CAUR Part4

"So, have you chosen the date?" Qui-Gon asked as Noela rummaged around in the refrigeration unit for something appropriately dessert-like.

"Come now, Qui-Gon," she chided, turning a grin on him. "I didn't ask you on our twenty-fourth date to discuss wedding plans."

"I haven't asked you what shade of fuschia your bridesmaids will be wearing or how many guests I'm allowed to drag along to the spectacle," he countered.

"Who said you're invited at all?" she shot back.

He just grinned. In a moment, she turned to regard him in puzzlement, half-molded custard forgotten in her hand.

"Fuschia?"

"Obi-Wan's date was wearing that fetching color in multiple places tonight," he explained. "Apparently, Corellia is rather...liberal in its dress code."

She shook her head in unbridled amusement, then binned the custard with an expression of disgust. "It's Corellia," she reminded. "They're rather liberal in just about everything."

He reached out a hand and pulled her aside before she could find her concentration again. "Go find something in the cupboards," he ordered. "You're not going to clean out my fridge on top of everything else."

"On top of everything else," she parroted. "What everything else have I done?"

"Kept an old man entertained," he mused, "broken his heart..."

She grinned. "You're a bad liar."

He wasn't sure it was a lie, but he returned the smile to be gracious.

"Fine," she sighed. "You have all the makings of a bread pudding, so since it will be a while before my driver can get the transport deiced and back here, I'll make one of those."

"Anything I can do to help?" he offered.

"You didn't let me help me with the imitation-bruallki," she reminded. "I'll practice my domestic skills on my own, thank you very much."

"As you wish, milady," he said, bowing his way out of the kitchen.

He settled onto the couch, legs crossed as he watched her at work. She had the endearingly obnoxious habit of humming very off-key while she worked, so he tuned it out and therefore missed her question the first time.

"Sorry," he called. "Didn't catch that."

"I figured," she said genially. "You would have forgotten to listen to an earthquake in that state."

"What state?" he asked curiously.

She considered him carefully as if trying to get the exact measure of the situation. "I wouldn't call it sulking," she conceded. "Not at all, but you're in one of those deep contemplation modes where only a natural disaster will rouse you."

She had been talking to Obi-Wan, after all.

"So, what was your inquiry?"

She suddenly looked very shy, which was quite uncharacteristic of her. "I wanted to know if you would give me away."

"Pretty tough to do if I'm not invited," he said without thinking.

That at least seemed to keep her at ease. "That's not an answer," she stated.

It would be difficult, but it was a job he would trust to no one else. She meant too much for that.

"It would be my honor," he stated.