The Portal on Shakespeare [a week later]

[momslilassassin]

A mattress had been bought for guests, the house had been scrubbed from top to bottom and then bottom to top, and Ben, even though he knew that Luke wouldn't care in the slightest, had stressed out about what they'd have for dinner for the last three days.

Now he was a half-hour early for the time his father had sent him for the portal, bouncing nervously on the balls of his feet.

He was excited and terrified in almost equal measure.

Sounds like a fun vacation, huh?

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[endsthegame]

"No," Ender said, slightly amused. "I insisted we get the same kind of housing as the rest of the colony."

[notsoreckless.livejournal.com]

Luke smiled a little fondly. "Of course you did."

He was definitely starting to see what Ben did in Ender.

[endsthegame]

"It's bad enough I'm being forced upon the colony by outside actors," Ender said, retreating from the bathroom. "I'm not going to make it worse by living in an ivory tower."

Though the location of the house had been a compromise.

[notsoreckless.livejournal.com]

"Plus all of those stairs would be hell on your calves," Luke teased. "Has there been a problem with them accepting your authority?"

[endsthegame]

"Not at all, after Admiral Morgan's original coup attempt," Ender said.

[momslilassassin]

Ben beamed proudly. "Ender knows his people better than Morgan ever did."

[endsthegame]

"Not that that took much work," Ender said.

[notsoreckless.livejournal.com]

Luke smiled. "Being more engaged than Morgan?"

[endsthegame]

"Being more engaged than Morgan, and dismantling his hamfisted attempts at taking over the colony," Ender said frankly. "He underestimated me."

[momslilassassin]

Ben kissed Ender's cheek. "You'd think they'd learn to stop doing that," he said.

[endsthegame]

"Maybe eventually," Ender said, walking back towards the stairs.

He wasn't showing Luke the bedroom unless he asked for it.

[notsoreckless.livejournal.com]

And Luke definitely wasn't asking. "It's very nice," he said with a smile, heading back down the stairs. "Do I get a tour of town next?"

[endsthegame]

"Are you up for it, or do you have a full schedule today?" Ender asked Ben.

[momslilassassin]

"I can do it," Ben said. "We'll go tinker with the skimmers after."

And get Luke out of your hair for a little while, was the unspoken message.

[endsthegame]

"You two have fun," Ender said, "Or I'll send Po over to bug you until you do."

[momslilassassin]

"We'll see you for dinner," Ben replied, leaning in for a quick kiss...and realizing halfway through that he had never done that in front of his father before.

So it turned into a slightly awkward version of a normal goodbye.

[endsthegame]

Ender would have none of it, though, and kissed him back - quick and chastely and properly - a moment later. "Hamburgers," he promised.

[momslilassassin]

"Love you," Ben murmured, cheeks flushing slightly as he knocked his forehead quickly into Ender's and Luke, looking amused, studied the door.

[endsthegame]

"Love you too," Ender said, his mouth quirking. "Now shoo."