Title: Giving Assistance

Author: tarotgal

Fandom: Star Wars

Rating: G

Disclaimer: Not mine. Just play. No money. You know how it is.

Summary: Obi-Wan's sneezing. Qui-Gon's watching. Short PWP scene.

Note: This was just a little thing that popped into my head and I wanted to get it out before concentrating on important stuff.

 

 

Giving Assistance

 

     "hehhh-UGHSchuhhhh!"

 

     The sneeze drew Qui-Gon's gaze towards his padawan all the way across the room on the sofa. The two Jedi were spending the afternoon preparing for an upcoming mediation session. If the Senate hearings of the past few days were any indication, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan would need to be very well-versed in tradition as well as law.

 

     Obi-Wan had seemed a bit overwhelmed at the work first, but insisted he could handle it without assistance. His most recent task was to compile a list of parties involved and their general stances on the issues that needed to be discussed.

 

     "ehhh..."

 

     He was also, apparently, sneezing.

 

     "ehh-hehh-IHKShoooo!"

 

     Qui-Gon cleared his throat to elicit attention, and Obi-Wan straightened and looked over the back of the sofa at Qui-Gon seated at the desk. Obi-Wan had a wrist pressed to his nose and was sniffling slightly.

 

     "Padawan? Are you quite all right?"

 

     "Oh yes, Master." He nodded and gave a confident smile, then turned back to his work.

 

     Qui-Gon was less quick to return to his, however. He stood so that he had a better view of Obi-Wan. The young man was rubbing at his nose repeatedly. After every few words he typed, he paused to rub some part of his hand against his nose. Side of hand. Single forefinger. Back of hand. Base of palm.

 

     Then he froze in place, apart from slightly flaring nostrils. "uhhh!" His eyes closed slowly. "uhhh-HIHShkkhhh!" The sneeze was terribly wet, and it threw him forward. But he recovered in an instant, sniffling behind a hand cupped to his nose.

 

     "You're not coming down with a cold are you, Padawan?" Qui-Gon asked, crossing arms over his chest, though Obi-Wan did not look at him.

 

     "No, Master," Obi-Wan replied casually, reaching in the opposite direction for a small stack of datachips. He finished the movement with another rub to his nose, this time scrubbing his nose into his shoulder.

 

     Qui-Gon frowned and rounded his desk to inspect Obi-Wan more closely. The young man seemed quite intent on working, and his constant sniffling and frequent sneezing did not seem to be slowing him down any. Something else did, however.

 

     He watched Obi-Wan lift his head and twitch his nose again. Then the padawan snapped forward, sneezing freely out in front of him. "hahhTCHehhhhh!" Obi-Wan sniffled and rubbed his nose into the cuff of his robe.

 

     "Surely you're not allergic to your work?"

 

     Obi-Wan chuckled, wiping his nose on his sleeve and shaking his head. "Of course not, master." But he said nothing more and immediately continued working, though he looked somewhere between confused and worried concerning something on the screen of his datapad.

 

     A strange feeling ran up Qui-Gon's spine, prickling and worrying him. If this continued, he would get no work done, and the work most assuredly had to get done.

 

     "ehhhh?" Obi-Wan paused again, fingers poised over the keys. He blinked and drew another soft, shaky breath. "hehhhhhhh... ehhh-HIHSchhhh!" He went for his other sleeve cuff this time, sniffling and snuffling wetly. When he opened his eyes, however, he found Qui-Gon standing right in front of him. He looked up, giving his nose a final rub, then swallowed hard again.

 

     Qui-Gon frowned and spoke sternly, "Padawan--"

 

     Obi-Wan quickly shook his head. "I'm all right. Not a cold. Not allergies. It's just a little tickle in my nose I need to sneeze out. Sniff! Sniff! It will pass in just a few minutes. Please don't make me go to bed."

 

     "I won't," said Qui-Gon, chuckling lightly. He pulled a handkerchief out of the inner pocket of his robes and held it out. "But please use a hanky from now on. I'm not sure your sleeves can take much more abuse."

 

     Obi-Wan sheepishly accepted the handkerchief and blew his nose into one corner.

 

     Qui-Gon nodded approvingly. "Remind me to buy you some handkerchiefs of your own next time we pass the shops."

 

     "I will. Thank you, Master," replied Obi-Wan automatically.

 

     Instead of heading back to the desk, Qui-Gon paused a moment, watching Obi-Wan rubbing the handkerchief at his nose, then rubbing his nose into the handkerchief.  When he spoke, his voice was softer. "But even so, I will always have a handkerchief you can borrow if you need it."

 

     Obi-Wan looked up again, over the folds of the handkerchief this time, and smiled. "Thank you, Master," he said much more genuinely before being thrown forward for a muffled sneeze. "ehhhhKSchmmphh!" After wiping his nose dry, he took a deep breath and asked timidly, "Perhaps you could help me with something here, before you return to your own work?"

 

     Qui-Gon smiled warmly, nodded and sat down on the sofa beside Obi-Wan.