From: Katrinka Vaartuslik Part Three: Understanding Warning: This has much Frontage Obi-Wan wanted to see if Hayata had chosen another child. He couldn't follow his former Master. The man was a telepath, who could sense the presence of Obi-Wan. Instead, he hid in the bushes outside Hayata's quarters. This had been his second day here. The Padawan had asked his Master for permission to find the child, and Qui-Gon had readily agreed. Now he sat, his long hair braided. Feeling like someone who was trying to break into a house. //Like a thief// The back door opened, and a young boy slipped out. He was younger then what Obi-Wan had been, perhaps eleven at the most. He glanced around, making sure that no one was near. Then he looked up to the stars. Dark bruises dotted the child's cinnamon skin. "Why can't I die?" the boy asked the stars. "Please, gods, let me die. Take me away from this pain." Obi-Wan's heart went out to the boy. He sounded so much like himself when he trained under Hayata. When he believed that death was the only release from pain. Obi-Wan's communicator started beeping. He quickly turned it off. The boy looked at where he was hiding. "You in there! Come out!" Obi-Wan stepped out of the bushes. "I won't hurt you." "Why are you spying on me?" "I wanted to make sure you are safe." "Give me one reason why I shouldn't raise the alarm." The boy tried to sound tough. "Because Hayata will beat you if you're caught outside." The boy flinched. "You're right, he would. I'm Maybeus." "I'm Ben Kenobi." Obi-Wan used a name he hadn't gone by since leaving his old master. "The one that got away." "You've heard of me?" "My Master talks of you often. He told me you were stolen from him." "I wasn't stolen, I was rescued." Obi-Wan paused. "I'm free now. No one hurts me." "That won't happen to me. I will be used by Hayata, then sent to the mines when my usefulness is over." the boy said matter-of-factly. "It happened to the one before me. It will happen to me." "The one before you?" Obi-Wan gasped in surprise. "How many boys has Hayata had?" "I don't know." "How long have you been with Hayata?" "Two years. He came to my village, looking for new students, and I was picked. My mother thought it was an honor. She didn't know the truth...." There was a noise inside the house. Obi-Wan could feel Hayata's presence. "Your Master is back." Maybeus looked panicked. "I must leave now. I hope to see you again someday." "I hope so too." Obi-Wan agreed. The boy ran back into the house. Obi-Wan could hear the voice of his former master, then the unmistakable sound of a hand making contact with the skin of another. //I will free you Maybeus.// Obi-Wan promised. *********************** "I saw Hayata's boy, Master." Obi-Wan carried a large bag full of equipment. "How old is he?" Qui-Gon walked beside the man. They were going to a place for training that Qui-Gon had picked. "I'm not sure. Eleven would be my best guess." Qui-Gon looked haunted. "So very young." "Even younger then I had been." "Now that you know about the boy, what are you going to do?" "I don't know." Obi-Wan confessed. "I want to get him away from Hayata, but I don't know how." "Perhaps the answers will come to you when you train." Qui-Gon stopped. "This is the place. Obi-Wan put the bag he was carrying down with a thump. They had been at the conference for two weeks. Obi-Wan felt his heart healing. The dreams he had, made him realize that his only ally was Qui-Gon. He still didn't trust the Force. His former master had taken that from him. "Why are we training here?" "Does it matter where we train?" his Master said dryly. "You must use the Force." "No! I will not open myself to the Force!" Obi-Wan almost spat. "The Force didn't hurt you." "He can use the Force against me." Obi-Wan thought of Maybeus. He wondered if Hayata used the Force against him. "It's been two weeks, can't you trust the Force yet?" "No, I can't." They were beside the waterfall. Obi-Wan felt guilty. He had given into carnality here. Before he knew the truth of his past. Did his Master know? Qui-Gon took off his cloak, then his shirt. The sight of his rippled chest turned on the young man as the Master picked up a sword. Long healed scars crossed his back. The Padawan had always believed that his Master got the scars in battle. Now he knew the truth. "Let's practice." Obi-Wan picked up a sword. It was made of metal, and was heavy in his hand. He wanted to take off his shirt, but remembered his own scars. He was ashamed of them. They practiced the same moves they had gone over time and time again with lightsabers. The practice was made more difficult with the swords in their place. "You must accept the pain you have in your heart. Channel the pain through your moves." Obi-Wan closed his eyes. Parry, turn, parry again. The pain of a young child went through him, into the moves. Swing, move, parry. Every move that Obi-Wan made, he felt a layer of hurt leave him. He was strong. He was a man. His former master had lost. He would be able to free Maybeus. **************** He realized that he could open himself to trusting Qui-Gon. When the practice was over, Obi-Wan was hot and sticky. "Would you mind Master, if I showered under the water?" "Go ahead." Obi-Wan's fingers trembled, as he began to take off his shirt. Damn, he was nervous. Then he heard his Master's voice. "Perhaps I should go." He tried to fight now the impulse to flee. "Master, I would be honored if you showered with me." Qui-Gon took off his clothes. Obi-Wan watched as his Master climbed up the rocks to the waterfall. Then, not looking at Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon got under the water. His hair fell around his shoulders and water ripples over his scars. His master was beautiful. Obi-Wan's fumbling fingers took off his clothes. Then he climbed the rocks. His master didn't say anything, just moved over so there would be room for him. Obi-Wan kissed his Master's lips, and felt his Master's arms go around him, pulling him close. Then Qui-Gon pulled away from him. "Are you sure you're ready for this?" "I'm no longer a little boy." he pointed out. "You're a man now." Qui-Gon unfastened the younger man's hair, running his fingers through Obi-Wan's braid. "We will take this slowly." "I want this." "Still, we will take things slowly." the older man repeated. "In two days you will be 20, Vaartuslik must be completed by then." "I want Vaartuslik." "You don't understand. If you decide that you want a relationship, it must be a permanant one." "What about you Master? What do you want?" "It is not for me to say." he said softly. "The decision must be yours alone." Obi-Wan looked into his Master's light-blue eyes. "I've decided that our relationship should be more then just Padawan and Master. That we form a bond, Vaartuslik." The Master said somberly, "I will not force myself on you. I love you too much to do that." Hearing Qui-Gon's words made his heart soar. "Master, may I touch you?" "You are permitted to touch me anywhere you like." Obi-Wan reached out and ran his hand down his Master's chest. His fingers raked across the small scars there. //Open yourself to the Force.// Obi-Wan did as he was told. The Force rippled like waves around them. He could feel his Master's desire for him. He could feel his Master holding back, trying to mask his thoughts. Even now, trying to protect the younger man. Obi-Wan saw himself in the future, fighting alongside his Master. He could feel the strong Vaartuslik between them. One soul, two bodies, fighting in perfect union. //Give into the Force. Let us form our bond// //The Force wills us to be together. Don't you feel it?// He kissed Qui-Gon. As they kissed, the Force stirred around them. Obi-Wan pulled his lover into the small cave behind the water fall, and onto the floor of the cave. It was cool beneath them. Qui-Gon rolled onto his side. He took him into his arms and their cocks touched, hardness against hardness. Qui-Gon's hardness frightened the younger man. //Master, I don't know if I can let you inside of me.// Obi-Wan confessed. //It's been too soon....// Obi-Wan could feel understanding from his Master. //We can make love this way.// //How? I've....// //You've never been with a man when it was your choice?// //Never.// //And now?// //It's my choice, I want to be with you. I love you.// //Move, Obi-Wan, that's all you have to do.// Obi-Wan began to thrust slowly against his Master's belly, then Qui-Gon too began to move. The friction between the hair on the Master's belly and Obi-Wan's cock made him gasp. //Master, this feels so good.// The Master opened his mind to his lover. Obi-Wan could feel the pain of relationships that had gone bad, and the fear that Qui-Gon had in rebuilding trust. //You're different Padawan. I trust you.// Obi-Wan opened his mind to the older man's. The thrusting increased in power. Qui-Gon's grip on Obi-Wan made the younger man feel like he would be crushed, although he knew his Master would never hurt him. Their minds melded together and became one. They continued moving. Obi-Wan felt like he was climbing a mountain, and he was near the peak. The climax was near. Obi-Wan tried to pull away from his Master. Qui-Gon's arms were stronger. "Why are you leaving?" "I don't want this to end. If I come, it will be over. I don't want to be alone again." Obi-Wan confessed. //Accept your orgasm. We will have other times together. You will never be alone again.// The words drove Obi-Wan over the edge. As he came, he could hear the older man cry his name. He could feel the stickiness from Qui-Gon spurt onto his belly. In that moment, there was no Obi-Wan, no Qui-Gon, just one living creature. As his Master held him, Obi-Wan realized that the bond was still there. That Qui-Gon was still a part of him. Vaartuslik had been completed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Looking to expand your world? http://www.onelist.com ONElist has nearly 160,000 e-mail communities from which to chose!