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]

"I have," she agreed.

They just seemed to be discussing this behind her back think it was at best a hypothetical.

"I'm just still worried."

[momslilassassin]

Ben gave her a little squeeze. "I can tell, and I'm sure your me can too because he'll know you so much better."

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"I just don't want to lose my brother," Val said quietly.

To his own restlessness and delusions, if nothing else.

[momslilassassin]

"Believe me, I get that," Ben murmured. "Your dads do, too."

Re:

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

Val sighed, rubbing at her knee, clinging as she often did to the more reassuring emotions Ben was putting out.

"You know, I could probably find you a picture," she said, intent on changing the subject.

[momslilassassin]

"Of all of us?" Ben asked, recognizing the subject change and not pressing it. "I'd really like that."

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

Val reached into her pocket to find her small, portable computer. She activated the holographic display and paged through it until she found an older picture; not enough to give significant spoilers about anything but her family.

There was Valentine-the-Elder, newly pregnant, and her large, blond husband; a three-year-old boy with messy red hair and a five-year-old with light hair, and Val herself, looking only a little younger than she'd been last time she was here.

And Ben and Ender, of course - the latter greying the tiniest bit around the temple. Both of them looked relaxed.

[momslilassassin]

It took Ben a moment before he could talk--he hadn't expected to react so strongly to a holo.

"I'm not bald," he said. "That's good." It wasn't his image that he was reaching out to touch, though: it was the two other children, then Ender.

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"You even shaved," Val joked.

She had no trouble trying to keep it light for him.

[momslilassassin]

Ben laughed. "I'm pretty sure that if I go more than three days without shaving, Ender would do it for me while I slept."

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"I don't know. I've been told stories of disastrous beards before I was born," she said. She swiped at the holo image; the next one featured Ben, the older Valentine and Ender on a small boat, bundled up and surrounded by ice. Ben's hair was encrusted with a little ice, but he was grinning like a dork; Ender and Valentine wore matching expressions of dry amusement.

Which made it the second and last picture she could actually show him.

[momslilassassin]

"My hair looks ridiculous," Ben said, shaking his head at himself. "I guess we didn't drive Val too crazy if she's still with us all these years later..."

It had been one of his private worries about the trip to come.

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"No, Aunt Valentine learned to put up with you," Val murmured. She hadn't seen or heard from Aunt Valentine in years, but she wasn't about to tell Ben that. "Which is good, or I would have had to kick her once or twice."

A pause.

"That's Trondheim," she added. "Pack thermal underwear."

[momslilassassin]

"Looks a little Hothlike," Ben replied, nodding. "Did we stay long?"

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"For a while. A long while for our standards," Val said, vaguely.

Long enough for the older Valentine to fall in love with a tall Nord.

[momslilassassin]

"That was nicely vague," Ben commented with a tiny smile. "But Ender's good? Not bored or anything?"

Or marrying some chick, maybe? Heading down the path of creating imaginary friends and then dying?

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"Ender's fine, dad."

That, on the other hand, was just the exasperation of someone who had had to answer that question before.

[momslilassassin]

Ben grinned a little sheepishly. "You've heard that question a few times before, huh."

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"You worry too much," Val sighed. "It can drive a person mad."

[momslilassassin]

"By person do you mean me or you going barvy?" Ben asked.

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"Both," she said, leaning over to kiss Ben's cheek. "But really. He's fine."

[momslilassassin]

"Good," he murmured back. "You're not the only peek I've gotten at potential futures, so even though I shouldn't...I worry."

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"I know," Val murmured. "And I know I don't look at Ender from the direction you do."

She was intuitive, yes. She could sense a lot, that too. But there were blind spots you got about your parents, and she hadn't really sorted hers out yet.

[momslilassassin]

"He's your dad," Ben said. "There's some secrets parents just keep."

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"Is this going to be another Luke story?" Val's smile was decidedly lopsided.