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Artemis was used to walking into weird conversations in the cave, after a year on the team. They were teenagers, (except Conner and M’gann, but she didn’t like to think about that too much because it made her brain hurt,) and when they didn’t have missions, they got bored. The alternative to weird conversations was lighting things on fire, and since Batman had forbidden that, this was the better way to burn excess energy.
But when she walked in through the zeta tube and the weird conversation paused, everyone turning to look at her expectantly, warning bells went off in her head.
“Artemis!” Zatanna called in a tone that was suspiciously chipper. “You should come over here and back me up.”
“What argument are we having?” Artemis asked, setting down her bag on the counter and walking over to the couch. Everyone else was lounging on it and in front of it and (in Robin’s case) draped over the back of it, and she got a few mixed greetings. Conner and M’gann were the only ones who gave her actual hellos- they were on the ground, Conner resting on Wolf and M’gann resting on Conner- and she tried to scan them for any sign of what she was walking into. Conner was slightly smiling, which boded badly. As did M’gann’s giggle of anticipation.
Also, Wally was absent. She tried not to show that her heart sank and her senses skyrocketed at the same time. He was supposed to be here, and the fact that he wasn’t could either be because he forgot or… something worse. Paranoid, yes, but in their line of work she couldn’t rule anything out.
“Wally’s off crying somewhere.” Robin said dismissively.
“If that was supposed to be comforting, it falls short.” She sat on the ground next to Kaldur because Zatanna’s smile looked awfully sharklike. “What am I backing you up on? Is it related?”
“It is, actually.” Rocket said, on the couch with Zatanna, rolling her eyes. “Brace yourself.”
“Again, not comforting. What?”
“We were just discussing how many kids you and Wally are going to have.” Zatanna said casually. “My bet is on five, since you two are going to be like rabbits, but Robin says two because Wally’s admitted he wants one boy and one girl. Thoughts?”
“…What?”
Not the brightest response, she would admit, but she had literally no idea what else to say. When the others started laughing at her gaping she quickly shut her mouth and glowered at Kaldur, who wasn’t reining anyone in yet and was just watching. He shrugged apologetically at her glare and said, straight-faced, “I am thinking one of each, as well.”
Traitor. “Why are you even talking about this?” She demanded, and when Zatanna waggled her eyebrows she pointed accusingly at M’gann and Conner. “Talk about them! They’re the… the lovebirds, in this cave!”
“I’m telling Wally you said that.” Dick grinned. He was lying across the length of the back of the couch, legs crossed comfortably and hands behind his head, and between that and the sly grin he looked like a very satisfied cat. It also made her want very badly to push him off. “Also, yeah, that’s a good idea, let’s talk about M’gann and Conner until Wally comes back. Conner? How many kids do you want to have with M’gann down the road?”
In answer Conner choked mid-sip of water and started coughing; M’gann patted his back until it subsided, a small but strained smile on her face. It was all very… domestic-looking, Artemis thought suddenly, forget her and Wally, those two acted like they were already married sometimes. Married and on their honeymoon phase, which felt sometimes like it was never going to end. She and Wally fought over everything, it felt like: his eating habits, her study habits, the way they kept their rooms (his had no system of organization whatsoever, and she wasn’t sure why he was so offended her room was neat), everything. M’gann and Conner, though, were on the same brainwave most of the time. Literally.
“Let’s not talk about this.” M’gann suggested, sounding desperate.
“Oh, no, we’re talking about this.” Zatanna leaned forward intently; she probably didn’t even notice she did it, but M’gann leaned backwards the exact same amount, and Artemis grinned and saw Rocket doing the same. “M’gann? You said you have twenty siblings on Mars, are you going to have twenty kids?”
“It’s… different on Mars.” She turned to Conner, clearly floundering, but he shrugged. She went even redder. “What about-“
“No, no, you can’t change the subject!” Rocket said gleefully. She and Zatanna and Dick had identical looks on their faces. There wasn’t a doubt in Artemis’ mind that they didn’t actually care what any of their answers were, but they had (herself included) made the mistake of showing that it could get a reaction and that was what they wanted. They were as bad as the five-year-olds they had to babysit when the adults disappeared, who had needled each other in the side and then said “but I’m not doing anything” when they were told to stop.
Best get on their side before they turned on her again.
“Yeah.” She said, leaning forward. She saw Kaldur cast her a weary look, almost betrayed, and she grinned at him before turning back to M’gann, who had practically the same expression. “How many kids do you want, M’gann?”
“You do know she’s Martian and I’m Kryptonian, right?” Conner said, sounding annoyed. “I’m not sure this is a question at all. At least you guys are all human- no offense, Kaldur.” He paused for a second. “Actually, sorry if this is offensive, but is Atlantean the same as human with regards to... this?”
“To the best of my knowledge it is,” Kaldur answered, sounding like he was winding up for an explanation. Brilliant Conner, she thought, bringing Kaldur into the mix. She’d have to do that when they inevitably turned on her-
There was a dash of wind and a familiar red blur that tackled her in a hug, and she shrieked in surprise. Wrong move- the rest of the room turned to look and laugh at her, as Wally buried his head in her shoulder and said, “Hey.”
“Hey?” She demanded, but she found she was laughing too. It was impossible to stay mad at him, truly mad at him, for any length of time, and when he pulled back and looked at her she could tell he knew it. “I’ve been here for five minutes already, where have you been?”
Wally looked up at the ceiling, trying to avoid the question, and Robin snickered. “Like I said, he was crying in the bathroom.”
“I was not!” Wally protested, sniffing, but he wouldn’t quite meet Artemis’ eye. “I made a strategic retreat.”
“Don’t-“ Artemis started, but it was too late. The vultures (Zatanna, Robin, and Rocket) had turned toward the two of them, and she sighed. “We had them distracted, stupid.”
Rocket waved her off. “Yeah, too bad, so sad. So how many kids do you want to have when you and Artemis are married, Wally? Let me guess, two? Two and a house with a white picket fence and a dog?”
Wally pointed at her. “The dog is a definite yes, I can tell you that much.” Artemis tried to mask her smile at the thought of that, but of course he saw it and brightened. “Dog is a definite yes. Have you ever had a dog?”
“I’ve lived in an apartment my whole life, Wally. There wasn’t an opportunity.”
Wally hummed and laid down, suddenly, so that his head was on her lap, staring up at her… adoringly. That was the right word, no matter how embarrassing it sounded. She felt like she was glowing when he looked at her like that- like he loved her with every fiber of his being and she deserved every bit of it. “Then definitely a dog. I love dogs and I guarantee you will, too. We can get something small and cuddly that can also be a good guard dog.”
It said something that that was exactly what Artemis was thinking. She hoped it didn’t show on her face how pleased she was that they were in agreement on this. The rest of the team was still present and they didn’t need more ammo.
Speaking of which, right on cue Zatanna whistled loudly enough to get everyone’s attention. “Look at you guys.” She said. “All domestic and talking about the future. When’s the wedding?”
She hoped Wally couldn’t feel it, but every muscle in Artemis’ body went taut at that word. It was a reflex, and a stupid one, but she couldn’t help it. Her mom and her dad were married, and it was the worst decision her mom had ever made. It felt like an anchor, a root, and maybe those were good things to people who wanted to be grounded but she had spent her whole life on the run.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to be grounded, even to Wally, who was very likely the best thing she had ever had in her life and ever would have.
Wally scoffed- the notion didn’t scare him at all. His parents were married and lived in a white house in the suburbs. That was normal to him. “Zatanna, there has to be something more interesting to do on a Friday night than grill the couples about their nonexistent future plans.”
“Not by much, actually. This is better than television.” Robin’s hand fell for a high five from her, which he got, and Artemis sent him a withering glance. He shrugged. He and Zatanna were only kind of a couple, so there was nothing she could do back to him. Yet. She was good at biding her time.
“You should probably just answer the question.” Conner said. There was a slight smirk on his face. He was safe, for now. “You know how they are.”
She did, and so did Wally, because he groaned and threw his head back on Artemis’ lap in resignation. “Fine. Two. Happy? I want two kids. A boy and a girl, ideally, but no more than two, because the world’s already overpopulated.”
“Nerd.” Artemis said affectionately, but her throat felt tight. Her turn, now, and the whole room was almost comically quiet, looking expectantly at her, waiting for her answer. She had one, one she had known for a long time, but it was habit to hold it back. To size up the pros and cons of saying it.
But she trusted all of them. And she caught herself looking into Wally’s sincere green eyes and cocky half-grin to get the courage to get the words out.
“I don’t care so much.” She said. “I just want as many as it takes until I have a girl. I… always wanted a little sister, when I was younger. Next best thing would be having a daughter when I grow up.”
She was completely unprepared for the raw flash of emotion through Wally’s face, upside down and focused on her own: equal parts pain and love and… longing. Longing strong enough that for a second it was hard to breathe through it, and when she laughed at herself it came out strangled. Her dad had never, in her life, looked at her mom like that. Nobody had ever looked at her like that, when she talked about her future. It made her feel centered, and light, and like she could do everything in the world but here was the best place she could be.
It was enough to make the quiet laughter and coos of the others feel distant, and unimportant, and when Wally squeezed her hand it felt like a promise.