Fixer-Uppers, Monday

[endsthegame]

It was almost a novelty to close off one of these weekends without any traumatic experiences to speak of. Ender opened up the store early in the morning, tacking up a note to Rikku apologising for skipping out last week.

He bustled around the back of the store for a while, fixing odds and ends and going through some blueprints. But that only lasted so long, and before noon had come, he was back at the desk, reading through Peter's latest email on his laptop.

They were... slowly getting a dialogue going. Ender was a little surprised that it was having an effect on him, but it was almost... nice. He was glad he'd taken a step.

Not that he was about to let his guard down. It was still Peter, after all.

[[ open! ]]

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[momslilassassin]

"Ho, Ender," Ben said, walking into the shop with lunch and a quick grin. "Everything's back to normal today."

Because if he said it was, it would be that way, right?

[endsthegame]

That was the theory.

The intrinsically flawed theory Ender knew wasn't going to work for them forever, but... "I noticed," he said, "I managed to get into the store without dodging bricks or turtles today."

[momslilassassin]

"I kind of miss the turtles," Ben said with a grin. "They were cute."

[endsthegame]

"And they gave you something to leap on without guilt," Ender said. "Two in one."

[momslilassassin]

"My legs are kind of killing me now," Ben admitted.

[endsthegame]

"Then sit down and stop yapping at me," Ender suggested.

[momslilassassin]

Ben stuck his tongue out, but sat down and held out the sack of sandwiches. "What were you working on?"

[endsthegame]

"Nothing exciting," Ender said, which wasn't a lie from a certain point of view, and took a sandwich. "Just going through my email load for the day."

[momslilassassin]

"Anyone I know?" Ben asked idly, biting into his sandwich.

[endsthegame]

And there was the dilemma: to put off the issue of Peter like he had for over a week now, because it was too personal, or to avoid unnecessary lies.

"A great deal of colonists you might have passed in transit, and everyone's favorite Hegemon," he said, because honestly.

Though he was surprised at the fact he'd almost considered using the term 'my brother'.

[momslilassassin]

"Peter wrote you?" Ben sounded shocked.

[endsthegame]

"I sent him an email right before the dance," Ender replied, taking a bite of his sandwich. "We've been talking."

[momslilassassin]

It took Ben a moment to process that. "About what?" he finally asked.

[endsthegame]

"About the past, about what he's doing right now..." He wasn't too comfortable going into this with much depth. "He's got a lot on his mind."

There was still a hint of that blend of irony-eyerolling-cynicism Ender tended to feel towards Peter, but it had muted considerably after last Wednesday's email.

[momslilassassin]

Ben watched Ender's face carefully. "You okay?" he asked while a part of him wondered if he was allowed to ask that sort of thing any more.

[endsthegame]

"I feel fine, actually," Ender said, "And not in the 'I'm trying to wall you out' way. I'm glad I did it."

Maybe that answered both of Ben's questions.

[momslilassassin]

Ben's lips quirked into a small smile. "In that case, good," he said quietly. "Family's important. What made you write?"

[endsthegame]

"Because of what we talked about on Hawaii," Ender said, putting his sandwich back down. "I realised that if I leave, there's a chance he'll be dead by the time I arrive. And I was interested in finding out what made him extend an olive branch to begin with."

[momslilassassin]

"Did he tell you?" Ben asked, shifting a little closer. "Or at least give you enough hints for you to figure it out?"

Since Ben didn't think Wiggins were big on sharing things outright.

[endsthegame]

"Yes," Ender said, "And with about as much honesty as I think I'm ever getting out of him."

For however much that meant.

[momslilassassin]

"Did it help?" Ben replied.

Because his interest in this didn't really extend to Peter finding inner peace--he wanted to be sure Ender was all right.

[endsthegame]

"Somewhat," Ender said, with a brief smile, "Though it's still Peter. I just understand him better. This him."

The one that wasn't the monster from his nightmares anymore.

[momslilassassin]

"Rather than the in-your-head Peter?" Ben guessed. He wondered how this would affect the Peter as imaginary-except-for-being-a-physical-manifestation (Ender, your world was weird) in the future, if he would even exist.

He reached out to ruffle Ender's hair. "I'm glad."

[endsthegame]

Ender had to utilize every control tactic he knew to keep himself from flinching away from Ben's hand, but he managed.

Burdened him with a few mental images, but he managed. "Rather than in-my-head Peter," he agreed, "Who I doubt this'll exorcise."

[momslilassassin]

Ben's eyes flashed ever-so-briefly with regret and he pulled his hand back far faster than he normally did.

This sucked.

"Do you think anything really could?" he asked quietly, genuinely interested. Jacen cast a pretty large shadow over his own psyche.