Ben & Ender's house on Shakespeare [some evening]

[momslilassassin]

Ben was curled up on the sofa with Ender's rather dry book on anatomy after Ben's research into the subject had brought up suggestions like "Bend Over," "Eating Out," and other titles that had sent Ben into an unhelpful cycle of flail. (Jane had a wicked sense of humor, not that Ben knew that.)

He had a dish of ice cream while he waited for dinner to warm up--his only outward sign of nerves--and kept glancing at the door waiting for Ender to come home.

Just another night, right? If he kept repeating that to himself, maybe he'd believe it.

[OOC: This is going to get waaaaaaay NWS, methinks. For the boy.]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

"Not nearly as much light pollution yet," Ben agreed. "Makes me feel pretty tiny."

[endsthegame]

"It does," Ender agreed. "And at the same time, you seem quite comfortably sized to me. Perspective is an interesting thing."

[momslilassassin]

"It is," Ben said, giving Ender another little hug. "I'm glad I'm the right size for you. Feeling a little less enclosed?"

[endsthegame]

Ender smiled and dropped his chin on Ben's shoulder. "Sometimes I need to remind myself," he said softly. "I'm afraid of losing who I am, some days."

[momslilassassin]

Ben kissed him softly. "Not sure what you'd be without the guilt?" he asked without judgement.

He'd had the same conversation in his own head any number of times.

[endsthegame]

"No," Ender said quietly. "I have no idea. And I can't cope with the thought of finding out. Sometimes when I'm with you, I'm almost there."

He sighed and gave Ben a squeeze, mostly for his own benefit. "But I don't want to leave you behind, the times that hits me."

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "Thanks for telling me," he murmured. "If you'd just taken off after what we did...I might've misinterpreted."

[endsthegame]

"I know," Ender said. "I know you by now." He smiled a little against Ben's shoulder. "You make me happy," he said softly. "Tonight was amazing."

[momslilassassin]

"It was," Ben agreed, giving Ender another squeeze. "I didn't know it was possible to feel closer to you than I already did."

[endsthegame]

Ender smiled. "Well, we found a rather drastic way of testing that theory."

[momslilassassin]

"This is true," Ben replied, grinning back. "Why this hill?" he finally asked.

[endsthegame]

"I don't know," Ender said, settling in a little more comfortably. "It's this orchard, really. Everything it's told us about the formics alone... I guess it's symbolic for me."

[momslilassassin]

Ben began stroking his back. "How so?"

He could guess, but he wanted to hear Ender say it.

[endsthegame]

"This used to be a place where they collected their food, where they took care of their young," Ender said. "Then they died and we came and took it and stole from what they'd learned. And yet, as we do so, we're learning about them as well."

Ben's hands on his back were nice. Really nice.

[momslilassassin]

Ben kept his fingers moving, noticing how much Ender was appreciating the massage.

"What's the latest in research?" he murmured.

[endsthegame]

"They're looking at a toxic filter they found on the other side of town." Ender made a happy little noise.

[momslilassassin]

Ben shifted so he was sitting behind Ender so he could give a better massage. "What kind of toxins?" he asked. "In the soil or the water?"

[endsthegame]

"The soil," Ender said. "I don't know how long this planet was theirs. Maybe they were still working on it."

He sighed. "Do you want to go back to the house?"

[momslilassassin]

"Only when you do," Ben said, kissing his cheek. "Oh, I talked with Tahiri a bit ago--the toxins reminded me. Do you want to do an information exchange based on what the Yuuzhan Vong would do as they terraformed planets? There might be something we could learn from them."

Fourteen year old him would have boggled at the idea of learning anything from them.

[endsthegame]

"That would definitely be helpful," Ender said, nodding. "Send Tahiri my thanks. And an invite, if you haven't already."

[momslilassassin]

"I did," Ben said, smiling. He kissed Ender's neck. "And thank you for not making it weird that I'm still in contact with an ex-girlfriend."

[endsthegame]

"She's important to you," Ender said lightly. "Besides, I have real trouble conceiving of a way she'd somehow be a threat to my relationship, which I hear is pretty important for acts of raging jealousy..."

[momslilassassin]

Ben smiled a little doofily at him. "We're a unit at this point," he said softly. "No need for jealousy."

[endsthegame]

Ender kissed him softly. "None at all," he said. "And I'd love to see Tahiri again."

[momslilassassin]

"Good," Ben said. "She wants to see you, too."