Falling

Artemis was never the type to fall too quickly. In fact, before him, she hadn't fallen at all. But then, he decided to sprint his way into her life and make quite an impression. The first time she'd seen him, she saved his life. The second time he'd fallen to his knees in front of her. So maybe he tripped but that's beside the point. He fell straight into her heart.

It started the day they forgot. Everything they'd known for the past six months, gone. She woke up with him beside her. At first, he was merely a mission, someone to kill. But then, he wasn't. She wouldn't mend to meet her father's standards, or her sister's. She saw something in his eyes, not quite able to place it but intrigued by it, none the less. He'd comforted her when she was confused. And, at that point, they were complete strangers.

Then, they remembered. Pushing away from each other in disgust, they knew things had changed. Never going to return to their old ways, they were forced to accept it. She couldn't fight, however, that feeling that grew in her every time she saw his face.

She died, even if it wasn't exactly that. He, apparently, did not take it well. Going as far to threaten the lives of all the aliens. She, on the other hand, feared something much more complicated: family. Her father's identity must remain a secret, hidden from him, all of them. She feared the rejection she was sure would occur.

It wasn't until that one moment, that she knew she had fallen completely, whole-heartedly. Her insecurity eating away at her soul as Red Arrow slowly made his attempt at replacing her on the team, her family. His chair swiveled around as his face nervously told her that he believed in her and that she always had a place on the team. She didn't have to prove herself, at least to him, he had said. She smiled inwardly knowing at that moment she was gone. The fact that he was one hundred percent behind her proved a great comfort. She found solace in his assurance and her heart found its match.

His rejection later in the mission proved the answer to any doubts. Her heartache at the realization that she had disappointed him was the unequivocal proof that she could never let him go. She would need to fight for him. She could not just give up. If he could never love her at least she'd die knowing she'd tried. She would have to tell him the truth but not right away. She'd be content for a little while before it would become too much to keep in, to withhold from him. She wasn't sure exactly when, but she would tell him soon. She knew, one hundred percent, she had fallen completely, truly, madly, and whole-heartedly in love with Wallace West.