A/N: AU because the idea was conceived before "Downtime" so Artemis lives with Ollie in Star City and not with her mother in Gotham. Takes place a few years into the series, making Dick 15, Wally and Artemis 17, and everyone else 18. Superboy has taken his Earth name, Conner, and Robin has revealed himself to be Dick Grayson.
The Wedding
She hadn't been looking forward to the wedding.
It wasn't because she wasn't happy for Ollie and Dinah. They had given her everything she now claimed as her own. They treated her as family, as a surrogate daughter. She got along with them well; they didn't ask many questions or attempt to bond with her by doing ridiculous family activities. She also privately thought it was good for "Uncle" Ollie to have a woman in his life that could keep him in check.
What she wasn't looking forward to was having her teammates in what she now viewed as her home.
Artemis liked her teammates. She had a strong friendship with Megan by default because the Martian was the only other girl around most of the time. She had a respect for Kaldur that stemmed from his leadership skills and level-headedness. She liked Conner because he had a temper to rival her own and admired the way he was able to use his anger. She got along with Dick simply because he was always the first to laugh at Wally.
Wally West was really the only one she didn't want traipsing through her house. And it wasn't even because she hated his guts; she'd gotten past that a long time ago. The reason Artemis did not want him around was because, cliché as it was, the redhead was all she could think about lately.
Over the last two years she had seen a change in the speedster. While he had not given up his skirt chasing ways, he had at least stopped pining for Megan and now clearly thought of her as his sister. He had even tried to threaten Conner with a typical overprotective brother speech that did not faze the clone in the slightest.
Wally was also different with her. After getting over his distrust of her, he still picked a fight every chance he got. But the bickering slowly turned to a gentle teasing that was accompanied by warm green eyes. Artemis was pretty sure she would rather die than admit she liked the way Wally looked when he smiled, especially when the smile was for her.
Liking Wally was a problem. She was not the kind of girl who got all love sick over some boy, but her brain couldn't seem to get through to her emotions. It was like she just couldn't help but notice things like the precise shade of grass green his eyes were, or how warm his skin was whenever he brushed against her. She even liked the stupid nickname he insisted on calling her, though she still told him not to use it.
It was stupid. He was Wally and she was Artemis. Their relationship was snarky and teasing, not sweet and romantic. This was not supposed to be happening.
Artemis's little inner monologue was interrupted by a knock on her door. "It's Megan!" called the chipper voice of the Martian girl.
She'd forgotten she'd invited Megan to come over early to get ready. The invitation wasn't out of any real desire for gossip or talk about boys, but because it simply seemed like the polite thing to do. Megan hadn't been to an Earth wedding before and she was excited. As Artemis had expected, the redhead jumped at the chance to have some girl time while they got ready.
The blonde archer opened her bedroom door. She was greeted by her green skinned teammate with an enthusiastic grin. She noticed a garment bag draped over the alien girl's arm that held a dress identical to the one hanging in Artemis's closet. "Hey," Artemis greeted as Megan stepped inside the room.
"Hi!" Megan's voice was just as happy as it ever was. "This is so exciting," she trilled as she watched Artemis pull her dress from the closet. "And the boys look so nice all dressed up."
Artemis, used to Megan's chatter, hadn't been paying much attention until this point. "Wait, the guys are here already?"
Miss Martian nodded. "Oh yes. We all came with our mentors." She unzipped her garment bag and carefully lifted her dress. The Martian smiled dreamily, no doubt thinking about Conner, before turning back to Artemis. "That reminds me. Wally asked me to send you downstairs once you're dressed. He said he wanted to talk to you."
This made the younger girl a little suspicious. "Did he say what he wanted to talk about?" Artemis asked.
Megan shook her head before turning away again. Artemis was still wondering what Wally could want as she stepped out of her regular clothes and into her jade green bridesmaid dress. This time when Megan turned around, dressed in the same garment, her skin now milky pale, she smiled.
"That's a great color for you," she said kindly. "Can I do your hair? Please?" The redhead looked so eager that Artemis did not have the heart to say no, so she merely pulled her hair from its ponytail and sat down on her desk chair.
As the Martian pulled a brush through Artemis's silky blonde hair, she went back to chatting. "We should take pictures together," she suggested, "just the six of us. It'll be fun. And just wait until you see those boys of ours, especially Wally. The green brings out his eyes. You know, I've always thought you two would make the cutest couple…"
Artemis smiled. "I know. You've told me about a million times."
"He's different now," Megan remarked thoughtfully. "And I think he likes you. Haven't you noticed how he smiles at you all the time?"
The blonde girl frowned. The fact that she was not the only one noticing changes in Wally did not bode well. If there was one thing that hadn't changed about the speedster, it was that he was persistent. If Megan thought he liked her, he was not going to give up until he got his way.
A realization seemed to have dawned on Megan. "Do you think that's what he wants to talk to you about? Do you like him, too?"
Artemis didn't answer either of her friend's questions. But Megan knew her well enough to tell what her silence meant. "Artemis! Why didn't you tell me? Oh, this is so romantic. Wally will tell you how he feels, and you two will dance the night away…and what better place to admit your feelings than at a wedding?" The Martian girl looked positively euphoric.
A blush crept over the archer's face. "I don't like him," she mumbled very unconvincingly. "And I'm certainly not going to 'dance the night away' with Wally West."
M'gann shrank back a little, her face falling. "Weddings are romantic," she protested.
Artemis shook her head. "That's not me, Megan. I'm not that kind of girl." She looked up at the other girl and felt a little guilty for upsetting her. "Look, don't let me stop you from having fun with Conner, okay?"
Megan brightened again, a smile splitting her face. "I won't," she promised. "So…are you going to go talk to Wally?"
0o0o0o0
Artemis stayed in her room with Megan. The Martian knew she was purposefully avoiding the team's speedster, but she didn't bring the subject up again. Instead, Artemis let the redhead give her a mini-makeover. Though the blonde archer was not one for primping, she had to admit that Megan had grown quite good at applying makeup. It also meant she had an excuse to stay upstairs, but she didn't voice that thought out loud. Seemingly satisfied with her work, M'gann finally allowed Artemis to see her reflection.
"Well, I still look like me," Artemis said approvingly. M'gann beamed and launched into an explanation.
"I didn't do all that much, really. It's all about just enhancing your features. See how big your eyes look? And I only used a little bit of blush and I decided on clear lip gloss. Do you really like it?"
"Yes," Artemis answered, "I really do."
Miss Martian smiled again. "I bet someone else will, too."
"Megan, you didn't put makeup on me just so Wally will hit on me, did you? Because if that's the case, it's coming off. I don't care how nice it looks."
The Martian girl shook her head. "I don't want him to hit on you," she replied. "But I did think it might have been easier for him to seem sincere if he could genuinely compliment you before the two of you had your talk." Megan looked slightly sheepish.
Artemis was about to respond when there was another knock on her door. "Are you girls ready? It's just about time to get going here," Ollie called.
The two girls gathered up their belongings, exiting together. Ollie was still outside in the hallway, dressed in a classic tuxedo. He grinned when he saw his "niece" and Megan. "You don't look half bad all dressed up, kiddo," he greeted with a definite fondness in his tone.
"Neither do you," Artemis replied, and the older archer laughed. The girls made their way downstairs. As soon as they reached the ground flood, the redheaded speedster was at their sides.
"Ladies," he greeted in his usual flirty tone. Megan merely chuckled and Artemis rolled her eyes. Upon seeing this, Wally fixed his attention on her. "So, why didn't you come down earlier? I wanted to talk to you."
Artemis was very aware of Miss Martian slipping away. 'Some friend,' she grumbled mentally, 'She knew I didn't want to do this.' The younger girl did her best to look annoyed, but all she could focus on was the way Wally's green dress shirt matched his eyes. 'Stop it!' she commanded herself. 'You are better than this. He's not that cute.'
"Arty?" he asked, and she could hear the grin in his voice. "I still want to talk to you. It's kind of important."
She was saved, however, by the clock chiming twelve times, signaling the start of the ceremony. Wally looked disappointed, but he winked as he hooked his arm through Artemis's. "We're going to walk down the aisle," the freckled speedster told her with yet another smile. "Dum dum da dum. Dum dum da dum."
As they lined up behind Megan and Conner, Artemis scowled. "Only because Dinah has a cruel sense of humor," the blonde girl informed Wally. "It's not like it's my idea."
Wally released her arm as Megan and Conner started down the aisle. "So seriously, can I talk to you later? It really is important."
"Yeah, sure. Whatever." Artemis had to use all of her self control to not run down the aisle just to get away from him. It seemed to take an eternity to each the end where their teammates stood. Artemis took her place next to Megan while Wally joined Conner. There was a soft gasp from the guests when Dinah appeared in her white wedding gown.
All through the ceremony, Artemis could feel Wally's green gaze on her. She was trying to appear interested in the vows being exchanged, and the redhead's attention was simply not helping. It seemed to be another eternity before the minister allowed Ollie to kiss his bride.
The guests cheered and followed the newlyweds into the mansion. Artemis attempted to blend into the crowd, but Wally appeared at her side. "So, your uncle's not mad at me or anything?"
His question seemed completely out of the blue. Artemis looked at him with an expression of suspicion. "Um, not that I know of. Should he be?"
Wally grinned wolfishly. "Well, it makes sense that he would be. Black Canary and I have history."
She scowled. "Getting your ass handed to you during a sparring session does not equal history, Wally West."
"Aw, come on Arty. I was only kidding." Predictably, the redhead stayed at her side as they entered the large room in Ollie's mansion reserved for lavish parties. He made a beeline for the buffet table. Artemis briefly considered hiding out, but she was pretty hungry too, so she grudgingly followed suit.
Dinah's seating chart had the six Young Justice teammates at the same table. As Artemis and Wally joined M'gann and the other boys, the Martian looked up with an excited expression gracing her features. Artemis shook her head, and Megan looked disappointed.
The reception was in full swing by the time the junior Justice League was finished eating. Everyone was laughing and talking amongst themselves, and it was obvious that the newlywed couple couldn't be any happier to be together.
The youngest Arrow clan member was trying to enjoy herself. It was hard to focus on conversation, however, when she could feel Wally's gaze fixed on her constantly, especially when coupled with the fact that M'gann seemed to be silently willing Artemis to go off with Wally and talk.
When the plates were cleared away, the DJ Ollie had hired cranked up the music. Miss Martian grabbed a less than enthusiastic Conner and dragged him off to dance. Artemis remained rooted in her seat. Wedding or no wedding, she did not dance. She should have known she'd get no peace.
"Wanna dance?"
Artemis turned to look at Wally. "No, I don't want to dance." She was using her firm voice, but this was not enough to deter the persistent boy.
"Don't be such a stick in the mud. It'll be fun. You need to loosen up." The speedster took hold of Artemis's hand and pulled her up. She yanked herself out of his grip. She knew she didn't have a chance of outrunning Kid Flash, but she certainly wasn't going to make it any easier for him. "Arty," he said simply, and he almost sounded pleading. "Come on."
Artemis reluctantly allowed herself to be towed to the middle of the throng of people dancing right as the music changed to a slow song. She felt it was probably too soon to be changing tempo but she merely took a deep breath and allowed Wally to place his hands on her hips. "So about that talk…"
"What, you mean you wanted to discuss something other than your crush on my aunt?" Artemis teased with a grin.
Kid Flash returned it. "You're really pretty when you smile, you know. It's cheesy, yeah, but it's true." His face was flushed red, but the archer could tell he was sincere. Artemis felt her own cheeks warm at the compliment.
"Thanks," she mumbled.
Apparently encouraged by this, Wally stepped closer to her. Artemis had a remark about personal space on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't say anything. He was so close and so warm and his eyes were so green… Artemis felt quite sure he was going to kiss her, and the more she thought about it, the less she minded the idea.
But he didn't. Was that disappointment she felt? 'Get a grip, Artemis,' the blonde told herself. 'You should be glad he's not complicating things.'
The song changed to another upbeat tune, and Artemis stepped out of Wally's grip, removing her hands from his shoulders as she did so. The redhead looked a little surprised, but he followed her as she made her way through the crowd back to their table.
She purposefully ignored every attempt he made at conversation. It wasn't that she was angry with him. Artemis was angry at herself for wanting him to kiss her. She was not supposed to be attracted to her teammates. She was not supposed to complicate her life anymore than it already was. She was not supposed to feel like a giddy school girl around Wally of all people.
The others came and went as the party wore on. At one point, Artemis ended up alone at the table with Megan. The Martian girl took the seat next to the archer's, looking ready to hear a new development. "Well?" she asked. "What did he say?"
"He told me he and Dinah have 'history' but then he said he was only joking. And then he made me dance." Artemis informed her friend of this in a monotone voice that made Megan frown.
"But what about when you were dancing?" Miss Martian pressed. "Didn't he say anything about you being pretty?"
Artemis sighed. "He did," she admitted, and Megan squealed with delight. "And then I thought he was going to kiss me."
Megan's kind brown eyes widened. "Did he?"
"No. And I don't know what to feel about it, really."
The four boys were making their way towards the table again, so Megan grabbed Artemis by the hand and pulled her off to the powder room. "Tell me everything."
Artemis realized just how grateful she was that Megan was such a good listener. And she did want to tell someone. "I felt disappointed actually. And then I was mad at myself for feeling disappointed. It's not supposed to be like this, you know? Our lives are convoluted enough. We shouldn't be doing anything that could jeopardize the team. And it's Wally. He's immature and annoying and I shouldn't have him in my head all the time."
"You really do like him."
The blonde girl was silent and motionless for a moment before answering. "I guess I do," she admitted. "This is bad."
"But he's a nice boy," Megan said, clearly confused. "What's wrong with that?"
"It could be disastrous. We wouldn't be able to think clearly on missions; we'd be too worried about each other. And if it didn't work out, imagine how awkward being around each other all the time would be."
Megan put a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "I think you're trying to convince yourself just as much as you're trying to convince me. Give it a chance." And then she hugged the archer. Artemis recalled the brief conversation she'd had with Megan the day she'd joined Young Justice. Now she could say she knew it was like to have an Earth sister.
0o0o0o0
The teenaged heroines rejoined the reception just as Ollie and Dinah were taking over the DJ's microphone. "We're going to cut the cake soon," Dinah announced."But first we want to get a few things out of the way."
Ollie took the microphone. "Dinah's going to toss her bouquet, and I'm going to do the garter. So if all of the single girls could gather up here, Dinah is going to go first."
Artemis felt Megan grab her arm and give her a gentle tug towards the new Mrs. Queen. The blonde girl allowed her friend to drag her off. Dinah smiled at the guests before locking eyes with her niece. Black Canary aimed her bouquet of lilies right at Artemis and tossed it. Artemis reached for it automatically.
"Artemis, you caught it!" M'gann exclaimed. "Isn't the custom that whoever gets the bouquet is going to marry whoever catches the garter?"
The archer tried to play it off. "It's not a big deal. It's more tradition than anything." She turned back to Ollie, who was now removing Dinah's garter. The male guests edged towards the bride and groom. Artemis was confused when Oliver caught her eye and winked. Then he took the garter and slung it right into Wally's face.
Artemis's eyes widened. 'They did this on purpose,' she thought. While the development definitely perturbed the girl, it was almost worth it to see Wally's red face. She noticed that Barry and Iris looked just as amused as Dinah and Ollie did and wondered if everyone was in on it.
Megan was squealing with excitement. "You're going to marry Wally!" she said rather loudly.
"Megan! No I'm not." Artemis crossed her arms over her chest, still clutching Dinah's bouquet. The Martian girl ignored her friend's protest, still grinning at the prospect. Artemis scowled.
She stuck around while the cake was being cut and served. She was waiting to talk to Ollie or Dinah alone so she could make her excuses and flee to her room. Finally, she spotted Dinah alone. The archer shot across the room to the older blonde. "I have a headache," she blurted. "I'm going to go lay down."
Before Dinah could even respond, Artemis was heading for the staircase. She had just reached the second floor landing when she noticed she had, of course, been followed. He was holding two slices of cake and wearing a grin.
"What?" she snapped. "I want to lie down. Go away."
He pretended to pout. "Is that any way to speak to your future husband?"
Artemis's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You are not my future husband." She pushed past him to enter her bedroom. She saw him speed by in a black and green blur.
Wally perched on her bed, devouring his slice of cake. He ignored the less than pleased look he was getting from the archer. "So this is your room, huh?" he asked when he had finished. "I was hoping for something embarrassing to tease you about."
Despite the pure annoyance she felt for the redheaded teen, she found herself grinning. "Like what?" Artemis sat down beside him and took the cake he had brought her.
"Like pink walls or maybe a Taylor Swift poster. Or a picture of yours truly."
Artemis laughed. "You wish."
Kid Flash merely shrugged. "Well, at least I finally got you alone for longer than three minutes. Now I have you right where I want you. You're cornered."
"Am I?" Artemis asked in a tone that sounded oddly flirty. She groaned inwardly, hoping Wally hadn't noticed this. She could tell that he had when a Cheshire cat grin spread slowly across his face.
"I've been trying to talk to you all day," he said, "And all day long you've been running away from me. Now why is that?"
Wally's green eyes stayed focused on hers, waiting for her response. She looked back defiantly for a moment before looking away. "I don't know," she admitted finally.
"So can I tell you what I've been trying to say?" he asked. She nodded. Kid Flash's face took on a serious expression. "Artemis, I like you. I like you a lot. I think about you all the time. I can't help it. I understand if you don't feel the same way, but I had to tell you." He dared to look hopeful.
His confession of sorts had been exactly what Artemis was expecting. "Wally…"
The speedster's disappointment was plain. "I got it. It's fine. Just had to put myself out there." He started to get up from Artemis's bed. The blonde archer was surprised to realize just how bad Wally's sad expression made her feel. Remembering Megan's advice, she tugged Wally back onto the bed and moved in, capturing his lips with her own.
He responded eagerly. Artemis had to admit that kissing Wally felt kind of nice. When they pulled apart, she smiled tentatively. He looked the happiest she had ever seen him. "That wasn't a pity kiss, was it?"
"Of course not. It was for real." Wally's smile was infectious, she thought idly. A blush stained her face. "I um…I like you too, Wally."
"I knew it all along," the redhead responded haughtily. This earned him a nudge from Artemis's elbow, but it was a much gentler than any of the times she'd done it before. "I'm glad you feel the same way. I was worried you'd deny it."
Artemis figured that Wally had been honest with her and she owed him the same. "Megan convinced me to give you a real shot," she informed him. "I guess I'm nervous about what might change between us if we go out."
"Nothing has to change," Wally assured her. "I actually kind of like our arguments. I definitely like kissing you more, but arguing is a close second."
Artemis laughed. "I like it too. And I'm not going to ease up on you or anything. When you act stupid, I'm going to call you on it. I'm also not going to start giggling, or text you pictures of little hearts, or –"
Wally kissed her again, very gently. "I wouldn't want you to," he said when they parted. "I think you're awesome the way you are."
"You're pretty awesome too," the archer said. "You know, when you're not being obnoxious."
"Hey!" he protested. "Is that really how you should talk to your future husband?"
The archer had a response ready when they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Wally was across the room before Artemis could even blink. The redhead opened the door to reveal his aunt and uncle. "Now what's this we heard about husbands?" Iris asked her nephew.
"It's just a joke," Wally explained. "You know, because I got the garter and Arty caught the bouquet."
But Iris and Barry were smiling approvingly. "Come on, it's time to head home," Barry announced. "Say goodnight to Artemis and meet us outside."
The Allens disappeared down the hallway as Wally zipped back to Artemis. He leaned down to kiss her goodnight before snatching up the bouquet she had abandoned.
"What do you want that for?"
"Souvenir!"
Artemis laughed to herself and then Wally was gone. The blonde girl settled back among her pillows, still grinning at Wally's antics. At least some things never changed.