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"OK, I can see why you brought him along tonight, he's not just a pretty face, he seems ideal for someone like you."
"And he's cute," Plo added teasingly, putting an arm around his shoulders with a wink. "And he's got red hair!"
Qui-Gon did not really understand until that detail.
"Obi-Wan?"
"Who else?" Tahl asked, rolling her eyes at the other two, who nodded in unison. "Qui-Gon, darling, we've been looking forward to this day ever since you came out, you can't seriously expect us not to be curious about it."
"And gossip," Micah added in a tone of fatality.
"And gossip," she agreed, "we're clearly going to be the worst gossips about this."
"About Obi-Wan," he tried again, confused. "What do you want to know about him?"
He had already introduced them when Mace had gone round President Yoda's New Year party and made the introductions for the group since neither of them worked in the same department where Qui-Gon – and now Obi-Wan for almost a year – worked.
"EVERYTHING! "
"So I can try to go out with him? "
A chuckle went round the group, so Qui-Gon realised he had missed something in this conversation, because yes, Obi-Wan was an attractive young colleague, and admittedly a flirt as well as a competent and serious man was not so easy to find, but he had never hinted that he was interested in him romantically.
"Qui-Gon, we already know you're together."
"Uh?"
"It's pretty obvious," Micah added, pointing at him with his appetizer. "It's been what, two months now?"
"I'd say two, maybe even three, remember, three months ago he was starting to dress more flatteringly again."
"What?! I didn't-"
"You should have seen him the first time I found him all handsome again!" Plo added excitedly, sounding nothing like the fifty-year-old he was. "Suddenly the hair was neatly combed, the shirts had cufflinks and the colours were coordinated."
Qui-Gon looked down at his cuffs and was momentarily surprised to find elegant cufflinks, no doubt a gift from his father. He had not noticed that he had been wearing them. He had not worn them since leaving his father's house, except on rare occasions.
"I think there's been a misunderstanding," he said, checking Obi-Wan's position in the room before finishing. "I'm not in a relationship with him."
He was just a young colleague with whom he worked a lot together, that was all. A colleague who was far too young for an old man like him.
Laughter surrounded him.
"I'm serious."
Denials ensued, so Qui-Gon had to insist.
"Dear friends, please... I am not in a relationship with Obi-Wan. For real."
The laughter subsided until it disappeared.
"... Oh my god," Micah simply muttered as an end to all this nonsense.
The other two nodded.
"Crap. You're not going out with him."
"Please tell me that no one told him about this harebrained rambling, I beg you."
Tahl put a hand on his shoulder.
"Qui-Gon... We didn't tell him."
Thank the Force.
"But someone probably already has."
"What now?!"
"Qui-Gon, I think you're misunderstanding us. We're not the only ones who think you were a couple. Everyone does."
"He's twenty-eight, for God's sake!"
"I already had my daughter by that age, Qui-Gon," Micah simply said. "Twenty-eight is more than enough. Your difference exists, we're not trying to deny it, but it's not unhealthy here."
"You really don't like him?"
"Whether I like him or not is irrelevant here!"
Plo looked at Tahl, who was looking at him, and Micah ended up looking at her too.
"Why do you-"
"You've got a crush on him," she interrupted him confidently, as if it was obvious.
As if she had been there to see Qui-Gon fall in love with a charming seducer who mocked his taste in tea but always had a tea bag to hand in case he ever ended up out of stock, who could deal with high society as well as literal gangsters and with whom he found he could talk like an equal even when he was teaching him a few things that his own years of experience had taught him.
At least they were right about one thing, Obi-Wan was not just a pretty face, he was far more valuable than that and Qui-Gon could not exactly think he had any chance when he compared himself to other young colleagues around Obi-Wan's who were charming and his age.
"Now if you don't mind, I felt like dancing."
"Me too!"
"Dibs!"
Micah, who had held out his hand to Tahl, showed no hesitation when Plo grabbed his hand instead of her and guided their friend towards the dance floor with an eagerness matched only by Tahl's own, who walked away with a ‘I'm going to get a drink’ that was far too loud and carefully articulated to be natural.
"Hmm... excuse me, Qui-Gon? Do you have a minute?"
"Of course, Obi-Wan," he replied with a murderous glance at Plo, who immediately looked away from where he was spinning with Micah, softening his expression for the other redhead in front of him. "I hope you're having a good evening."
"Excellent," the other replied with a cheerful smile, but his tone was preoccupied and his gaze haunted. "Look, just to warn you, I... it seems that our colleagues of Ki-Adi Mundi's team think that we're... well, a couple?"
Qui-Gon blinked slowly. Ki-Adi? Ki-Adi thought they were a couple?
"The whole team?"
"He told me so himself," Obi-Wan confirmed, rubbing the back of his neck. "They're apparently at the point where they're waiting for one of us to “let something slip” and accidentally reveal everything."
"Fine," Qui-Gon muttered. "If it's just them-"
"Not just them."
"Who else? My friends just told me they'd heard about it too."
It was better to leave aside the fact that they believed it for the time being.
"I... to be honest, I think that's pretty much everyone," the young man finally admitted. "Every time Mace introduced me to people, they all reacted with an ‘Oh, Qui-Gon's man’ and the others just nodded in approval."
Hmm... horror. Horror would pretty much describe what Qui-Gon was feeling at the moment. And Obi-Wan, poor man, it must have been so embarrassing for him.
"I swear I didn't start those rumours or ask anyone to spread them."
At least he seemed to believe it, even looking surprised at the idea that he might have been responsible.
"Oh Qui-Gon, I know that, I didn't doubt you, it was just... well, to warn you, someone seems to want to damage your reputation."
"Damage my reputation?"
"Someone like me would look ridiculous besides you, you clearly deserve better, do you have any idea who might have started this kind of rumour?"
Qui-Gon discreetly put down his glass: he had obviously had enough to drink tonight.
"If anything, you'd be the one who should be offended, Obi-Wan."
"Me?"
"I'm much older and far less handsome or attractive."
"I find you very handsome and very attractive."
"I suggest you stop drinking if you honestly think that," he teased, refusing to let the sweet words affect him.
Obi-Wan was a flirt with everyone, not just Qui-Gon, and just because he was good at it did not mean he should be believed, especially after a few drinks.
"I'm serious," the other retorted in a frustrated tone, "why don't you ever believe me?"
"Obi-Wan..."
"Never mind, let it go. By the way, I'll probably be leaving just after midnight so don't worry about me, I'll get someone else to drive me home."
"Eh? But I can-"
He had already left and Qui-Gon forced himself not to follow him and demand explanations: they lived quite close to each other and had decided to carpool, why... or were these rumours bothering him more than he wanted let it be understood?
"What's going on with Obi-Wan?"
"Oh, Feemor... I'm not sure, I've hardly said anything."
"Give him some time, it's never easy to bounce back after a confession is rejected."
... what was that now?
"What do you mean by that?"
His former apprentice and now second-in-command put an arm around his shoulders.
"We talked, you know, about his crush on you. He even asked me if he had a chance because he didn't want to burden you if it was a vain hope. I thought you might like him back so I encouraged him to at least try, you never know. He said he'd talk to you about it tonight."
Qui-Gon took a firm grip on the shoulders of the man in front of him, his brain working at full speed.
"Feemor, I need you to think very carefully about what you're saying."
"Er... okay?"
"You're saying that Obi-Wan is in love with me, that what you're saying right?"
"Yeah? Oh my, he hasn't told you yet?! Act like I haven't told you anything, you-"
This time it was Qui-Gon's turn to flee into the crowd and he took advantage of his height to find the young man, hurrying along as couples formed and everyone sang along to the New Year countdown.
Nine.
"Obi-Wan!"
"Wha... Qui-Gon? What's the matter?" The other asked as he approached with concern, but Qui-Gon saw his bloodshot eyes.
Seven.
"May I kiss you?"
"Excuse me?"
"May I kiss you?" He repeated.
Four.
"Do you want to kiss me?"
Two.
"Yes, I do."
One.
Qui-Gon was pulled forward by hands gripping his collar and did not pull back when Obi-Wan hesitantly pressed his lips on his, choosing instead to take his trembling hands in his own before embracing him.
"I hadn't understood," he murmured against his lips in the midst of cheers and passionate discussions. "You weren't clear my dear, if you wanted so badly to be able to claim to be my partner you could have said so."
"I... I chickened out when you seemed horrified by the idea," the redhead admitted with an embarrassed air before looking at him with a more typical perceptiveness. "How did you figure it out?"
"Feemor very involuntarily let the cat out of the bag. I hope you'll forgive him for his failure, because I can't say that I blame him."
"So much the better," Obi-Wan murmured shyly. "So you were interested? I felt like I was flirting to a brick wall."
"I didn't think you were serious."
"I said I was, though. Several times."
"I think I was being deliberately obtuse," Qui-Gon admitted. "It seemed impossible so I refused to believe it, I think you deserve better."
"Great, I don't think I'm deserving enough for you either, so... let's just accept this disagreement and ignore it?"
Qui-Gon nodded, excellent suggestion.
"Good, then. I absolutely must properly introduce you to my friends now."
He remorselessly abandoned Obi-Wan to the information-hungry wolves after once again introducing the man to the three fifty-year-olds as his ‘very recently-acquired partner’ and watched the discussion without participating, smiling quietly beside him without letting go of his hand.
To tell the truth, he still had the impression that it was not quite real.
"Tell me... you'll still be here tomorrow, won't you?" He asked as he drove them home from the party. "I'm not dreaming all this?"
"Why don't you come and sleep at my place tonight and find out for sure?"
The interesting thing about alcohol was this: it did not change your desires, it just lowered your inhibitions and helped you act on things you would usually never dare to do.
Qui-Gon said yes and they slept together that night, well, they passed out on Obi-Wan's bed after barely managing to remember to take off their shoes and ties before collapsing on the mattress.
He woke up with a hangover for which he would blame Tahl and a man in his arms for which he would thank Feemor: all in all, a great way to start a new year.
This was all the more true considering that Obi-Wan smiled as he snuggled up against him, mumbling things before realising he was actually really there, blushing and kissing him when Qui-Gon leaned over to occupy his lips and mind.
"You know, I'm pretty surprised about the way things turned out."
"What do you mean?"
"I was expecting something much more dramatic, whether in failure or success."
"Lucky you," he laughed, "at least you imagined success for your confession, I never went that far... but it's true, now that you mention it, it almost seems too simple. Should I go away in a hurry and tell you that I can't after all?"
"I've locked my door and put the key away," Obi-Wan said with an excessively innocent and naive air, smiling gently at him. "I'm afraid the option isn't available, unfortunately."
"Smartass."
"But what can you do? A leopard cannot change its spots, plans of plans within plans."
"Hmm... Well, above all, keep telling Feemor your plans, the result is perfect when you leave the timing to him."
"I'll be sure to thank him," the redhead purred as he came closer and kissed him slowly. "Now, why don't you make sure you're not dreaming?"
Qui-Gon complied with a delighted sigh.
"Anything for you."