A Safe Place to Rest

The Quasiks were rock eaters. They lived in rocks. They sat on rocks. They slept on rocks. Qui Gon and Obi Wan were equally awed by the awesome stone structures, the fantastic crag formations and the rainbow beauty of mineral veins in the walls. But young Obi Wan's awe came to an end when he realized he'd have to sleep on a rock too.

"Don't they have rooms for human guests?" Obi Wan murmured as they made their way into the carved cave of a room. The walls were embellished with stone cut designs all the way down to the flat-rock coffin they were both supposed to sleep in. "We're human. We're Jedi, but we're human. Can't we sleep in a real beds?"

Qui Gon thumbed the door control until the stone crunched to enclose them. He proceeded to unravel his tunic shirt from his torso. "A bed would be nice. But what do we need?"

"We need… bedding," Obi Wan stressed, wrinkling his nose at the wide slab of stone.

Qui Gon smirked softly. "What do we really need?" He tossed his tunic aside and sat down on the slab to take off his boots.

Obi Wan's young eyes matured as they shifted to his Master, "A safe place to rest."

"Exactly." Qui Gon grinned with fatherly agreement as he continued getting ready for bed. "Sometimes you'll have a beautifully comfortable bed; sometimes you'll get stone. Sometimes you'll sleep by yourself and sometimes you'll sleep with friends. But all you really need is safety and quiet and a little time to meditate so you can continue your mission the next day."

Obi Wan took off his robe, utility belt, his tunic and boots. Both of them stripped to undershirt and trousers, setting aside wadded robes to use as pillows. Qui Gon scooted back in the coffin to sink carefully back onto the crib-like slab. Obi Wan climbed over the lip and sat down in the thin space between his master and the border of the bed. Sitting up, he sloppily folded his robe up to make a suitable pillow.

Qui Gon adjusted himself in the length of the coffin.

Then adjusted himself again.

Obi Wan noticed the big, naked feet crossing at the ankles hanging over the thin rim at the foot of the bed. Qui Gon shifted again to bring his feet into the space. Obi Wan glanced over his shoulder to find his Master's head was now crooked harshly at the neck against the headboard lip as well.

Obi Wan grinned back, "Perhaps, a slightly more sizable requirement than just a safe place to rest?"

Qui Gon caught his eye and glared.

Obi Wan turned his guilty focus back on the folding of his own robe.

With a grunt, Qui Gon pulled himself to sit up and climbed over his apprentice of the bed.

Obi Wan lay down to get out of the man's way and punched the wadded robe under his head. He adjusted his shoulders against the cold stone and tried to get comfortable. He listened to Qui Gon lay down in the slightly larger space on the floor below the coffin-bed. A finger motioned in the air and the light went out.

Movement settled to silence in the dark.

After a moment, Qui Gon's grunted quietly. "Don't step on me in the morning."

The apprentice snorted new laughter.