It was his eyes you know.  Blue eyes that could flash fear and anger one moment, and love and desire in the next.  It was the first thing I noticed about him.  The one thing that drew me to him of all the people in the room.  His eyes.

Everyone tells you about those "seeing each other across a crowded room" moments, when the world stands still and the only thing that matters is you two.  That's all crap.  The world doesn't stand still; they turn to you, wondering what the hell's going on between you two that makes you forget they all exist.  For me, Qui-Gon's eyes were IT.  I was standing across the room when I felt that nudge.  But it wasn't him nudging though; it was his friend, the gruff guy with the chest so big it could stop a raging rancor.  It was him nudging me...

**Look up.**

I did.

**No, over here.  By the plants.**

I turned just so and BAMM there he was.  He was watching me, but was pretending he wasn't.  You know the deal, he lifts his drink, scans the room, but his eyes kinda stay in a certain area.  His friend smiled when I looked over, nodding towards Qui-Gon.  I looked at him then, catching his gaze in mine.  He seemed shocked, then glared at his friend before turning back to me.  I smiled at him and started to walk over. 

Now before you say anything, I never do this kind of stuff.  If I catch a man looking, I smile, look back and am on my merry way.  It's the 10-second relationship thing, always works, always satisfying.  No strings, no complications.  It's the way things are.  But this time, I had to go over there.

You know those scenes, where the crowd parts and you meet the man of your dreams in the center of the crowded room?  It doesn't work that way.  I had to dodge three servers, make sure I didn't trip over the little green guy, and make it over to him before he bolted.  I know his friend was doing a good deal of stalling on my behalf, just so I could get there in time.  It worked too.  He was just finishing the punch line of some really bad joke by the time I made it.  Qui-Gon was smiling, nodding a bit.  Gods his smile was sexy.  Made his eyes dance, especially in that light.  I had to say something...

"Hi."  Yeah, I know, really eloquent. 

He turned and seemed a little startled.  "Hello..." he started.  Great voice too.  If this man could dance, I would be a very happy person.

His friend quickly excused himself, wandering over to talk to a younger man I later discovered was Qui-Gon's apprentice (who was also very cute, I must say).  We watched him leave, then tried again with the small talk.

"You don't like these things very much, do you?"  I gestured to the room.  "The food, the people, the polite conversation, it bores you."  Before he could answer I said, "Me too."

  He stared at me a moment, surprised, then asked, "They why do you come to these?"

"Same reason you do.  I'm obligated to."  I sipped my drink, leaning in closer.  "Good for the rep you know.  Always good to know which way the wind is blowing."

He nodded, not really sure what to say.   I then asked him, "You're a friend of Fins aren't you?"

Even more confusion; cute though.  "Fins?"

I laughed,  "Finis, you know, Supreme Chancellor Vallorum?  The one that sends you and your learner on all those wild goose chases?"

He smiled again, a bit more relaxed.  "Yes, Fins and I are good friends."  He chuckled then, a sound I knew would sound even better in the morning as he woke.  "Though I've never called him Fins before."

"No," I answered, "He calls you Jinn, you call him Idiot."

"Only on special occasions."

"Like yesterday?" I asked.

He gave me a sharp look, not angry, but surprised.  "He told you about that?"

"He bragged about it."  I finished my drink then, setting the glass on the tray of a passing server.  "He said, 'Jinn did it again.  I was surprised he actually pulled it off.  But he did and called me an idiot again.'  I suppose it was about the last mission he sent you off on."  I leaned in and said in a stage whisper, "I think he gauges how successful a mission is by how quickly you call him an idiot."

He laughed then.  "If that is truly the case, I suppose this last mission was a blazing success, because I started our conversation by calling him an idiot."

I laughed too.  The whole senate knows Qui-Gon is Fins' guy.  If it's broke, he sends Jinn to the rescue, dragging his poor padawan with him.  The last trip took him to the outer rim.  Scuttlebutt said it was something big, but no one knew what it was.  Fins' wouldn't even tell me, for Force sake.  And we go way back. 

The music started and I threw caution to the wind.  "Would you like to dance?"

He shook his head slightly.  "No thank you, I'm not a very good dancer..."

"Yeah right."  I grabbed his hand anyway.  "C'mon, I've seen you move before Jinn, I'll even lead."  He let me lead him to the dance floor, all the time scanning the crowd.  His apprentice saw us and held his glass up in a toast, then turned to the woman next to him.  Sure enough, he joined us on the floor soon after. 

For starters, let me say this.  His hands are huge.  Warm, comforting, and huge.  Once we hit the floor, one hand was holding mine gently, the other on the small of my back, guiding me around the floor.  I could feel the warmth of his hand through the material of my dress.  He looked down at me then, and I said, "I thought I was going to lead."

"I know," he answered quietly, "but a boy can change his mind." He gave me that smile again and I felt like I would melt.

The Jedi must make it mandatory for everyone to take dance lessons, because I've never, ever found a Jedi that couldn't dance.  Even the little green guy, he can froog with the best of them.  But Qui-Gon, that man can dance.  He guided me around the floor, in and out of intricate patterns, carefully steering me away from the other dancers.  We passed his apprentice again, who was dancing with another young lady.  He smiled and asked to cut in.  Qui-Gon shook his head and said, "I don't think so Obi-Wan," then twirled us away from him. 

Three songs later, we walked out onto one of the decks overlooking the gardens.  I took his arm and sighed.  "Thank you Master Jinn, I quite enjoyed that."

"As did I," he answered, "and please call me Qui-Gon."

"Thank you Qui-Gon," I repeated, turning to face him in the moonlight.  I brushed my fingers against his beard, wondering at the softness of it.  "Fins said he's given you another mission.  Something out on Naboo."

"Yes," he answered.  "We leave at first light."

I lowered my head, chuckling softly.   "Figures.  I find the sexiest, most fascinating man in the galaxy and he leaves in the morning."

He cupped my chin in his warm fingers, tilting my head up.  "There is still tonight."  He brushed his lips against mine, softly but with promise.

My heart skipped a beat then, as I gazed in those sexy, intriguing, passionate eyes.  "Yes there is..."

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