Room 204 [late afternoon]

[momslilassassin]

Normally, Ben had a very defined routine on Mondays: run, lightsaber practice, classes, lunch with Ender, then an afternoon of either research or socializing.

Today he stuck to classes, and then returned immediately to the dorms without stopping for food. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to head down to the cabins again, and he felt safer in his own room at the moment.

...And its fascinating, fascinating ceiling. Which he'd been staring at for hours now.

But he was fine.

The door was firmly closed.

Comments

[solo_sword]

"Your Jaina will never be old," she decided. And since now she was thinking about it, she said, "There is one thing I need to ask now, though."

[momslilassassin]

"Oh?" Ben asked cautiously.

[solo_sword]

"You've said Jag's still around in your time, right?" Yes, she had to check.

[momslilassassin]

"Yeah, he's still around," Ben said.

Sound more thrilled about it Ben, please.

[solo_sword]

Thrilled or not, it was a huge weight off of her, knowing that. "Good," she said, definitely relieved. "Thanks."

[momslilassassin]

"You're welcome," he said. "How is little me?"

He strove for casual but the weekend had knocked most of the sneaky out of him, so he missed by a lot.

"Or is that what I need to see you in person about?"

[solo_sword]

"Little you is good," she said slowly, "but that does factor into the in-person conversation."

[momslilassassin]

Ben muttered a word his father would be appalled he knew. "Coffee tomorrow, maybe?"

[solo_sword]

"Sounds good," Jaina said. "And don't worry too much about this right now, Ben. It's just a conversation." And she still had plenty of time to do something about the way things were going.

[momslilassassin]

"So I shouldn't feel like some kind of clock just started ticking down in my head?" he replied quietly.

It had been a long weekend.

[solo_sword]

"No," she said confidently. "And the fact that we can have the conversation is exactly why you shouldn't."

[momslilassassin]

He blew out a breath. "Okay," he said. "Good."

[solo_sword]

"It's fine," she said, trying to be as reassuring as possible. "I'm going to let you go now, but I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

[momslilassassin]

"Tomorrow," Ben said. "I'm glad you're back, Jaina. I missed you."

[solo_sword]

"W- I've missed you too," she said. "Bye, Ben."