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“Shenhe!” Yun Jin waved frantically from behind the ice rink counter. “Over here!”
Shenhe walked over, unwrapping the red scarf from around her neck. “Hello, Yun Jin. Your text sounded urgent. Did you need some help during your shift?”
Yun Jin shook her head. “Even if I did, I’m not going to make you work on your birthday. I’m closing up in a bit though, and I have a surprise for you.”
“Oh, is there anything I can do?”
“Nope! I just want to enjoy your company, if that’s all right?”
The corners of Shenhe’s lips curled up in the beginnings of a smile. “It would be my pleasure.”
—
“Ta-da!” Yun Jin gave a little dance that ended in some jazz hands. “You got me…a dance?” Shenhe asked, obviously confused.
Yun Jin laughed, “I got you an empty ice rink. You said you didn’t like big celebrations, so I thought we could celebrate by ice skating together.”
Shenhe pulled her into a hug. “Thank you,” she murmured. “I know I don’t say it often, but…I really appreciate you, Yun Jin.” Yun Jin stayed silent. It was rare for Shenhe to be vulnerable like this, so she didn’t want to ruin the moment.
“You said just the two of us?” Shenhe asked, releasing her. Yun Jin nodded. “Well, what are we waiting for?”
—
“This is so embarrassing,” Yun Jin grumbled. “I thought dancing was supposed to translate well to these sorts of things.” They were arm in arm, skating at about five miles per hour, tops.
“You can’t work at an ice rink without knowing how to ice skate,” Shenhe had said.
Frankly, Yun Jin was just fine leaving all ice skating-related things to Shenhe, and if she happened to have all her shifts during Shenhe’s practices, well, that was her business. Plus, it wasn’t like ice skating was a requirement for her job.
However, her unwillingness to learn came back to haunt her as she slipped for what felt like the millionth time. It was a blessing and a curse that Shenhe had insisted on helping her after watching her pathetically shuffle beside the wall for the first few minutes. They had ended up linking arms for stability and, for what Yun Jin liked to think, as an excuse to be near each other. Still, she felt bad for taking away from Shenhe’s special day.
“Sorry,” Yun Jin said.
“What are you apologizing for?” Shenhe asked.
“This probably isn’t how you envisioned spending your birthday.”
To her surprise, Shenhe had a small smile—and was that a blush?—on her face when Yun Jin looked up at her. Shenhe shrugged, “I don’t mind. I get to teach you something instead of the other way around. Think of it as me returning the favor.” Yun Jin hummed, trying to hide her own blush creeping up her neck.
“What if I carried you?” Shenhe suddenly said. This caught Yun Jin so off guard, that she tripped over her skates and would have met an icy fate if Shenhe hadn’t steadied her.
“What?” Yun Jin spluttered, regaining some of her composure. “Do you even know if that’s safe?!”
“If you’re worried about your safety, I can assure you that I will do my utmost best to ensure your protection. I would never intentionally do something to hurt you,” Shenhe stated calmly.
“That’s not— It’s you I’m worried about, Shenhe. Are you sure you can carry another person while skating?”
“Oh. Well, yes, I am quite confident in my abilities.”
“Ok…just please don’t hurt yourself.”
In one smooth motion, Shenhe swept Yun Jin off her feet (literally and figuratively) and instructed her to loop her arms around her neck. Shenhe began picking up speed, and they made a few laps around the rink in no time. Yun Jin loved how Shenhe looked while skating. It was like all her burdens fell away from her the instant she touched the ice.
After a while, Shenhe skated over to the exit and gently set Yun Jin down. “That was amazing, Shenhe!” she exclaimed. Shenhe bowed her head. “Thank you. I’m glad that my training has paid off.”
She grabbed Shenhe’s hand and started tugging her away from the rink. “I have one more surprise, so follow me.”
—
Yun Jin had gotten clearance (re: stole the keys from her boss’s office, but if they didn’t want that to happen, they should have made them harder to access) to go onto the roof of the building. It was perfect for stargazing on clear nights, something Yun Jin knew Shenhe liked to do. They were laying side by side on a blanket that she had brought up earlier, silent, save for the occasional exhale.
“Yun Jin?”
“Mhm?”
“I think I love you.”
“…Yeah,” she breathed, hooking her pinky with Shenhe’s, “me, too.”