But for now I am damned, I loathe my native land. I'd best fall into an utterly drunken sleep, by the sea-shore.
[Rimbaud: "Bad Blood", from "A Season In Hell"]
Withdrawing into myself, I chanced a closer look at it; staying well back for now, not allowing it to touch me, even though it nudged at me like some kind of fawning pet.
It was white. No, it was silvery-white, and it was absolutely beautiful: soft and yet glittering, shifting in the light of the Force like a ribbon of life, like an entity unto itself.
I asked it what it was: indeed, I reached out and demanded that it identify itself. A single word whispered back inside my mind.
One
I mentally drew away. A Bond of One... Sith be damned, it couldn't be! I had heard of such a thing, but never known of one in recent times. Even Master Yoda had not been able to recall an occurrence when we had discussed it once.
It would be an incredible thing to experience, and yet a terrifying one. I longed to let it take me and join me to you so entirely that I would feel as if I lived in you as well as myself. But the rational part of me pulled me back sharply from it, knowing that it could seriously jeopardise the nature of our work were we to give into it. How could we fight an enemy together if each of us was within the other so deeply that a single blaster bolt could kill us both?
And yet... to fight as one... what an advantage that would be...
"Master?"
I snapped into reality, reluctantly opening my eyes and pushing the bond away from me. You sat beside me on the couch, waiting for me to rebraid your hair for you.
I controlled my breathing with difficulty. You had not exactly made this easy for me: sitting before me in nothing but damp skin, made rosy by the brisk touch of the white towel that you had wrapped about your slender hips. Your hair gleamed like wet bronze, hugging your scalp where you had smoothed it back. Tiny droplets of water glistened on the longer strands, occasionally relinquishing their hold to splatter onto your shoulders.
The long tail of hair that draped over your right shoulder was already almost dry, glinting in the low light, soft and feathered. It hugged the curve of your throat and followed the cut of your exquisite collarbone. It was all I could do to prevent myself from pushing you back and kissing you hard and I willed my fingers to remain steady as I reached for the pouch that hung on my belt, withdrawing the smaller of my gifts for you.
Usually, you wrapped your braid in two colours: red and yellow. But since this day was special...
I saw the slight widening of your eyes as you glimpsed the skeins of costly gold and silver thread that I rested upon my knee before taking the tail of hair between my fingers, stroking and smoothing it.
Too dry... already it was feathering softly, promising a messy braid, and I wanted you to be perfect tonight. Leaning forward into the heat that surrounded you, I heard your sharp intake of breath as I placed my mouth behind your ear; my tongue finding the very root of the long tail, curling around it and drawing it into my mouth. Slowly, I moved away, drawing your silky hair through my mouth, wetting it once more, sensing the quickening within you as you watched.
The last section of tail slipped from my lips; a sleek ribbon once more. Dividing it into three, I set one end of each thread to the outer sections, behind your ear. I worked carefully, slowly, tucking in the thread as I went, incorporating it into the weaving of the braid. Usually, I simply wrapped your hair at two points, but - as I said - this night was special, and I wanted your true beauty to shine like the thread.
Several inches down from your ear, I stopped braiding and pulled the silver thread free from its section of hair. Leaning forward again, I bit the thread off some way down the skein and wound it carefully around the braid where I had stopped. Tucking the end in, I continued with the three sections and the remaining gold thread, sitting as close to you as I could get without being practically in your lap, leaning into your body, my breath washing your skin. I could sense the effort it was costing you not to cry out, and it matched my own struggles. At the edge of my vision the bond flickered, dangerously.
A few more inches of braiding, and then again I extricated the thread, biting it off and winding it around the final section. I fumbled in the pouch for the gift I had bought you. It had cost a great deal, been excruciatingly hard to find and even harder to secure from the dealer, but you were worth every dactare, every heated word... I pulled it from the pouch and watched with undisguised delight as your eyes widened.
"A Star Stone?" you murmured, gazing at the tiny, iridescent bead that rested in my large palm; looking ridiculously small there, and yet radiating an incredible, multicoloured luminosity. Such beauty from such a tiny thing.
"My gift to you," I smiled, threading the bead onto the braid and securing it with the remaining gold thread.
"But... Master... the cost of a Star Stone... such expense!"
I allowed myself a chuckle. Ever-prudent and unwilling to accept costly gifts, my Padawan. You would rather I gave you a simple moonflower plucked from the gardens than a huge lump of gold.
"It is a special day, Padawan," I said, reluctant to let go of the soft braid of hair. "An anniversary of great importance to both of us."
Your brow creased, a tiny furrow folding the smooth skin as you tried to recall. It was not your name day, nor the day I took you as my Padawan. In fact, I could see in your eyes that it was no day that you could imagine worthy of such a gift.
"I give up, master," you sighed, "and I apologise for forgetting it. What day is it?"
I kissed the very end of your nose, my lips caressing that tip-tilt that I adored so much.
"It was one year ago this night that I took you as my lover, Obi-Wan. My own, beautiful Obi-Wan..."
The silence that stretched between us grew to a thousand moments of peace in each others' arms, shared across the training bond that had strengthened so much over the past year. I watched as you closed your eyes, willing the Force into two hands identical to your own in tenderness and touch. They caressed my face, mapping every feature and tracing every line and plane. I felt them loosen the thong at the crown of my head and I shivered at the sensation of those invisible fingers gently unbinding my hair, drawing it gently over my shoulders.
An amused twinkle glimmered in your eyes as you sensed my restlessness.
It was you that insisted on using Force fingers, my Master...
Cheeky young pup!
Melodic laughter across our bond made me smile. You were so open, so receptive; all your shields and defences down. I should have been more careful, should have watched and recognised the signs, but your eyes and laughter had drawn me too deeply into you, blinding me for one, brief, fateful moment. By the time I realised what was happening, it was too late.
The Bond of One had touched you and you had embraced it. It encircled you like a white ribbon, sliding across your consciousness, ensnaring you, binding your heart and soul. It was only when I felt that silken touch snagging at my partially-raised shields that I knew what had happened.
Oh... Force...
You reached for me, both with the Force and your own sweet hands. I felt trapped, bound, constricted... struggling futilely; all my strength to no avail against this unfettered love that was enmeshing me. Your lips met mine, coaxing me to you and I could feel with rising despair that your soul essence was merging with mine.
Faint flicker from my old Master...
Special, this is. Embrace it, you shall, Padawan
Master, no! Too dangerous!
Watched while this thing grew, we did. Loosen your heart, it will. Control it, you must
But... Obi-Wan...
Your life, he is, and always was. No greater gift to give in return for your love, has he. Embrace it
Stars shattered behind my eyes as the incredible light that surrounded your love touched me finally, binding my heart to yours and drawing me from myself. Such shocking tenderness... such kisses... such incredible love... Sith's teeth! This would kill me before it bound me to you! Never before had I experienced anything like this. An explosion of light within me made me groan softly, struggling for sanity, and then everything was still.
I ventured a glance at you. You lay, trembling in my embrace, rocked to the core by the bonding we had just survived. You turned wide, shocked eyes up to meet mine.
"Wh... what was that?" you husked.
"A new bond, love," I murmured, tightening my hold upon you ever so slightly, fearing to let you go. "A Bond of One."
Your lips parted as if to speak, and then hesitated as you realised you already knew what it was, even though you had never heard of it before.
"How... how come I know that?" Your voice was small, lost.
"Because you are within me and I am within you." I kissed your forehead tenderly. "My memories and thoughts are yours, as yours are mine."
"Gods..." you whispered, shakily.
I gently untangled your limbs from mine. "I don't know about you, Padawan, but I could do with a drink," I said, hoarsely, before I froze in mid-movement. Our eyes met as the sensation swam through me: you did need that drink as much as I, and I was utterly aware of it.
"Force," I muttered. "This will take some getting used to."
"Master," you said quietly. "I think that only you will need that drink."
I glanced at you. "I sensed your thirst, Obi-Wan," I murmured, pouring two glasses. you took one from me and raised it to your lips.
"Then wait while I drink mine," you said, sipping it slowly.
I sank to my knees, trembling with shock as the taste of the drink rolled around my mouth; as its alcoholic heat burned down my throat, slowly warming my belly.
Instantly, you were on your knees beside me, raising my face, cupping it in your palms and pressing your lips to mine. I couldn't resist reaching out to caress your arm, and I jumped like a startled animal as I felt the touch on my own skin. Searching your mind, I realised that you could feel your palms cupping your own face just as surely as they held mine.
You drew back from me, your eyes sparkling with unshed tears. Emotions welled in me that I never thought a human could experience and still live.
"As one," you whispered. "This is... it's..." You shook your head, fumbling for the right words.
"Wonderful," I supplied, seeing you smile.
"I was just going to say that," you husked.
Laughter; a little hysterical, at that.
"Force take it," I growled. "Now, at least, you will understand my aching old knees."
You chuckled. "And you shall understand and perhaps not grumble about my... uh... early-morning..."
I burst out laughing as such a vivid image of you reached me: nuzzling against me as you so often did before our alarm call; your body hard and insistent, even in sleep.
"Well that will be interesting, Padawan," I mused. "It's been a long time since I have woken in such a state."
You joined my laughter, then wrinkled your nose. "You'd better stop eating that disgusting gloop for morning meal..."
"Porridge is good for you," I teased.
"Well I don't want to taste the stuff! It looks like... like... eurgh!"
A shared giggle and I reached for you once more, feeling my touch echoed on my body.
"There is one thing that I'm intrigued to find out more of," I murmured.
"Oh?" You smiled, as I leaned in closer.
"What it feels like to be made love to by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn," I whispered, tasting my own kisses in my mouth. "And you, my Padawan shall know how sweet it is to have my own beautiful apprentice writhing against me..."
Force-alive, but this was going to be... interesting!