Disclaimer: ALL HAIL BRYAN AND MIKE!

Author's Note: Smellershot: because they have elbow room. I like elbow room.

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Steady
A Smellershot Oneshot :P
.:: Based on, Inspired by and Dedicated to DoodleBuggy, a genius deviant I stumbled across whilst skating the wide world web at midnight thirty-somethin' ;D ::.

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It was that look again—that challenge in his eyes—that set Smellerbee off this time.

"What? You don't think I can shoot a bow?" she demanded hotly, snatching his out of his hands. He obviously didn't point out the fact that she was holding it upside down. "How hard can it be?" she continued, experimentally drawing back the taunt string. She released it with a sharp twang that sent a couple of viper birds twittering obscene things as they rocketed off of the branches of the trees overhead.

Longshot had a faint, barely-there smirk on his face as she examined the short bow inch by inch, holding it amusingly close to her face as she did so. "Can't be much different than a crossbow—and I'm a master at that," she said, ever humble about her immense weaponry skills.

Longshot's lip curled. Get on with it, his expression read.

Bee shot him a scowl and brashly notched an arrow. Pulling back the string, her forearm awkwardly angled and the side of her fist pressed nearly against her jaw, Bee tried not to be too distracted by Longshot's ever-widening smirk.

She couldn't possibly be holding the darn thing wrong. She couldn't even count the times she'd seen LS and the other archers of the Freedom Fighters drawing back their bowstrings and firing arrows into the chests of numerous Fire Nation rats. She faintly noticed her elbow clumsily jutting out from her side and, grudgingly, admitted to herself that Longshot never looked this stupid when shooting his bow.

Come to think of it, he never looked stupid period.

Sparing a glare at Longshot's slight smile, Bee gritted her teeth and aimed for the tree dead-ahead.

She took a deep, steadying breath—and let the arrow fly.

At least, that was Smellerbee's every intention.

Instead, she experienced a tear-jerking scream-inducing burn to her cheek as the tail of the arrow whipped her across the face. The bowstring slapped painfully against her opposite forearm and, to top it all off, the arrow missed the tree completely and streaked into the dark unknown of the surrounding woods.

Cursing rather violently under her breath, Bee let the short bow drop to the ground as she gingerly touched the smarting cheek and tried to ignore the painful throbbing making its way up her arm.

Longshot, naturally, was already at her side and picking up his discarded bow. It was only after he was sure her injuries were minor that he allowed himself a small satisfied little smile.

Smellerbee took the opportunity to sock him, effectively causing the taller Freedom Fighter to wince and take a reflexive step back, rubbing his already bruising shoulder.

"Alright, what's the trick?" she snapped at him, stretching out her arm irritably as she evilly eyed the bow in his hands.

He smiled big this time. "Here," he said in that surprisingly deep voice of his. He moved behind her and lifted the bow towards the tree.

Bee's expression was set in the deepest concentration, oblivious to the fact that his arms were wrapped almost completely around her as he directed her hands to the correct positions on the bow.

"Steady," he murmured, keeping a firm grip around her smaller fists.

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered impatiently, squinting her eyes at the tree ahead.

Longshot, who was very aware of their close proximity, casually pressed the side of his jaw against her hair, slowly drawing back the string of the bow.

"Alright, now—"

"—release it?" she guessed, letting the string go. The arrow flopped lamely onto the ground at their feet and an awkward silence pressed around them. Bee's cheeks warmed as Longshot stepped away from her again and laughed, clutching his head from the hilarity.

"Awww, eat it, LS," she snapped, bending to pick up the arrow with another well aimed glower.

"Bee."

"What?"

He enclosed the hand holding his arrow and she looked at him sharply.

"What?" she repeated when he failed to say something.

"Again."

She sighed irritably and he again helped her hold the bow correctly.

"Aren't you going to say some wise mumbo jumbo?" she asked as he directed her hands on the bow. "Like, 'become the Arrow, Smellerbee—feel the curves of the bow beneath your hands—' Why are you laughing?"

He continued to chuckle as he pulled her hand back, the string coming with it. "You're amusing."

"Oh, I'm amusing, am I?"

He didn't answer again as he concentrated and took aim. Bee glanced up at his serious expression and abruptly felt her mouth pop open in surprise as she finally realized just how close they were.

Oh, you know, within easy kissing distance.

She hurriedly looked forward again, clenching her jaw tightly. Concentrate, Bee, concentrate. She couldn't help but glance at his face again.

He was definitely within easy kissing distance. A tilt of her head to the left and—

Longshot caught her staring and let go of the string. The arrow struck the middle of the tree with a satisfying thwack.

"Well?"

Bee swallowed and opened her mouth to speak, found that she couldn't, and so closed it again. Longshot sent her a puzzled grin.

"Gerrrgh."

"What?" his grin widened considerably.

Bee's cheeks caught on fire as she twisted in his grip and stared at the tree. She pointed at the arrow that was still quivering from the impact. "Did I do that?"

Longshot had that slight smile of his on his face. "Yes."

"Told you I could. I must be a natural."

"Bee."

She turned back around to face him.

"Longshot."

"Gerrrgh?"

She blushed again. She had never been so red before.

He was still too close.

She stared some more, then dropped her gaze. "Um. Yeah. Don't know what that was about."

Looking flustered, she turned back around and lifted his bow back in front of her. "I want to try again. And let me do it this time."

He began to step away, but she grabbed his hand. "I—er—still don't think I'm holding it right."

His smile was much too knowing for her taste, but eh, what the heck.

"Steady, Bee," he murmured as she took aim for the tree. He pressed his jaw into her hair again, and she couldn't help but reply in a snide voice, "Steady, Longshot."

She didn't need to look at him to know he was the one blushing now.

She allowed herself a satisfied smirk, which deepened as she released the string and watched the arrow smack into the tree just below the first one.

She looked smugly over her shoulder. "I'm beginning to think I am—"

Longshot cut her off by catching her lips with his. It was an effective way to get her to shut up, after all, and it's not like she minded.

Bee vaguely wondered what had taken him so long.

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E/N: Abrupt ending, but eh, what the heck. Review? :3