The words "Ba Sing Se" really bother me. Because in the show it's said "ba sing sai" (like say) but "se" in Chinese is Ba Sing ummm... Se. Like "sssssss.ah" (well a little).

I'm rambling but the pronounciation is all off. Or is it just me? Or is it not even real Chinese? It could be guangdong hua?

I don't know. (shakes head). Anyone else perplexed PM me.

This is a story drabbled when Charleegirl and I were talking about her story and I suggested Smellerbee for Aang's other woman. Of course, knowing it'd never work with Smellerbee and an actual character from the show, I just added an OC.

So I don't own Smellerbee or Longshot, but I guess I own Xin Wei... not that we know anything about him in this fic. :D

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Set post-war.

Longshot discovers that the girl he loves never knew how he felt... and vain assumptions has now taken him to the point where it is too late to do anything but suffer in silence.

Get your tissues out.

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He suffered in silence when they met.

Xin Wei from the Lower Eastern side.

They had fought in the war at the Fire Nation, but now had their home in Ba Sing Se, where they could keep a close eye on Jet in rehabilitation.

She wasn't beating boys off with a broom, but he was always by her side watching her like a hawk. He was suprised she never caught on.

He thought she had, until she told him about Xin Wei and as her face conveyed a kind of nonchalant excitement, he listened and stood there for moral support as she didn't notice the way his face turned overcast or the way a thousand pound weight had just been added to his heart and left it floating down to the bottom of his stomach somewhere.

He suffered in silence as the weeks passed and she would be out for dinners and he would be there when she would get home. To listen. To share the close bond that they had while they still could.

And suffered still, when she came running home that night to tell him about the new arrangement.

They were so young and had only known each other for a few weeks, but the end of the war had meant spring fever for a lot of people and couples weren't waiting so long to get married anymore; celebrating their new found freedom with matrimony. Longshot had never thought of himself marrying. But he didn't think of her marrying either. Much too official.

He thought they would just stay and have a quiet life, and a happy life together - forgetting their pasts and moving on.

He shouldn't have waited so long, but he thought she knew.

For years after Jet was taken the first time, and then returned; she would huddle up in his arms, whisper a husky "thanks, Longshot" which seemed to mean a lot of things for both of them and let him tenderly stroke her back until morning.

He thought she would always be his, but then came the realization that night when he discovered she never was his.

"Xin Wei and I are getting married." She said casually as she came in and put her back up against the door.

Longshot nodded his head in understanding and although she never noticed the understanding went much deeper than just the acknowledgement of words.

He shyed his face away from hers and she reached out to grab his arm. "Longshot, I know you don't want to talk about this..." her voice was urgent "but I do..."

His eyes met hers and for an instant everything he'd wanted to express over the years came tumbling out.

"Well, why didn't you ever say anything?" She said finally finding her throat. She was always so blunt. He wasn't.

His eyes lowered. He thought he did.

"There's more ways to say things then just a look" she pouted her bottom lip out at him, fresh tears suddenly forming on her face.

And that's when he took her in his arms again and beneath the smell of his old clothes, his comfortable smile, she squirmed herself away. "It's too late, Longshot."

He was no longer suffering in silence. Now he was just suffering...

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Continue... yes/no?