Smellerbee had expected something like it to happen for the last couple of years. And she hadn't been sure if she would hate it, if it ever happened. Her main reserve was that their friendship would never be the same again. Did it have to change? Did everything have to change? She had grown accustomed to their easy friendship, their closeness over the years. And as much as she hated to admit it, she was terrified of what might happen if they moved outside the comfortable zone of their friendship.
That was why she had reacted as she had earlier that day. That was why she was presently sitting in a nook between a large tree's roots, silently crying to herself. Jet had left with the other Freedom Fighters, telling Bee and Longshot to stay as lookouts. It was well known that they worked exceptionally well together, and Jet had obviously decided to exploit that talent. Even after all the years, Smellerbee was still amazed at how well they had managed to re-build the Freedom Fighters, although after Aang had defeated Ozai and Zuko had become Fire Lord, the only fighting that they had done was against the soldiers still loyal to Ozai and his ideals. The ones who were trying to take control of isolated villages all across the world.
As they were sitting up in the tress, they had exchanged a couple of silent words (from Longshot) and sarcastic replies (on Smellerbee's end). After a while, they sat together to eat lunch in a friendly, comfortable and familiar silence. It took Smellerbee a while to notice that there was something that she couldn't recognize in Longshot's eyes. She could still see the underlying affection that always was in his gaze, and the alertness that came from many years of fighting. Yet the other thing just baffled her. It seemed somehow… alien. She didn't know what had happened, yet didn't want to ask Longshot for fear of upsetting him.
And then, he had stopped eating, to stare long and hard at her. Bee had started to feel nervous. Longshot was acting more and more strangely. She gulped. He had somehow gotten closer to her. A lot closer than was comfortable. His arm left his side and hovered over her cheek, not quite touching her. And then, his fingers brushed against her skin, gently caressing her face. Suddenly, he uttered one of the few words she had already heard him say. "Bee…" It was all that he said. Smellerbee was finding it harder and harder to organise her thoughts. His fingers were so gentle on her face… She found herself starting to lean into his touch, her mind clouding over.
She suddenly understood what he was trying to make up the courage to do. And the fear woke again. It was like a voice screaming in her head. She wanted to put her hands over her ears, to block it out. Yet she sat there, as if frozen. Longshot's face was getting closer, ever so slowly. And Smellerbee could feel the panic growing in her throat. But another part of her wanted him to go through with it. 'I want him to…to kiss me.' Once she admitted it to herself, the fear took over completely. She pushed Longshot away, seeing a confused and hurt looking overtaking his features. She tore her eyes away from his and ran.
That was how she had got to her present position. Hunched over, curled up, hidden in between two extremely large roots. She had felt angry at herself for getting scared, angry at Longshot for trying to kiss her, angry at Jet for leaving them alone… She felt just like that little girl all those years ago, in the bowels of Lake Laogai, witnessing Jet almost dying. She was scared, lost...helpless. And the one person who had kept her sane, who had stopped her from completely loosing grip was the one that she had just pushed away. Longshot didn't know that she had a reason. He'd think that she didn't want his friendship… But he couldn't understand. Unless she told him. 'But he's too mad to listen to me now… I'll wait, I guess.' The anguish, the bone-deep sadness, the anger… They passed over her body, colliding, smashing down, breaking her.
She looked at the flow of the river, envying it's peacefulness. Longshot would hate her. She had broken his trust when he was the most vulnerable… and she wasn't sure she could fix it. But she had to try. At least, try. For her own sake. The tears came again, but she wiped them away. She couldn't cry in front of him. It would only make her seem even weaker. And it would just make her feel more miserable. After all, she knew he wouldn't comfort her. Not when she had just broken his heart.
She had waited as long as she could, but the nervousness just kept on growing. She had ended up getting up and pacing. She just couldn't stay still. The event with Longshot was eating at her very soul. With a nervous prayer to the Gods, Smellerbee marched to where she had left Longshot, for the conversation of her lifetime.
When she got there, he was still sitting as she had left him, on a tree branch. She came up in front of him, and started to feel the effect of her nerves, and rapidly beating heart. "L-Longshot, I-I-I didn't want… I trust y-you… but Zaila…I'm s-scared…but you d-don't understand. Scared, I was s-s-so scar-red."
She looked up, fighting back tears. And to her despair, Longshot had turned his back to her. He had crossed his legs, and taken off his hat. Smellerbee's heart sank. This wasn't looking good…They had both removed their armor when they had sat down for lunch. Smellerbee felt rather naked without it, as if her soul were bare for all to see. She then saw Longshot's bow lying on the ground, as if he had thrown it there. To hide her tears, she went to pick it up. And then, cheeks dry and head held high, she went to Longshot. Unsure of what to do, she hesitated for a second.
Then, she reached out, and laid her hand gently on Longshot's back. "I'm…sorry. So sorry." No response. She gathered her courage. "But before you say anything, you have to let me explain." She thought she had detected a slight straightening of his shoulders. That meant that he was at least acknowledging her presence, even if he refused to turn towards her. She put his bow beside him, as an offering of peace.
Now came the hard part. "I…I'm not really sure what to say. I never told anyone about Zaila. But you need to know. To understand. Zaila was..." She gulped, not having expected it to be this hard. "She was my sister. I n-never told any of you why I was here for a reason. Zaila was m-my only family. We were orphans. She w-was the best big sister in the world. B-but then one day, the boy t-that she had b-been courting with…" Another big breath. Smellerbee was feeling the pent-up emotions from that fateful day start to wash over her again. "H-H-He w-was about to k-kiss her for the f-first time. I w-was spying on t-them, to see why this b-boy kept t-taking up-p all Zaila's time. A-and then, w-when their lips were going to t-touch, I closed my eyes. I was a k-kid. I found it disgusting." A watery smile had taken over her face. "B-But when I opened them again, my s-sister had…" Her voice died on her. She tried again. She had to get it out. She started to shake. " She had a k-k-knife sticking th-through her b-b-back. H-H-He had k-k-illed her. B-B-Because she…" Her voice cracked. "She… thought the war w-w-was w-wrong. He worked f-f-or the F-F-Fire Na-ti..on." And she was silent, tears reminiscent of old pains running down her cheecks. She had completely forgotten Longshot's existence, lost in painful old memories.
Her soul was bare in front of him, and she wasn't trying to cover it up, or put on a tough mask. Longshot couldn't leave her alone in the world. He knew the pain of losing one's family. He didn't want to make her go through it twice.. He hadn't known about her past. He just couldn't blame her anymore. When the soft sounds of her tears reached his ears, his self-control slipped. He knew that he couldn't leave her there. He turned around. Bee had fallen to her knees. And was hiding her head in her arms. Longshot kneeled down beside her, and slowly drew her into his arms. Neither tried to move away.
When Jet got back, he saw Smellerbee and Longshot leaning in the crook of a branch. Smiling the smile of one having seen much hardship, and thus having learned the value of moments like these, he turned away and left them there. They deserved to be happy.