Room 614, the Arms Hotel, Saturday lunchtime

[momslilassassin]

Turns out that waking up as a woman when your daughter is expecting you to be a man is not the most exhilirating start to a morning-now-heading-into-afternoon.

"Come on, Val," Ben soothed, rocking the sobbing infant as he paced the room for the thousandth time. "It's me. I still feel the same in the Force, I just...look different."

Perhaps philosophical discussions of gender and sex were not the place to start with a distraut one month old. "Ender?"

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[endsthegame]

As the bottle neared empty, Ender slowly began to walk back towards the crib, muttering "please don't cry please don't cry" under his breath.

[momslilassassin]

Ben didn't dare to give Val encouragement through the Force in case that set her off too, and watched as the baby's eyes drooped closed.

[endsthegame]

There had never been a singular human being who put a baby as gingerly down in a crib as Ender did with Val.

He was actively holding his breath as her head touched the pillow...

... and she remained silent.

He stepped away. "Oh, thank god."

[momslilassassin]

"I'm almost tempted to go sit in the hallway just to make sure she stays asleep," Ben whispered.

[endsthegame]

Ender took a few more steps back. "No," he whispered back, "Get on the bed. Get to sleep. Now. While you can."

[momslilassassin]

Ben smiled and snuck to the bed, then patted Ender's pillow. "You too."

[endsthegame]

Ender sighed. Then froze.

But there was no sound from Val.

So he tip-toed towards the bed as fast as he could and sat down on it.

[momslilassassin]

Ben leaned over--sloooowly--and kissed Ender's cheek. "You're a good dad."

[endsthegame]

"Don't talk too loudly," Ender whispered. He curled up against Ben on the bed.

[momslilassassin]

Ben ran his fingers through Ender's weirdly long hair and closed his eyes.

[endsthegame]

Ender slid his arm around Ben's waist. "Love you," he said softly.

[momslilassassin]

"Love you too," Ben murmured in his ear. "I'm sorry this freaked Val out so much."

[endsthegame]

"That's not your fault," Ender said, pulling up the covers with his free hand. "It's just dumb luck." He smiled wryly. "We need lullabies for moments like this."

[momslilassassin]

"I'm open to suggestions," Ben said, closing his eyes.

[endsthegame]

"After a nap," Ender said, closing his eyes too.

[momslilassassin]

"Mmmm, nap," Ben said, nodding off immediately.

It was cute that he thought Val was going to let them sleep.

[endsthegame]

Ender was happy for every single minute of nap he was going to get out of this.

Thankfully, he was also tired enough that he conked out immediately. So he'd get at least five. Maybe ten.

[momslilassassin]

Val began to whimper at ten minutes...and so did Ben. "Oh, sweetheart, no..."

[endsthegame]

Ender groaned softly against Ben's neck. "Be quiet," he mumbled, "Maybe she'll go back to sleep."

[momslilassassin]

"Please," Ben whispered, barely breathing as Val snuffled to herself, let out an enormous burp, and settled.

[endsthegame]

"Thank god," Ender mumbled, curling into Ben a little more and attempting to go back to sleep.

[momslilassassin]

Ben had already fallen back asleep--soldier habits worked just as well in fatherhood, it turned out.

[endsthegame]

Really made you think.

Ender's soldier training didn't kick in so fast this time, as now his brain kept counting Val's breaths.

It quieted after a while, and he could go back to sleep. For a bit.

[momslilassassin]

Ben's hand was rubbing circles in Ender's back as Ben slept sitting straight up. His eyes opened just before Val started crying again.

[endsthegame]

Ender groaned and then whacked his head (gently) against the pillow.