Stark Industries, Monday

[endsthegame]

Ender was back at work. With his laptop.

He was... a little distracted.

Without Ben here to keep peering over his shoulder, he finally gave in to what he'd wanted to do for a long while yet, opened up his mailbox, and searched it for any reports on the amount of casualties that were happening in the Chinese-Muslim war right now.

Ender was many things, but probably an artiste of self-flaggelation above all; he'd be up until late tonight.

[[ open! ]]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

And at the usual time Ben arrived with burgers and giant mugs of coffee. "Ho, Ender," he said.

[endsthegame]

"Ho," said Ender, closing down his laptop-- this time, for a reason other than giving Ben the idea he was getting his full attention.

[momslilassassin]

"What are you working on today?" Ben asked, seemingly idly.

[endsthegame]

"Just wrapping up a few things," Ender said, vaguely. "Up to and including the new design specifications for the arc reactor."

[momslilassassin]

"Spend a lot of time thinking about those lately?" Ben replied.

[endsthegame]

"It's something to do."

[momslilassassin]

"Beats poking yourself in the eye with a sharp stick," Ben agreed with a tiny smile, handing over the coffee. "This should keep you from faceplanting on your laptop."

[endsthegame]

"I wasn't planning to to begin with, Skywalker," Ender retorted, reaching for the coffee. "But my thanks for the offering of java."

[momslilassassin]

"You're welcome," Ben said. "It's decaf," he added with a little smirk, "so you can sleep later."

Brat.

[endsthegame]

Ender shot him a look. "I don't think I'm going to sleep on the Stark Industries counter."

[momslilassassin]

"I don't know," Ben mused. "You look pretty wiped out."

[endsthegame]

Ender's brow crinkled. "I think I can manage," he said.

[momslilassassin]

"And here I was going to offer to sing lullabies tonight," Ben teased.

[endsthegame]

"I don't think I want to risk your singing voice anyway," Ender said, lightly.

[momslilassassin]

"I'm an astral singer," Ben proclaimed.

He wasn't.

[endsthegame]

"You're not," said Ender, in full agreement with the narrative.

[momslilassassin]

"Being gremlin bit isn't an adequate way to judge my skills," Ben said loftily.

[endsthegame]

"If you absolutely must convince me, Jedi Skywalker," Ender said, lightly, "You could always repeat your routine while in the right mind."

[momslilassassin]

"Will you join me?" Ben teased.

[endsthegame]

"I think that would just ruin the effect of your voice."

[momslilassassin]

There was very little that would do anything but improve the effect on Ben's voice.

"I think you're just afraid of not doing it right," Ben decided.