effort to get there, now that he was there he did not really feel like leaving. "huh-CHIHH!" he sneezed, strong and wet but he barely flinched at it. He gave the water a moment to cover his face, then he turned and hunched forward, directing it to his back. It did not feel quite as good as one of his master's massages... especially one of his special massages... but it still felt good.

     His breath caught again but he hardly tensed at all. "Ehhhh..." He pulled back, swaying naturally with the sneeze. "KUFShhhh! Uhhh..." He turned back around, letting it wash over his face. Blindly, he reached out to find the knob and turned the water up all the way to hot. This was the very definition of relaxing, and something left out of his report until now. He made a mental note to add it. "Ohhh..." After his shower. Long after.

Assuming, of course, that he ever got out. "HIhhShhh! EhhhkShhh! IhhKShuhhh!" And even though he had been sneezing all day, sneezing absolutely exhausting sneezes, he took little notice of them now.

     However, he did noticed how the water was not as hot any more. As he stood there, savoring it, he felt it go from hot to warm and then lukewarm. "HuhhhShhh!" He sneezed and shivered. It wasn't just that he was getting used to the heat, it was that the hot water was starting to run out. Obi-Wan groaned. "HIHShhhh!" And sneezed. He did not fancy the idea of going back to where he'd been all morning. He wanted more of the hot shower now.

     When he heard the door to the 'fresher open and close, and when he felt the presence of his master through the Force, he smiled despite the chill coming over him. "Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon called through the thick steam. "I have something for you."

     Reluctantly, Obi-Wan shut off the water. Then, with a deep breath, he pushed the shower door open. Even though the whole room was filled with steam from the shower, the rest of the room was not remotely as hot as the shower stall had been. His teeth chattered without stop. His arms were crossed over his bare chest. And his whole body shook with violent shivers.

     But through the steam he spotted Qui-Gon and before he could go to his master, his master came to him. Not only was a freshly laundered handkerchief pressed into his hand, but a large, thick white towel was wrapped around Obi-Wan's shoulders. It was quite hot to the touch and Obi-Wan sighed the moment it touched his skin. "I took it out of the dryer just now for you," Qui-Gon said, smiling.

     Incredulously, Obi-Wan found his shivers died away almost immediately, smothered by the hot towel. "Oh thag you," Obi-Wan said with deep relief. Qui-Gon pulled Obi-Wan close and rubbed his hands up and down Obi-Wan's arms and back through the towel. Obi-Wan nuzzled his face into Qui-Gon's shoulder, sniffling but half breathing through his nose now. "So warm... so thoughtful..." He nuzzled further and kissed Qui-Gon's neck. "Love you."

     Qui-Gon smiled. This was closer to how he liked to see his padawan. "And I, you," he nodded and kissed the top of Obi-Wan's head. "Now let's get you into a new, warm pair of pajamas. I'll snuggle with you under the blankets until the next load is done downstairs."

     Obi-Wan pushed his arms out from beneath the warm towel and started to hug Qui-Gon. He felt another sneeze brewing and pulled back a hand to cover his nose and mouth in preparation. But the water had soothed him so much that he did not feel the least bit like spending so long preparing during the build-up. So he slid his arm back around Qui-Gon and hugged more tightly. "hehhhSchhhh!" He shook with the sneeze but he had so little range of movement with Qui-Gon holding him and the towel wrapped around him. Qui-Gon kissed the top of his head again. Obi-Wan smiled and closed his eyes with a deep sigh.