Room 204 [morning]

[momslilassassin]

Prom had been fun and the evening after prom had been even more fun (Ben liked Ender in uniform, so sue him), but being fairly bright Fandom students who had been at the school for four years, both guys had remembered to put some clothing back on before falling asleep just in case.

Ben was curled into Ender now, sleeping in for once (so...past sun-up) and enjoying a weekend where he had nothing planned.

[OOC: You know the drill by now, folks! For the boy, then the visitor.]

Comments

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"Hi."

Val got up from where she was sitting and moved over to join Ben, though she didn't take Ender's spot.

So maybe cuddly ran in the Skywalker genes. ... the Luke line?

Okay, maybe it was just Ben's part of the family tree.

[momslilassassin]

Ben reached out with one arm to hug her again. "Does he seem better this time?"

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

Val dropped her head onto Ben's shoulder and relaxed noticeably. "Much," she said quietly. "Though he's still reserved, but I guess I could've expected that."

[momslilassassin]

Ben reached out to tug her hair playfully. "He's Ender. He's always reserved until he has some time to process."

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"I know. I'm just not used to having it directed at me," she admitted, and reached to tickle Ben a little to make up for it.

[momslilassassin]

Ben laughed, half out of ticklishness and half out of relief. Her being this physically affectionate meant that he must have done something right as a parent.

"So we're around, then? Together?"

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"Of course," Val said without thinking. After a pause, she added, "Well, I suppose it doesn't seem so 'of course' to you. After last time..."

[momslilassassin]

"That worried you, huh?" Ben asked with a tiny smile.

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"There was such a gap here," she said, making vague gestures that indicated sensing something. "And you were so confused..."

[momslilassassin]

"I figured it out," Ben said, "but then he didn't seem interested..."

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"Well, it's Ender. He's always reserved," she teased gently. "Wasn't that the line?"

[momslilassassin]

Ben blushed. "Well yes, but I thought I knew him a little better than that."

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

Val's mouth curved. "For what it's worth," she said quietly, "This works with the timeline as I know it. Not that that necessarily has to mean anything."

[momslilassassin]

"It doesn't," Ben said, smiling despite himself, "but it's nice to hear anyway. At some point in time, we got it right. Please tell me he's stopped telling me I can leave at any time."

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

That way laid some spoilers Val knew she couldn't go into, at least if she took the question too literally.

She chose not to.

"Considering it's been decades, I'd hope so," she said, "I've never heard him try, anyway."

[momslilassassin]

"Good," Ben said with a little smile. "Decades, huh? That's kind of...nice to think about."

He raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell him I said that."

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"My lips are sealed," Val said dryly. "I don't want to play into the neuroses of tiny Ender any more than you do."

[momslilassassin]

"I'm not nearly as bad," Ben commented erroneously.

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"You are every bit as bad," Val said. She was finally letting go of the last of her trepidation about this scenario - by rolling her eyes. "And you broadcast it ten times as hard."

[momslilassassin]

"Only to people I can trust," Ben replied.

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"Maybe," Val said, "But when you lie about it, it gives me a migraine, and I need this brain."

[momslilassassin]

Ben leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Sorry, Val's brain."

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"You'd better be," Val muttered petulantly.

Pouting a little, too. Shh.

[momslilassassin]

Ben laughed and ruffled her hair. "Yeah, you're mine."

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

Val scowled at him a moment longer. "Well, good. I wasn't going to run off and get you proof of paternity," she said. "And I'm not DNA testing myself."