This is based on "Silent Night" when Jack and Sue give each other the same jersey for Christmas. Let me know if you have any scenes you want me to write. Check out my other story "The Revenge Killer" and make sure to put in your vote.
For most people, Christmas presents are used and then forgotten over time. Sometimes, it takes months to find a place to put them and store them when you are not using them. For Sue, that was a different story.
Maybe it was because she had gotten the exact same thing for Jack, but her hockey jersey was one of her favorite things to wear, particularly on cold days. Which in DC in the winter time, was just about every day. One such winter morning, on a Sunday, found Sue walking down to the closest ice skating rink, dressed in her warmest coat and with her warm jersey on. Levi trotted beside her, acting as her ears in case someone called her.
Once she reached the indoor facility, Sue took off her coat and grabbed a pair of ice skates from the rental station. Lucy was meeting her here soon, so Levi would have someone to hang out with, rather than sitting on the side watching his mistress from afar. Sue felt giddy with excitement. It had been years since she had gone ice skating, and she couldn't wait to be on the ice again.
Soon, Lucy was there in the bleachers, watching her friend glide across the ice as easy as walking. She had a natural grace and beauty on the ice that was very evident to anyone familiar with the sport. Sue danced across the ice, twirling and spinning and jumping to her own music in her mind.
Lucy, however, noticed something that Sue was completely unaware of. A friend was lacing up some skates on the edge of the ice, preparing to go out and join the throngs of people. His dark hair and eyes were as familiar to Lucy as her own face, having spent more time with him than with her own family. Jack stepped onto the rink and took a minute to familiarize himself with the feel of ice and how his skates would react to the cuts already existing on the surface.
For a best friend, this was a moment of pure delight. Neither of Lucy's friends had noticed the other, but it was only a matter of time before they would see each other. Something else also caught her eye. Jack was wearing the exact same jersey that Sue wore all the time. Same number, same style. Now this is going to be interesting, Lucy thought to herself. She sat back to watch the show that was about to unfold.
On the ice, Sue was in her own world of dancing. It had been far too long since she had enjoyed the feeling of freedom that skating gave her. The ebb and flow of rhythm that echoed through her mind pushed her to spin and twirl like her very own life depended on it. The experience was pure bliss. That is, until she bumped into someone and fell to the ground.
"I am so sorry. I was lost in my own thoughts and wasn't paying attention." Sue stood up and looked at the person she had accidentally knocked over. "Jack?! What are you doing here?"
"I came to do some skating since its been a few years since I've gone. I didn't expect to find you here."
"I thought it was time to finally get back on the ice," Sue said with a smile. Up in the stands, Lucy was grinning like an idiot, watching her two friends indulge in a romantic meet-cute.
The two friends skated next to each other, not going fast, just enjoying each other's company. Jack spoke, "So where's Levi? I can't imagine you leaving him at home, but I also don't think that he would enjoy being on the ice with you."
"He's up in the stands with Lucy. I tried to convince her to come join me, but she said that her balance was terrible and that she would leave skating to me."
They skated quietly for a moment before Jack spoke up again. "So how does it feel to be on the ice again?"
"It feels great. I've missed the freedom of losing yourself in the rhythm of the ice and a song."
Jack looked questioningly at her, and Sue elaborated. "I can't hear any music, so I create a rhythm to skate to and let that be the soundtrack. When I skate, it feels like freedom, like I can let go of all of my worries and problems and just feel."
"You skate emotionally, not technically."
Sue nodded. "That's one way to put it, I guess. I just let my passion through and my body just goes without me really realizing it."
After they had been skating for an hour or so, Jack took Sue's hand and led her to the edge of the ice so they could sit and rest for a few moments. While they both had had a lot of experience of skating for hours on end, that had been years ago, and they both felt tired and a little sore from little used muscles.
As they were sitting on a bench, Sue noticed something very familiar. "Jack, you're wearing the jersey."
"Of course, it's one of my favorite shirts to wear, particularly in the winter. Which I notice you are currently wearing the same jersey." He quirked an eyebrow at the deaf beauty.
Sue felt herself blush a little. "Yeah, I love this jersey. I like to wear it when I curl up with some hot chocolate and a good book to read. I figured that today, it would be nice to wear something warm and comforting for my first time back on the ice."
"Well, the store owner was right. You do look great in it." Jack said it quietly, ducking his head a little, but still making sure that Sue could read his lips.
"Thank you. You look good too. Very handsome."
Not too far away, a certain best friend watched and hoped that someday, and someday soon, those two lovebirds would act on their feelings for each other.
