Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice. "Kiss Me Slowly" is by Parachute—but I did modify the lyrics to fit this story.
Kiss Me Slowly
Artemis always liked spending time at Roy's apartment. His living room and adjacent bedroom offered a floor-to-ceiling view of the sprawling heart of Star City's downtown area, and they spent many nights leaning against the headboard of Roy's bed in the darkness, watching the dancing sparkles and streaks of city lights and passing cars. And then Artemis's vision would fade into hazy orbs of rubies, emeralds, and golden topaz as she falls asleep in Roy's arms.
Tonight was no different, but they chose to sit on the floor in front of the bed to a world sprawled beyond their toes. And in the glow of the twinkling lights, Artemis caught sight of something she never noticed before.
"I never knew you played the guitar," she commented in amazement. She never took him to be the musically inclined type, but there it was, the faintly lit fingerboard of an acoustic guitar peeking out from underneath his bed.
"You never asked," Roy replied, leaning over to scoop the straw-colored guitar into his lap. He strummed the strings once, and the sound floated like a cloud into the night.
"Huh," Artemis huffed. She shifted so her eyes could take in the novel sight of Roy Harper holding a guitar. "Aren't you an endless bag of surprises."
"I can also juggle five flaming cantaloupes while riding a unicycle."
Artemis responded to his teasing with a single raised eyebrow, and Roy laughed.
"Just kidding," he continued, still softly grazing his fingers across different chords. "But I can sing."
"Okay, I believe the cantaloupe-juggling-talent more," Artemis continued to goad.
Roy ignored her and strummed a familiar chord. He cleared his throat and began: "Twinkle twinkle little star, yes sir yes sir three bags full…"
Artemis's eyes widened as she recognized the purposely mismatched verses and swung a stray pillow at his head.
"Hey!" she exclaimed, but even so, a smile splashed across her face. "You weren't even there!"
Roy raised his hand to intercept her half-hearted swing and chuckled. He moved his hand on the fingerboard and a new chord swirled through the darkness. He held onto Artemis's gaze, and lost himself in her fiery beauty—a free-fall into something amazing he never wanted to ever end.
He gradually inhaled her scent of vanilla through his nose, and exhaled through his fingers and voice…
"I can see you there with the city lights,
Fourteenth floor, dark grey eyes.
I can breathe you in.
Two shadows sitting on the bedroom floor,
No, I could not want you more than I did right then,
As our heads leaned in…"
Artemis didn't realize why she never noticed the melodious quality of Roy's voice—how his strong spoken words could flow smoothly through the bass clef of a song.
His sapphire eyes never left hers, and with each chord, they leaned closer and closer, until the guitar fell silent. Her lips parted, and she could feel her heart unfurl its wings with quivering anticipation.
But Roy grinned and suddenly moved away. Artemis shot him a challenging look as he continued the song.
"Well, I'm not sure what this is gonna be,
But with my eyes closed all I see
Is the skyline, through the window,
The moon above you and the streets below.
Hold my breath as you're moving in,
Taste your lips and feel your skin.
When the time comes, baby don't run, just—"
Roy never had a chance to finish the rest of the verse, because the guitar in his arms was suddenly replaced with silk and skin, vibrating alive to the notes of his touch, and his voice—instead of finding the last few words—was captured by Artemis's lips.
When the time comes,
baby don't run,
just kiss me slowly…