Rey woke up in bed with Ben, their legs tangled together. Last night hadn't been fun, but it had been cathartic. They had talked for hours, drinking, crying, and kissing. Moving to her bedroom had seemed inevitable, but once they were there, it was impossible not to get lost in the moment.

She didn't want to say goodbye.

Ben moved in his sleep and pulled the blanket closer, a clear sign that he was waking up.

"I'll make breakfast," she whispered in his ear, not sure if he was alert enough to hear her.

It was chilly in her apartment, so she grabbed the blue cotton robe hanging on her door and put it on. She walked into her main space and turned up the heat. There was no need to be cold on Christmas morning.

She quickly brushed her teeth and washed her face before going to the kitchen.

Rey turned on her coffee maker and then looked in the fridge to see what she had. She took out eggs, cheese, and what few vegetables she had. It would have to be omelettes. As she chopped the vegetables, she imagined what would happen this morning. Would Ben want to stay and talk over breakfast, or would he rush out of here? She knew which of the two options she hoped for, but she didn't know how realistic that option was.

The door to her bedroom opened and she tried not to stare, pretending to focus on the vegetables she had already finished chopping. Ben was only wearing his black boxer briefs and white undershirt.

"Good morning," he said, walking toward her, "what are you making?" His voice was rough from sleep, but he sounded pleased, like he was unused to having someone cook for him.

"Omelettes." Rey turned on the stove. "I hope you like eggs."

"I do." Ben kissed her cheek, just shy of her lips. "Do you have anything I can use to brush my teeth?"

"Toothpaste is on the counter and there should be some new toothbrushes in the middle drawer."

Ben thanked her and went to the washroom.

Rey put on the toast and started cooking the eggs. There was something so domestic about cooking breakfast for someone. Having people over—romantic partners especially—wasn't something she did often.

Not that this was particularly romantic.

But it could be, a voice in the back of her mind said.

Ben joined her in the kitchen just as the toast popped up. "Can I help?"

"I'm good, but if you want, you can pour yourself coffee. Mugs are above the sink."

Ben poured himself a mug. "Do you want one?"

"That would be great."

Ben brough both their coffees over to her tiny kitchen table. His size made her realize how small her table and chairs were.

Rey plated the food and brought it over. "I hope you don't have any dietary restrictions. I should have asked first—"

"I would have told you," Ben said, smiling at her, which helped calm her nerves. "This looks great."

…

As they ate, they chatted about breakfast and cooking. Rey learned that Ben rarely ate out and usually cooked. He learned that she was trying to cook more, but takeout was often the more appealing option.

"I'd love to cook with you sometime," Ben said between bites. "I've always liked cooking with other people."

"You're not overly protective of your space—where things go and how they're used?"

"I try not to be, but it had been a long time since I cooked with someone—before I moved into my current apartment."

"How long have you lived there?"

Ben took a moment to think of the answer. "Three years." He laughed. "I didn't realize it had been that long. I moved to my current place after my last promotion. I haven't had much time for anything other than work."

That sounded familiar. "You need to make time." She had been trying to take more time for herself lately.

"With the right incentive," he said, "I think I will."

Rey leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. "And what would be the right incentive?"

Ben leaned forward too, mirroring her posture. "More time with you would be a good start."

She raised her eyebrows. "Oh?"

"We could start today." Ben leaned back. "Are you free after breakfast?"

"You know I am," Rey said, smiling. "What did you have in mind?"

"Have you been to the outdoor ice rink downtown?"

Not what Rey had expected. Ice skating was a very date-like activity. Very seasonal too. "No, is it good?" she asked.

"I don't know," Ben admitted, "but it's close to my office and people there always seem like they're having fun."

"That's a very Christmassy activity."

"We could do something else, like—"

"It sounds like fun," Rey said, cutting him off.

"Really?"

"Yes," she agreed, "with you."

…

Ice skating was more difficult than Rey had remembered. She didn't feel too bad because Ben wasn't great either.

The large crowd of skaters didn't help.

"I still don't understand how you got us a last minute time slot," Rey said. Only so many people could be on the ice at a time—far too many people in Rey's opinion. She narrowed her eyes. "You didn't bribe anyone, did you?"

Ben laughed. "No, just called in a favour."

Rey skated around Ben on one foot. "Hmm, doesn't sound so different." She stumbled, and he helped her steady herself. "Hope this was worth it."

"It is," Ben said, still holding her arms. His face was so open. She could see that he was allowing himself to be vulnerable with her.

Rey swallowed. "Thank you for inviting me. I'm actually enjoying Christmas—"

Ben looked away from her, suddenly shy. "I'm just glad you let me take you out."

Rey skated closer to him and kissed his jaw. "Can I interest you in dinner?"

"I'd love dinner with you." He leaned down and kissed her.

Even though this was a short kiss, it left her breathless. Rey liked kissing Ben a lot. She liked doing a lot of things with him: drinking, eating, skating—

—and the activity didn't matter because she just wanted to spend more time with him, and she was pretty confident that he wanted to spend more time with her too.

"Do you want to come over to my place?" Ben asked. "We could cook together."

Rey took his hand. "Sounds perfect."