Work Text:
December 2009
He spotted her from the other side of the rink, gripping onto the edge like her life depended on it. How she had got this far from the entrance when she was so scared and unsteady, Jess couldn’t imagine. All he did know was that it wasn’t in him to leave a damsel in distress stranded like that.
“Can I help you?” he asked as he arrived before her, pulling to a perfect stop on the ice.
“No, I’m fine, thanks,” she said, looking anything but as her skates shifted under her as if of their own volition, almost sending her sprawling again. “I... I’m just... I’m not the greatest skater.”
“Huh, I never would’ve guessed,” said Jess, barely suppressing a smirk. “Look, it’s fine. You’re not the first person to think they can handle it and then find they can’t. I should know, I work here.”
“You do?” she checked, looking down when he tapped the name tag on his jacket. “Oh, hi, Jess. I’m Rory,” she told him, “and you know, what? It seemed like a really good idea to tell my blind date to get lost when he turned a little handsy on me. Who wants a pervert for Christmas, right? So, I told him to go, leave me alone, never look back, and he did.”
“Leaving you in the middle of the ice with no way back,” said Jess, suddenly realising how this had happened. “Well, Rory, I’m happy to help you back to safety, just so long as you’re comfortable...” he said vaguely as he reached for her.
She seemed to realise what he meant pretty easily. For all that Rory wasn’t happy with her date getting too familiar on a first date, Jess couldn’t really help her without taking a hold, however innocently.
“You don’t seem like the weirdo type,” she said definitely. “I trust you.”
“Thanks,” said Jess, finding that to be quite the compliment, considering her situation. “Okay, so, you ready?”
Rory nodded, though she still looked awfully nervous as Jess prised one of her hands from the wall and held it tight in his. He put his arm around her then, holding her fairly close, then instructed her on how to move her feet as they pushed away from the wall. It was a fair distance back to the safety of the entrance, and they had to weave around several other couples, a few kids, and individuals as well.
Though Rory had expected to want to get off the ice as soon as possible, now Jess was holding her safely and guiding her way, ice-skating suddenly felt like it could be as much fun as she always imagined it might. When they got near to the edge, Jess spoke softly in her ear.
“If you want to get out of here, we need to slow down,” he explained, “or we can turn right and make another circuit, now you seem to have the hang of things.”
Rory curled further into his embrace, keeping her eyes forward when she replied.
“Turn right,” she said, smiling and blushing at the same time as they skated on.
Jess smiled too, even though she couldn’t see right now. “As you wish.”