A/N: Hey so I'm not dead, not yet at least xD. I'll get to the Genderbender story as soon as i have some inspiration D: I hope to get the first chapter re-uploaded soon. Anyways, have some smellershot ^.^ /thinking of making a more /cough/ adult story for them soon. Possibly. Maybe ;D
That night was the first night she saw Longshot. Sure, she'd seen him before, but not like this. This was different.
It was getting late - she had just gotten home from her job and was cleaning the dishes when Longshot arrived, disheveled and exhausted from a long day at work. He put some left over food on the table and went over to help Smellerbee, only pausing to look at her when she stopped mid-stroke to stare at him. He gave her a questioning look, what's wrong?
He was a mess, she thought. Tattered, beat up clothing, an apron stained from job serving tea, and locks of hair going every which way coming out of his haphazard ponytail, getting in his tired face. But somehow, after all that, he still looked, sort of, beautiful. In a way. Smellerbee never really cared or paid attention to looks before, and had planned to keep it that way. That is, until the night on the ferry a few days prior. She was sick of people mistaking her for a boy, sick of people not realizing that, in fact, she was a girl. But Longshot had calmed her down; he had the effect on her, and told her otherwise.
Had he always been there? Since she could remember, she answered to herself. And why was he there exactly...?
She was broken out of her thoughts when Longshot waved a plate in front of her face, handing it to her to dry. She flushed immediately - how long was she like that for?
What's wrong? He repeated with a look.
"Nothing... just tired..." She went back to working on the dishes, letting the subject drop.
Later, after the dishes were clean and dinner was had, it was time to go to bed. She washed her face and stripped herself of her armor, feeling the most self-conscience than she'd ever been in the longest time. She peered over to Longshot who was still looking at her with that quizzical glance.
"What?"
You've been acting strange all night, and now you're not wearing your armor to bed?
"It's the spring," she reasoned, "it's getting too warm at night..."
He didn't buy it though, something was off, but he just couldn't tell. He scratched his head and put a hand on her bare shoulder. She turned and looked at him, eyes a little wide.
"What?"
He steadily stared at her. She rolled her eyes.
"Quit being such a worry-wart, I said I'm fine."
His hand still lingered on her skin, making her flush when he gave it a light, reassuring squeeze before pulling away. It was then he tried to convey a message to her through his eyes, something he'd held back for way to long.
Apparently she couldn't read him, or what he was trying to say, so he sighed, giving up for the night. He took off his shirt and plopped down on the bottom bunk - he'd let bee have the top, she'd always liked high places. He was surprised though when she stopped and didn't climb up.
She nudged his back with her knee, "move over you big lug."
He turned and gave her a once over - all she was wearing was a long shirt way too big for her. No pants. No make-up. No armor. No chest plate. He gulped but obliged, scooting over to make room for her. They'd slept together before, in winter to keep warm or when they ran out of room in the tree house - those nights he treasured - but they were never like this, not with so little between them and so close. He let out a shaky breath, trying to ignore the movement from the other side of the bed. Once she got settled, he tried to relax.
The moment was shattered as soon as she tapped his shoulder. He looked to the heavens as if to say 'kill me', or begged for mercy, before turning towards her.
There she was, propped up on an elbow, looking across at him, wearing the same confused face that he was probably wearing.
"Now you're acting weird, what's up?"
He traced the curve of her figure, the light cotton fabric hugging her body, with his eyes. She seemed oblivious to how hungry he stared at her, how his eyes followed down her chest, to her waist, to her hips, to her legs - he liked her legs- and back up again. He could almost see the outlines of her breasts under the thin cloth in the dim moon light, all he had to do was just reach out and -
No. Not until he had confirmation to what he was feeling... and how she was feeling.
He must have worn some pained expression, because Smellerbee looked at him with concern.
"Are you okay?"
"Bee..." He breathed aloud. He took a lock of hair from in front of her face to behind her ear, letting his hand pause and then to cup her face, his thumb making light circles on her cheek. He slowly leaned in, eyes darting from her eyes to her lips back to her eyes.
"You're acting really, really str-"
A thunderous boom and a lightning strike cut her off. In an instant, she jumped out of her skin and clung onto Longshot, pulling him close to her. She hated thunderstorms.
Longshot almost laughed - not at the fact that Bee was scared, not at the fact it was now pouring, but at the stroke of cruel fate that had been played on him. It was almost too cruel. It took every fiber of his being not to focus and the few layers of clothing between them, how easily he could feel her body pressed up against his, how he seemed to almost fit every concave of her body... how she wasn't wearing a chest plate... It drove him wild.
He really had to stop thinking like that if he wanted to get any sleep that night.
What broke him out of his stupor was Bee's shivering, scared body hugging on to his torso, legs wrapped around his waist. He almost lost it.
"Bee, it's okay," he said, also trying to distract himself from the quivering body beside him. He patted her hair, "it'll be fine..." He dared himself to lift a hand and start rubbing her back as comforting as he could.
They stayed that way for a while, bodies intertwined, until the stormed passed. He breathed a sigh of relief once it had, knowing Bee would finally let go and he could finally get some rest. But she hadn't, she kept herself there.
"Bee...?"
"Thanks," she mumbled, lifting her head from his shoulder, "I needed that."
"Anytime, Bee," unconsciously, he bent down and kissed the crown of her head, savoring the scent of her hair. They both froze. Neither of them had ever done anything like that before... And Longshot hadn't planned on doing it right then exactly. It just felt like a natural thing to do at the time, and now he was starting to freak out.
"Longshot... what..." She paused, looking down to hide her blush, "what do you think of me?"
It was his chance, he thought. He took a gulp and cupped her face with a shaky hand to lift her head back up. He could see all the fear and worry and apprehension in her eyes that were searching for answers in his.
"I... uh... " Bee waited, "I-I... uh..."
Shit. When he needed words the most he couldn't find them. Bee looked down again, hurt by his silence, thinking she knew what he meant.
"Oh... I see... Okay..." She started to untangle herself from him, getting up from the bed to go to her bunk. She didn't want to bother him any longer if that were the case. Longshot was still frozen, unable to comprehend what was happening. She's leaving you idiot. Go. Do it. Now!
Her feet touched the cold ground as she stood up. Why was she so disappointed? Why did her chest hurt so much? She wanted to cry, but she wouldn't. Suddenly, she felt a hand grip her wrist, and turned, seeing Longshot reaching out at her, eyes pleading for her to understand. Maybe he didn't need words right now.
"I get it Longshot, it's okay, you don't have to -" And with that he brought her down and kissed her full on the lips. She blinked a few times, shocked and confused, but then relaxed into it. The hand loosened on her wrist as she griped the sheets beneath, when he brought his other hand up to cup her face for the third time that night.
He poured his heart into that kiss, all those pent up feelings unleashed into one fleeting moment, tasting her on his lips. He'd dreamt of this for a while now, but it was better than he could have imagined. He pulled away, judging her reaction, waiting for slap or maybe a punch to come his way. It never came. What he didn't expect though was for Bee to close the distance again and peck him on the lips. And another time... And again.
If he'd been standing, he would have been on his heels. The girl kept crawling forward onto the bed as he backed up against the wall, kissing him all the while.
Unable to control himself any longer, he picked her up by the waist and flipped her on her back, all without breaking the kiss. His hands were up and down her sides, reveling in the touch, sliding down to her bare legs to where he as straddling her. She didn't stop him. She couldn't even if she wanted him to.
He'd waited too long for this, too long in only his fantasies for him to will himself off of her. Her hands were everywhere, on his back, his neck, his face, and he loved every minute of it. His own hands dipped under the cloth of her shirt, smoothing up her waist, not daring to even go near her breast. He would never be able to stop after that. Instead he made his way back down her body, savoring the skin-to-skin contact that she was allowing him.
He broke away for air, hands guiltily on her thighs, hers on his chest, as they both panted, blushing heavily.
"S-so... does this mean... you like me?"
He chuckled, brought his lips to her forehead, and to her nose, then pressed his forehead against hers, "It means... I love you, Smellerbee."
As if to say, they didn't get much sleep that night.