Stark Industries, Monday

[endsthegame]

Taking a day off to see the unicorns this weekend had been a nice break, though Ender had never really moved past his own worries. There was simply too much to think about - too much to anticipate on, too much to plan for. Too many deaths to be remembered, for Kaeleer brought back memories of Agio, and left him mulling how much more blood would be spilled because of his failures.

He couldn't afford to fail Ben now.

Not for the first time since the summer, he found himself irrationally angry that the IF had kept him here, rather than sending him off much earlier. Sure, it would have meant the colony ship itself would have traveled much slower, but it would mean Ender would finally get the retirement he craved.

Nevermind.

He had to slog through a whole crop of blueberries in the morning just to get to his counter, but he barely paid attention to them. Missing even a day meant missing a lot of correspondence, and he still hadn't caught up yet.

[[ open! ]]

Comments

[endsthegame]

"Instead," Ender said solemnly, "you prefer the Jedi sheep cut."

[momslilassassin]

"It's better than Zekk's hair!" Ben protested.

[endsthegame]

"I guess it serves okay as a handhold."

Ben was going to rue the day Ender started to figure out making comments like that.

[momslilassassin]

Ben blushed hard. "Shhh."

He didn't really mean that.

[endsthegame]

Ender smiled, and kissed his cheek. "Though it is a little unruly," he said, giving the hair in question a ruffle.

[momslilassassin]

"Maybe I'll fix it this weekend," Ben replied.

[endsthegame]

"And go back to being merely 'shaggy'?"

[momslilassassin]

"I used to have it really short," Ben said, "but then I stopped being a cop."

[endsthegame]

"Oh, I remember," Ender said. He brushed at the hair in question. "But you were a few sizes smaller back then."

[momslilassassin]

Ben grinned. "So were you. Oh, for the days when I was taller..."

[endsthegame]

"When up was down and left was right..."

[momslilassassin]

"And you called me small fry and I wasn't small..."

[endsthegame]

"Oh, you were still tiny," Ender said, grinning. "You just earned better nicknames later, that's all."

[momslilassassin]

"Like 'Ben'," Ben teased, grinning back.

[endsthegame]

"It fits your profile," Ender said solemnly.

[momslilassassin]

"So I'm under Ben in the manifest and not Whango Mittphool?" he teased.

[endsthegame]

"Sadly, yes," Ender replied, shooting him an amused look. "Though with a last name like yours, I'm not sure they don't think I made it up anyway."

[momslilassassin]

Ben snorted. "Really?"

[endsthegame]

Ender quirked a smile at him. "That, or they think you're part Native American."

[momslilassassin]

"The red hair will probably confuse them, then," Ben replied, smiling back.

[endsthegame]

"Could be a few generations back," Ender said, directing his smile at the remains of his food a few moments later.

Shh.

"But I'm not sure anyone would dare ask your grandfather after his ancestry."

[momslilassassin]

Ben burst out laughing. "Probably not the best idea ever, no. I'm not sure even I know it."

[endsthegame]

"Whoever his ancestors were, they probably wouldn't be native Americans," Ender said dryly. He closed up his box of food - or what remained of it - and shot Ben a tiny smile. "But as you know by now, we're going to be a varied crew."

[momslilassassin]

"Well, you're all still human, so it's not that varied," Ben replied.

[endsthegame]

"For human standards," Ender said. "We're in no position to get snobbish about aliens."