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“The Crystal Caverns Climbing Gym is a state-of-the-art climbing facility with fun and challenge for climbers of all walks of life. Beginners can enroll in lessons with any of our expert instructors! Scale our brand new Patola wall! Try our challenging Great Divide course! ‘The Boulder endorses the new Bouldering Room,’ says local celebrity and climbing instructor, The Boulder.”
Sokka finished reading the flier and fixed the gang with an enthusiastic grin. Behind him was a large warehouse, painted white with green accents, and marked with a sign with the climbing gym’s name over the door.
Sokka had driven them all here without telling them anything beyond, ‘dress for sports.’ And so they stood, all in their athletic wear, as Sokka finished his unnecessarily enthusiastic presentation. Katara and Aang exchanged looks. Zuko, brooding behind them, sighed a small, exasperated sigh. Toph stood with her arms folded and smirked.
“Well, I think it sounds great,” she said.
“It does sound like a lot of fun,” Katara said. “But gym memberships can be a little pricey.”
“Yeah, Sokka,” Aang added. “I’m fine doing a day pass, but I don’t think I can afford a whole membership.”
“That’s the beauty of it, Aang,” Sokka said, throwing his arm around Aang’s shoulder and holding up the flier to his face. At the bottom, under the glossy pics of various smiling climbers on various climbing walls, were listed the membership rates. Aang’s eyebrows climbed up his forehead.
“Wow! This family rate is super cheap!” he exclaimed.
“Just one problem with that, brother of mine,” Katara said, hand on one hip. “That only works for the two of us. What are Toph, Aang, and Zuko supposed to do?”
“Hey, don’t lump me in with you guys,” Toph objected. “My parents can afford it. Least they can do after keeping me locked away for twelve years is cover my expensive hobbies.”
“Is that why you took up scuba diving?” Katara asked.
“Well, it wasn’t to look at all the pretty fish, I’ll tell you that,” Toph replied.
“Do you think your parents could be persuaded to cover all of us?” Zuko asked, an amused quirk to his lip.
“I said they were rich, not generous,” Toph said apologetically. “Sorry, Sparky.”
“So what are we going to do, then?” Aang asked, turning back to Sokka.
“Well, obviously if I get a membership, then that means Katara gets a discount, because she’s my sister,” Sokka said. “Buuuuut, there’s a clause here that stipulates romantic partners are also considered part of the family!”
“Oh! So that means I can get in on Katara’s membership!” Aang said, eyes lighting up. Katara rolled her eyes but leaned down and pecked him on the forehead.
“And that means Zuko!” Sokka said, pointing dramatically at Zuko.
“What about me?” Zuko said, looking suddenly panicked.
“You will be my boyfriend, and then we can sneak you in on the family discount,” Sokka said proudly.
“But I’m not your boyfriend...?” Zuko said.
“That’s why we’re going to pretend, duh,” Sokka replied in exasperation. “Look, I know since your dad cut you off you’ve been having a hard time. We’ve all had a rough year. And I thought that this would be something fun we could all do together.”
Aang and Katara both looked down somberly. Toph scuffed her feet against the ground. Even Zuko seemed moved, because he clicked his tongue and said, “Fine.”
“Yes!” Sokka pumped his fist. “Come on, hubby, let’s hit the wall!”
“Don’t call me hubby,” Zuko said, refusing to be dragged along. Aang and Katara linked arms and walked ahead, followed by Toph.
“What about sugarplum?” Sokka tried. Zuko wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Honeybunch? My sweet baby tiger seal?”
“None of those!” he fumed, stalking ahead into the gym after the others. Sokka caught up to him and snaked an arm around his waist, which he grudgingly allowed. Zuko was an aspiring actor. This wasn’t any different from his normal auditions, and unlike those he actually stood to gain something from a convincing performance.
The woman at the front desk was a pretty Earth Kingdom girl with long brown hair tied up in a ponytail and a name tag that said Jin. She smiled at Aang and Katara as they approached the counter.
“Hi, welcome to Crystal Caverns! What can I do for you today?”
“Hi, we were hoping to buy a membership,” Katara said, smiling back.
“Great! What kind of membership were you looking for?”
“I would like your double platinum VIP membership, please,” Toph said, cutting in front and sliding a black card across the counter. Jin looked at her dubiously, and then picked up the card.
“O-oh! Okay then, let me, uh,” she stammered, seeing the name. “Let me get someone to help you set that up.”
“No rush,” Toph said, waving her off.
Jin disappeared and came back with a large, muscular, very shirtless man with a high bun and waxed beard. He folded his arms, pecs and biceps bulging as he looked at the group.
“Who among you wishes to receive double platinum VIP membership from the Boulder?” he asked, his voice booming loudly.
“That would be me,” Toph said, raising her hand. The Boulder looked down at her in shock.
“And would the puny toddler like to add climbing instruction classes to her membership?” the Boulder asked, customer service mode overpowering his obvious disbelief.
“Nah, I’m good,” Toph said.
“Very well, then,” the Boulder boomed. “Please follow the Boulder this way.”
The rest of the gang watched them go and then turned back to Jin, who plastered a quick smile back on her face.
“We’d like the family membership, please,” Katara said.
“Okay then! For how many people?” Jin replied.
“Four,” Katara said. “That’s my brother, Sokka, and this is my fiance, Aang.”
“And this is the light of my life, the fire in my soul, the spark in my heart,” Sokka said, pulling Zuko in and nuzzling his forehead against the other boy’s cheek. Zuko flushed crimson, and then waved to Jin.
“Hi, Zuko here,” he said. “I’m Sokka’s boyfriend.”
“Great! Can I just get your IDs, please,” Jin said. Zuko shoved Sokka off lightly so he could get his ID out of his pocket. They all handed them over while Jin got their forms out. She checked off a few boxes and then handed them each a pen. Katara and Aang kept exchanging looks and giggling as they filled theirs out. Sokka looked over at them, and then unsubtly reached over to Zuko’s paper to draw a heart in the corner. In doing so, however, he bumped Zuko’s arm, causing him to blot out his address.
“Whoops,” Sokka said, wincing as Zuko glared at him.
“Excuse me, could I get another form?” Zuko asked Jin.
“Someone’s a little enthusiastic,” Jin said, handing Zuko a fresh form.
“A little too enthusiastic,” Zuko said in mild annoyance, filling it out.
When they were all finished, they paid in cash and Jin led them over to the equipment counter and locker area. They got their shoes, harnesses, and keys to their lockers to stash their shoes and belongings.
“Master Aang, if you would,” Katara said, holding out her foot so Aang could put on one of her shoes.
“Of course, Master Katara,” Aang replied, adopting a manservant pose and putting the shoe on her foot. Katara giggled, taking her foot back and lacing the shoe up the rest of the way. Sokka once again looked over at them, and then back to Zuko, who was in the midst of lacing up his left shoe. Zuko caught his eye, glanced over at the others, and then looked back at Sokka. He sighed ruefully, and then leaned back to hold out his other foot.
“As my prince commands,” Sokka said with a shit-eating grin.
“You know, we already have the membership,” Zuko said, his voice pitched low. “We don’t have to lay it on so thick.”
“Come on, Zuko, isn’t this a little fun?” Sokka asked, lacing up the shoe and patting Zuko’s foot.
“Alright, you want fun?” Zuko asked, standing up. He picked up one of the harnesses and laid it on the ground. “Go on, get in.”
“You just can’t keep your hands off me, can you?” Sokka teased, stepping into the harness. Zuko pulled it up over his leggings and shorts, tightening the waistband abruptly so Sokka had to take a step forward, catching himself on Zuko’s shoulders. Now it was Zuko’s turn to give him a shit-eating grin.
“You were saying?” he asked.
“Yeah, laugh it up, jerkbender,” Sokka muttered, cheeks pink as Zuko knelt down to work on the thigh and groin straps. Zuko made sure to check with him about the tightness and comfort before standing up to get into his own harness.
“If you two are quite finished?” Katara asked, giving the two of them an amused smirk. She and Aang stood by the entrance to the climbing zone, ready to go. The zone itself was truly spacious—a vast cavern that fully lived up to its name. Rock walls shaped like large crystal formations jutted out at every angle, giving the place a bright atmosphere. Booming stereos shaped like stalactites filled the air with upbeat electronica. Toph was already waiting for them by the first wall.
“It’s about time you four showed up. Now come on!”
Half an hour later, while they were taking a break in a sitting area by the front desk, Jin approached them with a sly grin on her face. Toph and the Boulder were in the bouldering room, visible past a large climbable shard of agate, racing to the top of each boulder.
“You know,” she said. “We have a special course set up just for couples. A romantic challenge that only those with a strong commitment to each other can complete. It’s a popular date activity.”
“Katara, did you hear that?” Aang asked, sitting up. “That sounds awesome!”
“What’s the course like?” Katara asked.
“It’s called the Cave of Two Lovers,” Jin said mysteriously. “Come on! I’ll show you.”
She led them over to a part of the gym they hadn’t explored where a large overhang jutted out from the wall. The outside was covered in the usual grips and footholds. Sokka raised his eyebrow at it.
“This looks like a normal course,” he said, looking up at it.
“Ah, that’s because that is a normal course,” Jin said, walking beneath the overhang. “The Cave of Two Lovers is in here!”
Inside the overhang, a pair of vertical shafts led all the way up to the ceiling, from which belay lines hung. The shaft walls were smooth as stone—no handholds, footholds, or even rock seams. Jin picked up the ends of the nearest belay line and began to explain.
“For this challenge, both partners will be tied together,” she said. “Back to back. They must rely on each other to ascend to the top. Basically, you can use your feet to walk up by pushing against each others’ backs. Then, when you get to the top, you just let go and the auto-belayer will lower you safely down!”
The four of them exchanged looks. Katara smiled down at Aang, a competitive glint in her eye as she then looked over the top of his head at her brother. He smirked at her.
“Oh, it is on , sis,” Sokka said, throwing her two thumbs down.
“Well, if you think you and Zuko have the stronger commitment,” she said, examining her nails. “But I have my doubts.”
“Are you listening to this!?” Sokka cried, grabbing the front of Zuko’s shirt and shaking him a little as he gesticulated at Katara. Zuko, for his part, had been looking up the shafts.
“Sokka, let’s not jump into anything,” he said.
“It’s okay, Zuko,” Aang said as Katara and Sokka continued glaring daggers at each other. “You can stay down here and watch while Katara and I go up.”
Zuko gave Aang a long look before sharply turning to the belay lines. Grabbing one, he tied himself in.
“Sokka,” he commanded. “Put your back against mine.”
“Oh! You heard the man!” Sokka crowed at Katara. “Prepare to get roasted!”
“We’ll see about that,” Katara said, going over to the other ropes. “Aang, come on. Let’s show these two what true love looks like.”
“Hey! What we have is true love!” Sokka called over to her. Zuko reached back and grabbed him by the chin.
“Sokka, babe,” he said. “Focus.”
Zuko let him go, and Sokka tied himself in with a determined nod. Jin helped Katara and Aang secure their harnesses, and then came over to double check Sokka and Zuko. When they were all secure, Jin stepped into the middle of the cave and held her hand up like a starting gun. Aang and Katara looped their elbows together, looking over their shoulders to nod encouragement. Sokka and Zuko linked their elbows in the same way.
“On your mark!” Jin said.
“Loser buys the pizza!” Katara called.
“Get set!”
“What!? I did not agree to that!” Sokka shouted back.
“Go!”
Aang and Katara put their left legs out against the wall, bracing their hips together, and began to slowly walk up one foot at a time.
“Come on, Zuko, let’s do this,” Sokka said, placing his right foot on the wall. “One foot at a time.”
Zuko nodded, raising his left foot up. The two of them pushed against each other until they felt like they could support their own weight before lifting their other legs from the ground. Zuko felt fire in his thighs already.
“Tui and La, you’re heavy,” Sokka wheezed as they got up a few more steps. “How high is this thing?”
“I don’t know, maybe thirty feet?” Zuko guessed. He didn’t dare look up for fear of throwing them out of balance. “Anyway, you’re no lightweight yourself.”
“Are you calling me fat, jerkyboy?” Sokka quipped, but the effect was lost through how much strain he was clearly under.
“Maybe talk less and push more,” Zuko suggested. Mingling sweat was pooling at his lower back, and it felt gross.
They took a few more steps up the wall. By this point, they had fully entered the shaft, and could no longer see Aang or Katara. This part of it was shadowy, existing in that spot where the lights from the ceiling and the lights coming in from the overhang didn’t fully illuminate the stone. In that quiet dark, the only sounds were their panting and the scrape of their shoes on the wall. Sokka felt that it would be quite romantic, were it not for the fact that he could feel every single muscle fiber in his legs, lower back, and arms screaming in protest.
“Hey, can,” Sokka gasped, “can we take a break? Phew!”
They braced their feet against the wall, and Sokka let his knees lock. He could feel the tension in Zuko’s back as well, and even though he didn’t complain as much, he must also have been tired.
“You know,” Sokka said between panting breaths. “For a first date, this was not my best idea ever.”
Zuko suppressed his laughter, knowing that if he let his control slip even for a little bit they would fall. What came out instead was a light, nasal snuffling sound.
“I’ve had worse first dates,” he replied, his breath coming out labored. “Besides, up until now it’s been pretty fun.”
“Remind me,” Sokka said, his heartbeat steadying. “To treat you. To dinner sometime.”
“Wait, for real?” Zuko asked, turning his head sharply. This caused their balanced position to falter, and they both immediately tensed their arms and legs to keep from slipping.
“Yeah, for real,” Sokka said when they’d recovered. “Damn, that was close!”
“Uh, okay,” Zuko replied. “Just so we’re clear, are you asking me out?”
Sokka snorted.
“Zuko, we signed the gym membership,” he said. “How much more official can we get?”
“Well,” Zuko said. There were, of course, two ways this conversation could go: he could either pump the brakes on this whole act, or he could continue rolling with it. Whether or not he took Sokka’s banter at face value, he was genuinely enjoying himself (a feeling he was sure would not persist over the next few days of soreness). To continue climbing, or to drop? It wasn’t really a choice.
“I don’t know if I would call us official yet,” Zuko said, shaking his head. “I mean, we haven’t even gotten to the top.”
Sokka turned slightly to give Zuko a confused look in the dark. He thought he could hear a joke in Zuko’s tone, but he wasn’t sure. Zuko turned so their faces were next to each other.
“I can’t commit to anyone who loses to Katara and Aang,” he challenged.
“Dang it, you’re right,” Sokka snorted. With a whoop and a sigh, he straightened up and unlocked his knees. “You ready, Zuko?”
“What, no nicknames this time?” Zuko asked. They took a step.
“I thought you didn’t like them, my sweet hummingbird-moth,” Sokka said. They took another step.
“I don’t like that one,” Zuko replied. They took another step, and they could see their shoes clearly again in the ceiling light.
“What’s wrong with it, my adorable isopup?” Sokka asked through clenched teeth. They took another step out of the dark.
“Why are they all so...diminutive?” Zuko replied. They took another step, and he snuck a glance up. They were nearing the top.
“Because why not? Deep down you’re like the softest guy I’ve ever met, after Aang,” Sokka said. Another step. One step closer.
“Hey, don’t talk about other guys while we’re on our date,” Zuko chided. He could almost reach up and touch the top.
“Whatever you say, turtleduck,” Sokka managed to get out.
They took their last step, and then both of them reached out and tapped the top lip of the cave shaft wall. With a celebratory whoop, Sokka relaxed his legs, causing Zuko to suddenly fall backwards. They swung back and forth gently as the auto-belayer lowered them down through the cave.
“We did it!” Sokka hollered as they entered the dark part, Zuko hanging against his back panting. “We made it! We—mph!”
When they touched down, Sokka’s face was beet red, and Zuko had an expression like a cat who caught an especially fat canary. They were both dismayed, however, to see Aang and Katara already waiting for them, with Toph and Jin chatting nearby.
“Nice job!” Jin said, coming over to help untie them. “Did you reach the top?”
“Yep,” Zuko replied. “Although we had to stop half-way to take a break. How’d you guys do?”
“We almost made it,” Katara admitted. “But someone got a little overeager to reach the top.”
“Sorry,” Aang said, rubbing the back of his neck abashedly.
“A bet’s a bet,” Toph said. “I want double of everything on top of my pizza later.”
“You weren’t even part of it! You were off climbing over boulders,” Katara groused.
“Yes, but Jin here kindly filled me in on the details,” Toph said. Zuko and Sokka exchanged looks. It would be fun to rub in their technical victory, but the thought of inflating Toph’s sense of entitlement further was enough to give them pause.
“Well, technically we didn’t agree to any bet,” Sokka said.
“Yeah, it was pretty sudden,” Zuko concurred.
“Let’s just split it even like we always do, then,” Aang suggested. This was met with agreement by all, even a begrudging ‘okay, fine’ from Toph, and the five of them went back to the walls for the rest of their time. Before they got too far, however, Zuko caught Sokka’s hand and held him back.
“I, uh,” he said, a little embarrassed. “Actually didn’t mind that last one.”
“Last what?” Sokka asked, still dazed and now confused.
“Your last nickname,” Zuko said. “I liked it.”
“Oh. Oh!” Sokka said, his brain catching up. “Good! I’ll remember that one for next time.”
“Will you two hurry up?” Toph yelled back at them. “I want to race Sokka to the top of the Carnelian Cliffs!”
“Duty calls,” Sokka said, smirking. “Catch you later, turtleduck.”
He jogged after Toph. Zuko followed behind more sedately, shaking his head, but then he paused to look back at the Cave of Two Lovers. His hand ghosted over his lip, and he smiled, but only for a moment and only to himself. Katara’s raised voice cheering her brother on as Sokka and Toph scrambled up the wall brought him back to reality, and he rejoined the group. Whatever came of the events of today, they would all look back on it with fondness, friendship, and family.