Stark Industries [most of Friday]

[momslilassassin]

Ben was trying to catch up on the news from home: it had gone weirdly quiet, so he was pretty sure he'd hit another patch where Fandom was moving faster than Coruscant was. His brain, as hard as he tried, wasn't really focusing on what he could find, anyway. It kept drifting back to memories of the weekend and the possibilities it had showed him.

Every other child who had showed up over the years had been an impossibility in this dimension for a variety of reasons, but Val...Val could happen. Ben was learning that that thought didn't terrify him as much as it might have in earlier years.

And it was a more interesting thing to dwell on than the eternal politics of his home galaxy or wondering why there were leeks growing out of the drawers today.

Stark Industries was open!

Comments

[endsthegame]

Ender came in wielding two pizzas, of which he'd mentally allocated one-and-a-half to Ben. It did mean some wrangling with the door, but he worked it out within moments.

"Ho, Ben," he called. "Leeks today?"

[momslilassassin]

"Leeks today," Ben confirmed with a rueful smile and a shake of his head. "Ho, kreetle."

[endsthegame]

"I come bearing pizza," Ender said, putting the two boxes down on the desk in front of Ben. He placed his palms on the flat surface next to them and leaned over to give Ben a quick kiss.

[momslilassassin]

Ben, as he had throughout the week, lingered just a little bit longer in the kiss than he'd consciously intended. "Yay, pizza!"

[endsthegame]

Ender had noticed, but he'd chosen not to remark upon it. Instead the corners of his mouth slid up. "You are so easy."

[momslilassassin]

"Only with you," Ben said with a tiny grin, opening one of the boxes.

[endsthegame]

Ender snorted softly, stealing a slice now that the box was open and sitting down next to him. He pulled the chair up a little closer. "Any news?"

[momslilassassin]

"No," Ben admitted, looking slightly worried. "Have you?"

[endsthegame]

"Nothing really urgent," Ender said. He took a bite of his slice, then put it back down so he could touch Ben's frown lines.

[momslilassassin]

Ben closed his eyes. "I think they've slowed down again."

[endsthegame]

"That would explain the glacial pace my contacts have suddenly taken up," Ender agreed. "And here I'd almost thought they didn't like me any more."

He let his fingers trail over Ben's face, finally brushing some hair behind his ear. Things felt a little... different... since last weekend, but he couldn't for the life of him pin-point how.

[momslilassassin]

Ben smiled softly at him as he opened his eyes. "I'm sure they like you fine."

[endsthegame]

"Are you okay?" Ender asked, and immediately felt annoyed at himself for asking.

[momslilassassin]

"Isn't that my line?" Ben replied, reaching for his own slice of pizza. "I'm okay, just a little off-kilter since the weekend."

[endsthegame]

"I've noticed," Ender said, dropping his hand.

[momslilassassin]

"You too?" Ben asked.

[endsthegame]

"It was something to think about," Ender said. "But I'm okay."

Sort of. Well, he didn't feel not okay.

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded, brushing his non-pizza-holding hand over Ender's. He couldn't seem to stop himself from touching Ender this week, though not in that worrying compulsive way that an attack of pollen entailed.

"It's weird to miss someone you've only met twice, isn't it?" he asked softly.

[endsthegame]

"Not if they made an impact," Ender said, quirking a tiny smile. "Val certainly stays with you."

[momslilassassin]

Ben's answering smile was decidedly wistful. "A bit. I saw a lot of you in her."

[endsthegame]

"Funny," Ender said. "I could say the same about you." He slipped his hand into Ben's.

He still wasn't sure what to think about it all.

[momslilassassin]

Ben squeezed it. "It's a little easier to think about than it was last year," he said softly. "I think I hurt her feelings then."

[endsthegame]

Ender took a deep breath. "To call last year 'complicated' would be understating it, I think," he said. "I don't think she held it against you."

[momslilassassin]

"Not at all," Ben said, dropping his head against Ender's shoulder. "She kept wondering then why I wasn't doing something about you."

[endsthegame]

"She was pretty young back then," Ender said. He let go of Ben's hand in order to slide his arm around Ben's shoulders instead. "At that age, everyone's looking for some security. In her dimension, that's us."