Authors note:

I'm Alive! Only been...2 years? Maybe? Yikes. I'm sorry guys. Life gets in the way. There was a lot of life going on. Do you mind if I update you? Sparrow and I are now juniors (figuring out college and fun things, yay) Yeah, we're still best friends; fear not, we're still a team. And right now I'm the middle of exam week and for some odd reason I was able to produce something. It seems like its National Kiss a Ginger Day and honestly I couldn't resist. So please be kind, I know my writing is rusty and God knows what kind of spelling and grammar you'll find, but I wanted to do this for you guys. Anyway, enjoy this oneshot! (ONE SHOT OKAY NO MORE, SORRY)

-Dawn

"Seriously," Artemis growled. "I do not need to be carried in like this!"

"Shut up and stop your complaining, newbie." Wally sighed as he walked into the cave, holding Artemis in his arms.

"You're all beat up Artemis." Robin narrowed his eyes at her. "We can't take any risks. Babs is already out for a broken leg and Superboy caught some weird alien flu." Artemis looked away and bit her tongue. Today's mission had her in a jumble. She wasn't on her A game and that only made for a worse bruised body. Not to mention she took out some huge douchebags on her own, but not before they kicked her around pretty badly and said some pretty graphic stuff towards her. It had her pretty torn up, but she didn't want the guys to know, especially Wally. Her hands were dangling around his neck, not holding on, a promise that she wouldn't try to strangle him. It wasn't Artemis's fault that she was so hostile towards the male race. She grew up with an abusive father, abusive relationships, and a psychotic sister, at this point crazy just found its way to her. Trusting people was not her usual MO, but Wally made it really hard for her to keep that attitude up.

Wally looked down at Artemis. Man, did she look rough. He never had the right words when it came to Artemis. He either said something insulting, stupid, or he couldn't say anything at all.

"Um," Wally cracked his neck, "Want to take a bath with the fruity smelling bubbles or?"

Artemis glanced up at Wally, and in a flash, he had a red mark across his face.

"OW. WHAT THE-", He started, stumbling backwards

"I will NOT take a bath with you, PERVERT." She glared, her eyes piercing through his genetically mutated body.

"That's not what I meant! Crazy!" He yelled, finally dropping her on the couch as Robin hunched over, laughing.

"Sure." She snapped, crossing her arms over her chest, but then slumping further into the cousins. A bubble bath did sound super relaxing to her right now.

"Well, while you two figure out which one of you is taking a chick bath; I've got to report to batman. Later KF, Artemis." The boy wonder waved to the two, and still chuckling, left the mountain.

Sighing, Artemis sat up and looked over her shoulder, slightly, at the fastest kid alive, "That would be nice."

"Wha-?" He looked up, a cookie stuffed in his mouth and crumbs falling over his costume.

"A bubble bath, Baywatch. A bubble bath would be nice." She looked away, not wanting to face whatever face he was making at her.

"Oh!" Wally swallowed his cookie quickly and looked around. "Then, um, I'll get right on it, princess!"

Artemis whirled around to shoot an arrow at him, but he was already gone.

"Idiot" she muttered, but couldn't help the smile spreading on her face.

"What was that? Something about how amazingly awesome I am? Please go on." Wally was back, of course in a flash, and was holding out his arms.

"Just praising your reigning supreme stupidity. " She retorted, looking back up at him, "What's with the arms? Want a high five?"

Wally just rolled his eyes, she could be such a pain sometimes, and quickly picked her up so she was in back in his arms. "Just in case."

Surprisingly, she didn't argue, and just laid limp in his arms, her hands resting on his shoulder blades. Smiling to himself, Wally dashed to the regal bathroom. It had a view of the beach, the sun now setting, and a giant round bathtub right by the windows so you could see out. Wally had turn all the lights off except for candles, girls liked that, right? And he had the bath filled to the top with fruity scented bubbles bobbing up and down. Wally set her down gently and waited.

"Wow." Artemis finally said, walking more inwards. "I haven't been in this bathroom before."

"Yeah well, we're never really here to use it." He shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Its…it's really pretty." She said slowly, and then turned around. The setting sun glowed behind her and Wally swore he saw her pretty smile grow big. She was so pretty, and she had no idea, which made it ever crazier. Wally realized he was staring so he cleared his throat and shuffled his feet.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you-"

"No." Artemis cut him off.

"Wait, what?" Wally asked, confused.

"Could you, I mean you don't have to, but it was sort of a bad day-and I, I don't really want to...to be alone."

"You want me to stay." Wally stood dumbfounded. "While you bathe."

"Well when you put it like that-"she turned around angrily, feeling stupid and embarrassed she even asked.

"No." Wally shook his head, walking over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'll stay." Artemis nodded her head.

"Okay shut your eyes." She sighed, suddenly sounding bored.

"Huh?" he asked, but before he could even process, she was pulling her shirt over her head. He saw her back muscles flex and her small waist. Turning redder than his hair, he turned around and squeezed his eyes shut. A few moments passed and then he finally heard a splash of the water and he turned around (Thank God for the bubbles, it covered all the way up to her collar bone) Artemis hair was down, a rare thing, and she laid her head back.

Without saying a word he walked over and sat with his back up against the tub. Neither one of them spoke. Wally pulled out a car magazine and started to flip through it. Artemis pulled her knees up to her chest and watched him.

"Don't suppose you want to talk about today?" He asked without turning around. Artemis was surprised, Wally wasn't the type to talk about things, but then again, neither was she.

"Not really." She sighed, looking out at the window. The water was steaming and felt good against her aching bones. She could count her bruises. Up to fifteen at the moment. The candles gave the room a warm glow as the sun finally disappeared behind the horizon and the stars started to appear. "How sad." She murmured.

"What is?" He asked, glancing at her from the side.

"What? Oh." She blushed. "The stars. They seem so close, but they're really millions of light years away from each other."

"Sort of like you and I." She heard him mutter. She didn't say anything. Artemis didn't want Wally to feel like this, but it was for the best, right?

Silence. Again. She knew she asked him to stay, so she better make up some conversation.

"My mother," Artemis started, "used to put rose petals in my bubble bath when I was little. It was sort of like a home remedy for bruises for when I came home from training with dad. They were supposed to help me heal quickly or something stupid like that." She felt her face on fire. He probably thought that she was weird and that she was making him uncomfortable. Suddenly, Wally stood up, and without turning around, he raced out of the room. "Um, Wally? Great." She sighed, pulling herself underwater to get her hair wet. I totally freaked him out, she thought. She blinked a couple of times and then pushed her way back up through the surface.

"Hey." Wally said and Artemis shrieked at the sight of him standing above her.

"What are you-"she started furiously and mortified, but then she noticed a bouquet of cherry blossom petals in his hand.

"Not roses. Japan was actually nearby and they are full of these things." He said while kneeling beside the tub. Artemis said nothing, just watched Wally with her mouth slightly opened. Wally started to pull the petals and drop them into her bath. He kept dropping them in until the entire room smelled like a garden.

"I want to help to heal you Artemis." Wally said quietly, his face flushed. "Is that okay? I know you're strong and everything but I really want to be here for you, I don't want to be the stars in the sky anymore, I want to be something- I don't know , something mo-"

But before he could finish, Artemis lips found his. He tasted like chocolate mint, probably from a snack earlier, but she didn't care, she loved it. Wally's hands cradled her face as they deepened the kiss. But before it could turn into something else, she pulled away.

"I meant to tell you earlier." She said, breathing heavily. His eyes met hers for the first time and they were staring into each other's soul. "Happy National Kiss a Ginger Day."