Hijra [A few weeks later]

[momslilassassin]

Ben was catching up on emails from home--news about the Sith, the latest gossip from Jag and Jaina's corner of the galaxy and whatever Allana had gotten herself up to while being unsupervised (there was a lot of "it'd seemed like a good idea!!!" in her correspondence)--and then poking around scientific journals about advancements in reproductive technology.

You know. For no real reason. Cough.

He drank tea and really missed having those yummy red fruits around. He'd need to ask when they came back the next time he went to the market.

Comments

[endsthegame]

It had become the closest thing to a stable home they had, and it was a place where only good things had happened - a place to be family.

Of course Ben loved it.

"So that's settled," Ender said. "We ask Cade to spend some time after graduation on Naboo with us."

[momslilassassin]

"Think he'll say yes?" Ben wondered.

[endsthegame]

"If we make sure he knows it's no kind of commitment, maybe," Ender said.

[momslilassassin]

"For a guy with as many tattoos as he has, he sure does require carefully handling," Ben said with a wry smile.

[endsthegame]

"Because otherwise, our family is made up of upfront people with no masks or defense mechanisms," Ender replied.

[momslilassassin]

Ben laughed. "Point taken."

[endsthegame]

"Cade's just happens to be 'aggressively easygoing'," Ender said. "For us it's pretty easy to pop, but I'm not sure about anyone else."

[momslilassassin]

"Yeah," Ben said. "We both know that people are more worried about their own issues to tend to mess with anyone else's..."

[endsthegame]

Ender nodded. He glanced towards the door, then reached into his pocket for his wallet. "Want to get out of here?"

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "Sorry I made dinner such a downer."

[endsthegame]

Ender put some money on the table. "Nonsense," he said. "We had a good talk."

He nodded outside. "And the music's still playing."

[momslilassassin]

"Are you going to dance?" Ben teased him.

[endsthegame]

Ender chuckled. "I was going to enjoy it from a reasonable distance," he said, "If you can get us to the back of the crowd as easily as you got us here."

[momslilassassin]

"No problem," Ben said with a big grin.

[endsthegame]

"Lead on," Ender ordered.

[momslilassassin]

Ben touched Ender's wrist again, then started sliding through the crowd.

[endsthegame]

Ender followed, grasping the flow of it much faster this time.

[momslilassassin]

"Good," Ben said, smiling proudly at him.

[endsthegame]

"You're a good teacher," Ender said, turning around. He could see just the top of the stage from here.

[momslilassassin]

Ben blushed slightly. "You're a good student."

[endsthegame]

"Val was talking about how, if we move on--" though that 'if' was starting to turn into more of a 'when' already, "--she might want to get university accreditation." Ender glanced Ben's way. "Maybe we should look into getting you some kind of police academy teacher degree while we're at it."

[momslilassassin]

Ben looked surprised. "I'd never thought of that. That would be astral."

[endsthegame]

"It might be a good compromise," Ender said, throwing him a small smile.

[momslilassassin]

Ben used the excuse of the crowd pressing into them to brush his hand against Ender's. "It is."

[endsthegame]

Ender closed his eyes briefly at the touch. He had to.

"Do you want to stay until the end of the act?" he asked.