Perfection
The heat had been shut off again, and her thread-bare sweatshirt was doing nothing to keep her from shivering. Her arms were crossed under her chest, over her ribcage. Her fingers gripping her elbows, the feeling of her sharp joints knocking with her ribs was unpleasant at best, she wouldn't have been surprised to find bruises. She balanced on her left foot, the other curled around the back of her calf, rubbing through her ripped jeans in an attempt to smooth out the goose bumps on her legs.
Her voice was still droning on, the slightest hint of a Vietnamese accent slipping through. Artemis kept her eyes locked on the end of her mother's sharp nose as she gave her a lecture about something—was it the call home about her slipping grades? She wasn't sure. She just had to keep herself from glancing at the clock hanging on the wall.
Another shiver wracked her body and she could feel her bones knock together again.
"—Artemis! Are you listening?"
"Yes, yeah, I am."
"Then you'll be ready to go by eight AM tomorrow, no later." Artemis nodded, rubbing her arms. "Good. Then goodnight," her mother pulled her down into a hug. The tremors in her mother's arms seemed worse than they were the night before, but she didn't say anything.
She held her ground and watched as the Vietnamese woman wheeled herself down the hall. The left wheel was squeaking again—she'd have to take a look at it tomorrow—but when the sound stopped, she knew she was in the clear. Without waiting another second, she launched herself into a short-lived sprint and stopped once inside her room, closing the door behind her, being sure to lift up on the knob so the door could properly click shut.
Quickly she kicked off her jeans and pulled the band out of her hair, combing it with her fingers while she walked across the faded hardwood floors. She had to take deep, long breaths to keep her heat rate from picking up.
The day had felt like an eternity, it always did. It was finally time to go to Mount Justice and see the team. She wondered if that was how it always felt to Wally, and then rolled her eyes at the mirror she stood in front of.
Time to suit up.
She slipped into a pair of ratty, ten year old sweat pants, tying the string as tightly as she could around her waist. They would fit her if she ate regularly, but as it was she was just lucky she had wide hips, as her pelvic bone was really all those pants had to cling to. She pulled on a t-shirt next, and quickly shut off the light and flopped down on her bed, wrapping herself tightly in her hole ridden blankets.
Deep breaths. It was almost time. In, out. In…out. Artemis closed her eyes and let the creaking of the paint-chipped walls and water-stained ceiling lull her into sleep.
Recognized: Artemis, B07.
The team went to the beach that day, Artemis wore a dark green bikini, and every well-earned muscle and battle scar, as well as her natural curves, were on display for everyone to see.
Wally commented several times on her choice of swimsuit, always with a slight red tinge in his cheeks and a playful bite in his words. She fired right back, saying that he was going to compromise himself if he wore those Flash board shorts.
Conner lied on the sand with her, soaking up the sun. He was on his back, and she on her stomach, his shoulder just touching the arm she had folded next to her face.
Kaldur, Robin and M'gann invited her to play volleyball with them, in a battle of the sexes. The boys won the game, but only because she and M'gann had taken to trying to hit the ball with their elbows, effectively sabotaging themselves.
Robin and she took it upon themselves to cook the burgers, since Wally couldn't be trusted not to eat them as they were being made, Conner and Kaldur were swimming, and M'gann couldn't be trusted not to burn them.
When they watched the sunset, she sat between the cuddling couple that was M'gann and Conner, and the shoulder punching pair of friends that were Wally and Robin. She had her shoulder pressed against Wally's, and he didn't object. She let the warmth from his mild sunburn soak into her arm as she watched him and Robin argue over something completely ridiculous.
Kaldur emerged from the ocean again to view the sunset with them, and sat on the other side of the aliens, who were quick to engage him in conversation.
"Artemis, what do you think? Isn't it beautiful?" M'gann asked, sparing her a glance before training her gold eyes on the sunset once more.
"It is, it's absolutely gorgeous."
"Mm," Wally hummed in agreement, and she tried her best not to tense when she felt his fingers slide over hers. His hand was warm, and strong and reassuring. She adjusted her fingers slightly, to acknowledge him and they exchanged a brief side-glance that carried volumes of meaning. "I think so too."
It was the best day she'd ever had. It was beautiful, like the sunset, the friendships she had, the hot passion that she felt whenever she touched or looked at or spoke to Wally, and the simplicity of this life. Here, she was happy.
But 'here' wasn't real.
"Artemis? What is wrong?" Kaldur asked, leaning forward to see her around the aliens. At this, all eyes focused on her, various degrees of concern in each expression.
She wiped her eyes quickly. "Nothing, everything's perfect,"
Wally smiled brightly at her, and she returned it. She didn't want to leave, she never did. But that's the trouble with a life of perfection.
Perfection isn't real.
Author's Note: Ok, so. This very short one-shot was inspired by what is possibly my favorite Young Justice amv of all time. It's called 'She Expected the World [Artemis]' and was put together by the very talented WallArtFTW
Link: watch?v=8GE-637Ekk8
It's incredible, really, I honestly can't say enough good things about this video.
NOW. I have a confession. This was not the only fanfiction this video inspired me to write. This was the initial idea I had, and I apologize because I don't think it's quite up to par. But I felt obligated to share it anway.
The other fanfiction inspired by this video is still in the works, though nearing a conclusion. It's a lot different, and strays from WallArtFTW's synopsis for the video quite a bit (it's possibly completely different). But it's still completely inspired by the video.
So I say, if you liked this very short one-shot, or even if you didn't, please read the other video-inspired story I'll be posting at some point.
-Wicka