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?"

Comments

[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.

[momslilassassin]

"I've got her," Ben whispered, kissing the top of Ender's head. "I'll take her for a coffee run. You nap."

If Ben thought being in public was going to stop Val from screeching, he had a rude awakening waiting for him.

[endsthegame]

"You're going to take an ornery baby out on a walk?" Ender mumbled. "Is that a good idea?"

[momslilassassin]

"I'll take her down by the dock. Hardly anyone's except probably Bucky down there, so she can yell without bothering everybody," Ben said. "The movement might get her to nod back off, too."

Way to think positively, Ben!

[endsthegame]

Ender let out a sigh. "Okay," he muttered, because he really was that tired. "But I'll take her if she's still awake after that."

[momslilassassin]

"Deal," Ben murmured, kissing Ender's forehead. "I love you even when you don't look like yourself."

[endsthegame]

"Good to know," Ender mumbled, though sleepiness took half the teasing out of it. "Be careful."

[momslilassassin]

"Always," Ben said, tucking the sheets up around Ender before getting Val settled in her baby stroller (that probably also could fly and defend itself because Ben). "Back in twenty minutes, hopefully."

[endsthegame]

Ender mumbled something and immediately turned over to faceplant in Ben's pillow.

He needed that nap.