The door swung open with a loud thwap, waking Brucely from his peaceful sleep on the couch. The dog jumped up with a bark and immediately assumed a battle stance, ready to maul whomever was here to break into his beloved humans' home. After a second, though, taking in the two "burglars", his eyes widened and his body froze momentarily, immediately followed by a delighted squeak as he jumped off the couch and over the table in one long leap, coming to an excited stop at the feet of a Wally West who had just carried a blond, slender young woman across the threshold, bridal style. Her scent was a little off and she was wearing something entirely unfamiliar, but Brucely would recognize those gray eyes anywhere.

Artemis. She had come home.

He still didn't understand where she'd been or why it had been so quiet around the apartment for the last months, however, here she was now. A little bloodied, but back.

His tail could have sent a dozen papers flying, if there were any actually around.

"All right, all right," Artemis said, laughing, "Wally, put me down before the neighbors have to call the cops on us." She kneeled in front of Brucely, who stopped barking and ran into her arms so hard he toppled her over, licking her face everywhere he could.

"What, and no love for me? I took care of you for three months, dude, and I don't even get a passing glance?" Wally teased, closing the door and making sure to lock the deadbolt. He wasn't taking any chances, not this soon after finally having her home.

"He's probably just sick of you," Artemis said in between all the licking, "Everyone knows the Wall-man is best dealt with in moderate amounts."

"I'll show you moderate amounts." He leaned down, still facing her half-upright back and gently nibbled on her neck.

"Babe, I have dog slobber all over my face right now."

"Point taken. Shower?"

"Yes, pleeease." She groaned at the thought. "I'm dying for one. But no funny business. As much as I would love to," she paused, reaching behind her to squeeze Wally's ass and turning her head to plant a little smooch on his lips, "I'm, like, one second away from falling asleep right here and now."

"No arguments here." He grinned, visibly exhausted himself. "Come on, let Brucely go back to sleep and join me for twenty minutes of pure, hot bliss."

It ended up being thirty-five minutes, by the end of which Wally's freckled back was completely red from the absolutely scorching water Artemis preferred and the bathroom was steamy enough to open their own spa in, but bliss it was.

Slightly delayed by his lack of clean laundry - it wasn't that he couldn't take care of himself, but sometimes getting your dead girlfriend back is more important than worrying about a pair of socks -, Wally found Artemis laying on the covers of their bed, staring at the dark ceiling with an old picture of them at the beach clutched to her chest.

"Doooon't tell me you missed this place." He leaned against the doorframe, smiling.

"So much more than I would have thought," she answered without a hint of humor in her voice, catching Wally off guard. The playfulness present since their reunion seemed to have evaporated and made way to the dawning of just how hard all the lies and the time apart from each other had been. His own voice, equally sincere, caught a little when he spoke.

"Well, this place missed you too."

Artemis' head turned, eyes focusing on his lean frame, taking in everything about him - how his hair looked as if it hadn't been cut in quite some time, the subtle dark circles under his eyes, the uneven nails on his hands that she knew were prone to fidgeting, the muscle mass that had gotten just a tad lighter, so slightly that she doubted anyone else would notice, for only she knew his body as well as her own. It took only a second to compare this Wally to the one she'd left behind three months ago, but it was enough to realize now wasn't the time for serious talk; now was the time to try to get everything back to the way it used to be. It would be a bit forced for a little while - he had probably changed and she definitely had -, but eventually they'd find a way to merge the old past and the new past to make a better present. Just the two of them. And there was no universe in which Artemis plus Wally didn't equal banter.

Lots and lots of banter.

So she pursed her lips, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "If you're about to make a cleaning joke, I swear to God..."

"So was not!" He threw his arms up, like he always had when on the defensive. "'Sides, there'd be no punchline to that; between the two of us, who is really the worst at keeping things tidy?" He gestured to her side of the closet, where clothes lay messier than shredded paper in a garbage bag.

"It's a tie."

"Uh huh, believe what you want, babe."

"I heard you say 'tie' and that's the end of discussion." She threw her nose up, then giggled as he raced over to the bed and joined her on the covers, tickling her sides, her feet and anywhere else he could lay his hands on.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed like that, without worry or fear. It was as if all the pent-up stress and responsibility was coming out of her in short bursts of little air bubbles, leaving into the atmosphere to never enter her again. It felt so good, she thought as he laid his mouth tight on her stomach, blowing out breaths that rocked her every muscle.

She continued laughing as his head came up to hers, pressing her lips against his in a light kiss that reminded her very much of dandelions - sweet, colorful and fleeting. Their legs tangled and so did their arms, and once it was over, Wally took a good long look at his archer, doing the same assessment she had.

She had been someone else for a long time, he thought. What kind of toll had it taken on her? He could tell she was emotionally taxed, but to what degree... He wasn't even sure whether she'd been able to look in a mirror and see herself. Artemis was amazingly strong, both physically and psychologically, and he was sure it hadn't broken her like it might have someone else, but there were still shadows in her eyes that hadn't been there before, still a heaviness in the way she held herself.

Wally would make sure she did little else besides sitting on the couch watching chick flicks and eating pizza with ice cream for weeks. Well, that and maybe a few trips to the beach. The beach was always good for the soul.

His palm caressed her face, gently running over every tiny scar, acquainting itself with every new bruise, heating up every cold patch of skin, reminding her why she had always thought of him as a fireplace - mess of orange, yellow and red; radiating heat like nothing else; cackling; burning if you touch it wrong, gentle if you touch it right; so cozy, inviting and full of sparks. He was her safe haven and she had so missed the feel of his warm hands against her skin.

"I'm serious, you know. These rooms felt... empty without you."

"Do you want me to promise never to leave again?" she asked in a feeble attempt to shift the conversation back into a playful direction.

"No," he said, "just to always come back."

She leaned in and laid her lips on his. They moved slowly against each other, desperate to savor every moment they had together, just in case there weren't that many left. It was a messed up philosophy that didn't make much sense on paper, but they were too experienced as heroes to disregard how everything could change at a moment's notice. This was their time and nobody would ever be able to take it away from them.

Wally's hand moved from her face down her shoulder and to her waist, pulling her closer to himself as the kiss grew deeper. Her leg hitched up and over his side as her free hand moved to grab a fistful of his hair. His fingers tightened in the back of her oversized shirt and, with a barely audible sigh, he rolled over to his back, taking Artemis with him.

She lay there, splattered over him, now both hands in his hair, taking a small break from his lips to press hers against his cheeks, forehead, ear, eyelids... one kiss for every freckle, that was her motto. She had never gotten past his chest, of course, passionate as they both were. But someday she'd count them all, she promised herself as her golden hair fell past her ears, shielding the two of them from the rest of the world.

The night was quiet and peaceful, almost dreamy. The moon, full and bright, illuminated the room in its pale, silvery light. Somewhere far away, a frog croaked in unison with a chorus of crickets. Someone, an extremely early riser, jogged down their street, the plap of his tennis shoes a rhythmic, balanced sound.

Artemis and Wally held each other close, perfectly content with where they were. Their lips and hands moved slower and slower as the fog of sleep took them over until, finally, they stopped moving, Artemis's head resting against Wally's shoulder, fingers interlocked over their hips, a knitted quilt draped over their legs. They still had the taste of the other on their lips and, though their partner would never know, that night both dreamed of each other.

What neither of them would also ever know was that shortly after they had entered their bedroom, Brucely had made his way to the door, settling in front of it as a watchdog, where he'd spend the rest of the night awake, gone by the time they would come out the next morning.

Artemis was the first to wake. Her face was pressed against Wally's upper arm, her body balled up into a fetal position, hand spread over his stomach, and, by the way the sunlight hit her cheek, warming her whole right side, she guessed it was a little past noon. Unwilling to open her eyes now that she'd assessed her whereabouts and realized that the events of the previous day were not, in fact, wishful dreams, she settled into an even more comfortable position against Wally, smiling at the thought that she could.

She could have spent forever like that, perfect as it felt.

But not much later, Wally started to make small little noises and movements that signaled that he was close to consciousness. Among them was a tiny moan that made Artemis remember the last three months, how her body would physically ache for him sometimes, how she would have given anything just to hear his voice. And here she was, having gotten her wish and not doing anything about it?

That was simply wrong.

She opened her eyes and turned to look at him, this redheaded speedster that was hers. He seemed so calm when he was asleep, almost childlike. As if nothing in the world mattered but his dreams. As if he hadn't just been a part of a huge battle with the world's villains the previous day. She'd always liked that about him, perhaps because she was the exact opposite - always thrashing, rarely really resting - and she'd always liked to look at him sleep. It filled her with a sense of serenity, she supposed. Something that made the coming day just a little bit more hopeful, just a little easier to get through.

"Oh, well. All good things must come to an end," she muttered to herself as her hands sneaked down the front of his boxers and her mouth found its way to his earlobe, kissing and biting as arousal slowly woke him up.

"Mmmm," he muttered, still half-asleep as she laid kisses on his lips one by one, each faster and more forceful than the last. Somewhere between the fourth bite and fifteenth kiss, his eyes opened, taking in the view above him - Artemis with the most glorious bed hair he'd ever seen, a wicked grin on her lips, straight-up sexual intensity in her eyes, and a very loose shirt that had slid off her shoulder revealing almost as much as was kept to the imagination.

He had never particularly liked her cover identity Tigress, but looking at her like this, he could see the feral cat in her and it was enough to signal a significant portion of his blood to go toward where her fingers were drawing random patterns inside his boxers.

His mind cleared of the remaining drowsiness almost instantly and his hand brought her head down to his level once again. These kisses were not like the ones before; where there had been a longing for the feel of the other, now there was only lust, heat and passion. It wasn't just their lips either - tongues, teeth and fingers had become soldiers in this war where there were no losers.

Wally sat upright, keeping his grip on Artemis, who used the new opportunity to wrap her legs around his waist. She grabbed a fistful of his hair and arched his head back, running her teeth over his neck, pressing sloppy kisses here and there until she reached his collarbone, where she bit down hard.

"Babe, yo-mmm." He groaned. "You have a shirt on. Not fair."

"Then take it off." She bit his earlobe.

He did just that, pulling the wife beater over her head and throwing it across the room before whispering "My turn." and, faster than she could see, rolling them over so that she was beneath him, legs still around Wally. Her hair spilled over the sheets and her back arched upwards, pressing against him, as their mouths continued the battle.

When the feel of Artemis' bare, hard nipples against his skin became too much for Wally to handle, he released his neck from the hold of her arms, sliding downward, kissing his way to her breasts.

"Didja think of me while you were gone?" he asked between nips here and tugs there.

"You... may have popped into my mind a few times," she said, biting her lower lip.

"Yeah? Did I... do anything?" He swirled his tongue around the left nipple.

"Mostly, you were just eating."

She felt the vibrations of his silent laugh move through her and, oddly, that only turned her on more.

"If I could stuff myself for a living, I probably would."

"So, was becoming a superhero an attempt to get enough recognition for free meals at buffets?"

"Not gonna say the thought never crossed my mind," he said, taking her whole breast in his mouth and sucking on it.

"Hey, Wally," she said, pushing her back up to get closer to him, "do you ever get the urge to just, I dunno, eat me?"

He glanced up at her, pursing his lips. "As wrong and cannibalistic as that sounds, I have been known to not be able to differentiate between lust and hunger sometimes." He moved to work on the other breast.

"Good. Me too."

He looked up at Artemis again to see her staring at him the way he'd dreamed about for months - with unmistakable hunger..

"You are definitely my favorite treat," he murmured slowly, momentarily awestruck by her beauty.

"Well, then; I can think of a spot you could eat out right now." She ran her tongue over her lips in anticipation. He took the hint easily and untangled her legs, now around his back, running his fingers over the mound where they connected. Her panties were soaked wet and the sight made his mouth water. He pushed them aside without pulling them off and laid his mouth on her folds, enjoying just how much heat they were radiating. God, he'd missed Artemis - the feel of her, the smell of her, the texture, the taste... Nothing could ever compare.

He licked up and down, kissing her lower lips, spreading her legs wider. She easily complied, thankful for the extra training her time undercover had required. In fact, she was feeling too good to just lay there, so she pushed her hips up high and put her legs on either side of Wally's shoulders, allowing him to kneel. And run his hands over her glorious ass.

Artemis had always liked that both of them were superheroes. They may not usually be active ones for the past few years, but they still kept in shape. And good shape was crucial to many of their bedroom activities. She couldn't help but think her sex life would be very dull if she had dated a regular guy. There were only so many times you could do it in the popular positions before it got, for lack of a better word, boring. But throw in Wally's super speed and vibration, and her own training as a gymnast, and you've got yourself a cocktail of endless possibilities.

At this particular moment, she very much appreciated the way he'd learned to vibrate his tongue three years ago.

"Uhhh, that's the spot," she said, toying with her breasts, "In the interest of full disclosure, you miiiiiiiight have done something similar in a few of my dreams."

"Yeah? Like this?" He pulled one of her folds with his lips.

"Mmm-hmm." She hooked one of her legs around his back, leaving her support on the other, and brought him closer; so close he wasn't sure he could breathe. Oxygen was low on his list of priorities at the moment, though; everything was Artemis and only her.

"I bet I also did this." He put the tip of his tongue against her clit lightly, vibrating it. Her hips shot even higher up, almost hitting him in the nose.

"Y-yes!" The noise came out strangled as her eyes sprang open. She was so close she could already feel the knot twisting in her belly, almost ready for the release she so desperately needed.

"And perhaps a little of... this?" He traveled downward to her entrance and pushed his still vibrating tongue in.

She cried out, almost, almost past the edge, her hands twisting themselves in his hair to, for the love of God, keep his fucking head there. He moved in and out, alternating between vibrating and and swirling his tongue around inside. When he pulled it out, she let out a muffled groan in protest, but he returning to kissing her folds while his fingers took over inside.

After a small moment of consideration, she decided she liked this even better and pulled her legs up to her chest to give him better access, lowering her hips back onto the bed. Her heart was racing like Michael Schumacher and the sun shined on her face, and the birds were chirping outside, and she was home, and she didn't have to pretend to be anyone, and she knew there was a huge boner in Wally's boxers, and everything felt wonderful, and Artemis never wanted any of it to stop.

Right then, she reached her high and arched up, throwing her head back and running her hands through her hair, feeling all the stress being purged out of her body, leaving only peace and oh so glorious tranquility behind. Wally helped her ride out her orgasm - he totally got off on Artemis experiencing pleasure -, and once she'd come back down, slid back up to her, kissing her gently. She could taste herself on his lips, could feel his erection pressing against her, was still experiencing the aftershock, and all of that made her need for him unbearable.

She flipped their positions again, kneeling on either side of him and leaned down, hair falling down one shoulder, and kissed him until their lips were redder than his hair, grinding her nethers against his simultaneously. She could tell he was on the verge of breaking, so she sat upright and positioned herself over his hips, slowly gliding unto him. He started moving almost immediately, hands on her waist, holding her steady. Artemis' head fell back as her hips rolled, right hand finding Wally's and squeezing it.

He remembered their last night together; it had been much like this, except so much more desperate. He remembered the rush, the need, how frantic yet distracted they both were, knowing they wouldn't be able to be together for a long time. That if they were lucky, the most they'd be able to do was see each other; battle each other in the absolute best case scenario. He now realized both of them had been aware they were only kidding themselves, for how could Wally possibly re-enter the hero life without suspicion when his longtime lover had just died living that same life?

He remembered all those lonely nights when he'd roll over in the bed, reaching for her, finding nothing but empty sheets and the faint, lingering smell of the woman he loved so much; all the times he'd stayed up way into the night watching the news, hoping to catch only a glimpse of Tigress participating in some event of mass destruction, just so that he would know she was okay; all the days spent with Paula, having to mourn her daughter, unable to tell her there was no reason to.

It all came crashing down on him as he watched Artemis breathing erratically above him, moving rhythmically with an expression of unmistakable happiness, momentary as it might be. He blinked excess water out of his eyes, wiped his cheeks, and pulled himself up to kiss her as if the world could end any minute. Truly, it was how he felt.

Finally, after minutes of silent kisses, he drew back and rested his forehead against his, still moving their hips. "I love you, Artemis." His voice was coarse, raw with three months of pent-up emotions, saying so much more than the words.

She put a hand on his cheek, looking deep into his mossy eyes, seeing a mirror of all the turmoil that resided within her. Her lips brushed his jaw, his nose, his forehead, before she leaned against Wally and hugged him tighter than he could ever remember being hugged. "I promise I'll always come back, Walace" she whispered into his ear. "But you have to promise as well. I love you too much to take any chances."

"I promise." He closed his eyes, lips pressed against her shoulder, the two of them still entangled like a headphone cord. He didn't mind the occasional uncomfortable position or clash of limbs, so long as he got to feel like this, one with Artemis. He could feel her heart beat against his chest, her lungs expanding in unison with his, their combined heat shielding them from the outside world. Just two days ago he would've given anything to feel like this.

Now he wouldn't give it up for the world.

"Babe?" Artemis whispered.

"Hmm?"

"You know what they say about things always coming to a circle?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I want to end that circle right now."

Wally smiled. "And how do you propose to do that?"

"Remember our last night together? Against the trophy case?"

"Like you even have to ask."

"What goes around, comes-"

"Way ahead of you, babe," Wally cut her off, grabbing her legs and sliding off the bed, lips on hers. He reached the nearest wall - he hadn't had the motivation to repair the trophy case while she was away - and hoisted her legs up over his shoulders, all the while staying inside her.

Artemis slouched against the wall, clutching the top edge of a nearby shelf for support with one hand and Wally's neck with the other, and thrust her hips slightly against his, letting her knees bend a bit. Receiving the signal, he began moving as well, rocking her against the wall, careful to put enough space between them so as not to crush her, but somehow they ended up with interlocked lips anyway.

He pounded into her with everything he had, energized by the feel of her sharp nails scratching his neck. Her legs slowly slipped lower and lower to the sides as pleasure made it harder to control her limbs and she welcomed the change, utilizing it to lick and run her teeth over his chest, nibbling without much gentleness.

Eventually her legs had sunk low enough that she just wrapped them back around his waist and straightened up, pushing their upper bodies together again, hands in his hair, lips running rampant. He pushed her against the wall for real this time and the two of them took each other as if they were mad - greedy, sweaty, loud and so lustful the hormones in the room were dense enough to cut through.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so alive. The rush of adrenaline during a mission was different; it made her appreciate that she wasn't dead. But this... primal act, it made her be alive. As if there was something truly outstanding to live for.

She had never felt that way growing up. Her life had been about surviving the day, not enjoying it. Even after her mom got out of prison and introduced some amount of love into Artemis' life, it had still been about survival. When she'd joined the Young Justice team, it hadn't been only about survival, but her own identity as well. And having lost that identity during her undercover mission, Artemis just now realized how far she'd come from that fifteen-year-old girl who would botch an important mission just because a family member was involved.

Although she had never been shy about taking credit where it was due, at that moment it hit her just how much of that she owed to Wally. They had changed each other in so many ways, helped each other grow so much, there was really no listing them. But if there was one thing that meant the world to Artemis, it was the fact that he had given her a home. A place to come to when life is at its best or worst, a place to call her own, a place to feel safe. To her, that home meant everything.

Her mouth took his in one last desperate, passionate kiss, before he felt her tighten and let out a noise somewhere between sucking in a deep breath and screaming. Her orgasm prompted his own release and, with a grunt, he collapsed, falling partly on the bean bag behind them and taking Artemis down with him.

They wouldn't be able to say how long they lay there, naked, sweaty, breathless, silent, but it was enough for them to cool down and start feeling moderately uncomfortable with the room's temperature. Artemis, sprawled on top of Wally, was the first to raise her head in search of a blanket, or possibly some clothes. But her movement reminded both of them how awkward their positions were, and they carefully sat upright, flexing and stretching their muscles, testing if everything was working properly.

"That sure was some ride," Wally said with a satisfied grin, checking the back of his neck to see whether she had drawn blood.

"It's good to be home," Artemis agreed with a lazy smirk.

"You up for breakfast? I'm way overdue." Wally rubbed his stomach, which had been running on empty since the mission after party at the team warehouse. "Although I'm not sure what's actually in the fridge."

"Why don't I go check," Artemis suggested, standing up on slightly wobbly feet, "and you go take care of that bruise."

"But-"

"After how nice to me you were just now, it's the least I can do." She leaned down to plant a kiss on his nose. "'Sides, I'm not done with you yet, Wallace. You're gonna need lots of fuel today," she said, grabbing his old jersey from a drawer and pulling it on, walking away as it barely started to cover her thighs, capturing the stare of Wally.

"Babe," he muttered in awe so low she could barely hear, "I've missed you so much."

Yep. Now this felt like home.