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Chapter 7

"Wait, wait," Rey said, looking dumbfounded at Leia. "You want his hands where?"

Leia pointed in the general vicinity of her waist. Rey felt like she'd been saying that a lot lately. Once Leia felt like she had jumping down reasonably well (Rey still practiced them every day, but they weren't her whole day like they'd been much of the summer and early fall), they moved on to lifts. Just like everything else, they'd started off the ice. This time, the ballet room got some extra padding in case of spills. And they needed it. They fell. A lot. Even Poe seemed to have trouble; he was adjusting to someone new.

This was why they'd done (and still did) all the weight training and exercise. There was so much more to lifts than Rey expected. She worried at first about Poe supporting her weight, but Leia promised her she'd be fine. After a couple of days, she figured out why. It was all about balance, not just Poe holding her up. She learned a lot about angles and axes and how to distribute their weight, so they didn't fall. Poe was surprisingly patient, helping her up every time she fell. She even started doing the same for him.

The change in him was confusing at first. On the surface, it looked like nothing had changed. They still bickered and snarked at each other. They got into petty squabbles about movies they'd watched or a new element Leia wanted them to try. But the meanness was (almost) completely gone. He didn't go out of his way to insult her. He seemed to be genuinely trying; Rey appreciated it. But sometimes, she missed the "old" Poe. At least, she knew where she stood with him.

Maybe Rey was the one who was confused. When they first started training for lifts, she was inexplicably shy. She knew this was part of the gig, but he was touching her in new places. She wasn't used to being so close to someone else. Not for hours on end, anyway. She certainly wasn't a prude, but this was intimate in a way she didn't feel entirely comfortable with at first. Repetition helped lessen the butterflies in her stomach, but then they'd start something new, and she'd be caught off guard. Again.

Poe, it seemed, was unaffected. He was professional and frustratingly detached. Of course, he'd been doing this a lot longer than her. With multiple partners. It bothered her that any of this bothered her. She couldn't be attracted to her partner; that was crazy. She really needed to get a grip on herself.

"I won't drop you," Poe promised.

"It's not you I'm worried about."

"Here, I thought you weren't afraid of anything."

Rey blinked at him. Was he teasing her? "I never said I was afraid."

"Coulda fooled me."

Rey huffed. "Fine, let's do this."

They started with a lift they'd already learned. Poe scooped her up bridal style; Rey looped her arm behind his neck and leaned back to distribute her weight more evenly. Leia promised her that this would feel more natural on the ice since they'd be moving. She felt dumb just leaning back while he spun them around in his sneakers. He lowered her gently to the floor. "See," he said. "That wasn't so bad."

Rey rolled her eyes. "Just watch where you're putting your hands," she snapped. She tugged her t-shirt down again; it kept riding up. She felt self-conscious enough; she didn't need any wardrobe malfunctions.

Poe chuckled. "You're not ticklish, are you?"

"What? No!" Rey cried. Poe laughed harder. "You bastard."

"What? That's a legitimate question!"

"No, it's not!"

"Like it or not, your costume's going to be a lot more revealing than that," he said, gesturing to her workout clothes. "I wouldn't want to drop you because you break out into a fit of giggles."

Rey threw up her hands and marched off. He was being impossible! Where did he get off teasing her like this? Why did she allow herself to get so flustered with him? She really needed to get out of here, see other people. Rose had been after her to visit home; maybe it was time to take her up on that. After Christmas and New Year's. The Damerons hosted a party on New Year's Eve every year; the infamous Zorii was supposed to visit. Rey was very curious about her; she couldn't resist the chance to meet her. Anyone who could put up with Poe long enough to be in an actual relationship with him had to be either a saint or insane.

Poe watched Rey walk away; his lips quirked up in a smile. He found her awkwardness endlessly amusing. She was usually so bold and forthright, but lately, she'd been flustered. He couldn't resist teasing her; it was too easy. He felt a little payback was warranted; she never hesitated to poke fun at him. Besides, she was cute when she was mad.

He decided to use the break wisely. He got himself some water and dug his phone out from his bag. He was expecting a package; it was supposed to be delivered today. Christmas was only a couple of weeks away. Gifts for his dad, Zorii and Leia were already locked away in his room. Those were easy; he found them with little trouble. A silk tie for his dad, a sapphire necklace and matching bracelet for Zorii, some framed art for Leia. When it came to Rey, he was stumped. For a while, he considered not getting her anything, but they were trying to be friends now. Friends got each other Christmas gifts. He discovered recently that he'd missed her birthday completely; he felt a little guilty about that. She'd said nothing; they even skated that day. They skated on Poe's birthday too, but they'd gotten off early for a fancy dinner with Kes and Leia.

Was he that much of an ass that she didn't want to celebrate with him? He didn't like that feeling at all. He resolved to make up for it with an amazing Christmas gift, but when it came to finding said gift, he was lost. He wanted to get her something she would like. Gifts so often reflected more about the person giving the gift than the person receiving it. What did she think of when she thought about him? Poe wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

He finally had an idea a week ago. They'd been bickering (as per usual) about the movie they'd watched the night before, The Fellowship of the Ring. Rey had finally convinced him to revisit the Lord of the Rings trilogy, even though Poe made it perfectly clear he preferred the books. He remembered that she mentioned she'd never read them. That night, he went on a search. There were a lot of editions, but he finally found a lovely leatherbound set of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. They were supposed to arrive today.

According to the shipping link, it was out for delivery. Good. He could get it wrapped up before he went to bed then. He was about to put his phone away when a text came through. Hey.

Poe frowned. It wasn't like Zorii to text him in the middle of the day, out of the blue. They'd spoken a few days ago, just for a few minutes. She was in the middle of some sensitive meetings for the company; Poe was exhausted. He looked up; Rey was speaking quietly with Leia. He tapped out a reply. Is something wrong?

The three dots flashed at him. I can't text my boyfriend?

Poe rolled his eyes. It's the middle of the day. I'm training. Excuse me for thinking there was some emergency!

Her reply was quick. It's evening here, remember? Is that girl giving you a hard time again?

Poe clenched his fist. Her name is Rey. I told you the other day, we're trying to be friends.

This reply was slower; what was she even doing? This was so far out of the pattern he and Zorii were in; Poe was genuinely confused. You've never been good at making friends, babe. Maybe you should stick to what you're good at.

What the hell did that mean? Zorii didn't know what she was talking about; he and Rey were friends now. They were. Training certainly wasn't as onerous as it was in the beginning; they spent time together outside the rink. Not a lot, but not out of a lack of desire. Training was exhausting; they needed to do things like sleep. Zorii never understood what drove Poe to put in such long hours at the rink. For her, skating was recreational, not her job. You'll see for yourself soon.

The dots winked at him. I am very excited to meet her.

Rey and Leia were coming back; Poe tapped out one last message. Gotta go, work's calling. He didn't wait for a reply, tossing his phone back into his bag. "We ready?" he asked.

"I thought we'd give Rey a taste of what it'll feel like on the ice," Leia replied.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" They were nowhere near ready for that!

"She'll be in the harness; nothing to worry about." Poe noticed that Rey looked less than thrilled about this. She hated the harness. She was more of a "learn by doing" person.

Poe shrugged. "You're the boss."

They headed out to the rink; Poe and Rey laced up their skates. They did some more stretches and loops around the rink to get warmed up. Then Leia helped Rey get into the harness. It was suspended from the corners with adjustable stretching cables; it was supposed to help skaters get used to jumping and aerial tricks without falling on the hard ice.

"Just follow Poe's lead," Leia advised. "You're perfectly safe in this."

"He's not going to try to make me puke, is he?"

"And ruin my sweater?" he snarked. "Not a chance."

"Just take it easy," Leia said.

She stepped away and left them to it. The harness wouldn't let them do some other lifts they'd been working on, so they had to try a few newer ones. Poe had done them hundreds of times, but Rey was a novice. He squeezed her hand reassuringly before picking her up; she squeezed back. She trusted him as he twisted her, holding her by one hand and one foot, spinning them across the ice. He tried to put her upright properly, but they got a little tangled. "Sorry," he muttered.

Rey braced herself on his forearms. "It's okay."

Their eyes locked; Poe could see the little green flecks that sparkled in the sunlight. They were almost nose to nose; after a long beat, Rey pushed herself away a few inches. His skin still tingled from where she'd grabbed him to steady herself. He couldn't resist looking her over; she seemed fine, if slightly embarrassed.

What was that about?

The afternoon crept on; they tried a variety of lifts from the safety of the harness. Inexplicably to Poe, Rey grew more and more distant as the hours passed. Poe couldn't understand it. Was Zorii right? Was he messing up the friend thing? The idea rankled him; it soon soured his mood too.

"You want his hands where?" Rey asked again, dangling above Poe's head. Leia pointed at her hips. Rey still looked skeptical. But she held out her hands. Poe scowled; this was the lift that he and Jannah had fallen on in Sochi. He didn't want to do it, but what choice did he have? He took her hands and did a pivot to get them moving. He didn't spin Rey fast, his small way of protesting the whole thing.

"Poe," Leia said warningly.

"What? It's going to take us five years to get this up to half speed!" he complained.

"Hey!" Rey cried. "I'm right here!"

"You want faster? Here!" Poe grabbed her leg and swung her around with all his might. Rey cried out in surprise as she spun drunkenly. Poe knew he was being childish, but ever since Zorii's text he'd been in a foul mood. The sun was starting to set; he made the executive decision to call it a day.

"Poe! Poe, come back!" Leia called as he yanked off his skated and stalked out.

"Don't worry about it," Rey said.

"He's acting like a child," Leia said as she helped Rey out of the harness.

"We've both seen him do worse."

"True." Leia rested a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you call it a day too?"

"And get to bed at a decent hour? Yes please."

She and Leia enjoyed an early dinner in the loft. Even during dinner, it was hard for Rey to relax. She couldn't figure out what got into Poe. He'd seemed fine until she'd lost her temper. She'd spotted him with his phone; it looked like he was texting someone. Zorii? That didn't make Rey feel any better.

"Leave the dishes; I think you could use a massage," Leia said as they finished up.

That sounded heavenly to Rey. Her aches had aches. Ten minutes later, she stretched out on the portable massage table Leia had, flat on her belly. Leia got to work on her sore legs; Rey sighed. Even as her muscles uncoiled, she couldn't stop thinking about Poe's abrupt exit from the rink. "He's got everything," she said quietly. "A house, the rink. I don't get it." Leia remained quiet. "You know something? I don't think he even likes to skate."

"You worked in a garage," Leia pointed out. "You were happy there?"

"Hey, I worked there because I had to." When long moments passed in silence, Rey figured it out. Skating was a job to Poe. Maybe he'd enjoyed it once, but somehow the joy had been sucked out of it. Then why did he do it? She didn't know; she wasn't sure she wanted to find out.

Poe opened the blinds; he blinked at the blanket of white out his window. Snow. The weather forecast had been right after all. They'd gotten a white Christmas. It seemed like too much to hope for; they hadn't had one since he was a kid. Trees were covered; the driveway back to the garage was indistinguishable from the grass. He wondered if Rey had seen it yet. They probably had white Christmases more often in Minnesota.

Since it was Christmas, they had the day off from skating. Poe stretched his arms over his head, then went to get a shower. Christmas days were lazy in the Dameron house; they didn't exchange presents until dinner time. The scent of freshly baked cinnamon rolls was already filtering through the house; he would get a couple before curling up in the window seat with a book.

After his shower, Poe tucked the towel around his waist and stepped out of the bathroom. He grabbed a smaller one for his hair to dry the dripping curls. He stared out the window, enjoying the beautiful sight outside. How long had it been? Poe had a vague memory of his mother out in the snow, a snowball fight. He'd just been little; Shara had taken her son outside to enjoy the winter wonderland. He smiled to himself, his fingers curling around the ring that hung from his neck. I miss you, Mom.

A knock at the door startled him. He jumped; the towel around his waist tumbled to the floor. "Just a minute!" he cried, trying to grab the towel. But the door opened anyway, and Rey stepped through. Poe's cheeks flushed red as he scrambled for the towel. "Are you deaf? Did I say come in?"

"No."

"Get out! Get out this second!" He finally got the towel; fortunately, his back was to her.

Rey blinked; she wet her lips instinctively. She knew she should leave, but she couldn't force her body to move. Her mind was too full of the fleeting glimpse she'd gotten of Poe's ass. And damn. This wasn't the first time she'd admired it, but now she had a better idea of what he looked like naked. Shit. She decided to play things cool like he had no effect on her. "I handle this stuff all the time," she said. "It's not that big a mystery."

Poe let out a breath, then turned to face her, the towel tied securely. She was holding something; it was wrapped in gaudy looking paper. "What's that?"

Rey shook herself; she needed to stop staring. But he was in a towel and barechested and wet…was it hot in here all of a sudden? She thrust her hand out. "Open it up." She was nervous (aside from the shock of Poe standing in front of her practically naked); she'd thought long and hard about what to get him for Christmas. "Go on." Poe took the soft bulky present from her, turning it over in his hands. "I wrapped it myself." She laughed nervously. "What do you get for the guy who has everything, right?"

Poe found a seam and ripped the paper. Apparently, no one explained how they did Christmas in the Dameron house. He'd been planning on going over to the loft later to give Rey her present, but since she was here, he didn't want to disappoint her. Folded black and silver cloth tumbled into his hands. "An old shirt?"

Rey's face fell. "An old shirt? Wayne Gretzky wore that sweater. That's Wayne Gretzky's game sweater; I've had that over ten years." The Ticos had gotten it for her at a charity auction when she was ten; she had no idea how much it cost. Poe shook it out, looking at it oddly. Rey sighed in exasperation. "Wayne Gretzky?" She reached for the sweater. She wanted to give him something meaningful; that sweater was one of her most prized possessions. "Forget it, I'll take it." She grabbed it, starting a tug of war with Poe.

"No!" Poe cried. "I like it!"

"I'll get something else." They kept tugging back and forth; Rey winced. "You're gonna tear it!"

"Then let go!" Poe exclaimed. Rey let go abruptly; one of the sleeves smacked Poe in the face. He held the sweater against his chest. "Thank you."

Rey shrugged. "So anyway, Merry Christmas." She turned to go, her cheeks aflame.

"Wait a minute!" Poe didn't wait for her to turn; he grabbed her gift bag from his bedside table. He held it out by the handles, smiling. "Merry Christmas."

Rey tilted her head; she honestly hadn't expected him to get her anything. She'd debated with herself over his gift for weeks; it didn't matter if he reciprocated. He was her friend. Her friend who was currently standing in front of her in nothing but a towel. Don't think about that, she thought as she accepted the gift bag. It was large but thin, stuffed to overflowing with colored paper. Rey grinned and started yanking out the carefully placed paper and tinsel. She found a couple of books inside. One was much thicker than the other; the lettering was in gold. "The Lord of the Rings?"

"And The Hobbit," Poe said proudly. "It was either that or Hockey for Dummies. I took a chance."

He looked so pleased; Rey wasn't sure what to make of the gift. She wasn't a reader. But she didn't want to hurt his feelings. "Um, thanks."

"You're welcome."

She tucked the books back into the bag. "I'll head back to the loft. Sorry about just barging in."

Poe called after her before she could leave. "Rey."

"Yeah?"

Poe scratched nervously behind his ear. "Would you, uh, like to go outside and have a snowball fight?"

Rey frowned. Had she heard right? "A snowball fight? I've never had anyone ask before pummeling me with snowballs."

He laughed nervously. "Stupid, right? It's just…it's something I did with my mom and we haven't had a white Christmas in years…" God, he was rambling. "You what? Nevermind."

Rey's smile was gentle. "Actually, I would love that. Maybe we could build a snowman too?"

Poe smiled back. "I'd like that."

"Okay. Meet me down by the pond in an hour?"

"An hour?"

Rey gestured at him. "Some of us need to get dressed."

Poe flushed. "Oh. Right. Yeah. An hour sounds good."

Rey started to leave, then she stopped. "Oh, and Poe?"

"Yeah?"

"Prepare to get your ass kicked!" She giggled as she left, leaving Poe gawking after her. He brought the sweater up to his nose; it still smelled like her. Why would she give him something so precious? Especially after his behavior the other day? It obviously meant a lot to her; she wore this sweater all the time. He walked over to his closet and hung it up; he didn't want it to get ruined in the snow. He had a snowball fight to win.