Ben's first instinct is one of clear and pronounced surprise at the question even being an issue. Cole deserves that ice cream as much as anyone else. So what if it might sometime make some hypothetical person a little bit sad?

But he bites his bottom lip. That wasn't the question Cole had asked. Ben pauses, and considers. Tries to look at it objectively, past his partiality for Cole and almost, by this point, ferocious desire for him to be happy.

"It's not impossible. But the food in this fridge is all communal. Nobody has their heart set on any of it being there when they come back, or they would put their name on it. And besides, look at the other two flavors and how much less of them there is. People have been eating the other ones and avoiding the vanilla. Chances are good nobody's that attached to it."

Then, even though Cole didn't ask and even though he must have already felt the intensity of Ben's initial reaction, he adds, gently, "You deserve things that make you happy, too."

There are no exceptions to that, as far as Ben's concerned.