Stark Industries, Monday

[endsthegame]

Ender had woken up that morning very early, a little bit dazed and with a largely blank spot where the weekend used to be. At the same time, he'd been accompanied by this sense that he needed some space to breathe, and so he'd gone about his schedule early, then taken a long walk, and finally opened up Stark's a full hour before he was due.

Tony and Ben dealt with themselves through tinkering; while Ender's mind wouldn't shut up the same way that theirs did, he could at least submerge himself in some of the bits and pieces of Formic research that were still coming in from the colonies.

Which he did, occasionally conversing with Jane along the way.

[[ open! ]]

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[momslilassassin]

Ben had avoided their room as much as possible for the majority of the weekend, so his relief was obvious when he walked into the shop and saw an Ender-shaped Ender there.

"Ho, kreetle," he said softly.

[endsthegame]

Ender looked up from his laptop. Then he reached up and shut it. "That bad a weekend?" he guessed.

[momslilassassin]

In reply, Ben leaned in to kiss him. A lot.

So...yeah.

[endsthegame]

Ender sighed, relaxing into it after a moment's surprise.

He wrapped his arms around Ben, figuring that might help, too, and kissed him back.

[momslilassassin]

Ben relaxed into him with a sigh of his own. "Welcome back."

[endsthegame]

"I don't really know where I went," Ender offered. "But I'm glad to be back."

He dropped his chin onto Ben's shoulder.

[momslilassassin]

"I'm glad you're back," Ben murmured, wrapping a hand into Ender's hair and keeping him close.

[endsthegame]

"I can tell."

Ender rubbed at his back as soothingly as he was capable of.

[momslilassassin]

Ben needed the soothing, though he was far from inclined to tell Ender why he needed hugs.

[endsthegame]

"You okay?" Ender asked gently. He had not let go, nor was he planning to.

[momslilassassin]

"I am now," Ben replied, which was a bit of a dodge.

[endsthegame]

Ender pulled back a little, and shot him a look. He didn't push, though.

"Want to go for a walk?" he asked instead. "I'm feeling a little cooped-up here right now."

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "Please," he said.

It was that or finding something to take apart, but that wasn't Ender's way of relaxing.

"I'm not really that hungry anyway."

Bad sign.

[endsthegame]

Very bad sign.

"C'mon, then," Ender said. He let go and got up, but reached for Ben's hand almost immediately.

[momslilassassin]

Ben squeezed his fingers before heading to the door. "Topher got turned down by Billy when he asked him out," he said, choosing the far less fraught part of the weekend.

[endsthegame]

"While still in the right mind?" Ender checked, pushing open the door as soon as he got to it.

[momslilassassin]

"Topher said so," Ben said, "but it just doesn't sound like Billy. I was pretty sure that he liked Topher, you know? I didn't mean to set the guy up for another disappointment."

[endsthegame]

"Billy seems like the type to stalk him home and make sure he's absolutely okay with the whole situation, if that's really what happened," Ender said. He let go of Ben's hand briefly to lock up the front door.

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded vehemently. "I found Topher hiding under his blankets yesterday."

[endsthegame]

"I should probably pay him a visit," Ender said. He shoved the keys back in his pocket and grabbed Ben's hand again.

[momslilassassin]

Ben held on a little more tightly than usual. "I think he'd appreciate that. Where are we heading?"

[endsthegame]

"How about the beach?" Ender asked, offering him a small smile.

[momslilassassin]

Ben smiled back. "That's what I was guessing you'd say," he said. "It's even nice enough out to eat there, if you want."

[endsthegame]

"I'd like that," Ender told him, though he had a feeling Ben needed it far more than he did.

He began to walk, tugging Ben along with him.

[momslilassassin]

Ben wasn't really planning on letting Ender out of his sight for a while, so this worked out well.

He stayed quiet, stealing glances every now and then, until they got to the beach.