Obi-Wan tightened his arms around Nahlia's waist as he returned the passion of her hot deep kisses. Nahlia kept her arms around his shoulders - lightly stroking his neck and bare back. He matched the motions of her lips with his own - even with his lack of experience, it seemed so natural to him to be with her like this, almost second nature. And it was all so familiar, like he'd kissed her this way so many times before. Or was he remembering something that hadn't happened yet?
Suddenly recalling what his Master had told him, he tried to pull his head up and away from her - whacking his head on the low ceiling again. This time his yelp of momentary pain was muffled by Nahlia's lips. "Mmmm... Nahlia..." He gasped out between kisses. "Nahlia..."
"Yes?" She panted.
He rubbed at the bump on the back of his head. "I'm not so sure we should be here like this..."
"You're right," She directed him over to the bed. "Come sit down..."
"All right." relieved, Obi-Wan sat on the end of the bed. "Glad you see it my w-" Before he could finish, Nahlia was in his lap kissing him again. "Nahlia... I-mmph... I just don't think..."
Nahlia held his face as she pleaded, "Don't think... feel." then continued kissing him urgently. Her legs intertwined with his as he held her close to his body. Feeling the heat of her lips and breath on his neck, Obi-Wan almost absentmindedly began to caress her outer thigh.
"Nahlia..." Obi-Wan found the soft, sweet, kisses just below his ear intoxicating. "Uh... what was I going to say?"
Nahlia blew in his ear lightly causing him to shudder briefly from the pleasure of it. She then whispered to him sultrily. "Come lay with me..."
"I don't think I was going to say that." He tilted his head while enjoying the sensation of her nibbling on his ear. "I'm not all that tired at the moment."
"Good," She heaved. "Neither am I..." Nahlia reunited her lips with Obi-Wan's again in a soul kiss. Hearing an approving murmur escape his mouth as they kissed, she began to push him gently back onto the miniature bed. There they lay on their sides kissing deeply. He picked himself up on one elbow and pulled her closer still. There was something building up inside him, he'd never felt before. Every touch, every kiss, caused it to pent more and more, until he could barely breath, until he ached to release this feeling.
Just then, the Padawan braid, dangling from behind his right ear, brushed against his face. The orange bead half way down seemed to stare at him accusingly. Obi-Wan abruptly pulled away from Nahlia.
Confused, Nahlia watched him a moment, his head in his hands as he sat hunched over at the end of the bed. "You've really never done this before, have you?"
"No." Obi-Wan finally lowered his hands and looked back at her - clearly torn.
"Don't you want to?" She slid herself down to the end to sit next to him.
Obi-Wan stared at her, broadcasting with his blue-green eyes to her all that he was desperately trying to hold back. "You have no idea how much..."
"Then why don't you?" She asked quietly. "You said yourself, it's not forbidden."
He pulled his eyes from her again, and thought of his master Qui-Gon Jinn. "I wasn't supposed to see you again..."
"Did he tell you why?"
Obi-Wan sighed, running the events of the past few days over and over in his head. He had been trying to deny his feelings for her, both to his master and to himself. "He knew that I was falling in love with you... even before I knew..." Then the vision that morning had awakened a feeling in him more deep and pure than he thought was possible. But there was also fear that all that he had worked for was not to be. That perhaps, he was not the man he thought he was. Perhaps he was not to be a Jedi Knight. This is what Qui-Gon was concerned about as he saw Obi-Wan grow closer to her.
Nahlia sat silently beside him as what he had said sunk in. Her heart fell. "Are you forbidden to love?"
"We are forbidden to have attachments, and possessions are forbidden." He explained, keeping his eyes off of her, trying to clear his thoughts. "These are things that are associated with love."
'Associated?' It made sense, possession was often associated with love, but it was also associated with jealousy and greed - dark emotions a Jedi should never let take him over. Nahlia knew however, that this was not all there was to love. "So love is not forbidden?"
Obi-Wan got up, still fighting to cleanse his thoughts of her. It was all he could do not to take her in his arms again and give into their every desire. "Nahlia, I have made a commitment to the Order, pledged my life to them. I can never pledge my life to anything or anyone else. I can never marry." He insisted painfully. "Not if I want to be a Jedi."
"You love your Master, don't you?" She remained seated calmly, her hands folded in her lap. "You said he's like you're father."
"He is." Obi-Wan had disobeyed the only father he had known to save this girl. While he doubted Qui-Gon would reprimand him much for that. He couldn't help but wonder, 'What would Qui-Gon say if he knew the thoughts that keep running through my head?'
"Don't you see?" Nahlia stood up in front of him and slowly stepped closer. As he remained there with his arms folded, a look on his face of someone tormented by his own feelings, she could see he still didn't understand. "They can't forbid you to love, it's against human nature. We all love something. It's what we do with that love, that can sometimes lead people to a dark place... but it can also lead to very wonderful things..."
"If I break the code, I will not be able to be a Jedi." Obi-Wan couldn't put into words how that thought tore him apart inside. "I can never commit to you Nahlia, you must understand this..."
"Love isn't all about possessing someone... or getting married... it's about companionship... comfort... pleasure... sharing good times along with the bad." Her fingers grazed the edge of his chin, then ran down along his Padawan braid thoughtfully. "I'm not asking you to leave the Jedi Order and marry me, I just want to be with you... share myself with you... because I love you..." Nahlia's heart ached from wanting him, but she couldn't bring herself to destroy the man he so dearly wanted to be for her own pleasure and comfort. "But I won't make you do anything you feel is against your code."
They stood there gazing into each other's eyes, her waiting for a response, him coming to terms with what she had said. She loved him, and forbidden to love or not, he still loved her in return. Obi-Wan could see into her heart, sense her longing to be with him, and pain at the thought that she would not. And yet, she was willing to let him go for his sake. It was then that Obi-Wan realized she was right, one can love someone immensely like this without possession. And, the thought occurred to him, if she was capable of this kind of selfless love, that he may be as well.
He remembered his vision that morning, although he had wept at losing her, there was also comfort, peace, love... all present within him - helping him bear the sadness and pain. There was grief but there was also acceptance and comfort that her suffering had ended, and her soul was at one with the Force now. At that moment, he felt she'd always be with him.
Nahlia dropped her eyes from his, disappointed, ashamed and embarrassed of her attempt at seducing him earlier. "Look, maybe I should go see if there's somewhere else I can sleep." She turned towards the door.
"Nahlia... " Obi-Wan took hold of her arm firmly but gently until she turned back to him. Once his eyes reestablished their fix on her large dark henna ones, he could only think of one thing to say. "Please don't go."
She didn't speak but kept her eyes locked with his. Obi-Wan took a step closer to her, ran his fingers along a soft strand of her dark brown hair, just behind her ear. She didn't touch him, but waited patiently to be sure of what he wanted. He caressed the hot blush of her cheeks with the back of his hand, he could sense her pleasure at this, though she was restraining herself. Coming to trace the valley between her chin and lower lip - parted expectantly from the upper one - he found it impossible to resist their allure any longer. Using his finger to lift her chin, he leaned down to kiss her tenderly. Slowly... softly... their lips parted and met, over and over.
Nahlia pulled back from him this time. After drawing her hand down his arm until it met his palm, and their fingers intertwined, she lead him over to the bed. Once she turned down the bedspread, Obi-Wan sat on the end of the bed, expecting her to return to his lap. Instead, she knelt down in front of him, and proceeded to remove his boots. Her hand rested gently on his knee as she pulled one off and placed it to the side. She shifted her position and repeated the action, this time resting her hand further up onto his inner thigh. Obi-Wan could feel the muscles in his leg quivering all the way up to his hips.
Nahlia smiled at his response. Shifting her position again, she placed her hands on either side of his legs, and brought herself up onto her knees. "You're sure now?"
Obi-Wan nodded. He took her face into his hands as he leaned in to kiss her deeply again. She shut her eyes as she let him explore her mouth intimately. Her hands traveled downward, until she found the edge of his trousers, and began unfastening them. The brush of her fingers against his lower belly sent more sharp quivers through him. He gasped against her mouth from the sensation. He quickly realized what she was doing and pulled back just long enough to lift his hips up, and let her pull his trousers down and off - leaving him in only a pair of beige boxer briefs.
Her hands quickly returned to caress his legs and kissed the top of his knee. Obi-Wan's desperation for release grew with every touch. His mind swirled wondering how these sensations could get any better... but one thought still worried him. "What if you become pregnant?"
"I won't," She reassured him. "I'm on the Preventative. I have been for a couple of years now."
"Oh..." He responded. He realized that her relationship with Zep was a romantic one, but he had refrained from wondering how far things had gone between them. "You've done this before?"
"A few times...yes." Nahlia admitted. Marriage wasn't something she felt was in the cards for her, both because of her family's illness and her poverty, so she saw no point in waiting. Now part of her wished she had. "Does that bother you?"
Obi-Wan shook his head sincerely. "No." He placed his hand on the nape of her neck and pulled her in to kiss her again. Her fingers played along the edge of his briefs, driving his desire up and up to a mountainous peak. Nahlia took one of his hands and lowered it onto the satiny pink material covering her breasts. She found the gentleness of his touch there just right and returned her hands to the top of his briefs, this time to remove them.
Instinctively he lifted his hips again and allowed her to strip him down completely. She raised herself up off her knees just enough to return to them on the bed - as she straddled his lap. Obi-Wan tipped his head to kiss and nuzzle her neck tenderly. His hands fumbled with her nightdress in frustration. He wanted to keep kissing downward but was blocked. He wanted to fully experience the supple cushion in his hand but the pink material kept her from him.
"Obi-Wan?"
He stopped and looked at her quizzically, wondering if he had done anything to displease her.
Nahlia smiled coyly. "You can remove the dress, you know..."
"Oh," He responded with some embarrassment. That quickly faded though as he reached for the bottom edges of the dress and swept the material into his hands upward. She raised her arms as she let the silky texture of the material leave her body, and pass off over her head. She couldn't stifle a small laugh, happiness that her love for him was being returned.
Obi-Wan leaned back on his elbows and contemplated her beauty. Removing her dress had mussed her hair a bit, so with one hand he helped her stroke the luxurious strands back into place. Longing to return to her lips, he sat back up and kissed her again with all the passion in his heart.
TO BE CONTINUED...
