Title: Pretty in Pink

Author: Jemmiah

Summary: Obi-Wan's secret letter leaves Qui-Gon seeing red.

Author's Note: Fits in to the Jemmiah Chronicles series roughly after The Cruellest Cut of All

Dear Jemmy,

I just wanted to send you these flowers. I saw how beautiful they were and thought that you were the only person who could possibly deserve them.

Love Obi-Wan

It had been a simple note but it had stated what he felt, and to be truthful he wasn't particularly good at thinking up romantic things to say. Jedi training usually didn't allow for that sort of thing. Certainly he could turn on the charm if it was necessary but bowing and flattering for the sake of it was abhorrent to him. What a pity, with all those simpering, scraping politicians around that it was so absolutely necessary!

With Jemmy it was different. Simple words were all she required.

He'd been rewarded for his efforts by the appearance of a thrice-folded flimsy sheet, tucked into the top of his kit bag and left outside the training halls alongside that of his master. After two hours of hard, unrelenting exercises and sabre drills Obi-Wan was looking forward to being able to change into something crisp and clean, and as his spare tunic hadn't yet returned from the cleaners he'd asked Jemmy to pick it up for him. Dutifully she had done so; leaving him inside the changing room to ponder the mystery letter as he'd got showered and dried off.

Obi-Wan held the letter in his hand for a moment, pausing long enough to smell the faintest scent of 'Paradisia', a rather subtle and delicate Corellian fragrance used rarely by Jemmy on account that it was so hideously expensive. He couldn't help but raise a self-questioning eyebrow: it looked as if he was certainly onto a good thing as far as the evening went! Even the letter had been written on a softly tinted shade of pink flimsyplast. It certainly seemed as if Jemmy had put in a substantial effort to get things just right: obviously those flowers of his had done the trick.

"They were certainly big enough." Obi-Wan muttered beneath his breath, fanning the air with his letter so that the perfume drifted away from him. He didn't want his master catching him smelling of ladies scent, especially as the man didn't yet know that his money had gone towards paying for Jemmy's flowers. "But worth it, if this is anything to go by."

The padawan set down on the bench, single handedly rubbing his neck dry with a towel. Qui-Gon would be dressed and ready by now, probably wondering what was taking him so long. Perhaps it would be best not to read the letter now? His hand strayed down towards the bag in which has spare tunic was stored…

But Obi-Wan couldn't resist the temptation to read.

Sliding his finger gently underneath the folded flimsy, the apprentice opened up the letter, allowing his eyed to slowly wander across the neat, right sloping scrawl written in Jemmiah's hand. Why did his heart soar on seeing those first two words?

Dearest Ben.

"A good start!" Obi-Wan smiled, holding the letter further away so that he could read it better. "Usually I don't merit more than a "Hey there!" Things are indeed looking up!"

The letter continued -

I had to write to tell you how much I loved the flowers. It was a thoughtful, beautiful, marvellous gift: and so very romantic! You have made this day very special for me and I wanted to let you know that you are incredibly sweet. Please don't worry that Jodi's bunch was a little larger than yours was, or that Jay's was more expensive…

"What!" Exclaimed Obi-Wan, staring at the flimsy in dismay. Jodi Mullicar and Jay Abran had sent her flowers? Surely they wouldn't do so! He thought long and hard about it, mulling it over in his mind before concluding that it was simply Jemmy's idea of a wind-up. "No, this is merely a joke. Her idea of teasing me! Well, it won't work!"

Thus satisfied, Obi-Wan continued to peruse the letter.

I love yours the best because they were by far the prettiest colour. I do think pink is such a romantic shade, don't you? If there's any colour that symbolises love then it simply has to be pink! Such a soft, gentle shade. In fact I think it's probably my favourite. I'm sure that you love it too…deep down.

"An odd thing to say." Obi-Wan frowned, chewing thoughtfully on his lip. "It hardly matters what I think of it."

Red is very nice, too. Does Master Jinn like red? He seems to me to be more of a green person but I guess he'll get to love it in time. Anyhow, the flowers were stunning. Have I told you how wonderful I think you are? You have the most heart-stopping smile, amazing blue eyes…but most of all you are an exceptionally forgiving person. I think that's your best quality. You are, aren't you? I mean, if someone does something accidentally?

"Why am I suddenly worried?" Obi-Wan left the towel draped absently over his shoulder, feeling certain that there was some sort of hidden agenda written between the lines of the letter which at present he couldn't make out.

By the way, I did as you asked and picked up your spare tunic from the droid cleaners. I've put it in your kit bag as you requested. Unfortunately there was a bit of an accident and my red underwear seems to have got mixed up with yours and Qui-Gon's tunics. To cut straight to the chase, they're perhaps not as white as they were before. But no matter, I'm sure you'll look wonderful not matter what shade they are! And as I said, pink is such a romantic colour…

Obi-Wan sat bolt upright up as if he'd been jabbed with a Nerf prod.

"Please tell me she hasn't!" He groaned, not daring to open his kit bag for fear of what he might find. "I can't go around wearing a rose-coloured tunic! What sort of padawan wears pink?"

"The same sort of person who has a master that wears scarlet." Qui-Gon replied, bursting in through the adjoining door, waving yet another piece of flimsy at him. "And has a lady friend who writes rather ill-advised poetry."

"Poetry?" Obi-Wan looked askance at his master. The poor man looked rather like a tall, sun-dried radish, and it wasn't particularly a look that sat comfortably with him.

Qui-Gon cleared his throat and read from the sheet.

"Masters are red,

Padawans are pink.

I think that you're both

Going to need a stiff drink."