Closer
By growingintofaith
Author's Note: This is kind of a missing scene that we never got to see. I can't remember the specifics of Young Justice Season 2, because it's been such a long time since I watched it. But I DO remember when I watched it and realized there was a time skip, how I was upset that there were so many gaps that we didn't get to see. My main concern was how Artemis and Wally chose to leave the team and move into young adulthood and move in TOGETHER. It was like they were a young married couple. It did so many things to my psyche, because I've never thought they'd do anything like that. I was so excited to see that when I first watched Young Justice! Because I like Wally and Artemis together. But, then a little voice in the back of my head...the fifth grader me from 2005, will always still ship Kid Flash and Jinx because of the Season 5 Episode 8 "Lightspeed" Episode from The Cartoon Network "Teen Titans" show. Yes. All of you that ship Kid Flash and Jinx know the episode I'm referring to. XD So, here is my way of satisfying my Kid Flash and Jinx fix while still sticking to canon. Because, in a way because we never got to see everything in the time skip, this COULD have happened. And no one can tell me that it didn't, because in my headcanon, somewhere in Young Justice, a version of Jinx and the other members of the Hi-Five do exist. And maybe, with the hope of a third season of YJ being confirmed, we'll be able to see them on screen. Until then, here is my contribution to that little theory. I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think!
It is September 14. School has started back up and the fall is setting in.
Wally West walks down the strip of buildings and restaurants, looking for a new place to eat. His blue jacket is zipped up to his chin and he has his hood on to keep the wind from blowing on his ears.
"Yeah, I think I'm going to stop and get a bite somewhere around here," He says into his cell phone as he keeps walking along.
"You're sure you're okay eating by yourself?" Artemis, Wally's girlfriend, asks on the other end.
"It's for the fiftieth time, so I guess I've got no choice but to be okay with it now," Wally says in a playful tone.
Artemis laughs.
"Hey, it wasn't my fault this time. You're the one that didn't check in with me. Remember, I had to get my schedule switched around since I'm double majoring now," Artemis says.
"I didn't forget that part...I just didn't think you'd actually sign up for classes that start during lunch time," Wally says.
"Wally, only you eat lunch at 11:00 am. Most people are still digesting their breakfast," Artemis says.
Wally chuckles.
"I get hungry," He says.
"You're a pig," Artemis laughs.
"But you love me," Wally quips back.
And there is a long pause on the other end.
Great, Wally thinks to himself, he had to go and say that word.
"...I have to get to class" Artemis says in a rush,"I'll call you later"
"Yeah, sure," Wally says,"Maybe we can do din-"
The phone goes dead before he can finish.
Wally sighs and pockets his phone.
He looks up and sees a diner across the street that he's never noticed before. So, he crosses and makes his way inside. He's hoping that this place will at least have a good hot dog that'll make him forget all about the fact that he and Artemis hardly ever see one another anymore. From superheroing, to college, and now to Artemis taking even more classes...it's getting harder to find one on one time.
Wally can feel the strain starting to form. But he wants to do everything he can from letting it break them apart.
He loves Artemis.
He can't lose her.
As he walks inside the diner, he takes in the red and white leather booths near the windows and the red stools near the counter. He sees a couple of college kids in the booths with their computers and books out, surrounded by plates of hamburgers and milkshakes.
Wally thinks to himself that this is not a bad place to stop in at. Most of the college students all pile up at places like Starbucks, libraries, or chic cafes. Making going to any of those venues crowded and hard to find a table to sit at, let alone get some food to eat.
But this place is so retro and out of the times that only a few brave souls reared their heads in here.
And now Wally is one of them.
Wally walks over to the jukebox-yes there is even a jukebox-that sits at the far end of the diner. He's amazed that these things still exist. He fishes in his pocket for a quarter and enters it into the slot.
He flips through the records. Stuff that his mother and father used to listen to (and maybe even their parents) make up the lists. With a few more recent songs thrown in here and there for good measure.
Wally decides to just go with it, but not wanting to disturb the quiet souls who are doing their work, he plays a calming jam.
Bill Withers:"Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone"
A guy with glasses so big and round they make him look like he has one eye, who is wearing a well worn t-shirt, looks up from his book and holds up a French frie he was about to put into his mouth. He nods his head at Wally in approval.
"A classic," He says in response to Wally's choice in music.
"Yeah, I know," Wally replies with a conversational smile as he makes his way over to the counter.
It is vacant except for him.
But he does see someone behind the counter.
A young woman with pink hair braided in two pigtails and tied down by two black bands, wearing a red and white uniform shirt and the name Jinx stitched a little bit over her right breast in black letters, stares down at a black book and ignores Wally completely.
He sits down and places his black bag on the stool next to him.
Wally peeks at the kitchen behind the girl that shows the grill and a burly man in a chef's uniform staring up at a TV that is near the stove.
Wally looks back at the menu that lists the things to order. And sure enough, a California dog is right on the board. His stomach does cartwheels at the thought of the joyous food being shoved down his throat.
Now that he knows what he's going to order, all he has to do is order it.
Wally tries to wait patiently for the girl to ask him what he wants. But she doesn't look his way at all. Instead she continues to stare at her book.
So, Wally tries to at least will her with his mind, like he's some kind of magician, to pay attention to him so he can order something.
Finally, he clears his throat.
But the girl still doesn't pay him any attention. Completely enthralled in her book.
"Excuse me miss," Wally tries.
"Miss?"
"Miss?"
"Yo, Jinx!" A guy with a shaved head that is sitting in one of the booths, bent over working on some kind of technological device, yells for Wally.
The pink haired girl snaps out of her trance and looks in his direction.
"What?!" She shouts.
"You've got a customer," The guy in the glasses says,"Stop sleeping on the job"
"What do you care, Gizmo? You don't own the place!" Jinx snaps.
She turns her attention to Wally.
"What do you want?" She asks.
Wally is somewhat taken aback by her rudeness, but he ignores it.
Wally studies the menu again.
Does he really just want a California dog? Or does he want a California dog and a Chilli and Cheese dog?
He rubs his chin.
"Hmmmm," He says to himself.
He can't make up his mind now.
"Ohmygod!" The waitress, Jinx, cries,"Just pick something! It's people like you that make me want to quit, I swear. It's all the same junk!"
Wally gives her a look. He doesn't like it when someone tries to rush and insult his stomach.
"I'll have two California dogs and two Chili Cheese dogs," He says in a dry voice.
The girl looks back at the burly man in the kitchen
"You heard him, Mammoth!" She yells,"Get on it!"
The cook, although bigger and more threatening looking than the girl, grunts and throws her a dirty look, but stops staring at the TV to do what she says.
The girl notices Wally staring at her with irritated eyes. She rolls her own and turns back to her book.
Wally makes a mental note not to tip her.
As he sits there by himself at the counter, listening to the sound of Bill Withers sing his sad song about losing love, he can't help but think about Artemis.
What was her deal with rushing off the phone like that after he made a playful comment?
"That's why you love me, right?"
Wally tries to think of all the reasons why that statement could have caused Artemis to freak out on him and rush off the phone.
Of course, the biggest red flag he can find is the L word.
Love.
Is her reaction a sign that she wants to end things with him?
Is that why she used the excuse of signing up for more classes and choosing a double major?
So they won't see each other even more and hopefully she can slowly break the news to him that she no longer wants to be his girlfriend.
Wally shakes his head to himself.
The song ends.
So, he gets up from the counter and puts another quarter in the machine.
And he plays the song again.
This time the guy in the glasses looks up from his book to give Wally a sad shake of his head.
"I feel ya, man," He says as Wally walks back to the counter.
The pink haired waiter, Jinx, eyes Wally as he sits back down on the stool.
"Ok. So who's the girl that's got you all fucked up?" She asks him with a sigh as if he wanted her to ask him the question.
Wally looks at her. He's not sure if she's making a sarcastic comment or being serious.
"It's okay," She says,"You can tell me. I'm a licensed therapist. This is just my side gig"
"Ha, ha," Wally says dryly.
Jinx shrugs her shoulders.
"Ok. Don't talk about it. Just sit there thinking about all the crap that's bothering you and looking like you're about to cry as you wait for your vat of grease to be done. Fine by me," She says as she tilts her head back down to her book.
...
"...It's my girlfriend," Wally says after a little bit of silence.
Jinx raises her head up from her book, sighs, and closes it as if she knew he'd open up sooner or later and she's mad that he made her wait so long.
"What, she break up with you or something?" She asks him.
"No," Wally says and he can't help from sounding annoyed at the very idea of his fear of Artemis actually deciding to leave him coming true.
"She's cheating on you?" She asks bluntly.
"No," Wally says.
"She told you she was a lesbian?" The girl tries again and this time she smirks.
"No!" Wally shouts.
But what he doesn't know is that this is just Jinx's way of giving him a little humor.
She smiles. What Jinx doesn't know is that most people don't know when she is actually joking, because of her blunt at times harsh personality. So, everything she says sounds like she's being sarcastic and mean. Which she is, but some of it is just to play around.
"You'd be surprised at how often I've heard that one. Most guys can't handle it. They think they did something wrong," Jinx carries on with her joke even though Wally is obviously perturbed even more by now,"And blame it all on their lack of masculinity and-"
"Artemis isn't a lesbian!" Wally snaps.
He takes a deep breath and tries to calm his nerves down.
He hasn't even know this girl for two minutes and she's already getting on his nerves. He already regrets trying to open up to her like she suggested and telling her about his problems.
Jinx laughs at how easily it was to get the redheaded man upset.
"I'm just joking around," She says.
Wally gives her a look that still says that he doesn't think anything she is saying is very funny.
"Okay, now will you at least let me talk?" Wally says pointedly,"That's usually what licensed therapists do"
The pink haired girl narrows her eyes at him.
"Look, I'm trying to help you out," She says.
"And listening to me instead of making sarcastic quips WOULD help me out," Wally says back.
"You're one to talk about sarcastic quips," Jinx snaps.
"Who are you?!" Wally asks in a moment of frustration, throwing his arms in the air.
He is so done with this waitress that he thinks about just getting up and leaving.
In his head he thinks no wonder there aren't many people in here. He initially had thought it was because of how retro and out of the times the restaurant is, but now he thinks it has something to do with a certain pink haired employee and her lack of professionalism and friendliness.
"I'm Jinx, who are you?" Jinx retorts, answering Wally's rhetorical question.
She crosses her arms across her chest.
"I'm...You're name's really Jinx?" He asks.
"Yes," Jinx says defensively,"What? You think I just let them call me whatever? Of course my name is Jinx! It's stitched on my uniform! Are you blind?"
She gives him the once over.
"You know? For someone who's so fast...you're a little slow," She says.
Wally pales when she says this.
Fast? He thinks in his head. What does she mean by fast?
His heart drops to the bottom of his chest and he feels like he's spinning in circles.
Does she know his secret identity? Is she on to him? Who is she? How could she know? How?
"Fast?" Wally doesn't even realize he's panicking until he is,"What do you mean by fast?"
He looks around the restaurant. Suddenly everyone looks suspicious and the whole set up does, too.
What if this restaurant was a ploy by one of his enemies who has figured out his secret identity? What if they knew that he, Wally, a poor college kid would be walking down the strip today...looking for a place to get a good hot dog...and they set up this retro restaurant knowing that he'd have the curiosity and be dumb enough to go in and try it.
Artemis.
Shit.
Wally's mind goes instantly to Artemis. If he has been compromised than surely they would have figured out her identity, too.
But before Wally can act, Jinx opens her mouth.
"Yeah, fast. If this girl you are hung up on hasn't broken up with you, she's not cheating on you, and she's NOT a lesbian...than it's obvious that whoever this girl is, you're moving way too fast for her. And she's giving you the cold shoulder. Which is why you look like you just lost your favorite superhero action figure. Let me guess, you want to get married, settle down, have some kids? And she's still, what, worried about her classes and what major she's going to choose? So, now you guys are both in that awkward phase where neither of you know where your relationship is going," She says.
Wally stares at Jinx for a long time. And his mouth even starts to hang open a little bit.
Jinx smirks.
"I'm right, aren't I? You don't have to tell me though. It's written all over your face," She says and uncrosses her arms to lean up against the counter.
"First of all, interesting name," Wally says in a sarcastic voice.
"Thanks," Jinx says sarcastically right back.
"And second of all," Wally finishes,"...You're right"
He looks at Jinx defeated my.
Jinx shakes her head at him.
"Look, like I said I am just trying to help you," She says.
Wally sighs.
He runs a hand through his hair and then rubs his neck.
"So," He asks,"Where do I go from here?"
Jinx lets out a snicker.
"You don't," She says,"In a relationship, the female is always going to be the one calling the shots. If she doesn't feel that strongly for you, then, well there's nothing you can do about it"
Wally hangs his head and stares down at the table top.
His thoughts go back to the phone conversation he had only moments ago with Artemis.
Love...
He had used THAT word and it sent Artemis running for the hills.
Or so it seems.
But he hadn't even told her that HE loved HER.
Instead, she had seemed to run away at the very idea of loving him.
But so what?
"Look," Jinx says, her voice losing some of it's quip as she looks at the depressed red head that sits in front of her,"Whoever this girl is, it's obvious that you care about her"
Wally looks up at Jinx, his eyes still filled with his fears about his and Artemis' future together.
"My advice," Jinx continues, this time her voice is totally void of her sarcasm and wit-she's absolutely serious,"You tell her how you really feel. If she doesn't feel the same, then you move on. If she does, then you start from there. Either way, you've got to figure out where she's at in terms of you guys' relationship"
Wally looks into the eyes of this stranger. This young woman with pink hair and strangely...pink cat like eyes he notices for the first time after being so caught up in her quick witted personality.
"Must be contacts," He thinks to himself.
But he brushes it off. Actually, he's grateful to this strange looking and strange acting girl. Because somehow, he actually feels a lot better.
And for the first time, it wasn't because he got some food to eat.
And he thought only two other things could make him feel better.
1. Superheroing
2. Artemis
But it seems as if he was wrong.
Wally smiles at the waitress.
"Thanks," He says,"I'll do that"
XxxxxxX
Wally meet Artemis outside of her final class.
He spots her walking down the steps with a pile of books in her hands.
He waves her down and he can see her smile once she sees him.
"That's not a bad sign," He thinks to himself as they get closer to one another.
"Hey there," Artemis says as she places all the books that are in her hands into Wally's arms,"Just in time. I have a research paper due in two weeks, so I managed to get to the library before everyone else checks out all the good books"
Wally laughs as he adjust to the weight of the books in his hands.
"What, did you check out the whole library?" He asks her.
Artemis smiles at him.
"Just keep walking," She says,"My car's parked over there"
They fall into step with one another and go with the flow of the crowd.
And in his head, Wally tries to decide when to bring his topic of discussion up with Artemis.
They get to her car, a small little four door that Artemis received at High School graduation from her mother and sister, when Wally decides to brooch the problem.
"Hey Artemis," He says as she opens her trunk and holds out her hands for him to give her the books.
"Yeah," She asks, distracted as she places the books in the car.
"I was wondering," He says gently as he takes a deep breath and remembers all the things he thought to himself as he sat in that diner today and talked to that weird pink haired girl named Jinx,"What would you say about moving in together?"
He watches as Artemis whips around to face him.
He has her full attention now.
Wally puts a hand on the back of his neck and looks away.
He takes another deep breath and forced himself to look back into Artemis' eyes.
"I mean, I think it would be good. For us. We hardly ever get to see each other anymore and things are just-" Wally starts to say but Artemis interrupts him.
"Oh my god," She whispers and Wally can't help but be shocked at the tears that are welling up in her eyes as she puts a hand over her mouth.
"Artemis?" He asks her, alarmed,"Are you ok?"
He reaches for her and she puts her forehead to his chest.
"I'm fine," She says after awhile with a nod of her head.
But Wally still isn't sure.
He's never seen her like this before.
"It's just," She says as she looks up at him again,"I've been thinking the same thing"
Wally feels something in him release.
All the anxiety and worry he's been feeling pours out of him.
"I've actually been talking to Dick about it. With superheroing and school...it's just been a lot on me. So, I know it's been taking a toll on you, too. And our relationship," She says seriously,"I know how much you love me Wally. And how much I love you. That's why, I've decided to leave the team"
Wally shakes his head.
"What?" He asks,"You're leaving Young Justice?"
Artemis nods her head.
"I was going to tell you tonight. Over dinner. My treat since we haven't really been able to get together for lunch lately," She says as she laughs and nudges his arm.
"That's great!" Wally shouts and he can hardly believe that he actually means it.
"You really think so?" Artemis asks as she studies his face,"I was afraid you'd be upset"
"No," Wally shakes his head as he holds Artemis' hand,"I think we both could use some time off from the League. Give us time to focus on school and...on each other"
Artemis smiles at Wally.
"So, about moving in together...?"Wally asks with a grin.
Artemis laughs.
"Yes," She says,"I'd love that. But you better not be as dirty with me as you are in your dorm!"
Wally's face reddens.
"C'mon I'm not that dirty!" He protests.
"Wally, the last time I was in there you had a half eaten, weeks old pizza under the bed and you hadn't washed your sheets in a month. Not to mention all the junk you had lying around," Artemis says with a laugh.
"Alright, alright," Wally adheres,"I'll be cleaner and neater. I promise"
Artemis smiles.
"I can't believe we're actually doing this," She says in a quiet, serious voice.
Wally looks at her worriedly.
"I mean...seriously thinking about quitting the team," She whispers with a frown but then looks up at Wally with a smile,"And about moving in together"
Wally grins back at her. His heart fuller than it's been in awhile.
"Don't worry. The team will understand. We have to do what's best...for us," He says as he holds her to him.
Artemis nods her head.
"You're right," She says and then she kisses him.
They break away and Wally grins back down at Artemis.
"Now about that free dinner you mentioned..." He says.
"Wally!" Artemis cries with a laugh.
The End