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They didn’t need to say it out loud. They had never needed it while the thing between them lasted; they hadn’t needed at the start and honestly? That was probably the reason things had just worked out so well between them. Neither really liked to talk about that kind of thing so why put themselves through it? They would stumble their way through everything.
It wasn’t maybe the healthiest approach, but it worked out for them and that was all that mattered.
Artemis had been the first one to go for it, kissing Jason on top of a roof after their post-patrol snack (never during a patrol, never before it. The bats had the weirdest rules). Their first kiss had tasted of chili dogs and mustard. Jason had kissed her back like it was a common thing. Like they made out every night before they parted ways.
And after that night they did.
The day Dick had asked her if she was dating the newest Robin the only answer she had given was ‘maybe’. Robin’s answer had been… a little more colorful but it could basically be summarized to ‘none of your business’. As far as attempts to make them talk it out went that one had been labeled a failure, and the make-out sessions continued with no end in sight.
Eventually they led up to more. They couldn’t help but laugh when each had quickly pulled protection out of a hidden pocket at the exact same instant. Laughter turned into pants and sweaty moans and blissful screams (Artemis was anything but quiet. Jason liked it that way, but he never told her).
Wally actually asked her out. He said there wasn’t any pressure… that he understood they had something going on and he didn’t want to be in the middle. He had been in denial for far too long to go on without telling her, that was all.
And Artemis actually said yes. She actually told him about his feelings, they actually talked about it and didn’t look away or run when the conversation went towards serious matters. (To this day Jason still wonders what having someone like that feels like).
From that they on there were no more make outs on the roof. Neither of them put an end to it but it ended all the same. They hadn’t even talked about what ‘it’ was supposed to be, so neither of them were really sure what to feel about ‘it’ ending. They were still friends, they still patrolled together and even though it was awkward at first their ‘not talking about it’ rule once again was there to smooth things over.
Until Jason died.
The whole team was running towards the warehouse when it exploded, the energy of the explosion making them fly back. Artemis was the first to get to Jason, the acrid taste on his mouth telling her she was very close to throwing up at what she was seeing. But he was alive, still alive and that was what mattered. And it mattered for the minutes he managed to stay alive.
He was trying to speak, to tell her something through the desperate screams that he should save up the energy, that there would be time for that later. Later, when he was better because he would be better.
“I-” There was so much blood, so much blood but he still tried as he reached to touch her face with the arm he was still able to move. “I sho-ould haf- Beautiful, beautiful I lov-”
“I’m sorry.” She couldn’t lie to him, not now. She had known, of course she had known. Jason might seem like an impetuous kid that did things without giving the consequences a second thought but she’d always known him better than almost everyone.
Because he was her best friend... even if she was a lot more to him.
And the last thing she saw in Jason’s eyes before the glossed white of dead took over them was the bitter realization.