A/N: Here I was, minding my own business, working on chapters for my other stories when this idea barged in. It wouldn't leave me alone, I lost sleep, and in a fit of frustration, I wrote it out. I hope you enjoy.
Magic Fingers
She wanted to hate him, she really did. From the top of his bright red hair, to that mouth that never stopped spouting obnoxious insults, to the bottom of his too-quick feet that always managed to elude her reply arrow volleys in the nick of time. Kid Flash was an ass, and Artemis had no qualms in exacting her perpetual revenge against the idiotic speedster.
Well, at least she didn't until the day she discovered he gave the best back massages. EVER.
The discovery took place after a particularly rough mission, although nothing seemed to be going right for Artemis that day. Right as she finished restringing her bow, Batman summoned the team to the assignment room, leaving the archer no chance to break in and test the new cords. Then there had been the strenuous sparring session with Black Canary earlier that afternoon. Black Canary had been teaching the team about using pressure spots on the body against opponents and went on to spectacularly demonstrate her lesson on her newest guinea pig: Artemis.
Normally Artemis would have iced her aching muscles directly after training, but she promised M'gann that she would show the martian how to manually use the weight room. Granted, M'gann probably didn't need Artemis there to spot her, but Artemis knew the martian loved girl time, no matter the form it came in.
Right on cue, the girls left the room an hour and a half later only to be met in the hallway by Superboy carrying Artemis's bow, snapped strings and all. Apparently there had been a disagreement over the TV remote, and somehow the bow had been caught in the crossfire, its strings sliced by Robin's batarang no doubt. Artemis took her bow from Superboy without a word and marched upstairs to her room, conniving all the ways she could slowly torture her male teammates.
She made certain her door was securely locked before picking up the closest pillow and screaming into it. The archer found this to be an excellent stress-relieving technique when causing bodily harm was not an option. Tossing aside the pillow, Artemis sat down to repair the strings, mentally telling herself that Murphy was no longer invited to anymore of her Saturday afternoons. EVER.
Either Murphy didn't get the message, or he just didn't care. No sooner had Artemis finished snapping the last pulley in place when the team was summoned to the assignment room. Some criminal who wasn't high profile enough for the Justice League to bother bringing in had escaped and had managed to put together a sizeable posse. He apparently posed a large enough threat to the Boston crime scene for the Young Justice team to be called on to fix the mess and recapture him.
The mission was a simple retrieval. Artemis had positioned herself on a nearby rooftop, launching arrow after arrow into the fray below, ignoring the protesting cry of her aching shoulder, arm, and neck muscles. Eventually, one of the thugs below wised up and tossed an explosive at the ledge on which she was precariously perched.
Artemis swung down on the rope attached to her grapple arrow just in time for the ledge to explode. This provided an excellent distraction from the fact that she slipped from the rope prematurely and rolled to the ground with the extra momentum. No one noticed except the criminal mastermind she skidded in front of. He took the liberty of stomping his foot down right between Artemis's shoulder blades.
The urge to scream when being tortured had long since been trained out of the archer. So when the man lifted his steel boot to crush her underfoot once more, Artemis had already rolled over, kicked his other leg out from beneath him, and stood over him with an arrow knocked and aimed at his chest.
She hadn't realized how heavily she was breathing until Aqualad laid a hand on her shoulder. "We have all his accomplices in custody. You can stand down now," he told her quietly, gently pushing down on the arm holding the bow. "Well done," he said, making his way over to tie up Artemis's quarry.
Artemis gave a small but audible sigh of relief as she un-notched her arrow. She glanced over at her other teammates who were handing the rest of the criminals over to the police.
The ride back to the cave was uncomfortable to say the least. There was no turbulence, yet Artemis could not find a comfortable position in her chair. Clenched teeth and nails digging into the fabric of the bioship were the only indications of Artemis's discomfort apart from the fidgeting, and even those signs were hardly noticeable.
When the bioship finally pulled into the docking bay, Artemis was one of the first people off, making a beeline for the locker room. There was a giant, ice-filled bath tub calling her name, and Artemis knew she had at least ten good minutes before Batman would be in to debrief the team.
Removal of her uniform was a painstakingly slow ordeal. By the time the automatic ice machine finally filled the bathtub, Artemis had stripped down to her spandex shorts and sports bra, three bags of ice strapped with medical tape to her neck, right shoulder, and right arm.
Very gently, she lowered herself into the ice bath, gasping as the chill penetrated her skin. Releasing the edge of the porcelain siding, Artemis sank further into her icy abyss, keeping only her head above the water level. It wasn't the best feeling in the world, but dull numbness was a welcome release to the increasingly sharp muscle spasms. Just as her eyes fluttered shut, a loud knocking on the door was followed by an equally loud, "Hey, Artemis! You in there?"
'Shit!' Artemis thought, struggling to escape the packed ice. Surely her ten minutes couldn't have been over already? "Go away, Wally!" she shouted back, pulling herself up to a standing position.
Kid Flash ignored her per usual and marched in, still talking. "Look, do you think you could touch up your makeup on your own time? Some of us want to hit the showers-" He stopped mid-tirade, mouth open in shock.
Artemis might have found the situation comical had not her own face mirrored his. She stood there, deer-in-the-headlights, caught in the act of tearing off the tape and ripping the ice packs away so her team wouldn't know the extent of her injuries.
They stared at each other in awkward silence for several moments, the sound of ice cubes rolling off Artemis and plopping back into the tub echoing into the void.
Wally recovered first, setting his mouth into a grim line, his eyes determined. Artemis saw this and narrowed her own eyes, preparing for an argument.
"Get out," she bit out, her voice dangerously low as she removed the rest of the medical tape. The ice bags plummeted to the tub with a splash.
Wally shook his head and began walking toward her. Artemis stepped out of the bath tub; this was going to get ugly. "I mean it, Kid. Get out of here now."
"No."
And just like that, she felt him zoom behind her, his breath ghosting on the back of her neck. She knew he could see parts of the of the shoe-shaped bruise between her shoulders below and above the fabric of her top. He was too close for comfort, and Artemis meant to rectify that.
Kid Flash caught her left elbow aimed squarely at his solar plexus and simultaneously pushed down on her right shoulder. Artemis stifled a yelp of pain as she fell to her knees, blinking back tears as they came unbidden to her eyes. Kid Flash released her left arm like it was on fire. She felt a rush of wind and knew she was alone once more, her labored breathing echoing off the dark tiled walls. Another breeze announced his return. Kid Flash kneeled in front of her. She refused to make eye contact-never permitting anyone to see her in a weak moment. Faster than she could blink, something black and soft was pulled over her head.
Artemis poked her head free through the nearest opening, glaring daggers at Wally who only grinned back sheepishly.
"Sorry, it was the only thing I could find on short notice," he told her, helping her arms find the sleeves. Artemis stared at the front of the too-large hoodie, the words "Central City High School" emblazed in giant red letters.
"Look, we need to get to the assignment room now, but after Bats is done, I need you to meet me in the TV room," Wally told her hurriedly, picking her up from the left side so as not to jostle her injured shoulder.
"Why-" her question was cut off as Kid Flash sped them to the rest of the team. If Batman or their teammates found their entrance odd or Artemis's wardrobe and dripping wet hair unusual they didn't comment. Although M'gann did send her a few curious glances, and Robin seemed to be glancing between her and Kid Flash and trying not to laugh. Eventually, Batman concluded his assessment of the mission and dismissed the team. Well, except for-
"Artemis, a word."
Artemis turned back to face Batman, wondering what he could possibly want to talk to her about. She tried to remain calm and not jump to any rash conclusions.
The dark knight seemed to consider the blonde archer for a moment before asking, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," came Artemis's quick response, her suspicions growing by the minute. There was no way THE Batman was here just to ask how she was feeling.
"Ice bath?" he inquired, eyeing her still-dripping wet hair. She nodded once. "Right shoulder? Your neck bothering you too?"
It wasn't a question, and Artemis could feel herself tense up as she replied, "It's just a spasm from training. It'll be fine."
Batman's eyes narrowed as he leaned down to meet Artemis's. She was almost positive he couldn't read minds like Miss Martian, but Artemis still felt as though she had been hooked up to a lie detector. His hidden eyes stared her down, extracting information she didn't know she was withholding. Batman concluded his mental sweep at length before standing upright once more.
"I'm taking you off assignment for a week and off the training schedule for the next four days."
"What?" came Artemis's outraged response. "I'm fine! It's hardly bruised-"
Batman set his hand on her shoulder. Artemis tried not to wince, and Batman nodded as though his suspicions were confirmed. "The damage may be more than a bruise, and I have no wish for you to aggravate the injury."
"I've had worse," Artemis mumbled, belatedly realizing it was the wrong thing to say.
A scowl crossed Batman's features at Artemis's last remark. "Be that as it may, I do not want to jeopardize your health, nor do I want the team down a member for an extended period of time."
Artemis paused. In so many words, Batman (THE Batman) had told her he was worried about her and concerned for her well-being. "Uh, thanks? I guess…"
"Goodnight, Artemis," came Batman's closing comment, and Artemis knew she had been dismissed.
She left the assignment room, intent on going back to finish her ice down in the locker room when she recalled Wally's request. She looked down at the sweatshirt, only just realizing the thoughtfulness of the gesture. Although… he could have just been trying to speed things up and take her to the debriefing as quickly as possible; Artemis knew it would have taken awhile to put her uniform back on. Either way, Artemis decided she should at least give it back.
With this new purpose in mind, Artemis made her way over to the TV area. Turning her head to the commotion in the kitchen, the archer saw Kid Flash's head pop out of the refrigerator as he chugged the last of the milk. It wasn't until he tossed the empty carton that the speedster noticed her standing there.
"Artemis!" He was next to her in an instant, leading her by the wrist toward the couch. "I'm glad you came. I just need you-" he paused to grab a pillow and place it on the floor in front of the couch- "to sit there." He grinned, and Artemis wondered if he finally lost it.
"Are you serious?" she deadpanned. "You'd better not be messing with me, Wally, or so help me-"
Wally waved his hands vehemently. "It's not like that at all! Look, I just need you to sit on the pillow and face the TV. Please?"
Artemis eyed him warily but complied, shifting around on the pillow until she found a comfortable position. "Now what?" she demanded.
"Um, well, I sort of need my sweatshirt," Wally replied awkwardly.
Artemis raised her eyebrows but carefully shrugged out of the black hoodie, avoiding straining her shoulders as much as possible. She handed the item back to the speedster who took the now-damp sweatshirt and set it to the side.
Wally sat down on the sofa directly behind Artemis, leaning over her shoulder and whispering, "Tell me if it gets too painful."
Artemis, tired of his vague comments, was about to ask what the hell that was supposed to mean when his hands gently pressed down on both of her shoulders. Artemis bit the inside of her cheek to hold back a cry of pain. Kid Flash mumbled something that sounded like "Sorry" before continuing to probe his fingers along her cold skin, his warm hands almost soothing as he searched for all the knots and tender points. He brushed her hair to the side, and Artemis pulled it over her left shoulder, wondering why she still hadn't stopped him. His sweep was completed before long, and slowly but firmly, Kid Flash's hands went to work, kneading and rubbing the damage out of his teammate.
Artemis gripped the pillow for dear life, struggling not to make any noise of discomfort as Kid Flash worked. Only once did she gasp out loud; he had pressed rather hard on the bruise made by the villain's steel toe boot. Her breathing spiked, and Wally paused to ask, "Are you okay? Do you want me to stop?"
She shook her head, taking a few calming breaths. "No, I'm fine."
Kid Flash smiled. "Good, because you'll love this next part."
"What-" Artemis stopped as the most wonderful sensation coursed down her trapezius muscles. "Did you just-"
"Vibrate my fingers?" Kid Flash finished for her, repeating the procedure over the spine of her right scapula. "Yep."
Artemis let out a contented sigh, feeling his palm vibrate on the back of her neck. "Where did you learn to do that?"
"Sometimes, when I'd go over to my uncle's house, my aunt would come home late after a long day at work. He'd stop whatever he was doing and give her a massage like this. One day, I asked if he'd show me how he did it," Wally paused, working on a rather stiff muscle just below Artemis's shoulder blade. "It's really all in the fingers, but it was hard learning to move them at super speed individually. When I needed a focus exercise, I'd work on it until I finally could move them all like I wanted."
Artemis let out a moan of satisfaction as she finally felt the tension in her neck dissipating. "How do you know which areas to push?" Artemis asked, closing her eyes.
"Black Canary's lecture on pressure points," Wally told her, vibrating his thumb over the one in the hollow of her collar bone to emphasize his point. Artemis tensed at the momentary pain, but gradually relaxed as his thumb unwound the muscle fibers. "I watched where she tagged you with them earlier in training." Wally paused, leaning over and whispering into her ear as though to disclose a juicy secret, "And I once read a chiropractor's guide to the integrated nervous system. Lot's of good stuff on how to diffuse back muscle tension."
Artemis glanced sideways at the speedster who was grinning like an idiot. She rolled her eyes, muttering "geek."
"Maybe," Kid Flash agreed, working on a particularly nasty knot between her bicep and the edge of her shoulder.
They sat there quietly together, Kid Flash slowly repairing his teammate and Artemis sinking into a puddle of bliss, occasionally letting out a moan of contentment or a happy sigh of release. She didn't know if it had been minutes or hours. Time had blurred into one long stream, little currents tweaking her subconscious, telling her to wake up from her daze, that he was not longer touching her.
Artemis's eyes snapped open only to be met with a pair of amused green ones. Wally sat in front of her, looking incredibly pleased with himself. "You're like a cat," he informed her, eyes dancing with mirth. "I half expected you to start purring twenty minutes ago."
"Shut up, Baywatch," she told him with no real anger, raising her arms above her head and yawning. "How long ago did you stop?"
"Couple minutes," the red head replied. "Feel better?"
Artemis rolled her head from side to side and rotated her arms. "I hate to admit it, Wally, but you have magic fingers." Wally's smirk never faded, even at the magic reference . "Everything feels really good—ah!" Artemis smothered the exclamation, having accidentally disturbed the one bruise that couldn't be fixed with a massage.
"What's wrong?" the smirk was gone in an instant, replaced with something like worry.
"It's nothing," Artemis brushed it off. Wally raised an eyebrow. "It's the bruise made by that criminal's boot," she sighed. "And I'm pretty sure the only thing that'll fix it is time." Artemis set the pillow back on the couch while Wally grabbed his hoodie.
Artemis turned to the speedster, swallowed her pride, and said, "Thank you for doing that, Wally. It means a lot."
Wally smiled, "Hey, what are teammates for? Besides," he paused, and Artemis's suspicions were aroused. He only ever grinned like that at her when he was planning something. "I think I have something that might help with that bruise."
Artemis never had the chance to react; Kid Flash wasn't the fastest boy alive for nothing. He was behind her in an instant, his mouth hovering over the lowest part of her neck just above the tip of the purple wound. Her skin was no longer chilled from the ice bath, but his lips still felt like fire as he planted a light kiss on the offending mark.
Wally felt Artemis tense when he pulled back, and in a moment of reckless abandon, he grinned and whispered in her ear, "I've heard kisses make everything feel better. Goodnight, Artemis."
In a rush of wind, Wally was gone, never giving Artemis the chance to shout after him about his impending doom for ever deeming to think that was okay. Because it wasn't! Except for special occasions in which Artemis was transformed into a relaxed puddle of goop…of which this certainly qualified…So maybe just this once, it was okay. They could go back to being arch frenemies tomorrow.
Besides, Artemis thought, running her hand over the spot Wally's lips had just vacated and smiling, he was right. Kisses did make everything feel better.
A/N: I did a botched up job proofreading the story...maybe I'll go back someday and fix the errors. Thanks for reading :D