Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice…ALSO I CANNOT WAIT FOR SEASON 3!
Artemis hates him. She hates him so much. He always has to be the hero. Always.
She understands duty. She understands the responsibility for helping others, for being there for her team, but she hasn't died for it. Would she? Probably, but not before telling him she loved him one last time.
She hates him for leaving the team.
His friends.
Her.
She found a ring in the back of his sock drawer a few days after he died. She had not touched Wally's closet for a while. Nobody wanted to forget Wally, but there was no reason in keeping Wally's clothes if he wasn't coming back.
His parents had come over with boxes for donation and for possible family hand-me-downs with Barry and Iris' kids when they grew up.
Artemis had been cleaning out his sock drawer when she felt the velvet box against the very back of the wooden armoire. She froze for a moment and gripped the box tight, bringing it out into the open. She had looked down at the blue, velvet box and opened it very slowly. Wally's parents were still in the living room getting things ready and sorting out clothes that had already been brought out when they heard a scream.
They had run into Artemis's and Wally's room to find a crying blonde on the floor, wailing loudly as she looked at the simple gold band with an emerald on top, perfect for the girl who wore green in battle.
An engagement ring that had obviously been meant for her.
His parents watched as she slowly had taken the ring from the box and shakily put it on her ring finger. The fit and look was perfect.
And then she screamed.
"I hate him," she screamed through the sobs. His parents joined her in crying. They had, of course, known about the engagement ring. He had told his parents for a while now that once their senior year was over—three months, was all—that he had planned to propose to Artemis.
"I would have said yes," she said, crying into her would-have-been father in law's chest as he hugged her.
She wore the ring around her new apartment that she had bought once graduation was done. All of the team had come…a noticeable absence was noted, but not spoken of.
Brucely joined her, of course, and every so often Artemis would forget the fact that Wally had saved the world and would look down at the ring and think she had the most perfect fiancé ever. Then she would remember and hate him all over again.
Nobody in the cave would ever mention it to her if she accidentally forgot to take it off for missions.
Artemis would sigh whenever she would put on her Tigress suit, something that would never make her happy. Saving the world used to make her happy. Being with him used to make her happy.
Neither did anymore, because he wasn't there to make her happy. Saving the world with her friends made her happy, but he had been there since the beginning.
Two years later and he was still gone.
She hated the stupid, idiotic, world-saving boy.
But she didn't hate him at all. Not really.
Because even after all these years she still loved him.
Even after all these years she still cried every night for him.
She had never really been a soft person, but he had helped her grow into somebody that felt more than just anger.
Artemis hated the fact that the reason she would never be truly happy again was a boy. Unfortunately, though, it was true.
And even though she didn't believe in a deity, she prayed that one day before she died she would see him again, maybe even be with him.
Because she hates and still loves him after all this time.
Maybe one day she would see him again, but that day would not be today or—it would seem—any day soon.
