Nagoya [a month later]

[momslilassassin]

Ben was still smiling as they walked away from the Portalocity terminal, his hand in Ender's. "That was a nice visit," he said. "Dad's really, really excited about becoming a grandfather, huh? I think the Ewok-themed nursery might be a bit much, though."

[OOC: For the boy!]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

"Movie," Ben agreed. "By ourselves. In the quiet. Heaven."

[endsthegame]

Ender smiled. "I'll even let you break out the pillow pile," he said.

[momslilassassin]

"And that's why we share a last name," Ben said, beaming. "Because you're the best."

[endsthegame]

"I can't fault that logic," Ender said fondly, and let go of Ben's hand so he could open up their front door.

[momslilassassin]

Ben smiled at him as he went into the house. "It's good to be home. Alone."

[endsthegame]

Ender tossed him a wry smile. "We've gotten spoiled with a house all to ourselves," he said. "Maybe next stop I'll set us up with Val again, just to keep us humble."

[momslilassassin]

Ben poked him hard in the shoulder. "No."

[endsthegame]

Ender poked him back. "If we're lucky, we'll be too busy with the baby anyway," he said.

[momslilassassin]

Ben leaned in and blew a raspberry into his neck. "Here's hoping."

[endsthegame]

"Brat," Ender said fondly. "Go get the pillows. I'll go queue up a movie."

Something nice and soothing about nature, maybe.

[momslilassassin]

"Want popcorn too?" Ben asked.

[endsthegame]

"Sure," Ender said, fully aware Ben would eat most of it.

He rifled through his vid file, selecting a nice nature documentary set in the wetlands.

[momslilassassin]

Ben put the popcorn on to cook and retrieved the pillows and their blankets from the other room and brought them into the living room.

[endsthegame]

Ender was there to take them from him, arranging them on the floor by the sofa - from which he took more pillows - until most of the immediate floor in front of the screen had been taken up with fluffy things.

[momslilassassin]

Ben returned with the popcorn and flopped into the little nest with a happy sigh. "Hi."

[endsthegame]

Ender settled in next to him, dropping his head on Ben's chest. "Hi."

[momslilassassin]

"Hi," Ben replied, ruffling Ender's hair and pulling him closer.

[endsthegame]

Ender smiled, running his finger over the vid controls, starting the documentary.

Then he reached over to steal some popcorn.

[momslilassassin]

Ben let him--Ben was never going to stop Ender from eating--and snuggled in against the pillows. "What are we watching?"

[endsthegame]

"It's a documentary about life on one of the colonies that's primarily wetland," Ender murmured. "We might go there some day."

He let his muscles relax. He'd been tense for too long.

[momslilassassin]

Ben reached out and began massaging Ender's neck. "Yeah? Will she like it wet?"

[endsthegame]

Ender let out a little laugh. "You might want to rephrase that."

[momslilassassin]

Ben burst out laughing, blushing hard. "Eww. Sorry."

[endsthegame]

Ender reached down to pry his shoes off his feet. "You're forgiven," he said. "And-- it can't be too wet, but it's not all wetlands."

[momslilassassin]

"So not exactly Dagobah, but close?" Ben guessed.