A/N: This took months, I know, so sorry – been busy, other requests, all that.

A/N: I might as well mention that I tried archery myself a few days ago and it is difficult

Fixer x Sticks: Archery

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At first he was mostly, she got into the frigging Olympics? Oh my Chaos? But then – as in, today – he found himself with a lot of unplanned for free time, and decided to go and see her practice. If he managed to find her, that was. And he did. And gods, she is really good at this. He wasn't that great at fighting, but even he could tell she was good…

Heh, he expected no less of Sticks.

Though it had been a bit of surprise to learn that she had mastered the bow as well as the boomerang.

She trained by shooting at a target nailed to a tree, though the paper was started to look frayed – especially in the middle. He observed that after shooting a few arrows, she would there and pick them up, returning to shooting them again and again… He kinda wanted to talk with her, but he didn't want her to get startled and send off an arrow haphazardly-

He decided to wait until she had shoot them all and would go and collect them again. So, he leant back against a tree, watched another arrow hit the middle of the target with a fwup, and then he glanced at Sticks – who looked back, grinning and saying, "Well what are you standing there for? You could get bitten by a venomous, artificial parasite!"

-This time, he was sure she just added that as a joke, so he grinned, and moved over to her. Her hair – orange and run through with streaks of brown – was flowing freely around her shoulders, and she had swapped her original outfit for something sportier and more professional-looking. You're beautiful, he could say, but she probably wouldn't care for that. You look-

"Wanna try?" He does not get to finish his thoughts before Sticks shoves the bow at him, looking to be in an almost nefariously good mood.

"Uh, I was actually heading home just-"

"It's fun."

"I… alright."

Sticks grins, and he accepts the bow. It's a nice orange thing with black details, looking much more modern and detailed than what video games tries to fool you to think. Also, it's huge. As tall as half of his body, and now he just has to figure out how to actually use it…

"Here," says Sticks suddenly, and then he's given a quiver – it matches the bow – with a strap so that doesn't have to hold it. Again, if he knew more exactly how he should put in on… Okay. He's got this. It's just a quiver – nothing Fixer the Fox can't handle, right?

-He manages to fasten it around his waist, so he can reach the arrows at his hip comfortably. The bow is a whole other mystery, though, so he turns it over in his hands several times. He tries to hold it up, but is unsure how to hold it. One hand at the grip, right (?) and the other… well, he could take an arrow from the quiver like this, and then…

…Hmm.

Sticks snorted, and Fixer's cheeks flushed slightly – he would figure this out, just you… wait a little.

"Tsk," Sticks makes a sound vaguely like a bird, and then she moves to stand right next to Fixer, stealing the arrows from his fingers when he turns to raise an eyebrow at her. He'll figure this out just fine on his own, thank you – but then Sticks puts one hand over his at the grip – would be romantic if she wasn't crushing his fingers – and in three seconds flat she has moved hand and arrow, drawn the string and-

Fwup.

"Like this!" She snatches his other hand, and then she tucks an arrow into it – the arrows look like long sticks with just a tiny bit of artificial feather – and tries to guide his hand again, so he says,

"I'll do it myself."

Sticks snorts again, but lets go off him and steps back – he kinda misses the warmth. Anyway – he mimics her motions, focuses intently on the target, draws the arrow back to his chin and-

-misses horribly, arrow disappearing somewhere into the greenery…

"I'll get it!" offers Sticks, and Fixer nods. And then he glares at the target, draws another arrow- and failure again.


Later…

Bow ready, eyes locked on the target, aim, drawing the string… and yes!

"Bulls-eye!" cheers Sticks loudly. Hah! Half an hour of practice, of Sticks teaching him all the tricks, and a perfect shot on his first (real) try. "Told you it'd be fun! And now you can use your newfound powers to defeat all your enemies!"

"I don't have ene-" began Fixer, but then Sticks came skipping over to him, snatching the bow away and taking his arm, tugging him into a kiss – which almost banged their foreheads together, but they managed to avoid that, and Fixer smiled into the kiss, hand moving to hold Sticks around the waist and hug her closer-

And then Sticks promptly breaks the kiss. Up close, she always just looked so alive- eyes bright and expressions animated- "-And if you don't feel like shooting anybody," she says, and it takes a moment for Fixer's brain to connect that with their earlier discussion, "-then at least you've tried a new sport!"

"…Yeah. Though I guess I'll just have to cheer for you at the Olympics, right?" he chuckled.

"Or you could start training-"

"Whoa, I'm not that good-!"

Sticks used the hand she had slipped around his shoulders to pinch his cheek. "Yet. You up for sparring practice tomorrow?"

"Ow. Yes, sure – if I have time and… Wait. What kind of sparring? 'Cause I'd rather not go back to-"

"You'll see."

Sticks said, ominously, and pressed their mouths back together, Fixer resolving to think about that later – if he remembered. Sticks dropped the bow, and they ignored the quiver as they pressed close together, a few arrows spilling out as Fixer deepened the kiss-

Figures they just had to stumble over that pesky branch too.