So, this is my first one-shot. It's not really in any certain time frame, so if something doesn't line up with the story line and you don't like it, you're barking up the wrong tree. It was better to have her past know for this, and I liked it best that way...SO erm... Yeah.
Enjoy the fluff!
"You're an idiot!" She screamed, slamming the cabinet door.
"You're a bigger one!" He screamed back, searching in vain for something to slam.
"That's it? You're a bigger one?!" Artemis almost flung her sandwich at Wally's head.
"Yeah, well, you are." He said, crossing his arms like an insolent child.
There was a cackle from the living room, and Artemis glared.
"Stay out of this, Bird Boy!" She yelled, her gray eyes flashing.
Robins head popped around the corner, his usual smirk in place. He walked over to the fridge, carefully avoiding Wally and Artemis's glare-path. His smirk grew into a full fledged grin when Wally reached for the cause of the argument.
"I just want to see it!" He yelled as Artemis picked it up and chucked it across the room.
"You can't, it's gone." She turned on her heel and stormed out of the kitchen. She almost plowed into Zatanna, who jumped out of her way.
"Well, okay then." Zatanna said, picking up an apple and spinning it carefully on her pointer finger.
"What did Wally do this time?" Asked Megan. She put her hands on her hips, glaring at the speedster.
"I'm innocent!" Wally yelped, holding his hands up in surrender.
"Yeah, until proven guilty." Robin said under his breath. Zatanna elbowed him, and he gave her a goofy grin.
"Just go say you're sorry." Kaldur said, pushing Wally out of the kitchen and towards Artemis's room.
"She's still mad." Wally sighed and bent down to pick up the thing Artemis had thrown. He had found her carefully examining it, and without thinking, had snatched it out of her hands.
It was a small silver locket, and obviously something he wasn't supposed to touch. At all. Ever.
"Fine…" He groaned, dragging his feet on his way down the hallway.
"Drama queen." Rob whispered as Wally sulked. Zatanna smiled at him, and everyone cracked up a little.
"You guys want to watch?" Rob asked, pulling up the security camera feed.
Kaldur stood in front of the screen, crossing his arms.
"No." He said. Everyone sighed. No meant no when it came to Kaldur. But still…
Line Break….
"Artemis?" Wally asked, carefully opening the door. "Arty, you in here?"
A shoe went flying past his head, and he took it as an invitation. He shut the door, knowing Rob and Zatanna would take any chance they could to hear them argue.
"I wanted to say I was sorry…" He said, creeping forward. The small lamp on her nightstand was casting shadows across the whole room. Suddenly, he felt a weight knock him off balance. He landed hard on his back.
"I'm so sorry, Arty. Please don't kill me!" He put him hands up to protect his face, but she just snatched the necklace away from him. She tried to put it back on, but struggled immensely with the clasp.
"Here," Wally said, standing up and reaching out to put it on her.
"No." She snapped, taking a step away from him. She tried again with the clasp, but just flung the small object onto her bed in frustration.
"Stupid necklace, stupid sister, stupid picture, stupid, stupid, stupid…" She mumbled, kicking the leg of her desk repeatedly.
"I don't know, you're not all that stupid." He muttered, rubbing his neck uncomfortably.
"I wasn't saying I was stupid, Wally." She said, flopping down on her bed. She cringed, hearing a crunch as the trinket was crushed beneath her.
She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, trying to keep the tears from flowing.
"Hey, Arty. It's okay, um… I think I should go get Megan. Yeah, I should def-" She cut off his rambling by pulling him down into the chair next to her bed.
"I really don't want anyone else to see me like this. I don't really have a choice when it comes to you, but I can keep you from saying anything." She said, and Wally felt a threat hanging in the air.
He reached out, gently rubbing her back. She tensed, but eventually relaxed under his kind touch.
"It was my sisters. She gave it to me when we were kids, it has one of the few pictures I have of us as kids in it." She murmured into her knees.
"I…" Wally tried to think of something, anything, to fix what he had done. It was one thing, he knew, to get on her last nerve. Messing with her past was a whole new galaxy.
"You didn't know." She said. She sounded so exhausted, so empty. Wally moved to sit on the bed with her.
"Arty, it's alright." He tucked her head under his chin, and the scent of her hair made Wally's head spin.
"I know it's stupid, but I just can't bring myself to get rid of it. It's all I have left." She was starting to doze off, her rage had left her worn.
"It's not stupid, Artemis. It's amazing." He had said the last two words accidentally, and he hoped she wouldn't catch it.
"What?" She asked, her voice still heavy.
"Nothing, Arty. Just get some sleep." He tried to get up, but she wouldn't let him.
"What did you say?" She said, her head on his shoulder.
"I said it was amazing." He gathered all of the courage he could find, and threw in some stupid for good measure. "What I meant is that you're amazing." He said, chuckling nervously.
"Wally…" Artemis said, her voice questioning.
"You never let anyone see you break, you never even tell anyone if you're hurting." He breathed deeply, her scent still intoxicating. "I'm honored that you let me in, Arty. Honored."
She shivered as his fingers run up and down her arm, but she didn't try and injure him, so Wally kept talking.
"I've always liked you, I'm just too stupid to fess up. Mostly because I knew you would try and, I don't know, kill me. But Arty, you're spectacular. I've never been more caught up in anyone than I am in you. You're beautiful, and funny, and smart, and just flat out brilliant. I would do anything for you."
She uncurled, her feet brushing the floor.
"Wally, you really are an idiot." She whispered, and Wally blushed. She looked down, rubbing her arm where Wally had run his fingers. "Did you really mean it?" She asked, tucking her feet beneath her.
He brushed her ponytail over her shoulder, fingering the long strands.
"Every. Single. Word." He said, cupping her chin in his hand.
"Good." She said, her gray eyes sparkling.
"What, no 'you're amazing too' speech. Geez." Wally said sarcastically, trying to cover how flustered she was making him feel.
"Oh, what have I done." Artemis said, shaking her head.
"You're breakin' my heart." Wally said jokingly, leaning in closer. He saw her eyes flutter closed, and their lips brushed.
"Aww!" Came an ecstatic cry from the door way. Megan had opened it, and the whole team was outside. They scattered when Artemis glared at them. Wally smiled, seeing Artemis angry with someone other than him was always surreal. He felt a pang of jealousy. That was supposed to be for him.
"Ready for a little hunting?" Artemis asked, reaching for her bow and trick arrows. Wally looked at her, her walls were up again. He felt a strange feeling spread in him as he realized she would bring them down again for him.
"With you? Always." He said, leaning in and giving her an actual kiss. She blushed scarlet, and then ran out of the room. She paused at the door, waiting for Wally.
"Well?" She said.
The speedster could barely breathe, but he nodded.
Line Break…
Later that night, Wally stood in the kitchen. He kept opening and closing the fridge, looking for something to eat, but not actually looking at all.
"You're going to break it." Artemis said, leaning on the door frame. Her strait blonde hair was hanging down around her, making her look almost childish. She reached up and tucked a rebellious strand behind her ear, not looking at Wally.
"About earlier-" They both said at the same time, and they laughed.
"You first." She said, pushing away from the door and leaning on the island. She picked up a pencil that Megan had left next to the grocery list. She twirled it in her fingers.
"I, uh… I really don't want to go back to how things were…before." He said, scratching the back of his head. "I really liked, um, you know…" He smiled.
She looked up at him, her gray eyes still wary.
"Wally…" She started, but her cut her off.
"When are you going to learn that I'm never going to hurt you?" He asked, walking around the kitchen in agitation. "I really don't know if you hate me sometimes, or maybe you just think that I'm like everyone else out there. Maybe you think that I would just dump you if I got bored. But, Babe," He looked at her, his green eye pleading. "You're too irritating to ever be boring."
Her mouth was hanging open slightly, and her arms were folded protectively over her stomach. She looked at him, unsure. He walked up in front of her, pulling her to him. Much to his (albeit pleasant) surprise, she wrapped her arms around him.
He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers.
He managed to pull one clear thought out of his tangled mind.
I love her.