It's Hot in Here

by KatBear (katbear@cox.rr.com)

Archive: MA, QJEB. Any others please ask.

Category: Response to first line challenge. Bit of angst with hopefully a dash of humor.

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Qui-Gon Jinn/Obi-Wan Kenobi

Feedback: Appreciated for this first story.

Thanks: To the beta readers who encouraged me to post (Boots, Claudia). All mistakes are my own.

Summary: Qui-Gon realizes his Padawan has grown up

Warnings: If a guy having the hots for another guy bothers you, then you shouldn't be here.

Spoilers: None, pre-TPM.

Disclaimer: The boys belong to George Lucas, I'm just playing with them.

Author's Comment: The sequel, Feeding the Fire, starts with events immediately following this story. Be advised the sequel is rather long and quite a bit different.

Qui-Gon Jinn locked himself in the bathroom.

Stepping away from the door on shaky legs, the Jedi Master sat down abruptly on the wide stone ledge of the large ornate tub. Sucking in a deep breath, he thought about how perilously close he had come to disgracing himself at the celebration being given downstairs by their grateful hosts. Leaning back gratefully against the cool tile wall, he swept one sleeve across his sweat-streaked face but could not still the inferno raging in his groin. Suddenly he started as he felt the presence of his apprentice entering their shared quarters.

"Oh Force," he muttered to himself. They never locked doors between themselves at home; Obi-Wan would know something was wrong if he tried the handle but Qui-Gon couldn't let Obi-Wan see him like this. He managed to heave himself up and move back toward the door.

"Master, are you all right?" Obi-Wan called tentatively from the other side of the door. "You left the party so abruptly I thought something might be wrong."

"I'm fine, Padawan, just fine. What with the long negotiations and the hot climate here, I was just rather tired so I thought I would take a shower and turn in early," Qui-Gon replied as he leaned against the door. "The night is still young, though, and you seemed to be enjoying the festivities. Why don't you go back and take advantage of this opportunity while you can?"

"Well, as long as you're sure you're all right." Obi-Wan hesitated briefly. "If you don't mind, Master, I'll probably be back quite late."

His subconscious and what had by now turned into a very painfully throbbing erection were practically screaming at the young man to get on with it and leave, for Force sake, but the Jedi Master managed to muster enough control to calmly answer. "Of course I don't mind. Our ship leaves at midmorning so be back in time to pack. Good night, Obi- Wan. Enjoy yourself."

"Thank you, Master. I will."

Through their bond Qui-Gon felt the apprentice's concern replaced with anticipation as the outer door closed softly behind his Padawan. He released the breath he had been unconsciously holding as he wondered once again how he was going to survive until the sexiest Padawan in the temple reached his knighthood.

Deciding that perhaps a shower might actually help relieve both the external and internal heat, Qui-Gon quickly stripped and stepped under the cool stream, hoping that the water and calming thoughts would return him to some semblance of normalcy. Contemplating the hard cock jutting determinedly from his groin, however, he sighed and knew this would probably be another long night.

It had started a few months after Obi-Wan Kenobi's eighteenth birthday. A long-standing unofficial tradition called for Masters to throw a sort of 'coming out party' to recognize those Padawans who had reached the age of maturity for their species during the previous year. Qui-Gon had been happy to participate this year as it marked another significant milestone for his charge and he was secretly very proud of the fine young Padawan he was raising.

After the guests of honor had been recognized, Qui-Gon was quietly watching from the side of the hall when he was approached by a youngish Master he vaguely recognized as having recently returned from a long assignment in the Outer Rim.

"Hello there, you probably don't remember me. I'm Loree Lagvan and that's my Padwan, Reela Vobak," she said, pointing loudly and proudly toward a slender blue-skinned humanoid braid-bearer who turned a brighter shade of blue as she overheard her Master.

Qui-Gon murmured something polite about having a fine Padawan and tried to slowly move away as he noticed that Loree appeared to have started the celebration well before the official first toasts.

"Hey, you're Qui-Gon Jinn, right?" she pursued. Receiving a nod, she continued, "Got to hand it to ya, Jinn, I don't know how you do it."

"Do what?" the Master paused in his retreat and replied cautiously.

"Why, keep from jumping that luscious Padawan of yours, of course. It seems like that's all I've heard from mine since we've been back. It's Kenobi this and Kenobi that. Rumor has it that all of the Padawans and half the Knights lust after that sexy body and I can't say but what there's probably more than a few Masters wouldn't mind that sweet thing for dessert..." She hung on to Jinn's arm as she took a long pull from her drink, then carefully straightened. "Must be rough, though, having such a hot Padawan right in your room and you're the only person in the Temple that can't do anything about it," she leered as she dug an elbow into his side. "But if you need help with any 'urges', I think YOU are mighty fine looking too, Master Jinn,' she whispered, then winked at him.

Qui-Gon stared at her in disbelief, then, mumbling excuses, he dodged the elbow that loomed threateningly again and fled to the other side of the hall in confusion. Surely she couldn't be talking about HIS Padawan. Why, Obi-Wan was a fine boy, very polite, considerate, popular with his agemates but ... a sex object? Well, surely it was just unthinkable ... wasn't it? Drawing back into a doorway, Qui-Gon tried to study his apprentice objectively to see if there was any truth to the accusation.

And found that the humanoid part of the party had gradually coalesced into a series of major and minor planets orbiting around a sun named Obi-Wan Kenobi. He didn't need to flirt outrageously or even whisper suggestively as the quiet smile and laughing eyes in the handsome face seemed to attract people like the gravity well of a brilliant star. The casual clothes set off what Qui-Gon now had to admit to himself had become a well-muscled and, well, yes, a rather attractive young man's body.

Fading even further back into the shadows to escape observation, Master Qui-Gon Jinn thought with dismay about the truth he was just now beginning to understand. He hadn't truly considered the significance of the night's events and was realizing that his apprentice had grown up right under his unseeing eyes. It seemed like only yesterday that they had safely weathered the usual Padawan-Master crush when Obi-Wan turned fifteen and his Master turned him firmly toward the company of his agemates, fumbled their way together through the series of obligatory Talks, and surely it could not have been over a year and a half already since that early morning the Master had gently suggested to a crimson-faced boy that some additional lessons in shielding were now appropriate.

From his vantage point, Qui-Gon watched in reluctant fascination as his Padawan effortlessly navigated among those vying for his attention, exchanging a laugh here or a careless touch there. He watched hips swaying in the smooth glide across the floor and the longer, lingering touch with closer friends. But it was not until he was able to tear his eyes away from his Padawan to look around the room that it really hit home. It was in the eyes of those who also watched his Padawan that he saw the truth; for it was there he saw the raw desire that was directed at the beautiful young man and which he could no longer ignore.

During the next two years Master Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn spent many long hours in meditation trying to understand and deal with his feelings towards his Padawan. At first, he tried to convince himself that this was just another stage in Obi-Wan's journey to knighthood just as it had been for his other apprentices and he only needed to make a few minor adjustments in their relationship. Eventually facing the truth, however, Qui-Gon realized that for some time he had almost deliberately been blinding himself to the changes taking his apprentice from boy to man. Qui-Gon had long been blithely ignoring comments and knowing looks from other Masters about his apprentice's 'visits' to their own Padawans and had paid little attention to the nature of the pursuit that had seemed to follow Obi-Wan both at the temple and on missions. With a little judicious research, he found that his polite and always considerate apprentice had inadvertently helped foster the delusion of innocence by not bringing any of his romantic activities home so as not to disturb his studious Master. The unseen truth was that his quiet little apprentice had indeed turned into a quiet young man who just happened to also be damned sexy with a devastating smile. It didn't take very long after that realization to understand that his previous self-imposed ignorance was probably an unconscious defense mechanism as he found himself increasingly affected by this beautiful man who shared his quarters.

Obi-Wan Kenobi remained a polite, considerate and dedicated Padawan who continued to display an easy affection for his mentor and teacher. He was discreet in his offduty activities but made no attempt to discourage those who pursued him at parties and official functions unless it interfered with their mission. Qui-Gon Jinn made a deliberate decision to keep their surface relationship unchanged and took particular care to ensure that he did nothing which might adversely impact his Padawan's training or be construed as violating the rules against Master-Padawan physical relationships. He loved Obi- Wan too much to do anything which might endanger his long-cherished goal of becoming a Knight, especially when there was no sign that his apprentice had any feelings for him beyond the respect and love a son might have for his father. Under the serene facade, though, the Master had to work harder and harder to control the increasingly strong reactions his body was having to living with its own private wet dream. He began finding excuses to take separate showers after workouts, avoided Obi-Wan when he came out of the fresher and did extra meditations when his apprentice was out with friends. Despite his best efforts, though, he found himself more and more often resorting to cold showers and onehanded conversations with recalcitrant body parts.

The mission to the mostly desert planet of Vental was simple enough. Some misunderstandings and hot tempers among the normally easygoing humanoid natives had resulted in a request for Jedi help in resolving territorial and water rights disputes between the two major clans. Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi were able to bring both groups together quickly; nobody really wanted to go to war over what turned out to be relatively trivial issues but soothing ruffled feelings and hammering out details took over two weeks of dawn to dusk meetings. Although the Ventalians and Obi-Wan seemed to thrive on the dry heat, the long, hot days in Jedi robes had taken their toll on Qui-Gon so he had been content to go from dinner to shower to bed each day. In addition, he was very glad their hosts had generously provided separate bedrooms in their suite; it was bad enough having to watch Obi-Wan lounge around their quarters in the sleep shorts his apprentice had adopted for this trip without having him in the same bed.

After the signing of the final treaty, the Ventalians insisted on throwing a celebratory dance. Their hosts had turned out to be a very openminded and physically affectionate lot; Qui-Gon was not particularly looking forward to a night of having to watch the inevitable rounds of 'pursue the Padawan' but knew he had little choice in the matter. He opted to retain his Jedi dress; he knew it would be hot but had found the voluminous robe particularly useful the last few years.

Qui-Gon had made sure he left their quarters while his apprentice was still in his own room dressing so he was caught by surprise when he saw Obi-Wan come down the stairs to the ballroom in native dress. He groaned inwardly as he took in the shiny black knee high leather boots, the skyblue leggings and red silk sleeveless shirt which was open almost to the waist in deference to the heat. He swallowed hard as he realized how little the tight leggings left to the imagination and headed quickly to the buffet table for an iced fruit drink.

Qui-Gon quietly circulated among the dignitaries and guests but found his eyes drawn repeatedly back to his Padawan. As Obi-Wan danced with several young women and men his sinuous glide and rolling hips were causing blood to migrate south from Qui-Gon's head. When Obi-Wan politely stopped to chat with his Master, the closeup of the shining eyes in the flushed face and drops of sweat sliding slowly down his face and chest sent Qui-Gon's heart racing. As Qui-Gon watched in fascination, one particularly large drop fell from his apprentice's chin to his chest, then meandered slowly down to get caught on the left nipple, perching precariously for a few moments before sliding down to disappear into the waistband. Shaking his head and smiling politely as Obi-Wan was captured and led away for the next dance, Qui-Gon could feel the sweat pouring heavily down his own face and soaking his tunics, then realized he hadn't heard a word Obi-Wan had said.

As the alcohol flowed and the party became looser, Qui-Gon watched in increasing discomfort as his Padawan's interactions with his partners became more familiar; Obi-Wan seemed to be enjoying the attention and roving slow dance hands. After two hours Qui-Gon was certain people could hear him sloshing from all of the iced drinks he had consumed, but they seemed to have had little effect on the heat in his nether regions; he didn't dare remove his cloak or sit down as the leggings which had been comfortably loose earlier that day were now so tight as to be almost painful. As he tried to edge his way toward one of the balconies to get some cooler air, Qui-Gon was caught by two of the delegates who wanted to discuss some of the treaty provisions. As one draped a friendly arm across his shoulders, the other stood chatting in front of the door. Looking across the second man's shoulder, Qui-Gon suddenly lost all interest in the conversation. Two fraternal twins who had been avidly pursuing his Padawan all night had captured him on the balcony and it was evident the victim was not putting up much resistance. The male half of the duo was standing behind Obi-Wan; while he whispered in the Padawan's right ear one hand was making large slow circles under the loose shirt while the other was gradually making its way down the lower back towards the firm ass. The female side of the tag team had captured the Padawan's left arm in one hand and was gently nuzzling the side of his neck while her other hand finished undoing the last few buttons on his shirt.

Still standing with the two delegates, Qui-Gon felt his cock jump and get even harder as he took in the sight on the balcony. He could almost feel the contact through their bond as Obi-Wan laughed and turned his head to kiss the handsome young suitor now pressing his hips tightly to the apprentice's ass. When one of the front hands moved to caress a nipple into hardness and a back hand began to slowly insert itself inside the waistband, Qui-Gon could feel his own hips start to twitch and realized the wetness staining the front of his leggings was not just sweat. When one of the delegates began shaking his arm and asking him if he was OK, he finally recollected where he was and knew that he had to get out of there now before his cock finished this conversation for him. Licking his lips, he smiled wanly, then summoned up the tattered remnants of his control long enough to mumble some disjointed comments about the heat and moved away.

Qui-Gon finally made it across the ballroom to the foot of the stairs. Unhappily contemplating the long flight leading to the residential level, his rockhard cock got a sudden jolt across the training bond from his normally well-shielded Padawan and he wondered just what in the nine Sith hells they were doing out there. Cursing in five languages and fervently hoping no one else wanted to chat, he painfully made his way to the top of the stairs, finally reaching their quarters where he thankfully locked himself in the bathroom.

Unfortunately, his relief was doomed to be very short lived. As he heard Obi-Wan enter the outer room, Qui-Gon realized that he must have inadvertently been letting at least part of his distress flow across the training bond. And, of course, his ever-so-dedicated Padawan, that wonderfully polite, courteous and exemplary Padawan who also just happened to have the sexiest ass this side of Alderan, would naturally feel that it was his duty to check up on his Master.

"Oh Force," Qui-Gon muttered to himself as he sent a silent moan of protest out to whatever gods might be listening. Just this once, couldn't the man be a little less conscientious? He managed to heave himself up from the tile ledge on which he had unceremoniously planted himself and got to the door before Obi-Wan could.

Using pure will power fueled by terror of being discovered, the Jedi Master summoned up enough control to reassure his concerned Padawan that he was fine and just needed to take a shower and go to bed. Having finally persuaded the young man to return to the party, he gave a sigh of relief and decided the shower was a REALLY good idea.

Quickly stripping out of his sweat-soaked clothes, Qui-Gon turned the cold tap on to its maximum setting and stepped in. He hoped the cold water and soothing thoughts might lower the fire enough so he could get some sleep tonight. Looking down at his still painfully hard cock though, he almost swore the thing leered at him and winked. Realizing then that it would need a lot more persuading than just a cold shower, Qui-Gon sighed mournfully; this was going to be a long hot night indeed.

finis