Stark Industries [all day Friday]

[momslilassassin]

It was Friday, so Ben was behind the counter as usual

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[endsthegame]

"Hope you don't mind Thai today," Ender said, as he came into the shop slightly later than usual. "I went for a walk and wound up there--"

[momslilassassin]

Ben glanced up, then bit his lower lip and shook his head. "Not hungry," he whispered.

[endsthegame]

That was not good in any way at all.

Ender crossed the distance to the counter and tossed the take-out bag on top, then slipped past it, half-squatting down on the floor so he could reach out and tug Ben into a hug.

[momslilassassin]

Ben clung tightly. "Jaina called."

There wasn't anything else to say.

[endsthegame]

"Mara?" Ender asked gently.

He couldn't think of anything else that would make Ben this upset.

[momslilassassin]

He nodded silently.

[endsthegame]

Ender pulled Ben's head into the crook of his neck where it met his shoulder. He ran his fingers over Ben's back as soothingly as he knew how, and didn't say anything else.

[momslilassassin]

Ben couldn't find it in him to cry--there was just a strangling tightness in his chest that he couldn't seem to breathe past--but being close to Ender helped a bit.

"I'm okay," he finally managed, even though that wasn't true. He was just more okay than he'd been before Ender had showed up.

[endsthegame]

"No, you're not," Ender murmured, "But that's okay."

[momslilassassin]

Ben rested his head against Ender's shoulder and tried to breathe. "It wasn't like I really thought it would change," he whispered.

But he'd hoped so hard that it would.

[endsthegame]

"You hoped it would," Ender said, running his fingers through Ben's hair next. "That can be twice as hard."

[momslilassassin]

"It was little boy thinking," Ben mumbled. "I should know better."

[endsthegame]

"It's your mother," Ender said. "I think you can be excused a little bit of little boy thinking." He pressed a kiss into Ben's hair. "Because with her you still got to be one."

[momslilassassin]

And that was enough to get Ben to tear up. He buried his face in Ender's shirt, embarrassed.

[endsthegame]

Ender slipped both arms back around him, giving him a tight squeeze. "Don't worry about that so much," he said quietly. "It's just me."

[momslilassassin]

Ben started to shiver. "She wasn't my mother," he said. "It feels inappropriate to mourn..."