Climbing Towards Us

I raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of my latte. "About what?"

Jules took a deep breath. "About your pronouns. I noticed you used 'they' for yourself earlier, but I wasn't sure if that was a one-time thing or...?"

My heart skipped a beat. It wasn't often that people picked up on my pronouns without me having to explicitly state them. "Yeah," I said, my voice a little rough with emotion. "I use they/them pronouns."

Jules nodded, their face serious. "Thank you for telling me. I'll make sure to use those from now on."

I smiled, a wave of gratitude washing over me. "I appreciate that. It means a lot."

As we talked more about our lives and our passions, I felt a deep sense of comfort in Jules' presence. They were so easy to talk to, so genuinely interested in what I had to say. It wasn't long before I found myself opening up about parts of my identity I rarely shared with anyone.

"I've always known I was different," I said quietly, staring down at my hands. "But it took me a long time to figure out what that difference was. I tried on a lot of labels before I found one that fit."

Jules listened intently, their eyes never leaving my face. "I can relate to that," they said softly. "It's not always easy, figuring out who you are."

I nodded, a lump forming in my throat. "No, it's not. But it's worth it, to finally feel like myself."

Jules reached across the table, their calloused hand covering mine. "I'm glad you feel like you can be yourself with me," they said, their voice a low rumble.

I turned my hand over, lacing my fingers with theirs. "I do," I said, my heart full. "Thank you for being someone I can trust."

We sat like that for a long moment, hands clasped, the sounds of the gym fading into the background. When we finally pulled away, it was with a shared smile and a newfound sense of connection.

A few days later, I found a small, folded piece of paper tucked into my gym bag. Intrigued, I unfolded it to find Jules' neat handwriting covering the page.

"Rowan," it read. "I hope you don't mind me leaving this for you. I was thinking about our conversation the other day and I wanted to share some of my favorite climbs with you. There's a great spot out near my ranch, if you're ever interested in seeing it. And I've heard good things about the bouldering gym across town, though I haven't made it there myself yet. Let me know if you'd like to check it out sometime."

I read the note twice, a smile spreading across my face. At the bottom, Jules had included their phone number. I quickly saved it in my phone before pulling out a piece of paper of my own.

"Jules," I wrote. "Thank you for the note and the recommendations. I'd love to see that spot near your ranch sometime. And I've been to the bouldering gym you mentioned - it's great. We should go together sometime. I've also been meaning to check out the new climbing route at the park downtown. Maybe we could make a day of it?"

I left the note in Jules' locker the next time I saw them at the gym. When they found it later that evening, they read it with a grin, then looked over at me with a mischievous glint in their eye.

"I'm free this weekend," they said, sauntering over to where I was stretching. "Want to check out that new route downtown?"

I grinned back, my heart skipping a beat. "I'd love to."

As we made plans for the weekend, I marveled at the easy rapport we'd developed in such a short time. It wasn't just about climbing or science or ranching - it was about a deep, genuine connection that seemed to grow stronger with every passing day.

That weekend found us downtown, standing at the base of the new climbing route. It was a challenging one, with a steep overhang and tricky footholds. But with Jules by my side, I felt ready to take it on.

We took turns belaying each other, shouting encouragement and advice as we ascended. When I reached the top, I let out a whoop of triumph, grinning down at Jules below.

"Nice job!" they called up, their face split in a wide smile.

When I rappelled down, Jules was waiting with a high five and a hug. "You were amazing up there," they said, their voice warm in my ear.

I pulled back, blushing. "You're not so bad yourself," I teased.

Jules laughed, the sound deep and rich. "I do my best."

As we walked through the park afterwards, our hands kept brushing against each other. Each touch sent a shiver down my spine, a spark of electricity igniting between us.

Finally, as the sun began to set, Jules reached for my hand, lacing our fingers together. I looked up at them, my heart in my throat.

"Rowan," they said softly, their voice a low rumble. "I--"

They were cut off by the buzz of their phone. Jules frowned, pulling it out of their pocket. "Sorry, it's my ranch hand. I need to take this."

I nodded, stepping back to give them space. As Jules talked to their ranch hand, I watched the sunset paint the sky in shades of orange and pink, my mind reeling with the implications of what had almost just happened.

When Jules hung up the phone, they turned back to me with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. There's a problem with one of the horses. I need to head back to the ranch."

I hid my disappointment behind a quick smile. "No worries. I understand."

Jules hesitated, then reached for my hand again, squeezing it gently. "Rain check?" they asked, their eyes searching mine.

I squeezed back, my heart full of hope. "Rain check," I agreed.

As we walked back to our cars, our hands clasped tightly together, I knew that this was only the beginning of something beautiful. With Jules by my side, I felt ready to take on anything - both on and off the climbing walls.

The following weekend, I found myself at the local science fair, my heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and nerves. I'd been working on my presentation for weeks, poring over data and perfecting my slides. But as I set up my display board, I couldn't help but scan the crowd for a familiar face.

Jules had promised to come, but I hadn't heard from them since our near-kiss in the park. I tried not to let my disappointment show as I greeted the first few visitors to my booth.

"Your research sounds fascinating," an older woman said, peering at my graphs. "What made you interested in plant biology?"

I launched into my usual explanation, my passion for the subject temporarily eclipsing my nerves. As I talked, I caught a glimpse of flannel out of the corner of my eye. My heart leapt into my throat.

Turning, I saw Jules making their way through the crowd, their face breaking into a warm smile as they caught my eye. They were wearing a button-down shirt and nice jeans, their usual flannel nowhere in sight. I felt a surge of affection at the effort they'd clearly made.

"Hey," they said, stopping in front of my booth. "Sorry I'm late. Traffic was a nightmare."

I grinned, my earlier nerves melting away. "You're here now. That's what matters."

Jules smiled back, their eyes crinkling at the corners. "I wouldn't have missed it. Show me what you've been working on."

As I walked them through my research, I could see the genuine interest in their eyes. They asked thoughtful questions, their brow furrowed in concentration as they tried to understand the complexities of my work.

"I had no idea plants were so complicated," they said, shaking their head in amazement. "You're doing really important work, Rowan."

I ducked my head, a blush rising to my cheeks. "Thank you. That means a lot coming from you."

Jules reached out, squeezing my shoulder gently. "I mean it. You're incredible."

We stood in comfortable silence for a moment, the sounds of the science fair swirling around us. Then Jules cleared their throat. "So, I was thinking... maybe we could grab some dinner after this? My treat."

I blinked, surprised but pleased. "I'd love that," I said, my voice a little rough with nerves.

Jules smiled, their eyes crinkling again. "Great. I know a great little Italian place nearby."

As I packed up my display an hour later, I couldn't keep the smile off my face. Jules had stayed for the entire fair, listening intently as I talked to other visitors, offering silent support with their presence alone.

"You ready?" they asked, taking the last box from my hands.