Work Text:
Title: Salaam
by lalejandra
End Notes:
For The Avril Game, "I'm With You".
Published at: 2005-10-09
Revised at: 2005-10-08 20:00:00 -0400
Ender can still feel Alai's breath hot on his ear, can hear Alai's word as though it floats in the air near him all the time. Salaam. Salaam.
Sometimes when Ender can't sleep, he stares at the ceiling of his bunk and thinks: Salaam.
What did Alai want? What did he mean? Peace -- everyone wants peace. No, not everyone, Ender corrects himself. But Ender wants peace. Always wanted peace. Strange to bring peace through absence.
What was Alai trying to say, using a forbidden word? Too much has been forbidden, there are too many lies -- now everything feels like a code Ender has to break and a game Ender has to play.
But the word is simple, it's easy, it's two syllables, it doesn't have to mean something else.
He brushes his fingers over the places Alai touched him, brushes his fingers over his ear -- salaam -- his arm -- salaam --his hand -- salaam --