For allbingo
Dec. 24th, 2021 06:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianTitle: Chance Encounters
Summary: Mistletoe on Christmas Eve encourages Ben and Poe to take the next step.
Prompt: Christmas Eve
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
The best way to describe Christmas Eve dinner was that it felt like just about all of Ben’s extended family was there. And Poe, naturally. It wasn’t even like Poe wasn’t close to Ben; Ben could say that Poe was very close to him. Even if the both of them were going through a rough time right now.
Ben loved him with all his heart. Of course he did. The problem was wondering how exactly to broach the subject with Poe. Most of 2021 had been hell if only because Ben had no idea how to bring up his feelings towards Poe, while hating himself for being completely emotionally constipated.
He supposed he got it from both his parents. Neither one of them had been good at confessing their feelings, Ben heard.
"Hey.” Jannah Calrissian gently nudged him. “Ben. You haven’t even opened your Christmas cracker or anything.” Thanks to Christmas Eve dinner getting burnt due to bad luck on Leia’s part (it seemed that things were just determined to go wrong for Ben on Christmas at times), they’d ordered pizza instead. Not much of a bummer, in Ben’s opinion.
Ben sighed. No use putting it off. He noticed Poe watching — if Ben didn’t know better, he’d say Poe actually looked interested, just for a moment.
“ ‘What do you call a boomerang that doesn’t come back? A…’” Ben sighed. “It’s a stick. I don’t get it.”
“Hey, at least it’s not the ‘brown and sticky’ joke,” Poe said, and Ben found himself laughing too hard at Poe’s joke, more than he should have.
Poe didn’t seem to mind. He winked at Ben. Even looking at him, Ben couldn’t say he minded at all.
***
Poe’s Christmas cracker joke wasn’t any better. Ben supposed the jokes in Christmas crackers had their own charm to them in terms of the corny, stupid puns that they could come up with. Like they were so very not funny that they were delightful.
Ben looked over at Poe, wishing just for a moment that he could tell Poe the truth. Even so much as asking him out on a date in 2022.
***
Ben took the opportunity when everyone else went off to bed. What he didn’t expect, of course, was…oh dear God, the mistletoe. It must have been Great-Aunt Nerys’ idea. Probably wasn’t intending to catch Ben and Poe under it, but still…
“Well, um…” Poe looked a bit awkward. “Do you want me to? Can I kiss you?”
At least Poe was asking. That made it a lot easier. “Go for it.”
Poe kissed him. On the mouth. There was a moment where Ben found that fireworks were erupting in his head — in a good way. Poe drew away, clearly a bit chagrined. “I — I hope that wasn’t awkward! I just don’t want to ruin our friendship; I really like you, Ben…”
Ben smiled. “Poe. I like you too. I like you a lot.”
They kissed again, and something about the slow, peaceful press of their lips under the mistletoe was enough to burn its way into Ben’s memories, his bones — all in a good way.
Summary: Mistletoe on Christmas Eve encourages Ben and Poe to take the next step.
Prompt: Christmas Eve
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
The best way to describe Christmas Eve dinner was that it felt like just about all of Ben’s extended family was there. And Poe, naturally. It wasn’t even like Poe wasn’t close to Ben; Ben could say that Poe was very close to him. Even if the both of them were going through a rough time right now.
Ben loved him with all his heart. Of course he did. The problem was wondering how exactly to broach the subject with Poe. Most of 2021 had been hell if only because Ben had no idea how to bring up his feelings towards Poe, while hating himself for being completely emotionally constipated.
He supposed he got it from both his parents. Neither one of them had been good at confessing their feelings, Ben heard.
"Hey.” Jannah Calrissian gently nudged him. “Ben. You haven’t even opened your Christmas cracker or anything.” Thanks to Christmas Eve dinner getting burnt due to bad luck on Leia’s part (it seemed that things were just determined to go wrong for Ben on Christmas at times), they’d ordered pizza instead. Not much of a bummer, in Ben’s opinion.
Ben sighed. No use putting it off. He noticed Poe watching — if Ben didn’t know better, he’d say Poe actually looked interested, just for a moment.
“ ‘What do you call a boomerang that doesn’t come back? A…’” Ben sighed. “It’s a stick. I don’t get it.”
“Hey, at least it’s not the ‘brown and sticky’ joke,” Poe said, and Ben found himself laughing too hard at Poe’s joke, more than he should have.
Poe didn’t seem to mind. He winked at Ben. Even looking at him, Ben couldn’t say he minded at all.
***
Poe’s Christmas cracker joke wasn’t any better. Ben supposed the jokes in Christmas crackers had their own charm to them in terms of the corny, stupid puns that they could come up with. Like they were so very not funny that they were delightful.
Ben looked over at Poe, wishing just for a moment that he could tell Poe the truth. Even so much as asking him out on a date in 2022.
***
Ben took the opportunity when everyone else went off to bed. What he didn’t expect, of course, was…oh dear God, the mistletoe. It must have been Great-Aunt Nerys’ idea. Probably wasn’t intending to catch Ben and Poe under it, but still…
“Well, um…” Poe looked a bit awkward. “Do you want me to? Can I kiss you?”
At least Poe was asking. That made it a lot easier. “Go for it.”
Poe kissed him. On the mouth. There was a moment where Ben found that fireworks were erupting in his head — in a good way. Poe drew away, clearly a bit chagrined. “I — I hope that wasn’t awkward! I just don’t want to ruin our friendship; I really like you, Ben…”
Ben smiled. “Poe. I like you too. I like you a lot.”
They kissed again, and something about the slow, peaceful press of their lips under the mistletoe was enough to burn its way into Ben’s memories, his bones — all in a good way.
