The Frozen Pond
(I was @rewyo secret santa! I hope you had a fantastic holiday season and this little gift satisfy’s any reylo fluffy needs. I had a hard time writing anything fluffy after going through all 5 stages of grief after tros, I’m not going to lie. But I promise this ends with all sorts of good, warm, fluffy feelings!)
Rey hurried along the almost deserted snowy sidewalk, face hidden under her scarf and parka’s hood, and hands stuffed in her jeans pockets as the soft flakes fell from the gray heavens and cushioned her steps. Her favorite local coffee shop was closed today. Just like any other business that had a soul. Only Starbucks was open, like the other corporate soul suckers that both forced people to work instead of spending Christmas with their families, and also didn’t pay their employees enough so they could afford to take a damn day off.
She opened the door and was awash in the comforting smell of coffee, breathing it in deeply and feeling her shoulders relaxing a smidge, though the warmth was too hot in her coat that she unzipped quickly, throwing of her hood, sending melting snowflakes to fall where she stood.
Most of the other patrons picked up their daily dose of caffeine with groggy eyes and scurried out, a fine Christmas morning libation on their way to work. Working as an engineer she knew was extremely lucky. She made decent money, even straight out of college, got vacation, great medical, and got off on holidays. But on days like Christmas she almost wished she worked for one of the evil corporations, she mused wryly stepping into line.
“What would you like, we have our new holiday flavor this year, the-” the barista sighed, her eyes red and squinting, clearly nursing a hangover.
“A grande vanilla latte,” Rey muttered and handed over her credit card. She didn’t need a festive flavor to make her feel more alone amongst all the glowing lights and tinsel.
Once her drink arrived, Rey headed for a table to nurse her sorrows.
Surprisingly there was one other person seated in the establishment. Even sitting and wearing a navy blue knit sweater, Rey could tell he was extremely tall and solidly built. He was raven haired, the silky strands waving gently to his shoulders and partially shielding his face as he bent over a crossword.
Ordinarily Rey wouldn’t have the courage to talk to strangers, but hell, it was Christmas and the weight of loneliness was a physical pain on her chest.
Rey sat down across from the stranger. His brown eyes startled, confused, as he looked over into her hazel eyes. Suddenly Rey’s throat felt parched, and she couldn’t think of anything to say.
The awkward silence stretched through the sound of steam and percolating coffee.
Finally the stranger said, “Can I help-?”
“Crosswords?” Rey managed to choke out, suddenly realizing just how gorgeous he was. “I like them too. Good way, good way to start a morning. With coffee.”
“Um, I suppose-”
“I’m Rey,” she shot out a hand, and he tentatively reached out his much larger hand to shake hers, completely engulfing her slim fingers with his large but surprisingly elegant ones. The sight made her mouth water.
“I’m Ben.”
“Do you work, today I mean?” She asked and took a sip of her coffee, trying not to stare at his perfect alabaster skin dotted with a constellation of moles she suddenly longed to trace with her finger tips and kiss as she charted every one. Get a grip! She admonished herself, thinking about rubbing her nose against his proud but slightly too long one, which oddly suited his unique face perfectly.
He paused, then said, “No, I don’t.”
“Me neither, sadly. It would be nice to have something to do to keep me busy.”
He looked back down at his crossword and filled in a few boxes. Suddenly afraid she had made everything too awkward and she should just leave the poor guy alone, she scooted her chair back, about to apologize and stand up, when he snorted and nodded his head, turning back to regard her.
“I agree. I know this sounds pathetic probably, but being at a Starbucks is better than being alone at home on Christmas.”
Rey let out the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “Yeah, yeah, same. I guess if we’re over sharing, I, I don’t actually have a family. Grew up in foster care. I used to celebrate with friends in college,” she shrugged, glumly turning her cup in her hands. “But then I moved to this city when I got my job offer, and my found family all spread out across the country for work. Everyone’s too far away now.”
He nodded along, sipping from his own coffee as he listened.
“Thought I’d end up going crazy or drunk if I stayed in my apartment alone today, so, well, here I am, feeding my caffeine addiction. Um, anyway,” she took a sip of her latte and nervously pushed half her short bob behind her ear. “Enough about me.”
Ben however didn’t seem put off in the least. “Yeah, I definitely understand that feeling, hence why I’m out at this ungodly hour. I am however unlucky enough to have a family that, well let’s just say family dinners are not pleasant affairs.”
Rey couldn’t help a little burning flame of jealousy rise up in her at the mention of a family, even if he didn’t seem to get along with his.
“I’m also new here,” Ben continued. “In fact the whole reason I took this job was to have the opportunity to live on the other side of the country from my parents so I’d have an excuse not to come. But I didn’t think it would be this-” he gestured and chuckled humorlessly.
“Lonely?” Rey offered in a soft voice.
His soulful eyes, that she now realized were flecked with green, stared at her a moment before he nodded. “Yes.”
They seemed unable to look away. It was such a simple thing, to have an emotion in common. But in this moment there seemed to be a thread keeping them together, and neither could look away.
Ben cleared his throat, his cheeks suddenly turning pink. “Would, if it’s not too much- we could hang- never mind, sorry, sorry I’m being weir-” He looked down, his wide shoulders hunching in, hair falling in his face as if he were trying to hide his huge body behind the curtain of dark locks.
“I’d love to.” Rey felt her heart leap in her chest, her own cheeks warming.
“You would?” he looked back up at her, astonished and adorably shy.
“Y-yes.” She couldn’t help the big toothy grin that broke out across her face.
“Oh. Um. Do, do you like ducks? Wait, no that’s-” he hunched in on himself again.
“I think ducks are cute!” she chirped. “I’m a big animal lover.”
“Me too.” he breathed out in relief. “I like to go feed the ducks at the pond in the park that’s down the street, you ever been there?”
“Only once, in passing. I haven’t been here long.”
“Well, we could, if its not lame-”
“I’d love to go feed the ducks with you Ben,” Rey said, standing up and reaching for his hand.
He stood to follow, towering over her, but obviously self conscious of his height in the way he stooped to look down at her, trying to look less intimidating. They let go of each other as he shrugged into his own coat and grabbed his unfinished coffee. As they left through the door however, Rey reached out and held his warm hand in hers all the way to the park.
The ducks were very put out about having their pond being frozen. It was a beautiful sight though, the snow on the dark ice, surrounded by frosty cattails.
Rey decided she loved the way Ben’s eyes lit up as he fed the quacking water fowl, who had all came waddling as fast as they could, wiggling their tails, quacking loudly as soon as they recognized him.
And Ben decided that he loved the way Rey giggled at the birds antics.
It took another week before they found out about these secret thoughts from the other, on another such duck feeding outing. And when they did find out, they shared their first kiss by the snowy pond.
