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Artemis jerked upright in bed, instantly struggling to her feet. It took her a minute to get free of all her blankets, but soon she was sprinting down the hall, following the echoing of M’Gann’s screams. She skidded to a stop when the doorway was in sight. The boys were standing around it, just staring.
“Well don’t all volunteer at once!” She hissed at them, shouldering past Kaldur and Conner.
“It’s a girl’s room,” Dick shrugged weakly. Artemis just rolled her eyes before slowly pulling the door open.
“M’gann?” She whispered quietly, peeking into the dark room. She gasped as the light from the hallway spilled through the doorway. M’gann’s bed was a mess, sheets and blankets tangled together and pushed to the side. The Martian herself hovered flat, feet above the bed itself. Her ginger hair fanned out above her, as though she was perpetually falling. Artemis glanced over her shoulder at the boys. They all looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to cross the threshold. She took a deep breath and stepped inside, tiptoeing up to M’gann’s bedside.
“M’gann?” She whispered, reluctant to touch her. Artemis’ eyes were misty. It wasn’t just M’gann who struggled with these nightly terrors. The team spent more nights than any of them would like to admit waking up to the sounds of the other’s screams.
Artemis gulped against the oncoming tears and reached out a shaky hand. M’gann’s eyes flew open as soon as the other girl’s fingers grazed her arm and she fell out of the air, landing heavily on her mattress. She sat up slowly, glancing between Artemis crouching beside her and the rest of the team still hovering in the doorway.
“I’m-I’m sorry,” M’gann barely managed to get out, her voice was gravelly and hoarse. Artemis sent the boys a warning glance and they slowly dispersed, heading back to their own rooms. She took the opportunity to get up and close the door, not wanting to let M’gann see her face crumple. She faced the door, gulping down deep, steadying breaths before turning back to her friend.
“I don’t want to hear you apologize for that. Ever.” Artemis couldn’t look up, she knew M’gann would be able to read the emotions on her face. She couldn’t tell M’gann how she felt, she didn’t know what she would do if she ruined this friendship. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”
“But-” Artemis cut her off, looking up sharply.
“Nothing.” She met M’gann’s eyes. “You understand?” M’gann nodded weakly. Artemis let her shoulders droop as she turned back towards the door, headed back to her own bedroom.
“Wait.” M’gann’s voice was scarcely louder than a whisper. Artemis paused, glancing back slowly. “Do you think-I mean could you-Will you stay?” M’gann’s hands were buried in the sheets, nervously twisting. Artemis nodded slowly, turning fully back towards the bed. She approached it slowly, giving M’gann time to change her mind but she only shifted to one side, trying to straighten out the covers. Artemis laid down slowly, mind racing, not allowing herself to talk. If she opened her mouth it would all come rushing out. She felt, rather than saw, M’gann turn towards her.
“You know I know, right?” Her heart stopped.
“Know what?” Artemis choked out. The other girl didn’t answer. Artemis froze as M’gann closed the gap between them, wrapping her slender arms around the archer’s waist and tangling their feet together. M’gann carefully tilted her head up and whispered through Artemis’ blonde hair.
“I love you too.”