Out of the Ordinary
a Star Wars story
by laughing_newt
There was a momentary silence at the table in the lunch cafeteria of the Jedi Training Institute on Coruscant. Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi Master of the highest degree, had just sneezed.
It was only a fleeting pause, however. A flicker of concern. Of recognition that something out of the ordinary had taken place. Then the babble broke out again, covering the softly spoken 'bless you' that came from across the table. People, not wishing to embarrass the Jedi master, distracted themselves and turned back to their conversations barely missing a beat.
Qui-Gon, however, was anything but distracted. His body stayed bent, hand at his face, fingers hovering just below his nose. He opened his eyes and rubbed discreetly at his nostrils, hoping that that would quiet the tickle he felt still lurking somewhere inside. Seemingly not. He blinked. Once. Twice. Then narrowed his eyes in concentration, drawing long and steady breaths.
A sneeze, he thought. How strange. It had been a long while- many years, in fact- since he had sneezed. And all of a sudden, much to his dismay, it all made sense. He had not been sleeping well for weeks, and it was no surprise that he had woken that morning not feeling rested. But the way his voice had quickly grown tired in the council meeting- the fatigue and aches he felt in his limbs- his uncharacteristic breaks of concentration in training and in meditation that morning- and now a sneeze. Yes, it could only mean one thing. And with the unpleasant realisation, Qui let a soft sigh, almost silent, escape from his lips.
That momentary lapse of concentration was all it took. His head rose up with a quick deep breath then snapped back down with a stronger, louder 'huKSSSHOOO!!'
This time the silence was longer, preceded by a chorus 'bless yous' and the turning of many heads.
Another voice, slightly different, came to Qui. //Bless you// And then, somewhat hesitant //..Are you alright?//. It was only now that Qui looked up to see the eyes that had been following him all this time. Eyebrows slightly raised, and a hint of puzzled concern in his eyes, Obi-Wan Kenobi was watching his master.
Qui gave a ghost of a smile. //Yes, padawan, I'll be fine//. Then, summoning up another smile as bright and chipper as he could muster, he looked around at the circle of faces. "Excuse me." And, in response to the inquiring looks, "Goodness, well I'm sure I must not be the only Jedi on the planet to ever get a momentary tickle in their nose."
This brought a chuckle, and most people accepted the comment and turned back to their lunches and conversation. Most people. One, however, continued to gaze across the table at the Jedi master, noting the pallor of his skin, the circles beneath his eyes, the faint flush in his cheeks which had almost certainly not been there yesterday. And when Qui-Gon stood with a brisk "Come, Obi-Wan. Let us resume our training" Obi frowned, observing the plate of food that had barely been touched through all of lunchtime.
Qui, however, was not leaving space for any discussion, though he must have sensed Obi's concern. He walked swiftly from the refectory, motioning for Obi-Wan to follow him, and did not pause and turn to his padawan until they were in the hallway outside.
"I know I said we would continue with advanced partner katas, but I think some practice with your saber would be more useful right now. Why don't you run back to our quarters and pick it up."
Obi-Wan hesitated. Now that he was watching for signs, his master's voice seemed deeper, husky...not quite right. Yes, something was definitely wrong. And something should be done about it.
"Why don't we go back to our quarters together and rest instead. You seem...a little tired, master. We have done enough for the day."
Qui gave Obi a sharp, reprimanding look. "Obi-Wan, you forget your place. We will continue training, and I will let you know when we have done enough for the day. Now go get your saber, and meet me in our training room."
Obi looked back. "Master, I-" "Now, Obi-Wan Kenobi."
There was no mistaking the stern expression on Qui-Gon's face. Obi-Wan paused, but sensed that there was nothing more to be done at that moment. He turned, somewhat reluctantly, and headed down the hallway.
Qui stood and watched his apprentice disappear around the corner. He regretted speaking sharply to the boy, but felt it his duty to train him well and it was imperative that he not begin to question the authority of his teacher. He was fond of Obi- indeed, fonder than he wanted to admit to himself- and had to make sure that he didn't let that cloud his judgement and make him treat Obi too softly. Plus, Qui admitted to himself, now that it had begun he was having a bit of trouble keeping the tickle in his nose at bay, and felt much more at ease to sneeze it out without the keen eyes of his padawan watching on.
He waited until he sensed that Obi had indeed gone towards their quarters, then released his pursed lips and the tension he had been holding in his breath, relaxing into the short, deep breaths of an impending sneeze. He moved his head to the side and raised his arm a little so he could catch the sneezes in his shoulder, and waited. "heh.....heh.....heh....." ...and he stayed there, completely still, poised and ready, until the tickle finally blossomed into a full-blown sneeze; "heTCHUUfff.....heh.....heCHUmff, CHUUsshhhff......heh..heh..." and a moment later, one so strong he couldn't quite muffle it in his shoulder, "..heh.....heTCHOOO!!"
That done, Qui-Gon groaned and leaned for a moment against the wall. A dull pounding had begun to settle into his head, and in spite of the volley of sneezes his nose felt like many more would be on the way soon. Still, there was training to be done and for that to be effective he must be open in his bond with Obi-Wan, and therefore be enthusiastic for the training. He tried to convince himself that working hard with a light saber was not the last thing he would like to be doing at the moment. Well, he thought, at least it required a little less focus than advanced partner katas.
He scrubbed his nose with his hand, gathered what strength and energy he could from the Force, and headed off to meet Obi in their training room.
"Now, let's try that again, ...sniff... this time relying not on your reflexes but on your sense of the living Force ..sniff...sniff..."
Obi-Wan Keonbi stood opposite his master, feet apart, light saber raised. Qui-Gon, poised and ready, looked steadily back, his connection to the Force evident in the intent expression on his face. The energy was pulsing between them. In fact one could almost see it.
It was an ordinary picture, the kind that happened every day during their training sessions. Except, of course, for the fact that Qui-Gon was sniffling.
At this moment however, Obi-Wan did not seem to notice. He HAD noticed earlier, when the training had begun and Qui had sneezed three times pinched silent when Obi's back was turned...as if turning his back could stop him sensing what was happening with his Master. He had also noticed the soft little coughs alongside the sniffles which where growing more and more frequent as the training progressed. But he had just been reprimanded for his lack of concentration today, and so this time his focus was on the Force.
Qui-Gon, too, had his focus on the Force. The tickle which had been lurking in his nose since lunchtime was still unmistakably present, but with a few well timed sniffles and the application of a little healing energy it was not yet out of control. In fact, the sniffling was becoming almost unconscious, his body's way of controlling his ailment while leaving his mind free for the focus required in teaching. He sniffed..strongly...and moved towards Obi-Wan.
The sparring began; two strong, supple bodies moving somehow in perfect harmony and yet also in opposition with each other. Qui-Gon did not need to think his pride in the lithe young man who responded to his advances with such grace and such skill. Obi-Wan did not need to think his appreciation of the dextrous and dignified presence of his Master, who always partnered him with enough skill to keep him constantly challenged, thinking and feeling in the moment, but not so much as to make him feel incompetent. It was simply there, in their open bond. Perfect communication mirrored in their bodies behind the swish of light-sabers.
Until Obi-Wan felt a sudden shudder of something amiss their bond. He barely had time to wonder what it was before Qui-Gon broke their connection, bending forwards with a sudden unexpected and violent sneeze: "hekCHUSHH!!" followed by another..and another.. "heCHUUh heh..hehCHOOOO!!!"
Obi-Wan, alarmed and thankful that he had responded in time to stop his saber from injuring his master when the expected counter-strike was not there, stopped. "Bless you", he spoke softly into the silence. Qui-Gon, however, looked up from his bent-over position and motioned to Obi-Wan to stay where he was.
"Thank you. My apologies, Padawan, for my loss of control. We will resume."
Obi-Wan, biting back his rising concern for his master, nodded. They turned again to face each other, the Force pulsing between them, searching for each other through channels of movement.
The first swish of their lightsabers had barely sounded, however, before Qui-Gon was thrown forward again "heCHISHH...HECHSSSHh...heCHUUuuh...heh...heh....heCHUUUUhh!!"
Qui-Gon's Jedi reflexes had shut off his light saber, but as he sneezed it fell with a clatter to the ground. And this time when he had finished sneezing he stayed bent, with a series of deep, hard coughs rattling his usually unshakeable form.
Obi-Wan, with a sudden resolve, walked across the room and laid a gentle hand on Qui-Gon's shoulder. He spoke to him softly, but firm. "Master, you are ill."
Wearily, and acknowledging to himself that it was indeed the truth, Qui-Gon nodded.
"But it is only the start of a headcold. Your training...the exams approaching...I have always told you of the importance of duty. I am your teacher, that is my duty and as I am only slightly ailing and am quite well enough to continue teaching I see no reason to shirk it."
Obi-Wan moved his hand from Qui's shoulder to his cheek, then his forehead. "But you are not quite well enough, are you Master. I think you are running a fever."
Qui did not reply, quieted by his padawan's concern and touch. Obi, taking this as a good sign, continued. "Besides, you've always taught me to give in to illness gracefully. That our bodies are miraculous instruments and deserve the utmost care and respect. And that that involves giving them rest and attention when they are not well, not pushing them needlessly onwards."
Qui came out of his reverie.
"I'm impressed you remembered that. You never act on it when you are ill." His mind flitted back to countless times of marching a sniffling and protesting Obi firmly back to bed.
"Yes, well it's much easier to see it clearly when you are NOT the one who is ill." He gave his master a stern look. Qui gave a half a smile...he was sure he recognised that look and knew whom it was that Obi was mirroring. But the smile turned to a sigh. He knew also the wisdom behind the look, and realised where his duty both to himself and as Jedi Master lay. He felt somewhat ashamed that he had had to have his padawan make him see sense.
"Obi-Wan, you are right. I will go home to rest, and if I feel any worse tomorrow I will go to the healers." He picked up his saber slowly and placed it back in his belt. "And we will let this experience become a lesson for us both, and a useful part of your training. It will be good for you to practice the use of healing energy when you are not the one who is ill; there are times you will need the skill far more than when you simply have a master with a head cold. In fact the art of healing is one which Master Yoda himself is..."
"Master, rest," Obi cut in, noting the tired and husky tone of Qui-Gon's voice. "You do not need to lecture me. We can think about the lessons that can be gained from this after we are in our quarters and you have slept."
Qui nodded, letting himself feel the exhaustion in his body. "Again, my padawan, you are right. Let us-..heh ..let..heh...oh.." He quickly turned to the side with three strong, quick sneezes 'hetCHUUshh...heCHuussh...heh...heCHHUuuhhh.....'
With a groan and a strong sniffle, he straightened up. "Excuse me. As I was saying Obi-Wan, let us return home."
'hukCHSSSSHHH!!'
"Bless you."
'heh..heCHUuuushh...hUCHshhh..'
"Bless you again."
"You're going to have to stop saying that sometime soon Ob- Obi..hetCHuuush.....heh...heCHSSSHHHH!!!"
"Bless you. We're nearly there. Just a few moments more."
They had not counted on the torrents of rain outside on the way back from the training area. Nor had they counted on the fact that about halfway home Qui would start sneezing and be unable to stop for more than a couple moment's pause. What with shivering and sneezing and sniffling and Qui-Gon's growing exhaustion it was taking them a long time to get back to their quarters.
"heCHUUSsshh...HCSHHHH...heh...hetCHOOOO!!"
"Bless you, Qui-Gon."
Somehow, however, they finally got there. Obi-Wan let go of his hold around Qui's waist to unfasten the door with both hands using the force, while Qui leant against the wall. 'hechuuUUsshh. heh....heTCHOO...ugh.....heh...'
Qui remained still, eyes half closed waiting for the next sneeze. Obi-Wan, however, having realised ten minutes ago the futility of waiting for this sneezing fit to stop, took firm hold of Qui's waist again and marched the sneezing man into the sitting room, pushing him firmly into an armchair. Qui sank into it thankfully, as more sneezes broke out of him again.
"hehSHUuussh. heh...heh....heTCHUUUSHH....hCHHSSSShhh....heh....ugh..."
"Bless you."
He looked up through watering eyes to see Obi walking back from the bedroom, holding their entire collection of handkerchiefs in his hands.
"Here. Blow. It might help it stop."
Qui nodded thankfully, and grabbed the first one on the pile, using it to catch the next sneeze in its folds: 'heh...hetCHUUSSSH!!!' And then blew. And blew. After about the fourth handkerchief he sank back in his chair, exhausted but relieved that his nose, while markedly more pink than it had been a few moments ago, had finally stopped tickling.
A deep, gravelly voice said "Thank you, my padawan."
Obi-Wan, looking at his master with both concern and relief, nodded in reply. He noted again the flush in Qui-Gon's cheeks, and frowned as he saw him shiver with cold.
"Right," he said, "now that you've got a bit of space to breathe lets get you out of those wet clothes and settled into bed. You start undressing, and I will find your warmest sleeping robes."
Obi emerged from Qui's room a few moments later to see his master still sitting, handkerchief in hand, staring into space.
"Master Qui-Gon?"
Qui looked over with a slight start, a somewhat dazed look in his eyes. "What? Yes. Right. Start undressing. Be ready in just a moment..."
Obi-Wan frowned. "Let me help you there."
Qui's eyes widened slightly. "No, Padawan, I'm sure I can dress mys-"
"Help you up and to your room, I mean. Just leave the wet clothes on the floor, and I'll put the kettle on for some tea."
"Of course." Qui, blushing slightly, allowed Obi to help him up and over to his bedroom. It took him quite a while to change, his movements slow and laboured, but by the time Obi returned in dry robes himself, a with a tray of hot tea in his hands, Qui had managed to get himself changed and was lying back on top of the covers.
"That's the way" Obi said approvingly, and gently sat him up, rubbing his wet hair dry with a towel, before pulling the covers back and tucking him into bed. "Let's get you settled in." He poured a hot cup of tea, and handed it to the sniffling Qui.
"Now what else can I get you? Let me see..."
He pottered around their quarters, returning with a pitcher of water and glass, a pot of healing balm, a selection of herbs, a box of tissues and a wastebasket.
Qui-Gon sat there sipping his tea, grateful but somewhat resistant. He did not like feeling helpless.
"Now, what else? Right...here's the thermometer, I'll take your temperature. Your cheeks look a little flushed-"
"That's not necessary. Really, Obi-Wan, I'll be fine."
"Of course you will. Now be quiet for a moment while I take your temperature."
Qui bit his tongue. The urge to resist was strong. The urge to snap back that it was just a small cold and he really would be fine, no fussing required thank you very much. He was not used to being weak. But he stopped himself, remembering his own teachings... on knowing when to be weak being a part of being strong, on accepting illness and taking time to recuperate...and his decision to follow his own advice. And he had to admit, as he lay back and closed his eyes while Obi-Wan counted the minutes and watched the thermometer, it was nice to lie back and take a break from being a master. Nice to simply have someone caring for him.
Three minutes were up and Obi held the thermometer up to the light. "Well, you do have a fever, but it's not high enough to worry about at the moment. Still, I'll get you another blanket to make sure you stay warm."
Yes, it was a strange but lovely sensation to be taken care of. Qui looked up at Obi as he returned with the blanket and an extra box of tissues, and showed him his warmth through their bond, saying again "thank you, my padawan."
"You're most welcome," Obi replied, smiling as he tucked the blanket under the mattress. "After years of being given such good care, I have an inkling of what one might need when they are ill."
That done, he settled himself on the edge of the bed, and looked down steadily at his master, who had sunk wearily back into the pillows.
"Now master, tell me what is bothering you. And together we can figure out how to bring you back into balance with the Force."
Qui-Gon opened his eyes. "What the devil do you mean, Obi?"
Obi-Wan took a deep breath. It seemed he would have to explain. "You know yourself how rare it is for a Jedi Master to fall ill. In all these years I have never seen you ailing, or indeed any of the other masters, and that is because you have such focus and control over your mind and your will. You have always told me that the body holds a direct connection to the mind which holds a direct connection to the Force, that if the well-being of a Jedi's body declines it is usually in direct response to a lack of well-being in the mind and thus a lack of balance with the Force."
Obi's gaze become, if that was possible, even more steady.
"You have not been sleeping, Master. And there is something heavy on your mind- though it is blocked, I can feel it through our bond. Don't you think it might help if you told me what it is?"
There was a moment of silence. Qui fixed his eyes on the foot of the bed, on the tissues on the nightstand, on anything but the eyes of Obi-Wan. Obi waited. Qui slowly reached over for the tissue box and then buried his face in one with a sudden strong sneeze "HETCHUSHHHH!" Or more. "heh... heh huTCHSSSHSHH heCHOOO HUtchCHHHH!!" And the sneezes turned to coughs, deep chesty coughs, and the coughs did not stop. His eyes widened in alarm, but Obi-Wan eased him into a sitting position and rubbed his back, giving him the glass of water as soon as he was able to breathe long enough to drink some.
Qui sat there for a while, breathing shakily while Obi continued to rub his back, smoothing over the places where it hurt the most with healing energy through their bond. Soon Qui's breathing became more steady, and as he eased himself back down to lying on the bed he closed his eyes, shaken but somewhat grateful for the temporary reprieve.
Obi, however, sensed this. And when Qui opened his eyes again, Obi-Wan's gaze was steady and intentful.
"I can sense that this is something that needs to be shared before your sense of peace can be restored. But perhaps you may not even need to tell me, Qui. I think I have a fair idea what it may be."
Qui-Gon looked away. He hoped that the sudden scarlet flush of his cheeks would be thought to be simply part of his fever. He hoped that the guess that Obi had was wrong. He hoped he didn't suspect....he couldn't suspect, he had been so adept at shielding his feelings that surely Obi couldn't have sensed them...though, admittedly, of late they had been somewhat...stronger..
But there he was again. Forgetting his real duty. While it would complicate their relationship for him to be honest here, Obi-Wan was right. His mind was troubled. His body, therefore, was troubled. Something must be done about it. He gathered together his remaining strength, thought 'Force help me', took a deep breath and turned his eyes back to his student.
He did not have to say anything. He simply let the feelings show in his face and flow openly to Obi through their bond. What startled him, however, was when he met Obi's eyes he saw the exact same expression. Felt the exact same feelings flowing back to him. The look of shock in his eyes must have been intense, for Obi gave a sudden laugh. "How could you have not sensed this, Qui-Gon? I was sure that however much I tried to shield them my feelings must have been spilling over into our relationship..."
"Well....I...." Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi master, was speechless.
Obi smiled. "It is nothing to be ashamed of, master."
"No, of course not...but...well..."
"In fact, is is rather something to be excited about..."
"Obi!" The blush in Qui cheeks became, if possible, deeper. "We cannot. We simply cannot. I am your teacher-"
"It's not forbidden for there to be a relationship of a deeper nature between master and padawan, is it?"
Qui-Gon thought for a moment. "No, but it is rather....out of the ordinary."
"Since when do you care about the ordinary?"
It was Qui's turn to laugh, though the laughter turned to a few more coughs. He paused a moment, tempted, before the teacher in him stepped forward again.
"But the Jedi teachings are based in freeing yourself from attachment, not forming deeper mortal connections that will confuse your relationship to the living force..."
And broke off, looking concerned. Obi-Wan Kenobi, however, looked complacent.
"You have taught me well master. You can continue to teach me. How to form a deep connection and yet not let it interfere with our duty and connection to the force. It will strengthen our bond, and you better than anyone could teach me about loving deeply yet still maintaining detachment, objectivity in a given situation. It could be a very useful tool." And, with a mischievous expression in his eyes "Not to mention making the rest period after a mission together considerably more enjoyable."
Qui gave a crooked half-smile for the second time that day. "You know, I start to wonder who is the learner, and who indeed is the master here, my pad...heh......my padawan" he said, breaking off quickly and turning away "HeCHUSSSHhh..HEKSHHHH.....heh....hehhh...heCHOOO". The sneezes were followed by a few harsh coughs, then a tired little sniffle that made Obi melt right down to the floor. He ran his fingers softly down the side of Qui's face.
"You are, Qui. Of course you are. My wonderful master. But right now you just need a little bit of looking after." And with that he bent down slowly, pressing his lips to Qui's in the softest and most tender of kisses.
A rough sigh escaped from Qui's lips, followed by a whisper of his name. "Oh Obi-Wan.." For the second time that day, he realised he must follow his own teaching and follow a path he had not rationally planned on, but rather trust in his sense of the living force. He closed his eyes for a moment and let himself give into the Force, asking it to guide him. And when he looked up at his tender, blue-eyed padawan, he realised his decision was made.
Qui-Gon placed a strong, gentle hand around Obi-Wan's neck, pulling him closer again. The kiss that followed was deeper, hungry, their first flickering of passion together. And Qui felt the sense of unrest that had been upon him for weeks slipping away, replaced by the sense of peace with the moment, that what he was doing here was right.
For a moment, that is. Suddenly Qui broke away, pushing Obi back with both a hand and the force, while using the other hand to make a grab for the tissue box- "hekUSHOO...heCHusssh...heh heCHUUSSHH!".
"Well," Obi-Wan laughed, "it was nice while it lasted."
"Yes" said Qui sniffling, "it was." And added with a chuckle after he has blown his nose, "Now that, my padawan, was something out of the ordinary."
He raised his hand to Obi's cheek, exalting in his touch. But as Obi leaned forward for another kiss Qui-Gon's chuckle turned to another set of harsh uncontrollable coughs, and Obi found himself rubbing his master's back again, eyes darkening with concern.
Qui, finally able to breathe, collapsed back against the pillows. A light sweat was beading on his forehead, and he shivered suddenly under the blankets. He closed his eyes and groaned, then opened his mouth to speak.
Obi sprang into action. //Don't talk. Don't strain yourself. What can I get you? Water? Another blanket?//
//Nothing, padawan. I'll be fine. Just stay with me.//
//Of course I will//
They sat there for a moment, Obi fussing lightly, rearranging the night stand to make sure everything was within reach.
// You are sure there's nothing that you need?//
Qui opened a pair of eyes which were sparked up a bit with a ghost of their usual glint //Well, I wouldn't say no to one more kiss...//
Obi looked warmly down at his master. His face was pale, his cheeks were flushed, and the dark circles under his eyes were only one of the many things that marked his exhaustion. His breathing was slow and laboured, and he sniffled slightly.
"To be honest you don't look like you're up to it." He leaned down and gave Qui a soft, tender kiss on the forehead. "There is time for all that later. Time for...everything..." he said with a rather wicked grin. "But right now, we need to get you feeling better."
Qui nodded. His whole body felt heavy, covered with a blanket of exhaustion which made him almost unable to move. But it was a different sort of tiredness...the type one feels after a period of great exertion when there is finally space to rest.
Obi-Wan climbed under the covers beside him, wrapping the older man up in his arms and running his fingers lightly over his forehead.
"Just rest. Rest your mind as well as your body. You no longer need to look for a way forward. I'll be right here when you wake up."
And with his padawan snuggled in close beside him Qui-Gon felt a strong sense of balance, of peace. He gave one final cough and a sniffle into his pillow, then slipped into a deep and nourishing sleep.
Own these boys? Much as I would love to, sadly no. George Lucas is the one who does. I get no money for this.
Written in response to the bunny for the weekly hatching #49: After years of being the carer, it's Qui-Gon's turn to be looked after by Obi-Wan. He struggles between maintaining his composure as a Jedi Master and using it as an opportunity to teach Obi-Wan to accept illness gracefully, rather than to fight it or hide it unnecessarily.
Slash in second part. Erm, also, very little plot and very much fluff. And my knowledge of Star Wars is somewhat limited, so apologies for any name or lingo mistakes.