Work Text:
“He would dance with no other maiden, and never left loose of her hand, and if any one else came to invite her, he said, ‘This is my partner.’” – Cinderella, The Brothers Grimm
~~~
I.
Then, it had been near the end of summer, Sui and Han having returned to the ice rink after their time off. Standing almost nose to nose, they’d giggled over how Wenjing was now nearly as tall as Cong.
Now, Cong felt troubled as he caught their coach’s quiet murmuring, “Too tall, too tall,” after yet another day of practice filled with struggles, where things which used to be smooth and easy felt way off axis. He frowned when later the coach pulled him aside, warned that the team wouldn’t succeed; it was suggested that he find a new partner.
A week later the young man gave his answer: no.
“I’ll get better, stronger,” he argued. “But she’s always been my partner.”
~~~
II.
For weeks there had been rumors regarding Zhang Hao’s mounting unhappiness with his partner. Still Han had no suspicion when he, Sui, and their coaches met with several officials from the federation one day.
“Mr. Zhang will be dissolving his current partnership after the season ends. He is interested in skating with Ms. Sui.”
Throat tightening, stomach turning into a cold knot, Cong’s eyes rounded in surprise; beside him he sensed rather than saw Wenjing stiffen in shock, and he resisted the impulse to reach for her hand. No, no, no! the word raced desperately through his mind.
However, it took him two days to gather up his courage and go back to the officials. (Zhang was a very experienced skater and an Olympic medalist after all, while Han was only a one-time World medalist in comparison.) Despite lingering butterflies, his eyes flashed and his voice was strong and steady.
“She is my partner.”
~~~
III.
It had been another day of practice, another day of feeling oddly isolated on the ice…until his partner had appeared in her wheelchair and the day now suddenly was looking up.
“Are you sure you’re willing to wait for me?” Sui asked. Her wheelchair was positioned by the boards.
“Eh?” Cong said, confused, leaning forward onto the boards to be closer to her level.
Nervously biting her bottom lip, she waved a hand that took in the chair, both feet in casts, her. “I-i-if this doesn’t work out, it wouldn’t be fair to you. You are a great skater and…,” she trailed off.
Similar wonderings had indeed been whispered about, sometimes just within Han’s earshot. But for Sui to ask… Speechless, he felt something protective surge up inside him.
With very careful maneuvering and some help from his fellow skaters, Cong lifted Wenjing up into his arms and then skated with her around the rink for several minutes. He did not comment on the way she trembled in his arms; nor did he when she pressed her face into his shoulder and his practice shirt grew damp.
Not until after she was safely returned to her wheelchair, and she gaped up at him with wide eyes (her earlier fear chased away by something he could not identify), did he finally answer her question.
“You are my partner! Never doubt that.”
~~~
IV.
They were in the dim (and for the moment empty) corridor during the NHK exhibition, still catching their breath following their performance.
Out of the blue Han stated, “Empress Sui.”
“Hmmm?”
“Fans have called you that for some time.”
“I know.”
He beamed. “And it is really true!”
“True?” Sui echoed.
“At the end of the tale Turandot became empress. And what a beautiful empress she was. Now the fans’ name truly suits you.”
Sui giggled. “Do not forget her emperor. Without Calaf she would not be where she was at the end,” she said, shifting close and reaching out for his hand.
Holding hands was nothing new for them. But this moment – off the ice, in the semi-darkness – Cong suddenly felt breathless as he glanced down at their entwined fingers and—
“You told them, ‘She is my partner.’”
Oh shoot! Blushing hotly, Han stumbled for words, “I just – I didn’t mean…”
Wenjing’s soft laugh instantly calmed him down. “Honestly, I thought it was so obvious from the beginning that nothing had to be explained.” She met his gaze and smiled. “He is my partner.”
Then, she kissed him on the cheek and his heart soared.
THE END