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Sometimes it was hard to share living quarters with several super-powered individuals. Conner with his super hearing, Megan with her psychic whatsitcalled, Kaldur with his more-than-human intuition. It could be overwhelming for a simple earthling, like Artemis.
She didn’t sleep at Mount Justice often. Though there was a room for everyone on the team, including her, Artemis normally went home at night. If nothing more than to keep her mother from going completely insane with worry.
Today was a long one. They’d managed to defeat another leg of the injustice league’s cronies, but it was risky. Robin left the mission with bruises up and down his body. Wally broke his arm. Artemis had a few cracked ribs to contend with.
No one felt like going home afterward. Even Wally, who had a loving family to return to, opted to just pass out in one of the spare rooms at Mount Justice. Artemis figured he probably didn’t want to explain the cast to his parents. He’d probably try to put it off as long as possible; he didn’t want them to worry about him. He was annoying like that.
Artemis ended up conked out on the couch in the communal area, watching an old Hello Megan rerun. It really was uncanny, but creepy similarities to M’gann aside, the show was nice. She got why her Martian friend enjoyed it. It was a brief, 22 minute reprieve from the horrific reality they faced every day. Megan always solved her problems by the time the end credits rolled around.
Unfortunately, as usual, Artemis’ sleep was plagued by nightmares. She found herself back home, huddled underneath the covers in her twin bed as her father and sister shouted at one another.
Artemis was only single-digits when her sister turned to the dark side. She could see her slowly getting sucked into the same vortex of badness that their father wielded. Artemis cried a lot back then. She begged, pleaded, tried as hard as a kid could to save her big sister.
None of it worked. The evil was in their genes, or so Jade would say. It would get Artemis one day too. That’s just the way it worked in their family.
“No!” She would scream, “I’m good! I’ll never be like him!”
But in her heart, she always wondered if that was true.
Needless to say, when Artemis awoke with a gasping breath, then cursed as the rapid movement strained her injured ribs, she wasn’t pleased.
She squeezed her eyes shut and bent in half on the couch, arms wrapped around her middle as if trying to hold herself together.
“Artemis?” A quiet voice asked. Her head snapped to the side at the sound of it.
It was dark in the communal area except for a small light from the adjacent kitchen. The pale hue illuminated a pair of sharp green eyes, and a sprinkle of orange freckles across tanned skin.
Wally was standing in the kitchen, barefoot. He wore a pair of gray sweatpants and a white cotton tee. His auburn hair was disheveled from sleep, and in his good hand he clutched a half-eaten leftover sub.
“W-what are you doing?” Artemis snapped angrily, feeling vulnerable and invaded on. How long had he been there? Was he watching her sleep? Did she…talk at all?
Wally held up the sub obligatorily, “Fuel, duh.”
She didn’t meet his eyes, “Well you can go away now.”
Wally glanced down the dark hall, probably seeing the safest possible exit, but hesitated, “Um, are you…okay?”
“Of course.” She growled, “Why wouldn't I be okay?”
He sighed, as if to say: you’re really gonna make me elaborate?
Still, he replied, “You just woke up from a sound sleep acting like you got electrocuted. And you got pretty beat up today. Just checking on my teammate.”
“You’re the one with the broken arm.” Artemis bit back harshly.
She wasn’t sure why she was being so mean when he was clearly extending an olive branch. Things were pretty good between the two of them lately. Hell…she even was starting to realize that she had feelings for him. More than just friendly feelings.
But she knew that couldn’t happen. Not once he found out who her father was, where she came from. He’d never look at her the same way again. Better not to get involved at all.
Wally took a sloppy bite of the sandwich, and pickles slipped out the bottom, splatting on the kitchen tile noisily. He glanced down, unbothered, before looking back at her, “Bad dream?”
Artemis looked at her feet, chewing on the inside of her cheek while she debated whether or not to answer his question.
“I get ‘em too.” He admitted softly, and she could feel his green eyes watching her intently.
She braved a glance in his direction. His expression was somber, the normally facetious silliness completely missing from his face.
“You do?” she asked quietly.
“Oh yeah.” Wally took another large bite and spoke through a mouthful of turkey, “I’m pretty sure it comes with the territory. No way any of us sleep soundly every night. Well, except maybe Conner. I dunno what goes through that dude's mind. Probably just dreams of the sphere.” He scowled, “and smooching hot martians.”
Artemis felt a small smile tug at the corner of her lips, “I’d prefer that right now, honestly.”
Wally studied her in the darkness for a moment. It was quiet, and then, in a flash, he was sitting on the edge of the couch. Artemis winced at the surprise; it was hard to get used to how quickly he moved.
“Chill.” He assured her, “I’ll keep an arm's length. I know you don’t like the way I smell or whatever.”
She snorted, shaking her head curiously, “What?”
He rolled his eyes, leaning back against the sofa before responding, “I’ve got this mental list. Reasons Artemis is pissed at me today. I keep crossing stuff off when I rule it out. I think today you hate me ‘cause of the way I smell. Maybe I’ll rule it out tomorrow though.”
The blonde eyed him dubiously, “You really think I hate you, Baywatch?”
Wally shrugged, finishing off the sub and looking slightly disappointed at his empty hands, “Hate? Nah. I know I piss you off though.”
“I won’t deny that.” She agreed, “I piss you off too though, don’t lie.”
“You definitely do.” He chuckled, shaking his head, “So do you want to talk about the dream? Might help.”
“No.” Artemis said shortly.
“Cool.” He nodded thoughtfully, then glanced down at her midsection. If she didn’t know better, she’d say his eyebrows twitched worriedly as he examined her.
“What?” She snapped.
“How are your ribs?” He asked.
Artemis paused at the question, but decided there was no harm in being honest, “They hurt.”
“I’m sorry.” He said earnestly, and she wondered why he was apologizing for something that wasn’t his fault.
“Nothing I can’t handle.” She shrugged, then winced as the movement sent another spiral of pain through her rib cage.
“I guess not.” Wally agreed.
“And you?” She gestured toward the cast on his arm, “Broken arm. Can’t feel good.”
Wally looked down at his injured limb, as if just remembering it was there, “Yeah. Better than the leg though.”
“You should be more careful.” Artemis muttered, “You’re not indestructible.”
Wally snorted, “You're one to talk. How many broken ribs were there? Three?”
“They’re cracked.” She corrected him, “Not broken.”
“Oh my apologies.” He rolled his eyes again. He seemed to do that chronically.
It was quiet for a moment. The duo sat on the stiff sofa, breathing softly. Artemis’ toes were nearly touching his thigh, and the proximity made her chest feel weird.
Something in her yearned to scooch closer and curl up against him. She knew she couldn’t do that though.
“You don’t have to sit here with me.” She assured him.
“I know.” He replied simply.
She sighed, “You're frustrating, Wally.”
“Are you always this rude when people try to comfort you?” He demanded.
“This is comforting?” Artemis snorted out a laugh, “You stuffed your face and pestered me with annoying questions.”
“I would be comforting if you’d actually talk.” He argued, “Not much I can do if you’re a bank vault.”
“No one asked you to open the vault.” She hit back, crossing her arms over her chest. It ached against her ribs so she uncrossed them sheepishly.
“That’s what fr-teammates do.” Wally scowled at her, “Kaldur would tell me to walk back in here and make sure you were okay before going to bed. Which trust me, I’d rather be doing.”
“I’m okay.” Artemis said, “You can go.”
She looked away, trying not to relive the dream with him sitting so close. Truthfully, nothing he said or did would make it better. There was no point in telling him any of it. He couldn’t fix it, and it would likely get her thrown off the team.
“Artemis.” His voice was uncharacteristically genuine, and it made the hair on her arms stand up, “You know you can talk to me, right? I mean, I know we…butt heads. But we’re in all of this together dude. I’m here.”
She tried not to relish in his warm words too much. If she read into it, she’d let herself get hopeful. And nothing could happen here. Not once he found out who she was.
Still, his soft, encouraging words made her yearn to open up. Wally wasn’t serious often, so she tended not to take it lightly when he got real about stuff.
“It was just a bad dream about my family.” Artemis admitted quietly, “They were pretty crappy.”
“Is that why you’re with your uncle so much now?” Wally inquired; he still thought Green Arrow was her relative.
“Yes.” She lied, “It’s hard to explain. But um… I lost my dad and my sister when I was young. Sometimes I see them in my dreams.”
“They died?” His voice was genuinely upset.
“No.” She shook her head, “It’s hard to explain. But I lost them. And… a lot of the time I feel like a bad person because I wasn’t able to save them from themselves.”
She realized how much she’d just divulged, and glanced at his face frantically. The words had spilled out before she could rein them in properly.
But his expression wasn’t judgemental or angry. It was sympathetic, warm and caring. His forest-colored eyes met hers in the low lighting, and she watched as his good hand reached out and rested over hers on the back of the sofa.
His palm was warm and smooth, his large hand engulfing hers. She noticed the fine hairs on his thick forearms, the winding muscles into his white t-shirt, the soft rise and fall of his chest as he moved to speak.
“I’m sorry that happened to you.” Wally said in a low voice, “but you were just a kid. Their choices are their own, and you’re not at fault for that. Trust me, you are a good person.”
She wished she could believe him. But he didn’t know the truth. He didn’t know that sometimes the only future she saw for herself was on the side of evil. He couldn’t possibly understand the truth behind her fears. It was a curse in her bloodline.
“How can you know that?” Artemis found herself asking.
Wally met her eyes intently, “Because, I see you. We’ve fought together, laughed together, and argued with each other. I’ve seen you give your life for others.”
Both teens grimaced at the reminder of their failed psychological training exercise, where Artemis had been destroyed by a laser beam. She wasn’t present for the aftermath, but she overheard Megan and Kaldur talking about how Wally had been ready to throw his own life away to avenge her. How they’d never seen him so furious, so distraught.
She’d never mentioned it. She didn’t know what it meant. But she did know that she sort of liked the way it made her feel.
“You are always on the side of what you think is right, Artemis. You are always trying to do what’s good. I never doubt that. You’re where I look when I need… well, someone to steer me in the right direction.”
He offered her a small, sly smile, “And if I’m being honest? I need that. You always call me on my shit. You don’t let me get away with anything.” He chuckled, and it was a nice balm on her heart to hear his laugh, “Sometimes you’re so good it’s annoying.”
Artemis found herself smiling too, looking down at her lap as his words washed over her. She didn’t understand why he was being so nice, but she couldn’t deny that it made her chest feel warm. It made her feel safe and cared for. It felt like something she’d yearned for since she was a child; it felt like being loved unconditionally.
It was all a little too much for the middle of the night at Mount Justice.
She didn’t realize that there were hot tears streaming down her cheeks until Wally said, “Whoa. Are you…crying?”
“No!” Artemis snarled, quickly covering her face with trembling hands and wiping at her wet eyes. She prayed to any deity who would listen for Wally to just get up and leave.
“Hey.” His voice was still there, caring and soft, “It’s okay. Um…here.”
Artemis couldn’t see from behind her palms, but she felt him readjust on the couch. The dip in the cushions was right next to her now, and a sturdy arm circled around her shoulders. His deodorant was still faintly there, mixed with sweat which wasn’t the most appealing smell to be pressed up against. But he was warm, his grasp was surprisingly tender.
From where her head ended up against his chest, she could listen to the rhythmic beating of his heart, count the soft breaths that blew from his lips. His large hand smoothed up and down her back, and he shushed her quietly.
She couldn’t believe she was cuddling with Wally. It was all sorts of bizarre.
But…it felt…kind of right.
In mere moments, her cries were soothed until she was letting out slightly rapid bursts of air. Then, after a while, those settled too. She lay there, breathing slowly, eyes drying as she stared at the blank TV.
Out of character as it was, Wally didn’t speak. He didn’t crack a joke, or make an innuendo, or even say anything remotely stupid. He just sat there silently, held her in his arms, and brushed the hair from her face when it fell across her forehead.
“Am I h-hurting your arm?” She realized her body was pressed up against his shoulder, which was wrapped in a cast from their fight today.
“No, you’re okay.” He was quiet, but there was a strain in his voice that made her readjust so she wasn’t putting her weight on his bad arm. She could hear a small breath of relief break from his lips after she adjusted.
“Is this weird?” Artemis asked hesitantly, grateful he couldn’t see her face.
“Kinda.” Wally replied, “is it weird for you?”
“Kinda.” She admitted, “But…it’s nice too.”
“Yeah.” He murmured.
“Please don’t tell anyone about this.” She pleaded.
Wally snorted, “You think I want everyone making fun of me ‘cause I let you wipe your boogers on my shirt? Puh-lease.”
“I don’t have boogers!” Artemis hissed, and moved to sit up away from him.
Surprisingly, his grip on her tightened a bit at the movement, and he said, “Hey you don’t have to go.”
As much as she figured she was going to regret this in the morning, she had to admit his embrace was too enticing to abandon just yet. Artemis settled back into his thick, warm arms.
“Why are you so hot?” She found herself asking, and then cursed herself before he’d even responded.
“Ha! Well-“
“I meant the temperature!” She growled, cutting off whatever smug retort he had geared up, “Your skin. Do you have a fever?”
She tried to veil the worry laced in her tone. Could a broken arm spike a fever? Was that dangerous? Could he be sick? Maybe she should wake the team…maybe she should drive him to urgent care just to be sure. He was really warm.
They’d been close before when he’d grabbed her up and carried her in his arms during a fight; but she’d always been too distracted to notice his temperature. Was he okay?
“It’s the metabolism.” Wally replied nonchalantly, “Constantly running, that’s why I eat so much. It keeps my body temp pretty high. Kind of annoying if someone’s gotta sleep next to me, but it’s not dangerous.”
Artemis snorted, though she was relieved to hear he was okay, “As if anyone would sleep with you.”
He scoffed quietly, “Says the chick curled up in my arms like a prairie dog.”
“Did you just call me a dog?”
“No, I called you a chick.”
“That isn’t better!”
Their bickering was the only noise now in the quiet living room. Aside from the rapid beating of his heart against her ear, and the small noises his stomach was making -somehow he was always hungry- there wasn’t much else to pad the silence. Artemis’ eyes drifted down to his sweatpants, and sideways to see his good hand, hovering unsurely above her body. He was careful not to touch; afraid to do anything too forward. As if this wasn’t intimate enough already.
She reached out and took his hand gently, pulling it down so it rested on her hip; his fingers smoothing out over the place where her thigh met her pelvis. She could feel his body tense beneath her, which made her smile slightly.
“It’s okay.” she murmured, “It’s nice, Wally.”
“You sure?” He asked quietly, and she was surprised to hear the insecurity in his voice.
“Yes.” Artemis replied, “Thanks. For…comforting me.”
His body relaxed a bit beneath her, and his fingers tightened slightly on her hip, “Anytime, blondie.”
They lay there quietly for a while. Artemis listened to his paced breathing and nestled into his warmth. After a while, she felt her eyes drifting closed, and she couldn’t be bothered to seperate them before anyone found them in such a compromising position.
And the next morning, when the team began to awake and saw Wally sleeping upright on the couch, head thrown back as he snored loudly, one arm in a cast and the other securely wrapped around the sleeping Artemis, who had her head buried in his lap, they wisely decided not to speak of it.
Those two would surely have enough to deal with when they awoke and realize where they’d ended up.